I get quite happy when I finally hit the exact right word I've been looking for after fumbling about using words that didn't quite fit. For instance, I was working on this presentation about OEM boards and their design implications. For weeks, we were using the word "flexible" in the presentation and then it dawned on me just as I was about to press "send" that the right word was "versatile." I got inordinately excited about … [Read more...]
Boot Camp Experience, Part 2: If it sounds too good to be true, it (of course!) is
November 14, 2010 by 4 Comments
I've been following the girls over at Losing It In Ottawa, and a couple of them mentioned that they were looking forward to their upcoming experience in a boot camp. It piqued my interest. I'd done a "boot camp" styled workout program once before and definitely saw results. And right now, I think I need to see some results to feel motivated to work out regularly and stay healthy. I already own a gym membership, have access to lots of nice … [Read more...]
Boot Camp Experience, Part 1: Be Careful What You Wish For
November 14, 2010 by 5 Comments
At the end of my Itchy post, I said I was running off to catch up with a friend. And indeed, that is what I did. Despite living in the same city, we have not seen each other for months. Many months! Such is the state of a parent's social life. But really, there is no good excuse for this. One needs to MAKE time for the important things in life, right?These important things should not only be paying bills on time and managing mountainfuls of … [Read more...]
That itchy feeling
November 9, 2010 by 9 Comments
I've got this really strong itchy feeling again. I wondered if perhaps it was the weather. But then I searched through my blog archives to see the date on the last time I wrote about this and it was May -- spring. So, no, I don't think I can blame the oncoming winter. (Even though I really do want to blame it. Just because I don't like it.) Then last night, I happened to read an article on this very subject. Titled 'When life goes U-shaped," … [Read more...]
Saguenay series, part 6: Underwater mysteries that still remain
November 1, 2010 by 1 Comment
I caught up with a girlfriend the other day and as we were having coffee and agreeing that it had been too long since we'd chatted, she exclaimed: "I haven't even heard about your Saguenay trip yet!" I responded, "Oh, well, you have to keep up with my blog if you want to know my life. I don't actually speak to people in real-life anymore." To this, she did not even react to my silly tone, and said, "But I have been reading your blog!" So, I … [Read more...]
Today is World Osteoporosis Day: Should I Care?
October 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment
I know, I know ... there are so many causes with "days" that it's hard to keep track. (And kind of makes you want to dismiss them altogether.) But I was sent some information on osteoporosis that peaked my interest and made me want to look into it a bit more. Before I share it with you though, let's define osteoporosis. It's a condition that causes bones to become thin and porous, decreasing bone strength and leading to increased risk of … [Read more...]
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Packing Lunch
October 13, 2010 by 6 Comments
Call me crazy, but there's something almost soothing about packing children's lunches ... all the little containers, and bite size bits, snugly tucked into a brightly coloured lunch bag. And yet, this does not translate at all to the act of actually packing a lunch for myself. There are countless good, solid reasons for me to pack a lunch: there is no convenient lunch spot near my work, buying lunch is expensive, I need the time to work-out … [Read more...]
Sometimes the best birthday present for your Mom isn’t a present afterall (or a night out in Ottawa: Allium restaurant and Lynne Hanson CD-release concert)
October 11, 2010 by 9 Comments
Lately, I'm finding it tough to pick out gifts for my Mom. It's not that she's picky or hard to find things for ... it's just that I feel like she already has the things she really wants. With all four of her birds out of the nest, she has the freedom to buy the things that catch her eye. So for her birthday this year, I decided that I'd take her out for a night on the town. To come up with ideas, I did what now comes natural to me -- I asked … [Read more...]
Saguenay series, Part 5: How I learned to let go and love my hiking boots
September 25, 2010 by 6 Comments
In Part 2 of my Saguenay series, I lamented spending my hard earned money on hiking boots instead of super-cute shoes. I also wondered aloud: "...what age the other women would be on the trip? And what level of fitness would they be? Or if maybe I am over-estimating how “rough” the trip will be and they will all be wearing cute yoga pants and flip flops while I stand there like a dork all outfitted up. And mostly, if I looked this ridiculous in … [Read more...]
Pelvic exam without my consent? No longer!
September 23, 2010 by 2 Comments
Photo credit: The Globe & Mail Back in January, I wrote a bit of a concerning post titled "A pelvic exam without my consent?" The concerning part is summed up quite well with this description from a Globe & Mail article: Imagine that you are undergoing a fairly routine surgery – say, removal of uterine fibroids or hysterectomy. During or right after the procedure, while you are still under anesthesia, a group of medical students … [Read more...]
My new BFF is named Mark
September 15, 2010 by 17 Comments
When I was younger (and er, smaller), I loved clothes shopping. But now, I only like (love!) shoe shopping. Everything else leaves me feeling very, very grumpy. It is simply not fun to try on 10 pairs of pants just to find one that looks "okay." Not "great" and "fabulous" -- but just okay. And when you have very little spare time, I think you'll agree that this is pretty much the last way you'd want to spend it. To add insult to injury, you … [Read more...]
Saguenay Series, Part 2: Getting ready for my adventure
September 4, 2010 by 3 Comments
![composite[1]](http://www.julieharrison.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/composite1.jpg)
I'm the kind of girl who packs the night before. Okay, sometimes even the morning of. So hubby reviewed the itinerary for my upcoming adventure to Saguenay, Quebec on my behalf and suggested that I'd better buy some hiking boots. And also, some waterproof pants and proper rain jacket. Seeing as how I don't think I'll be heading out on lots of adventures involving lots of rain over the next few years, I told him I'd buy some boots, but that … [Read more...]
Saguenay Series, Part 1: It seemed like a good idea at the time
August 31, 2010 by 10 Comments
Once upon a time, I was an adventurous girl. I travelled with a backpack, I slept in forests unknown, and brought big souvenirs home from countries that I loved (my hubby!). I look back at photos from those times and I don't recognize that girl at all. Not one bit. If I look around, I can see that most of my fellow adventure seekers from that era have also mellowed out considerably too. I guess it's simply the passing of time, I suppose. But a … [Read more...]
Like a girl
August 24, 2010 by 14 Comments
I grew up in a household that did not tend abide by gender stereotypes. Both of my parents pursued careers. But both of my parents also spent time at home as full-time caregivers. In some ways, I was aware that not all households were like this. That not all Dads took their girls outside to learn to throw a ball properly. And that not all Moms gave their girls Adventure People instead of Barbies. But in many ways, I was oblivious. I think the … [Read more...]
School for Bloggers: Some fellow travel bloggers I’d like you to meet! (#BlogHer10)
August 16, 2010 by 4 Comments
I'm really thrilled to be hosting a guest post tomorrow by Julie Henning of Road Trips for Families! But let me back up a little in order to introduce her ... While I was at BlogHer, there were "Birds of a Feather" lunches that we could join. I dropped into a seat at the "travel" table and met some really cool women who run really clever blogs. These included (and please let me know if I've forgotten someone!): Traci from Go BIG or … [Read more...]
School for Bloggers: I don’t see sleep anywhere on this BlogHer agenda (#BlogHer10)
August 5, 2010 by 6 Comments
I started up this blog just over a year ago as an outlet for personal writing -- the kind of writing that doesn't take place during my work day in corporate communications. I envisioned it as my own little creative and social sandbox for my free time. But what I didn't realize then was just how much I would enjoy playing in this sandbox. And I think the reason I love being in this space so much is because it's a constant learning joy ride. I … [Read more...]
BOLO: faces behind blogs
July 8, 2010 by 18 Comments
Not long back, I wrote a post which shared my excitement in being able to hear the voices behind blogs. In it, I noted that many of the blogs I read include a photo of the author, so the voices were going to be the big draw for me. Well, I was wrong ... my dear Ottawa bloggers and their readers are just so darn gorgeous in real life that the faces really made the entire night last night a real treat. A real treat that was entirely made … [Read more...]
Camping lesson #1: If there’s no nature, it’s not worth it
July 3, 2010 by 4 Comments
In an attempt to bring ourselves back into the camping spirit now that we have children, we bought a pop-up tent trailer this spring. I admit that we swallowed our pride when we parked it in our driveway. It really put a damper on our camping "street-cred." Just as we defiantly swore we'd never buy a minivan just because we had children (and, for the record, we still have not succumbed ... yet), we also swore to never "car camp." Our first … [Read more...]
Commercials are bad for my mental health
June 21, 2010 by 9 Comments
Lately, I have found myself watching commercials more consciously. And it seems that pretty much everything about me is simply not good enough -- not my skin, my body shape, the way my house smells, or even my own role in my family. This constant barrage of criticism can't be good for my mental health, can it? Even though I can intellectually reject it, messages can still creep into my subconscious. And if it's not good for my mental … [Read more...]
I’m breaking my chain letter rule to share with you the story of a “female Schindler”
June 11, 2010 by 10 Comments
I've got a confession to make. You know when you sent me that email chain letter that said we would all have bad luck if I didn't forward it on? Well, I deleted it. And that one where if I didn't send it on to my seven dearest friends, they would never know how much I cared? Deleted. That internet meme that I you sent with best intentions? Sorry, deleted. Even that chain letter full of stickers for your kids' friends? Yes, I'm the bad guy who … [Read more...]
What makes a novelist, a novelist?
June 4, 2010 by 5 Comments
Here I am with Joanne Harris, author of one of my favourite books Five Quarters of the Orange but most famously known for her novel Chocolat, which was made into the Oscar-nominated film with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche. I recently had the chance to hear her read from her latest offering blueeyedboy when she came to Ottawa as a guest for Writers Fest. She was part of a series of events that Writers Fest puts on called The Writing Life. As … [Read more...]
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