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December is upon us and that means it’s time to start thinking about holiday planning – which of course includes coming up with just the right gift for everyone on your holiday list. It’s not enough to give a gift card, a bottle of wine, or something equally as impersonal to your friends, family, colleagues and associates. It’s no longer ok to just throw something together and pass it off as a present. And re-gifting…well it’s just bad news to hand off a present to your friend when clearly it wasn’t intended for them.
So what’s a girl to do? Pressed for time, stressed with work, exhausted by holiday planning, and worn out by the many obligatory holiday parties that just can’t be missed?
This year it’s time to do something completely different. Set aside a full night, a glass of wine, and a computer, and find all your gifts in one go! That’s right ladies, the perfect solution is to do all your holiday shopping online this year.
Here’s the best site I found to shop online. They have such an awesome selection for every price range and they ship it wherever you want – saving you time, money, and all the frustration from dealing with the hordes of people at the mall!
I’m not usually that excited about holiday shopping, but now that I can do it all online and save myself heaps of stress and time I’m really starting to get into the spirit of giving in a big way!
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New Years dream come true
Since 1999 I’ve had a dream that I would spend New Years Eve on the beach drinking wine out of the bottle with close friends. I’ve done the wild club scene, the house parties, and the fancy restaurants for New Years, and I’ve been looking for something more personal and intimate.
Every year I’ve tried to make it happen. But inevitably it doesn’t work out. I can’t afford the trip, nobody can come with me, or other plans take priority.
This year my dream of welcoming the New Year with a bottle of Chianti on the beach is finally becoming a reality. My fiance and I are taking a road trip for Christmas, and we’re going to the Florida keys for New Years.
I’m so excited!
Photo Credit: Bnae on Fotothing
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Not sure what to wear to a holiday party? Tired of your Christmas sweater with jumping red reindeer your Aunt Ethel got you?
Why not have a little fashion fun with this well lit light dress?
This dress is sure to turn heads!
Photo Credit: Urban Sardines
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three amazing looks from Prada
This morning I was perusing the Saks Fifth Avenue online store. I came across the Prada section and I was struck with Prada Love.
I love their style, the fabulous materials they use, and the little details that makes something ordinary quite extraordinary.
These three outfits are so simple, but they look so amazing – so well put together, clean and simple, and not at all boring. It’s true Prada love.
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For many women losing weight is a lifelong battle. Dieting and exercising like crazy, followed by binge eating and complete inactivity. The weight comes off then the weight goes back on…plus a little more. And the cycle gets repeated several times.
How can you get off this cycle? For some women it’s easier than others…but for all of us it’s quite a journey.
In this post I’m going to go back and forth with Mary, who is on the path to losing weight and getting to a place where she’s more comfortable and content with herself. I have been on the diet roller coaster before with a 55 lb diet swing, but I’ve finally kicked the habit.
I wanted to go back and forth with Mary because her story is so inspiring and she’s working so hard to get to a great place in her life. I love women’s success stories and I thought this may be interesting to see two different perspectives, one from a woman who’s in the process, and one from a woman who’s won the weight war.
What’s your weight story?
Mary: In high school I was depressed and gained weight until I hit a high of around 255 or 260 pounds. On a 5’2″ frame, that is a lot of weight. When I first went to college I decided to finally do something about the weight and try and change my life. My freshman year of college I started working out and eating healthier foods and I dropped 60 pounds. It was a very good first year of college. After that I went on a continuous cycle of gaining weight, and losing, and then gaining it all back. With every major change in my life, such as going to university, or moving to Europe, or moving home again, came another cycle of weight gain and loss.
I’m making a huge effort to lose weight again and I’ve lost over 20 pounds since the decision to lose weight and am continuing my journey of weight loss. Hopefully now that I have freed myself from the destructive habits and environment I was in I will lose the extra weight and find a comfortable place for my body.
Ingrid: For me losing 45 pounds was almost accidental.
After my first year in university I tipped the scales at 165 pounds and size 10 pants. At 5’3 that’s quite a lot. I carried it all in my upper half; chubby cheeks, big boobs, thick arms and a full belly. I wouldn’t think twice about eating heaps of tater tots and a pile of cream cheese on a toasted bagel, followed by my two Mr. Big chocolate bars and a few cans of Coke. I never exercised.
Then I got a job as a gardener. I was outdoors all summer long digging holes, planting flowers, pushing heavy wheelbarrows and walking all over the university campus.
I also moved out of the college dorm and ate healthier and lighter foods, not on purpose but just because when I cooked for myself I didn’t eat much instant or packaged foods. I would have toast for breakfast, soup or a sandwich for lunch and pasta with tomato sauce for dinner.
I wore dirty gardening clothes every day, and since it was summer, and I had a bit of pocket money from my gardening job, I bought new summer clothes for after work.
When the fall came around I put my old clothes back on…and they fell off my hips. When I weighed myself at my friends house I couldn’t believe I weighed 120 lbs.
Without realizing it I’d lost 45 pounds!
What’s your goal weight?
Mary: To be honest I’m not sure what my goal weight is and to me it’s not very important. I’ve never weighed under 190 as an adult so I’m guessing it is somewhere around 175 is my goal, but I’m just shooting blindly and going to let my body figure it out once I get closer.
Ingrid: 120 lbs. I’m where I want to be weight wise, I just want to get more toned. I’m always checking to mix up my exercises so I can maintain my weight where it is.
healthy food choices equals healthy weight
What’s the secret to your weight loss?
Mary: Secret? Heheh. That is such a funny question. Their isn’t a secret, so hopefully you will never believe someone who tells you there is. For me it was all about making that decision that I wanted to lose weight and be healthier. Once I made the decision and it became part of my mindset I knew I could do all the work necessary to lose weight.
Ingrid: It’s not a secret, but a mind shift. It was a total change of lifestyle that had me exercising daily and eating better.
What’s the one thing that makes weight loss difficult for you?
Mary: I struggle with emotional and stress eating, so for me, weight loss has been difficult because I’ve so often fallen back into those traps and erased all the work I did previously. Not having a good handle on why I used food in the ways that I did made weight loss very, very hard.
Ingrid: I think so many corporate work environments are dreadful for our health. I’ve worked in several offices and the best office environment is one that’s close to home (i.e. I can walk there), and has lots of amenities and walkable areas nearby. That way you can run errands, step out for a walk or go to the park. A commuting lifestyle is soooo horrible for our health, and usually suburban offices are surrounded by fast food joints, they don’t have walkable areas, and you need to drive to get there so you can’t walk to work.
happiness and a healthy weight go hand in hand
How does weight loss affect your confidence?
Mary: Well, I’m not going to lie – I feel a lot more confident when I’ve lost weight. I’ve been slowly becoming more confident during the last few years regardless of my weight, but I still have always remained below my highest weight ever. And that has definitely helped me build confidence in other areas of my life.
Ingrid: It’s a chicken and egg story. I feel confident when I’m a good weight, but I watch my weight because I’m confident and don’t want to let myself fall into depressing patterns again. They work together very carefully, and one doesn’t come before the other.
Are you on a weight roller coaster?
Mary: I would have to say yes. I think I am at the end of the ride now and the weight is coming off for good, but I’m still on a ride that has taken me up and down weight wise for several years. I would lose weight during college then move back home and regain 30 pounds in a summer or in the year I spent there after graduation. That move out, move home weight fluctuation was a crazy roller coaster but I think now that I’m on my own and moving on I will finally be hopping off and settling at a healthy weight for me.
Ingrid: I was before. After the gardening job I kept on slowly losing weight, and at one point I was 110 pounds. I had big dark bags under my eyes, no energy and was pretty unhealthy. But I was skinny!
Two years later I’d graduated from university and was working in the corporate world. Sitting down all day, surrounded by unhealthy drinks and snacks all day a bit of weight crept back on.
I was about 125 lbs for a few years, but now I’m at 120lbs and that’s where I want to stay. I look fit, but not skinny and I feel great. I eat well, exercises regularly and course correct whenever I feel myself putting weight on again.
How does it feel to get more attention because you lost weight?
Mary: It is a strange feeling. I’ve always dealt with feeling self-conscious and insecure, so having people compliment me often is something I still don’t know how to deal with. I accept compliments and enjoy them because I’ve worked hard to feel and look better, but it feels strange to receive them and makes me wonder why we don’t compliment people all the time. I would have liked to have been noticed and appreciated before I lost the weight, but I feel like I was almost invisible then.
Ingrid: When everyone saw me they would always say “You look so good” or “Oh my god, you’re half the person you were before!”. After a while it started to bother me. Wasn’t I compliment worthy before? Did I have to be skinny to look good and have people notice me? After a few weeks I would cringe every time I’d hear someone say something about how much weight I’d lost.
I was never weight conscious before, but after I lost so much weight, and had internalized the idea that skinny equals pretty I started to watch what I ate more and more.
But now I’m totally comfortable with myself. I love the way I look and I’ll gladly accept compliments.
How’s your relationship with food now?
Mary: Much, much better. I won’t say it is perfect, because I still have times where I want to eat for comfort instead of nourishment, but those times are less often. I’ve learned how to eat mindfully and listen to what my body is telling me. If I’m full I can stop eating instead. I’m much more in tune with what my body wants and needs regarding food now.
Ingrid: I think about food totally differently. I eat to nourish my body, not to fill up. When I’m hungry I always ask myself “Is this a good food choice?” I eat pretty healthy, but it takes a big effort on my part.
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For all the ladies that are looking to make some positive changes in their lives – don’t delay! There is no better day than today to start living your dream life
Mary is a healthy living blogger at amerrylife.com. She has been up on the scale and down, but is confident that no matter what weight she is at she will be living a happy and healthy life. For more on her weight loss journey, visit her personal weight loss blog: amerrylife.com.
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send thank you flowers often
In business and pleasure, amongst family and friends, all of us give and receive favours that we should show our appreciation for. But how many of us express our thanks? Is a simple “thanks, dude” enough? When do you send a thank you note? What about flowers?
As a general rule if someone does something kind, thoughtful, or a job well done you should let them know. It’s always appropriate to let them know how much you appreciate that they’ve taken some time out of their day and paused all the things that they could have been doing otherwise, just to help you out.
So go ahead, write an old fashioned thank you note and post it in the mail, pick up the phone and take two minutes just to say “thanks, that really made a difference” or send some flowers to show how much you appreciate someone’s effort.
You will feel great, the other person will feel great…and as a lovely hidden benefit the recipient of your gratitude will likely pay it forward and do something kind to another person.
An Attitude of Gratitude is Contagious – help spread it!
Photo Credit: Flowers Flowers
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The other morning I woke up much earlier than normal. When I peeked out of the bedroom I could see the whole living room was lit up with a beautiful golden glow. I looked to the East only to see a gorgeous sunrise welcoming the day.
I normally would pass this chance by, go back to bed, and wake up with my alarm in a groggy state. But this day was different. I let the sun shine in, warm my face, fill me with energy and welcome the day in a completely different way.
And it’s those simple pleasures that remind us of the little things in life that shouldn’t be forgotten. So if there is something in your life that will let you wake up with more energy, savour your afternoon tea in a different way, or inspire your creativity make sure you let it in. Enjoy the simple goodness.
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super sexy boots from B2
This winter is milder than ever in Toronto, but sooner or later Mr. Winter will be arriving and along with that a need for some stylish booties.
At Brown’s designer store B2, there’s an amazing selection of sexy boots that makes every girl almost welcome winter.
These ones are my fave. They are a bit pricey (approx $300), but they’re gorgeous, comfortable and definitely splurge worthy!
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three little monkeys laying on the $25,000 mattress
This past weekend I went with my brother and fiancé to a historical part of the city to walk on the cobblestone streets, sip some gourmet locally roasted coffee, peruse the art in the galleries, and sample some Toronto micro brewed beer.
Just as we stepped out of the car I happened upon a mattress store. It seemed a tad out of place to be in this area, but since we’re in the market for a new mattress we decided to step in.
And step into another world we did indeed!
At the Hasten’s store(Swedish for extremely expensive…I think) we decided to try out the mattresses. They were divine! If a pea were under that bed you would never notice. You could probably have a pea farm under your bed and not notice!
We were all having a lovely time on the bed and my fiancé was ready to buy one. I said “honey, these are not your average mattresses, these are $25,000!” He brushed it off and said “Well, if one at a different store is $1,000 I think it’s worth it, this feels amazing!” I pulled him aside and gently said “No, not $2,500, I mean $25,000, kind of like you’re sleeping in a car”.
He raised his eyebrows and said “ohhh”. That’s right, it’s $25,000 for this fancy schmancy horse hair mattress.
I can’t imagine paying that much, even if it’s the official mattress of the Swedish royal family.
Would you pay $25,000 for a mattress?
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Recently I discovered this super fun quiz by Ethan Allen to help figure out my house style, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Since I’m getting married next Spring I’ve been trying to find a place to live that my future husband and I will both like. As a part of my magazine project I’ve been clipping my dream houses out and also one’s that I think my fiancé will like. But every house I’ve chosen for him has been dead wrong!
So now we’re going back to basics to try and figure out what style “category” each of us likes. That way we can figure out how to appropriately mix our styles.
Hopefully we have it all figured out before we move in together!
