Thursday 23 August 2007

Everyone Needs Some Love


There’s no real reason for this post just that I’m feeling a little emotional (no, no nothing happened…I’m still in love and with my boyfriend), but I just finished reading ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and was feeling a little awwww-like…that being said here are some of my favourite romantic quotes:

‘Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time’ ~ Casablanca

‘You had me at hello’ ~ Jerry Maguire

‘This kind of love comes but once in a lifetime’ ~ Bridges of Madison County

‘I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it.’

‘When they ask me what I liked best, I'll say it was you.’ ~ City of Angels

‘You make me want to be a better man’ ~ As Good As It Gets

‘A life without love is no life at all’ ~ Ever After

.....And of course:

‘So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday’ ~ The Notebook

'Nobody puts baby in the corner' ~ Dirty Dancing

Tuesday 21 August 2007

1 Year…Say What?


It’s exactly one year ago today that I traveled across the Atlantic from the comfort of my own home in Canada to start a new adventure/life in the UK. I can hardly believe that this time last year I was exploring my new neighborhood and preparing for my first day at work. I can still remember how petrified I was of the tube – all the people rushing past me, the HUGE escalators and no announcements (how was I going to know when my stop was?). Now I’m the one pushing past tourists, walking up the escalators and knowing exactly where I'm going!

In light of this occasion I'd like to introuduce some of the (many) corky language differences that I love and now use:

Canadian - UK

Diaper - Nappy
Runners/Running Shoes - Trainers
Trunk (of car) - Boot
Sidewalk - Pavement
Elevator - Lift
Movie - Film
Zucchini - Courgette
Backpack - Rucksack
Crosswalk - Pedestrian crossing (types: pelican crossing; zebra crossing)
Potato chips - Crisps
Nice/enjoyable - Lovely
Very good - Brilliant / "brill"
bangs (hair) - Fringe
Fries - Chips
English Muffin - Muffin
Muffin - Muffin (very confusing!)

speak to you soon mate

Monday 20 August 2007

Every Little Helps…Right?


Sources say England and Wales have had their ‘wettest’ summer since records began in 1766 (of course it has, as I’m here!...moving on), it’s indisputable that global warming is to blame; individuals and companies must make smarter choices for the environment at every opportunity. Let’s start with your computer…

There is this theory right that black or dark screens use less energy. Given this theory one smart blogger suggested that if Google went ‘Black’ it would save the world 750 Megawatt hours a year….and so with this Heap Media has created Blackle ‘to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy’. I’ve placed this site as my homepage to do my part…..will you do yours?

Sunday 19 August 2007

Watches in Disguise


Do I even need to write anything? So what if I’m now obsessed with Transformers….this retro watch (circa 1980) is optimus cool!!

Tuesday 14 August 2007

2 x The Excitement!



Candice Bushnell is on fire!!! Not only has the deal been signed to make a ‘Sex In The City’ movie (woohoo!!!) - they’ll just have to keep Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall as far apart as possible (arguments of equal pay and involvement rights arose between the two) - but her bestseller ‘Lipstick Jungle’ will be a TV series. With the likes of Brooke Shields it’s sure to be a hit!! It premieres this fall on NBC, unfortunately for us Londoners (me) it hasn't been scheduled to air here-yet…..you know what I’ll be doing, don’t you?

Check out clips and other fun stuff here

Oh I can’t wait to get wrapped up in fictional characters!!!

Monday 13 August 2007

Now What Do I Do?


I’m an ‘Advantage card’ holder of Boots here in the UK (one of the many loyalty cards around) usually you don’t get much except a heavier wallet, but this time I was thankful… Last month I received a letter from them outlining the recall and removal of ‘Complete Moisture Plus’ from the worldwide market (along with a suggestion to purchase a Boots’ alternative – of course, why not you have my undivided attention!)…um, okay a bit scary as I’ve been using this brand since I started wearing contacts - some 10 plus years now!!! They say it’s wise to use only the brand your Optometrist recommends….so as a person that follows the rules I have and now look! I was a bit drunk when I first read the letter (why do I open mail in such a state….who knows!) but once I was sober I realized ‘HEY this is serious!!!’ so I thought I’d share what I found out…(mostly for you Dianna as I know you use this as well).

The main reason for the recall was that CDC (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention) found a correlation between people who use Complete MoisturePlus and people who acquire Acanthamoeba – ‘a water-borne parasite that occurs naturally but in the human eye can lead to serious infections of the cornea’. After interviewing 46 victims, 21 of them were using Complete Moisture Plus. They go on to say they’re ‘not prepared to make any generalizations’ and that ‘at this point, it isn’t clear why that correlation exists’. So in the meantime while they figure it out, they’ve taken it off the market…and I’m thankful (as I really like my blue eyes!!!). But, after a recent visit to the pharmacy I found myself with very little choice, well one choice really, the store/generic brand……maybe I should be getting daily disposables? I think I’ll wear my glasses for a bit while I figure out my next move!

Read the full article here

Where my bottle is now:

Thursday 9 August 2007

Mint Balls eh?


I’ll make this post short and sweet. The other night I was dining at a really nice restaurant, when our bill arrived we received ‘Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls’ with it…well that just threw us into in an uproar of laughter (that continued into the cab ride home)…how could it not? I had to check them out….they’ve been around since 1898 using the same recipe passed down form generation to generation and Uncle Joe has been ‘Immortalised in countless articles, cartoons and poems; there has even been a song written about them!’…cool!

See what could come from a mint ball!

Tuesday 7 August 2007

Bizarre Yet Yummy


Even though I work right in central London I find myself sometimes at a lost on what to have for lunch. Last week I went (on one of many weekly trips) to Marks & Spencer in search for something pleasing to cure my hunger. I always find it overwhelming; they have the salads in one section, sandwiches and wraps in another and you have to fight the crowds to get a look. And that’s what I usually do spend half my lunch period walking around aimlessly seeing if anything jumps out at me (not literally of course). So on this certain occasion I was fed up and took the last thing I picked up to the check out. When I got back I was surprised for two reasons….a) because I got a salad…this was not just any other salad no sir, it was a watermelon, pomegranate, feta salad w/ couscous in a peppery dressing – my thoughts ‘Oh dear what I have done!’ and b) my delight in the it’s taste…it was amazing, so refreshing and tasty!!!! Perfect for a summer’s day, that is if we had a summer here in England!!! I think I’ll try something new everyday…

Cheers to random purchases!

On a side note (yet similar):

Remember how I was saying everything is scattered around the place usually in an orderly fashion? Well now I can’t find this salad again…it’s not in the salad section or the ‘To Go’ section...it’s so sad!! I guess that’s what I get for wanting to try something new everyday!!!

Friday 3 August 2007

Where Can I Find an Ear-Duster?


Imagine with me will you? Let’s say you’ve just picked out the perfect gift for that ‘special’ someone. Your next logical step would be figuring out how you want to present it…do you go for wrapping paper and a bow or choose a gift bag with tissue paper? Complicated and tricky for some I know. Let me take the pressure off…..

While gallivanting around Japan this past April I came across the perfect gift bag (which I bought!!) and completely forgot about, until last night……you’re going to love this. It’s basically a white bag (see picture) with writing across the center spanning all the way around the bag in red writing…who cares right? But check out what it says

‘True love is like Big Foot…Everybody talks about it, but nobody has ever found it. Don’t Worry. I’m not gonna sell you to an ear-duster. You are Big Foot’

That pretty much sums up this post….I’m laughing so hard I’m crying

Goodbye my Big Foot

Wednesday 1 August 2007

Health Push


I remember when I was younger my mom calling ‘don’t forget to take your vitamins’ as my sister and I got ready for school; as she knew we didn’t like the Flintstone Vitamins that we had (who didn’t have these!) and if not reminded we wouldn’t take them -‘but you didn’t remind me mom...I didn’t know we were meant to take them everyday!’ - Whether it was an abundance of orange ones (that we didn’t like) and not enough purple ones, who can say, we just refused to take them regularly. Now, if you know me personally you know I have issues with vitamins…every time I decide to take them, I get sick. Now this could just be a funny coincidence (but I highly doubt it) or this could be…..Now, Now let’s not jump the gun on theories as that’s not what this post is all about. What I’m trying to get at is, it seems more and more food and drink products are popping up with enhanced vitamins, minerals or supplements…..And Coke is quick on the ball to react to consumers’ needs….

It started off with likely candidates such as eggs, butter and bread that were given the boost but now everywhere I look there’s an advertisement for a new ‘enhanced healthy’ version of some food/drink I once consumed. Take for instance the new Diet Coke Plus which contains ‘vitamins B3, B12 and C which helps maintain a healthy immune system.’ In it’s North American PR release a senior member of the brand was quoted saying they ‘wanted to offer (consumers) the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us’. My take on this…everyone is starting to think about their health more and more and Coke want a piece of the market!!

Everything is spiraling out-of-control!!! It seems most companies are trying to jump on the ‘healthy’ band-wagon promoting they’re product's healthy benefits or enhancing them to be healthy…which is fair enough, we all want to live healthy, long lives…and it seems like we have less and less time to do so….but something must be said about getting your vitamins naturally – eating your fruits and vegetables, you know the old fashioned way!!

Cheers to our health!

Info regarding the recommended daily intake of vitamins, minerals and supplements here