Sunday, June 29, 2014

Big Brother - Recap - Episode 3

Alright, here's my apology up front.  I'm at a work conference that went late, so I missed the first half of the episode.  So there's a big gap in this recap, but hopefully the rest of this recap still works for you, because there's no PVR in my hotel room, so I can only recap what I saw.

SO - pick up at the nominations - Caleb nominates: Paola (Pow Pow .... I refuse to call her that), and Donny.  Frankie nominates Victoria and Brittany. 

So I learn that there is a guys alliance... "the Bomb Squad".... and Devin decides, without consulting the rest of his alliance, that he's going to as Amber and Christine to be part of the Squad.  Se get to see various reactions of people in the bomb squad to Devin's additions.  The consensus is, Devin is an idiot.  Why would you not consult your alliance first?  Bad move.

On to the Battle of the Block.  The nominees compete, the nominees that win come off the block, and the HOH who nominated them is dethroned.  For this challenge, the two nominees work as a pair swinging from chandeliers to collect champaign, pass it to their partner and the partner dumps it in to a class.  The first couple to have their glass filled until a berry comes out of the glass.

Paola seems to have difficulty getting the hang of swinging. ( Did she not do this as a kid?)  And her facial expressions show it.  I can't tell if she's trying to swing, or using the bathroom (yes, a classy bathroom joke on my blog). 

In the end, clearly Victoria and Brittany are in the groove, and they win. 

Next up... Power of veto!  (On Wednesday)

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Big Brother 16 - Episode 2 Recap

Who else is excited to hear about the other 8 houseguests?  Well let’s dive in!


So everyone kind of blends together for me during this opening “meet the houseguests” montage, but the standouts for me?  Zach… because he’s arrogant…. The mom of 3 (can’t remember her name… it will come later), Hayden the super smart dude and Christine the Barista.


I do remember Jacosta says “I’ve done a lot of things, done alot of people”.   Say what?  I did a double take just then.  Unexpected.  When she started intro by saying she was a minister and motivational speaker, I definitely wasn’t expecting those to be the next words out of her mouth.


We learn that Barista Christine loves nudity.  Could this be the female version of Arlie (BB Canada 2)?  


As much as the mom of 3 seems nice enough, the duck face she was showing while waiting to go in the house nearly pushed me over the edge.


The new houseguests enter the house after learning there is already an HOH, and that there will be another one.  Hayden says he’s in the house with ‘The Rock’ (Devin), ‘Whitney Houston’ (Amber) and ‘John Travolta’ (Cody).  Too funny.


Zach has indicated he doesn’t need friends…. and he shows us that by being pretty abrasive with Frankie.  Yup.  Isn’t that a great strategy?  How about no!   What an idiot.


On to the HOH competition.  The houseguests basically hold on to a big “spit” and get spun around over “coals”.  A little bit further into the competition, they spray BBQ sauce on the houseguests to make it, you know, fun.  Untilmately, Cody wins.  


Then… Julie drops the bombshell… the two HOH’s will each nominate 2 Houseguests… meaning 4 people will be on the block, but then, in the “Battle of the Block” competition, each HOH’s nominees will compete against the other HOH’s nominees.  The winners come off the block, and the HOH that nominated them is dethroned, and thrown back into the mix, and could potentially be nominated.  The houseguests equally freak out about this revelation.


Team America, America’s alliance, had it’s first member named… Joey!   Thank you America!  I love her!!  Each member receives $5000 for every challenge they accomplish.


I am also happy to hear the live feeds open tonight, so I’ll be able to read spoilers!  Yay!

Until next time…. share your thoughts below!!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Big Brother 16 - Episode 1 Recap!!!

Well, here we are boys and girls, Season 16 of Big Brother.  Nothing makes me sound more judgemental than when I watch this show.  I think this show brings out the "dramarific" (yes, I know that's not a real word) side of me.

Lets get in to it!

We start by meeting the first 8 houseguests.....Amber, Paola, Cody, Devin, Joey, Frankie, Donny and Nicole. 

Right away... I don't like Paola.  Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure she will provide us with many memorable moments which may or may not include moments not appropriate for live TV, but there's something about this girl that rubs me the wrong way.     

I'm sure the most memorable/talked about houseguest of the night was Cody. Yes, yes, he's a good looking guy. I'm not immune to his looks... but I was not particularly impressed beyond that. I need more than looks..most of the time.

Similarly, Devin.... nice looking, but not much to offer beyond that. Yes...lots of ladies swoon over single dad's, but using good looks as a strategy? Unimpressive. He kind of came off as an arrogant jerk to me.

Donny... he is one of my personal faves. I love me some small town folk.

Similarly...Nicole - simple (not in a bad way) small town girl. And that accent... awesome.

Amber - Personally, I didn't really find she did too much to make an impression. I'm sort of indifferent at the moment.

Joey - I instantly liked this girl.  She's so bubbly it's infectious. And the blue hair just seems to suit her. She is my early favourite.

Frankie - Youtube sensation and brother of Arianna Grande of Disney Channel (and other ??) fame.  Fun and fabulous, but not over the top.  And his pink hair.  Great.

So there you have it, the intros.

So the first 8 (not to be confused with the First Five Alliance from BB Canada), enter the house.  Lots of screaming and giggles and they figure out the beds.

Then they all introduce themselves.  This is where they size each other up and decide who they want to “showmance” with.  Surprisingly, no particularly nasty comments by anyone… yet.

Amber had her eyes on Devin, Devin had his eyes on Joey, and at least half of the houseguests were enjoying the site of Cody.  

We also see some lining up for alliances.  These 8 agree they will align togther as the “Crazy Eights”, but there are a few sub-alliances including Devin and Donny.  Devin thinks this is a great alliance because no one would expect it, even Donny who couldn’t believe he was being approached by this big strong guy for an alliance.  The 4 girls decide to form an Alliance called “El Quatro” which Paola refers to as the first ever all girls alliance… umm.. I’m pretty sure this has happened before, perhaps she’s not familiar with this show.  My favourite part of this alliance is when Nicole says “I’m all for girl power, but what does El Quatro mean?”  Ha!

Julie tells the group there will be 8 more houseguests and because you’re HOH, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re safe.  Ooooo!

The group of 8 play the first HOH which consists of holding on to a kite while balancing on a moving… log(?)  then they get sprayed with sunscreen.  In the end, it comes down to Amber and Frankie, and since Amber is afraid about Julie’s statement that the HOH may not be safe, she throws in the towel, and Frankie wins!

Julie then drops the bombshell on the houseguests, there will be 2 HOH’s this season.

And we’re left with some scenes of the houseguests freaking out about all of these new tidbits Julie has just given to them.

Before we sign off, Julie shares that there will be a #TeamAmerica this season… a secret alliance of 3, chosen by America and given tasks by America.  We learn the first houseguest has already been chosen by America, but we won’t know their identity until tomorrow.  

What were your thoughts on tonight’s episode???  Share your comments below and tune in Thursday night when we meet the rest of the houseguests!!

Big Brother 16 Starts TONIGHT!

In case you can't tell by my caps and exclamation point in the title of this post... I am pretty excited for Big Brother to start tonight.  It's that special time of year when we start to forget the names of past houseguests, and meet a whole new set of people.  Don't get me wrong, I have my favourites (and least favourites) that I remember and some I wish I could forget... but as for the rest... I tend to forget there names within a season or two.  I see old clips of previous seasons and think "oh yeah, I forgot about that girl/guy".

I love my reality TV, and Big Brother is definitely my favourite.  So be prepared, if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or read my blog regularly, you will be over run with posts about this season.  I live-Tweet every episode, and recap every episode here on the blog.  So strap in for a summer full of drama, showmances and Julie Chen's memorable "but first".

To get you prepped for tonight, have a sneak peak at the first Head-of-Household competition of the season:

(Clip from the CBS Youtube page)


Monday, June 23, 2014

Countdown to Big Brother 16!

The countdown is definitely on in my house (well, for me at least), Big Brother 16 premiers Wednesday!  Which means I will soon be flooding all of my social media feeds with Big Brother related tweets every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday!  Can you tell I'm excited by all of my exclamation points?!?!  Anyway, as part of my "countdown to the first show", I've done a little digging around and found out some of the scoop as to what we have to look forward to this summer.

***Warning**** Don't read any further if you prefer to wait until the first night.

1 - The newest Big Brother twist is that this season there will be 2 HOH's crowned every week.  Each HOH nominates two houseguests (so 4 nominees all together).  Then the 2 HOH's will participate in a "Battle of the Block".  The winner of this challenge gets to stay HOH and their nominees remain.  So what does this mean?  A lot more drama.  It means 4 people will be ticked off this week instead of 2.  Also, we will most certainly hear a lot more "don't worry about it, you're just being put up as a pawn".

2 - There is apparently a houseguest who has previously tweeted homophobic and racist comments.  Wonderful (sarcasm)... as if we didn't have enough of that in Big Brother 15.  I wasn't going to reveal his name, but it will all come out anyway.  His name is Caleb Reynolds.

3 - Caleb, the same houseguest mentioned in point # 2 also has a video of himself killing a wild boar with a stick.  Wait... is this Survivor?  Or Big Brother?  Anyway, he describes himself as an avid outdoorsman, and apparently that was part of his outdoorsman lifestyle (?)

4 - America will apparently have influence of some kind over a houseguest (perhaps like America's Player?  I'm not sure).  Last week on CBS's website you can vote for "Team America".  The description appeared as follows:  "If you had to form an alliance with one of the House Guests who would you select? Choose wisely, your vote will impact the game."  Ooo... intriguing.

So there are a few tidbits to get you revved up for Wednesday's episode.  Be sure to head to the CBS website to check out all of the Houseguest profiles there.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Review

I will freely admit that the majority of my movie watching, since I became a mom 5 years ago, has seemed to primarily revolve around children's movies.... and I'm ok with that.  Lots of the children's animated movies nowadays include little nuances and jokes that adults will enjoy.  I have also noticed that I have become a bit emotional since I became a mom.  Half of the movies I've watching with my daughter.... Frozen, Up, and others... have made me cry.  This movie was no exception.

I didn't see the first "How to Train Your Dragon" (it was a daddy-daughter date movie), but I was still able to follow this one and gather what happened in the first.

The movie follows Hiccup, the hero of the first movie, and his village, which has now embraced dragons.  Many of the village residents have dragons of their own that they ride around on.  When we pickup with Hiccup, he's creating a map of many surrounding lands that he's now able to visit because of his dragon, Toothless. 

Without giving too much away about the movie, Hiccup discovers that a villain, Drago Bluntvist, is trying to control dragons in order to create a dragon army. 

Hiccup meets a mysterious dragon rider and a safe haven full of rescued dragons.  They work together to fight back against Drago.

I won't say too much else, so I don't ruin the movie for anyone.  This movie has some powerful messages contained in it about understanding and tolerance.  I will warn that this movie has some frightening scenes for younger children, and some sad scenes (for sappy moms and dads like me).

I highly recommend this movie. 

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Stay-cation - Pt 1

As promised, the first installment in my stay-cation series.  Because we plan to spend most of our summer close to home, I decided to highlight some of the awesome things our area offers.  I think sometimes we don't explore our own hometown, and that's unfortunate.   

So today we decided to do a little drive to Hampton, NB.  Hampton is about 30 minutes away from where I live in Saint John, NB. 

Hampton is a small community of a little over 4200 people.  It's rich with history!  Originally settled by Loyalists in the 1780s.  Lots of charm in this place.

We decided to head out to a fundraiser for the Hampton Food Bank.  The fundraiser was a Pontoon Ride on the Kennebecasis River.  Cool, right?  It really was.  The fundraiser was put on by Zelda's River Adventures.  (Check out their website here:  http://zeldasriveradventures.ca/home/).  The ride was about an hour, but so much beauty and wildlife:

 


My little girl enjoyed herself.

 
After our boat tour, we did a little drive through Hampton and found a park, which my daughter was quite pleased about:
 
 


It was a great little park surrounded with old buildings, a cute little gift shop/info center, and they were even setting up for a little concert.



Lots of little restaurants, shops and fast food places along Hampton Road for every taste.

Although it was a quick little trip away today, we definitely got the "getaway" feel.

On a budget note, the cost of today's excursion - a donation to the Hampton Food Bank, lunch (about $12.... but if I had of been better at planning ahead, there would have been lots of opportunity/spots to have a picnic).

Have a mini-getaway story of your own?  Feel free to share!

Friday, June 20, 2014

New Topic/Series

So, my husband works in an industry that is very busy in the Spring/Summer/Fall, so we tend to take our vacations in the winter.  That being said, we love having the odd "weekend getaway" in the summer.  As a result, I've decided to do a few posts on some of our staycations/mini-getaways.  This will be a way to highlight some of the awesome things we have going on in our area, both for people that live in and around Saint John, NB, and for people considering travelling to the area.

I'm also incredibly cheap, so bargains are a must.

I believe we have some real gems in this area, so I want to share them!  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, a pic of the beautiful place I live:

Saint John, NB

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Throwback Thursday - Reality Shows I Hope Never Come Back

You now how every once in a while, some TV or movie producer gets a "great idea" to re-make an old movie or TV show?  Well, I've come up with a little list of shows I hope never come back.  Don't get me wrong... some of these shows... I watched every minute.  Looking back, they were truly horrible, but I'm a sucker for trashy TV, so, truth be told, I would likely watch if they came back on.

Here's the list (in no particular order):

Temptation Island:

Ahhh... so much trash in one little hour.  This show consisted of several couples coming to an island full of singles to "test" their relationship.  Why?  When in real life are you going to be surrounded by good looking people who are trying to break up your relationship?  Is this a regular thing that happens?  Because I guess I'm not part of that side of the world. 

I found it so ridiculous that people were constantly crying/mad about their partner kissing, talking, laughing, hugging (etc) any of the singles.  What did they think was going to happen on this show?  If everyone stayed faithful, they wouldn't have a show. 

Fun fact (that I did not remember until going through some old articles about the show) - the host's name was Mark Walberg... but not THAT Mark Walberg.  This one has hosted a number of different shows.

Anyway, one of the couples I found most annoying was Billy and Mandy.  They were constantly testing the limits and then getting mad at the other one for doing the same.   I have no idea if they are still together ... but I found her Youtube page.  Apparently she is a singer and "Youtube Star".  She has some alter egos that she features in some of the Youtube episodes.  They are ... interesting.  Here is one of her episodes, for your viewing pleasure:



The Swan

This show was the most disgusting of the disgusting.  It featured various women talking about why they felt they needed plastic surgery.  It was clear that the majority (if not ALL) of the women on this show had self-esteem issues.  While the show claimed that they had some psychological counseling while on the show, lets keep in mind that they were only on the show for the length of their surgery and recovery time... not much time for counseling. 

Take for example the clip below.  One of the first things she says is that she's trying to figure out who she is.  Call me crazy, but I don't think plastic surgery is necessary to figure out who you are. 

Before I go any further, I want to add, that I hate being critical of the women on this show.  I feel like they already  have self-esteem issues, so they don't need me ripping them apart.  It's not the women that are the problem.  Obviously there has been a message to them, somewhere along the way, that looking different will make things better, and that's just sad.

After we hear why these women want to be on the show, we are subjected to watching a panel of plastic surgeons break down what surgery this woman "needs", and a couple seconds of a psychologist "analyzing" her psychological needs. 

The recovery segments on this show are enough to make me swear off plastic surgery forever.



Celebrity Boxing

What's more fun than watching two celebrities beat each other up?  Lots of things.  This show was terrible.  This show featured ridiculous match ups like Joey Buttafuoco vs "Chyna" (of WWE fame), Tonya Harding vs Paula Jones and Todd Bridges vs Vanilla Ice.  Sure, lots of people wanted to see Tonya Harding punched in the face after the whole Nancy Kerrigan thing, but this was just idiotic.  Watch Tonya fight Paula Jones below... Paula was clearly out of her league here as she keeps basically running away. 



Do you have any shows that you don't want to see come back?  Share them in the comments below!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

That's right... I'm Pro-Vaccine!!

I've written this post in my head about a million times, just never physically done it.  But here I am, I'm saying it... I'm pro-vaccine.

I've always held back my own views on vaccination for fear of offending someone, but, at the same time, I've had acquaintances say to me (in the most passive aggressive way... so as not to hurt my feelings) that I am harming my child by having her vaccinated.  They've shared their own "research", books they've read and articles as to why I should believe what they do.  I appreciate their passion, but just as I can probably say nothing that would change their mind on this topic, they will not change mine.

I'm not going to pretend I'm the perfect parent.  I know there are things I can do better.  But one thing I'm sure I'm doing right for my daughter, is having her vaccinated.  I'm very comfortable with the amount of research that has been done in to vaccines.  I have not seen enough research to the contrary that will convince me otherwise.  And suffice it to say that a book by a celebrity, or some dis-proven research by a "doctor" is definitely not going to change my mind.  Do I recognize that people have reactions to vaccines?  Absolutely.  Do I think the risks outweigh the benefits for us?  Yes.

After having conversations with people from countries where they don't have the same access to vaccines that we do, after knowing people under going cancer treatments and thus having compromised immune systems, or even hearing stories from parents' whose children contracted Whooping Cough - these are real life examples of just some reasons I am happy with my choice to vaccinate.

I am not suggesting people are good or bad parents based on whether they vaccinate or not.  I believe that we all make choices based on the information that we have and do what we believe is in the best interest of our children.  I simply encourage people to be well informed, and look for well researched and well documented information.

So go ahead, tell me about government conspiracies to infect us all with ailments through vaccines, tell me about "Big Pharma" and their plan to get rich, tell me I've been brain-washed by "the man".   In the end, I am happy to have my child vaccinated because I believe I'm providing her with the best possible protection for her health.



For more information about immunization, I strongly encourage people to visit the Public Health Agency of Canada Website: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/index-eng.php  and UR Immunized: http://www.urimmunized.com/

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

1 Week Away from Big Brother 16!

It's almost that time of year again... that time of year that my Facebook friends and Twitter followers who don't like Big Brother consider "unfriending/unfollowing" me because of my excessive live-tweeting!  Yay!

I thought I would take this opportunity to make a few predictions about this season's house guests:

1 - I predict that there will be a former (maybe more than one) house guest involved in some way.  I'm really hoping it's not as a "coach".  I hated that twist.

2 - There will be a "southern belle" or "good 'ol southern boy".... oozing with classic southern charm.

3 - There will be a gay house guest.  The question is, will they hide it... like Kenny in Big Brother Canada... or be open about it... or someone over the top like the potential house guest Scott/Contessa?  Or.... maybe for a change it will be a girl!  Although... for some reason... I'm thinking that isn't likely.

4 - I also predict that they will only have one house guest over the age of 30.  Apparently us "30 and overs" aren't very interesting. ... or we all have jobs/families/commitments... either way.

5 - There will be at least one house guest who hides their profession.  Remember when Danielle decided to lie about her profession.. instead of saying she was a nurse, she "played the part of a dumbed down kindergarten teacher".  Riiggghtttt.   That was a good strategy *eye roll*.

6 - There will be mean girls.  At least two... maybe three... who form a "friendship" within the first few days based on their ridiculing of other house guests.  I will hate them.

7 - There will be at least one guy who believes he is hot/desirable to every girl in the house.

8 - I also predict that within the first 10 minutes of the opening episode, Julie Chen will say her first "but first".

9 - There will be claims that this season will have the most "shocking twist in Big Brother history".  I'm not claiming to know what that twist is... I just know that will be a claim this season.

10 - There will be multiple comparisons by online bloggers between new house guests and one of the following former house guests: Janelle, Dr. Will, Jordan, Jeff or Rachel.


Anyway... they're not earth shattering predictions, but they're a few things that I think will happen this season.

Do you have any predictions?  Share them in the comments section below!

And one final note... Congratulations to Sherry Wagner for winning my blog feedback contest!  And thank you to everyone who filled out the survey.  I'm working hard to include the content you have indicated you're interested in.  One of the overall comments was that you all wanted to see more content more often... and I'm making it happen.  Yay!

Monday, June 16, 2014

What a weekend....

Well, what a weekend.  We enjoyed a nice Father's Day yesterday, and the day before, we participated in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  This was somewhat fitting for me that these two occasions would fall on the same weekend.  As many of you know, I lost my father last year to pancreatic cancer.  So this year, I participated in his memory, the day before Father's Day, at Relay for Life. 

For those of you that follow me on Twitter, you would have seen some of my pictures from the event, but I thought I would share them here for anyone who didn't see my pictures, or haven't experienced this event before.

Unfortunately, we got quite a bit of rain on Saturday, so the Relay was moved inside a hockey rink.  Don't worry, no skates required.  There were some plusses to being in side:
1 - We weren't wet
2 - It was actually pretty warm
3 - All the teams were set up pretty close together, so it created a real sense of community
4 - No porta-potties... real bathrooms.

We had a new format here at our event this year... 12 PM to 12 AM.  It used to be an overnight event (7 PM to 7 AM).  This allowed for more children to attend the event, and not so many tired teams.

We started the event with a team lap, and got in to some entertainment, including Zumba!




 
 
My daughter decorated some luminary candles for cancer survivors (more on the luminaries later):
 
 

 
 
There were bouncy castles, games, crafts, musical entertainment, dance schools that danced for everyone, and lots of walking the track (forgive the blurry pictures, my phone camera is not good at capturing "action shots).
 



 
 
The Survivor's lap kicked off at 7.  Cancer Survivors circulated and we clapped and celebrated their victory over cancer.
 
Then at 10 PM we honored those still battling, and remembered those lost to cancer:
 
 
These were some of our luminaries for my dad:
 


Overall a fantastic event.  The organizing committee and Cancer Society staff for a job well done.  My team is excited to come back next year (which will be our 10th year participating in this event)!

And Happy Father's Day to my dad.  I'm sure he was with us this weekend.
 


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Throw Back Thursday - Part 2!

I'm getting this "Throwback Thursday" post in before the end of Thursday... then it would have had to be a "Flashback Friday" post, and that just wouldn't have been the same.

Anyway.... as promised in my last "#TBT" post.... I will flashback to some memorable reality tv moments.  I won't say "my favourite" moments, because some of these moments... I hated, but... let's admit it, I love having moments to hate... so they are included.

Here we go!

Big Brother All Stars - Diary room "phone calls" between Mike "Boogie" & Dr. Will :

In Season 2, I hated these guys... I prayed every week they would be evicted.  In the end... WIll won that Season.  When I heard Mike and Will were back for Big Brother All Stars, I cringed, but I enjoyed watching them more than I'll admit.  Here is some of why I enjoyed them:


 

Big Brother 8 – Jen Crying over her picture:
Ok... I will admit... despite the fact that I am a major Big Brother fan, I frequently forget everything about one season the minute a new season begins.  At this time, I remember virtually nothing about Season 8... that being said, I came across this video on YouTube, and I remember the rage I felt when I watched this ridiculous girl cry... and not just cry... but SOB... over HER PICTURE.  I get it... the house makes you a different person.  Being cut off from the rest of the world may make you a little nuts, but come on... let's put things in perspective here.  It's a freaking picture!  (Do you sense my rage?)  Anyway, enjoy this ridiculous video (click on the link): 


Big Brother 2 – Shannon scrubs the toilet with Hardy’s toothbrush:
Season 2 of Big Brother... the whole Big Brother thing was still pretty new... and so were other reality tv shows.  So nothing was more scandalous... than Shannon scrubbing the toilet with Hardy's toothbrush.  I don't remember what drove her to do this, other than the fact that she didn't like him.  I remember Shannon for a couple of reasons... she was a jerk (I could have used more colouful language, but let's leave it at that), and for her "showmance" with Dr Will.  Watch her in one of her jerkier moments... as she cleans the toilet with Hardy's toothbrush.


 
Big Brother (I don't remember the season number) - Chima get’s expelled from the house:
This is probably one of the more ridiculous moments I remember.  So... here's a little Big Brother 101:
- You live in a house with other people... cut off from the outside world
- Cameras follow you 24 hours a day
- You have to wear a mic.

Those are the basics.  Sure, there are other rules like "don't threaten people" and "don't cheat in challenges", but those go without saying. I would have thought that "wear your microphone on a television show" would also go without saying, but apparently not.  I don't remember why Chima was in such a ridiculously bad mood, but she did not want to wear her mic, and she also didn't want to go to the Diary room when she was going to be reprimanded for it.  She was kicked out of the house as a result.  Such a stupid reason for being expelled.  Enjoy the temper tantrum:


 

 That's all for this week! 

Have any favourite moments I haven't talked about yet?  Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Giving Back - The Canadian Cancer Society


Don't worry, I'm not going to get all self-righteous in this post.  I am completely aware that I could probably do more to give back.  The reason I decided to write this post, is that I often get asked why I participate in the volunteer and/or fundraising activities that I do.  I intend on making this a bit of a "series" as I am involved in a few causes that I am absolutely passionate about, so I'll focus on one for each post. 

In 2005, I started working for the Canadian Cancer Society.  That statement, in itself, is why many people assume that I chose and continue to choose to support this organization.  But it's so much more than that.



During my time working for the Cancer Society, I got a truly "behind the scenes" look at the hard work that goes in to delivering the programs and services that the Canadian Cancer Society offers.  "But what do they do for OUR community?"  That's a question I hear all the time when I'm fundraising.  Each province has some programs that are unique to the needs of their province. Here are some examples of the fantastic work they do in New Brunswick:


SunSense - a school-based program designed to teach children in grades 1 to 3 about staying safe in the sun.  This program was designed with the help and feedback of teachers to ensure it met their teaching needs.  Teachers are provided with a kit with flexible options to present this program, including a script, powerpoint presentation, suggested presentation methods, a CD-ROM with tools, handouts and activities for the children and materials that can be sent home to parents.  One of the most popular parts of this kit are the supplies provided to make UV bracelets.  These bracelets feature some special UV beads that change colour when exposed to UV light.  How cool is that?!  The Cancer Society contacts each school every Spring to offer this program to teachers.  If you know a teacher that has a grade 1, 2 or 3 class that has not heard of this program, please share the information.  The kits are free!  These kits are also available to recreation centers in the summer time. 

Cancer Information & Support - This is a "2-prong" program.  This program is associated with a toll free number where you can go and get Information and or Support.  For the Information Service, you are connected with an "Information Specialist" who can answer any questions you may have related to cancer.  Whether you want to know common side effects of chemotherapy, or perhaps you have questions about BPA, the Information Sepcialists are there to help you. 

Through the same phone number, there is also an option for support.  This peer-to-peer emotional support program is designed for cancer patients and their caregivers.  Whether you have been diagnosed yourself, or are a caregiver for someone with cancer, the staff at the Peer Support program can match you with a specially trained volunteer who has had a similar cancer experience  - similar diagnosis, treatment plan, etc.  This way you can truly talk to someone who's "been there".

Cancer Information & Support is available across Canada and can be accessed through their toll-free number, 1-888-939-3333 or by email at info@cis.cancer.ca

Cancerconnection.ca - If the phone is not your thing, try linking up with people via the message boards at www.cancerconnection.ca.  There you can chat with cancer survivors, cancer patients, families of people with cancer, cancer information specialists and more!  There are also interesting blogs to read.

Practical Support - A cancer experience can be stressful, and the last thing someone needs on top of a diagnosis is to worry about additional costs that come up after a diagnosis.  The practical assistance program has a couple pieces to it: 1 - Travel assistance - as this suggests, this piece of the program assists with the costs of travelling to cancer treatments/surgeries; 2 -  Exceptional assistance - to assist with other costs that come up as a result of a diagnosis.  Anyone interested in this program should complete the application form, which can be found here:  http://www.cancer.ca/~/media/cancer.ca/NB/support%20and%20services/support%20and%20services/2016-17-Application-Overview-EN.pdf?la=en

Wigs and Headwear - The Cancer Society has a few offices in New Brunswick, and each of these offices has a room where wigs and other headwear can be viewed and tried on.  All of these items are brand new, and available in various styles and colours.  It is all free of charge.  There are some additional locations that these items can be acquired, as well as by calling their office at 1-800-455-9090 or email ccsnb@nb.cancer.ca   I took a trip down to their office in Saint John, NB, to browse through their collection. 

This is a picture of their client room, where people can come and try on wigs, read through information, access the Canadian Cancer Society website, www.cancer.ca, or chat online at www.cancerconnection.ca, or they can even call in to the Cancer Information & Support program.






Then, the wigs.  These are fantastic quality and beautiful styles.  I even decided to try on some myself.








NB Masons Camp Goodtime/JLP - Each summer, the Canadian Cancer Society offers a camp for children with cancer.  This camp is for children ages 7 to 16 and is held at Camp Rotary in Grand Lake.  The children are also invited to bring a friend or family member (again, aged 7 to 16) with them.  The camp is for 1 week, and is free of charge.  There is an Oncology nurse on site, as well as additional nursing staff.  Children do need a "signoff" from a doctor indicating they are healthy enough to handle going to camp.  Once there, children get to participate in all kinds of activities: campfires, canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts and more! 

This is just a sample of some of the work done by the Canadian Cancer Society.  There is much more I could say, but what I encourage is to check out www.cancer.ca and have a look at the information there.  You can also get more information about how you can get involved.  

Aside from all of these fantastic programs, I have a much more personal reason for being involved.  I have had family members diagnosed with cancer, but nothing was a bigger shock than when my dad was diagnosed in September 2011.  This was a devastating blow to my family.  My dad, a jogger, kayaker, community activist, mentor and friend to many, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  Typical survival for this type of diagnosis is 3 to 6 months.  Due to advances in treatment, clinical trials and my dad's willingness to try anything and everything, we were able to have 1 year and nearly 7 months after his diagnosis.  I cannot express what this time meant to me and my family.  During this time, I truly began to realize the impact of the Canadian Cancer Society's programs, advocacy efforts, information and research.  When my dad passed away on April 6, 2013, my determination to continue the fight against this horrible disease was strengthened.  That is why I continue to support this organization. 

Want to share information about a non-profit you're passionate about?  Did you volunteer at an event or for an organization that was rewarding/inspiring/amazing/fun?  Share in the comments below!

 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Yes... I've been MIA

Yes, I'll admit, I was not very good at keeping up with my blog this past week.

After the horrible events in Moncton last week.... I had an eventful weekend... and not in a good way.  But rather than ramble on about my weekend, I'm writing instead to say, new content is coming.  Have no fear. 

For now, I leave you with this terribly unflattering picture of myself to demonstrate that I'm wearing read today in recognition of the RCMP and the horrible tragedy in Moncton.  I will keep the people of Moncton in my thoughts today as they prepare for the memorial service for the 3 slain officers.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Continued Support for Moncton

Although the manhunt has ended in Moncton with the arrest of the alleged shooter, I continue to keep the people of Moncton, New Brunswick, in my thoughts.  I will not mention the name of the person arrested as I think he's received enough of our attention, and I have no wish to give him any more publicity.

Now that the manhunt is over, the "media circus" will begin to wind down, which will allow this community to grieve and begin to heal.  I hope that we all remember what this community has been through the last few days.  The healing will be a long process.

I was encouraged today to see pictures such as this one (credit: Twitter: @KeithjohnsCTV) at the RCMP headquarters in Moncton.  An outpouring of support and grief for the loss of the 3 RCMP. 


I will continue to show my support for the people of Moncton and hope they feel the support of their province, their country and communities around the world as they begin to heal.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Thoughts are with the City of Moncton

This will be my only post today.  No other post was appropriate today than to talk about this tragedy that has been unfolding in Moncton. 

The senseless killing of 3 RCMP and injuring of two others is absolutely devastating.  I am truly thinking of everyone in Moncton today.  I hope that all of you stay safe and that this shooter is caught soon.

Please keep the people of Moncton in your thoughts today.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Where are they now?

So, I realize this is bordering on a "throwback Thursday" post, which I promised to do tomorrow, but I came across a couple of celebrity gossip headlines that prompted me to write this.

Remember Courtney Stodden?  Ok, maybe not.  I will admit that I probably wouldn't have known her name either, but you may recognize her face.  She's the girl that married Doug Hutchison (aka - Percy from "The Green Mile") when she was 16, with full support of her parents.  Keep in mind that he was in his 50's when they got married.  She, Doug and her parents also claim she never had any plastic surgery.... let's all bare that in mind when we watch the clip below.  Anyway, apparently Courtney has her own "webisodes" entitled "Courtney Naturally"... I started to write out a little comment about the title of her show, but it came out a little too "Mean Girls"-ish, so I think I'll just leave it at that.  The topics in these webisodes are pretty riveting... such as selfies.... some video of her playing with some helium... and this video looking at baby pictures of herself.   Now that I've peaked your interest, have a look:



I'll be the first to admit.  I'm mesmorized by this girl.  I just don't know what to think... is it an act?  Is this her "natural" self?  I have my own assumptions, but I'll let you make your own assumptions.  On a final note - she and Doug tried to make their marriage work... by having their own tv special, going on "Couples Therapy", and then she took some time on her own to do Celebrity Big Brother in the UK.  Shortly after she left the Big Brother house, she and Doug announced their split, but he continues to co-manage her career.


Next, Remember Speidi?  And I don't mean Spiderman... I'm talking Heidi and Spencer from "The Hills" infamy?  Well apparently they're making a reappearance on "the scene" with a stint on "Celebrity Wife Swap".  While this is not a show I typically watch, I will watch their episode for a few reasons: 

1 – I can’t believe they’re still together
2 – I can’t believe they’re still considered “celebrities”
3 – I think it’s going to be a train wreck

As a bonus note - Speidi also had a stint on Celebrity Big Brother.  View some of the footage of them in their glory here (Courtesy of Youtube's SidTheSloth322) - Just an additional note... the language in this video is NSFW (Not safe for work - for those unfamiliar with this abbreviation): 



So tune in tomorrow for a Reality #TBT entry.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Home Renos Terrify Me

Ok, ok.... I know... you read the title of this post and think "I thought she said she was going to post about Reality TV most of the time".  Yes... I did say that.  However, I tried... I really tried... to watch the Bachelorette last night.  It was my fourth episode... and... I just couldn't make it through.  I usually love that show... and the Bachelor (and Bachelor Pad.... etc, etc), but this season just makes me want to... sleep.  So I did.   But, I wanted to blog anyway, so I decided to blog about some "real life stuff"... and I see by my survey feedback that some people enjoy those kinds of posts anyway... so win-win!  And for those who don't like these kinds of posts... I hope you entered my contest, by way of survey, because you get to give feedback on the blog, and be entered to win a coffee gift card and donation to charity of your choice!  Another win-win!  I'm full of them today!  Well.. full of something anyway....

On to today's topic.  Renovations.  I hate them.  Don't get me wrong... I love the finished product.  I just hate the process.  If there was an easy and cost effective way for me to hire someone to do renovations, go on vacation, and come back to the finished produce, I would do it.  But, I am not a millionaire, so I muddle through.

We have renovated the kitchen and bathroom in our house.  The kitchen wasn't so bad, because we only did the sink and countertop.  Not bad.  The bathroom on the other hand...  a project that was to take a weekend wound up taking a week and a half.  What's so bad about that?  We only have one bathroom.  So this ended up in us moving out of the house temporarily.  Our plumber was frequently called away to other "emergencies" so that was the majority of the delay. 

The other thing I hate about renovations?  Going over budget.  I am the budgeter in our family, so I can be a bit of a fanatic about money.  We went over budget in both of our last renovations.

On tap this summer?  An overhaul of our garden/flower beds and.... (drumroll please)... windows, siding and doors.  Yikes.  Huge. 

Because the prospect of these renovations terrify me, I've decided to chronicle these renos through the blog.  Maybe this can be a learning experience for our next renovation project, or for anyone reading this blog. 

I'll start blogging about the progress of our renos later this week.  I just I thought I would post today to build the anticipation... did it work?  I'll post a little "before picture" to help you visualize:



Want to give some feedback?  Provide your own "horror story" or reno success?  Post in the comments below!

And if you haven't entered my contest yet, it closes tomorrow at 12:00 PM Atlantic.
http://overtiredmama.blogspot.ca/2014/05/some-changes-are-coming.html

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