I sometimes refer to writing as storytelling.  We all have stories, don’t we?  How we came to be who we are today, the paths we have chosen, the decisions we made along the way.  When I meet someone new, and feel a connection to them, I always want to know their stories. I’m curious, and I like knowing how people think. I want to know what they value, how they think, why they do things.  Sometimes the best conversations are had when we share our stories, and open up to those around us.

But what happens to stories that aren’t shared?  What about the questions that aren’t asked, the moments that aren’t captured?  I wonder about all the stories I don’t remember from when I was young, or never asked people while I had the chance.

That’s why I am more than pleased to partner with OneStory.com to share their new free storytelling app. If you have often wished for an easy way to record stories from your family, your kids or even your own stories, OneStory can help.  It’s a seamless, easy capture of video footage that is woven into a mini-documentary to keep and enjoy any time you like.

What stories would I love to capture?

• Stories from when I was young.  My kids are so different, who is more like I was as a child?
• Stories from when my dad was young
• Stories from my kids to save for when they are older
• Friends who have lived in far flung countries for a period in their lives – I’m fascinated

What of my own stories would I love to capture for the kids?

• Stories from before they were born, what it was like to plan, hope and wait for them.
• What they were like as babies, where we lived when each was born.
• Stories about the places we lived, why we moved there, why we moved away.

OneStory has categories and questions to help guide you, and to make the whole process easier. Want to see how it works?  Check out this quick capture of my friend Merry’s epic concert experience:

You can check them out at OneStory.com, follow them on Twitter or check out their Facebook page.

Disclosure:  This post was inspired by OneStory.com, with whom I am pleased to partner, and I have been compensated for my time to write it. However, as always, the opinions on this blog are my own. 

How much my kids do and will take for granted.

Here’s a great example – hunger.  My kids will often complain about being hungry, indeed, they may whine that they are starving, that they might not make it until their next meal…you know what kids are like.  ”Mom. I’m staaaaarving….”

But the reality is stark when I stop and think about it. Our fridge, freezer and pantry are nearly an embarrassment of food riches. Nearly every food category represented, and choices within each category. Want cereal? Which of the five varieties? Crackers? Sure! We have at least six kinds.  Jam? Strawberry, peach, blueberry?  There are at least a dozen varieties of fresh produce at any time, milk and juice, meat or peanut butter for their sandwiches. They gobble up yogurt and are served lean meats, fish and vegetables at dinner.

In truth, though I try hard to keep it from happening, we likely throw out more food than some families have to eat each week.  Don’t get me wrong – I serve small portions to the kids, I don’t push them to clear plates but make it clear I don’t like to waste food so do expect they finish what’s on their plate before they ask for seconds of their favourite. I save leftovers, I try to only prep what I need when cooking or serving them snacks. And yet, the waste is there. There’s no denying it.

This week something has caught my attention.  Have you heard of Live Below the Line? From their website:

“Live Below the Line is an innovative awareness and fundraising campaign that’s making a huge difference in the fight against extreme poverty. Quite simply, we’re building a movement of passionate people willing and able to make a meaningful difference to those who need it most.”

You can learn more about the cause on their site, as well as donate if you feel so moved.

I have been seeing posts and tweets and updates from bloggers who are participating in a challenge to live below the line this week. They will be attempting to limit what they spend on food and drink each day to $1.75 – the equivalent of what someone living in poverty has to spend. Click here to see their posts on planning, food shopping and progress.

I have not been asked to write about this cause, this challenge.  I’m not on any list, nor am I being compensated in any way. But I’m struck by it.  And it’s making me think about what my kids eat, what they see when they look in our pantry, when they hear when we speak about food.  I’ve written about food challenges before, but always in the vein of dealing with picky eaters or eating nourishing food. Never have my food challenges been about having enough or providing enough.

Have yours?

Are our kids even aware of the struggles that exist in the lives of people, here in our own country, to have enough to eat?

Suddenly, as I get ready to head to the grocery store, I’m feeling very fortunate indeed. Each item I place in my cart will give me a respectful pause today, I guarantee it.

And carve I did. Realizing in January that I still had shows on my PVR from October gave me a wake up call. I was trying to keep up with a few series on TV, feeling behind, and thought – this is ridiculous. It’s TV. If I don’t have time for it for a few months, that’s just how it’s going to be.

What might happen if I just erased those shows, skipped the rest of the season and used that time to work out?

It worked. Mostly. It’s now been three months and I am averaging three to four workouts a week, all in the evenings when I likely would have been watching TV and puttering on my laptop.  Less couch time, less puttering, and more time pushing myself physically has been a very good thing.  I skip nights I have plans to go out, and I skip Wednesdays to enjoy a weekly online Twitter chat about wine (#ONWineChat) so I can sip wine and relax and “talk” wine for an hour.  If it’s been a busy week or weekend I sometimes skip Sunday nights just on principle.

What am I doing?  Keeping it pretty simple so far, just building a routine.  I have too easily let it go when everything else pulled at my attention, so for now I’m going as obstacle-free as possible. I work out at home, in the evenings, after the kids have gone to bed.  I alternate:  one night I’ll be on my elliptical trainer, the next workout will be strength and flexibility.  I do what I like, I do what feels challenging, but I make sure at this point that I’m still enjoying myself.  I don’t want to find excuses to stop, so while I push myself and work hard, I also make sure that I still crave the next workout.

After all these weeks, I feel like I have built a new habit, or at least the foundation for one.  I consider what other nights I can work out before I skip one, and I do it whether I feel like it or not most nights I have it scheduled.  I have been ramping up what I do each week and trying to push myself to add a little more to what I’m doing each week or two.  I can do much more than I could when I started, and indeed far more than I have been able any other time I worked out sporadically. I think that comes from the consistency of week building on week and so on.  That’s been great to see.  I crave better food.  I feel leaner and stronger.

So what’s next?  I’m just keeping up with what I’m doing until the weather warms up.  Then I’ll be taking it outside and seeing how it all translates to running.  I signed up for the ColorMeRad 5K race in Calgary at the end of June, and as hilarious as I think the whole thing will be, I still have to be able to run the 5K.  I’m up to 20K on my elliptical (okay, twice I did 25K but I’m pinning that on total insanity and not sure when I’ll repeat it) but assuming when I take it outside I will start to whine after the first couple of kilometres.  Very different to run outside, add impact, environmental factors, you name it.

I have some work to do!

But so far it has been cool in Calgary, with random snowy days and I’m still hiding indoors and working as hard as I can.

Have you recently committed to working out?  What made you decide to do it?  How have you kept at it?  Any tips?

Share your successes and challenges, I’d love to hear them!

Perhaps not the cure.

Perhaps there are some things we won’t ever cure.  But as creatures of survival, we learn to comfort ourselves in the best ways we know how.

Sometimes I want connection, and to share what’s happening, and to take part in experiencing it with others just for the sheer electricity we create when we share emotion with others.  Sometimes it feels we can create a wave of goodness to push back against the sadness.

Sometimes I just want quiet and to take a breath. Yesterday was one of the days I wanted quiet.

So with no cure, I went looking for comfort.  I couldn’t work or write without my mind wandering so I went super tactile.  I changed into my favourite ripped jeans and bright orange T-shirt, I made a pot of coffee and cleaned things in my house.  I hung out with my kids.  I did laundry. I did anything I could think of to put my hands on things and move them, for whatever purpose, simply for the chance to use my body instead of my mind.

I tried not to think of the families worrying. I tried not to think of people injured, of lives lost.  I tried not to think of the fear an act like this creates.

I tried to talk about it with my eight year old son.  Then I bid goodnight to two sweet children, thankful for their innocence and safety.  I hoped the saying about salt water was true, put some music in my ears and worked out for an hour, hoping the music and sweat would keep things at bay.

I tried to remember all the reasons why I’m still happy to be raising kids in this world, with all that happens to make me wonder.  I thought of all the things I want to tell my kids about this world they are growing up in, and how none of those things involve acts of violence and hurt.

I want my kids to know how beautiful this world is, how big it is and how very small it can be.  That a stranger can live a world away, but connection made in an instant.  That a neighbour can be found in a faraway land, or a friend beside you on a park bench.  There will be so many good people they will meet.

I want them to know that we are all flawed and perfect and worthy, and that their life will be full of people worth reaching out to.  That for every act of evil or violence, there are a thousand of kindness and warmth.  That in every hard day there will have been thousands pushing back with goodness and love, and that there is strength in what hearts can do.

I want them to know that there are risks in everything they might undertake, but that standing still might be even more dangerous.  That they should go, move, travel, see other cities and countries and not fear.

I want them to know that they are loved – deeply, outrageously, unconditionally – and that sometimes that’s all I can guarantee for them.  I can’t give them a perfect world, but I can tell them that it’s still a world worth living and loving in.  And that the more time they spend living and loving, the better off they will be.

Live. Love. Don’t doubt the world, or the people in it.

There is always more goodness to find.

More specifically, I’m thinking about the food I would love to enjoy in Italy. Honestly, I would pretty much go anywhere with anyone to eat something interesting or amazing (street meat or lobster mashed potatoes at midnight in NYC, I’m looking at you), but really swoon-worthy destinations need to have a certain something different.  Italy ranks high on my list when it comes to mad food loving – I feel so pulled by the energy, the people, the climate, the food, the wine…it’s all so so good. Tell me you aren’t totally daydreaming about it now.  Delicious food, Amarone or Barolo in your glass – you’re with me, aren’t you?  I know you are…

This all came about after I was asked if I would like to write about The Sobeys West Tastes of the World Contest going on in Sobeys stores in the west, specifically Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC.  When I had a look at the top prizes, I couldn’t resist. Because, honestly, look at the list of 6 all-inclusive foodie vacations to be won:  Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Hong Kong; Frankfurt, Germany; Cancun, Mexico; Bangkok, Thailand.  Amazing.

Yes, of course, I would go to Paris in a heartbeat.  Who wouldn’t? But I’m sure I would just wander around seeing the sights, drinking the coffee and eating pastries.  But when I think of where I would choose to stay and really explore flavours and new dishes, from that list I would pick Rome, Italy.

This isn’t exactly a new thing for me. I may have been harbouring a small obsession with Italy for some time. A look at my bookshelf would out me anytime.

I can’t help it. I’ve long been a fan of the food and wine from Italy, and heaven help me if a movie is set there. I’m instantly drawn in, unable to take my eyes off the landscape, the sounds and sights. To have the opportunity to go there and stay long enough to enjoy, well, I can’t imagine anything better. My collection of cookbooks celebrating the food of Italy are no help; in truth, they make it worse. Just look at how they tempt me…

I love that some of the foods are so simple, so fresh and easily thrown together, while others take skill, tradition and probably a whole lot of lovin’ to pull off.  Imagine being raised on this food?

Pasta, gnocchi, risotto, soups, caprese salad, zuppa fagioli, minestrone, pesto – tomatoes, herbs and olive oil taking top billing in many dishes – oh, it’s almost too much.  And don’t even get me started on the cheeses.  Or the ciabatta. Or the calabrese.  Did I mention the wine?

And why have I still not tried gelato affogato?  Espresso poured over good vanilla ice cream and served immediately as a dessert – really, it’s a sin.

Have I tempted you enough? Are you feeling the pull of Italy yet?  I’m hoping you’re feeling the lure just as I am.  Really, this was almost painful to write, I want it that badly.

La dolce vita, indeed. I’m ready for some sweet living, aren’t you?

You can either start planning your Italian escape on your own, or you can saunter into your nearest Sobeys and enter to win their Tastes of the World Contest.  Here’s what you need to do.  There are four ways to win, and you’ll need to get yourself into a Sobeys store to be sure to get in the game.

4 Ways to Win:

●      Collect to Win (collect stamps to win a trip to 1 of 6 fantastic foodie destinations)

●      Instant Win (prizes indicated on your game ticket – Sobeys Club points, free groceries and more)

●      Online Sweepstakes (Some game tickets contain a pin number you can enter online to win great prizes)

●      In-Store Draw (Every store will have a draw to win Lagostina cookware – yes, I’m also a fan of Lagostina. You should see my gorgeous red cookware…)

For more information or to pick up your passport and game pieces, please visit your local Sobeys Store!

Disclosure:  This post was inspired by the Sobeys West Tastes of the World Contest, and I have been compensated for my time to write it. However, as always, the opinions on this blog are my own. 

Look around at your life – what fills your heart, your day, your life, your home.  Do you feel lucky to have everything you do?  Is it luck that has brought you your good life?

I think we talk too much about luck sometimes. We feel lucky, we get lucky when something good happens, and we have bad luck when it doesn’t.  There are tickets to buy, cards to scratch and dice to roll.

Vegas, baby.

I consider myself to be fortunate – is that the same thing? I’m not sure. I’ve been blessed with a good life, and an unending stream of amazing people with whom to share it. I am in good health, I have work I enjoy, and I enjoy a comfortable life.  I have two beautiful kids who charm me more than they challenge me most days.

But am I lucky?

The older I get, the more I realize – I would rather be stubborn than lucky.  I’ll never turn away good things, and will always smile at the happy surprises life brings me. I’m a big fan of serendipity.  But when it comes to what I want to do each morning when I get up, I’m reaching for stubborn.  I’m putting my feet on the floor and chasing what I want.  I want to make myself uncomfortable, reach past what I have today, and imagine different things tomorrow.

That’s not luck. That’s being willing to make mistakes, to eat a little dirt to get from today to a farflung tomorrow, and to take it on the chin when your plans fail. Here’s a secret:  mistakes are okay, a little dirt never hurt anyone and we can take more hits than we realize.

There’s an awful lot of hard work and planning that goes into being lucky most days.  We’re investing in our tomorrows every day, and our action or inaction moves us forward – or doesn’t. What if we all woke up and realized that most of what we have in life has come from our decisions, our motivations, and our actions? What if we stopped waiting for luck?  We all know people like this, don’t we? The ones who are always waiting for their luck to turn, who don’t want to hear they’re writing their own life story each day.

There are two kinds of people in the world:  the ones who are disappointed to find out they alone are responsible for their lives, and those who feel like they hold power in their very hands.  Yes, you have power in the life you are living. You can change things. You can try harder, to enjoy the good that will come from your efforts. You can change direction. You can rest when you need.

You can wait your whole life to get lucky.

Or you can get stubborn, go out and get busy living your happy life, today.

I absolutely am. Early in the winter I crave big plates of warmth, lots of comfort foods, and rich flavours. I tolerate heavier foods in November and December as I get used to the cold weather and look forward to holidays. But as spring tempts me, and a more active lifestyle beckons, I need lighter food!

Which means more vegetables, more greens (steamed or in smoothies), more salads, less pasta, more sneaky trips out to the barbecue even when the evenings are crisp. I’m having to adjust what I buy to accommodate what we are craving and eating.

I’m happy to see the brighter colours and fresh flavours of extra fresh veggies in my kitchen, and am always looking for ways to encourage my kids’ curiosity in these healthy options. I’m even thinking we might sign up for organic produce delivery again – in the past it has been a great way to inspire us and expose us to new healthy options.

I was recently introduced to a new product - Kraft Fruit & Veg - in the following flavours:

Berry Balsamic

Roasted Yellow Pepper, Garlic and Lime

Fire Roasted Tomato with Basil

Garlic Parmesan with Roasted Cauliflower

I’ll be happy to add these to our rotation – we’re all more tempted to pile salad on our plates when we have something tasty to drizzle over it.  My kids usually eat raw veggies plain for snacks and at school, but as the weather warms I know there will be times I want to just toss a pile of cut up veggies on their plates for dinner instead of cooking, and on those nights a little dressing for dipping can be a welcome sight.  They often eat more vegetables simply because I’m allowing them to dip their food.  Kids…so easy to encourage with a little sly trickery.  I’ll often stir dressing into a bit of sour cream and mayonnaise to make a creamy dip for them. (Actually, I’m pretty free when it comes to this style of dressing in general – pretend you don’t see me drizzling them over chicken breasts or potatoes I’m throwing in the oven for roasting…)

Here’s the scoop on the dressings, and I encourage you to read the labels yourself to see if they are a fit for how you are eating and feeding your family.  There are no artificial flavours or colours in the dressings, and they are low in fat and salt. I like the choices of flavour – I know the berry balsamic will be a good sell for my berry loving kids.  The fire roasted tomato with basil will probably be used up first, as I’m a big fan of that style and use it for everything. The others sound like they will be a nice change for our salads.

I’ll be checking out the salad ideas over at the Kraft Salad Centre to shake up our routine a little.  I would love to add in one of their entree salad ideas once a week to lighten things up, and I also found a few salads featuring grains like quinoa, which I have been exploring lately.

Do you find your eating habits change when the warm weather comes calling?

What are you craving lately? What changes feel right for you?

I’d love to know how the spring weather is affecting your eating habits!

Disclosure:  This post was sponsored by Kraft.  But as always, the impressions and opinions on this blog are my own.

Around these parts, the Easter bunny visits while the kids are fast asleep, filling baskets with treats and hiding eggs throughout the house.  The eggs are always filled with chocolate eggs, chocolate coins and small cookies – lots of fun for kids to scout out and find.  And the bunny is very sly when he visits, always leaving one egg in each child’s room to let them know he has been in our home. They wake up, spy the egg on the desk or bookshelf and leap out of bed, knowing it is Easter morning and time to hunt!

Baskets get filled with chocolate treats, and sometimes a toy and some new books or other goodies. Maybe the Easter bunny knows kids can only eat so much candy before little bellies start to ache? Smart bunny.

After the kids hunt their eggs and root through their Easter baskets, we stop for a big brunch.  Yes, they are allowed to sneak some chocolate beforehand, but not too much.  After something like French toast or pancakes, we settle in for a nice day of family time.  Someone will boil two dozen eggs for colouring later (pro tip:  remember to buy WHITE eggs if your family usually buys brown.)

Later we will cover the table with newspaper in foolish attempts to keep things clean, spread out glasses with a rainbow of colours and create little works of messy art out of each egg.  The kids do it, we do it, and we all end up with fingers stained with the bright colours.  After we have admired our handiwork a while, and had our dinner, we have what we call “egg fights.”  This is a tradition I grew up with that may or may not have been made up by my family. Whatever its origins, it means we gather up our eggs and take turns battling it out by smashing each other’s eggs, one at a time, each person trying to wind up with the unbreakable egg.

This year the kids will be enjoying some extra treats from Kinder as part of our celebrations, and considering how they love to sneak from our stash of eggs on regular days, the Easter treats will be happily received.  And I like how KINDER® Canada is donating $25,000 to Children’s Miracle Network of Canada after its most recent Facebook promotion. I love watching companies find fun and creative ways to give back to their communities, and the Children’s Miracle Network is definitely a worthy cause.

Happy Easter, everyone!  Hope the bunny finds you come Easter morning!

Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

As I drove, I saw light reflected in every window, neighbourhoods bathed in colour, and snowcapped mountains glowing pink. There may be many things I find beautiful in a day, but my world at sunrise is one of my favourites lately.  The light makes me look up, the fresh air makes me breathe deeply and the mountains in the distance remind me how small I am and how big life can be.

Why sunrise? Why not? Sunsets have held their lure at times, of course. They still do. But there is something about starting each day with your world lit on fire that just fuels me lately.  It’s like being handed a pair of rose coloured glasses through which to view your life, then the freedom to go live it – your choice, positively or negatively.  Constructively or destructively.  Fully or with self-imposed limitations.  Full of light or shadows.

Is a sunny side up approach too simplistic for you?  With all that is going on in the world, everything that makes me want to hurl things when I watch the news, all the wrongdoing?  I have my cynical streak, my pragmatic side, and overly analytical take on life.  Logic rules me with a heavy hand most days, I admit.  I have made my own concrete shoes, time and again, and they have weighed me down.

But as always, I see how big a difference it makes to just keep reaching for the good, for the light and putting your feet on the path that leads where you want to end up.  For me, this means catching my breath at sunrises, accepting good as it comes and chasing my happiness.

I’m taking each sunrise as a metaphor lately.

Try and stop me.

Sometimes the worst of us hides there. Sometimes it’s just our quiet thoughts. Sometimes the best of us even sneaks away there, but in the end it’s all still hiding and it takes work to keep things under wraps.

One of the most valuable things in life is to have people who truly see you, who see through you and past you and beyond you.  They are unfazed by the dark corners and don’t give a damn about your hide and seek.  These are the people who will hold your gaze when you speak, and tell you the straight truth when they answer. They are worth gold, and when you find them you can feel their weight and worth.

I am thankful to have more than a few people in my life who do this for me. The ones that don’t need my sugar sprinkled stories, my watered down sunshine.  They are the ones who have celebrated enough good with me that they are not uncomfortable with my tattered days. They know me and my sunny ways, they know my love of finding the laugh in every story, and for that they will also take me when I stumble or question. They’ll hold my hand, literally or figuratively, or they’ll pour the coffee or wine and just sit.

These are the friends who don’t flinch when you tell the truth. The ones who might even know your answers before you do.  These are the ones who hold you with grace and goodness when you need them to, then laughter when a long day is finally over.  Some can be across the table when I need them, others stay connected in other ways.  No matter how we stay together, and in touch, it’s the same goodness and comfort every time we reach out.

Seen and unseen, we all are.

Find the ones who see you and hold them tight. They’re the good ones.

Today I’m joining in for the 75th installment of Just Write, an exercise in free writing your ordinary and extraordinary moments.  You can find out more by visiting Heather of the Extraordinary Ordinary, and reading more freely written, stolen or borrowed, real and imagined moments. 

Last fall I attended a conference in Toronto where “Some Nights” by Fun. was featured in a recap of previous conferences.  We left with the song ringing in our ears and wondering “what do we stand for?”  Amazing.  Well, it sweeps back into my mind now and again and so now I’m determined to dig into their music and see if I love anything else.

This acoustic version of “Carry On” is just…perfect.  The original, featured underneath, is also good. But I’ve always had a soft spot for the acoustic version of anything.  Give me something a little stripped down, a little raw, a little more pure vocal and I’m won over.  So for me, the acoustic version wins, hands down. What do you think?

The song itself?  Brilliant. Love.

Enjoy, lovelies.

I have enjoyed wine for a long time, but it’s been at least ten years since I have attended any kind of a large tasting event or wine festival. Back in the day, I attended the Vancouver Wine Festival a few times (even pouring at a table for one of the wineries my company represented), and other events, but years have passed. I forgot how great it is to talk to people about the wine they are making or selling, and how much fun it is to share the experience with friends. I had lost the thrill of discovery that comes from stumbling over a gem that you won’t soon forget.

I found it all again.

I talked and tasted, chatted and sipped. I remembered to only taste what I really wanted to explore, for fear of running out of time or palate. I made discoveries in wine and people who made me smile. I found gems, and missed entire varietals (Malbec, I’m sorry, it’s me, not you.)

It made me remember how social wine really is, and how much it changes the experience to have someone insist you come try a wine, or get swept up in your excitement and follow you to a tasting booth. I was lucky enough to attend Winefest with a group of favourite friends who make me laugh, and laugh we did. We raved and raised eyebrows, we giggled and laughed, we dragged each other to tables to share treasures.

We enjoyed cheeses from Springbank Cheese Co. (try the Coeur de Lion Brie, I beg you) and food and olive oil pairing from Cobs and Blue Door Oil & Vinegar.  There was a spread of food to enjoy between the wine tasting tables, but I must admit I stuck to bread and cheese until after the tasting.

And as always, it was over too soon. I didn’t try enough reds, missed tables I should have visited, and instantly regretted how long I had spent tasting whites (I’m a red wine lover at heart.) Interestingly, for all my love of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec, I walked out of Winefest with four bottles – three Petite Sirah and one Sauvignon Blanc. Amusingly, I discovered Petite Sirah at a wine festival long ago and dragged home two bottles of it that year as well. It seems Petite Sirah and I like to meet up at these events. I don’t buy them often enough but have been jolted back into the memory of why I love them. Deep, dark, gorgeous wines.

Some friends and I were craving a steak after all our red wine tasting, and so plans for dinner were made. Soon we were cozy in the lounge of a popular local steakhouse, ordering steaks and dessert and coffee and enjoying ourselves immensely. A great way to end a fantastic day.

What did I learn? That I’ve spent too long away from loving wine – not just occasionally having a glass, but tasting, exploring, discovering and discussing it. It’s a happy lesson to learn.

And when I need a little reminder of how much fun I had, I have these…

So what is a Calgary girl doing smack in the middle of a Twitter chat that puts a spotlight on Ontario wines?

It’s a good question. I have been jokingly calling myself a rabble rouser for the newly relaunched #ONWineChat on Twitter, every Wednesday night at 10pm ET.  I was thrilled to discover that there was a #BCWineChat on Wednesday nights a few months ago, but when I looked for a similar chat in Ontario, there was nothing to be found.  Hmm, I thought. I really enjoyed my quick visit out to Niagara last fall.  And I met some really passionate wine people out there. Where are they all on Twitter?  Could we bring together some talented winemakers, wine writers, and wine enthusiasts to celebrate, inspire, learn, share and connect over Ontario wine?

Yes, we could.  Shawn McCormick from Uncork Ontario was kind enough to take the idea and run with it, deciding to relaunch the wine chats (that had been attempted once but died off long ago.) Shawn gives a little backstory and important nods to other talented wine folk who lent support as he considered the relaunch.  He’s been brave enough to take on the chats and is doing all the hosting, moderating, and organizing.  We have had two chats so far and already we can feel the community building.  We’re connecting.  We’re chatting. We’re starting to follow each other on Twitter, and chatting occasionally during the week.  It’s been a happy addition to my week, and I already look forward to the chance to pour a glass of wine and join smart and engaged people to chat wine for an hour.  You can follow along and read, you can jump in and answer questions, it’s free territory.  Just show up and be there to share and learn about Ontario wine, and what all goes on behind the scenes, in the bottle, in the vineyard, in the market – you name it, we just might chat about it.

Here is a great link to save from UncorkOntario – all the archives from past chats, plus new topics going forward so you can be sure not to miss any!

And what about me?  I’m just there to support, share and encourage it all.  Call it fun, call it a small passion project, call it a great way to meet people I will love to go East and meet this year if I can. Whatever it is, I’m enjoying it.  I love wine, and I love social media. I’m not a winemaker,  and my experience in the wine industry was a decade ago.  I have worked in a winery, and I have shlepped and sold and poured and managed many things wine for a time, but long ago.  I’m not a wine writer, except when I seem to not be able to resist it. But I have always loved being around people passionate about wine.  I always loved that with wine there was an endless amount to learn and appreciate – never will we know it all.  It’s ever changing, ever evolving, every harvest and producer unique.  Fascinating.

So if you love Ontario wine, and want to rub virtual elbows with others who do too, come join us in #ONWineChat, every Wednesday night 10 pm ET.  Be sure to pour a glass of wine first – trust me, by the time the chat gets going, you’ll wish you had.

I’m ready for tonight’s chat, are you?

“Drink wine…this is life eternal;
this is all that youth will give you.
It is the season for wine, roses and drunken friends.
Be happy for this moment; this moment is your life….”
-Omar Khayyam

My old faithful.
12 years in, still smooth.

These late night listening songs are always super random.  Maybe I remember listening to them long ago, maybe I heard them on the radio (remember the radio?) or maybe someone has shared them with me recently.  Somehow, some of them make it into a rotation that I like late at night, or even to steal from early in the morning as I get my day started and begin to pull words together and write.

This one hit my radar recently and somehow it hit my memory in a way that I like.  Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.  I can’t remember when I first heard it, but it’s a nice quiet escape tune.  I should go looking for more songs from them, I don’t think I know any.  So strange to only know one song from a group or artist, yes?  Hmm.

Enjoy, lovelies.

Ah, movement.  Are you getting enough of it in your days?

I wasn’t. Not for a long time.  Oh, I walk plenty during the day, running errands, shuffling myself and kids to and fro, sneaking opportunities for fresh air and more steps.  And I linger at the playground with my preschooler at pickup time, simply to share her joy in swinging.  We’re big on tire swings around here.  Yes, I am too and there’s often room for two on that swing.

But real movement that takes me out of myself for an hour, that takes over my brain, that I was not getting.  I felt the pull to get moving and by the middle of January, was lacing up my shoes.

I’m no athlete.  I’ll never be the strongest, or fastest at anything.  And that’s okay.  Because in the last four weeks I have carved out time to work out no less than twelve times.  That’s impressive for me, as someone who has chased work and kids and other commitments for a long time but not always her own health.  A year ago I changed how I was eating and left behind all kinds of bad habits. I love how I feel since making the changes.  I look different, I feel different, I have more energy.

This is the next challenge.

So I make the time.  I take the time.  Sometimes it’s hard, most times it’s just what I need – to throw my energy into something pure.  Last year was all about learning how to fuel my body properly, this year I’m after strength and giving my body the movement it needs to feel right in the world.  It’s time.  I don’t feel like stopping or giving it up, actually, I want more.  Just in case my resolve falters, I signed up for my first 5K in June, with friends.  Nothing like a little motivation. Between now and then, I’ll be logging hours with movement and music and myself.

And now?  I chase the good hurt.  I run into the music.  I move.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Are you moving enough?

Exploring my own reasons for blogging was interesting, as was reflecting on why taking the time to write and blog can help you build relationships with current and future clients.  Here are some thoughts that didn’t make it into the discussion but that might be helpful to anyone thinking of starting a business blog, or who is looking for a little inspiration.

Blogging and brand identity

My work, my identity or brand, has all come from relationships built through social media and blogging.  I was able to build a network by reaching people and connecting with them through what I was writing.  Many people I work with today originally met me and got to know me through my blog, or read posts of mine and wanted to connect.  Beyond that, with my business directly involving writing, my blog became my portfolio.  It can be a showcase; or for other businesses, a way to display expertise or knowledge.  It can make you memorable.  My blog has allowed me to share far more of myself with my readers, and in many cases it is this sharing that opens the door for connection.

Benefits of blogging

Blogging allows me an outlet, a place to work on my writing and explore topics I may not yet have had the opportunity to do professionally.  I can take things into my own hands and decide what I would like to write about.  I can be honest and connect deeply, reaching others and making myself stand out to someone who may want to hire me, or I can write topically and watch a post on writing or social media make its way around my networks.  Both have value for me.  A business can create content that draws readers to the site, improves SEO, and answers client questions.  New content is perfect to share on social media channels and for starting discussions with readers and potential clients.  Over time this content builds into a valuable resource.

Be mindful of missteps

I can’t think of any hiccups that have created stress, but I moved fairly cautiously into the blogosphere.  By the time I started my blog, I was already active in social media and was submitting my first two pieces for publication.  If anything, I was probably overcautious and hyper-aware of missteps.  If you are blogging for business, I heartily recommend choosing a few key subject areas relevant to your business and planning out a content schedule that allows you to create an easy flow of content.  For example, if you have a blog on home design, you might blog about trends on Mondays, and show before and after projects on Thursday.  Set up a schedule to start slowly, perhaps once a week, and stick to it.  Write in a way that feels comfortable to you – pretend you are writing to one of your clients, if that helps.  And a tip:  before publishing each post, try reading it out loud.  It’s a great way to find your best writing style, and will help you find errors or areas that might need a little polishing.

For the love of the blog

While there are many things I don’t share on my blog, it can be an intensely personal space and what I write there holds deep meaning for me.  I have far more words inside me than I could ever plan and pitch and share in other places – sometimes I just want an immediate, quiet share that reaches people personally.  But I know it creates and fosters relationships with people I know, and many times I have been hired because someone knows I have what it takes to reach someone through words.  That knowledge comes from them having access to what I write on the blog, and they hire me to do it on their behalf.  As well, writing about topics relevant to my area of work help connect me to others in my community who share the same interests, and can result in my posts being shared with those who may want to work with me.

Blogging for business can create connection, foster relationships and build networks.  It can add a dose of personal to an increasingly impersonal world. It can bring you out from behind the proverbial curtain and allow your clients to get to know you.  And it just might lead you to work that is the best fit for you, simply because you got a little personal.

Does your business have a blog?  Have you considered it?  Do you love to blog, or is it something you struggle with?  I’d love to hear from you.

I was asked by someone recently to share some thoughts on social media, especially Twitter, in the hopes that I would pass along a little advice or a few suggestions.  One of the biggest pieces of advice I gave struck me as funny to say out loud, but I was being honest.  I thought I would write about what I shared here to start a bit of a conversation.

As many of you know, Twitter is one of my favourite places to connect with others. I have been using Twitter consistently for nearly four years and would have a hard time expressing what all it has brought me.  I wouldn’t trade the network I have there for anything.  I would love to hear about the experience others have had, either personally or professionally.

Do you use it for both?  Have you struggled with either?

Here are three of the most important things to remember to get the most out of Twitter:

If you want engagement on Twitter, be engaging

That’s it.

It sounds foolishly simple, doesn’t it?  And yet, we keep hearing about how to build engagement.  It’s still a piece of the puzzle that is missing for many individuals and brands.  It may elude some of them forever.

And in many cases, you can hardly blame them.  Take your average office and line up the team members. Then send each one into a room of strangers for a few hours each day.  At the end of the week, how many do you think have made connections, made a friend, made a point, made someone laugh?  How many hid in a corner?  How many passed out business cards and ran?  How many quit?

This is sort of what it’s like to ask someone to jump onto a social media network like Twitter and tell them to swim.  It takes time to build a network, and time to make connections.  There aren’t a lot of shortcuts, and it’s not an easy thing for every person to do.  Not everyone has the ability to make and guide conversation, with a natural curiosity and grace with other people.  But those who have these qualities typically do flourish and enjoy.

How you use Twitter will shape what Twitter will become for you

Here’s another interesting aspect of Twitter.  It becomes what you make of it.  Isn’t that so true of many things in life?  Yes, it is absolutely true in this case.  Are you using it for conversation?  To make connections?  To broadcast your own content or message?  Imagine for a moment that you have walked into a room full of people.  You are handed a microphone, and you walk to the front of the room, talk about your business or life or latest happenings for five minutes, drop the microphone and leave the room.  That’s a little what it’s like to jump on Twitter for five minutes a day to send out a few tweets, then leave. There might be a few people that hear you, but you probably didn’t cut through the noise, and you left immediately afterwards.  You missed any and every opportunity to connect.

Now imagine you are in that same room.  You go out into the hallway and invite a few more people in.  You take your microphone and speak for a few minutes, then put down your microphone to go mingle.  You introduce yourself, you meet people, you answer questions.  You listen to others react to what you said, and take the opportunity to enjoy the conversation or explain yourself further. You exchange contact information and make plans to connect again.

Guess what?  You’re engaged.

Scheduled posts help you share your content more efficiently, but you miss the interaction

We all love to save time, don’t we?  Imagine, being able to take something time consuming and rip all the time investment out of it.  Automate to build efficiency is what we are told, correct?  In much of our workday, this is great advice.  Find your shortcuts, shorten meetings, blow up the “reply all” button – these are all great ideas.  But to automate all your social media is to cut away all your opportunities to interact with anyone who shows an interest.  You caught someone’s eye, they took the time to reply to you – and where are you?  Oh, in a meeting.  At lunch.  Sleeping.  Meetings and lunch and sleeping are important, but be careful you aren’t sabotaging your own efforts.  When you are trying to find traction and working to build community and engagement, remember that a scheduled tweet is nothing more than a tempting window display in a store than never opens.

Yes, Twitter is a part of any business social strategy.  There are analytics to be concerned with.  We can get very technical about it, and sometimes we need to.  But there’s more going on than meets the eye.  There’s a little bit of mystery and magic to it all, but really it comes down to the same grace and consideration you would use in real life. Remember that behind almost every Twitter account is a real person – looking to be heard, looking to learn, looking to connect.  If you were face to face with each individual, how would you speak to them?  How might you approach them?  How much care would you take in responding to their questions or concerns?

And now I’d love to hear from you – are you active on Twitter?  Personally, professionally, both? How has your experience been so far?  Any challenges?  What works for you?  What have you gained?

Oh…and don’t forget to come find me on Twitter @littlemissmocha.

We all have them, right?  They’re like the real life equivalent of flannel pajamas, warm blankets and hot chocolate.  While these are all lovely ways to stay warm in winter, out in the real world we need to remember that comfort doesn’t always equal happiness.

What?  Sure it does, you say.  After all, who isn’t happy when they are at their most comfortable?

Well, I have a short list I’m sure of (me) and a long list that I’m willing to bet on.  After all, there is change and newness in every day.  Our lives change, our challenges change and our needs change.  How else can we move into our new states of happy than by being brave enough to risk a little discomfort?

I don’t mean running the streets naked during rush hour, nor do I mean taking your fear of heights skydiving.  I don’t mean you need to change who you are, deep down.  I’m not talking about turning introverts into extroverts or vice versa.  You are who you are, and that’s just how it should be.

No, what I mean is more the kind of discomfort that comes from pushing yourself in directions you feel pulled to go but aren’t sure how to navigate.  When you can see what you want, perhaps a few days or a few years ahead of you, and you know you will regret not pushing for it.  Those are the moments that matter.  That’s the discomfort that is worth sitting with, taking on, taking in and moving past.  Whether it takes us a deep breath or one hundred, a friendly hand on a shoulder or a village, I don’t think we should ever let our dreams go simply because we don’t want to face what it might feel like to grow and reach.

What might be worth getting friendly with discomfort?  Think of changes you have been wanting to make, new habits you have considered adopting, areas of restlessness that have plagued you or not felt like a fit lately.  Do you have habits that are a drain on your energy or health?  Opportunities you aren’t taking advantage of?  Are you happy, satisfied and living the best version of your life professionally?  Mentally?  Physically?  Emotionally?  Spiritually?  Do any of these areas make you feel like life is chafing at you, just a little bit?  I feel this way when I’m not looking after myself, or in recent years as I have gotten closer to changing cities.  I get restless and impatient for change – that’s when I know it’s time to push myself a little.

It’s like asking yourself – what do I have today?  And if I were brave, what could I have tomorrow?

I have certain comfort zones, but am trying to push outside a few of them. My theory is that if I want certain things to change, I’m probably going to have to be uncomfortable for at least part of the journey.

What are your comfort zones? Have you gone outside your comfort zone lately?

Do you like to or try to?

Or is it something you would rather avoid at all costs?

What is the solution when I can’t get a song out of my head long enough to finish a post I’m writing? Sneak in and give it its own post, let it loose and then get my brain back to writing.

Some of you may know I’m Irish, some not, but either way there is no denying I have a fascination with the Emerald Isle.  So, any movie filmed there hits a soft spot almost immediately.  I had heard this song before but never caught what it was, until I heard it in the movie P.S. I Love You.  Love or hate the movie, there are some gloriously filmed shots of Ireland, and some great music.  Afterwards it was easy to track down this song that gets right inside my brain.

It’s “Love You Till the End” by The Pogues.  Every so often it comes to mind and then I am stuck playing it over and over. A friend reminded me of it today and gave me more recommendations so I can immerse myself in The Pogues later on.  On my list.  And no, they’re not Irish, they’re from London. I’m pretty fast and loose with rules and associations around here. Sssh.

It’s just…that easy sound I like, that gravel voice, a few lines that move me.  Okay.  Back to writing.

Enjoy, lovelies.