Saying goodbye to another year...

As we get closer to another year ending, I can't help but to look back on 2012 and wonder, "did I live each day to its fullest potential?"  We are given one life to live so instead of sitting back and letting our days slip by, we should be embracing every breath we take... 

2012 was a bit of a rough year for me. Don't get me wrong I made a lot of new amazing memories, met a lot of incredible people and learned a lot about myself... Although it was a rocky year in health, relationships, etc.. I survived and grew stronger from these experiences.  Life has a funny way of testing you and keeping you on your toes... You get to points on this journey called life where you must reinvented yourself because the path has changed... Today, while being lazy watching One Tree Hill, I heard these quotes and it summed up 2012 for me perfectly...

Lucas: And Hansel said to Gretal: "Let us drop these bread crumbs, so that together we find our way home, because losing our way would be the most cruel of things." This year I lost my way. 
Nathan: And losing your way on a journey is unfortunate. But losing your reason for the journey... is a fate more cruel. 
Peyton: The journey lasted eight months. Sometimes I traveled alone. Sometimes there were others who took the wheel, and took my heart. But when the destination was reached, it wasn't me who'd arrived. It wasn't me at all. 
Brooke: And once you lose yourself, you have two choices. Find the person you used to be, or lose that person completely. 
Mouth: Because sometimes, you have to step outside of the person you've been, and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you wanted to be. The person you are. 

I think many of us lose our way from time to time and it can be hard to find our way back... but what I have learned is not to be afraid of falling off the path... don't be afraid if you get lost once in awhile and never be afraid to embrace the new journey you embark on.  Don't have regrets... take your mistakes and learn from them and then throw them away... 

As I have stated many times throughout my blog, I believe that things happen for a reason.   I believe that this year has taught me that life can be scary and growing up can be terrifying... but it also can be truly AMAZING!  So instead of hiding under the blankets waiting for the days to pass, get out of bed and make mistakes!  Mistakes mean you are living and we were put on this earth to do just that!  The people I have met on my journey have taught me how to live and I will forever be thankful for the experiences, chats, and memories I made because of them.  All these things made me the person I am today... Although I got a little lost, I was able to find my way home! 

So as I say goodbye to 2012, I am ready to embark on a new journey in 2013.  I am ready to make mistakes, live my life, have no regrets and reinvent myself!

Parental Guidance

How to make a BEAUTIFUL life...

Love yourself.
MAKE PEACE with who you are and where you are at this moment in time.

Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world, MAKE TIME for yourself.

Enjoy your own company.
Let your mind wander among the stars.

Try.
Take chances.
MAKE MISTAKES.
Life can be messy and confusing at times, but it's also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path might be a stepping-stone.

Be happy.
When you don't have what you want, want what you have.
MAKE DO.
That's a well kept secret of contentment.

There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to MAKE YOUR OWN WAY.
To know where you are going, is only part of it.
You need to know where you have been too.
And if you ever get lost, don't worry.
The people who love you will find you.
Count on it.

Life isn't days and years.
It's what you do with time and with all the goodness and grace that's inside you.
MAKE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE...
The kind of life you deserve.

Thanks mom and dad!!!  xoxo

We Click.

I use to be one of those people that felt that I needed to please everyone.  I was always wanting people to like me and would sometimes sacrifice my own feelings for others.  As I grow older I realize how important true friendships are.  I have had a lot of friends throughout my lifetime but I can honestly say that the people I surround myself with today are probably the best friends a person could ask for.  My core group of friends is small and I realize now that that is ok.. it is more than ok, it is perfect!  I don't have to go out of my way to make sure they like me.. I know that they love me for who I am.  I don't have to try with them.

Over this last year I went through a bit of an emotional roller coaster and these girls were there for me through it all.  I didn't have to ask for them to be there, they just were. Each of them are very different from each other and I sometimes wonder how we ever came to be... but I'm sure glad that we did.

This post is dedicated to the amazing girls I am so fortunate to have a part of my life.  I look forward to many more years of long chats, girls nights in, wild nights out, road trips, concerts, dinner parties, sleepovers, etc.. I love you all so much!  Thank you for being a part of my life!!

"Remember no man is a failure who has friends!" - It's A Wonderful Life

One Magic Night

My absolute favourite day of the year is Christmas Eve.  Not for the reasons most people love the holiday though.  The reason Christmas Eve is so important to me is because my fondest memory of childhood just so happen to take place on this special day.

Most people enjoy Christmas for the delicious food, the good company and of course, the shiny new presents.  Now don’t get me wrong, although I do enjoy ALL these things, this is not my main reason for loving the holiday.   I, on the other hand, love this holiday even more because of what occurred on Christmas Eve 1990 at around 7:30pm.

It was the most magical night of my life.  Myself, along with my two sisters, brother, mom, dad, and our dog Harry decided to take a walk after dinner.  Now this is not something we usually do altogether as a family, especially during the bitter cold winter nights.  But on this night, the weather was PERFECT.  I remember putting on my purple snow boots along with my oversized hand-me-down winter jacket.  Although my jacket was three sizes too big, I loved the way it kept me warm and made me feel as though I was an Eskimo in an igloo.  After finishing bundling up, my family and myself stepped outside.  The sky was so clear that every single star was twinkling and lit up this perfect night with a warm glow.  The snow had just freshly fallen so that every step we took, the snow beneath us crackled like wood heating in a fireplace.  We walked side-by-side admiring how beautiful our street looked with all the Christmas lights on and seeing the neighbours through their windows laughing and smiling.  I felt like I was in a fairytale.  We headed down a short, dark alley which lead to a huge open field that had two swings and a slide, therefore we called it “the park”. 

My sister and I decided to lie down and make beautiful snow angels. As I sunk about 3 inches into the fluffy fresh fallen snow, I remember feeling warmth.  It was funny to think that being cuddled in snow could actually make you feel so toasty.

Just as we had finished our snow angels I heard my dad say, “Look Up!”  And at that moment was when magic happened.  All six of us look up to the sky in amazement.  Up above us we saw eight twinkly lights with a red light leading the way.  Now at 7 years old, Santa Clause is real and this was the most AMAZING experience.  We watched and sat in silence for what seemed like forever.  When we finally came back down to earth we all just looked at each other with the biggest smiles on our faces.  We had just seen what ever kid wishes they could, Santa Clause and his reindeer. 

To this day the experience is burned in my memory bank.  And as I grow older and the magic of Christmas disappears for some, it always remains in me.  I witnessed a miracle and to this day myself, along with everyone in my family, believes we were fortunate enough to see Santa Clause.  

Who doesn't want to be an Angel??

It's that time of year again... time for the most perfect women to strut their stuff on the runway while women all over the world admire with slight extreme jealousy and men drool wishing they could be with them for at least one night!  The Victoria's Secret Annual Fashion Show is just weeks away and I know that I am more than just a little excited... I'm ecstatic!  Long fabulous hair and smokin' hot bodies... these women are one of a kind beauties!

Not only does this air around my favourite time of the year (Christmas) it also has all the best elements for a night in!  Victoria's Secret, Justin Bieber, Christmas themed,  and a lot of fun!  I will have to add "Attend VS fashion show" to my bucket list ;)

Every year at this time, while the angel's prepare for the runway, I kick my butt into full workout gear.  My dream to be an angel is just that, a dream!  But instead of sitting on the couch jamming potato chips and ice cream down my throat feeling miserable watching the "skinny bitches" rock the runway, I am going to watch with confidence!  Although I may never look like "an angel", I can at least try to look and feel the best for me! 

Here are a few pictures for that extra motivation needed to hit the gym and not eat a whole pizza in one sitting ;)

Be the red cup ;)

One thing I love about this time of year is how little things seem to go a long way to make people's days.  Just from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram I can tell how the arrival of Starbucks red Christmas cups and Tim Horton's blue Christmas cups made everyone's day that much brighter.  Simple pleasures!

The simple pleasures in life are sometimes the only thing that gets us through tough days.  I truly believe in the saying "Pay it Forward".  I also believe that little things that we can do for people will become their simple pleasures and may even help make their day that much brighter.  

Years ago my mom started buying the person behind her in the Tim Horton's lineup their coffee.  It was a simple gesture that seemed to go a long way.  She did this every day for years.  Then one day, while shopping at a local thrift store, my mom overheard a woman asking the store owner if she knew of anyone selling a bed.  The woman had a son that needed a bigger bed and because her husband had just lost his job, they were short on funds.  My mom approached the woman and let her know that she had an extra bed and if she wanted it, it was hers.  The woman came by that night with her husband to see if the bed would do.  Her husband's mouth dropped when he pulled up into the driveway.  The first thing he asked my mom is if she had ever bought anyone a coffee in the Tim Horton's lineup.  My mom of course said yes.  Apparently the day that this man had found out he lost his job, he went through the drive through and my mom bought him his coffee.  He told my mom that it was the worst day of his life but after that simple gesture, his day turned around.  He realized that it was a tough day but he didn't have a tough life.  My mom spent an extra $1.50 that day and that paid for a man's happiness :)

Now, every so often when I have extra cash on me, I will do the same as my mom and buy someone their coffee.  I always try my hardest to make a mad dash so I can stay anonymous... but the other day I had a guy follow me back to work.  He didn't stop for long, just rolled down his window and kindly said "Thank you"... and that made my day!

You never know what struggles people are facing on a daily basis.  You never know how much a simple gesture can mean to someone.. I truly believe that it can save a life!

So, in the spirit of Christmas and simple pleasures, I ask that anyone who reads this post to go out of your way tomorrow and do something nice for someone.  Buy them a coffee, hold open a door, give a compliment to a stranger, tip your server a little more than usual ;)  

Be the red Christmas cup!  Brighten someone's day! 

You are not alone!

Since writing my last two posts, I have had a lot of positive feedback.  Many people have called, text, and private messaged me letting me know that they are glad I'm back at blogging.  It's nice to see that my rambling means something to more people than just me. :)

I guess what this past week has taught me, is that I am not alone in this world.  Many people have the same struggles and from time to time deal with similar stresses.  I remember a time, when I was much younger, I had trouble sleeping.  My brother was away at University and I gave him a call in the middle of the night.. I knew if there was anyone else up, he would be.  After we talked for awhile, he told me that any time I couldn't sleep and I felt like I was alone, to watch the news... haha!  He said that knowing someone else out there was awake would provide comfort... and he was right!  Still to this day, when I am wide awake in the middle of the night and start to feel a bit lonely, I turn on the news and I feel completely at ease. 

The people who we surround ourselves with are the people who are going to help you through the good times and the bad!  I am happy to say that I have an incredible family who I also call friends and an amazing group of friends that I call family!  Life can be hard but the hard becomes easy when you are not alone. 

Thank you to all those people who have sent positive comments my way!  I appreciate the feedback and I appreciate knowing that my words mean something to you!  I will continue to write because even if I can help one person through a bad day, that is enough to keep me going! :)  You have all inspired me to be the best version of me!



Practice what you preach ;)

Just a few days ago I blogged about not letting the "storms" in life get the best of us!  But, then I totally contradicted my words and fell into a slump.. :s

Monday night, the actual storm that was brewing outside of my safe haven, ended up breaking through the walls... LITERALLY!!  The storm caused a lot of damage and stress... I tried not to let it get to me because after all it is just "stuff"!  But I think as the day went on and nothing seemed to go my way, I slowly started getting frustrated and feeling down in the dumps. It probably doesn't help that I haven't had a decent sleep in over a week.. life has been busy and roadblocks have been appearing more than usual. But then I realized that, although I have had some minor health concerns, I am ALIVE and well.  I feel ridiculous that I let myself get so stressed out about minor things when there are people in this world who are suffering much greater trials... During that storm, I lost a bedroom ceiling.. but some people lost their homes, cars, and even family members.

It's easy for us to get wound up in our own little bubbles and convince ourselves that it's the end of the world when one thing doesn't go our way... It's especially easy when you are going on little sleep... But who wants to live their life being depressed over something that in time will be nothing... I, for one, do not!  Although I had a rough couple days, I am not going to let that bring me down and affect the life I am blessed with.  It is not worth it!  So to the people who had to be around me the last couple days, I am sorry!  I'm sure my silence, irritability, and shortness was not a pleasure to be around!  I promise to bring back the girl who doesn't stop smiling!  :)  Life is too short not to be happy.. not even for one day!  

It Happens...

Cozy fire, glass of red wine, a chick flick, and a crazy storm brewing beyond the walls of my safe haven... A perfect night for catching up on blogging!

Hurricane Sandy has made herself known.  Even in my small town we are feeling the effects.  Crazy winds, lots of rain and power outages... the storm is definitely here!  A while back I wrote about a quote I had seen.. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."  Although I have NO intentions of going outside and busting a move, I am reminded once again how life can get a little crazy and we need to be able to step back and appreciate the good things...

Life is so unpredictable just like the weather.  We can have a plan for our future but we can't plan for the unpredictable events that lead our lives down new paths.  A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to see a friend speak about an event that changed his life.. drastically!  He is the most admirable person I have EVER met. I look up to him in so many ways and he makes me strive to be a better person.  His speech made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt and also cry to the point where I couldn't breathe.... This person took a tragedy and instead of letting it define him, he kicked it's ass and didn't let it get in his way of living.  During his speech, he talked about how a community came together to help him and his family... I think this says a lot of who he is as a person... Before his accident, he touched many people's lives and now he is changing lives everyday by his courage and strength.    

After tonight, lives will be forever changed by this storm... not necessarily in my small town, but cities which are in direct contact are going to to see and feel the devastation.  As much as we want to control and plan for our future, we have to remember that anything can happen and it's how we deal with it that defines us...  

Be thankful for every day you live, for every day is a gift and an opportunity... Seize these opportunities and don't let them pass you by... You never know what tomorrow is going to bring!