Let the countdown begin!

Fifteen years ago, many were in a panic because they thought the world was coming to an end. Families were stocking up on canned goods like never before. People  were emptying their bank accounts because they thought debit machines wouldn’t work the next day.

I didn’t have that fear. I spent New Years Eve with friends at a banquet.

When the clock struck 12, we were all still alive. There was no chaos. It was business as usual.

Fifteen years later, I thank God for seeing me, my family and friends through another year. 

I plan on spending the last few hours of 2015 at the best place on earth, my church. It’s going to be a night full of praise and worship, testimonies and hearing my Pastor preach (I swear he saves the best message for the end of the year).

Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous New Year. May all your dreams come true in 2016.

How will you be ringing in the New Year?

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I'm finally debt free!!!

In my “2015: Best.Year.Ever” blog post, I reminisced about some of my favourite 2015 highlights.

While all of those we be etched in my memory forever, there is one thing that supersedes them all: paying off all my debt.

After two years of trying to figure out how I was going to pay off my debt, my financial blessing finally came last month.

July 2012, my department at my former workplace told us that they were laying off our department. I was the happiest employee in the bunch.

December 31, 2012 was my last day working for someone full-time. 

January 2013 I took the risk and started teaching piano full-time.

By September of that year ,I started running into financial trouble. Even though God had blessed me with more clients, I was falling behind with my bills and I couldn’t figure out why. I wasn’t one to spend money on clothes or shoes. I rarely ate out. I didn’t get it.

As the bills started to pile up, I had to eventually suck it up and start working odd jobs to make ends meet but those jobs weren't cutting it either.

I started borrowing money to stay afloat but fell into depression trying to figure out how I was going to pay the money back.

This year it got so bad to the point I stopped checking the mail because I knew my mailbox was filled with outstanding bills. I stopped creating my monthly expense spreadsheet. I started screening my phone calls to avoid bill collectors. I cried out to God daily asking when this financial trouble would come to an end.

Then it happened. I was blessed with a substantial amount of money. I had enough to pay off all my debt. It felt too good to be true. I cried for days because I felt like I didn’t deserve it.

After two years of financial struggle, I was finally able to pay off my debt…all $65,000 of it!

Being debt free has to be one of the best feelings in the world. What a great way to end the year.

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

The end of my Happiness Project

Last December, I read a book called “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. I thought it was a book about the things she loved doing. Not so. It was about her setting up monthly resolutions for herself. As each month passed, it was her desire to continue with the previous month’s resolution for the remainder of the year.

I decided that I wanted to do the same for 2015. 

My number one goal was to start a blog. I was finally ready to commit to writing on a weekly basis. Eighty-two blog posts later, I’m still writing.

 One of my January resolutions was to spend more time in prayer. No longer do I just pray when I need something. I now find myself praying whenever I can and just giving God thanks for the small things in life.

Another resolution I had made was to avoid candy for the entire year (click here to read more about my "Candy Addiction"). That didn’t last very long. I have improved though. I no longer head to Bulk Barn every day for a candy fix. Once my Princess arrives, I plan on trying again.

It has always been my dream to start a Book Club. Unfortunately the Ladies and I only got together twice this year. I hope we can start again in the near future.

Attending Boxing Boot Camp was another resolution I made. I’m definitely looking forward to attending again next Spring.

On the list of things that I didn’t accomplish was learning how to sew and knit, finishing “Friends”, learning how to play chess, finishing my novel and signing up for belly dancing classes.

After twelve months of doing this project, I’m extremely proud of myself for sticking with it. 

Am I happier for doing this? Absolutely! Even though I didn’t accomplish everything on my list, I still found myself doing things that I wouldn’t have normally done if I had just created a bucket list. 

I do plan on continuing with this project next year but on a smaller scale. 

My main resolution for 2016 will be enjoying life with my Princess.

What are some of your 2015 accomplishments?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

2015: Best.Year.Ever.

This is it. We are in our last few hours of 2015. It’s been a year full of laughs, heartache and surprises but I made it.

Here’s what I loved most about this year:

Five years ago, I made a mental note that I wanted to throw my Dad a 65^th birthday party and I did. 

Nine months later, he’s still talking about how it was the best gift he’s ever received.

I spent my 34th Birthday with my girlfriends...80's style.

Out of all the cakes I made, this Neapolitan cake is my favourite 2015 baking project.

Isn't she lovely? I finally have two mixers again! I’m sooo in love with my new Kitchen Aid 5 quart Architect mixer. The glass bowl is by far the best feature.

Finding out I was expecting was a shocker but at the same time the best news I’ve ever received. I have approximately 2 weeks and 5 days left until I meet my Princess.

What were some of your 2015 highlights?

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Christmas shopping...Oh how I hate you

I have a confession to make. I haven’t started my Christmas shopping yet and there’s only three days left. The scary thing is, I’m not worried. Part of me doesn’t even care.

 I blame it on the lack of Christmas spirit I feel this year. Houses are decorated. Christmas songs are playing but it just doesn’t feel like Christmas. Maybe because there’s no snow outside. Maybe because the weather has been so mild.

While those things may be true, I’m always a late shopper regardless. The thought of going to the malls and spending half an hour trying to find a parking space drives me crazy. Entering into the mall and seeing all those people running around like crazy people makes me feel claustrophobic. Then there's the long line-ups I have to stand in. Ugh! I just can't.

I don't blame those who do all their Christmas shopping online. I think I'll try that next year.

As I head to the mall today, pray for me that I don’t lose my mind.

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Christmas Day: Then and Now

This morning I woke up thinking about how my family used to spend Christmas compared to how we spend it now.

Our household wasn’t like others. My siblings and I didn’t wake up in the wee hours of the morning begging our parents to wake up just so that we could open our presents. We slept in. We took our time because we knew we weren’t going anywhere until much later. 

When all five of us did wake up, you could literally feel the excitement. The one day of the year that we had all been waiting for was finally here. The anticipation to find out if we got what we had asked for was about to be revealed. After all our presents were opened, we ate and played with our new toys.

We spent a lot of our Christmas evenings with my Mom’s side of the family. 

Now that we’re all grown up, things have changed. Presents are rarely bought. I can’t even remember the last time I spent Christmas with all of my siblings.

I now spend my Christmas mornings at church. From there I normally head out to my Dad’s house and spend a few days to unwind. We do nothing but eat, sleep and watch television.

I would be lying if I said I don’t miss the excitement that Christmas used to bring but I guess that’s just a part of growing up.

What did your family do on Christmas day when you were younger? Have those traditions changed now that you're older?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

My Happiness Project: 12 Days of Christmas Cheer

This is it…my final month of my Happiness Project!

This month, I’ve titled my Happiness Project, “12 Days of Christmas Cheer”. 

Even though it may not look or feel like Christmas, I'm looking forward to spending this month with my family and friends. 

Here’s my list of 12 things I plan on doing this festive season:

1) Create a Christmas playlist

2 ) Watching Christmas movies –  On the list are, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Miracle on 34^th Street”, “The Muppet Christmas Carol”, “Rudolph the red nosed reindeer”, Scrooge”, Christmas in Connecticut”, and “Frosty the Snowman”

3)  Paint Nite – I’ll be attending a couple of Paint Nites with one of my sisters and girlfriend

4)  Watch Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella

5) Getting a manicure, pedicure and facial at Sanctuary Day Spas

6) Make my own Christmas cards

7) Buy Christmas presents for my immediate family and my girlfriends

8) Watch the Nutcracker, the ballet

9) Watch “A Christmas Carol” at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

10) Watch “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” at Lower Ossington Theatre

11) Visit the Toronto Christmas Market

12) Visit Hudson’s Bay Christmas Windows

I can't believe I'm going to say this but...as much as I hate snow, I am praying for a few inches for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. What would Christmas be without it?

What resolutions have you made for this month?

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Money Talk

“Don’t hold your bucket where your hand can’t reach”.

This is a saying that my late Grandmother passed on to her children and one that my Dad passed on to me.

What does it really mean? To me it means don’t purchase things you can’t afford.

Sounds like an easy concept but can be hard to follow if someone doesn’t take the time to teach you about the value of money.

I was never given an allowance as a child. Anytime I needed or wanted something, I always asked my parents for money. Sometimes they would fork it over and sometimes they didn’t.

I got my first job when I was 16.  What a relief that was. I spent my money how I wanted without being asked any questions.

Once I started College, I signed up for 2-3 credit cards. When my Mom found out, the only thing she told me was to make sure I had enough money to pay off the balance at the end of the month.

I promised I would but soon feel into the trap of maxing out all of my credit cards because I viewed it as “free money”.

I spent all of my 20’s and early 30’s in debt. I believe this could have been avoided if my parents had taken the time to teach me about money. 

This is something that every parent should teach their child. It’s definitely something I plan on doing.

Starting a conversation about money doesn’t have to be hard. Take your child on a trip to the bank. Open up a savings account for them. Take them to the store to help purchase groceries. Play a game of Monopoly. Give your child an allowance.

Most importantly, parents need to teach children the difference between needs vs. wants.

When a child receives money – whether it’s from an allowance or receiving birthday money - I believe it should be divided into three categories. If you attend church like me, 10% should automatically be set aside for tithes, another 10% set aside for savings and the remainder set aside for spending. 

Even if parents teach their children about money at an early age, it’s no guarantee they will continue with these habits but it’s definitely worth the try.

While I don’t blame my parents for my financial mistakes, I do believe that if they had taken the time to teach me about money when I was younger, I would have been better off financially today.

Did your parents talk to you about money? If so, what lessons did you take from those conversations?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Foods that I hate

I envy my siblings for not being forced to eat some of the foods that I had to eat when I was younger.

The thought of the following still make me cringe to this day:

1) Porridge - That was my Saturday breakfast growing up. It doesn’t matter how many times I threw up or felt like throwing up, my parents still forced me to drink it.

2) Egg Salad Sandwiches - My Mother must have prepared egg salad sandwiches for me every other day when I was in grade one. I’m pretty sure I threw them out half the time.

3) Cabbage – My Mother always cooked it with corn beef and rice but I couldn’t stand the smell of cabbage. I was never allowed to leave the table without finishing every bit of cabbage that was on my plate.

4) Carrot Juice – I’m not talking about the one that has condensed milk in it. I’m talking about the raw carrot juice with just a dash of nutmeg. 

No child should ever be forced to eat or drink anything they don’t like. I’m sure if my parents didn’t make me eat and drink the foods and beverage mentioned above, I probably wouldn’t mind having them today.

What foods did your parents force you to eat growing up?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Farewell Delaney Drive

A few weeks ago, I said good-bye to the place I called home for the past ten years.

It was my first house. 

I can remember the day I stepped foot into it back in February 2005. It was love at first sight.

My home was a second home to many.

It was where my siblings stayed when they wanted to get away for a day or a weekend.

It was a place where my friends would come for a few hours before heading off to their next destination.

I hosted band rehearsals, surprise parties, good-bye parties, Christmas Eve parties, pancake breakfasts, dessert nights, games nights, book club meetings and Father’s Day dinners there.

My home is where our girls’ night started and where my friendship with my closest girlfriends began.

Most importantly, it was where I spent endless hours in my kitchen baking and had nearly 100 children walk through my doors for piano lessons.

As hard as it was to say good-bye, I knew it was time to move on and start the next chapter in my life.

Thank you 155 Delaney Drive for all the memories.

What are some of your fondest memories of your first home?

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It's Storytime

When I was in my teens, I made a promise to myself that I would read to my unborn child. It was my dream that my baby would be a bookworm like myself.

When I found out I was pregnant, I did a search for my childhood books. I still had my two favourite books – “Love You Forever” and “Mortimer” both by Robert Munsch. I also found “Clifford saves the circus” by Norman Bridwell.

I read those books daily to my Princess but soon got tired of them. I decided to start building her library by purchasing a book a month.  Here’s what I’ve bought so far:

I’m looking forward to reading to her once she arrives and spending endless hours at the library with her when she gets older.

“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child”

~Dr. Seuss~

What are some of your favourite childhood books?

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My Happiness Project: National Novel Writing Month

November – the one month I’ve been waiting for all year. Why? Simple. It’s my second last month of my Happiness Project but more importantly, November is National Novel Writing Month. 

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is when thousands of people commit to writing a novel. It must consist of 50,000 words starting on November 1^st to November 30^th.

The goal is to write a minimum of 1, 667 words a day.

By the end of November, your 50,000 word novel could be the end of your creative writing project or just the beginning of something greater.

During the process, it’s encouraged that you don’t try and perfect your novel. This is considered to be the first draft. Editing can take place at a later date if you choose to do so.

National Novel Writing Month started in July 1999 with 21 participants. Last year, 325,142 participants signed up.

This is my first attempt at writing a novel. It has definitely been a challenge so far considering I haven’t done any creative writing since high school.

Just in case you want to hop on the novel writing bandwagon, visit the National Novel Writing Month website for more information.

Wish me luck!

What resolutions have you made for this month?

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Memories of my Grandmother

Sunday, October 25^th marked eight years since my Grandmother passed away. To date, she still remains the most influential woman in my life.

Here are some of my fondest memories of our time spent together:

I remember spending countless weekends with my Grandmother anytime my parents needed a break from me. I would watch her cook and bake. We would sing and take long walks. We always ended our day with a word of prayer.

I remember one time when my Grandmother must have been cooking fried fish and the entire apartment was full of smoke. We went outside and sat on the grass in the front of her building and talked for hours.

I remember when my Grandmother showed us a different way to cook hot dog wieners. She would fry them for us instead of boiling them.

I remember a time when my Grandmother was spending a few months with us after the birth of my last sister. We got into an argument and I made the mistake of talking back to her. All she said to me was, “Wait until your Father gets home”. I think you can guess what happened to me when my Dad got home.  I never made the mistake of talking back to my Grandmother again.

I remember  spending a week with my Grandmother and her telling me that we were going to Sal’s on Saturday morning. I assumed Sal was a friend of hers. Sal’s happened to be a grocery store nearby.

I remember giving my Grandmother a tambourine for her 90^th Birthday. During my stay with her, she played that instrument while singing some of her favourite church songs.

I remember my last moments with my Grandmother while she was in the hospital. I sang “clap your tiny hands” to her. It was one of her favourite children’s songs that she loved to sing to us. It hurt watching her trying to sing and clap along with me but I was so happy that she was still able to respond. Before I left, I read her a few scripture verses.

Other than these memories, my Grandmother was a woman of faith. She loved God with all of her heart. She shared the Gospel with everyone she met. She wanted nothing more than to see her entire family serve Christ.

As much as I miss her, I know that she’s enjoying her time in Heaven with her Creator. She lived 92 years on this earth and her legacy continues to live on.

Grandma, some sweet day we will meet again.

I love you and see you soon!

What are some of your fondest memories of a loved one that has passed away?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

suretap - The New Way to Pay

Every time I lost my wallet, I would start to panic. I would try and retrace my steps in hopes that I would find it.

Sound familiar? Most of you have probably been there a few times. It’s definitely not a good feeling. Just thinking about all the cards you would have to cancel until you found it could lead to a major headache.

A few years ago, there were rumours that we wouldn’t need to carry our credit or debit cards anymore. An app was in the works that would allow us to make purchases with our phone. That app has finally arrived. It’s called suretap.

 The app is free and available with the following phone companies: Rogers, Bell Mobility, TELUS, Virgin Mobile and Koodo.

The suretap wallet can only be downloaded on Android and Blackberry phones.

Major credit cards and gift cards can be stored on the phone once the app is installed. Here’s how:

The only downside to this is that you can only make purchases up to $100 (tax included).

Banks that have partnered with suretap are: CIBC, TD, Scotiabank and Desjardins.

If you were to lose your phone, you would treat the situation as if you had lost your wallet – call your phone provider to lock the app and call your bank to suspend your credit cards.

Suretap is available all across Canada.

Considering we live in a “cashless society”, this new method of payment is definitely convenient but not one that I’m ready to embrace. The thought of adding my credit card information to my phone is a bit unsettling even though they say it’s safe. Call me old fashioned but I’d rather continue to carry my cards in my wallet. 

Would you consider using the suretap wallet to make your daily purchases?

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Prince or Princess: It's Time to Reveal

I always dreamed that my firstborn would be a boy. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I started calling our Baby Shrimp by the name we had chosen for him.

Three weeks before I was to find out, I had a feeling that I was having a girl. I knew we would be disappointed at first but we would love her just the same. My Mother always said as long as the baby is healthy, has ten fingers and ten toes, that’s all that matters.

Tuesday, September 1^st was the big day. As soon as I walked into the Sonographer’s office, she asked me what I was hoping for. I told her a boy but my gut feeling was telling me that it was a girl.

Forty-five minutes later, she kept her eyes on the screen and asked, “Do you still want to know what you’re having?”

Three weeks later I had some of my family and friends over for our gender reveal party. 

The vote was a close one. Six people voted for a boy and five voted for a girl. 

As the clock struck 7, one of my girlfriends said that there was no way that I would have a gender reveal party if I was having a girl.

Well, those who voted for a boy were…WRONG! We’re having a Princess and we couldn’t be happier.

Special thanks to my girlfriends Charlette, Amanda, Jordana and Lisa for helping me organize this party.  A BIG thank you to Jordana for taking such memorable photos.

Only 2, 184 more hours to go until I meet my Princess.

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :) 

Wash your hands please and thanks!

My Mother told us to always wash our hands when coming from outside, after using the washroom, coughing, sneezing and handling money.

I wish everyone’s Mom taught them to do the same.

A couple of months ago, I had to make a quick stop at a public washroom. There were seven women ahead of me.  

I decided to watch and see who would wash their hands with soap versus those who wouldn’t. 

The first lady wet her hands with water, pressed the soap dispenser and nothing came out. She went to the second dispenser and again nothing came out. She went to the third one and thank God it had soap.

One down, six more to go.

The next two ladies went to the same sink as the first woman. They both wet their hands, pressed the soap dispenser and pretended like there was soap in there. They wet their hands again as if they were rinsing off the soap and walked out.

Gross.

Another lady just wet her fingertips and walked out.

Nasty.

By this time I was so disgusted I stopped watching.  

I can’t blame my Dad when he says he hates eating out because you just don’t know what people’s hand washing habits are like.

Just in case you didn’t know, today is Global Hand Washing Day.

According to statistics, we carry up to 10 million bacteria on our hands.

We’re also supposed to wash our hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

As we approach the flu season, do yourself a favour and wash your hands as much as possible. By doing this, you'll help stop the spread of germs.

Have you ever witnessed anyone wash their hands without soap or leave the washroom without washing their hands?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)

The Niqab Debate

With so many other issues to address, I’m still trying to figure out why Prime Minister Stephen Harper is making a big deal about women wearing niqabs during their Canadian citizenship ceremony.

December 2001, former Minister of Immigration, Jason Kenney, banned anyone from wearing a niqab while taking their citizenship oaths.

In 2012, Zunera Ishaq was denied from becoming a Canadian citizenship because she refused to remove her niqab during the ceremony. 

She then took the issue to court. The Federal court of Canada found the Conservative government’s policy unlawful in February.

Earlier this month, Zunera became a Canadian citizen while wearing her niqab. Prior to taking her citizenship oaths, she removed it in private to prove her identity.

If Stephen Harper is re-elected on October 19^th, he plans on taking this issue to the Supreme Court of Canada. He would also like to see niqabs banned for those who work as government officials.

As long as women agree to remove their niqabs to take government photo id, during court appearances, interviews and before taking their citizenship oaths to prove their identity, I don’t see the issue with them wearing it.

While I am still undecided about which party to vote for, the issue of the niqab should be the least of our country's worries.

What are your thoughts on the issue of niqabs being banned from Canadian citizenship ceremonies and for those who work as government officials if the Conservative government is re-elected?

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When you get a chance, please visit my friend Tyrone’s blog. His posts are insightful and very thought provoking. See his blog here.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)