May 15 2013
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I (almost) met Bethenny Frankel

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Good morning Loves,

Well, I am back from my trip to New York City and as always I am a little bit sad. NYC is such a great city and I am always sad to leave. I try to visit NYC as often as my schedule – and my budget – permits because there is just so much to do and no two trips are ever the same.

What is the one city that you just can’t live without?

This time I went to NYC for SELF Workout in the Park.  It was a full day fitness event with classes by Crunch gym and lots and lots of healthy living swag.  In between yoga, dance and sexy stretching classes I snacked on salads and enjoyed a facial and massage from Garnier.  I came home with Victoria’s Secret workout gear, snacks from and of course the new issue of SELF magazine.

My favourite workout was the 90’s dance cardio routine with 2 Fly. These two white girls can really work it out – and to Bell Biv Devoe.  It was the perfect end to an awesome day at SELF Workout in the Park.

What was the best part of SELF Workout in the Park?

Bethenny Frankel made a guest appearance and for the entire 45 seconds of her speech I was in total awe.  Technically I have never met Bethenny, but for some reason I feel like I know her. I have watched Bethenny grow her business from being on The Apprentice with Martha Stewart to having it all with Bethenny Ever After. Personal Confession: I never liked this Jason either!

Bethenny’s signature brand Skinnygirl Daily had a booth at the event and the lovely ladies in red were handing out energizing snacks. It was great to actually see her in person and hear her speak.  Just in case you are wondering – Yes! She is really THAT skinny in real life.

PS – Bethenny if you are reading this (LOL) I am not a crazy stalker, I am just a huge fan!

Check out some pics from my day at SELF Workout in the Park:

 

 

Love Always,

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May 10 2013
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Friday Faves: The perfect Mother’s Day gift

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Good morning Loves and Happy Friday.  As you read this I am in New York City for SELF Workout in the Park. It’s an all day fitness event hosted by SELF Magazine and Crunch Gym. So expect lot’s of giveaways next week when I get back.

This weekend is Mother’s Day and if you are looking for the perfect (last minute) Mother’s Day gift then have no fear – I am here to help. My mother is your typical pastel wearing, muffin baking lady who subscribes to Cottage Life Magazine and Martha Stewart Living.  It’s not hard to find a Mother’s Day gift that my she will love – basically if it’s a bright colour and really girly then my mother will love it. Sometimes it’s difficult to find a unique gift for my mother because I find that a lot of Mother’s Day gifts are so cliche; but she doesn’t care. My mother always says that she will love whatever gift we give her for Mother’s Day.

These are five gifts that I know my mother will love. Can you guess which one I got her for Mother’s Day this year? Mom, if you haven’t received it in the mail yet, it should be delivered very soon.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone and happy shopping.

- A bouquet of flowers.  Mother’s Day is in spring so a nice bouquet of flowers can be the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

- Candles. Bath & Body Works has some fresh new flavours such as Gelato and Island Margarita. Fresh spring colours and smell good scents are perfect for any room in your mom’s house.

- Subscription box membership. I am currently subscribing to Kona Kase and Beauty Box 5, one is full of healthy snacks and the other is full of makeup and cosmetics.

- Colourful pyjamas. I don’t know what it is about spring that makes me want to buy everything colourful but I do. Get your mom some fun pjs this Mother’s Day.  If your mom is having hot flashes I suggest getting cute little sleepy shorts and a tank top.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there.

Love Always,

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May 6 2013
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A Diary Entry for A Good Cause

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Good morning Loves. Today’s guest post is from a woman named Susan who contacted me and asked if I would share her story. She lost her husband to cancer a few years ago and her life has never been the same. She is now an activist for cancer patients who are victims of asbestos. Please read her story and support the cause by signing her petition. Thank you.

Dear Chairman Bachus and Ranking Member Cohen:

My name is Susan Vento, and I’m writing to express my strong opposition to H.R. 982 called the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT Act). My husband was the late Congressman Bruce F. Vento who served for more than 24 years in the House of Representatives representing Minnesota’s Fourth Congressional District. He died from mesothelioma in 2000 within eight months of being diagnosed.

Know the facts about cancer

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Bruce was exposed through his work as a laborer years before we met or became involved in public life. He told his constituency about his diagnosis in early February 2000 when he announced why he would not run for re-election. On February 14, he had his lung surgically removed and then began an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy and radiation at the Mayo Clinic.

It was not enough. My husband died three days after his 60th birthday in October. With his death, our country lost a dedicated and humble public servant years before his time. I lost so much more.

Bruce dedicated himself as a tireless and effective advocate for the environment, for working people and for the disadvantaged. During his time in Congress, he was well respected by members of all parties. He served as chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands and also served on the House Banking Committee.

Do your part to support a good cause – every signature helps

The FACT Act directly contracts the decades of work my husband invested in helping those who could not help themselves. If this bill passed, it would be a serious step back for the important work he achieved as your colleague. As the FACT Act is currently written, it is one-sided, unfair and unnecessary. It touts “transparency” yet will delay and in some cases deny justice to people suffering from debilitating asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.

Please sign our petition and say NO to the FACT Act. I thank you for your consideration and hope you will stand with me in support of Bruce’s memory and in opposition of this bill.

Sincerely,

Susan Vento

Photo by flowerslover

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May 5 2013
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I am thankful for my best friend

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Dear Diary,

Last week I took a trip home for the first time in six months and to my surprise I actually had a great time. Since my family broke up almost three years ago because of my Dad’s violent alcoholic girlfriend I always have anxiety about going home. I get anxious because I associate my hometown with all of the bad memories that come along with that unforgettable night in October 2010.  Since then I have never looked forward to going home, but last week was a pleasant surprise.

Home will always be a part of us – no matter how far away we run from it

I moved away from my small hometown as soon as I graduated from high school because I wanted bigger and better things out of life.  I wanted to live in a big city and take advantage of all the things that big cities have to offer.  For the past 12 years I always thought that I was bigger and better than my little hometown but the truth is that no matter how far away I move, my hometown will always be a part of me.

I had a fun time visiting with my family, I spent some time with my Dad and thankfully the evil step witch (aka my Dad’s girlfriend) was nowhere in sight. Of course the relationship with my Dad will never be the same because I will never forgive him for not having my best interest at heart, but it was nice to have a conversation with him that didn’t end in a fight about his alcoholic girlfriend.

I spent a lot of time with my best friend and it was just like being in high school all over again.  I have known her since we were in grade school and I don’t tell her this often enough (or ever) but I really do miss her.  She is a great friend, she has always been there for me and despite our geographic locations we have remained friends for more than 20 years.

Have you called your best friend today?

I have made new friends in my new city but the relationship with friends that you make later on in life will never have the same bond that we have with friends from our childhood. My friend and I grew up together and it’s nice to know that I can talk to her about anything without judgement.

I can talk to her about that awful night three years ago because she was there.  That night when my Dad’s girlfriend turned violent was so awful and no one can really understand it unless they were there. I definitely wish that night never happened, but I am glad that my best friend was there by my side. She was my saviour through the whole thing and she has been my supportive rock ever since.

My best friend and I grew up together and it’s comforting to know that even now, despite our distance, we are still close. At 32 years old we are experiencing the same struggles in life as young adults, we are asking ourselves the same questions about where we fit in the world and we are both excited to see what the future holds.

In life we don’t need a lot of friends, but we always need one best friend. Yolanda, I had a great time hanging out last week. I want to thank you for listening and I thank you for all of the advice.  You truly are a wonderful friend.

Love Always,

 

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Apr 25 2013
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Would you love to create a video diary?

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We all know that writing a journal has some seriously great benefits. It serves as a valuable tool in the cause of personal development.

I’ve kept a number of different diaries myself for many years. I have a personal diary for keeping my private thoughts and I’ve also kept a dream journal and a dating journal. They served their purposes extremely well, but the problem was that I de-prioritised them and felt like they took up too much time for me to write.

Turn your passion into a business

I wanted to keep writing, but I wanted to find a faster way to do it – that’s when I started to look into making videos as a way of recording my thoughts. I wanted to create a personal log for my thoughts?

I started to search the internet for ways to create videos while reaping the benefits of cloud technology. I quickly discovered that there wasn’t a dedicated platform to create a video diary – so I decided to build it myself.

Videos are the new diary entry

I love creating video diaries becuase creating videos is fun and creating videos takes less time than writing in a diary.

When you write a diary, the sense you are predominantly activating is your auditory sense; it’s the voice in your head that speaks to you, it’s the one speaking to you right now as you read this!

Your auditory sense is clearly active when you speak and when you project your thoughts. That process alone helps trigger the visual sense because sounds are often linked to visual memories.

Diaries are a form of personal therapy

Recording a video diary is like have a free therapist right there in your camera.  Personal development and therapy teach us that we usually already know the answers to our problems, we just want to talk ourselves through it.  I’ve found myself coming to strangely satisfying answers after a good old session of self talk.

So, that’s it, recording a video diary can be just effective as writing and it gives you a chance to let go of your negative thoughts for the day.

This is of course my experience, the only way to tell if it will work for you is to give it a try. Visit Diary Memo to create your own video diary.

- Eddie Yu is a tech entrepreneur who created a video journaling platform that encourages people to create private diary entriees in the form of videos. Take a look at DiaryMemo.com and try it out.

Photo by hunnntrrr

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