top 10

top ten of 2018

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Closing off 2018 with a quick thank you and happy 2019!

Who knows where I am heading but it’s a new year and I am full of big intentions and goals… (stay tuned)

Here’s a list of the most viewed posts of 2018. Spoiler, “Let’s Taco Bout a Party” is still going strong for hits *???* does this mean we need to have another party? After all, I still have a few bottles of tequila.

  1. It’s Calendar Time
  2. Let’s Taco Bout A Party (2015!)
  3. Summer Starts Nowish (Year 5!)
  4. I Am An Early Morning Runner
  5. Regrets, I’ve Had A Few
  6. Wineglass Marathon Recap (2017)
  7. Top 10 Look-A-Mikes
  8. Meanwhile, Elsewhere: May 4
  9. 10 Words I’m Not Fine With
  10. 13 Reasons Why

Happy New Year!

regrets, i’ve had a few

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In the final decade of his life, my grandfather woke up every single day at 7AM, picked a fresh wildflower on his morning walk, and took it to my grandmother. One morning, I decided to go with him to see her. And as he placed the flower on her gravestone, he looked up at me and said, “I just wish I had picked her a fresh flower every morning when she was alive.  She really would have loved that.” – 10 Regrets Too Many People Will Have in 10 Years

Sorry friends, that was heavy.

We all have regrets. Some are big. Some are crushing. Here are ten of mine:

10 things I regret

  1. Not picking a “thing” to always seek out on holiday like pottery or a Christmas tree ornament. I have a nice collection of tea towels but the inconsistency kills me.
  2. Dropping out of sports after back surgery. I wasn’t heading to the Olympics in anything but I quit swimming, ringette and paddling. Although I picked up running in my late 20s, I wish I had the credentials to be an overaged lifeguard this summer.
  3. Not waiting tables. Although Ben & Jerry’s was the best.job.ever. I should have waited tables. It sounds cooler than retired sandwich artist.
  4. Not listening to more stories from my grandparents before they passed away. Luckily, we’re still getting some good ones from Nanny. David is at a great age for inquiring about things like war and the Halifax Explosion so he’s always curious.
  5. Not patening my highschool invention: the PeanutButter Machine. Basically, it was a baggie filled peanut butter for on-the-go snacking. Damn you, Justin.
  6. Not doing more school. I got into the PR program at MSVU but didn’t go, I choose to start a career instead. It’s working out great.
  7. Not having a wedding cake… actually, it would have been pies. I love pies.
  8. Not asking Santa for the Sony Walkman with the radio. I bet I’d know more music lyrics from the 80s had I made a better choice.
  9. David’s first year. I didn’t have maternity leave and tried to continue freelancing. I was a mess, David was a mess, it was rough.
  10. Naming my computers MacDaddy and DaddyMac. When I send PDF to clients, MacDaddy is my name and I am too lazy to fix it. Guys, it’s not really a regret, who doesn’t like Kriss Kross? I just wanted an excuse to post this… For all y’all suckers that don’t know, check it out:

But, despite what you may think, I do NOT regret choosing team Milli Vanilli over team NKOTB. I stand by some life choices.

To clarify, I grew up on a street with six girls the same age… we legit had an epic fight over Mili Vanilli and NKOTB. Looking back, I’m not sure why we couldn’t like both – it had to be one or the other. Kids are weird.

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top 10 look-a-mikes

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Do you have a Doppelgänger?

I am not one of those who gets mistaken for someone famous but sure Mike is. And often! So, I thought it’d be fun to share the Top 10 Mike look-alikes:

  1. James Reimer (hockey player): On more than a few occasions Mike has been mistaken for James Reimer. Not sure why Reimer would be shopping at a local sporting goods store or running in the Bluenose Marathon but, I’ll take his NHL pay cheque.
  2. Marc Kennedy (Canadian curler): My mom thinks they’re practically twins…  
  3. Michael Rapaport (Beautiful Girls): Not the accent, maybe the hair? Definitely the hair.  PS. If you haven’t watched Beautiful Girls, what’s your problem? 
  4. John Krasinski (The Office): John-Jim has come up more than once and I can see it. I’d happily be mistaken for Emily Blunt but I don’t think that will happen. 
  5. John Petersik (Young House Love): I think it’s because they have the same hoodie (see below). Mike also used to do a lot of work around the house. Perhaps if I say it more often, our basement will miraculously get finished.
  6. Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine): There are similar features… Right? 
  7. Kevin Connolly (Eric from Entourage): This was what came up in a celebrity look-alike generator. I think Eric is shorter and has a larger entourage. I also think that app was crap, I had to keep watching commercials to get coins. 
  8. Prince Harry: This is Mike’s pick. Let him have it.
  9. The Coca-Cola Bear: His friend’s sister thought this way back in Junior High School days, and I know we can all totally see it. (Side note, in high school, someone said I looked like the Trix Bunny and I still haven’t recovered – still won’t go near that stuff.) 
  10. Ben Affleck: Mike was asked if he was Ben Affleck at a beer tent in Pugwash. The woman who made this assumption had likely been hanging out at the beer tent for several hours, if not days. Mike spent the rest of the afternoon declaring “Ben Affleck wants a beer!”

Let me know if you agree or disagree or have someone else to add.psst. If you like what you’re reading, please subscribe and share. xomeg

10 things that make you go hmmm: poding and blogging

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Last week I shared with you my 10 favourite podcasts, and now I’m going to tell you about my favourite blogs. Guys, I’m all over the place. I probably subscribe to 100+ blogs which I check daily on Bloglovin’. I scroll through the titles like a teenager on Instagram only stopping to read a few full posts each day. Below are the top ten I am most likely to open and read.

  1. Shutterbean Food. Photography. Pretty Things.
    I like that she lives near San Franciso, she’s really into design, photography and cooking + she has only one child who’s close in age to David. 
  2. A Cup of Jo A daily women’s lifestyle site founded by Joanna Goddard that covers style, design, culture, food, travel, relationships, and parenting.
    Joanna and her girls always deliver. No matter what they’re saying, I am reading + the reader comments on this site are ace. 
  3. Minimalist Baker Here we share plant-based recipes requiring 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare. All eaters are welcome.
    It’s actually her photography that keeps me coming back. I am sure the recipes are great, but I want to take her online photography class the most. 
  4. Design Mom Design Mom helps women across the globe stay well-informed, to manage their home life and their work life gracefully, to learn new things daily.
    Even though I follow her sister and her sister-in-law, this one is my favourite. I’m not Mormon, and I do not have a ton of kids, but she seems like a good mom + the living with kids posts are excellent. 
  5. swissmiss Tina Roth Eisenberg’s personal visual archive
    If I couldn’t be Canadian, I’d be Swiss. Love the quick and frequent posts. Always a lot of great content gems + she owns Tattly Temporary Tattoos
  6. Carrots ‘N’ Cake Helping Everyday People Experience Healthy Living.
    One of the sporty blogs that have kept true to its content. So often, I’ll be really into a blog, and then they have a baby or something, and the focus shifts. I am not here to read about your baby; I am here to read about your last race. 
  7. Dinner: A Love Story It all begins at the family table.
    Jenny wrote a book on How to Celebrate Everything. I like that. She’s funny and keeps things real + she seems to be friends with Joanna from A Cup of Jo, so that’s cool.
  8. Design*Sponge Design*Sponge focuses on the creative community, with the goal of making the art and design world personal
    The GOLD STAR of design blogs. For those who love peeking inside people’s homes, this one is for you + they’re so great at publishing articles about women, diversity and inclusion in design. Bravo!  
  9. The Lazy Genius Collective Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.
    She got me with her bracket lists + she’s really good at giffing
  10. Joy The Baker Sweet treats. Savory indulgences. Approachable recipes and good-life inspiration!
    She wrote a book about brunch. Enough said. Always good content, a lovely New Orleans flare + she links to some heavy but good links on Friday.

Other’s worth mentioning.

Local flavour: Love, Kate Bray; Girl Goes Running, The Hummingbird and Heather’s Handmade Life

More design: Design Milk, Oh So Beautiful Paper, Design Crush, Hither & Thither

More food: Smitten Kitchen, Cookie + Kate, My Name is Yeh

More fitness: Hungry Runner Girl, Running on Veggies, We Are Eaton

Plus, Lainey Gossip – the first blog, which I read before I knew I was even reading a blog.

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10 things that make you go hmmm: poding and blogging

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These days it seems like everyone has a podcast.

Don’t worry; I’m not here to announce my new career in radio (can you imagine, I’d be the worst host!)… I’m just a girl who enjoys listening to podcasts. I go through about 20 episodes a week mostly while walking, running, cooking and sometimes at work. Actually, I am listing right now. So, if you’re new to poding, here are my current favourites plus a few honourable mentions. Let me know if there is an episode that is on your must-listen list.

  1. Hurry Slowly
    Hurry Slowly is a podcast, hosted by Jocelyn K. Glei, about how pacing yourself is the key to being more productive, creative, and resilient.
    Every episode makes me question my life… mostly in a good way. I consider it free therapy/life coaching.
  2. Death Sex and Money 
    Death, Sex and Money is an interview-style podcast hosted by Anna Sale that discusses the big questions “often left out of polite conversation.”
    Anna is a great interviewer, and the topics are very diverse but yet always about death, sex and money… go figure.
  3. Criminal 
    Criminal is a podcast, hosted by Phoebe Judge, about crime. Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.
    I vote Phoebe Judge the host I’d most like to have coffee with – She can tell a damn good story.
  4. Forever35 
    Kate and Doree are two friends who love to text each other about serums. On Forever35, they talk about sheet masks, serums, exercise, nutrition, meditation, anxiety and stress, Kate’s favourite drugstore mascara, Doree’s addiction to restorative yoga, and much more.
    It just makes me smile. These ladies are a hoot and talk about stuff I often waste too much time thinking about. I’m pretty sure we’d be friends if I lived in LA.
  5. Ear Hustle
    Ear Hustle brings you the stories of life inside prison, shared and produced by those living it. Hosted by Nigel Poor, a Bay Area visual artist and Earlonne Woods, currently incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison.
    If I were to write a letter to a prisoner, it’d most likely be Earlonne (or Adnan Syed – see Serial below).
  6. Ologies
    Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and some insane stories about what fuels these professional ologists’ obsessions. Hosted by humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward.
    Ologies is my newest addiction. Check out the episode on Thanatology – death and dying.
  7. 99% Invisible
    99% Invisible is about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.
    The episode about the athletic brassiere was excellent.
  8. Radiolab
    Investigating a strange world. Created by Jad Abumrad and hosted by Jad and Robert Krulwich.
    Not every episode is to my liking, but there are some goodies. Worth keeping on my subscription list. 
  9. Sasha Answers
    Lainey and Sasha sit down to discuss relationships, love, sex, work drama, best friends, former friends, and other life issues. 
    It’s raunchy and enjoyable. Since I don’t read Lainey’s Gossip as much as I’d like, this is a nice dose of smut.  
  10. This American Life
    When it’s not too political/American, This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, is a classic must-have that chooses a theme and puts together different kinds of stories on that theme. Check out their archives for the best of episodes.

Plus a few honourable mentions and short-lived pods:

  • Serial (but only season 1): An investigative journalism podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, narrating a nonfiction story over multiple episodes. I am STILL thinking about this.
  • The short-lived but delightful The Mystery Show: A podcast where Starlee Kine solves mysteries. Binge-worthy, friends. Do it.
  • Love + Radio (The Living Room). I’ve gone back and listened to this episode a few times… it’s very sad, yet I feel like I could easily be (have been) the women telling this story.
  • Making Oprah. And now there is a Making Obama podcast which is in my queue.
  • Women Of The House with Lena Dunham and Never Before with Janet Mock. I’m really into these ladies and their podcasts.
  • Reply All. The hosts can drive me crazy, but there are some great episodes. I am a big fan of Sruthi Pinnamaneni.
  • The Habitat. Just me or does going to Mars sounds like the worst idea ever?
  • Missing Richard Simmons. I didn’t know he was missing!!!
  • The Ali on the Run Show is a good one to check in on for running inspiration. Did I mention my bestie Des was interviewed?
  • Circle Round, a storytelling podcast for kids ages 3 to 10, tells carefully-selected folktales from around the world with an eye towards inclusivity. This one is for David; we often listen on the way home from the pool.

Next up, my favourite blogs.

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