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2012 Year In Review!

January 1, 2013 2 Comments

Happy New Year everyone!

The boyf and I got back from Newfoundland this morning, on a 5am flight. Needless to say, there wasn’t much NYE festivities happening around our parts! In fact, I went to bed in Newfoundland at around 11pm so I could get a bit of shut eye. Man. I’m getting old. At least I took tomorrow off as another vacation day, so I can catch up on a few things before heading back to work on Thursday.

Last year I did a 2011 year in review, and I thought I’d keep the tradition going this year. I blogged at least 24 times a month during 2012. 42 being the most in one month!

January

I had an unforgettable time in Newfoundland during Christmas last year. Sliding with just a sprinkle of snow? No problem! Ancy Nancy got it covered. :)
I wrote a blog post explaining why I thought CrossFit was so effective.

Why yes, we do go to McDonalds on Valentine’s Day…

Alfie got a new coat, from a great Canadian company!

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February

I reviewed a freaking car (The Chevrolet Cruze) on my blog! I think that tops all of my reviews throughout the year. I kind of want to do that again this year! What do you say, Chevrolet Canada?

There was also a blogger meet-up that Morgan organized in Toronto!

Ah, the hunt for a leather jacket has ended. I finally found one I love, and it’s not even real leather. Saves me the dollars!

I passed the one year mark at CrossFit!

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March

A popular blog post on internet web searches: Is Lululemon worth the price? Comparing a $14 Costco jacket with a $99 Lululemon one.

I’ve changed my tune on blog reviews, not everything is rosy.

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April

I blogged about my eBay finds. I’ll be doing this again soon, since I shop eBay all year round. I stopped posting my reviews about my items mid-year because I was starting to grab some things for Christmas presents. Since I fly home a lot, I bring whatever I have purchased throughout the year so my suitcase in December isn’t over burdened.

kind-food-blat Vegan treats and sleeping at IKEA. What!?

I’ve got some Molly Shannon moves. I showed them off at Girls Night. You jealous yet?

I spent Easter up in Barrie with relatives I haven’t seen in 15 years. I also got lost on the way and ended up on a Military Base.

Girls Night Out. Always a fun time with these two ladies.

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May

I had a ginourmous birthday giveaway on my blog!

Had a great Birthday at work and home too.

me-at-toronto-fc My Birthday weekend in Toronto, seeing Picasso and a Toronto FC soccer game!

Flew home for May 2-4 weekend, and as Ancy Nancy always does, take the kiddo’s on adventures… while in Newfoundland IÂ took my nephews rock climbing.

I then took my friend Stephanie climbing!

I did a “What’s In My Purse” post from the bag I received from the Fossil Canada folks.

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June

I met one of my online friends at Luminato in Toronto!

More eBay items reviewed – not to worry, I’ve already got a drafted post half written and will be up in the next little while, of all the finds I bought in 2012!

Finally just went to a drop in clinic and got an asthma inhaler for my self-diagnosed exercise induced asthma I’ve had my entire life.

Showed you guys all of my purses. I’ve only added to the collection since then. Oops.

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July

Best summer ever since I got to review popcorn!

I gave my nephew a pretty sweet gift for his sixth birthday, a treasure chest! His reaction was the best.

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August

Oh the day I nearly got kicked out of yoga, fun times.

Gave a sneak peek into our bedroom.

Went to visit my BFF in Ottawa, who I haven’t seen in a few years. On the way home though, the train got stuck and we all got fed at Union Station in Toronto, and bussed home. What an adventure, ha!

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September

Hung out with Madonna’s make up artist! (Technically at the end of August for this one, and the one below but I didn’t blog about it til September)

Hand over my asthma inhaler. I met the folks at Fossil Canada headquarters. Holy moses.

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October

I went home for Thanksgiving! That makes three times in the year, I went to Newfoundland :)

Went to see Dragonette in concert, thanks to Twitter!

morgan and i sccto I went to SCCTO (She’s Connected Conference) in Toronto, and got a manicure at McDonald’s!

I teamed up with SportChek and the #MyBetter campaign! So fun.

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November

For Halloween I dressed up like a nerd at work. Apparently this is a good look for me, a perfect fit shall we say? Everyone said it suited me. I don’t know whether or not to be offended ;)

I started the 50 day push up challenge on November 1, to build up my shoulder strength.

Serena Williams was playing at theÂ Face Off Tennis match in Toronto. I went, thanks to SportChek.

I started running with a coach in November!

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December
I completed the 50 day push up challenge!

Went to Newfoundland for Christmas (and got back today). Said my GoodBye’s to my little nephews yesterday… :(

For Christmas I gave my Boyfriend a trip to Quebec City. We’re going in February!

The boyf also got me a pretty unexpected gift. A way better camera than my point-and-shoot canon! I’m so excited to learn more about this one!

Got my parents a pretty well-deserving, special giftÂ â€” with huge thanks to my neighbours organizing it with me, a trip to Florida with tons of spending money. Eee! My parents both cried. I never see them cry, so it was touching to see them so happy, opening the gifts. I was the one who gave the money, and my neighbour planned the flights and accommodations. I had to think of a clever way to give them the dolla bills instead of just saying “here’s some cash for you to spend”. So I went out and got a wallet for my Mom(from eBay actually) and filled it up with American $50 bills. Put it in a box and voila. But for my Dad to open something too, I taped a bunch of bills together and stuffed them into an old tissue box and had one $50 poking through; so when he pulled itÂ â€” all the others kept coming out too. Like a never ending pot of gold.

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Daily, Photos

Manicure’s at McDonalds #SCCTO

October 21, 2012 7 Comments

I want to thank the Chicken Farmers again for sending me to the She’s Connected conference (SCCTO). Had a great time!

Yesterday morning I set my alarm for 5am to get my butt in gear and make the drive to Toronto. How many times have I said on my blog, it’s never a road trip unless I get lost? The GPS told me to get off onto Dixie (that road will be the death of me, I have so many stories about that road and me driving on it doing u-turns) do a u-turn and come back onto the same highway I got off of. Thankfully I allotted myself a ton of time to navigate the city. After that, everything ran smoothly.

Morgan and I had planned on meet up with one another at SCCTO, and so glad I did. I hadn’t seen her in months and I was overdue for a giggle-fest day with her.

At the first keynote, a few of the SCCTO first-timers (including me) were told to stand up and introduce ourselves. I’m glad I did because as soon as I did, Isabel tweeted me saying she was sitting at the table behind me. I finally met her!

Â One of the main sponsors for SCCTO was McDonalds. I had huge plans to spend a lot of my day in their lounge, and so I did.

Nice spot, hey?

McDonalds Canada hired people to do massages and manicures in the relaxing jazz-music-playing lounge. Courtney and I got manicures, while Morgan got a massage. I requested a few hot chocolates throughout the day, and my final one I asked if I could have a pump of their caramel sauce (for coffee’s or lattes) in my hot chocolate. I think it’s something they should totally market, because holy heavens it was delicious.

Here’s my loot from SCCTO:

Yep. A thong in my swag bag.

Maple Leaf Connects was also there. My Dad would be proud of the shirt I scored. Dad makes the best bacon I have ever, and will ever have. I only eat it when I’m home in Newfoundland because of it. Good bacon cooker ;)

The seminars I attended were so great. I have pages of notes to flick through. Morgan ended up speaking on the one of the panels about Brand ambassadorships and community management from the PR perspective.

L-R: @AliciaHCox, Morgan, @CateWritesAgain (Canadians, remember Hal Johnson and Joanne McCloud? Catherine’s with participaction!), and @BigDaddyKreativ!

After SCCTO was over, our stomachs were rumbling. For lunch we all went to Chipotle to grab something to eat. I’ve heard so many people rave about that place, on blogs. But have never been there. It’s basically a mexican-style subway. I wish everything didn’t have onions in it though. Everything was smothered in it, and there was no way around it. Disappointing lol.

Morgan took me to the Queen/Spadina location of Fresh. It’s a vegan/vegetarian restaurant and it was my first time being there! I ordered this tasty dish and polished it right off.

I was then accompanied to my car with Morgan, because I didn’t want to get mugged. She’s my Batman in the bad city of Gotham haha. I dropped her off on some random side street (just kidding) and went on my way back home.

Spadina, the road I needed to make a left on, was shut down due to construction. My plan was ruined to get home (lol). I called the Boyf and he navigated me throughout Toronto for a full 30 minutes until I was finally on Lake Shore Blvd and heading towards home. Moses, what a rats nest I was in.

For the last 25km of the ride home I was feeling a bit unfocused. It was then 10pm, so I blasted the cool air in the car along with radio music. But it didn’t work, I felt like I was getting tired. I ended up talking to myself out loud in the car, about writing this blog post, about She’s Connnected, basically pretending someone was in the car with me but I was doing all the talking. I told my boyfriend this when I arrived home and he jokingly asked me “Have you gone mental?” hahahah!!!

It’s what I had to do. I had a great time hanging out with Morgan, thanks for taking me to some new restaurants! Can’t wait to see everyone again.

Daily

Shes Connected Conference 2012 #SCCTO

September 25, 2012 2 Comments

As a blogger for one of the Chicken Farmers of Canada programs, I’m going to the She’s Connected Conference 2012! Gah!

You may have noticed this colorful banner above, on my website for a week or so now. I’m going to leave it up until I actually go to the event.

I’ve only been to one blogging conference before, and that was at BlogHer11 in San Diego California last August 2011. I’m happy to attend the SCCTO which is close to homeÂ â€” about an hour’s drive. I’ll be going solo, so I’mÂ a bit nervous for that, unless YOU are going (leave a comment below if you are!). I hear there’s aÂ newbie area where people can meet up and not feel so overwhelmed and shy.

There’s also going to be a manicure booth, and you can skip a seminar to get a massage as well. Oh buddy, sign me up!

Thank you SCCTO and Chicken Farmers for sending me to the SCCTO conference. I’m excited!!

2012 Year In Review!

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Manicure’s at McDonalds #SCCTO

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Shes Connected Conference 2012 #SCCTO

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