Top 5 websites

The internet has become such a huge part of our generation these days, almost overtaking the ancestral instinct of basic face to face interaction. You can literally do anything you could imagine on the internet.  From shopping, to online chatting, to christmas card making to music producing.  So obviously, a lot of my spare time is taken up by the internet, which I'm not saying is right by any means.  But I write on the internet, chat on the internet, find news on the internet as well as collect 99% of my daily information from the internet.  Then why not embrace it with style!

So, without saying, I bet you all want to know the top 5 websites that I visit on a daily basis.  Because I'm like important and stuff (in my head at least so just play along...)

1) Twitter
Good old Twitter, which is not even that old.  Twitter as a website was launched in July 2006 and has grown exponentially since then.  I joined Twitter approximately 2 years ago (don't actually know where to check the exact date) and have been addicted ever since. It is such a constant news feed, so you are able to know exactly what is going on around you in a variety of topics which are your choice. Genius. I wish I thought of this!

2) Thought Catalog
This is a blog site which features different writers and their articles of random topics from life lessons to celebrity drama.  Definitely give me daily laughs and is a great site that allows you to relate to their variety of writers

3) Facebook
I have a love/hate relationship with Faecbook. Now although I seem to go on it daily (who am I kidding, multiple times a day) I really don't put a lot of effort into Facebook. I don't post a lot, I don't chat a lot.  I more use it to see what family and friends and what they are up to.  Same as everyone else for the most part.

4) YouTube
Now YouTube is almost the same as Twitter but in video form.  You can go onto this site to find a video on anything you could imagine.  How to do a certain hairstyle or an animal being way cuter then should be allowed to.  It is definitely a time waster, and I will admit that I don't learn much.  But it is great and I can't get enough of it.

5) Apartment Therapy
This is a blog that is dedicated to projects around the home, and creative ways to showcase the space you live in, including new gadgets, furniture, knick knacks and so forth.  I am a sucker for little projects and ways to be make a space your own.  So I can't help but check out what they are doing on a daily basis and try my best to execute some of the cool projects they have going on.

I swear I could list at least 5 more websites that I go to on a daily basis, but we will leave it to these 5 for now.  It really is insane how rapidly the technology world changes.  I still remember the day we got our first computer and it was such a revelation then, if only we knew how fast it would progress.

Do any of you have favourite websites that I haven't listed here? I'd love to find out your thoughts.

Happy internet-ing :)

I'm quirky and I love it!

People are funny, wouldn't you agree? Everyone has those little quirky idiosyncrasies that make us all unique and at the same time make us giggle when you see people do them. Well I definitely have a few of those, and I thought you might get a laugh from reading about mine.

1) I abolutely HATE touching someone else's warm change. I will drop it immmediately if you hand it to me. It's gross. My mind just starts to race with where that money was that caused it to be warm. Don't deny that you do the same thing.

2) With the theme of warm things, I also can't stand sitting on a warm seat.  The same logic as #1 applies.  I don't know what you did to cause that seat to be warm, so I will stand beside the seat for a solid minute or more for it to cool down first. I am okay with the fact that I look crazy, I've already come to terms with it.

3) If there is a spider within 10 feet or less from me, you can guarantee I will scream like a 6 year old boy and run away. I will also make anyone around me go deal with it before I step foot back into the room.

4) I have a secret love for vinegar. I have been known to drink it from time to time. You can stop saying she's crazy to the screen now, you wouldn't be the first to tell me that.

5) When I go up flights of stairs, I always have to make sure I switch the leg that starts the next set of stairs. Don't want to treat one leg better then the other... That makes perfect sense right? no?

6) I refuse to wear winter type shoes until the last possible day where I just start to look insane.  To me, flats are completely acceptable until there is about a foot or two of snow. It's a fight with mother nature that I refuse to lose.

7) I love romantic walks on the beach, but it makes me quiver the feeling of my dry bare feet on the dry sand. I can't stand it. I'm the cool person that has to get their feet wet, then walk in the sand.

8) When I am nervous, I smile. It's an awkward smile, and I still to this day can't understand my body and it's reasoning behind it. It has gotten me into trouble too. I swear I'm not meaning to grin if you are telling me bad news. Of course my body can't give me a normal nervous reaction like sweaty palms, or pacing or something. I'll even take a twitchy eye. Thanks a lot mom and dad.

9) I clear my throat often, and always at the most inopportune time.

10) I am paranoid that I will one day burn my house down by leaving my hair straightener on.  When I leave in the mornings, I will go back at least 2 or 3 times to check to the plug in make sure everything is unplugged. I will admit to have already been driving, turn around, and go home just to check one more time, even though I know 100% it's unplugged. Clearly my brain like to play pranks on me like that. "What a sucker, I'll make her think there is a 0.00087% chance it's still on and she'll go check anyways." Well played brain, you win.

I could probably add 20 more things to this list, but I'll save those for another day. 

I hope you had a giggle at these, but we all have them and you have to embrace them. That's what life is all about.

My favourite quote

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. "

This is my favourite quote.  It has such powerful meaning and goes to show you that we all have something we can contribute to this world. Definitely something I live by.  

Germs

Well my night started off unpleasent at best.  I had a freak out moment, and it all started when I got to work at my part-time job.  The girl I was taking off, decided it would be a good idea to work her shift even though she was hacking, sneezing, coughing and barely had a voice.  Now, I am horrible at taking my own advice, because I'm sure I'd try to still work too, but with the state my co-worker was in, I wanted to just bolt out of there. As soon as she stepped out of the office, I turned into a disinfecting lunatic and let nothing get in my way.  Because my life is so hectic, I regularly feel that being sick is never an option, which has caused me to own a bottle of every single vitamin and health pill known to man. So it began, the race to use a whole container of lysol wipes before her cold germs caught up with me. 

Keyboard? check. Phone? check. Stapler? check. Every single pen? check.  Now, it's at this point in my blog entry where I expect you to judge me, even I second guess my sanity sometimes. I had a few onlookers even stare me down like a pig was flying around my desk, but that didn't phase me. I even went as far in my frantic state as wiping down each coin/bill that was in my float that night, and believe me that takes a while. It felt like a genius thing to do in the heat of a disinfecting spree.  No way in heck I'm letting even the smallest germ get near me, plus money is probably the most germ infested thing in this office.  Now 2 hours later, I have finally relaxed and feel content in my work environment.

My only other task for the night is to order my work 2 cases of lysol wipes.  I can't help but laugh at what turned out to be the most riveting part of my Friday night. Fun times.

When rubber meets pavement

It's that time of year once again.  I packed my bags, hit up Tim's for my usual medium double double, then 'Vipes' (my car, don't judge) and I hit the road.  For me, there is nothing better then driving by myself, blasting my favourite music and singing my heart out, in the warm summer sun.  With 9 total drive hours, that allows for many loony things to be seen.  I shall list them below:

- Saw guys playing guitars on the side of the highway.  I still can't understand what they were doing there, other than they gave up on holding their thumbs out and decided to practice for a gig instead.

- I made it from Edmonton to Red Deer without having to go to the bathroom. That NEVER happens.

- Ran into classic Calgary traffic, except I must have seen at least 8 police cars on the side of the road.  Typical long weekend I suppose.

- I passed by a Google Maps car with the crazy camera on the top of it.  I like to think I'm famous now.

- While driving through a small town, there was a guy running in his underwear on the side of the road with marker all over his body. Either a hilarious bro prank or weird running style?

- Then when I arrived at my destination, I passed by a truck bed turned into a hot tub with multiple people soaking up the sun. Pure awesomeness.

There's always something fun and exciting about summer road trips, especially with great weather and family being a major part of it.  Hello summer, Let the good times roll...

View from my balcony

It's Monday night here in beautiful Edmonton, Alberta.  I sit here with my white wine in hand, Mac computer on my lap, and the wind blowing through my very messy, curly hair.  In the hour that I have been sitting here, I have seen multiple things happen which caught my attention and intrigued me.  What a better place than here to list them off, and share them with the world!  Once I observed the nights first event, I definitely had to up my creep factor to catch the other events tonight.  As soon as you take the time to slow down and take in what is happening around you, you'd be surprised what you can see.

1) There is a man on his balcony right across and slightly lower then me having a BBQ, seems like a perfectly normal night for him.  Part of me is jealous that I'm not eating delicious steak right now, but that's besides the point.  All of a sudden, a women opened the balcony door and scared this man, to the point where his flings his prong like tool over the ledge of his balcony. Now at this time, I am laughing out loud to myself because of what I've observed, probably making my neighbours wonder what crazy lives next to them, but it was like a scene from a movie.  Wanting to see how this hilarious situation plays out, I continue to watch.  About 2 min later, I see him downstairs searching through the front yard for his dirt covered prongs.  Fortunately for them, it was a soft landing on plush grass from a 12 story fall.  All in all, this whole situation made my day, but the abnormal observations from my balcony don't end there.

2) Fast forward about half an hour, and as I stand up to get a snack, I see a car trying to drive into a gated parking lot a little to my right.  It seems you have to swipe some kind of device in order to open the gate. Now this person, who I later found out was a women, was having trouble with her scanning device, it seemed to not be working and her frustration levels grew.  All of a sudden she gets out of her 2003 ford car (total amateur guess on that one) and starts pounding on this scanning machine.  After about a minute of this, she must have realized that she was creating some unexpected attention to herself, cause she gets back into her car, tries scanning one more time, and of course, voila it works.  Just like magic right?

3) Lastly, there is a house just down the street from my building, squished between 2 high-rise buildings.  A quaint little place, reminds me of Anne of Green Gables type of house.  I looked down at one point and a blue jeep pulled into the drive way, only to be met by a women who jumped into the arms of the driver.  It was a very humbling moment.  It seemed as if that man had been gone for some time, and it was a reunion of sorts for them.  Makes you appreciate and reflect on the relationships you have in life, sometimes you don't know when you are going to see that certain someone next, so take every opportunity you have to tell people you love them and care about them, whether it be a mother, sister, friend or significant other.

It has been an interesting night, I feel like I've seen it all, yet the night has only just begun.  Time to grab another glass of wine, and see how the night plays out.  Nothing better than the hustle and bustle of a big city to open your eyes to what life has to offer!

60 ways to pay it forward

Over the last few days, I've been in a very insirpational and productive mood. I really need to shake things up in my life and change some things that I have let slide lately. Item number one is productivity. I am involved in many jobs and after work activities, and keeping track of it all has always been hard for me. So enough is enough, I bought a brand new planner, and I am going to keep track and write everything down. That has always worked better for me than trying to count on memory or even putting it in my phone. I am a very visual learner, so finally after 23 years I have finally found a great way to be organized for myself. Don't judge.

Item number two is finding more ways to do things for others. Recently I feel like I have gotten lost in the shuffle of life, and forgotten the joy in paying it forward.


I found a great post from another blog that lists 60 ways to pay it foward. I found it so inspirational, and it reminded me of the little things in life that you can do for the people around you, that take little to no effort.

The blog I got this list from is Marc and Angel Hack Life. You can check out there blog by clicking here!

1.Hold the door open for the person behind you.

2.Introduce yourself. Make new colleagues, classmates, etc. feel welcome.

3.Clean out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need. Your old is someone else’s new.

4.Write a positive Yelp review about a local business you like.

5.Listen intently to people’s stories without trying to fix everything.

6.Donate blood. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Locate your nearest blood drive.

7.Volunteer at a hospital, homeless shelter, nursing home, etc. Get outside of yourself and help others.

8.Buy house warming gifts for new neighbors.

9.Inspire others online.

10.Share your umbrella with a stranger on a rainy day.

11.Check up on someone who looks lonely.

12.Let someone with only a few items cut you in line at the grocery store.

13.Spread good news.

14.Replace what you’ve used. For example, fill up the copier or printer with paper after you’re done using it or start a fresh batch of coffee.

15.Give words of encouragement to someone about their dreams, no matter how big or small they are.

16.Stop and buy a drink from a kid’s lemonade stand.

17.Help someone get your parking space in a crowded parking lot when you’re leaving.

18.Babysit for couples or single parents who don’t get out much so they can have some alone time.

19.Look for ways to save a few extra bucks a month and then donate it to a good cause or charity.

20.Shop at your local charity thrift store. The money you spend there helps others.

21.Help someone get active. There’s a coworker or acquaintance in your life who wants to get healthy, but needs a helping hand. Offer to go walking or running together or join a gym together. Check out your local Active activities.

22.Spend a few clicks of your time at Free Rice.

23.If someone you love really likes something (a meal, a favor, etc.) give it to them when they least expect it.

24.Make a difference in the life of a child. Give them your time and undivided attention. Read Raising Kids Who Will Make a Difference.

25.If you shop online, make your purchase through Give Back America.

26.Pay for the person in line behind you.

27.Drop off your old eye glasses at your local LensCrafters as a donation to the OneSight program.

28.Create a care package and send it to an active duty military unit.

29.Redirect gifts. Instead of having people give you birthday and holiday gifts, ask them to donate gifts or money to a good cause.

30.The next time you see someone pulled over with a flat tire, or in need of assistance, stop and ask how you can help. Read How to Be an Everyday Philanthropist.

31.Become a mentor or tutor to someone in need.

32.Help the weary shopper in front of you who needs that extra two or three cents to avoid breaking a 20-dollar bill.

33.Come to the rescue. If you realize someone is sick, bring them some hot tea, soup, etc.

34.Be a courteous driver. Let people merge in front of you.

35.Put some change in an expired parking meter (where it’s legal).

36.Offer your seat to someone when there aren’t any left.

37.Listen to someone’s pain and help them find a path through it.

38.Hug a friend. Let them know how important they are.

39.Think twice before you throw something away. As Jack Johnson once said, “Reduce, reuse, and recycle.”

40.Help an entrepreneur with a Kiva donation.

41.Bake cookies or brownies and share with a neighbor or colleagues.

42.If you have a good book you’ve read that’s just sitting around on a book shelf, give it away to a friend.

43.Become a member of Freecycle, and participate.

44.Clean up litter in a park or open space nearby.

45.Look into co-housing.

46.Borrow and lend things in your neighborhood by using Share Some Sugar.

47.Send a nice email or handwritten card to someone you know, unexpectedly.

48.Leave encouraging post-it notes in library books and other random places.

49.If you see a couple taking a self-pic, offer to take the picture for them.

50.Setup a donation box at your school, work or place of worship and ask others to make canned/dried food contributions. Then deliver the donations accordingly.

51.Join efforts to preserve and protect the environment.

52.Donate cat and dog food to an animal shelter. Call and ask what is needed.

53.Compliment someone who deserves it.

54.If there’s been an accident or a potentially hazardous situation presents itself on the road, report it to the local authorities. Your phone call could save a life.

55.Collect and donate prom dresses for underprivileged youth.

56. When you’re getting fast food, buy an extra meal for a homeless person.

57.Stand up for someone. Lend your voice. Often the powerless, the homeless, the neglected in our world need someone to speak up for them.

58.Take the time to teach someone a skill you know.

59.Teach others how to make a difference in this world by setting a good example every day. When someone wants to repay you for something, ask them to pay it forward.

60.When Someone wants to repay you for something, ask them to pay it forward.

I can't wait to start expanding my horizons and doing different things on the list. Doing little things like this are so rewarding, and making others smile is the best feeling in the world!