Thursday, October 8, 2009

101 Things to do in 1001 Days

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).


Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Official Start: October 9, 2009
Finish: July 6, 2012


Coding Key:
To be done
In progress
Completed


For Myself
1. Create a budget and stick to it.
2. Take a bubble bath at least once a month.

3. Buy myself a bouquet of flowers.
4. Actually drive further than Ottawa and its surrounding areas.

5. Get my hair dyed professionally.
6. Update my resume and keep it updated.
7. Save up enough money for a down payment on a house.
8. Stop complaining so much. Think of something positive instead.
9. Buy a car.
10. Save up to buy a bottle of Patron tequila.
11. Update my blog more often, including product reviews.



Healthy Lifestyle
12. Do Lafleche ziplining again (preferably not in the rain).
13. Take an AquaFit class.
14. Attend a yoga class at least once.

15. Floss weekly.
16. Use my elliptical once a week. (I joined a gym and go at leat once a week...does that count?) Sooo I Joined a Gym

17. Rollerblade at least twice a month for each Spring and Summer. 18. Learn to play golf.

Education and Learning
19. Learn how to speak French (better).
20. Learn how to drive a standard car.
21. Take a photography class.
22. Learn to sew up my clothes that have holes in them.


Cooking and Eating
23. Learn how to make my mom’s pasta sauce.
24. Learn how to make my dad’s penne arribiata.
25. Go through all my moms’ recipes and copy the ones I want.

26. Take a cooking class.
27. Try 25 new recipes. (2/25)

28. Host a dinner party and do all the cooking myself.
29. Bake something yummy to share with my colleagues.
30. Dress up fancy and go to a fancy restaurant, my treat.
31. Make and share a candlelit dinner with someone special.
32. Cook dinner for my parents.
33. Go to a Japanese restaurant where they cook the food in front of you.
34. Eat a Beavertail in the Summer.
35. Make homemade bread from scratch.
36. Have a cookie baking day with Cassandra.
37. Make my moms’ cinnamon apple and pumpkin muffins.
38. Catch a fish and then eat it.


Just for Fun
39. Go to an IMAX movie.
40. Beat someone smart at Trivial Pursuit.

41. Host a game night.
42. Go skinny-dipping.
43. Take my own pictures and hang them up at my place.
44. Go to Little Ray’s Reptiles.
45. Have a picnic in Gatineau.
46. See a movie at the drive-in theatre.
47. Plant my own garden (mint, coriander, chives).
48. Ride Behemoth at Wonderland.
49. Make a whole batch of wine for myself.
50. Go to an Ottawa Senators game.

51. Go drunken tobogganing.
52. Go to Saunders Haunted Farm.
53. See a Cirque du Soleil show.
54. Watch every movie that people say “I can’t believe you haven’t seen that!”
55. Go to the Nordik Spa.
56. Wear my Louboutins somewhere other than my house.
57. Go to the Rideau Carleton Raceway and bet on the horse with the best name.
58. Attend the Ottawa Wine and Food show.
59. Go to the Butterfly exhibit at Carleton.
60. Read all the books I own.

61. Watch all Oscar nominated best picture awards for 2010, 2011 and 2012.
62. See Dane Cook again.
63. Build a snowman.
64. Spend a day at the beach.
65. Jump in puddles like I used to do all the time when I was younger.
66. Take a fun dance class, like belly dancing.
67. Participate in HOPE Beach Volleyball.
68. Go to the water park near Ottawa when it opens.

69. Ride a mechanical bull and try to stay on for longer than 5 seconds.
70. Go to Wonderland's Halloween Haunt.
71. Go snow tubing.

Travel

72. Go on a vineyard/wine tasting tour at Niagara on the Lake.
73. Go to New York City.
74. Attend the Calgary Stampede.
75. Travel somewhere, warm, sunny and all-inclusive.
76. Go whale watching.
77. Visit Emily in Nova Scotia with Robyn.
75. Visit my Nona and my relatives from Sudbury at least once a year.


For Others
79. Donate old textbooks to a library.
80. Donate a toy to Toy Mountain.
81. Buy my mom flowers just because.
82. Sponsor a child from World Vision.
83. Visit my grandparents just because 3 times a year. (2010 - 1/3)


Tourist in Ottawa
84. Skate on the canal.
85. Go on Ottawa’s haunted walk.
86. Go to the Tulip Festival.
87. Go to at least one concert at Bluesfest.
88. Visit Parliament and Peace Tower.
89. Go on the Wakefield Steam Train.
90. See the ice and snow sculptures at Winterlude.
91. Take a walk downtown when all the Christmas lights are lit up.

92. Take a tour on the Lady Dive Amphibus.

Organization
93. Organize stuff for moving and get rid of any crap I don't need and don't use.

94. Go through my filing cabinet and organize it.
95. Go through all my music files and get rid of songs I never listen to.
96. Organize my closet, shoes, clothes, purses, and all.
97. Organize my shot glass collection and showcase them nicely.

98. Organize my jewelry.

List Goals
99. Document completed items in my blog.
100. Have a party to celebrate my 101 accomplishments.
101. Donate $2 to a charity for every task not completed.

Friday, October 2, 2009

101 Things to do in 1001 Days - Help!?

I listen to Hot 89.9 on my way to work every morning, and for the past few weeks they have been talking about a project people are doing called 101 things to do in 1001 days. Basically, you make a list of 101 specific tasks or things you wish to complete in 1001. I've decided that I want to do this, but I need your help! I've come up with a list of 40 things so far, but need 61 more things to add to my list. The things on my list are in no specific order. I'd love to hear your idea's on more things I should add to my list.

See new list above!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Back from outerspace...

Hi all,

So I've been a little distracted...erm, very distracted, and busy lately...I apologize. I've been doing alot since the last time I wrote, including going to Niagara Falls, Wonderland, Marineland AND Montreal. I will tell you all about my exciting adventures in the following weeks. Aren't you excited!? :)

I just have to say though, that I am NOT enjoying this weather. I know, we Canadians complain about the weather all the time but really? Seriously? Does it need to be this frigid when fall just begun?? We barely had a summer and now winter decides to come early!! Not cool mother nature. Not cool.

So as I freeze away at my desk, I begin to think about all that has happened in my life in the past few months - the positives and the negatives - and I can't help but think that everything truly does happen for a reason. I force myself to think of only the positive things and everything that is good in my life. I don't want to get all sappy, but I'm going to. I am thankful for so much that is good in my life and need to stop concentrating on the bad. I will look to the future with optimism and an open mind. I DO have an amazing family and fantabulous friends (yes I used a non-existent word, deal with it), I DO have a really great job, and Deep River really isn't that far.


SN: As I am writing this I get a cheer up note from a friend who shall remain anonymous...
"This will cheer you up: I’m eating animal crackers (yes I know I’m 6) and I keep finding ones that are stuck together and look like they’re having sex! But they’re often different species doing it!!!!!" - Anonymous.

Thanks, that was the perfect thing to say. :)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Sandbanks – the closest thing to a tropical paradise

I recently went on a girls camping trip to Sandbanks. If you know me, you know I’m not a big camper. But I figured what the hell, it IS Sandbanks, which means gorgeous, very tropical-like beaches, so that outweighed the fact that I would be sleeping in a tent for two nights and using outhouses.

As soon as we arrived we set up camp…literally. We set up our ‘tent mansion’ then our tarp. We were very crafty in setting up our tarp shelter in case it rained, which with the weather we’ve been getting all summer, seemed highly likely.



By the time we were all set up it was dark and we were ready for some roasted wieners! Kristen, with her awesome fire-making skills, built us a hearty fire! (Pretend I have a picture of this great fire…) We drank beer and played Tile Rummy all night. Tile Rummy is a game that involves thinking hard about different number combinations. Well, that description really gives it no justice at all… It’s actually quite a fun game! Really! But the more you drink, the harder it gets (ie having to think hard).

The next day we awoke to a gorgeous, cloudless day. It was time to hit the beach, and that is where we spent the remainder of the day.



The day went a lot like this: Lounge on beach, swim in water, lounge on beach, swim in water, snack and repeat. It was fantastic.



This is me and my awesome headlight. Comes in very handy for camping and night reading. I got it at Mountain Equipment Co-op. There were sooo many to choose from, but I went with one that had a colourful band. (If I look a little red to you in the picture, you would be accurate. I got too excited by the beach and the water aaaaand I forgot to keep re-applying my sunscreen. It hurt quite a bit. Yes I know, me, the queen of telling everyone else to wear their sunscreen, forgot to wear mine. I don’t wanna hear about it.)


When we camp, we dine in style, complete with pasta and Bolognese sauce, and mixed salad – compliments of Cassandra!


We drank more beer and played card games and Tile Rummy again all night! It was a very relaxing weekend. When we were going to bed that night we heard a loud grumbling noise from the next campsite that sounded much like a bear. Upon further inspection it was clear that it was not a bear, but indeed a man snoring. Usually snoring sends me into a spiral of rage, but it was too unbelievably loud to be maddening, it was actually quite funny. The man stopped snoring eventually and we were able to sleep.

The next morning we woke up to rain. Not a light sprinkle, but a downpour. It was awesome… So we packed up, and got out of there as fast as we could, but not before getting completely soaked and covered in mud. :S At least we got one nice beach day in! I’ll definitely be going back to Sandbanks next year!
**Please leave comments everyone! I love to see who's reading this and what you all have to say!!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Charlottetown, PEI

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Charlottetown, PEI on a business trip for a national police conference (yaaah, I’m a big shot). I made sure to seize this opportunity and extend my trip a couple of nights so that I could explore the city on my own. This would make this my first official business trip, as well as my first time really travelling on my own. It was awesome!

First I flew from Ottawa to Montreal, which barely felt like I was up in the air at all, then from Montreal on to Charlottetown. The Charlottetown airport went on record for being the smallest airport I’ve ever been in. I walked through the arrival doors, took a few steps, and I was out of the airport!



I stayed in downtown the whole time, and was able to walk around everywhere. I was right on the Charlottetown Harbour, complete with a marina, lots of cute gift shops, big churches, and even a Cow’s ice cream shop!






This is me and the Cow’s cow. My co-worker wanted me to get on top of the cow like all the little kiddies were doing, but I thought it best that I just pose in front of the cow.

This is Victoria Row, a pedestrian street complete with cute little bars and restaurants. At night, you can sit out on the patio and listen to local music. I enjoyed a few glasses of wine on this very street.


On my first day of being on my own it was a cold and rainy day, so I wasn’t able to enjoy much of the outdoors. I spent my time eating and shopping at all the cute shops near the water. For dinner I decided to go to a Mexican restaurant for dinner (my favourite!). This was my first meal in a restaurant by myself, so I decided to order a drink to celebrate my bravery. Little did I know that I had just ordered the biggest, most obnoxious drink I could get. See evidence below. I felt really silly drinking this ginormous (yes, I said ginormous) drink on my own, BUT it was definitely delicious!


At this point I had moved from the hotel I was staying in for work to a hostel right down the street. I ended up in a room with three Japanese girls, all travelling on their own, (what are the odds of that?). Each of them had been in different cities throughout Canada, working and learning English. It was really nice to be able to communicate with them. Now I have friends to visit in Japan if I end up travelling there one day! Maybe I will now make it a point to go. :)

On my last day, I decided to go on a tour around the outlying areas of Charlottetown… I’m glad I did it! I was able to see a lot of things I would’ve otherwise missed.


Large dead jellyfish, complete with my feet for size perspective. Jellyfish fascinate me.


I had really wanted to spend a day on the beach, but the weather wasn’t very cooperative so I settled for taking pictures of it. This is Cavendish beach.


Anne of Green Gable’s house… (Robyn – these pictures are for you!)


…and Anne’s room.


That night I figured it was imperative to have a lobster dinner seeing I was in PEI. So my new Japanese friends and I headed to Lobster on the Wharf for a real out East dinner.


I chickened out at the last second about ordering a full lobster and opted for the ‘lazy lobster’ where all the work is done for me and soaked in a delicious butter sauce.

My friends got the real thing.
Later that night I booked a sunset boat cruise around the Charlottetown Harbour on my own. I had a romantic cruise with myself.




Overall, I had a fantastic time in Charlottetown. It’s a beautiful city and I suggest for you all to go! I now know that I am able to, and actually like travelling on my own, so I will be planning more trips for the future!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Wasp –1, Val –0

As it was one of my good friends’ birthday this past weekend, we decided to celebrate by going downtown for the evening. Before heading to the bars that night, we spent some time at her sister’s place near Elgin. Five of us were all out on the deck enjoying ourselves when I spotted a chair in the corner. I was wearing white pants so it was best I didn’t sit on the dirty patio furniture, and this fabric foldout chair in the corner looked like it would satisfy my sitting needs. It was a decision I would soon regret. As soon as I opened the chair, out fell a wasp nest at my feet complete with about 20, now angry, wasps. I immediately panicked because there were many angry wasps now buzzing around. All five of us turned into a bunch of crazy girls. Four out of the five of us ended up getting stung before we could make it back in the house safe and sound. In all the chaos I managed to leave my full glass of wine outside. I did not dare try to rescue it.
I forgot how much a wasp sting hurts. It’s been years since I was last stung, and figured it hurt so much because I was a child. Nope, not the case, it actually really hurts. The pain comes in waves, like a burning sensation. I got stung on my knee so my pants kept rubbing against it, making it hurt that much more. We were all basically unimpressed. I felt bad because I had been the one to disturb the nest, but honestly, I had no idea there was a wasp nest lurking in this chair! Wasps are assholes. But I guess I DID disturb their home, and deserved some kind of payback. Nonetheless I still think they are assholes. Not cool wasps not cool.

In no time we all felt a little better (a special thank you to our friends wine and vodka), and continued on with the festivities of the night.


If you ever find yourself stung by a wasp, here is what you should do. First, clean the area and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling, ease the pain, and slow the spread of venom. Vinegar works to relieve the stinging, and a paste of baking soda can also be used to relieve some of the wasp sting symptoms.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I took a memory course, but I can’t remember anything I learned…

Recently, I took a trip with my parents to Georgian Bay to visit my aunt and uncle at their cottage. Well it’s not so much a cottage anymore seeing as they now call it home 12 months of the year, but regardless, it’s habit and I will continue to call it ‘the cottage.’ I’ve been going to ‘the cottage’ since I was in diapers. One memory that really stands out in my mind is the night my nonna got drunk. People from all over the Bay came over to party, something that happened all the time, and one of my uncles’ boisterous friends kept feeding her Sambuca shots. I was too young to know what being drunk was, but I witnessed the whole thing unfold in front of me. I never fail to mention this to her whenever I see her!



After leaving at about 9:30 in the morning, we finally arrived – after what seemed like forever – in Killbear Park close to dinnertime. (My dad likes to take in the scenery).



As this was my first vacation since starting full-time work in November, I was really excited to get away for a few days. I love going to Georgian Bay to relax (they even have a sauna!), but more importantly to see my aunt and uncle, and on occasion, a few other family members. This time I was lucky; my nonna (grandmother in Italian), my other two aunts, and my uncle (all from my dad’s side of the family) all came for a visit! Also, my uncle promised to take me fishing! Something I was very excited about. I’ve lately become a really big fan of fish, so of course I wanted to catch my own and then have a yummy feast!

That night, there was a huge thunderstorm that shook the whole upper cottage I was staying in, and provided me with a lovely light show. I look back now and I wish I had taken some pictures, but instead I cowered under my covers like a scared little baby.

The first morning there, my uncle, dad and I, took the boat out into the more open part of the Bay to get some solid fishing time in. As there was a storm the night before, the waters were very choppy (at least to me they seemed this way) and I went in and out of feeling like I was gonna hurl over the boat. But I sucked it up, acted like I was fine, and kept on fishing. My uncle fishes by using down lures, so I just had to sit there and see if the line popped up. In the two hours we were out there, and the boat swaying back and forth the whole time, we only got one measly bite. I tried to reel it in myself but it turned out to be quite a large fish – a 15-pound lake trout – so I undoubtedly needed help. My uncle took over, but we eventually lost it. A little while later we called it a day, with no fish in tow. :(


The next day we tried again, but in the Bay this time. Still no luck. I think the fishies new I wanted to eat them really bad. But I thank my uncle for taking the time to take me fishing two days in a row! Maybe next time I will try the more traditional way of fishing to see if I have luck with that.



Later that day, all my other relatives showed up. We had a blast catching up and getting a few drinks in us! I’m pretty sure I made about 30 Caesars over the weekend! Once one person see’s one, everyone else wants one! One of the funniest moments came when one of my aunts was reminiscing about a course she took not too long ago. It was a memory course, but apparently she forgot everything she learned. You may not find this funny, but to us, it was the funniest thing ever! Clearly by forgetting everything, she defeated the whole purpose of the memory course. Oh aunt Suzie!
Later that night, we had a Euchre tournament, which is what you DO at ‘the cottage.’ I was scared at first that my partner was my uncle Hughie because I remember trying to learn from him when I was a bit younger and he scared the bejeezus out of me with all his rules. But in the end we made a pretty good team, and I ended up learning a thing or two! The whole weekend went by way too fast, but I’m fortunate that we had decent weather and all the rain came at night. I’ll have to make sure that I don’t wait five years this time until I go back to Georgian Bay.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Fake ‘n’ Bake and the Oompa Loompa Syndrome

People that know me, know that I am a big advocate for safe sun care, and am really against tanning booths, beds and the like – or for a more realistic term – fake ‘n’ bakes. Yes, I agree that a nice tan can make you look a little better, and feel a little better about yourself, but do people really think they look good when they tan to excess? And do they think it’s actually good for them?

There are far too many people out there that tan beyond anything that looks natural, leaving them to become the dreadful ‘oompa loompa’ orange. People achieve this look through tanning beds or self-tanning. Tanning beds are not safe, and offer you no health advantages, not to mention that you’ll look ridiculous if you over tan. The point is to have it look real, and if you spend a lot of time under the bulb, your tan is bound to look fake. Although, I do congratulate those who use self-tanners and not tanning beds, moderation is definitely key. If you turn orange through self-tanning, you are doing something wrong.

Aside from people walking around looking like characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, there are major risks involved with the use of tanning beds. It seems that the majority of over-tanning comes from an addiction to tanning salons. Canada's dermatologists are worried that skin cancer (melanoma) is increasing among young patients. Tanning beds may be the cause for this increase. Young people aged 15 to 29, especially women, seem to be particularly vulnerable to melanoma. It is the third most common form of cancer in young Canadian women.

[To see what the different types of melanoma are, and pictures to help you identify skin cancer see this link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/melanoma/DS00575
]

The problem is posed to get worse. The Canadian Dermatology Association forecasts 75,100 Canadians will be diagnosed with non-malignant skin cancer this year, and 5,000 will learn they have melanoma. Wait times to see a dermatologist have doubled in the past five years to 10 weeks. The CDA's most recent data shows a median age for Canadian dermatologists in the 50s, with 45 per cent set to retire within the next 10 years. This could pose a big problem if unsafe tanning continues to rise.

Using the excuse that tanning beds are a good source of Vitamin D, or that you want a base tan so you won’t burn on vacation, is total crap. UVB rays trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, and thus are solely responsible for the healthy benefits of sunshine. However, while UVB rays account for the health benefits of sunshine, tanning salons are more interested in UVA rays. The average tanning bulb emits 95 per cent UVA radiation and only five per cent UVB radiation. This calibration maximizes the tanning effects of the machine and minimizes the risk of burning. Unfortunately, it also minimizes the amount of vitamin D that can be metabolized and maximizes the amount of harmful, cancer causing UVA rays.

Most tanning beds, while they might offer a golden-brown hue, put you at risk of unnecessary, excessive exposure to dangerous UVA rays, and are by no means a substitute for good old-fashioned sunshine. Even short-term use of tanning beds can cause long-term skin damage and increase your chances of getting skin cancer.

When people say they are only tanning to get the so-called “base tan” before a beach vacation, their theory behind this is that a few sessions of indoor tanning will protect their skin from sunburn in a sunny climate. But there's no proof that this is true. The best way to protect your skin from the sun — at the beach and at home — is to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or above.

But many scientists believe that "safe sun" — 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen — is not only possible but helpful to health. For most people, exposing one’s arms and face to sunshine for about 20 minutes a few times per week provides the skin with enough UVB rays to eliminate vitamin D deficiencies, without causing long-term damage to the skin. This is another instance where moderation is key. If you are outside for a longer period of time, make sure that you have sunscreen on.

If you seek that tanned look, I highly recommend using gradual self-tanning products. They slowly develop a tan and largely reduce the risk of getting streaks or turning into an oompa loompa. There are many products out there that can give you that real tanned look, without any harmful effects. Yes, they may smell, but the less a product smells, the less DHA it contains, which is the ingredient that helps tan your skin in the first place. Here are a few products I like to use when looking for a natural tan.

Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer – I recently bought this product, but really enjoy it already. It takes about five applications to build up a tan, but the foam texture is really light and non-greasy, two things that really appeal to me. I also like the fact that the smell isn’t nearly as strong as other gradual self-tanners.

Jergens Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer – This stuff really works. I notice a change in my skin colour after just two applications. It really stinks, but if you can stand the smell and want non-streaking colour fast, I highly recommend it. Tip: put it on at night so you don’t smell the DHA all day long.
Marcelle I-Bronze Self-Tanning Cloths – I use these on my face and notice a difference after two nights. My face is naturally a lot lighter than the rest of my body (perhaps because I exfoliate too much), but you will appear more tanned with these in no time, with continued application of course. These cloths smell a bit as well, but you’re not going to escape that with tanning products.

So if you’re using tanning beds as an excuse to get vitamin D or to get a base tan before a tropical vacation to reduce the risk of burning, you are sadly mistaken. You are just exposing yourself to more harmful, cancer causing UVA rays. So stop the oopma loompa trend and save your skin!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Please allow me to introduce myself...


Hello everyone!

To all who don't know me, my name is Val, and I like to talk, chat, ramble on…I talk about anything and everything. To those who know me, well you already know this all too well!

I've decided to start writing a blog after asking my friends, what they thought a good hobby for me would be. I definitely had some random suggestions, like start an all-girl punk band, fire-poi (something along the lines of spinning fire around - if you know me this is an incredibly BAD idea), ant farming, mind-reading, the list goes on...but the best suggestion I got, was to write a blog. (Thanks Adam!)

Of course! It makes sense; I have so much to say already so I might as well channel it through writing. Thing is, I have a lot to say, but it’s not on one particular topic, it’s on a whole bunch of things. So I’ve decided to write about anything and everything that goes on ‘in my shoes’ get it, get it?

I’m one of those people that when I like something, you will know about it - same goes for things I don’t like – and I want to share my views with you all! I watch a lot of TV; I am always trying new products, and have a lot of random safety advice to give out (as per my job). I will write about day excursions, road-trips, new adventures, and anything interesting that happens!

If any of you have suggestions on things I should try, or something I should write about, please let me know!