Special Delivery

This past weekend, the boy and I took a little trip to Bide Awhile animal shelter. No, we didn't go to pick out a new pet (although I would love to adopt every cat in the place - alas, I can only handle one cat at this stage in my life), but to make a special delivery.

I decided, since there really isn't anything I need or want (and I don't like my friends and family feeling pressure to find something I will like/need), instead of birthday gifts I would accept donations of pet stuff this year. I got a few things from generous friends and bought a few things myself, and we took it all over to the shelter on Saturday.

A bag of cat litter, a litter pan, some toys and food may not seem like a lot but this kind of stuff is really valuable to a shelter like Bide Awhile - they depend so much not only on monetary donations, but on donations of supplies. They not only need to feed the cats and dogs and provide beds for them, they also need supplies to keep the office running, to clean and disinfect cages, and distribute much-needed medications. Most people wouldn't think of packages of paper, bleach and facecloths as important items for an animal shelter, but they are often needed just as much as the usual staples.

After we made our delivery, we stopped into the 'cat room' to get/give some cuddles and play with the kitties up for adoption. The Director of the shelter was there talking to another visitor, and pointed out something really fascinating about one of the cats - it was born a hermaphrodite! i.e. with both male and female reproductive parts! He said in 25 years it was only the 2nd he had ever seen. I thought that was so interesting, and an important lesson considering the cat looked like any other in the room, yet had its own special (hidden) characteristics. Of course, it is sort of a moot point now since he/she is both spayed and neutered, but interesting just the same!

The aforementioned little guy...erm, girl...erm, cat

It's a cliche, but it really does feel good to help out those in need at this time of year...well, at all times of the year actually. I have decided to take a donation to the shelter twice a year if I can. I figure it's the least I can do.

Is there a particular group, charity or cause in your community that you really care about? Consider make a special delivery to them sometime. You never know - you may just make someone's day...and learn something fascinating!

Happy Haulidays (take two)

One of my favourite gifts to get for Christmas (well, anytime really) is new books. I especially like books that teach me about quirky things I didn't know before. Chronicle Books publishes a lot of books like this - I love perusing their site and checking out their new fun books. There are so many of their books that speak to my passions and interests, I could EASILY spend $500 in one-go.

Speaking of spending $500 in one-go: Last year I entered the Happy Haulidays contest to try and win $500 of books - alas, I was not successful but it was still fun to shop around and write the post, so I thought why not do it again?!

The cool thing about the contest this year is that they are not only awarding one lucky blogger AND one lucky commenter $500 in books, but they will also donate $500 worth of books to the winner's chosen charity! Cool, huh?

If I were to win, choosing a charity to receive the donation would be tough because there are so many organizations that I think are deserving. But if I had to choose, I would probably split the $500 donation prize between my two best friends, who both teach elementary school. One works as a resource teacher in a school in my city, and the other teaches a kindergarten class in Cold Lake, Alberta. They both work so hard at their jobs, and they are always spending their own money on much-needed supplies for their classroom (I'm sorry, but whoever says teachers make too much money and get too much time off have NO idea what their job actually entails) so I would love to help them buy some educational and fun books for their kids (like perhaps this one, or this).

I feel that fostering a love of reading and learning at a young age is so important, and it makes me proud that my friends are helping so many students do this. A few hundred dollars worth of books would be a great help for them. I'm not sure if this technically counts as a "charity" but I think they are deserving.

Behold my list of chosen books (I think it's safe to say I would have no problem spending $500 on this site. No sir). If you like what you see, don't forget to comment below for your chance to win too! And stay tuned  in case we win! Happy Haulidays, y'all :)

One Line a Day Memory Book * Creative Inc * The Exquisite Book * Paper + Craft * A Very Merry Cookie Party * I Was Here * 18-mth Moleskin Planner * Rubberneckers * Wanderlust * Places To Check Out * Paint By Number * Coffee * 52 Relaxing Rituals * Soul Catcher * Lotta's Printing Studio * Mexicocina (my bf would love this book) * Penny Saving Household Helper * Same Place, More Space * Anne Taintnor 2012 Wall Calendar * The Writer's Toolbox * Copywriting

Christmas Kiss

I admit it, I'm a bit of a Christmas freak. I'm one of those dorks that gets really excited about silly things like parades, peppermint treats and holiday drinks at Starbucks. And it's hitting me hard this year - as soon as November 1st rolled around, the sugarplums started dancing through my brain and they only spin faster with every passing week.

One of my favourite things about the holidays is Christmas music! There is something just so comforting about Christmas songs, am I right? They are so timeless - they harken back to the past but can also be interpreted in so many different, fun ways they continue to also be modern in an odd way.

It is sort of a give-in nowadays that any artist who has sold any respectable number of records has to make a Christmas album, which is great and all, but lets be honest this means that many of them are warmed over cheese-casserole - booooring and predictable.

However, I recently downloaded a couple of albums that are anything but boring. They both have a really retro, vintage feel - one more folky and one more swingy/jazzy - and feature singers with super-rich, warm voices that manage to be delightfully 'crackly' and soft at the same time. Both contain some of the most recognizable Christmas tunes ever sung, but they also feature a few that I have never heard before. I have been lucky enough to see one of them in concert here in Halifax (she lives here in fact!) and the other stars in one of my new favourite tv shows (it seriously cracks me up to the point of snorting every week).

#1 A Very She & Him Christmas

This is the one with the more "folky"sound I described before - there is a lot of acoustic guitar and ukulele, which is awesome! It's a little bit vintage country, a little bit Hawaiian luau and I kind of like that! It feels very June Carter and Johnny Cash Christmas to me. Most of the songs on this album have a quieter more relaxed feeling, perfect for listening to while sitting in front of a fire with a hot toddy.

*On a completely unrelated note, I want to steal Zooey D's hair - as noted in my YKYLF post here. Second completely unrelated note - are you watching New Girl yet? If not, you need to do that, like, yesterday!*

Every time I listen to this song it ends up stuck in my head all. day. long. You've been warned.

#2 It Snowed, Meaghan Smith

Meaghan is a singer originally from Ontario but now calls Halifax home - I went to see her perform with Symphony Nova Scotia earlier this year and fell in love with her 40's style voice and music. Her songs have this great old-timey swing feel to them - lots of horn. They make you want to boogie. Her Christmas album has a couple of original songs (one that is really not Christmasey at all in fact, which is an odd addition, but kind of refreshing at the same time). I can't wait to put this on while we put up the tree and decorate at my mom's on Saturday.

I think Christmas Kiss is my favourite so far - SO ADORABLE! Alas, I am not able to find it online anywhere (although you can listen to samples here), so you will have to settle for Silver Bells (which sounds like a pretty good compromise to me!). *P.S. I want to steal her outfit from this video*

For the next 6 weeks, it's all Christmas songs all the time, baby! Just not Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time - god, that song's annoying. 

...aaaand it's all over

That was a nice little Internet break! Well, I say "break" but I was still on Twitter and Facebook here and there....so, ok it wasn't really a break, but a break from my normal routine!

Anyway, it's also been a nice general break (not having to go to work is quite generally awesome). Time has gone fast though - Christmas is so funny, there is so much build-up and anticipation and then before you know it the gifts are opened, Boxing Day sales are done, and you're halfway through vacation! How does this happen?! In any case it's been a good year - Christmas Eve was quiet, had a yummy dinner of lobster crepes and watched Muppet Christmas Carol (best.movie.ever.) and Christmas Vacation (NEVER stops being funny). Christmas Day we slept in, ate breakfast, didn't get to the gift-opening until noon (!) and no surprises there (my mom is not very good at being secretive - I pretty much knew everything I was getting hah). My big gift was this baby though:

Anyone who has known me for more than, oh, five minutes knows I love coffee and that I especially love espresso-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. Also, I live alone and I only ever make one drink at a time so I hate wasting a whole filter and pot of water on ONE mug of coffee, and then dealing with cleaning the whole thing. This machine is perfect for me because I can make tons of different drinks depending on my mood, only make one at a time, and not have to deal with messy filters and cleaning - you just put the pod in and that's that! My mom also got me a package each of coffee, cappuccino and latte pods so I'm set for a while! I got lots of great gifts, but this was the one I was most looking forward to. Can't wait to try it out tomorrow!

The boy came over in the afternoon and we gave him the stuff we put together for him (I made him a stocking and my mom got him a 6 pack - thoughtful right? lol), had yummy turkey dinner and cocktails and watched Toy Story 3. I went to his place that night and spent the day with him Sunday (again being lazy, eating lunch at Applebees, etc), then went back to mum's and we went to see The Tourist (my verdict is 'meh'), then went to bed early in prep for shopping Monday.

I wasn't sure if I'd go because money has been tight and I hate the huge crowds, but I got some money for Christmas and there were a few things I wanted to pick up so we decided to go for it. Of course we woke up to a major rain/wind storm in the morning which almost detered us (I said almost...there are not many things that would deter us from shopping in the end) but we still got to the mall for opening at 8am. Omg, BEST time to go ever, there were hardly any people there then; SUCH a smart idea on our part! I picked up a grey sweater ($25 from $70!), 2 pairs of black tights, 2 knit headbands and a knit hat ($15!), black skinny cargo pants, a calendar, cute pink notes that say "Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake" and a new umbrella! The deals weren't amazing but pretty good. We didn't get home until 2:30! Then we went visiting with old friends in the evening (the lady who invited us used to babysit my sister and I, and she's also the aunt of my childhood bff, so it was a great chance to catch up with other family members too).

Today I'm off to a friend's bridal shower and my mom is having friends over for dinner, so I'll probably catch the tail end of that visit. Going to head home tomorrow to clean and put all my new stuff away (gawd, that's not going to be a fun job). I think tomorrow I'm going to go skating (the Canada Games are in Halifax in 2011 so they city built a big speed skating oval in a big park in the middle of the city and it's open for public skates and events!) and going to see Black Swan with a friend, then Friday is New Years Eve (gah, how did that happen?!). It's funny because the boy and I were going to go to this dress-up party, then decided not to and stay in a make sushi instead, then I got a text this morning saying I won a ticket! hah. So, guess we'll be going to the party after all! It's just around the corner from my apartment, semi-formal and they are having food and entertainment (dj's, fire breathers, etc)...ya know the usual. This year is wierd because my best friend and her man are living away now so everyone I normally spend the night with is sort of scattered around, but I'm still looking forward to it. It's sort of the beginning of a new chapter with my new man, which I suppose is appropriate (speaking of a new year and new chapter, I'll be posting about my resolutions - as will everyone, I'm sure - in the next couple of days - looking forward to laying out a positive path for the coming year).

Didn't I say I was on vacation? In typical 'me' fashion, my vacation has actually been quite busy so far lol. Ah well, at least it's busy with things I WANT to do and not HAVE to do (like work). Let me see, what can I fill Saturday, Sunday and Monday with.....hmmmm...

It's finally here...

It's officially my last day of work before vacation! No work for me until January 4th - YAAAAAY!!

It seems like this day has taken FOREVER to come, yet it also came quickly - does that make any sense? But then again, I often don't make sense so...meh!

Things I'm looking forward to doing for the next 10 days:

1. Eating lobster crepes (Christmas Eve dinner) and turkey with fixings and Gingerbread cheesecake (Christmas Day dinner), not to mention countless chocolates and other fattening goodies (got my priorities straight, food right at the TOP of the list! That's how I roll)
2. Spending time with family – I feel like I haven’t spent much time with my sister lately and I feel bad about it, so I’m looking forward to some quality time with her. Plus, my new bf will be spending some time with us so I’m looking forward to seeing how he interacts with everyone and making sure he has a great holiday (he works extremely hard and in the past his Christmases haven’t been so merry – long story – so I’m hoping to turn things around for him this year as well as continue getting to know him)
3. Watching cheesy-awesome movies like Muppet Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation
4. Relaxing and taking a break from worrying (haha, ya we'll see how that goes)
5. Going skating and/or sledding
6. Getting together to catch up with in-town friends I haven’t talked to in a while – perhaps on New Year’s Eve or a post New Year’s get-together
7. Drinking lots of yummy white wine and lattes/caps (possibly on my new Tassimo?! We’ll see Saturday morning, hehe)
8. Talking to faraway family and friends over Skype/phone on Christmas day
9. Shopping (though I may have a severe lack of funds, making this rather difficult). I’d really like to get some new tights, a knit headband and I need a new umbrella (discovered mine is broken when it wouldn’t open for my rainy walk to work this morning – excellent)
10. Attending a friend’s bridal shower on the 28th

What are you looking forward to over the holidays?

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas (or whatever you celebrate)!! xo

Write to me and escape

Well, I've officially been 26 years old now for 10 days and I'm happy to report I feel about the same. No newly discovered grey hairs FTW!

I'm not only excited about my lack of aging, however, but also because Christmas is in 3 or 4 days! (I say 3 OR 4 because I'm kinda counting down to both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...I know technically Christmas as most people refer to it is the 25th but I'm never sure which one to count down to since they are both pretty cool...anyhoo...)

Ah, I love Christmas so much and reading all the other bloggers waxing poetic about it only serves to amplify this love. It's funny though, as excited as I am for relaxing family time, yummy food, opening and giving gifts, skating and sledding (or swimming, as that's all Halifax weather lately will allow), my excited thoughts have also been revolving around something else lately (not THAT kind of excited thoughts! Get your mind out of the gutter!).

I have SUCH an urge to take a trip somewhere right now, it's not even funny. Well, I suppose you could say it IS funny because there is some humour in the fact that I have this urge at a time when I am the most broke I've ever been in my adult life (haha...ya...hilarious). In fact, I probably want to travel even MORE right now since I'm broke - you know, in the spirit of that whole "wanting what you can't have" cliche. Regardless, I have been daydreaming about where I could go and the places I could see next year (that is if I find a permanent job in this lifetime) and it's kind of driving me nuts! I really really really want to take off somewhere and it's so frustrating to not be able to do that.

Wanting to take a trip is nothing new for me - I tend to get bouts of wanderlust fairly often and at regular intervals - and if given the time and money I would go on a trip pretty much anywhere. But there are a few specific places that I've been dreaming about taking off to lately:

NEW ZEALAND

I may have mentioned this on the blog before, but my brother and his husband moved here earlier this year and so have been listening to account after account of the beautiful countryside and climate, including the little gem he passed onto me the other day that they will be spending Christmas on the beach (bastards). To be honest, NZ was never top of my travel list, but since learning more about it I've changed my mind! It just looks like a very scenic, colourful place with lots to see and do. Plus, having a free place to stay is quite the incentive (which is good considering it would take 6 months pay + 20-some hours to fly there from Nova Scotia)

CALIFORNIA

San Francisco is probably top of my list, but I'd be fine going anywhere in the state. I don't know what it is that attracts me to it, but California just seems like somewhere that would really suit me. The warm climate is obviously right up there for a reason (can you tell I don't like winter? One of the only things I HATE about living in Canada), but there seems to be this outdoorsy, beachy, foodie, winey (like the drink, not bitchy) attitude that would suit me. The way I figure it, it's like Nova Scotia but with lots of sun and better-looking people with nice tans, so what's not to like! My mom and I have plans to some day take a road trip down the entire West Coast.

GREECE

*sigh* Doesn't that photo just make you want to sigh with pleasure and contentment? I mean it's so blue! So charming! Oh and what do you know, another warm climate destination! Aside from all of this, I am really drawn to all of the history and mythology surrounding these islands. Plus, how amazing would it be to eat Greek food all the live long day?! (I just drooled on my keyboard a bit, not gonna lie). This trip would be especially amazing to take next year because my mom turns 65 next December and Greece is her ULTIMATE dream trip. I would love to be able to accompany her and make it a joint inspirational trip or something, much like the ladies in this lovely book I read earlier this year. I guess we'll see...

In addition to these faraway, exotic destinations, I would also love to do some smaller trips closer to home - perhaps to Montreal or Quebec City, Maine or New Hampshire or even just to as-yet-undiscovered places in Nova Scotia. As much as I dream and hope to visit places like the ones above, I also think it's important to visit places in your own city, province or country if you can. It makes you appreciate where you live more (plus, lets be honest, it's a LOT more affordable).

You will notice that all of the places above are on my 30 B4 30 list, so I have alloted myself time to accomplish them. As much as I would like to, it would be damn-near impossible to visit all of these places in the next year or two. But, I can dream can't I? Plus, as I said Christmas is almost here and I'm pretty sure the Big Man will have something special for me come Saturday because I've been very good this year

.........except for those parking tickets...and the incident with the bootleg hooch and the neighbour's cat...............hmmm, perhaps there won't be a trip under the tree this year (if I start being good now, do you think my name could switch lists by Saturday??)

What places are you dreaming of right now? If you could take off on a getaway tomorrow, where would you go?

We Are Family

I've been thinking a lot about family lately. Obviously, it's only natural to do so around the holidays. It probably also has something to do with the grandmothers of both of my childhood best friends passing away within the last month, talking to my brother on the phone from New Zealand the other day (he's in NZ, not me, though I do wish it were reversed), spending more time with my sister lately, and my mother experiencing some health issues.

All of these occurances have brought home to me just how important family is and how most of us don't appreciate it enough, at least not until they are gone.

My family is very small - my mom is an only child and I don't have any contact with my dad's side, so (aside from a few cousins) it's pretty much myself, my sister, my two brothers, my mom and my grandmother (who will be 94 next year, I might add). When I was younger, I always used to envy my friends' huge families with their multiple generations and loud, boisterous family gatherings. But as I have gotten older (and arguably wiser) I have learned that sometimes quality is better than quantity. I have learned to appreciate my tiny family and be grateful for it. My family may be small, but the family I do have is close, and we all support each other (which, I think, is something many of us also forget to do when it comes to our families too).

My mom is my hero - she has survived two abusive marriages, raised 4 kids basically on her own (one with special needs) *no, I mean my sister, not me, smart ass...though I AM rather special* and has faced countless setbacks in her life without backing down or losing her sense of humour. Without a doubt, I am the mature, independent woman I am today thanks in large part to her influence. Don't get me wrong, she annoys me to no end sometimes and I'm sure I've pissed her off a couple of times (though usually it's her that starts it, let's be honest here) but it's mostly because we're so much alike (ugh, scary but true).

My sister is 5 years older than me, but since she has Down's Syndrome, I've always sort of been employed in the "older sister" role. She can be difficult and frustrating sometimes, but she can also be very sweet and funny. We have always bickered, just as any sisters normally do, but when it comes right down to it I love her very much. Let's put it this way: if anyone hurts her, they will have my fists to answer to (and if those fail me, I always have my rapier whit to fall back on - just ask a couple of boys from my elementary school, as they have experienced this wrath first-hand).

There is a large age gap between my two brothers and I (15-20 years) and I didn't actually grow up living with them beyond age two, but I still feel that I can count on them for whatever I need. They are far away (one is in Vancouver, one in New Zealand) but never far from my thoughts. I love that we can pick up the phone and chat just like months haven't gone by and that I'm so similar to both in many ways, even though we have barely spent an extended period of time together since I was a baby (certainly a strong argument for nature vs. nurture). Besides, I have a free B&B if I ever visit BC or NZ - huzzah!

I'd be lying if I said my grandmother was my favourite person growing up - long story short, lets just say we haven't always gotten along for many reasons and I have always had trouble understanding and sympathizing with her. Honestly, I still find her difficult to be around at times, but she has "mellowed" SO much with age it's still kind of dumb-founding. I've learned a lot about her and as such understand her more now than I ever have. I've realized that sometimes people shouldn't be judged so harshly because you have no idea what they have been through in life that has made them that way. Plus, I'm fascinated by her in a way - she looks probably 15 years younger than she actually is, still runs all her own errands and keeps her own house, AND still has all of her faculties. If she is any indication, I'm going to be one hot old lady!

Bottom line is, there are good and bad things about all my family members, just as there are good and bad things about me (though I can't really think of any bad right now). Sure, our family gatherings aren't loud and quirky and hilariously dysfunctional, but they are still fun. I never have to deal with people bugging me how my love life is, when I'm going to get married, what the heck is up with my hair/outfit/job, how I'm getting fat, and in addition they are not embarassing in the least (though they certainly can be if they really try).

I love that we are not traditional (single mom, disabled sister, gay brother married to a man from India...I'm pretty much the only normal one), and in my mind no family is "traditional". Every single one is different, and what makes every single one a "family" is different too. I hate that non-traditional families are still not fully accepted in our society, even though no one can really define what "traditional" is. Who cares what your family looks like or who is included in it, as long as you love and support each other and are contributing positively to each others' lives? *um, denouncers of gay marriage, are you listening?!*

When it comes to family, blood has something to do with it, but in my opinion it has more to do with the heart.

What is your family like? What do you like best/least about your family? Do you normally spend your holidays with them, and if so, what do you do?

Grown-up Christmas List

I'm not big on gifts.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't NOT like gifts (I will gladly take a gift from anyone who wishes to give me one, thanks) but I just don't think they are always necessary or expected especially if it's something I don't really need. And call me cynical but I think an awful lot of gifts are given that aren't really necessary, but obligatory.

Christmas is the KING of obligatory gift-giving. Look, I love Christmas as much as the next person, and a part of the reason I love it is the gift-giving. But I really don't understand the enormous commerciality that has built up around the holiday. It's shocking to me sometimes. I mean, sure we all need stuff and it's always nice to receive new things (not out of our own pocket) and to give new things to others, but I just don't see the need to get and give LOADS of stuff.

Sometimes less is more, and less is also sometimes more personal.

Sure, when I was a kid more was better. But now that I'm older and (arguably) wiser, it's not so much about quantity as quality - I would rather receive two gifts that I really need and love than 20 gifts that are...meh. Same with giving - I like to take time to really think about what my loved ones would like and use rather than just picking up the first thing I see within my price range. Speaking of price range, I try and keep the cost reasonable - you can get perfectly lovely and unique gifts that aren't fancy and cost as much as a Range Rover. More to that I don't buy gifts for every person I've ever met in my entire life, only those that are closest to me, namely my mom, sister, brothers (though we usually give them "family" gifts from the three of us), and my two best friends.

It sounds cheesy, but the most important thing to me about the holidays is the spirit. It's about spending time with family and friends, going to and singing in holiday concerts, eating yummy meals, sitting by the fire with a good book and a hot drink (even if it is only one of those fake DVD fires that cost $5 at Walmart), skating and sledding, perusing craft fairs and taking house tours on the South Shore, listening to Christmas songs on loop, catching up with friends and acquaintences, doing good deeds (like donating to charity), and just generally relaxing and being grateful.

Though I have to be honest, I would be rather thrilled to find this little gem under my tree this year :)

Home-brewed lattes and cappuccinos?! Hells, ya!