This Is My Town

Posted on October 27, 2010 by

I was born and raised in London, Ontario, Canada. My family is here, my friends are here, my life is here.

When I was little I wanted to be the weather girl on Channel 10. My best friend and I would steal money from our parents, buy lots of candy from the corner variety store and hide under the CFPL tower. We’d eat our sugar and pretend to be on the news.

When I grew up that dream faded as I realized that other parts of London actually did exist. When I was 13, I went downtown (without parental supervision) for my first date with a boy. When I turned 16, I performed the next right of passage for all Londoners at the time – I went to the Ridout with fake id. Obviously, downtown was the place to be.

When I was 19, I got my first official job at Bell Canada in the core of the city and I thought my life was set. I had finally made it! I only lasted at Bell for about four months before I called it quits. Pretty funny thinking about it now.

I’ve been to the Western Fair and just about every festival there is in London. I’ve skated in every arena and run through every park in the city. I’ve been to the Pioneer Village, Eldon House, the Old Court House, the new Court House, the Children’s Museum, Museum London…you name it.

I can tell you that Dundas St. used to curve like an ‘S‘ after Adelaide, the JLC used to be the Ice House in the South end, The Mews was an entire mall underground and The Great West Steak House used to be a killer restaurant!

When I go out in London, I see someone I know 90% of the time and yet, I’m always meeting great new people.

I love it here, but when it comes to my career I often question my decision to stay in London.

So, I ask you…what if you were forced to choose? If you had to start your career all over again, would you stay in the city you call home or would you move to another city where it might be easier to advance?

Posted in Career Stuff | 12 Comments

My Summer Vacation

Posted on September 15, 2010 by

Last week I was on “summer” vacation. I spent a few rainy and windy days at the family cottage before heading back to spend the week at home, sleeping in, drinking lattes and eating everything in sight.

To keep things somewhat interesting, I did try to do something new each day of my vacation…here are a few of the highlights:

I played Xbox. Yup, you read that right. I played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on Xbox. My gaming experience is limited to Super Mario Bros., Tetris and Ms. Pacman, so this was a big step for me.

I’ll be honest…I wasn’t very good. There was so many controls that I had to use and I got all mixed up. When I went to turn my body, my head didn’t move and vice versa. I would run out of ammo and the screen would tell me to reload, but when I did, it told me it was quicker to change weapons. Pft! I was a mess, so needless to say, I won’t be a hard-core gamer anytime soon!

After Xbox, I became an acrobat. O.k., maybe not an acrobat exactly, but I took an anti-gravity yoga class at The Athletic Club and I swear I was upside down just as much as I was right side up.

Anti-gravity yoga involves the use of a silk hammock that is suspended from the ceiling. Don’t let the word “hammock” fool you, this class does not involve lounging around. Quite the opposite in fact, it’s quite difficult. I pulled myself up, I flipped myself forward, I hung upside down, I arched myself backwards. It was tough! But…it was fun and I felt like a kid again. My arms got a killer work out and my abs had that great tight feeling. I recommend giving it a try.

After all my vacation excitement, I am officially back to work. Only three more months until my next vacation which will include much more sleeping in, plenty more latte’s and definitely lots of holiday eating!

Posted in Being Flawless | 4 Comments

Beauty Products? Yes Please!

Posted on August 25, 2010 by

I have so much on my mind lately, that I can’t decide what to write about. I’m going to take the easy way out this week and fill you in on some my preferred “beauty” products. Obviously, this post is mainly for the ladies, but I’m sure at least one of these products will be of interest to the males out there!

Keep in mind, different things work for different people. I am not being paid to endorse these products, so I must make it clear that these are only my opinions and not fact. I can not be held responsible if they do not work for you or if for some crazy reason, they cause some type of damage <- I think I have to say that!

  • Dolce & Gabbana – l’eau The One: Apparently if you wear an oriental floral perfume, it will make you appear 15 pounds lighter. I have nothing to prove this, but I saw it on Tyra and I totally believe everything she says! O.k I don’t really believe everything she says, but I want to believe this. I prefer Dolce & Gabbana, but if you are looking for something different, Sephora has a great fragrance finder – just search by fragrance family/notes.
  • Estee Lauder – Idealist: This is the best skin refinisher I have ever tried. It will fix blotchy red spots, reduce pores and make your skin super soft. Also, if you are looking for a effective moisturizer, Estate Lauder has a great one called Hydrationist. It works on driest of skin. I highly recommend both these products.
  • Physicians Formula – Plump Potion™ Needle Free Lip Plumping Cocktail: This is the best lip gloss ever! It tingles when you apply it and will make you feel like you have super plump and soft lips. It’s very affordable as well – you can pick it up at your local drug store.
  • MAC Cosmetics – Foundation Powder: I personally prefer Select Sheer Pressed power, but MAC is definitely the best place to go for foundation powders. Go see them at your local mall…they will find the perfect compact for you and your skin.
  • Spectro Jel – Cleanser: This product is another drug store goodie. Recommended by Dermatologist – seriously – that’s how I found it, my dermatologist recommended it. It is super affordable and there are four varieties to choose from!
Posted in Being Flawless

Up in the Air

Posted on August 18, 2010 by

I travel enough. Not as much I’d like and mostly for work. There was one year that I traveled so much, I actually reached Air Canada Top Tier status. I know, cool! Right?

I love, love, love, to travel and I never say no when I get the chance.

Since I started traveling, I’ve heard my fair share of travel advice. You’ve probably heard all the usual tips too, like…get to the airport early, carry all your valuables with you, etc. etc. etc.

I follow all those standard travel tips and I’ve also picked up a bunch of my own. I have too many to tell you all of them…but…since flying is the best way to travel, here are a few of my fav’s for the airport…

First, a quality suitcase and lock are key. Hard case luggage is the best because it won’t crush your stuff. And, let’s be honest here, those little luggage locks aren’t keeping anyone from breaking into your suitcase. They do however, do a pretty good job of keeping what’s inside from breaking out. Unless, of course, you want your undies on display at baggage claim?

While we are talking about suitcases…if you have to get a new one, don’t forget to consider color. Seriously, everyone has a black suitcase these days. Forget about ribbons and bows…your luggage will be much easier to spot if it’s blue, pink or zebra striped!

You must wear comfortable shoes! Whether you arrived early, your flight is delayed or you have a long layover – you’re going to have some time to kill. Major airports are huge, so confirm your boarding gate and time, then go exploring. You can get in a little exercise with a quick walk and then relax with a nice mani/pedi. Still have time? Go find the best bookstore, bar, or coffee joint. Once at LAX, I wandered into a bookstore and bumped into Ashton Kutcher. Bonus!

Now on to boarding… Yes, first class will board first. If you’re in economy – don’t let them fool you – you want to be the last to board the plane! First class passengers have lots of legroom to keep them comfortable – not so in economy. There’s no need to rush. You have a reserved seat. Once they start boarding economy passengers – wait! Wait until they call almost all the rows. Then, when they’re almost done…go ahead and get in-line.

Pretty easy right? Share your travel tips too below…then get out there and travel more and take me with you!

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

It’s just a name. Or is it?

Posted on August 11, 2010 by

When I was little, my sister had a Smurfette poster that said “Girls can do anything!” I totally believed it. I still do today. Am I a feminist? Perhaps.

And yet…when I got married, I changed my last name.

Shocking? I didn’t think so, but apparently some people think it is. So, why did I do it?

I changed my name to match my husband’s for one simple reason: I consider my husband and I to be a family now and I think a family should have the same last name. That’s it.

It wasn’t complicated for me. If we lived in a country where the man took on the woman’s name – I would expect my husband to take my name. If we get divorced, I will most likely change my name back.

I have nothing against women who don’t want to change their name. I’m positive they have their own reasons. I’m not sure why people that debate this subject get so intense. To me, it’s a completely personal decision.  Whatever works.

Just because I changed my last name doesn’t mean that my thoughts or opinions changed in any way. I’m still the same person. I still believe that girls can do anything!

Posted in Family and Friends | 13 Comments

One foot in front of the other

Posted on July 7, 2010 by

This is my first blog post and I’m super excited about it! Thanks for stopping by and checking out Finding Flawless. If you haven’t already, find out what it’s all about by heading over to the “about” section. Once you’ve done that, come back here and read on – then come back often for more. My picture taking abilities are lacking so bare with me as I make the site as pretty as possible. Now on to my first post….

You’re probably thinking that I’m going to tell you about all the fabulous things that I do – but I’m not. First, I’m going to tell why I’m not…

I’m clumsy. Yup, very clumsy!

On a regular basis, I break things, trip up stairs, slip on my high heels and spill coffee on myself. In the morning, I often have to change my outfit two or three times before I even make it out the door. I really don’t know how I manage to get toothpaste, deodorant or some other random thing all over me. If I do make it out of the house – no one is safe. As the saying goes…if I fall, you’re going down with me!

Being clumsy is the one flaw that I can try to hide, but I can’t fix. So, like every good heroine in chick lit, I’ve learned to embrace my flaw. I’ve made clumsy cute. Yes, salad dressing exploding all over the kitchen isn’t exactly cute…but why make it worse by freaking out? And, you’d be surprised how many people will help you pick up all your papers when they go flying across the sidewalk if you flash a smile.

So please…stop and help me clean up when my coffee goes flying and lend a hand if you see me fall. Don’t worry, I won’t scream or cry or anything….chances are, I’ll blush a little, laugh, brush myself off and prepare for my next mishap.

Posted in Being Flawless | 5 Comments