Christmas Gift Giving Ideas~

The Christmas season is coming... soon! I am always a last minute person (not just for buying gifts!) so I've started to think about what to give each person on my list. (I ALMOST wish people would stop getting married and having kids ~ the list is always expanding!!)
I've always thought that a gift says not only a lot about you but also what you think about the person you are giving it to. I don't have a problem, per se, with giving or recieving gift cards/certificates (especially from a favourite store) but... I don't think it's "impersonal" as everyone says or "thoughtless" but it seems to say "I don't know you very well". (BTW, If anyone wants to get me some gc's, I wouldn't mind both Lululemon and Chapters!! haha)
Anyway, I'm trying to think of some inspired gift giving ideas... I have some people who are quite difficult. (as in, I don't "know" them very well and don't want to give them gift cards!)
I've only come up with one so far but it could work for more than one person. I have decided, in the spirit of giving, to share it with readers so that you may use it too, if you wish.
I like to call it "The Uplifting Book". I have a feeling that it would be best given to the women in your lives ~ wives, sisters, mothers, daughters, friends, etc.
Buy one of those books with blank pages (one would call it a journal...) ~ something with an inspirational quotes on the cover. Chapters/Indigo has some nice ones. You know ~ the ones that say "dance like no ones watching..." On the inside cover, write your Merry Christmas/Happy Ramadan/Channukah/Kwanza/whatever message. The next page, the purpose of the book ~ which is to fill its blank pages with things you find uplifting. Suggest things that can fill it with ~ quotes, memories, lists of top 5's (favourite places to go, songs, smells, etc.), "what matters most to me", "nice things people have said about me" (you can fill in)... Whatever you can think of. I think it's also sweet to randomly open to a page and make a template for one of those ideas... Do several. (The books I'm thinking of are pretty thick anyway).
And, if you WANT to give a gift certificate... put it inside the book!

So.... what do you think would make a great, thoughtful gift? Reply please!

The Secret

I’m watching the first twenty minutes of The Secret on YouTube… I believe in the law of attraction ~ but more so how your thoughts are projected through your body language and facial expression. ie. negative thinking will attract negativity because you exude it ~ confidence makes people respect you…
I’ve been a negative person. I’ve often thought things like, “I have nothing to offer” or “My friends don’t care about me”, etc. These thoughts have indeed manifested. Even if it was a little bit before, it has gotten worse since I was focused on it. So, I have an idea. A lot of therapists tell you to repeat positive things over and over and then you will begin to believe them. So, in order to “empower” myself as they are saying, I want to write a short mantra or perhaps a few and print them out, post them, and read them out loud to myself everyday. Sort of an audio visual board. I made my vision board on my computer desktop as Oprah suggested but I haven’t believed it was possible. But, with repetitive statements about myself, it seems simpler. I’m thinking statements like “I am a good friend.”, “I have the strength to stick to a healthy routine.”
Meditation will also be beneficial, I think. No meditation that yogis do but just picking a happy thought, listening to a powerful piece of music and just holding onto it and pushing all else from my mind. Picture myself being how I want to be. Unlike the people in this film, I don’t want power, tons of money, etc. My main goals are happiness, health, harmony, and love. I want to lead a simple lifestyle, low on stress. I want to have meaningful connections with people. I want to make an impact on the world not so my name will be known but so people in general are happier and more considerate of others. I want to help in the healing of the earth. 
I will begin tomorrow (well, technically today! Haha ~ it’s already almost 5 am). I’m not going to make a long list of things I want to do… because I don’t want to feel badly about myself if I can’t check them off. I’m simply going to write down 3 “mantras” to say to myself once a day (or more, if I feel like it), print them out and post them somewhere I’ll see them. To start with, how about “I am in a good mood”, “Today is a good day”, “I am blessed”. Simple enough, right?
…I wonder what types of things Kate Gosselin has posted around her house these days. She used to have a lot of that. I really feel for her and truly admire her integrity throughout the past year. (I have so much to say about it all but now is not the time…) One written “vision” I can add for now is that I want to have a good conversation with Kate Gosselin someday. I like her and hope she and her children go on to have happy, peaceful lives. 

babies on the brain

I want to have a baby… but I want to be ready. I know I will never feel that way so I’m wondering if it’s something that I should just allow to happen. I’m afraid… of so many things. I don’t want to bring a baby into this world for selfish reasons. Yes, I want to love someone. I do love people but a child is different. Your own child is different… I want to watch someone grow for their whole life. I want to pass on my values and ideals. I want to see Jay as a father. I want … purpose. Really, what IS a good reason to have a child?

I’m afraid that I will be too inconsistent. I’m afraid I will slack off. I’m afraid I will put myself ahead of my child. I’m afraid of childbirth!! I’m afraid of the emotional scars that I will create. I’m afraid my child will get into bad things.

When is a good time? Should I still go to school first? Should I go to Japan? Should I try to find a job I love? Should I be in peak physical shape? Do I HAVE to be? Is there anyone or thing that can give me answers to these questions? What if I make the wrong choices….

♥~my love story~♥

i originally posted this as a "note" on facebook. thought i'd put it here. just cause.

let's share ~

if i tagged you, i'm interested in your story ~ how you met, why you fell in love, etc. (or thought you might be interested in mine... haha)

When I moved to Winnipeg right out of high school (literally, the day after classes ended ~ June 26, 1999), I told my friends I would be back. St. George/Brantford is where I "grew up" and the longest I had ever lived in one place... it was home. So... I never really gave Winnipeg a fair shot...

The only people I really hung out with were my cousins and brother. I didn't make friends (until, like, 2 or 3 months before I left).

I started working for Ann at her Levi's store in March 2000... being the astute judge of character that she is, she realized just how cool I reallly am...

That sets the stage~

Ann said that she had plans with people on Saturday night, Sept 23, 2000 and since she knew I didn't know too many people (haha ~ have any friends, she meant!!), she asked if I wanted to hang out with her brother, who was in town from Edmonton and also didn't know anyone. (He was doing a practicum for his last year of pharmacy ~ one week in to the three weeks.) Just to hang out... not a date. No pressure.

I hadn't made definite plans and thought it could be interesting hanging out with a complete stranger so I said okay. But... he was a complete stranger... so Friday, I told her, maybe not. But Ann has a way of convincing you to do stuff that is "good for you" ~ so...

... I was off work at 6:30 but the mall closed at 6:00, so he had to wait. (We actually finished about 10 after, but then I had to brush my teeth, change my clothes, and touch up my makeup. Not a date.... but a girl's still gotta look good when meeting a new guy!)

btw~ Ann didn't even tell me his name (or forgot to or I forgot to ask or something) so I asked my manager earlier that day would had met him once or twice a few years back.

After my co-worker and I dropped off the store deposit at the bank, I met him outside my store and the very first words I said were, "So, where are we going?" (I thought I was just being confident or assertive or something. Turns out, his immediate first impression of me was that I was a snob~ I get that a lot...)

Actually (I just remembered), he came into the store awhile before we closed to introduce himself. I think we shook hands or something and I told him when we'd be finished...

We determined where his car was and decided while walking to it that we would figure out things to do while driving. I don't remember completely but  I think we were both saying "whatever you want to do" (not to be polite... that's just how we both are ~ and that set the tone for the rest of life...). We drove around for awhile... but that turned out to be a good thing...

While driving around, he said his cds were at my feet and I could pick whatever I wanted to listen to. I was flipping through while we talked. He asked me what I usually listened to ~ my reply, of course (at the time) was hip hop/r&b, my favourites being 112, Ginuwine, Missy Elliot, etc. He didn't have much interest. His cds were Pearl Jam, Moist, Smashing Pumpkins.... okay, but not my type....

Then I flipped to Blink-182, Green Day, and Weezer (my OTHER favourites I had failed to mention). "Oh, I love these!" ~ or something. "Oh yeah..." blah blah blah "I think I'll go with Green Day..."

Jay figured at that point that I would pick Dookie (cause EVERYONE knows it) or maybe Nimrod.... but I went with 1039 ~ Green Day's first album, popped it in, and started singing along... He was impressed.

...anyway~

We ended driving all the way down to the Forks, ending up at Brannigan's for dinner. Then we went all the way back to Polo Park to see Hollow Man at the theatre ~ both agreeing it was a terrible movie. Then we still wanted to hang out... and I lived close so we went back to my house.... haha ~ that sounds so bad! We just hung out, talking, quizzing each other on life stories... whatever. APPARENTLY, I showed him all my pictures. I know... it's weird. (He always brings that up!) But, it shows how comfortable we were. (He was telling me all his stories too.) We ended up talking until 6:00am.

When he finally decided he should go home, we made plans to hang out again ~ the next day, he, Ann, and her husband were going to the States to go shopping so we said we'd do something the day after.

We spent everyday from then on for the rest of the two weeks he was in Winnipeg together. A few days before he left, I changed my mind from "fling" to "boyfriend". (I hadn't been up for a long distance relationship but he was just so great~ :) )

We met at Christmas in Toronto/Mississauga for a few days (Ann moved there in November to open Below the Belt and her whole family was visiting ~ I went to spend time with Jay and had plans to see my high school friends (didn't happen... storm) and my former co-workers.) Then he came to visit me in Winnipeg the day after Valentine's (I told him to skip the 14th cause I've never liked it) for a week. Then I went to see him in May for his university graduation.

Oh yeah ~ we knew that long distance relationships are only temporary and he knew of my plans to return to Ontario. Since Ann told me of her plans to open BTB there, I asked if I could transfer. Jay said there were a lot of Pharmacy oppotunities in Ontario and since his sister lived there, he wanted to move there.

So, in June, he came to visit me for a few days, just stopping off while he moved across the country. Two more months apart (excpet the week that I took in July to go look for apartments and visit my high school friends) and then I moved August 31, 2001.

We moved in together in April 2003. He had lived with his sister and I was roommates with my former-then-reunited-co-worker (after 3 months in a shit hole alone... usually staying with Jay instead due to bugs... *shudder*).

We got married May 5, 2007 and moved into our house October 31, 2007. Marital bliss from then on~

There... that gives you the gist. (Seriously, I can't believe you read the whole thing.)

I wrote this cause someone asked (Hi MiaoMiao-san!!) and I never got a chance to tell the story. That's how we met and some of the superficial reasons we got together. Not much of what I like about him or why things worked out...

If you write your story ~ make it more interesting please!!