26 October 2011

Favourite Moments of Rugby World Cup Final

First Fav Moment: Hayley Westenra singing God Defend New Zealand. Hayley Westenra is one of my ALL-TIME favourite singers and to see her singing at the final, just awesome!



Second Fav Moment: France approaching New Zealand as they do the Haka. Ultimate intensity.  I felt that it built up the seriousness of the moment, however France was fined for "breaching a cultural ritual protocol".

25 October 2011

Tyler Ward - Rescue

I have been debating whether to share this in fear that it may cross some religious boundary.  However, I have come to the conclusion that we are all spiritual in our own unique ways, and this music video, I find is very inspirational.

23 October 2011

Emma Watson

I have always enjoyed the character that Emma Watson plays, Hermoine.  But this little quote just makes me have more respect for her.  She has a good head on her shoulders.  This quote is regarding sexuality and modesty.

Brothers & Sisters: How Our Siblings Make Us Who We Are

There was a great article in the National Post (October 22) about how our relationship with our siblings make us who we are.

The author makes some great points about how the dynamics of life's longest relationship influence us as we get older.  In a sense that how we learn to interact in the playroom of our own house is how we will interact in the playroom of life.

The article ends, hollywood-like, that the author still has long lasting relationships with their siblings.  But what I always ask is just because someone still has a relationship with their sibling, does that make them nice? Of course not.  We know siblings fight.  We know personalities clash.  We know people can be toxic.  Sometimes I feel that it takes even more effort to de-friend a sibling due to toxicity than it does to maintain a relationship. So just because someone is or isn't friends with their siblings is the litmus test for being nice, it is the coping mechanisms developed, and the reactions to stress that make someone nice.

Nonetheless, as the title suggests "siblings make us who we are" despite the quality of the relationship.

19 October 2011

How Birth Order Can Influence Childhood Development


Have you ever wondered if the order you were born in impacted your development?  Do you think the birth order of your children impacts them?  What do you think would have happened if you were the oldest or youngest in your family instead of your current position?

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Read the rest on Notes on Parenting.

18 October 2011

PowerSmart - "Two Chickens to Paralyze" - Without Electricity There Would Be No Internet

At BC Hydro it is currently "Power Smart Month".  As such they have released some commercials related to what life would be like without power (in a sarcastic way).  This commercial is by far one of my favourite commercials.



Visit here to see all of the commercials.

12 October 2011

Pumped about the sledding potential

This is a freelance piece that I wrote for the SnoRiders West magazine.  It was a great opportunity to reconnect with some fellow Manitobans.



With snow covering the land from early November to mid-April, the Swan River Valley provides ample opportunity to enjoy getting out on your snowmobile. 

If the season’s length isn’t enough of a draw, this region boasts 800 kilometres of groomed trails. Around 453 kilometres of trails to the north are maintained by the North Mountain Riders and 320 kilometres to the south are groomed by the Swan Valley Snowmobile Club. The riding areas range from open fields to lake crossings, and rugged hills to bush trails, as well as powder-filled areas to play in. With only about 6,000 people living in the valley, there is a lot of room for exploration of the scenic sites here.

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Read the rest at SnoRiders West.

08 October 2011

Teaching that there is more than appearance




There was an article on the Huffington Post called How To Talk To Little Girls.  Having a little girl, I was naturally interested in this article.  Read it.

From the start it had me realize how often I point out my daughters appearance more than other qualities.  With statements like:

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Read the rest at Notes on Parenting.

07 October 2011

What if all that’s left is what you are grateful for?


With the season of Thanksgiving upon us, it is a wonderful time to reflect on the many reasons we should be grateful. Sometimes I think we don’t take seriously all of the things we can and should be grateful for. We state that we are “grateful” as if we are trying to win a Miss Universe pageant. It sounds corny and fluffy. We forget to encompass the grandness of what we are grateful for. What would you have tomorrow if you woke up with only what you are grateful for? What would be left in your home, life or planet?

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Read the rest at the Battleford's News Optimist.