My Most Influential Teacher

Out of all my teachers from grade school right through college, my Grade 2 teacher had the biggest influence in my life.

When I first moved to my new school in June of 1988, I remember our class visiting Mrs. Munro’s class to watch Mary Poppins. At the end of the movie, I secretly wished that she would be my Grade 2 teacher that coming Fall.

My wish came true.

Other than my Mother, Mrs. Munro is the reason why I love to read so much. She always took the time to help me and listen to me read. 

With my new found love for reading, I started using my imagination more to write short stories.

It’s because of her why English became my favourite subject in school.

Even after leaving my grade school, I still kept in touch with her. She attended my Grade 8 graduation, High School graduation, College Graduation and even my wedding. 

Every now and then one of us will call just to catch up.

To some, it may not seem like she did a whole lot to shape me into the woman I am today but I beg to differ. Sometimes the smallest thing a teacher does can make all of the difference in ones life.

Who was your most influential teacher in school?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)   

Best Commercials Ever

Commercials. How much I hated being interrupted by them while watching my favourite television show. Most times I would take a washroom break or grab a snack while they were on. Other times I would stick around just in case one of my favourite commercial(s) came on.

Here are 7 of my favourite commericals:

7) Bill Cosby’s Jell-O Jigglers

6) Pepto Bismol

5) Michael Jackson’s Pepsi commercial

4) Budweiser Wassup

3) Coca Cola

2) Staples Back to School commercial

1) HP – Makes Beef Sing

What was/is your favourite commercial?

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The Independent Woman

When I was a little girl, my parents told me to never depend on anyone – especially a man – to do anything for me.

They told me to get as much education as I could so that I would land a well paying job. By doing this, I wouldn’t have to depend on a man financially.

They told me to get my driver's license so that I wouldn’t have to depend on a man to drive me everywhere.

 Being an independent woman is what they wanted me to be and that’s exactly what I ended up becoming.

Unfortunately, many of the men that I’ve spoken to over the years feel threatened by an Independent Woman. They see us doing our own thing and feel they can’t contribute anything to the relationship.

These men couldn’t be more wrong. Just because a woman has a well paying job, drives her own car and owns her own house doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want to be in a meaningful relationship. It just means that we’re quite capable of taking care of ourselves with or without a man in our life.

Men should feel proud that their woman can stand on her own two feet. They should feel proud that their woman isn’t wasting her life away doing nothing while waiting for Mr. Right to sweep her off her feet and take care of her.

Ladies, if a man asks you to give up your independence and totally rely on him...RUN! He doesn't want you to succeed in life nor does he have your best interests at heart.

We're living in a era where independence should be celebrated and not frowned upon.

What reasons can you think of as to why men are still threatened by being with an Independent Woman? 

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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 :)  

Outdoor Summer Fun

Who enjoyed the super hot weather we got this past weekend? I sure did. Summer is definitely the best season of the year!

All of this Summer heat reminds me of when my siblings and I would put on our bathing suits (trunks for my brother) and head outdoors to our itty bitty store bought pool.

If it was extremely hot, we would put on our sprinkler and just run through it for hours while screaming our heads off.

I would do anything to relive those days.

What did you do to cool off during the Summer months?

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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 :)  

Dessert Hot Spots

Nothing beats going out for dessert and indulging in someone else’s scrumptious creation.  As much as I love trying new desserts, there are three desserts that stand out among the rest.

1) Carrot Cake at Chatterpaul’s – I’ve never been a fan of carrot cake but oh my lanta is their carrot cake ever good! I finally broke down yesterday and bought a slice after craving it for about a week.

2) Mile High Chocolate Cake from Casey’s Grill Bar – When I first ordered this dessert years ago, the waiter warned my friend and I that it’s big enough to share. She was right but I wolfed it down all by myself.

3) White Chocolate Cheesecake from Milestones – Absolutely the best baked cheesecake in town. I’ll definitely be making a stop in a week or so.

Where is your favourite dessert spot(s)?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)  

Happy International #LeftHandersDay!

I may write with my right hand and use right handed scissors but I was born a lefty.

When I started playing the piano, my teachers would always ask me if I was left handed because I played stronger with my left.

As I got older, I took notice that I did a lot of everyday tasks with my left hand but found it weird that I used my right hand to write.

At first I thought I was ambidextrous. Then one day I asked my parents what the real deal was. That’s when they told me.

When I was about a year old, I started using my left hand to do the simple things; like eating. Anytime I would do so, my parents would slap my hand and encourage me to use my right.

Back in the 80’s – and probably way before that – anyone who was left handed was considered “dumb”.

I couldn’t believe it. All those times I would make fun of left handed people, I was actually one of them! I felt cheated, lied to and disappointed that they would think that left handed people were dumb considering that my youngest sister is also a lefty.

About three years ago, I found out that we lefties have our own day, Left Handers Day. I also came across the Left Handers Club website. From then my goal was to do a complete switch – to use my left hand for everything, including writing. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened as yet.

There are tons of famous Lefties out there but here are 13 worth mentioning:

Bill Clinton

Barack Obama

Jay Leno

Paul McCartney

Tom Cruise

Whoopi Goldberg

Jim Henson

Angelina Jolie

Nicole Kidman

Sarah Jessica Parker

Dick Van Dyke

Larry Bird

Barry Bonds

To my Left Handed Family, Friends and faithful Readers – today is OUR day. Happy International #LeftHandersDay!

Are you left handed? If so, what struggles did you face (if any) being a lefty?

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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 :)  

My Happiness Project: Summer in the City

I’m almost half way through month eight of my Happiness Project. It’s been a whirlwind of a month so far and it’s almost the end of Summer…YIKES!

Last month’s resolution was to Binge Watch. I ended up signing up for my free month of Netflix and started watching “Friends”. This was one show that I could never get into when it was on air but I decided that I would give it a chance. I’m half way through the second season. My goal is to finish all ten seasons by the end of the year.

A couple of weeks ago, about 12 to 15 of my friends gathered at my house for Dessert Night. It was an evening well spent. We had good conversation and laughed until our bellies hurt.

As much as I am a homebody, I absolutely love the outdoors. My resolution for the month of August is titled, Summer in the City. My goal is to enjoy as many events as possible without having to spend a whole lot of money.

Last weekend I went to the Pickering Food Truck Festival with a few of my girlfriends. I tried churros for the first time and absolutely loved it. 

Next week I’m off to City Cinema at Yonge-Dundas Square to watch "The Wiz" starring the late Michael Jackson. Oh! I should mention that it’s FREE.

The following week I plan on attending the BIG on Bloor Festival.

I’m going to end the month by attending Scotiabank Buskerfest.

I also plan on squeezing in one more Pancake Breakfast. It will be a great way to end my Summer.

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 :)