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 :) 

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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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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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 :) 

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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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: Doing the things I love

It’s June which means I’m halfway through my Happiness Project!

Last month’s resolution was Family & Friends: to spend more time with the people I love. My highlight was hosting a Pancake Breakfast for some of my friends. We ate, we laughed and we ate some more. I’ll definitely have to host another before the Summer ends.

I’m looking forward to hosting a Dessert Night at the end of this month.

June’s resolution is Doing the things I love: Read, Bake & Play. I’m way behind in my reading and super behind in my baking and have a long list of songs that I’ve been meaning to learn. There just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all.

In addition to that, I have a ton of bags full of pictures that have been collecting dust for years. This month I’m going to finally sort them out and create photo albums. 

I’m also going to print all of my pictures that are stored on my phone and computer and create albums for them too. I’ve lost way too many pictures that were stored on these devices. I can’t afford to lose anymore memories.

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 :)

My Greatest Fear

My greatest fear isn’t being told that I have cancer. My greatest fear is being told that I have Alzheimer’s disease. The thought of not being able to remember the happiest or even the saddest moments in my life frightens me. Or not being able to remember the names of my family members and friends. The thought of having to depend on others to help me with the simple tasks in life – like getting dressed – is depressing. Or not being able to communicate my thoughts with others.

These are just a few symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia and a very progressive disease. This disease can start damaging the brain up to ten years before symptoms start surfacing. It usually affects people age 65 and older. Those between the ages of 30 to 60 could be diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s.

This disease scares me so much because my Grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when she was 88. 

It hurt to witness her not remember some of the details of her own life or mine. There were times when she couldn’t remember my name or would repeat the same information over and over again. She passed away five years later - long before the final stages of this disease had the opportunity to take over.

In 2009, I came across the book, “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova. I was immediately drawn to this book because the main character, Alice, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This weekend, I finally watched the movie starring Julianne Moore.

There was one part in the movie when Alice said you can’t let the disease define who you are. She’s absolutely right. Being diagnosed with any kind of disease is just another chapter in your book of life.

Even though I fear being diagnosed with an illness at some point in my life, I can’t let those fears  dictate the kind of life I want to live. The one thing I took away from watching “Still Alice” is to create memories while living in the moment. For me, that means capturing my memories with my camera. Documenting my thoughts and experiences in a journal and spending as much time with family and friends.

None of us know what the future holds. That’s why it’s so important to live each day as if it’s our last. Spend time doing the things you love with the people you love.

What’s the one illness you hope you will never get?

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A tribute to my Mommy

Recently a friend of mine asked me what my dream job would be. My reply was “to be a stay at home Mother just like my Mommy”.

I can’t think of another job that could be more rewarding than raising my children. Being there for all of their firsts.  Attending their class trips. Having them come home to a hot lunch. Being their personal taxi driver and driving them to all of their activities.

No words or gifts will ever be enough to tell my Mommy thanks for all she has done and is still doing for my siblings and I.

After my brother was born, she quit her job to become a stay at home Mom.

She was always on the go driving us to our piano lessons, swimming lessons, basketball practices, art classes and gymnastic classes. 

She attended all of our school plays and graduations.

She read to us and taught us how to read.

 She helped us with our homework.

She baked for our school bake sales.

Every Summer she helped us learn our times tables.

We made plenty of trips to Ontario Place and the CNE during the Summer months.

Every time she went out, she always brought us back a treat or two (Mmm Muffins and McDonald’s apple pie were my favourite!).  

My Mommy wanted nothing more than to see us happy. She always had our best interests at heart. She always put our needs before her own. She always had our back no matter what. There’s nothing my Mommy wouldn’t have done for us. We were her world, her everything!

What are some of your fondest memories of your Mother?

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