goodbye forever. i really mean it this time.

dear coffee,

i have given you plenty of chances to wow me with what everyone else sees in you. but even when i continuously get a horrible impression of you every time we share quality time together, i still seem to think that i should give you a second (third, forth, fifth...) chance.

don't get me wrong, you have some great qualities which is why i believe i have given you so many chances to win my heart. you smell amazing. you are very social and tend to hang out in large groups of people or even in smaller, more intimate settings. you seem to be the first thing that most people want in the morning. you're very cultured, seems as though it doesn't matter where i travel to in the world, you are there. you're presences can turn someones horrible mood into a more calm and relaxed mood within seconds, what a talent!

but none of that matters because you make me feel sick. your aftertaste is completely repulsive, not to mention that it tends to linger around for what seems an eternity, nasty. you smell absolutely horrible on everyones breath that consumes you, which leaves me somewhat self-conscious of my own breath when i drink you and then am forced to talk to someone. you don't taste good to me unless you have 3/4 milk/sugary syrup/water in you which isn't all that good for you anyways so i'm ruling that possibility out too.

so i am sorry but i'm done giving you second chances. i'm moving on. tea will always be my favorite.

sincerely,
Lo

let all within us praise His holy name.

tuesdays tune

canadian tenors - o holy night

it only seems fitting this week to have a christmas song. so take a listen to my all time favorite christmas carol...

Emma McCune

emmanuel jal, born in war-torn sudan, was taken from his family home in 1987 when he was six or seven years old, and sent to fight with the rebel army in Sudan’s bloody civil war. for nearly five years, he was a child solider, put into battle carrying an AK-47 that was taller than he was.

by the time he was 13, he was a veteran of two civil wars and had seen hundreds of his fellow child soldiers reduced to taking unspeakable measures as they struggled to survive on the killing fields of southern sudan. after a series of horrific events, he was rescued by a british aid worker, emma mccune, who smuggled him into nairobi to raise him as her own.

to ease the pain of the horrible memories that he had faced in his past, emmanuel started writing and recording music. this song is a moving tribute to the women who saved his life. to a lady that took a stranger and gave them life

physically, spiritually

and emotionally.

if you were given the chance to say thank you to someone, who because of them you are now a different person, who would your song be about?

fab five friday's signs

five funny billboards...

This weeks fab five is someone useless, other then for a good laugh. Enjoy!

this sign should be on every street in calgary and should be edited to say 'you will never get to anywhere in life on time mmmahahahhaa!!'

i love ikea, lame signs and all!

no need to buy a radar detector.

this is the most random sign ever. not to mention

who is going to be able to read all this while

speeding by the sign on the highway?

hhmmmm, i wonder if this was on purpose?

i'm only one voice in a million, but you aint taking that from me

tuesdays tune

natasha beddingfield - strip me

this song, which is full of empowerment, gets me really excited every time i hear it as it reminds me of the girls i work with. i work in a protective safe-house/treatment centre for sexually exploited youth (males and females, but most of our clients are females) under 18 years old.

one of the biggest issues my clients struggle with is lack of self-esteem and often that's what causes them to get into situations that land them at my work. it's my job to help them realize that they are worth so much more then the dangerous situations that they are putting themselves in. then to help them put the past in the past and learn how to move forward in a more positive and healthy manner.

our staff team does everything in our power to give these young people a voice. unfortunately our society typically looks down upon my clients for the things that they are engaging in. my kids usually get tossed to the side and have their self worth stripped for them.

but when i listen to this song it gets me excited because it's a reminder that it's okay to be individualistic. it's okay to not fit into a mold. that even though people might take what they want from my girls, steal their pride, build them up or cut them down they still have their voice and no one can take that from them. if it's only to teach them that one thing, i will go to work day after day just so they understand this.

have a listen....

fab five

five house old trinkets that are must...

i'm in the process of doing probably one of my least favorite things, moving. i love going to new places don't get me wrong but the whole process of packing/unpacking and getting settled into a new place is one of the worst!

my two roommates and i have been chatting about what we have and the things that we still need to get which is what lead to this brilliant idea for this weeks fab five. here are some trinkets that i don't want to live in a house without. they aren't do or die items, rather just items that make life a little easier or more enjoyable. read on for my current five favorite things...

1. a message board. this is an extremely handy tool if you have roommates and need to leave little notes to communicate. it's also nice to have for reminders or for that cute little note a guest often will write.

2. an apple corer. your probably thinking, wow Lo you are the laziest person ever and sometimes you are right. but i find that apples are one fruit i love but don't eat because i tend to hack away half the apple to get the seeds out. this nifty little tool not only takes milliseconds to cut my healthy snack but it also does it in a way that cuts down the amount of apple that i throw away. it's great. don't knock it until you try it!

3. this is my dream fridge, however fridges aren't really a trinket. it's whats on this fridge that i love. it's full of madness. lots of pictures, magnets and random stuff. i hate it when peoples fridges are just plain with nothing on them, it's a space to be creative with and to express yourself on. it makes the kitchen a much cozier room. fridge magnets that hold up random things are a must.

4. this is a head messager. it (specifically this one) is a gift from God. i can't explain how great this thing is. so i wont, just trust me and get one. they are cheap cheap so there are no excuses. it will be the best money you have ever spent.

5. a soap filled scrub brush. no one likes to do dishes, but this little diddy makes life a lot easier to get the dirty work done. if you don't have one (i don't know many people that don't), get with the times and invest in this handy helper. your life will be easier!

do you have any little trinkets that you can't live without? if so please send them my way, i always love new ideas!!

all time favorite commercial.

i first saw this commercial when i was watched the super bowl last year. when i first saw it i wasn't able to catch all of it as it moves quickly. since then i have watched it on youtube probably a total of 100 times (a day) and shown anyone who will allow me.

i still get butterflies every time i watch it. it's as if i were the french girl that this guy is trying to pursue. i guess i'm just a hopeless romantic and this commercial is evidence of that. this is the cutest commercial ever, take a look for yourself!

like some drunkard elvis singing, i go singing out of tune

tuesdays tune
coldplay - christmas lights

i have been waiting since last week for tuesday to come because i was so excited to blog about the new coldplay christmas song! coldplay is my all time favorite band, i got to see them in concert last year and it was a heavenly experience (literally, i have only felt God that strong a few times in my life).

when i was looking through the lyrics to find a name for the post it came to my attention that this song isn't really a happy song, in fact it's actually really sad. chris martin sings about missing the one he loves after a fight.

one thing this song has got right though is that christmas isn't christmas if you can't be with the ones you love. hope you enjoy....

an irritated soul.

i LOVE christmas. a lot. so keep that in mind as you read the following....

every year around this time i start to get excited because christmas starts to take shape in all forms; lights on houses, music rings through the air, the smell of the christmas tree in my house (mmm). however, amongst all the excitement there is always a feeling of irritation and uneasiness in my body (literally i feel anxious) that i have been unable to explain, until now. did you know that lack of clean water kills more people everyday then anything else? and here is the thing, the estimated cost to make clean water available to everyone is 10 billion dollars. that's a lot, i know! BUT last year alone the united states and canada spent over 800 billion dollars on christmas. are you feeling a bit anxious now after reading that??

sitting in church today it dawned on me what this irritation might be caused by, money, money, money. while i was supposed to be sitting in church listening to my pastor start to unfold the christmas story i was busy making a list of my finances for the month; rent, bills, gifts for everyone and their dog. not only did i think of who i have to buy for but what i would buy and would everything add up to be about equal money value for each person - heaven knowns i wouldn't want to spend way more on one person then the other, that's not fair is it? then there is the task of trying to find time to get all this done. but wait a second, isn't the christmas season meant for spending time with loved ones?

i continued on this path of questioning with things like, do i really want to put myself in debt this year to make sure i get the most amazing gifts for everyone i know?, do i really want to buy a gift just out of obligation?, better yet do i want someone to buy me a gift out of obligation? the answer is no to all the above. however i am just as guilty of doing all these things as i'm sure you probably are.

as i mentioned in a few posts earlier i know i am truly blessed to be financially privileged and be able to have the choice to purchase gifts for the people i love. but i tend to get wrapped up in the 'spend, spend, spend' mentality that is swarming around me and when i stop to think about why i am 'spending, spending, spending' that's when the uneasiness sets in. i do it because that's just what we do.

in church right now we are studying a series called 'advent conspiracy'. the base of the study is about looking at the meaning of christmas, the real meaning of christmas. what was once a time to celebrate the birth of our savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

what would happen if we spent less, but still gave? give some of your time, volunteered, made our gifts, baking is always nice! or what if instead of buying that sweater for your fifth cousin once removed (because again, we have to buy for everyone, we wouldn't want to leave anyone out), donate the money you would have spent to places like the womens shelter or the mustard seed in her name.

christmas is a wonderful season; if we can get it right. december should be a month to look forward to because of the rest and relaxation that should take place. the extra time that should be spent with family and friends. instead it becomes the most stressful time of the year with our long lists of things to do and our credit card bills that are being racked up.

how do we solve this problem? do you and your loved ones do anything that's maybe a bit different then spend, spend, spend your money on each other?

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

a typical girl.

i received this video through an email from my mum and it made me laugh soooo hard. the video basically explains it's self but the gist of it is about a little 5 year old girl that is talking to the EMS dispatch. she has called them because he dad can't breathe, but her dad isn't what seems to be her concern, it's what she is wearing for when the paramedics get there.

listen to the movie and see for yourself.

holy moly, me oh my, you’re the apple of my eye

tuesdays tune
edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros - home

this song will be stuck in your head for days. you will not be able to stop whistling it, trust me, i speak from experience. however, it is a fabulous song!! it kinda sounds like a song that was made way back in the olden days which is why i like it. the singers voices are very unique.

the group is made up of 9 members and each band member seems to be an interesting character. they were on david lettermen and their performance was full of energy and very different from your normal everyday band. i have a feeling they would put on an amazing live show.

take a listen to their amazing love song 'home'.

your coffee could save a life.

tomorrow for 'world AIDS day' starbucks is donating 5 cents to the 'global fund' for every drink you buy. with your help, starbucks has already generated contributions equaling more than 18 million daily doses of medicine. last year nearly half a million babies were born with HIV. by 2015, that number could be zero.

be sure to pick up coffee's for everyone in your office in the morning. then in the afternoon you should pick up another one to keep you going so you don't fall asleep when 2 o'clock rolls around. and heck, why not go again after dinner with some friend, starbucks is always a nice cozy place to meet loved ones to catchup!

sad watermelon heads.

i'm not particularly a huge football fan but if i were to cheer for a team i would cheer for, of course, the calgary stampeders. sadly we were beat out by the the saskatchewan roughriders in the western finals to go to tonights final game, the grey cup. as my team was out, i decided to jump on the roughriders bandwagon for a few hours and cheer for the crazy green watermelon head team (this is an example of me giving into peer pressure). as a person who tends to get caught up in the excitement of being a die hard fan it wasn't that hard for me jump right in with all my friends and cheer alongside them. it was a good evening as roughrider fans are known best for going to great lengths to cheer on their team.

while the evening started with good eats and a lot of screaming at the tv it came to an end with a lot silence and broken hearts. for a second year in a row the roughriders had been defeated by the montreal alouettes in a close game which ended with a poor play.

the final score of the game; alouettes 21, roughriders 18. better luck next year my dear friends in green.

fab five friday - dashing through the snow.

five fav winter activities.....

(oops, it's a day late)

1. snowboarding.

this one is a given. nothing beats being the great outdoors, cruising down the mountain with a beautiful song playing on your ipod. sweet sweet bliss!

2. tobogganing.

there is a sweet place to go right by my house that has a giant half pipe and random jumps. i have a saucer that flies down the hill at 60 kms an hour just like chevy chase did in my favorite christmas movie, 'christmas vacation'.

3. licking icicles.

just be careful to not rip off all your taste-buds when your tongue gets stuck to the icicle, it hurts.

4. skating.

i love (ice) skating, and i'm actually pretty good. however, when it comes to doing tricks this is usually how they turn out....

5. jumping out of the hot tub to make snow angels.

the burning/stabbing pins sensation once you get back in he hot-tub is not as enjoyable. warning: be sure to walk (not run) at a senseable pace back to the hot tub, you don't want to slip and crack your skull open.

ingredients: unknown.

for as long as i can remember i have had a, as some would say 'strange/dumb/crazy' perspective when it comes to food. i'm not a picky eater, and in fact i take offence to that when people say that i am (picky eaters are one of my pet peeves). i have traveled the world and eaten things, meat included, that i had not the slightest clue what i was eating.

if there is a disorder or disease out there that is defined as 'her mind get the best of her while eating meat' i have that disorder (so if you know what it is please inform me). if you were able to sit inside my mind for just one day you probably wouldn't be so keen on meat either. i have this thing with eating meat off a bone, i can't do it. it rules out a lot of tasty dinners, t-bone steak, ribs, chicken wings ect. whenever i eat something with a bone i get an extremely vivid picture of me taking a live chicken and just ripping it's wing off and eating it, bloods squiring everywhere, screaming chicken... lets just say that it's not a pretty picture when you are trying to eat.

now i know you are thinking, it's just an animal. trust me it's not about animal rights for me. i do believe that God put animals on earth and that He has said go for it... they will fill your belly's. i'm not saying i'm for the torturing of animals either but my 'strange/dumb/crazy' eating habits aren't rooted in animal rights.

most people would look at sausages and think 'mmm load me up'. instead, my mind can't get over the picture of gnawing on this..... yup pig intestines. gross? well not really, for most people. i just can't get over it.

Another thing about sausages or the packaged meats that we get at our local food store is that i really struggle with is the 'unknown meat'. things like hot dogs and every little kids favorite, bologna. what the heck is in bologna? and did you ever eat that bologna that has little bits of cheese and pasta in it? sick! i'm pretty sure it's not a cut of meat that is straight from the pig, last time i checked cheese and pasta did grown inside a pig. this must mean that the 'meat' was in pureed form and then stuffed into a circular package, probably pigs intestine.

I recently read a book that probably did not help my issue of having skewed images while i'm eating. the books called, 'skinny bitch'. not only does it explain exactly what eating meat does to our bodies but it is extremely graphic about the way the meat is handled and treated before it reaches our belly's. it's an interesting read which i would defiantly recommend.

now that you have read this maybe next time you have a chicken wing you will think of me and possibly be repulsed by what i have had to say and never eat wings again. i know 99% of you this wont happen to. this is something you should be thankful for!

kamikaze airplanes in the sky.

tuesdays tune
tyrone wells - sink or swim

an oldie (as in a few years) but a goodie... enjoy your new (or possibly old) tune!

fab five friday, shoe box style.

5 reasons why you should do a shoe box...

this weeks fab five is more of a visual list. five years ago i was privileged to be chosen to fly down to costa rica for 2 weeks with samaritans purse's 'operation christmas child' to deliver shoe boxes to kids filled with toys. this is a project i'm sure many of you have heard of if not participated in by putting a shoe box filled with toys together.

it was a trip that has changed my perspective of christmas forever. the trip was in the first couple of week of december. it wasn't until coming home that i was really struck by what i had seen. i had just been in a country where children had never been given gifts before and were overjoyed when given a simple gift such as a pencil. upon returning home to canada i was bombarded by christmas commercials on tv and mall santas where children would line up for hours to tell santa the long list of expensive gifts that they expect him to bring on christmas morning.

as cliche as this is going to sound, we truly are blessed to live in a country where our basic needs are met no matter what. however, as far as the true meaning of christmas, the real meaning of giving, i'm not so convinced that most north americans have got that going for them.

here are a few pictures from my trip to costa rica... just a few of the reasons why you should do a shoe box (there are more then 5 pictures, so this week it can be called fab six friday)!

this is the little girl that i gave the shoe box that i packed and brought down to. i got to sit with her and open her gifts. the coolest experience ever!

this was at a local community center where many of these kids walked hours when they heard we were coming with christmas presents.

many of the kids that would receive a box would often open all the little toys in the box and play with them. when finished playing they would re-wrap all their little toys. when i asked a local pastor why so many of the kids did this he told me it is they could take the gifts home to their siblings to open so they too could receive and share in the experience of opening christmas presents!

at the different places we distributed the boxes we would often play games, paint faces and give out balloon animals. we also had a chance to give each child a picture book of the christmas story.

collection week is going on as we speak until november 22. there are a ton of places all over the city (no matter what city you live in) to drop off your boxes at. if you visit the below link you are able to search by your postal code where a drop off centre is. if you live in calgary you are also able to volunteer your time at the head office to sort through each box to make sure that all gifts are appropriate!

so get packing people... there are lots of kids out there that will love your gifts!

samaritan's purse website: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/OCC/Default.aspx

i laughed my head off

i saw this commercial on tv last night for the first time and rewinded it (thanks to pvr!) several times to watch it over and over, the entire time laughing my head off. i thought i would post it here so that you too can watch it over and over... enjoy!

let it snow

tuesdays tune
dean martin - let it snow

in honor of the massive dump of snow we got last night i thought that i would get us out of the 'crap i have to drive to work in this' mind set and move us into the 'christmas is coming' spirit!

ps- it's deadly out there, good luck getting anywhere. drive safe!

1/2 way to 48.

what a wonderful way to ring in my 24th year of being on earth. the evening kicked off with an overnight rendezvous in a random hotel at a middle of nowhere town with my dearest friend. next up, a surprise girls evening with my closest girlfriends (minus one) which consisted of a fondue dinner (my favorite), high heels, facials and a girly sleepover! to conclude the special coming of age i had a wonderful dinner with my family and was treated to my favorite dessert ever, coffee toffee mud-pie ice cream cake, mmmmm!

i truly have the most amazing friends. as i turn a year older today i am reminded again how lucky i am to have such loving people in my life. thank you to those who made my birthday something special, you mean a lot to me!

Here are a few pictures from the aging event....

mmmm, a chocolate/fruit feast!

all dressed up!

silky smooth skin

Fab Five

5 (but actually 10) gift ideas....

(a day late, how typical....)

the season of giving is quickly approaching us so i thought i would ease your worried mind and give you some fantastic ideas! here are some ways you could spend you money this year and not only buy gifts for your loved ones but also give to those who made the product. here are a few organizations that you're not the only receiving a beautiful gift but you also are giving something in return...

1. fashionABLE - www.livefashionable.com

in ethiopia (and many other countries), prostitution is often linked with deep levels of generational poverty and financial hopelessness. lacking meaningful resources and a sense of hope, many women resort to prostitution as a means of supporting themselves and their families. these women are often desperate to leave the sex industry but remain trapped by a lack of opportunity and rehabilitative support.

fashionABLE is a a non-profit organization that creates jobs making beautiful scarves for women living in poverty. in purchasing one of the scarves you are ABLE to provide opportunities, and these women are ABLE to have a new choice.

2. invisible children - www.invisiblechildren.com

this is an organization that i have always had a heart for. it started out with 3 young guys traveling to uganda just for a adventure but were quickly confronted by the war-affected children in this country. they made a documentary about the young children called 'night commuters' (young kids that walk miles each night to just sleep in a safe place) and child soldiers. children, as young as 6, are ripped from their homes and force to fight in the army. their documentary was originally just shown to close family and friends but but now, seven years later has been shown to millions around the world.

they non-profit organization, invisible children now builds schools in uganda, has a teacher exchange program, and much more. their work is incredible interesting and very honorable. check them out and see what kind of swag they have.

3. 31 Bits - www.31bits.com

it's a company out of california that sells beautiful ugandan bead necklaces. you can purchase all their items online as well as in their store if you happen to live in california. on their lovely website they have a section that tells the stories of the women who make the jewelry.

4. toms - www.toms.com

this was an obvious choice for making this list. not only because the work they do but also because i am the proud owner of these shoes and i love them! they are affordable, comfortable, trendy, and when you buy a pair they give a pair to a kid who needs shoes.

they are also partnered with charity:water. this means that not only does a kid get a pair of shoes, but they also donate to charity:water to help build water wells in ethiopia. so really this buy is a triple bonus. two pairs of shoes and clean water. perfect.

5. sari bari - http://www.saribari.com/

sari bari is a safe home where women, who have been exploited in the sex trade, can have their dignity restored and experience new life in the making. their products (purses, scarves and blankets/quilts) are hand made from indian saris. you can put in a request for different colors and then your product is made by women who have escaped a life of imprisonment in the sex trade.

two of my best friends had the chance to serve in india at sari bari and have brought back quilts and purses so i know first hand that all their items they make are absolutely beautiful and are made with love.

late - but never to late to remember.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, 1915

to all those who have and will continue to fight for my freedom all over the world, thank you.

life as a musical

if i could change one thing about life what would it be? how about that i could bust out in song and dance in the middle of a crowded place and not only would people not look at me like i'm a nut but that they would join in.

really when you think about it, it only seems logical. so many people use music as an outlet, a way to express how they are feeling. so instead of people bottling up how they feel they should just bust out in song and dance. it would cure a lot of our societal issues. the first being peoples mental state, people wouldn't go crazy and act out in a negative way (maybe our prisons would be half as full if all those big burly men would just belt out their feelings through song instead of keeping them locked up and act out in violent ways haha maybe this is the social worker in my coming out). the second, maybe we could cure obesity. dancing around like they do in those musicals must be exhausting and i'm sure is good exerciser. sure we might have to come up with more powerful deodorant as we would probably be sweaty messes all the time, but it's a price that may be worth it.

okay okay, i'm being ridiculous. and if i could change anything about life it wouldn't be that life was a musical, it would probably be something like world peace (how cliche, i know) but you have to admit my idea seems pretty fun?! take a look at this prime example of what i am talking about....

you’re in my veins, and I cannot get you out

tuesdays tune
andrew belle - in my veins

this young chap, originally from wheaton, illinois has a simple but stunning voice. his music and voice draws you in and slowly in time release you. i also love the girl that sings harmony's with him, she too has a heavenly voice. i first heard his music when it was featured on the show grey's anatomy but since then i have fallen in love with every song he has put out. some other songs by him that i would strongly recommend would be 'static waves', 'make it without you' and 'open your eyes'.

never grow up

I spent this past weekend with my best friend. it's not like it used to be back in the days when i would call and ask 'do you want to play?'. our biggest worry is no longer who's parents we can convince to drop us off AND pick us up from the movie. we now have cars which means we are no longer slaves to our parents schedules (although for us it seemed to be be the opposite). it also means that we no longer spend our nights innocently walking around the community getting slurpees and playing at the park on a friday night. it's not like that anymore. not at all.

it's not even like it was two years ago when i could

call her up and we could spend time together at the drop of a hat. living only 5kms apart, that was handy.

now we see each other once a month, max. we each have to drive 3 1/2 hours to meet half way and spend a night in a hotel in a tiny town to get that quality time together that we used to take for granted. our conversations are far from the same of those from our 'friday night play ground' days. instead of talking about the boys we had crushes on (all the while pinky swearing we would never tell anyone about it), we now talk about buying houses, marriage, traveling the world, having babies and living in different cities. we have real adult conversations.

when did we grow up? i often still feel like that little kid inside. it feels strange to talk about things like having a career, i'm still a kid and kids don't have careers.

it's scary being an adult. having to make big choices about things that can and will change the path your future takes. it's scary to think about your future, not just about what your parents will do if you are 5 minutes late for your curfew, but for things that really matter, like moving to a new city. it's scary when all you want to do is 'play' with your best friend but she lives in a different province so you have to settle for long distance phone dates.

sometimes the thought of going back to being a carefree teenager sounds really nice! my oh my, the times have changed!

Fab Five Fridays

my 5 favorite smells.....

1. the crisp smell of the air after a rainstorm

2. the smell of clean diapers

3. of fresh coffee beans. it reminds me of waking up to the smell of
dad making coffee when we were camping as little kids in our

tiny trailer.

4. Pine-Sol, my favorite house hold cleaner

5. freshly cut grass