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Thanks for a pretty amazing Sunday @marieveplamondon #artistsatheart #actuallywinos :)

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So I started this article back in October 2014, thought now would be the best time to share this insight. To write this, I made it a point, for a while, to make sure I screen-saved all of my stupid...

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Wrap Hack

Buying gifts last minute is one thing – making sure they’re wrapped beautifully is quite another. When it comes down to wrapping, lets face it, if you weren’t thrilled about the shopping, you’re probably not all to keen on wrapping either. Especially if you’re a last minute type of person.

With four days left until Christmas, I thought I’d share a couple videos on quick-tricks that can help the…

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A few weeks ago I was tasked with the duty of decorating the house for my mom’s birthday. Of course I took this responsibility on like a champ, but there was one particular decoration piece that I was asked about tons. At first they thought it was store bought (yes it’s sold at party stores like Party City), but when I told them I made them, they were all surprised.

“It’s so nice,” they would say, “how did you make it?” they would ask :)

Here’s a post to answer that very question.

Do-it-yourself projects for event decorations is one of my favourite things to do. Especially when I have to think on my feet and improvise either on a budget or with the materials right in front of me (I love this type of a challenge).

The pom pom was a result of one of these events (and I’m sure tons of tutorials already exist, but I was shocked to find myself creating it without even looking it up), and is one of my favourites to make. It works great as both table decorations (half circle), and hanging, assembled to look like a chandelier or randomly dispersed (full circle).

Whatever you decide, knowing how to make this is great for any just-in-case situations. Have it in the back of your mind for the next time you need to think on your feet. Trust, you’ll thank me.

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1. Start with tissues (these are from the dollar store)

2. Alternate the colours you’d like to use (I’ve found no more than 8 sheets is needed)

3. For the size I needed, I only needed half the length (folded in half and cut down the middle)

4. Fan fold the 8 sheets approximately 3 fingers wide (accordion fold)

5. Secure the middle with what you can. I used jewellery line to hang them later.

6. This is what it should look like when done and secured in the middle

7. Cut the ends, I use round but you can choose whatever design

8. Fan each section and peel each layer towards the middle

9. If you’ve used 8 sheets, peel up 4 on one side and then flip and do the same on the other

10. Repeat on the other side.

11. Final pom pom.

12. Pom pom chandelier.

When enhanced with other decoration pieces, this pom pom is easy to incorporate into any theme. You can make them for birthdays, holidays and even weddings (small half circles create a carnation like flower and can be taped onto a surface such as cars). It’s uses’ are endless. Enjoy!

  DIY Pom Pom’s A few weeks ago I was tasked with the duty of decorating the house for my mom's birthday.

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Some time ago, I made my way up to Blue Mountain (a ski resort just NW of Collingwood, which is a small town in Simcoe County, Ontario). I’m not much of a skier, so it was nice to be able to take in all it had to offer in the off-season. Even during the summer and fall, this place has so much to do! From zip-lining and tree-treking to mini golf and mountain biking, there seemed to be no shortage of activities and something for every one and every group size.

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I spent the day there and decided to take in the local atmosphere. I hiked up what I thought would only take 20 minutes. Sure enough, the length of that hill was deceiving and I ended up spending a lot more time going up. I was relieved to discover that the ride down was free when I finally reached the top. Every step of the way though, I enjoyed some pretty spectacular views.

Fall ski hill

View from the hike – going up

View from the hike – going up

View from the hike – going up

View from the hike – going up

View from the hike – going up

View from the hike – going up

Top – Tough is beautiful

Selfie on the gondola

View from the hike – going down

View from the hike – going down

I thought I would share a gallery of just how many options for activities there was to do here.

What do you want to do today?

activities

downhill cycling

activities and tours

activities and tours

activities and tours

activities and tours

activities and tours

activities and tours

activities and tours

activities and tours

Should you ever find yourself near this local gem, be sure to check out what they’ve got going on. Here is a link to the Activity Central, and if you’re looking for event space or conference information, click here.

I’ve lived in Toronto for the last five years and I just got the opportunity to make it up there. Definitely lots to do and I would recommend this spot for anyone, whether it’s a nice stroll to get away or adventures and activities, Blue Mountain is so much more than just a ski resort town. I know I’d like to make my way back there to take in all it’s adventures. Fingers crossed that it won’t take me another five years! Who knows, maybe I’ll try my hand at skiing or snowboarding again. Always a thought.

Local Gems – Blue Mountain Some time ago, I made my way up to Blue Mountain (a ski resort just NW of Collingwood, which is a small town in Simcoe County, Ontario).

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Anxiety Cure for Popping Ballons

Anxiety Cure for Popping Ballons

Do you ever feel a bit 😱, when you’re surrounded by🎈🎈🎈, and just know that at the end of the night it’ll be your job to clean them up. This means, yes, popping them so they fit in the trash bag.

This may leave you feeling a bit 😰, because the only way you know how to pop🎈🎈🎈, is with a 📌, or📎, and let’s be honest, the thought could make you, well, 😭.

Here’s a way to pop those🎈🎈🎈, by just using ✂️.…

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Mmmmmm…Food! What could be better? Food at discounted prices, that’s what!

I started this post thinking I was going to tell you guys where all the wings specials in Brampton are found. But upon further research, I realized that some of these places actually have some pretty sweet deals on food AND drinks when it comes to *savings.

I’m as social as they come, and I love a good night out surrounded by great company, but find it hard to pay full price for a menu item when I know that it can be cheaper on certain days of the week. After all, how much deep-fried bar and pub food can one actually eat, right? So why not take advantage of the daily specials. It’ll allow you go out a whole lot more – or it’ll help afford the fact that you already do :)

Below are 9-Brampton-specific-food-fare-spots for you check out.

1. Casey’s – Trinity Commons Plaza Monday – 1/2 price wings Tuesday  – Share a little love; 3 course meal for 2 for only $45 Wednesday – 1/2 pound, 1/2 price burgers Thursday – $4 specials ranging from cocktails, spirits and wines by the glass Friday – Ribs and a Pint Fridays Saturday – Steak and Shrimp Sunday – Kids 8 and under eat free

2. Crabby Joe’s – Corner of Queen St. E and Kennedy Rd. S Monday – 1/2 price appetizers after 9 p.m. Tuesday – .39 chicken wings and .99 chicken fingers AND 1/2 price appetizers after 9 p.m. Wednesday – 1/2 price appetizers after 9 p.m. Thursday- 1/2 price appetizers after 9 p.m. Friday – $5 martini’s AND 1/2 price appetizers after 9 p.m. Saturday – 1/2 price appetizers after 9 p.m. Sunday – 1/2 price appetizers after 9 p.m.

3. Lonestar Texas Grill - Queen St. E and West Dr. in the plaza with Oceans Monday – $5 food and drinks after 8 p.m. Tuesday – $5 food and drinks after 8 p.m. Wednesday – $5 food and drinks after 8 p.m. Thursday – Texas size ribs at regular size price AND $5 food and drinks after 8 p.m. Friday – $5 food and drinks after 8 p.m. Saturday – $5 food and drinks after 8 p.m. Sunday – $5 food and drinks after 8 p.m.

4. Montana’s – Trinity Commons Monday – $25 2 pints of Budweiser and 2 select starters Wednesday – All you can eat ribs Thursday – $25 2 pints of Budweiser and 2 select starters Sunday – $25 2 pints of Budweiser and 2 select starters

5. Moxies – Bramalea City Centre, not in the mall Monday – .35 wings – bar only AND Bud Light Platinum (355 ml) – $4.99 AND Mojitos (1 oz) – $4.99 Tuesday – Moxie’s proprietary Big Life™ beer (16 oz) – $4.99 AND 1/2 price glasses of wine (5 oz) Wednesday – White Peach Bellinis (1 oz) – $4.99 AND Canadian & Coors Light (18 oz) – $4.99 Thursday – Shock Top (16 oz) – $4.99 AND Martinis (2 oz) – $6.99 Friday – The G.T. – Moxie’s twist on a classic Gin & Tonic (2 oz) – $6.99 AND Bad Boy Beers – $8.99 Saturday – Peroni Italian Lager (330 ml) – $5.79 AND Tokyo Lemonade (1.5 oz) – $6.99 Sunday – Signature Caesars (1 oz) – $5.99

6. Pickle Barrel – Bramalea City Centre, in the mall Monday – Pina Colada $6, Keith’s $5, Absolut & Soda $5 Tuesday  – Mojito $5, Stella $6, Wiser’s Spice & Coke $5 Wednesday – Bellini $5, Rolling Rock $5, Lychee Lemonade $5 Thursday – Margarita $5, Corona $4.50, White Freezie $5 Friday – Beefeater 24 Martini $6, Sapporo $5, Havanah Club 7yr & Coke $5 Saturday – Grey Goose Martini $6, Steam Whistle $5, Peach Wally $5 Sunday – Bloody Caesars $5, White Sangria $6, Budweiser Aluminum $5

7. Turtle Jacks – SW corner of Bovaird Dr. E and Airport Road Also “Turtle Time” Monday – Friday from 4-6 specials – please see link provided Monday – Widemouth Bottles AND House Wine $5 Tuesday – Corona’s $3.99 AND Margarita’s $5.99 Wednesday – Classic Burger and Domestic Pint $14.99 Thursday – MGD Draughts $4.99 AND Martini’s $5.99 Friday – Cottage Island Iced Tea $6.49 Saturday – Coors Banquet Pints $5.99 Sunday – Domestic Pitchers $13.99 AND Caesars $5.99

8. St. Louis - Bramalea City Centre, not in the mall Monday – $13.99 5 chicken tenders with fries and a 20oz. domestic pint Tuesday – 1/2 price wing night Wednesday – $5 buck angus burger and $5 buck premium pints Thursday – 1/2 price starers and shareables Friday – $19.99 wing and rib combo Saturday – $19.99 triple play (1 starter, 1 main, 1 dessert – from set menu) Sunday – $15.99 pint and a pound

9. Wild Wings – Corner of Queen St. E and Hansen Rd. S Monday – .75 boneless wings Tuesday  – $10.99 1.5lbs of wings Wednesday – $10.99 angus burger and a pint Thursday – $14.99 pint and a pound Sunday – $31.99 2lbs of wings and a pitcher of Coors Light

I hope it goes without saying that *conditions do apply and you do have to ask each of the individual establishment what their rules are when ordering. For example, most places require a drink order (with or without alcohol) in order for the special price to be applied to the food order.

Bon appetite!!!

All images are courtesy of restaurants listed, feature image is a collage of them.

9 Spots to Wet Your Whistle AND Daily Food Specials Mmmmmm...Food! What could be better? Food at discounted prices, that's what! I started this post thinking I was going to tell you guys where all the wings specials in Brampton are found.

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Clearance Crazy - Warehouse Shopping

Feature image courtesy of Lapennaco

I hope everyone had an amazing long weekend surrounded by loved ones and stuffed their belly’s full of all things yummy!

Ahead of the holiday season, I though I would share some of my favourite places to hunt for bargains. If you’re anything like me, you don’t need to wait for Boxing Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas in July, or any other of…

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Wonder if it's a bad thing that these guys found me...Hmmmmm #notsexy #cibcrunforthecure

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Poker 101 - Game Overview

Poker 101 – Game Overview

Feature image courtesy of vegasvacationbids.com

As a professional dealer (aka croupier, come on, let’s not get me into any trouble), I’m often asked to teach people how to play casino games, specifically, poker.

The thing with poker is, there’s just so much. and how someone plays the game is their poker PERSONALITY.

I can only teach people the basics such as rules, terminology and etiquette. What…

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Excel - Essential Shortcuts Tip Sheet

Excel – Essential Shortcuts Tip Sheet

Feature image courtesy of eCards

Image courtesy of quickmeme

In the first year of my public relations program, we had a gentleman by the name of Benjamin Metzler speak to our class about Excel basics. He whizzed through his tutorial in Excel like a master of his trade and you could totally tell that he was completely in his element. He then proceeded to say that what we just witnessed was barely…

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Have you ever wondered what, “Close your eyes and count to ten,” or, “Take a breath,” or, “Clear your mind,” or even, “Find your happy place,” is suppose to look like?

When I travelled I was exposed to so much natural beauty it was very easy to find my zen. You know, close my eyes and imagine my happy place when things got a bit chaotic and crazy. But over the last few years, I sort of forgot what that was suppose to look like.

In early August, I was told about a river tubing and swimming spot just about an hour northwest of Brampton. As soon as I heard about it, I researched it and made it my mission, that before summer ended, I was definitely going to have to see this with my own eyes.

The pictures I found online were impressive, to say the least, but honestly do it no justice.

I arrived at Elora Gorge gung ho and ready to tube down the river and enjoy the sun, what I didn’t realize, was that I was about to see some pretty spectacular views too.

I’m just glad that I was able to witness this tranquility, so when I need my mind to be a little bit calmer and less chaotic, I can just think back to these memories. Most of the pictures below are from the swimming hole, where you can apparently cliff dive as well.

I’d like to just shut-up right here and let my pictures try to showcase Elora’s beauty.

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Quarry

Elora Gorge – river tubing

Now obviously, river-tubing was, well tubing on a river, so as nice and serene as it was, I couldn’t really afford to lose any technology in it. So I sat back, enjoyed the atmosphere and vowed to myself that someone else probably got great pics of the Gorge, better then I ever could anyways.

Well what do you know!!! The following images are from the Grand River Conservation Authority on Flickr.

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Like I said, these images really don’t do it enough justice. Too bad the heat has gone away, but if it does come back out…never a better way to kick back and really be thankful for this life.

More information can be found here for both Elora Gorge and Elora Quarry.

P.S. Just realized that the parks are closed as of Labour Day, but the river is opened until October 15, if you’re feeling a little adventurous! There’s also lots of trails and things to do around there too. If nothing else, enjoy the quaint town, you never know who you may meet or what you may end up uncovering for yourself.

Happy Zen!!!

Local Gems – Elora Gorge and Elora Quarry Have you ever wondered what, "Close your eyes and count to ten," or, "Take a breath," or, "Clear your mind," or even, "Find your happy place," is suppose to look like?

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Windfall Basics - Realize Dignity

Windfall Basics - Realize Dignity @WindfallBasics @Windfallbrides #Dignity

As someone who had a less then privileged childhood, I can tell you, I looked forward to two days out of the year. My birthday and Christmas – these were the days where I was afforded ‘new’ items, and even with Christmas, new items were only available thanks to the generosity of those who supported local charities, and those gifts usually came in the form of toys.

But new clothes, that does…

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Right Thru Me - NICKI MINAJ

[CHORUS:]

You see right through me how do you do that shit [3X] How do you [5X] You let me win, you let me ride, you let me rock, you let me slide and when they looking, you let me hide, defend my honor, protect my pride The good advice, I always hated but looking back, it made me greater, you always told me, forget the haters just get my money, just get my weight up Know when I'm lying, know when I'm crying It's like you got it, down to a science, why am I trying, Know you ain't buying, I try to fight it, back with defiance, you make me laugh, you make me hoarse from yelling at you, and getting at you, picking up dishes, throwing em at you, why are you speaking when no one asked you. [CHORUS 2X] What are we doing, could you see through me, cause you say Nicki and I say who me? and you say no you, and I say screw you, then you start dressing and you start leaving, and I start crying, and I start screaming, the heavy breathin', but, what's the reason, always get the reaction you wanted, I'm actually fronting, I'm asking you something YO, answer this question, class is in session, tired of letting passive aggression, control my mind, capture my soul, OK, you're right just let it go, OK you got it, it's in the can, before I played it, you knew my hand, you can turn a free throw to a goal, Nigga got the peep hole to my soul [CHORUS 2X] Stop! Stop! Won't you just stop looking through me 'cause I can't take it, no I can't take it [CHORUS]

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There are two kinds of actions: One is outer and the other is inner. But who is to say if one of them is better?

Lao Tzu

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When we are aware of our soul, we perceive the inner life that surpasses our ego and that has profound affinities with the Whole.

Rabindranath Tagore

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Each of us, in our own way, can spread compassion into people's hearts.

Dalai Lama