Late to the Game

Ever feel like every good idea has already been taken? Or that anything you think about doing, someone is already out there doing it better than you ever could?? In my quest to find a new job & potentially a new career I have been trying to spend some time (on top of taking care of 2 kids) to figure out what it is I enjoy and hopefully something I can afford to pay the mortgage by doing.

I've always been creative or at least I've thought of myself as creative but when I think of what I'd like to do nothing screams at me. Don't' get me wrong, there are lots of things I could do but none that I think would be my 'calling' or something that could be profitable enough to be serious. I am so jealous of people who find something they really enjoy & focus on it... like an amazing friend in Toronto who decorates cakes (http://www.wix.com/julesbakescakes/dessertcreations) and she is more fabulous than I could ever dream to be! My sister-in-law, who is the quintessential Martha of entertaining recently brought a cake to a New Year's party that is better than anything I have ever made! It was a pecan caramel cake - the recipe is in french from ricardo cuisine, but I hope to try it soon & will post it in english. It tastes even better than it looks. I soon realized I do enjoy baking but it's the sharing of the baking I enjoy more!

Even for blogging a friend of mine D has a blog 'Calamity D' which is funny insightful and what I can tell is the start of her writing for other areas like magazines! She works hard to refine her skills and her passion comes through in every post!! While she's working hard to perfect that I'm off doing a bit of blogging, a bit of baking... a bit of everything and not focusing on any in particular. How do I expect to ever find something I can do if I can't harness my split personalities - guess it's time to put back on thinking cap & try to figure it out... hopefully before someone else finds that great idea.

Earned or Entitled???

While having dinner with good friends N & D we got into a conversation about when you should tip (i.e. for what services) & if you do tip, how much?

My whole problem with tipping is that it has become automatically expected you should tip for everything, including bad service. How then do you recognize good service?? How do you let someone know their service was sub-par??

Wikipedia defines a tip as: "a voluntary additional payment made for services rendered". Key words being 'VOLUNTARY' and 'ADDITIONAL'. So why do I feel guilt when I don't tip above the norm of matching the taxes on the meal (thank you Quebec for the high taxes).

I appreciate how hard people in the service industry work - I worked hard for the money as a waitress myself for a few years. I also appreciate when someone does their job well too! For 2010 I will work on not letting myself give into peer pressure of over tipping and will ensure the tips I give are earned and a reward for someones hard work. After all I still work hard for my money so why would I give it to someone else who didn't earn it?

Who am I kidding???

About a half hour after writing my last post I was in a car on my way to Ottawa to ring in the new year with friends when I realized what I was hoping for 2010 was not gonna happen. And it wasn't even mindnight! Part of being just a women in 2010 has to be to know my limits and try to survive within them. So for 2010 the only real thing I will try to do is survive! Hopefully I'll be able to be patient and focus on positive things while staying away from the negative, but above all else I hope to survive 2010 & look back on the year with happiness and smiles!

Just a woman in 2010

Every year I chose a resolution that is easy to keep & hard to measure whether I have kept. Each Dec. 31 I resolve to try to be all that I can be in the following year. There are slight changes from year to year, sometimes I focus on being kinder, lose weight and so much more.

For 2010, as a wife, mother of 2 & unemployed Marcomm person, I resolve to focus on the P's: Patience, Positivity & Prosperity! They way I look at it, if I am able to have more patience with those around me, be more positive with everything (it's really too easy to get into a negative rut... and being negative only makes more negativity - so for 2010 I choose to be positive) then hopefully if I can do that, then prosperity will follow! Who knows perhaps I'll be able to figure out what it is I'm supposed to be doing with my life, not such an easy task!

ain't I got any smarts???

Everyone I know these days is doing something other than just being a woman, an employee, a friend, etc. I can't help keep asking myself what's wrong with me??? Lots of people have side businesses built out of their hobbies or passions: photography, making soap or jewelery, or designing amazing tableware! I consider myself a fairly intelligent person so why don't I have a side business that focuses on something I love to do?? More importantly what would I do??? Now while on maternity leave is the perfect time, I can put the legwork into developing a project, only what is a passion of mine that I can actually get a tangible reward from? There seem to be more questions than answers but I have 6 months in 2010 to try & figure it out!

Off with the old

As 2009 draws to a close it's a time for taking stock & figuratively shedding your old skin to start new. I decided to do that literally and took my winnings from the family holiday party for a spa visit! OH MY GOD... everyone has to do this. I told my husband 'happy wife happy life' and my kids well they will benefit from a sane & happy mommy so an hour, or two ... or what turned to be 3 hours away from me will do them good! I was greeted by smiling faces, herbal tea and relaxing scents. Then for the next 3 hours I was exfoliated, wrapped, massaged and even got a quick nap too! This place is awesome and I also got a insurance receipt for the entire price - $160!!!

I think a lot of people feel guilty or feel it's too intimate a thing for them to partake in. I can vouch that the masseuse I visited are totally professional and I feel NO guilt about pampering myself. After spending most of my day, every day, taking care of my kids, husband, friends and family, it's good to treat yourself. Besides the holidays are about giving aren't they?? And it's never too late so you should first start with giving to yourself! If your lucky enough to have insurance that will cover some (or all) of the costs than you really have no excuse - go make an appointment today!

Christmas with family

Finished another amazing dinner with my in-laws. My husbands god-parents really know how to throw a party - it also helps that I won one surprise gift of $140!! For the dinner I made desserts & decided to try making all kinds of finger food sized bites that allow you to try a few different things! I made mini vanilla almond cheesecake, butter pecan tarts, strawberry pound cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate pudding, and what turned out to be the hit: mini-maple walnut cheesecakes: http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/mini-maple-walnut-cheesecakes-105542.aspx These little delights took no more than 10 minutes to make & the artistic feature when you flip them over & see the maple leaf cookie had everyone thinking they were gourmet!

Of course I also had my usual bevy of holiday cookies, peanut butter, shortbread, snowballs, gingerbread men and of course a few types of biscotti!

Unfortunately, I didn't get around to making a few I had hoped to like mini lemon meringue tarts, and a few others from the kraft site (which I recommend if your looking for a super quick & easy recipe, especially for entertaining or cooking with/for kids too):
- mini raspberry cheesecakes (which can be topped with anything really) http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/mini-raspberry-cheesecakes-108678.aspx
- individual baked cheesecakes http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/individual-baked-cranberry-cheesecakes-107179.aspx
- Yuletide slices (Which remind me of Rocky Road cookies we had growing up) http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/yuletide-slices-85005.aspx