Education is vital to my personal growth. I have continued to take courses online and workshops in the city. I am facilitating a couple different parenting programs. I will run one a season through our counseling centre and I just started facilitating a teen mom group at a local high school. Next week we are talking about Nutrition and toddlers.

Okay…short blog post. But I had to share! YAY!!!

Oh yea!! I’m going back!

When I arrived to set up, I was walking into their zone. The girls were coming and going as they were in their lunch break. My group would run parallel to their school schedule.

On Sunday I was covered with supplies on the livingroom floor trying to decide what activities to do and how to make sure I could fill 2.5 hours with fun!

If anyone knows me, Monday is my game day. I sit in my pj’s rocking out with my Xbox all day. So it was different to be ready to walk out the door by 11am.

Just my luck, I missed the bus. I couldn’t run because I had too much stuff with me. Oh yea, then it starting snow/raining, and I had no umbrella! Thankfully my supplies were wrapped in plastic! 50 minutes later (and after a nice chat with mom on the phone) I made it to my next bus on time! Plus I treated myself to a coffee at Starbucks.

The group went well, I was prepped for 14 girls but there were only 5 participating because the rest were sick or on holiday. Next week should be full. I prepped a bunch of cheesy activities and had the girls giggling about their life choices, tattoos, and what piercing to get next. I thought it was great that they were testing my boundaries and facilitating style.

My approach with children and youth is:

They don’t care what you know until they know that you care.

There is no way I can connect with anyone if they don’t trust me.

…yesterday was Team Building day at work. We went through the different services that our organization provides and had a sample of what the job does. I was presenting one way to safety plan with children. The emphasis was on building trust and keeping the conversation natural and open-ended. I will share my layout on the next blog post. The woman support workers shared what a pre-screen call looks like when a woman needs a safe place. The thrift store spoke about their history, sorting, pricing, donations, and what they do with “junk”. There were stations at the counseling center and boutique too. It was a super busy day and I was exhausted by the end of it.

So today is Thursday and I’m on my way to work again. I am going to buy a coffee today because I can and I’m so beyond tired. I had too much fun rocking out with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz last night and didn’t get to bed till late.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!

I made my coffee at home again this morning. I’m rocking my Starbucks reusable mug and drinking their espresso beans that you brew at home. I haven’t completely stopped my love for the Bucks, but I need to save money.

Based on how many free reward drinks I’ve received (55+), I have spent more than $2000 since October 2012. I can use that as traveling funds… so I must succumb to the coffee I make at home.

In order to get free drinks, you start by registering a Starbucks gift card. How the math works: you earn a star with each purchase. So you put $$$ onto your registered gift card and use that for all your Starbucks purchases. After 30 purchases, you earn 30 stars and become a “Gold” member. They send you a pretty gold card in the mail and it has your name on it.

Then… every 12 purchases (stars) you get a free rewards drink/food. It used to be every 15 purchases and there were other perks like free soy milk and flavor syrups.

In order to get 55 free reward drinks, I made 12 purchases at 3.08 each per reward. So times that amount by 55.

(12×3.08) × 55 = 2032.80

Its even more than that because it was 15 stars before. Gah! That’s a lot of money. As soon as I figured out how much I was spending, and I was motivated to travel …I decided it was time to brew at home.

So like any addict, the 3rd day, 3rd week, and 3rd month are huge milestones when you’re quitting something.

Happy 3rd Day to me!!! I will survive

Mmmm coffee in comic book style!

I’ve embraced and enjoyed indulging so much that I was deathly afraid of the little white truth teller in my bathroom.

This morning I decided it was time. I don’t know why but I guess I felt like I needed motivation to change my indulgent ways.

The after-holiday weigh in is horrifying! In the beginning of December, one of my coworkers shared the stat that people will gain 4 pounds over the holidays (on average based on a study she read).

I wasn’t afraid of that. I actually used it as my reasoning to try every delicious treat I could. I’ve spent nearly 4 Christmas’ watching what I ate, but not this year. If something glistened in sugar or smelled sweet… chances are, I would try it.

…so the moment of truth was there. I got on the scale.

If you were here, I would say queue the doom and gloom music.

I gained 10 pounds!!

I’m still within a healthy BMI (body mass index) for my height, age, and weight …but I’m 10 pounds heavier than I was.

So there it is. My motivation to stop eating junk food and get back into my healthily lifestyle.

Oh yea, and to top off my morning, I am on Day 2 of not going to Starbucks. I’m not crazy enough to completely stop drinking coffee …I’m just making my coffee at home before going to work.

As today stands, I am eating smaller portions of carbs with lots of fruits and veggies. I will also start adding more protein. Plus I’m only drinking 1 cup of coffee that I make …and I am working out. I went for a 30 minute walk this morning on my way to work. instead of catching a bus close to my house, I timed it to walk.

Whew. This is the start to another week for me.

I’m curious if anyone else was brave enough to weigh in after Christmas?

I figured it would be easier to complete this 101 challenges in 1001 days rather than starting a new one. I have until March 2013 to complete it. I’ve noticed that there are a few things I won’t be able to do, but I will try my best!

Eat a piece of fruit for/with breakfast daily for 3 months

I love fruit. At work and at home I would have a fruit smoothie for breakfast for the whole summer. It became a part of my daily routine and I felt great. Sometimes I would have a piece of toast on the side, but mainly it was the smoothie (and coffee) until lunch!
Exercise at least 2 times a week for 2 months

I signed up for a gym membership at Golds Gym in May of 2011. It’s a great investment. I pay $20 a month for unlimited gym and tanning. I was paying $90 a month just for tanning! I love going to the gym. My workouts are typically focused on weight training. I enjoy working out my upper body, lower body, and core on different day. I am not a fan of cardio. It’s boring. I like pushing myself to use heavier weights with more reps.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day for 30 days

This was was easy. I don’t even know why it was a part of the challenge. Maybe when I put this list together, I couldn’t think of anything else, or I really wasn’t drinking much water. Either way, I drink a lot of water. At least 8 cups a day. I have a cup that I keep on my desk at work and I fill it up constantly. I am always drinking water at home too. I don’t like drinking anything else (except for coffee).
Eat at least one serving of vegetables daily for a month

Okay, another super easy one. I must have been really unhealthy when I created this. I eat way more than one serving of veggies a day. I mix them into everything that I eat.
Sleep at least 6 hours a night for a month

I have finally managed to master this. I am a sleeper. I try to be in bed by 10 on work nights so I can wake up at 7am.
Register in dance classes

I am going to take liberties with this goal. I bought a Kinect and Dance Central 3 so I am going to consider that dance classes. I am learning how to dance, and enjoying it in the comfort of my livingroom! I had to pay for instruction (and DC3 gives them to me).
Cut down to one Americano a day. No more than 3 shots and stay at that for at least 2 months.

I can’t imagine drinking more than this! I remember a time when I would have a coffee on my way to work (at City Hall) and then another one one my lunch break, and often another one on my way home. I am not that bad anymore. I drink one Americano a day. I don’t drink any drip coffee during the day. I am actually working on cutting out my adventures to Starbucks because I want to save money for travelling. I will try to make my own Americanos at home with my espresso machine!

Buy a new pair of skinny jeans

I found the coolest skinny jeans while I was in Palm Springs in May 2012. I went to the outlet malls for the first time and found the coolest jeans at the Gap on clearance for $12.

Buy a girly dress – something not all black

I think I took this one too literally! I found a bunch of new colorful and flowery dressy. I love them!
Get a back massage

For Jenn’s stagette last year I went to the spa and had a full body massage (including a back massage). It was followed by a body wrap. It was a very relaxing experience!
Go tanning every other day for a month

Prior to going to Palm Springs in May 2012 I went tanning every other day for at least a month. I was hooked on the high pressure beds. They are huge and don’t take that long. The max time is 12 minutes.
Paint my nails all different colours

This is fun! I love being able to do wacky things. I work with children so painting my nails is something I do all the time. Different colours are just fun
Try to walk in high heels at least twice for 10 minutes

I remember when I was afraid of walking in high heels. I actually wear them all the time now. I have some really cute boots with high heels that I love wearing out. Naturally my feet ache afterwards, but it’s totally worth it to look adorable!

Try 10 new types of food

I tried a deep fried roll (sushi)

I love eating Indian food. Palak Paneer is my new favourite curry.

I’ve also tried Papadum (baked chickpea bread)

I tried a Belgium black chocolate cake

I tried healthy muffins at my moms

I tried a vegetable soup that my mom made

I tried sliced sweet and sour fish

I tried vegetarian spring rolls

I tried veggies in my fruit smoothies

I tried yam fries
Learn to cook 10 different dishes

I made spinach dip

I made banana muffins

I made quiche

I made chili from scratch

I made pasta sauce from scratch

I made falafels from scratch

I made hummus

I made salmon fried rice

I made fajitas

I made spanokapitas
Bake something yummy and serve it to someone

I made spinach pies and served them at my staff meeting.
Go a month without chocolate

I’ve done this a few times over the past couple years. I am going to start a detox again pretty soon because I’ve eaten way too much chocolate over the holidays!
Go a week without ordering/eating takeout

This happened naturally as I was trying to save money. It’s a very difficult thing to change. I enjoy doing take away food because it costs about the same and saves loads of time. That’s what I tell myself to convince myself that I can order take away
Go 2 months without drinking alcohol

I’m sure I’ve done this. I only drink on special occasions and not much.
Stop eating food after 9pm for 1 month

This is a rule of thumb that I try to follow regularly. It’s been broken over the holidays, but I’ve gone way longer than a month without eating after 9pm.
Keep my room clean on a weekly basis for 2 months

I love cleaning my room! I make my bed every morning. This is another goal that must have inspired change in my life.
Organize my closet

My closet is super organized. I love knowing where my clothes are and I have them in their own particular place. I don’t have ocd …but I’m organized

1. A photo of you and an introduction to who you are today.
2. Five ways to win your heart.
3. The current video game that you’re playing.
4. What was your most memorable vacation?
5. Something you feel strongly about.
6. Five pet peeves.
7. What is your favourite part of the day and why?
8. What you ate today.
9. Something in nature that makes you smile.
10. Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it.
11. Your horoscope for the day and if you think it fits your personality.
12. Three things that you are looking forward to this year.
13. Something you’re proud of.
14. A collection you have.
15. If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?
16. Three things you like about yourself.
17. Something that you couldn’t live without.
18. If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be?
19. Five weird things that you like.
20. You and your closest friend.
21. What was the last movie you saw in the theatres?
22. What’s your food philosophy?
23. Your favourite song at the moment.
24. Someone or something that made your day special.
25. What was the last good deed you did for someone?
26. Quote of the day.
27. A youtube video.
28. What do you wear to bed.
29. Weird things you do when you’re alone.
30. A photo of you from 2007

I stopped doing that.

I don’t know if i grew out of it or just didn’t have time. I am going to try and change that this year. I am going to write.

I will write whatever I can whenever I find time in my busy life. I do after all, pay to have my website up and running.

Let’s start fresh. I like to do that every time I start a new book.

Today is January 2nd, 2013. I am on my way to work. Sitting at the back of thebus, in the corner. I always try to sit here because I like space. I put my feet up and enjoy the ride. Plus I can see all the people around me and I’m not concerned about who might sit behind me. There’s nothing of importance in my bus ride. But in 10 years I might be driving and get a kick out of my old traveling means.

I have spent the last 2 weeks on holiday. I didn’t go away. I stayed at home and spent time with friends and family. I was able to visit with a lot of people. It was nice to just enjoy being relaxed. Plus, if I think about the cost it was more than $600 for those 2 weeks of accommodations . I’m a renter. My house is lovely so why not enjoy it eh?

The highlights of my holidays were Christmas parties, Christmas Eve, and New Years Eve. Oh yea, the End of the World was a pretty big deal to me too. I will try to go more into detail later. I’m nearly at work.

A part of my daily routine is to get coffee at Starbucks. I need to stop. Or at least cut down. My body hates me when I don’t get the caffeinated jolt of 3 shots of espresso. I know I need to change that habit …addiction. I will. I managed to quit after university and when traveling in New Zealand. It will be difficult.

So this is the end of this post. I am pretty sure most of them will be scattered fragments of my daily experiences, thoughts, hopes, and so on.

Welcome to my world

Me dancing inside a caterpillar!

Our neighbourhood of gingerbread houses, made on Christmas eve with @firedragon, @lllKiRalll @chiasson01, @melonpop and me!

I love my humble little home! I could just gobble it up! Mmmm

Me with my mom, little brother, and older sister!! <3

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday! <3

I was inspired to write you a letter after I saw John’s letter to you on Facebook. I didn’t really know what I should do today. It is 3 years since you’ve died. I can still remember the sequence of events that day. The disbelief. The lack of understanding. The complete sadness. The guilt for not coming to visit more often. I carried that with me for a while. I didn’t know what it felt like to lose a part of your family. To understand that you will never see them again. Never be able to phone them and chat.

I understand death a bit more now. Everyone said the sadness would be less in time. I agree that is true on a daily basis now. But on those days when you should have been there or I need you, the pain is unbearable.

This year I forced myself to stay busy. To work and stay focused on here and now. It’s been three years so I didn’t know if crying was alright. People have strange perceptions of the way others should behave when it comes to death.

Today I remembered you. Happy moments. I played the Beatles and recorded a cheesy song. It didn’t really work, but the thought was there. I wanted to sing Let It Be, but it wasn’t on Rock Band. I pictured you playing with the Rock Band guitars and how into the game you got. I tried to convince mom to buy you an Xbox just for the Beatles game. I started to feel sad when John shared a link to a video about Christmas in Heaven. I didn’t want to think about another holiday without you. I told him I couldn’t watch it because I couldn’t cry …I had to get ready for work. The rest of the day I wore my strength. I didn’t want to feel sad. I wanted to remember the happy times. As soon as I got off work , it was time to allow myself to miss you. To cry. To write you this letter …and to know it is ok.

The one thing I wanted today was to say that I miss you. I think you would get a kick out of all the stuff that’s been happening these past few years. I really wish you were here …but I know you’re around in your own way.

I love you Dad.

What it means to be A British Columbian

We love it here and wouldn’t change it for anything.

1. You know the provincial flower (Mildew)

2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.

3. You use the statement “sunny break” and know what it means.

4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.

5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.

6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.

7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the

“Walk” signal.

8. You consider that if it has no snow, it is not a real mountain.

9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, City Blends,

and Tim Horton’s.

10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho

and Sockeye salmon.

11. You know how to pronounce Squamish, Osoyoos

Nanaimo and Tsawwassen.

12.You consider swimming an indoor sport.

13.. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese,

Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food.

14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in

the dark – while only working eight-hour days.

15. You never go camping without waterproof matches

and a poncho.

16. You are not fazed by “Today’s forecast: showers followed

by rain,” and “Tomorrow’s forecast: rain followed by showers.”

17. You cannot wait for a day with “showers and sunny breaks”.

18. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.

19. You know that Dawson Creek is a town, not a TV show.

20. You can point to at least two ski mountains, even if you

cannot see through the cloud cover.

21. You notice “the mountain is out” when it is a pretty day

and you can actually see it.

22. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 5,

but still wear your hiking boots and parka.

23. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 10, but

keep your socks on.

24. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.

25. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.

26. You recognize the background shots in your favourite movies

& TV shows.

27. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you can’t find the

old ones after such a long time.

28. You measure distance in hours.

29. You often switch from “heat” to “a/c” in your car in the same day.

30. You use a down comforter in the summer.

31. You carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows

how to use them.

32. You design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.

33. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still

Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer) & Raining Again (Fall).

34. You actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your

friends in coastal British Columbia or those who used to live here!