Gathering of Accomplishments

For the holidays I wrote an article on AMotherWorld about celebrating your accomplishments rather than making resolutions (it's the article on the right side of the page).

I'm hoping to make a list for what I've accomplished for 2009, but I don't want to just toot my own horn, I want to crank it up & celebrate everyone's accomplishments!

I'm hoping all the bloggers out there will write a post about all that they've accomplished this year & post the link to their post in the comments section of this blog.

Then next week I can compile them all & we can have a little party here on my blog.

So what made you proud of yourself this year?

Now I'm doing Blogging Giveaways!

Hey there Holiday readers, hope you are well this holiday season!

Things are very exciting around my place! We're busy playing Squeeballs for Nintendo Wii & DS


This game is rated E10, which is perfect for my son!

It's a game about being a toy tester. As a player you must run these toys balls through a variety of challenges to see if they hold up under the Extreme playing situations.
The Squeeballs that pass the tests make it off their island & can go to the toy store.
It's truly a fun & silly game, which makes it perfect for family play.
There are several ways to play it. On our Wii we chose PARTY MODE so we could take turns playing the challenges on the Ladder. As you get better, more challenges are unlocked & added to the Ladder.
I don't know about the DS version yet, as my son won't let me get my hands on it (so I'm guessing that's a good thing).

Want to see why we're giggling all day with this game? Take a look at this short video http://www.squeeballs.com/#/see-us-in-action
Also on the site you can see other info about the game by clicking the buttons on the blender (yup you get to blend a Squeeball - too funny!)

I'm giving away a copy of Squeeballs for Wii & a separate copy of Squeeballs for DS over at my other blog
http://itsnoteasyraisingatween.blogspot.com/
the post is the same but at the bottom of that post is how to enter.

Hidden Mickey Tree

How many Mickeys do you see on my tree?
Careful don't get Disney, I mean Dizzy!

Twitter for Pals not yet on Twitter

I have a ton of my friends that just don't GET Twitter.
They know I love it, but it's something they just not sure how to use. "Isn't just status updates?" Is something I get asked quite often. It is for some, if that's what you want it to be, but if you want the true Twitter experience you need to get on & get tweeting!

It might be easier for you to bookmark this post, as it's a lot to take all in at once. Even better would be if you opened a second window & went back & forth between this post & the twitter page.

It's been almost a year since I got on so as a refresher I'm going to set up a new account so I remember all the steps.
So start by going to http://twitter.com
So click on Join
Now a new screen pops up. Type in your name, I used SushineIsIn because it's my blogs name, & my name is on other stuff for @those2girls on twitter.
For my Twitter name I went with
TweetsForMyPals
so it's easy to find
Next is the regular password & verification stuff
& create/submit.

Next page says find your friends, skip that by clicking on the blue twitter logo at the top of the screen

Okay now the twitter page shows up. It asks what you are doing. So go ahead & type something, but make it less than 140 characters.

That was all the easy part. Here we go with the REAL use of twitter.

Start by tweeting someone you know. Don't know anyone on twitter, well then start with ME!
1st off you need to put the "@" right beside their twitter name.
If you don't they won't see it.
I'm off to type
Hey @those2girls I'm trying to find you. See that there isn't a space beside the "@" & the "those2girls".
After you hit update, your status is moved down under the box. You can see that the @those2girls is now clickable.
That status just did 2 things for you. First you can click it & see the @those2girls page & click follow & 2nd you will be in the Mentions of @those2girls.

Mentions is our next step
So now that you've followed someone, click Home at the top right of your screen & you'll be back on your page.

Now on the right sidebar you will see under your twitter name with the "@" symbol beside it. When you click that you can see anyone who's mentioned you. If you want to reply to them just put your cursor over their tweet & a reply link shows up in the bottom right corner of their tweet. Now their Mention name show up again & you can continue on the converstation.

Now once again hit the HOME link at the top right of the page.

Now on twitter, any conversation is open. You are meant to jump in on stuff you see & add to the convo (just don't be arguementative, no on on twitter likes that).

If you wanted to tell something to someone privately you do it through a direct message. That is also listed in the right sidebar. There is one hitch though. The person you direct message needs to be a follower of yours as well. Once on the Direct Message page there is a drop down menu that show who you can direct message. Pick that persons name & then type out the message.

If someone Direct messages you it will be on the Direct Message page as well (there's a inbox & sent messages tab to pick from).

Now the biggie on Twitter
ReTweeting.....

If you want to pass on something you saw to all the people that follow you, you are welcome to do that, but give credit where credit is due.
The proper way is to put
RT @______ & type (or copy & paste) what they said.
So RT @those2girls ___________
This will then count as a tweet for you plus it will be in the mentions of the orginal tweeter.
If you have been ReTweeted, & see it in your mentions, you hit reply & thank the person for ReTweeting you.

Now that is the basics. You need to know them. Next to make it all easier download a program like TweetDeck.

It's easy enough to do. If you are downloading it & it says it requires ADOBE AIR, just say okay & it loads it as well.
It's been a while since TweetDeck got loaded on here, so I hope I don't miss any steps.

Once your screen shows up with TweetDeck it will look kind of confusing. If something shows up like TWEETDECK RECCOMENDS just "x" it out. You don't need it.
It should be a few colums
All Friends (which are the people you follow, including yourself)
Mentions (which shows who has mentioned you)
& Direct Messages.

(if those don't seem to be there, leave a comment with your email & we can try to figure it out together)

Now TweetDeck just made your tweeting, ReTweeting & Direct Messaging easier.

Once you see a friend's tweet, put your cursor over their pic. You'll see 4 little buttons show up ontop of their pic.
Top left is your reply button, top right is your direct message button & bottom left is your ReTweet button.

The bottom left is the hand button is THE BEST, it will Retweet the whole tweet (not retyping or copy & pasting involved).

Now sometimes when you ReTweet it's too long, feel free to shorten any tweet as long as it keeps true to it's orginal meaning. On top of the TweetDeck What are you doing posting bar, look to the top right & you will see more buttons, on the 2nd row, 2nd button in (beside the camera) you'll see a tweet shrink button. If you click this it will change some of the words to help your tweet fit. For example everywhere it says TO it will now be a 2, the but feel free to change other things yourself to shorten. You'll get used to it.
(or U'll gt used 2 it in twitter speak).

For more on how to properly ReTweet someone, please read this post by Scott Stratten of @unmarketing

http://www.un-marketing.com/blog/2009/10/27/dont-stick-it-in-their-mouth-how-to-retweet/

Together he & Erica Ehm of @YummyMummyClub put together a video called Twitter 101
http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/twitter_101
which got me started on twitter oh so many months ago

If you are on TweeDeck & want to see someone's twitter profile just click on their name & their pic & profile will show up big on the right side of the page. To get it back to regular view hit the little orange square near the top left, beside where it says Tweetdeck that's looks like a square piece of paper & a pen.
See that was easy!

These are great starting points for your twitter. Things like uploading pics etc, I'll let you do on your own.

Twitter Lists are another up & coming part of twitter, but I think I'll leave that for another post.
So remember to follow me @those2girls & let me know you read this post!

Tweeting, Meeting & Making Dinner!

Guess who's Back? Back again? Twitter Blog is Back & I made a new Friend (sung in the style of Eminem)

This is both a blog & vlog post because I have a lot to cover!

As you know I love TWITTER. I love it so much! Did I mention I love Twitter?

So many great things have happened to me this year & most are because I'm on Twitter (that's another big post in itself).

This week I got to meet another one of my Twitter Pals FACE TO FACE.
Darryl who can be found @BusterRhinosBBQ or his website
http://www.busterrhinos.com

So what is a BUSTER RHINO? Well it's a great company/restaurant that cooks in the Southern Barbecque style.

He had mentioned that he was coming to KW & would anyone want to meet up? & since I'm all about meeting new people I was excited see him!
We had a great chat & he being the wonderful TWITTER he is (people on Twitter are all about sharing info & connecting for the most part)
brought me goodies! I wasn't sure what would be the best way to thank him other than this FULL CAPS ON THANK-YOU!!!!
So I did the next best thing I could & made a YouTube video about it



Congrats Darryl on helping me make a 10 minute dinner!

Cheers to Tassimo Hot Chocolate

Hi Everyone! My son is really stoked to be on a video & would love to see your comments!
Here we are making Tassimo Hot Chocolate....

My New Arrival & 1st VLOG

Here's my 1st atempt at a VLOG & it's worth celebrating!
After watching take a look at the pic of all of my new stuff!
Christmas came early

I'll be sure to review all of this soon! Thanks to @TassimoCanada on Twitter

Free Mickey Mouse Ears for Me & FOR YOU!

Want to win a FREE pair of Mickey Mouse ears (they say they'll ship them to both USA & CANADA)

It takes a couple of steps

1st go to the Facebook link below & join the group then come back here for part 2.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Destinations-in-Florida-Travel/49525614072

Now that you have joined you need to add a comment below that you joined *leave your Facebook name in the comment.

Once I get 10 people then I get the Free Mickey Ears & you can repost this on your blog & once you get 10 Friends you'll get Free Mickey Ears. Not sure how many pairs they are giving away.

Please remember to post that you joined through me. Then it's valid.
Thanks
Lisa
For more great tips visit
http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

Still McDonald & here's why...

Today on twitter @YummyMummyClub asked
Why do brides give up their names when they marry? -->http://ow.ly/u2Zt Did you? Why - why not?

It's a link to an Oprah site on that subject.

I decided that I needed more than 140 Characters to answer it.

When my at that point boyfriend & I decided to move in together, my parents were full of DISAPPOINTMENT & DISAPPROVAL.

Being that we were both from Catholic families this was a BIG NO NO!

I was 19 & ready to leave home, but not yet ready to get married, but knew that marriage would be the step after that.

Still this did not go over well with my side of my family & I was basically shunned.

His family on the other hand were delighted that we were taking this step together.

After 2 years of living together we did get married. I was happy to take on the name of the family that had accepted me into their lives.

As they say, time heals all wounds & my family suddenly were okay with the situation (now that we were married, & in a Catholic church to butte!)

After being married for many years, situations changed & I am now divorced. Many wonder why I haven't gone back to my maiden name?

My answer to them is....

I want the same last name as my son. Who can argue with that?

(& as an added bonus, I still have a great relationship with his side of the family, so why mess with a good thing!)

My BlackBerry Envy is taken to new Heights!

Welcome back all!

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada & though you might want a ONE MONTH LATER UPDATE
Do you remember this post?
http://thesunshineisin.blogspot.com/2009/09/surprize-in-mail-today.html

Flash forward to today...
It's been one month & one day since I received my copy of
THE BLACKBERRY DIARIES written by the always wity Kathy Buckworth.

Truthfully it only took me two days to read the book. The problem was that those 2 days were in 2 different months. I'm sure Kathy will forgive my tardiness, as she knows I have a lot on the go (you know with being a twitter mummy & all).

I'd first like to let you know that my BlackBerry ENVY started way before this book. You see I live in Kitchener-Waterloo, home of THE BlackBerry & I work down the street from RIM (where they are developed), so I've had BlackBerry evny for about a decade. What this book did was take it to a whole new level!

Yes I still long for little handheld device that flashes, buzzes & rings, but enough on my CHRISTMAS WISH LIST (hint hint), here's my review of this Fantastic, Funny & Fabulous read.

I've learned from THE BLACKBERRY DIARIES that although Kathy's life & mine are much different, we as MOMS of a Modern World seem to have so many similarites.

Kathy is a mother of 4, who works at home & owns a BlackBerry.
Where as I am a mother of 1, who works in lots of places & I don't own a BlackBerry.

This didn't stop me from laughing at all these situations.

1. Raising kids
2. Working too many hours
3. Being distracted by email (& now Twitter is added to the mix)
4. Travelling with kids
5. Avoiding the gossiping neighbours
6. & ofcourse BEING A HOCKEY MOM

Truth be told, I find her way to handle these situations with grace & a little sarchasm commendable!

She takes everyday situations & makes them into monumental events of learning. You'll learn what to do to get out of the school bake sale, how to use punishment of your child as a means housekeeping & my fave how to pass off the wine stain on your blouse as jam!

Oh how I loved this funny romp through Modern Motherhood & I'm sure you will too!

What do I love the best about this book? That it still being written!
Yes it continues over at
http://www.blackberrydiaries.net/

Best Day Ever (currently)

Good Morning Blogalicious Buddies!
I know it's been a bit since I sat & actually wrote something. You seen the past few months have been a whril-wind (is that how you spell that?)of excitement leading up to my newly deemed BEST DAY EVER! Now please note I've had lots of BEST DAY EVER events IE son being born, starting the SYS Group, Girl's Weekend etc. These events don't loose their BEST DAY EVER status when a new one arrives. Kind of like being Prime Minsiter or Presdient, you get to keep the title. Like I said one doesn't replace another in the line up, but which ever is the most recent is known as BEST DAY EVER (currently). Now back to the info. If you are a blog reader of mine, you know that I was gearing up to co-host the 3rd MeFest.

Along the way a 2nd event was to occur on the same day. Some of my twitter pals (which you may recognize below) decided that Saturday October 3rd would be a great day to meetup up at Nursery School Musical, a production that was written, produced and directed my by new twitter pal Racheal McCaig.

It was an opportunity to meet the women that I spoke to regularly since I got on Twitter (Thurs March 19/09 -luv that Tweetdeck keeps track of that for me!)

Well I figured the trip wouldn't be doable for me as it was the same day as MeFest. I usually clock about 2 hours sleep before MeFest & I don't think that bodes well for a trip on the 401. Then I saw that two of the vendors from MeFest Michelle Peer of Hullabaloo Party Planner for Children

and Jacki Yovanoff of Primerica,

were planning on attending. I mentioned that they must have forgot that MeFest was the same day, but these HARD CORE TWITTER FANS said they were going to the play. I did what any Yummy Mummy Twitter gal would do in that situation...... Asked if I could tag along. and as you can see

They said YES! Here's some pics from my BEST DAY EVER (currently) First the most Positive Pampering and Lifestyle show in KW MeFest - A Celebration of You!

Look Racheal came to MeFest even though it was closing night of our show. How great was that?

If you have 7 minutes you can put yourself in a good mood by watching the slide show (yes of course there's peppy music!)
Over at
http://mefest.blogspot.com/
Next road trip to see Nursery School Musical & after party at C'est What?

So there you have it, the MOST CURRENT Best Day Ever. I'm not sure how long it will reign supreme, as Those 2 Girls are heading back to Toronto for THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S SHOW/GIRLS WEEKEND on Oct 24th-25th and who know what's in store for us then.....

Yours in FUN TIMES
Lisa
PS Want to meetup up with us in Toronto? Leave a comment or send me at tweet @those2girls !

Gratitude Challenge Day 5

Back at it for my blog reading buddies

Today I'm to make a list of all my blessings
I'm very afraid of the space this will require, because I am VERY thankful for things that others might find mundane.
I'm also writing this at 3am after working all day, so I hope I remember to cover everything. I decided to write the first 20 things that came to mind.
What does your 20 look like?

1. My son-you knew that would be #1
2. My best friend Diane, we're a duo what can in say?
3. SYS pals (there's a post somewhere on here about SYS)
4. MeFest (that's everywhere on here)
5. Family
6. Great health
7. Our home
8. Our dog
9. My jobs
10. My happiness, even if it drives others crazy
11. My computer
12. My vehicle
13. Camera
14. Social Media (Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Forums) I love connecting
15. Ability to buy food/pay bills
16. Having fun
17. Freckles (took over 30 yrs, but I finally like them)
18. Vacationing (especially at Disney)
19. Great deal I find
20. Ideas that I have (even the wacky ones)

Gratitude Challenge Day 3 & 4

Today I am very thankful that I feel much more confident & organized than yesterday.

The negative thing in my life that I am most thankful for, is not something, but someone. It makes me thankful to know that I do my best to treat people well & that I am strong enough to get past the mean mumblings that are always directed towards me.

What are you thankful for today?

Gratitude Challenge

As I wind down from my 38th Birthday (yes I admit to my age), I am so surprized by the power of social media. Both people I know & people I have never met have wished me a Happy Birthday, via sites like Facebook & Twitter. Some might find it strange, but I think it is completely AWESOME!

I have taken the time to individually thank everyone of them, as they each took an extra bit of their day to let me know that they are thinking of me!

After I was on Twitter & saw this
http://www.gratitudechallenge.com/

I've started by reading the calendar

http://www.gratitudechallenge.com/downloads/gratitude-calendar.pdf

I've accepted the challenge & since I'm unable to print it out right now, I will go on to Day 2 Which is list YOUR ABC's of things that your are greatful for.

Here Goes
A Able to make my own decisions
B Boy that was Born on July 28th 1999
C Camera that I use to capture moments that then live on forever
D Diane my best pal (okay & Disney too)
E Everyone who makes me smile
F Foster (see B), Friends & Facebook
G Good things that happen everyday (you just need to look for them)
H House that I call Home
I Investing my time in things that I feel strongly about (but others may find weird or wacky)
J Jobs that I have. I love all of them
K Keep Positive
L Love
M MeFest & the Morgan Family
N New people that I connect with
O Online, I love it
P Pasta & Pretzels (not together, but both are my faves)
Q Quiet time, not that it's truly quiet, but just hanging out can be great
R Roxane my Sister-In Law that I see seldom, but think of often
S SYS
T Those2Girls, Toronto Trips, & Twitter
U Un-made bed that I hop into every night
V Vehicle that gets me to all the places I need & want to go
W Wanting for more, not more as in stuff, but learning, seeing, becoming etc
X My X stands as the Roman Numeral TEN, age of my son
Y Yummy Mummy Club & all the new pals I have made through it
Z ZZZZZZ the fact that I sleep well

This is my grateful alphabet. I'd love to see yours
For more hints & tips about pretty much anything visit
http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

Gratitude Challenge

Share This Widget

» Join the challenge

» Read participating blogs

tiny prints

My Fab Friend Gay Isber

Hi my Blogalicious Buds!

Many of you have commented on my twitter pic & how much you love these tiaras.


They were made by my Toronto Pal (former KW resident) Gay Isber. She sent out this wonderful email tonight & though all of you would enjoy it too!

The Shopping Channel HERE I COME! Saturday, October 3rd
8am, Noon, 5pm and 8pm!

ALL jewels have been made in my studio by the loving hands of Jessica G from Kitchener plus Amanda and Elisa, new to the Sugar Factory. Almost 2000 necklaces from start to delivered in one month! Circle the date, clear off your credit cards, tell your friends and buy a few pieces.
You can watch it online, streamed live – http://www.theshoppingchannel.com/ book market now!

Now each necklace comes with a maple leaf and my name in brass. The new tags are even made with love from a family run company. Vintage beads and chain plus all of the good Swarovski crystals, semi precious stones, and pearls. “Vintage Treasures” is the name of my show! JOIN ME!

Jess really had her hands full as I had my gallbladder out and was in the hospital for five days smack in the middle of this. She did a wonderful job! THANKS Jess!

LOTS OF PRESS! Look for lots of Gay Isber Designs pieces on the RED Carpets for TIFF, too!
The new Miss Canada is wearing it. too!







At a private party at Holt’s last week, I got to meet my jewellery idol, Kenneth Jay Lane! Plus get an autographed book. He politely took my card.

THANKS to Lam for making it happen! Xoxo g

Baby Katie’s mother Lia Taylor shared these amazing photos – what a stunning child! Every Sugar Baby needs playthings! What eyes, oh my! Many kisses to her!

mhilary.camilleri@yahoo.ca is the photographer – and it turns out that I made a chandelier for her back at The Sugar Factory. Many thanks for sharing! Send me photos of you wearing my jewels and I will put it on my email blast!



A few pieces from my New Collection at The Rom for the Dead Sea Scrolls…..and for fall!







Go visit for a closer look!
More sneak peaks at my The Shopping Channel Vintage Treasures show!
So pretty!
New Alberta Sales Rep – Darcey-Lynn Marc
marc & associates incorporated
Ph 780 - 421-7714

dlmarc@shaw.ca I will be traveling out west in Oct. If you would like me to have a trunk show, please let me know! I would love to come meet everyone in Alberta and British Columbia – so let me know!


Only Accessories, in Toronto will be handling my high-end pieces! These are the ones you will spot on celebs and rock stars! If you need them to hook you up….

The Bay in Montreal is now carrying Sugar! Oh, La La!

RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Party here Sept 25th – 7 – 11pm byob + nibbles, bring your friends or make new ones! The beads will be out to make bracelets, as always. This will be THE LAST penthouse party, as I relocate into a bigger space. So don’t miss it! It will be a great time to snap up “gay” treasures, as I will be clearing out things for the move!


My god son Derek was here for nine days with his work friend, Melanie from Houston. I let them help me package the 2000 pieces of jewels! It was great to have the extra hands! xoxog

Photographer Kim Tran took this snap of me when he was here documenting a rap video that was being shot at my place…..to see more of the photos check out his website! He is a wonderful photographer…..:)! plus is a master of trick photography!

http://www.pbase.com/kbtran/sugar

peaceandout! MORE SOON>>>>LOTS ON MY PLATE!

The Secret World of Gay Isber
&
Her Sugar Factory in the Sky


Fifty Five Charles Street West
Penthouse Two
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2W9
http://www.gayisber.com/
ggisber@sympatico.ca
w 416.515.1885/416.305.5225 c
Facebook Sugar Isber

Surprize in the Mail Today!

Came home to find a big envelope with a Simpsons Character drawn on it (not sure why).

Hmmm I wonder




Lucky ME!

(this was my 1st Wordless Wednesday post, for more posts go to
http://www.5minutesformom.com/7383/wordless-wednesday-heading-to-grade-two/?

I uploaded our MeFest Video to YouTube

It was easier than I thought

After this it's back to reality

So as you can tell by the amount of updates I am on holidays this week.
I blogged about things that I don't mention too much
MEN, LOVE....
Well here's one more...
I wrote an article for The Yummy Mummy Club & they liked it
Take a look
http://yummymummyclub.ca/snack_cupboard_for_kids_lisa_mcdonald

Normally I am everyone else's cheerleader (which is also a role I love) & don't get to toot my own horn, but since I'm still on holidays I am going to toot away.

Then it's back to work, which means less time to go to fun places, also means less time on the computer, which means less time to write.

That's still okay. I love working. I love being the Working Mom type. It makes you appreciate your holidays that much more.

The Ice Queen Cometh

As many of you who know me, know that I've been dubbed the ICE QUEEN at work.
1st it was to get me to react. You see I laugh at pretty much anything so when this was said I pretty much lost it (& not in a good way). Quickly I started to laugh at myself because they finally got the reaction from me that they find hard to find (Lisa in a moment of NOT laughing basically).
Now I embrace my "Ice Queen Status"
I am happy with the fact I have been single & NOT dating for many years now. I know it sounds weird, but I like it.
We all kid about the wall of ice surrounding my heart & really it's because right now I don't want to give my heart to just anyone. It's not to say that I'm closed off to Love. I'm just happy as I am & one day who knows.....

Fall 2009 SYS Schedule

Here's what we're doing this fall for SYS. If you're a female looking for new pals in Kitchener Waterloo, & have Sundays free, then join in! Let me know if you are interested in attending.
Thanks
Lisa
fostermcdonald@rogers.com
--------------------

Hi SYS pals
Well fall has arrived & hope we can all connect again for SYS.

We have a few events this month that are different times than normal, so please take note of starting & ending times

I will send out reminders with maps each week & PLEASE respond whether or not you will be joining us that week.

Sunday Sept 13th
TIME CHANGE 10AM
Sept. 13 at the Labyrinth
Some of you may know Cindy who did the Thai Yoga Massage at MeFest.
We are going with her group to a farm with a Labyrinth. I thought it would be really cool to see it upclose. There is a potluck & a charge for this of $10 explained below
Cost is $10 which is being donated to farm where the Labyrinth is.
Time: 10 am till 4 pm.
I will get more details on where we are meeting up soon

Sunday Sept 20th
Again there is a Time Change
10am-- and running tentatively until about 4pm
We'll be going on a FREE tour of "green" homes in KW

Sunday Sept 27th
Mary Allen Studio Tour
FREE artists tour in Waterloo Neighbourhood
12:45pm should be fine

Saturday OCT 3RD (note not a Sunday )
MeFest !!!!!!!!!
Volunteer times are as follows
7am-11:30am, 8:30am-1pm & 12:30pm-5pm
Please email with what time slot works best for you

Sunday Oct 12
Thanksgiving Weekend
No SYS meeting

More listings will be added as speakers/events are confirmed.

Twitter Fun

I know this is weird, 2 updates in one day on this blog, but hey I'm on Holidays!

I copied this from MY TWITTER PAL @BOREDmommy
http://mommymaria.wordpress.com/
-------------------
TWO WORDS
Posted by Maria in MeMeMommy. Tagged: meme. 3 Comments

I have no idea where I found this, but I thought it would be perfect for one of those days where I have no time to be really witty and/or wordy. This is one of those days. It’s supposed to be a one word meme challenge, but I’m changing it to two, because I can’t say anything with one word (even swearing requires at least two!!) Enjoy?

Here’s how it works: USE ONLY TWO WORDS for each answer!
If you like, copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on.

1. Where is your cell phone? KITCHEN TABLE
2. Your hair? PONY TAIL

3. Your mother? GUILT PROVIDER
4. Your father? MOODY FELLA
5. Your favorite food? MONGOLLIAN GRILL
6. Your dream last night? DON'T REMEMBER
7. Your favorite drink? ENGLISH TOFFEE
8. Your dream/goal? EVENT PLANNER

9. What room are you in? TOY ROOM
10. Your hobby? INTERNET STUFF
11. Your fear? A LOT
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? FINANCIAL FREEDOM
13. Where were you last night? AT HOME
14. Something that you aren’t? INCREDIBLY SHY
15. Muffins? CHOCOLATE CHIP
16. Wish list item? A BLACKBERRY
17. Where did you grow up? KITCHENER WATERLOO
18. Last thing you did? FED CHILD
19. What are you wearing? MY PJ'S

20. Your TV? DRAKE& JOSH
21. Your pets? 1 DOG
22. Friends? SYS PALS
23. Your life? REALLY FUN
24. Your mood? HAPPY TIRED
25. Missing someone? NOT ME
26. Vehicle? DREADED MINIVAN
27. Something you’re not wearing? WARM SOCKS
28. Your favorite store? DISNEY OUTLET
29. Your favorite color? IT CHANGES
30. When was the last time you laughed? MOMENTS AGO
31. Last time you cried? DON'T KNOW
32. Your best friend? DIANE MORGAN
33. One place that I go to over and over? DISNEY WORLD
34. One person who emails me regularly? DIANE MORGAN
35. Favorite place to eat? MONGOLLIAN GRILL

Now I’m supposed to nomiate 5 people to do this as well and then pass it on, but instead of forcing you to do so, I thought I would let you decide if you want to do that. I am so NICE, right? If you do this meme, feel free to link back to me so that I can feel your love. HAVE FUN!

My Five for Girl Talk Thursday

So over at Girl Talk Thursday

http://girltalkthursday.com/

We are choosing our TOP 5

Here's mine

#1 Tom Welling

I know he's young, but hey he's SUPERMAN!

#2 Ewan McGregor

Can sing, act & wield a LightSaber (in Star Wars)
He's the whole package!

#3 Viggo Mortesen

But really only in this movie, rugged good looks + accent= mmmm

#4 Johnny Depp

I think this is a pic that covers it all, from his 21 Jump Street all the way through to Jack Sparrow

#5 George Clooney

As Danny Ocean. He's the only fella with Grey Hair that I think is UBER SEXY

I'd also like to add that honourable mention goes to
Orlando Bloom, Eric Lindros, & Gerard Butler

The Mom Song

Thought I'd share this with my Mom Pals for their busy WFMW

We all deserve a little laugh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIRkNK8xEHo

The Mom Song

Now you can search for more tips on
http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

How I learn about my computer

Back to see my Bloggy Buddies!

Hey thanks for taking a look
Just wanted to let you know about a great group of people that I hang with once a month.
#ROWMKTG
Which stands for Region of Waterloo Marketing Group
We meet once a month at the Basil Cafe in Cambridge (YUMMMY).

I first started going a few months back. Since then we've gotten to know the owner of the Cafe & he now knows I like extra foam in my Chai Tea Latte.

The service is great & the food is amazing, but what's more amazing than that?
Well it would be my new Internet Marketing pals!

When we (myself & Diane over at the http://www.wheredoigetstarted.blogspot.com/ blog ) 1st went, we weren't sure what if we would fit in as we aren't techy.
As always I like to be "the sponge" & take in all kinds of new info.
We thought we'd learn new ways to help promote MeFest (shameless self promotion of the http://www.mefest.blogspot.com/ event)
BOY did we ever learn a lot!
Carol & Melanie are so approachable & put things into terms that newbies like me can understand.
They are a great Mother/Daughter team & are so knowledgeable!
Want to know what surprized me? They were interested in knowing about Facebook & eventually Twitter since I had just stumbled upon that at the time as well.
It's so great to learn & share info between each other.
That's why I always look forward to going.
If you're on twitter here's the @'s of some of the #ROWMKTG members.
@those2girls (Diane & myself) also @hullabaloo519 @TorontoCarol @JackiYo & @WendyHoomo
I know it sounds like an early #FollowFriday to most tweeps out there, but if you are in the Cambridge Ont area on Monday Sept 21st we'd love to meet you there!

My BITCH List Online

Hello everyone
I know that the title of this post is NOT SO SUNNY, but it is something I need to do.
I got the idea from Mandy, who was in the Spring MeFest, over at HerHappyHighness. Here's her a link to her explanation of the Bitch List

http://herhappyhighness.blogspot.com/2009/08/bitch-list.html

Basically it's a list of things that you put off for one reason or another. They are things you need to do, but for whatever reason procrastinate.

My friend Diane over at
http://wheredoigetstarted.blogspot.com/

put it best when she said it's best to empty these nagging things out of your brain, because you have enough in there already.

Yes I think that they both are on to something.
Now as you know I spend a lot of time online (& not so much on my house), so I thought if I posted this list online & can add to it as needed I'd see these small task & do them.

Right now we have MeFest right around the corner (less than 2 months away) so I need my head & straight & keep my cool when surprizes arise.
I'm starting my list on a Monday & hope by Sunday I can get a few checked off.

If you think this is a great idea as well, please post your list on your blog & list your blog in my comment section. I'd be happy to cheer you on with your list too

(Updated for September, everything I got done, I changed to red)

1. Online MeFest Posting


2. Update ALL of my blogs


3. Pay house insurance that is due at the end of the month


4. Change all burnt out light bulbs


5. Put pillowcases on new pillows (yup bought new ones & haven't used them yet)


6. Clear desk


7. Re-read Hockey Day camp schedule for son


8. Find out when National Woman's Show is in Toronto


9. Find hotel for when we go to NWS in TO


10. Put new songs on iPod


11. Find out how to use all the settings on my Canon camera


12. Try on all the items I bought for my MeFest outfit together to see if it looks good


13. Take boxes of donateables to Salvation Army store


14. Start on the fall SYS schedule


15. Start on volunteer schedule for MeFest


16. See about snow removal for the winter


17. Clear unused toys from backyard


18. Get a new kitchen phone


19. Get son new pants for a wedding we are attending this month


20. Finish Christmas shopping (yes something that I am ahead of the game on)


21. Buy bags for Central Vac


22. Make dentist appointment for myself
23. Pay bills

That is what I came up with so far

What's on your list?

& for other great tips visit

http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

My Dancing Cloud

Tonight is the 1st great SUMMER night her in KW.
I had stepped out of the Superstore when I thought this is just like a September night in Disney (my FAVE place & my FAVE time of year to go). It was 8:45pm & the weather was perfect, not hot, not cold & as Goldilocks would say it was JUUUUUUUUST Right!
Yes September nights at Disney, on my way to my FAVE Disney show FANTASMIC! I love that show it's spectacular.
But then reality stepped in & I was back at the shopping centre parking lot. Too bad, no Disney memories around here, until I looked up. I saw a cloud that looked like a person dancing. Someone somewhere knew that I needed to see something spectacular at home too.
I quickly grabbed my camera & took a pic. As soon as I did the whole cloud turned red & then dispersed.
Can you see the dancing cloud?



See how it`s really red near the bottom, well after I snapped the photo the whole cloud image turned that colour & then dispersed.
I was so amazed!
It was FANTASMIC!

Girl Talk Thursday

I'm new to Girl Talk Thursday so I hope I do it write.
This week is about songs that are meaningfull to you.

My Fave's are
This Woman's Work by Kate Bush
The lyrics hit me when I first saw this movie as a teenager, but it's been an anthem for me since I became an adult


Winter by Tori Amos
This is the best video version I can find of the song, but I truly just love the orginal audio for it.
About how life changes, but don't let it change you


Come What May from Moulin Rouge
Reminds me what True love is still out there somewhere
http://www.imeem.com/mariosilva/music/MBFYQ2F7/nicole-kidman-and-ewan-mcgregor-come-what-may-ost-moulin-ro/

& my all time Fave MOVIE
The Princess Bride
http://www.imeem.com/sokai/music/eHF1JpPb/mark-knopfler-storybook-love

Summer is about to hit!

For those of you who read my post about earlier this week, you knew we had planned on going to Bingemans.
It wasn't the warmest day, but we were determined.
Well when we pulled up half an hour after it opened, I felt like Clark Griswold entering the parking lot at Wally World (National Lampoon's Vacation - now you get it right?).
The parking lot was empty & none of the water areas were running.
Well that doesn't stop little old me! We hopped out of the Blue Beast (aka Mini-Van) & entered the Funworx building. The attendant then tells us that a bird hit a wire (que the Aaron Neville) & knocked out the power 2 hours earlier. Apparently they were working on it.
We waited a bit (more families showed up) & a manager came & said that we could walk down the hill & play mini gold while we wait. Before we went I spoke with the attendant about the Ticket Opps situation (see earlier post), she couldn't believe it & said that Ticket Opps has the wrong info. After that we were about to head to the mini golf (as a bunch of others had) & all of a sudden all of the power came one.
Guess what? We were 2nd into the waterpark & 1st at the Splash Pad. My son had it all to himself for about 15 mins.
Summer truly did hit! Don't believe me yet? Take a look & click the pic below.



Here's to keeping it Sunny!
Lisa

Help me rid myself of my Fiasco

Hey Sunshine Followers

You could help me win $15,000 toward a new IKEA space. All you have to do is vote for my entry. The more votes I get, the better chance I have to win. Just follow the link below, click VOTE and I'll be one step closer to winning this much needed makeover.

Here's where you'll find my space: http://www.anyspacecanbebeautiful.ca/index.php?spaceID=648

Thank you for your help.

Lisa McDonald

Good thing I have a Sunny Outlook

I really want to take my son to Bingemans this week, & I know there are usually discounts at the Ticket Ops through Shoppers Drug Mart.
I called Bingemans to see how much tickets were & they said $22.95.
I went to Ticket Ops & with their SO CALLED discount they are $22.55 (plus tax for both). It says that when you buy the Ticket Ops ticket you save $1.55

I emailed to let them know that they have the price wrong & you aren't saving $1.55 at all (plus they have a service charge)

Take a look of my emailling (their answers are in the italics)
------------------
Do you realize that your prices for Bingemans water park passes are not a discount?

You can receive a discount price for Bingaman’s Water Park when purchasing online, if you have a promotional or group code from your place of employment.

I mean the passes you get through Shoppers. They are the same price as the waterpark day passes you buy on site (& no service fee)

Normally when you purchase tickets for different venues through Shoppers Drug Mart online or at the store you will receive an additional savings than purchasing the tickets directly at the park. If you want to know the price of the tickets when purchasing them directly at Bingaman’s Water Park, please contact their customer service department. They can be kindly reached at: (519) 744-1555

Yes I did that.
I'm letting you know that their regular gate price is the same as your discounted price (the regular price you have listed is wrong).

I’m sorry but we are TicketOps the ticketing agent and not the actual venue. If there is a pricing difference on their website you will have to take it up with Bingaman’s Water Park’s customer service.
I apologize for the inconvenience.

I don't think you are understanding.
Your price listed for Bingemans is $24.10 & then with the TICKET OPS discount it becomes $22.55 (plus service charge)
For the Big Splash adult through you.
https://secure1.ticket-ops.com/Shoppers_Drug_Mart/Bingemans/


But if you just go to Bingemans the price for a Big Splash adult is $22.95
http://www.bingemans.com/bigsplash/passesandpackages.shtml#daypass

how do you save buy choosing Ticket Ops?
It says you save $1.55 by choosing Ticket Ops when you truly don't.

I think you are misunderstanding. For the Big Splash through ticket-Ops the regular price is $24.10, now $22.55 (before taxes) with a savings of $1.55. If you purchase one ticket it will total $24.04 (after taxes). Whereas if you purchased one ticket directly through Bingamans, it would be $22.95 (before taxes) and $24.10 (after taxes).

Therefore the difference would be .06 cents and would increase with more purchases.
Ticket-Ops Big Splash Adult $24.04
Bingemans Big Spash Adult $24.10

Difference $0.06

Please go to the purchase page if you wish to purchase tickets, under ticket-Ops the first email address you provided.
--------------------
Does this not sound like False advertising?
You're supposed to save $1.55 per pass, but you're only saving 6 cents per pass (plus you'll end up with a service charge on top of it)

Why would you buy it from them?

Does anyone else understand? Or is there something I'm missing?
As you all know I don't get mad, I get ONLINE!
Here's to keeping Sunny!
Lisa

Lookie what I found

http://tipdrop.com/ref/those2girls

Tip drop is new service that works like twitter.
Once you are registered (free & easy to do, you get to post tips. You can start a tip sheet yourself or you can add tips to tip sheets written by others.

The more you post, the more credibility you have.

You can also Follow other Tip Droppers (just like twitter) & vote for their tips.

It doesn't have to be specialized. Tips on anything you can add information to.

After you are registered you go to the My page link (near the top under the title in blue). Then under your name pick the Tip Sheets link. Next you'll pick a category that your tip falls under. Then you'll ask a question regarding your tip & in the box underneath you will put the answer & submit it.

You can see what others are giving tips for by hitting the Home link on the page & then scrolling close to the bottom where the newest tips are posted, or choose from the list on the right side of the home page.

It can help you with questions you have, or if you have a tip to add go ahead & add it!

For example my 1st tip sheet was How to get your new business out there & my answer was to find out about local trade shows (ofcourse!)

BUT

I also added tips about educational kids video games & taking great photos of kids (neither were questions of mine).

So go ahead & give it a try
http://tipdrop.com/ref/those2girls

You'll be glad you did.
Thanks again for stopping by & I hope this adds a little Sunshine to your day!
Lisa

What more rain? Not on my Sunny Blog!

Welcome back bloggybuds!
I've been on a bit of a hiatus from my blog as I have been quite busy with the 3rd MeFest coming up.
This also took away from the Clear It! & Clean It! Challenge on my end, but NOT ANY MORE!
Today I took the bull by the horns (& by bull I mean medicine cabinet) by the horns!
I pitched so much expired stuff it's amazing it hadn't ate through the packaging.
After taking it all out, wiping it down, pitching tons & reorganinzing so it makes sense, the medicine cabinet is now a happy SUNNY camper.
Now to the 2nd daunting task LAUNDRY-I don't mind sorting, washing & drying, but it's the folding that gets me all the time.
I tried a trick today. I always find I can start folding a load, but when I get half way it's just too repetitive for me.
My new IDEA! Instead of full loads I did half size loads. I know it may sound ridiculous to some, but truly it was less time consuming for me.
I set my washer on Mid Size load (usually on oversized). Each after each load it went straight in the dryer. Usually my next load of wash is done before the 1st load in done in the dryer. Not today. The smaller loads dried quick, so there was an easy switchover. When I sat down & folded I was done in under 5 mins.

Now the question is... who's going to help me put all this away?

Got some great cleaning tips? Need to get some tips?
Head on over the the Clear It! & Clean It! challenge hosted by Those2Girls
http://those2girls.blogspot.com/
Start with the June posts & work you way up to today.

Our Fall Flyer!

So excited that our new flyers have arrived
Take A Look!
&
Click the pic !

Pamper & Purge!

Good Day Blog-Buds!
Today is my FUN DAY with my gal pals for the afternoon!
I told myself I need my only FULL day off to always be fun.
The problem is I'm still playing catch up with the Clear It & Clean It challenge over at
http://those2girls.blogspot.com/
You see I work weekends too, so I need to make time for sleeping, doing dishes etc.

I knew I needed to start the declutter part (what I am worst at), so I thought I'd make it fun.

(I also includede 2 frugal tips in this post)
I read in a book about how to give your hair a great conditioning treatment, & to keep it on as long as you can. So I turned my purging into pampering! I put the conditioning treatment on my hair & went to work on 2 drawers in my bathroom.

Frugal tip #1
My drawers are really odd sizes & I can find dividers that work, so I made my own years ago (read it in a book as well, I'm not that clever). It said to cut off the bottoms of cereal boxes, milk cartons (washed obiviously) & yogurt cups (again washed). I used the box option with a cereal box & a CLUB PACK size box of instant rice. This one I came up with on my own... I also used empty baby wipe containers. This system has stood the test of time, since I haven't purchased baby wipes in years!.

I used my main drawer to organize makeup, pony tail holders (I use daily for work), manicure items & hair accessories.
I purged this drawer & got rid of lots of old makeup & made a donation bag for samples I just won't use. I'll give it to a friend of mine who works at a school for young mothers trying to finish their education. If you don't have something like that in your area, I'm sure the local women's shelter or food bank can distribute them to those in need.

For my other drawer I use it for travel size items, that I can quickly pack up without routing through cupboards for.


Then I hopped in the shower, washed my hair (unfortunately 3 times). After I got out of the shower & towelled off, I used that towel to quickly wipe down all the water so no water bead marks are left (the towel is going in the wash anyway).

Frugal Tip #2
Hair treatment
It said to warm some water in a dish then put another dish in it with a teaspoon of olive oil. Once the oil is warm rub it all over your hair (dry hair), wrap it up in a plastic bag (I used a Neilson's Milk bag, good size, twisted up the end & tucked it under the front of the bag). It said leave on as long as possibe so then I did my purging. It said your hair will need to be shampooed twice to get it all out (it took 3 times for my shoulder lenghth hair) & no conditioner is required. After I had it all out of my hair it was a tangled mess, but after getting all the tangles out, it feels okay. I don't know if it's any better than using a regular conditioner, but will see if my hair stay shiny as the day goes on.

Tomorrow is my garbage day so I hope to finish my bathroom cupboards tonight.

Now off to Celebrate with Gelata & my SYS Pals

Get the condiments out of your shower/bath area

Thanks for stopping in
It's catch up day for me!
Thankfully if you get behind in our Clear It & Clean It challenge over at
http://those2girls.blogspot.com/
it's easy to catch up. We all have so many things on the go (just read older posts I have on here with all the stuff I have going on)
so Diane is breaking it down into tiny things, which together equal BIG accomplishments.

Yesterday I did my tub area, now most people have an assortment of shampoos, conditioners, body wash etc all over their tub. Not only does this make it cluttered, the water from the shower gets "gungy" under those bottles.
It ends up looking like a messy condiment display at a hot dog stand.
If you're in the need of a solution, here's what works best for me.
My SHOWER DISPENSER. I got it at Zellers years ago & it still works great! Mine has 4 holders (some have more). Mine openes up & you can refill each one individually. I'm not sure if all dispensers are the same.
The only things I keep in my shower surround are my son's Bubble Bath & his vapour bath (for when he has a cold), our body wash "puffs" my foot scrubber/stone (it's sandal weather finally!) & my Schick Intuition razor.
Here's a link to the Schick contest & I've read online that there are instore coupons at Wal-Mart & Zellers
http://www.schick.ca/cgi-bin/contest_en.cgi

After everything was refilled, I cleaned it all with the PC scrubbing paste that I listed in an earlier post. Look back up at the pics. My tub surround is so shiny that you can see my bathroom window in the reflection-Now there's the AHHHHHH feeeling that Diane mentions.

Want to join in? Just go to
http://those2girls.blogspot.com/
& scroll down to our 1st Clear It! & Clean It! post-then work your way up.

Let us know how you're doing. We can all use the encouragement!
Enjoy this SUNNY day!
Lisa

The Sunshine Is In: Canada Day Cake & Challenge#c7368839764796531046#c7368839764796531046

The Sunshine Is In: Canada Day Cake & Challenge#c7368839764796531046#c7368839764796531046

Canada Day Cake & Challenge

Hi Everyone that's visiting from
We Are That Family

He're my WFMW
Today is Canada Day! Happy Birthday to the county I love! I want tonight to be great weather for Fireworks-so I'm getting fired up with this song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDKUji2Nb9U

I also want to wish my USA pals an early Happy July 4th
(the song still applies for your fireworks!)

So this week's theme is Food! So I'm going to repost an easy cake that I got a lot of comments on in February.

For Canada Day you can use Red Jello
For July 4th use Red Jello & Blue Jello (put in each separately, but I'm guessing you will get some purple with the overlap)

Help your country celebrate!
-------------------------
Here's my tip!


I'm not a baker, but I don't mind baking items that come in box mixes & putting my own spin on them (the easier the better!)

A fave among my family & friends is when I make JELLO CAKE! It is incredibly easy!
I usually bake the cake the night before, to give it lots of time to cool & stick it in the fridge just before bed (it will need to stay in the pan, so I often bake it in a Dollar Store aluminum foil cake pan)

You will need


A white or vanilla cake mix & ingredients required for that mix (doesn't matter what brand, as I usually use the NO NAME box cake mix)

Jello (any flavour you love!)

Cool Whip (or No Name dessert topping-I've even used the LIGHT Cool Whip & it works)

Bake the cake as normal. Let cool (as I said above I usually make the cake the day before) & then refridgerate.

Once the cake has cooled take a fork & make lots of piercings all over the cake (the more holes the better!) Remember the cake has to stay in the pan!

Make the JELLO as directed, BUT instead of refridgerating it, pour it all over the cake. The Jello will colour the cake & get into all the fork piercings you've made.

Next cover the whole top of the cake with LOTS of Cool Whip

Put the cake back into the fridge until it is ready to be served


When you cut the cake your guests will think you made a marble cake for them!


How easy was that?
Are you going to try it?
Thanks for reading!
Lisa
---------------
I'm also celebrating my 2nd day of the cleaning challenge over at
http://those2girls.blogspot.com/
You can join in too

In the meantime keep singing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDKUji2Nb9U
While you head back to

http://www.wearethatfamily.com/
for more great tips!