the force is strong with this one

IMAGINE a world where you have...

...an endless number of ways to feel alive...

trillions of reasons to never be bored ...

an infinite number of beautiful things to create ...

...already so many beautiful things to behold ...

and 7 billion crazy characters to play along with.

As you know, this is YOUR world.

It's full of more potential for pleasure, love, glory, beauty and bliss than can be comprehended. It even surprises you with misfortune so you can experience the full range of your explosive emotions, and so the good things are that much sweeter.

This world, this life, is amazing. It is perfect. So please, stop taking life for granted.

Instead, focus on being a force for love, for change, for questioning what is right, for re-questioning when you must, and for the diehard belief in the goodness of people.



“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
~Joseph Campbell

Go forth and be the force of awesome! ♥

the reality of me

I've been blogging for about 7 months now. At first, I felt good if I could write 4 or 5 posts a month...and I always felt really good if I could write more than that!

In my opinion though, blogging is much more than writing as many posts as you possibly can, it's more about the experience - and the people I've "met" through it - this has blessed me so MUCH.

Once or twice, I've thought of giving up this space - but I don't think that's what I'm supposed to do just yet.  So I will continue to "work at it" during the times when I just want to hibernate and not talk to anyone...

This blog is still my little lifeline to my family of online sisters...and I'm so thankful there are a few of you out there who view me in the same way.

With that being said, and to my surprise, a new reader and follower, the ever-so-marvelous Carolyn Hughes, The Hurt Healer, has showered me with a token of affection.

It is with great pleasure that I accept The Reality Blog Award: Real. Energizing. Amazing. Lovely. Inspiring. Touching. Yippee!

Here are the guidelines in accepting the award:

1. Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back to them.
3. Answer the 5 questions presented.
4. Nominate up to 20 blogs for the award and notify them on their blogs.
5. Copy and paste the award on your blog somewhere.

 Here's the list of 5 questions:

1. If you could change one thing what would you change? If I could change one thing about everyone in this world, including myself, it would be to Be Yourself. Look into your heart for who is there. Feel it in your bones who you are. Let your mind remind you of what thoughts and dreams still rest within your very being. One of my favorite sayings is "You are the only person you will spend your whole life with".  You are the only person who knows you and what you need now.
   
2. If you could repeat an age, what would it be? Funny, my little "Taste Tester" asks me this question all the time.  I always answer it the same way: "I am happy with my age. I have lived each age before this and I will live each age after this".  I have no regrets and I would not want to repeat or change anything
   
3. What one thing really scares you? No fears. I used to have a great fear of fire. My family has been through a few fires over the years. I used to have dreams about being in fires. Oddly, I was never scared and I never got burned.  
   
4. What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you’ll be able to complete it?  As a mother, I watch my dream come true everyday. I dream and wish for a happy, healthy, loving, caring child with a warm and gentle soul - and so far, in my eyes, that's what he is..fully, completely. My dream is my reality.
   
5. If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be? I am content being myself. I would not trade places with anyone, even for a single day. I think I would miss myself too much.

I would like to nominate the following bloggers for the Reality Blog Award:

Jessie Loves To Run
My Recovery Diary
Cauldrons and Cupcakes
Strength in Freedom
The Misadventures of a Darwinian Fail

You are all winners! Thank you all for providing me with inspiration every day!

marvelous in my monday + christmas (books, trees, gifts + cards)

Happy Monday me lovelies! I trust you're all feeling marvelous today (and everyday for that matter) #beyourself #loveyourself

It's been a little while since I've written a MIMM post and I must admit I miss my mimm's. It's time for a link-up party with the marvelous miss mimm Katie, The Healthy Diva.

Thanks for always being the perfect party hostess Katie!

Here are a few things that I'm feeling marvelous about today:

Marvelous Magical Movie - on Friday, my little "Taste Tester" and I went on an adventure together to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D.

Naturally drawn to such stories like The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings, we love the adventure, the strange worlds, the facing of great odds, and the sweetness of victory. Tales like these enchant us because they are larger than life and they allow us to easily escape from our everyday existence.

Marvelous Meal - after the (almost) 3 hour movie, I ordered Greek food for the two of us.

Chicken souvlaki, Greek potatoes, Rice, Greek Salad & Tzatziki
I made wraps. Plenty of food for the both of us.

Marvelous Health Food Store Score:

Sunflower Sprouts, Seaweed snack, Goji/Cacao/Chia/Maca snack,
Vanilla Cacao Buckwheat snack bites, Coconut flour,
Coconut Jam, E3 Live, Hemp Hearts, Lentil Coucous Salad, Sweet Potato buckwheat pasta,
and a Vega Endurance bar,
all for Less than $50.00
SCORE!

Marvelous Mood - not sure if it's because it's beginning to look alot like Christmas, or because we are in the process of transitioning from one "world age" into another, but I am so grateful for whatever is happening. I am feeling a tremendous flow of grace and energy as a new doorway to the world opens.

Prepare your Body, Mind & Spirit for a Radical Shift

Marvelous Yoga/Meditation session - this weekend I combined these two practices in the comfort of my own home rather than running to do a class session. 

No matter how long it's been since my last practice, a simple Yoga and meditation session helps me to manage my own stress and confront life's pressures in a more positive way. It replenishes me and repairs my energy on every level. #namaste

Marvelous Music - lately, I've been listening to some incredible female artists. Listening to these ladies makes me feel like I can conquer the world!

A Fine Frenzy, Florence + The Machine, Kina Grannis,
Schuyler Fisk, and Taylor Swift

Marvelous ME - Yup, that's right. Why the heck not?! That's how I'm feeling about myself so why not express it? I feel good, I feel balanced, my energy level is good, my mood is uplifted, and my relationship with myself is going right in the direction where I want it to be.

You are enough!

More Marvelous-ness: 25 Days of Blogging Christmas Challenge

The creator behind this blogging challenge, miss Jenny, actually lives in Newton, Conneticut, just 2 minutes away from Sandy Hook Elementary School. Please take a moment to visit Jenny's page where she expresses her feelings about this tragic event and provides a link to a donation page for those who are interested in lending support.

My Favorite Christmas Book: since I was a wee little gal, I've loved the story T'was the Night Before Christmas . . . When all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....

Real or Artificial Tree: Artificial. I wouldn't feel right having a real tree in my little apartment.

Standing just 4 feet tall, it may not be the biggest or the brightest...
but it's ours and we love it! 

Did you know...Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes with pine, spruce, and fir trees, people used to hang evergreens over their doors and windows because, in many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

Best Gift You've Given: I don't know what the best gift I've given has been. I love the idea of baking Christmas treats, and wrapping them up for others to enjoy.

Christmas Baking Recipe Round-up for Chocolate Lovers:
-Homemade Chocolate Bars with Almonds
-Raspberry Belgium Chocolates
-Raw Chocolate Nut Fudge with Sweet Strawberry Topping
-Chocolate Truffles
-Truffle Wrapped Cherries, Cream Cheese Brandy Cherry Balls, Magic Chocolate Balls + more
-Chocolate Almond Butter Cups with Raspberries, Roasted Almonds & Sea Salt
-Raw Chocolate Fudge
-Healthy Bites Smart Snickers, Vegan Marshmallow Bites, or Cherry Delights
*I made the Cherry Delights and added a little cocoa. Then I made them again with mini chocolate chips. YUM!

Other fun Christmas recipes I've found:
-Christmas Cake Pops
-Whole New Mom's 30 Healthy Christmas Cookie Recipes Round-up
-Cravings of a Lunatic Recipe Round-up: pies, pastries, cookies, bars and more
-Chocolate Covered Katie: pretty much any of Katie's recipes will do!
-the Better Mom's 20 Healthy Christmas Cookie Recipe Round-up

Hardest Person(s) to Buy For: My sisters.

 #truth

Post a Picture of an old Christmas Card: I don't have any vintage Christmas cards but here's a few nice ones that I found online...

...as I finish writing this marvelous post, I'm ready to hit Publish. First, I glance at my Christmas Countdown 2012 Clock, and I notice that there's officially 7 days, 16 hours, 12 minutes, 10, 9, 8, 7 seconds...and the countdown continues...until Christmas! Yippee!

Have a marvelous Monday everyone!

favorite things i'm loving at the moment...

Hello Lovelies! Happy Wednesday!

Some randomness on Little Miss Cornucopia today. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things with you--it might just be fun for me, but I love all these things so much that I just can't help but share!

1- Favorite Things Christmas Swap 2012 - a fancy holiday gift exchange organized by these two gals.

This little package, from the lovely Miss Sara (blogger extraordinaire at Life in out of a lab coat) arrived in my mailbox the other day and immediately brought a smile to my face:


Packed full of holiday treats, no doubt! Here's what was inside:

-The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Hand Cream + Shea Lip Butter #smoothassilk
-Sephora Makeup Palette (my very 1st item from Sephora!) #howdoilivewithoutyou
-Sally Hansen -#440 In The Spotlight nail color #iheartglitter
-Handmade Soaps #smelldivine
-Absolut Vodka #perfectmix
-Chocolate - Bailey's + Reese Tree + Aero Peppermint Tree + Hershey's Candy Cane #love

Sara's package was absolutely perfect in every way! I love each and every single item.

2- The Nutcracker - Over the weekend, I took my little "Taste Tester" to the ballet for the first time. With our tickets in hand, cheeks rosy red from the cold and our coats buttoned up to our chins, we entered the theatre with a sense of wonder. We were both so enchanted by this magical holiday performance. #classic

Photo courtesy of the Alberta Ballet's online event listings page

3- Christmas Movies - My little "Taste Tester" and I have certainly enjoyed quite a variety of holiday movies so far this month:

Our list of movies, so far, has included: All I Want For Christmas, Elf, Miracle On 34th Street, The Polar Express, To Grandmother's House We Go, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Grinch, Home Alone, Unaccompanied Minors, and Christmas With The Cranks.

And, there's still 13 days left until Christmas! #imagine



4- Jenny's 25 Days of Blogging Christmas Challenge

Day 11: Favorite Christmas Tradition-on Day 7 of this challenge, I mentioned that my most memorable Christmas (es) involved my Uncle Dave dressing up as Santa Claus and passing out gifts to all the children.

Before the gifts were handed out, each of us children would have to perform a "special talent" on stage in front of everyone. I loved singing, yet I was always so nervous to perform in front of a crowd, even my own family.

This is how I imagined it!

This is what I really wanted to be doing instead:

Family, love, laughter, homegrown talent, gifts, music, and a delicious feast became the perfect Christmas tradition for the entire family, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa who made it all possible. #familyfirst #timeofmylife

Day 12: Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags - Personally, I love unwrapping gifts that are wrapped in paper. They're so much more fun to open (yes, I'm still a child when it comes to stuff like that :P)



On the otherhand, when gifting to an adult, or for large presents, I prefer using gift bags - plus, they can be reused #3R's - but for children, I usually always use wrapping paper.

-What's something you've been loving lately?
-What's your favorite Christmas movie?
-Have you ever been to the ballet?
-Choose a day from the Christmas blogging Challenge & share it with me

I love and appreciate all your thoughts :)

a thrill of hope...

When I first read about Jenny's 25 days of blogging Christmas Challenge on Sam's blog, I thought I'd have no problem whatsoever writing 25 Christmas-related posts in 25 days. Apparently I was wrong #sorrynotsorry

I obviously have some serious catching up to do considering today is December 8th (Day 8) and I've only completed days 1, 2, and 3 of this challenge so far.

On another note, can you believe there are only 16 more sleeps until Santa comes?! I'm still wondering if my little "Taste Tester" can go another 16 days believing in Santa. He still believes, yet he sometimes questions whether Santa is "real or not". He doesn't want to visit Santa at the mall this year because he's convinced that Santa already knows what he wants for Christmas. Uh oh! However, the one and only thing that he wants for Christmas is impossible to find anywhere (believe me I've searched everywhere). *If anyone knows where to find a 3D model of the entire City of Ottawa. please let me know asap.

Moving on ... here are a few all-things-Christmas that I need to catch up on..

My Favorite Christmas Song: I have so many favorites that I even created my own Christmas Song playlist on YouTube. Jingle Bells, Here Comes Santa Claus, Joy to the World, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, Ding Dong Merrily On High, O Christmas Tree, Jingle Bell Rock, Deck the Halls, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town..

My very favorite Christmas song of all time though is O Holy Night:

I loooooove Glee! It's one of my favorite television shows #gleeks (Gossip Girl is a close second xoxo). If you're a gleek, like me, you'll agree that Rachel Berry can be quite annoying at times, yet her voice is simply magical in every way. I love the way she belts out each song and she really kicks somes serious butt with her version of O Holy Night.

Best Gift I've Ever Received: When I was 18 years old, my Mom and Dad bought me a gift certificate for Young Driver's of Canada driver's education course. I always had a fear of getting behind the wheel (they both knew it too). 

Still, I never did get over my fear of driving until about 10 years later, when I finally decided it was time to get my license. I was 28 years old by the time I was a fully licensed driver in Ontario.

Favorite Tree Ornament: all the ornaments that my little "Taste Tester" makes and brings home from school. I have ornaments that he made in Junior Kindergarten up to Grade 2. We haven't put up our Christmas tree yet but once we do, I will gladly share the photos of each ornament with you.

Most Memorable Christmas(es): year after year (for many years), my uncle Dave would dress up like Santa Claus and pass out Christmas gifts to all the grandchildren. Grandpa and Grandpa had 10 children and gifts for 20+ grandchildren. No one had a house big enough to suit that many people so a room in a local community centre was rented instead. Music was played, Christmas dinner was served, many laughs and gifts were exchanged. #timeofmylife. #bestchristmasever

Post a Picture of Christmas Decor: like I said, I haven't put up the Christmas tree yet but here are a few photos I pulled from Pinterest:



Source: lovefoxvintage.blogspot.com via em on Pinterest

Source: drhousecleaning.blogspot.co.uk via Fantastic Cleaners on Pinterest

Source: houseandhome.com via Torani 1925 on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Little Miss on Pinterest



My favorite outoor decorations: Christmas lights on Parliament Hill in Ottawa - a must see



What's your favorite Christmas song?
What's the best Christmas gift you ever received?
Most memorable Christmas? Why?
What's your favorite Christmas ornament or decoration? Why?