Lang may yer lum reek! (Live long and healthily)

Wow! What a party! Two days later and when words come out of my mouth, they are still being filtered through a Scottish accent. The Proclaimers lyrics are constantly running through my head!

Here are the highlights:

Such impressive attire!

No shit Sherlock!



This...

was used for this (hourly whisky toasts!)

The Address to the Haggis...



And haggis is served!

What would the evening be without some highland fling?

WHEN YOU'RE GIVING 'TALK LIKE A SCOT!' LESSONS, IT'S REALLY HARD NOT TO BE HIGHLY ANIMATED AND SHOUT LIKE A BLOODY HOOLIGAN!

It's Angus, the Multi-tartan'd Moose.

Henh, henh.

Reviewing the clan poster.



See you again next year Bonnie Lads & Lassies!

Cheeky, I know...

Time to get my humble abode decked out for Saturday's Robbie Burns Day Party.

Some clipart and crayons, and voila! An Andy Warhol inspired art piece!

Glad to be Plaid

That's my sister Shirley on the left, and me on the right. My mom made these outfits. Even as a 4 year old, I remember feeling like I was born to rock this outfit!

I went searching through my wardrobe the other day to see what I could wear for this Saturday's Robbie Burns Party. Seeing as I strongly suggested to my guests that they show up decked out in plaid or tartan, I figured I better make sure I would be dressed as authentically as possible.

To my surprise, there was no tartan to be found in my closet! I set off to Frenchy's and picked up two long skirts - one with a blue multicoloured checked tartan pattern (made in Cambodia oddly enough) and the other various shades of grey and blue (made in Moldova...what's up with that?). I still have to decide which skirt I'll be wearing, but I'll be happy with either. I'll also have some Scottish 'embellishments' to complete my outfit (guests will have to wait until Saturday to see what they are).

I picked up a few extra items at Frenchy's, so don't worry if you can't find any plaid in your closet, I will get you all decked out when you get here!

Here's tae us! Wha's like us? Damn few, an' they're a' deid! (Cheers! There's no one like the Scots!).

Week 4: Host a Robbie Burns Day Party

Time to start a new challenge after the excitement of last week in which I exceeded my goal of earning $200 extra dollars in revenue, thanks to my windfall of winning a car. Which actually ties in nicely to this week's theme. My win was part of a fundraiser for the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts and my winning ticket was drawn at the College's Robbie Burns Day festivities.

I'll be hosting my own Burns Celebration at my home this Saturday evening. For those unfamiliar with Burns, he was the son of a peasant farmer who took to writing poetry as an alternative to working in the fields. He is considered 'Scotland's National Poet'. Burns Day parties are held annually on January 25 (his birthday) and typically celebrated with a traditional Scottish meal, drinking whisky, reading poems, singing songs, and a toast to the lassies.

I've been talking about having a Robbie Burns Day party for a few years now, but the timing was never right. But this Saturday twenty or so of my closest friends will jam themselves into my wee little home, have some drink and eat my mother's homemade Scotch cookies. When I think about my cultural identity, I most connect with being Scottish (after being a Canadian of course). My mom's father immigrated to Canada as a teenager and Mom always corresponded with distant relatives from his homeland who would send tea towels for her and plaid clad dolls for my sister and I.

When hosting Robbie Burns festivities, there's a whole protocol to the event. My party will have some of those traditional elements, such as the Address to the Haggis (Will it be a real haggis? My guests will just have to wait and see, wink wink). But we'll also be listening to the Proclaimers and introducing a 'Talk in a Scottish Accent' Hour.

Aye, we'll be smilin' like a bylt haddie (full of the joys of life). Can't wait!

Ride Sally Ride

Well, just when I thought this week's experiment of earning an extra $200 in revenue was about to be chalked up as a dismal failure, my luck changed rather abruptly late yesterday.

But before I get to that, I'd like to tell you what I've been doing this week in an attempt to earn some extra coin ('attempt' being the key word). I've been posting like a maniac to UsedPEI.com with hardly a speck of interest (except for the woman who wondered if I could drive a $10 item to Charlottetown...um, no). I've noticed things on the site seem to be pretty quiet, so my guess is that this is not time of year that people have extra money to spend / want to venture out in the cold to check out other peoples' stuff. I'm going to keep using this website, as I think it's a great concept and that eventually I'll have some success with it.

Trying to sell my craft wares didn't work either. And after assessing the state of my recycling, I realized there wasn't enough to bother delivering to the recycling depot. I could have taken on an extra shift at the pool where I teach an exercise class, but quite frankly, the motivation just wasn't there. I did redeem some Air Miles points and will soon be receiving in the mail a $25 gift card from Staples as well as a $10 card from Starbucks. That was my only real success this week, and even that's a stretch.

Yup, my vision was that this was going to be an experiment where, at the end of the week, I would be found smugly counting dollar bills in my living room. Instead, I was left feeling disappointed and frustrated. Until last night when I got the call.

I won a 2011 FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE! Talk about divine intervention! It was only earlier in the day (4:30 pm to be exact) that I had stopped in to the College of Piping to buy a ticket on their car lottery, which was to be drawn for later in the evening. Tickets were $100 each (no small potatoes!) and I hesitated a bit in the afternoon before finally going down to pick up a ticket. I like to think I'm a person with strong intuition, and something was telling me to take the risk.

Since I bought a new (to me) car just before Christmas, and a mustang convertible is not exactly practical for my life, I'll be taking the cash equivalent of the car. I don't exactly know what that number is yet, but boy do I have plans for how it's going to be spent (all in a responsible fashion, of course)!

So yes - this win has pulled me out of the fire, however I do still think it's possible to earn some extra cash now and then if you put your mind to it. It's important to be creative and persistent in your goal of increasing your revenue. Either hard work or, in my case karma, will step in and pay off.

Here's a little audio clip for your enjoyment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxc8Sm0nXpE

A long way from $200

I was hoping by now I would be bragging about how close I was to reaching my goal of earning $200 extra dollars in income this week. Sadly, I am far from it.

For the first time ever, I've been using UsedPEI.com to try and sell my things. I've posted numerous items - clothes, dishes, a rocking chair. The only thing I've had interest in so far has been some $10 plates...and they are not officially sold yet. I'd be curious in hearing other people's experiences with this website. Maybe this is a bad time of year to be selling things? Maybe I just need to be more patient?

So yesterday while I was in Value Foods, I was struck by what was posted on the dry erase board on the wall. Last week's winner of the store's 50/50 had a take-home pay of $1,200!! Cha ching! I'm sure I blinked dollar signs. The cashier told me that the weekly payout is normally only $200 (only?). I am in the vicinity of the grocery store on a regular basis, so I figured it would be a good idea to sign up and make the commitment to stop in weekly and sign in. Will I win $200 this week? Probably not. But one of these weeks, opportunity will be mine.

Week 3: Add an extra $200 to my income this week

I think this week is going to be interesting. Like everyone, I could always use some extra cash, and I'm willing to get creative about how I earn it (before you over think that statement, let me share that I don't mean in a Pretty Woman kind of way).

I've got some items sitting around from my Week 1 decluttering purge that I would be happy to put on the market. Since I need an actual market from which to sell these articles, I've joined the UsedPEI.com revolution and am happy to report that I've already posted 3 items. I am waiting with anticipation for inquiries about my wares to roll in. I've never sold anything off of this site before, so I really don't know what to expect. I may be thinking selling my stuff is going to be easier than it actually will be. I guess I'll soon find out!

I've got some other resourceful revenue generating ideas up my sleeve. I look forward to sharing my progress this week. Here's hoping I'm $200 wealthier by week's conclusion!

Sugar and Spice...

"What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of" goes the nursery rhyme. Well, this week in Experiment #2 (removing sugar from my diet) THIS little girl has been made of bread, bran bars and beer. Those were the things I may have over-consumed in an attempt to compensate for the lack of sugar.

I wish I had a revelation to report about how my sugar cravings are gone and I will never consume the drat substance again! Alas, it is not so. I will say that while I am far from willing to give up sugar and sweets, I did ponder the notion that perhaps I could cut back. And after not eating ONE sugary morsel all week, I know this is something that I can achieve. While I missed sugar this week, I did not miss the tired, sometimes yucky feeling that comes from consuming too much of the sweet stuff. I think this thought will keep me motivated and I will be less apt to overindulge.

Except for tomorrow morning's breakfast which I already have planned out: chocolate milk and an Aero bar.

How do you remember to spell dessert? Dessert has two s's, because you always want a second one.

I grew up eating dessert. A lot of dessert. After supper there was ALWAYS dessert. My mom was really creative in her presentation of after dinner sweets. Jello had bits of fossilized fruit, congealed into wine glasses. That was my mom's attempt at sneaking healthy stuff into me and my sister. But we had plenty of sugary, cavity causing temptations as well. I especially enjoyed bowls of whip cream, mini marshmallows and coconut all mixed together (actually, come to think of it, Mom snuck fruit into that too!).

It wasn't just supper. Lunch was also followed by dessert, usually something simple like a plate of cookies, but dessert none the less. Meals felt incomplete without it. That feeling, that lack of a conclusion at mealtime, has come back to me this week, as I resist the urge for some after dinner saccharine.

Mom gave us dessert out of love, and I have nothing but appreciation for it. Even though it's been a bit of a challenge, this week I have been able to understand that it IS possible to have a meal without being followed by dessert.

Here's a little video that is closely aligned with my feelings. This guy and I are totally on the same wavelength.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlSc1bdT9SI

Defeated by Chocolate

This is the aforementioned chocolate chip container outlined in my previous blog post. I could have really used a few of these tasty morsels today. I didn't sleep well last night, which made me feel a bit cranky today, which led to a fervent desire for something sweet.

Conclusion: Lack of Sleep + Being a Cranky Pants = Desperate Yearning for Sugar

Further conclusion: celery sticks are NOT a good substitute for a sugar craving.

Sugar, Sugar

Alrighty, I've just started Week 2 of my 50 Week Experiment: Eliminating sugar from my diet. This is a short term experiment only taking place over the next 7 days, thank God.

I first must qualify what I mean by sugar. I've got a problem with sweets - cookies, squares, anything chocolate. So when I say that over the next week I'm going to eliminate sugar, that's really what I'm talking about. It's the pair of Timbits I sometimes order with my coffee, or the Moccachinos I treat myself to every time I go to Charlottetown (I think they're just called Moccas, but calling them moccachinos makes me feel important when I order them). Or if I can't find just the right thing in my house that will satisfy my craving, it's the desperate plunge my hand makes into the container which stores my chocolate chips.

This week I'll still be consuming things like orange juice (containing natural sugar, which I think is good for you, and I don't care what anybody says) and yogurt (which only has a small amount of sugar for flavouring and not enough for me to worry about). And I am not a big pop drinker, so avoiding carbonated beverages will not be an issue for me this week at all.

I am happy to report that today was a sugar-free day for me. I have been feeling undeniably tired all day, and I can't tell if its a result of this cold I've been nursing, or it is indeed the onset of complete and utter sugar shock. If it is my body that's crying out in desperation for sugar, I see that as a good thing. It means my body was obviously in need of a sugar detox, and that's exactly what I intend to give it this week.

Clutter be gone!

So it's the end of Week 1 of my 50 Week Experiment. It's been a satisfying week of decluttering as I've said goodbye to dishes I never use, CD's I never listen to, and Christmas decorations I just don't have room for anymore. Some things were easy to get rid of and left me feeling exhilarated as I realized how much more space opened up in their absence. And some things were harder to bid farewell to, like items from my childhood. Other things I just couldn't say goodbye to, like the handmade cable knit sweaters belonging to loved ones who are no longer here.

When I would feel stuck about whether something should be allowed to stay or get the boot, I asked myself this question: "After today, will you ever think about this item again?". And if the answer was, "Of course I will never think of this warped bulletin board found on the street during my university days ever again!", then it was easy to give myself permission to let it go.

Quantity also came into play. I realized I didn't need say, 20 candle holders. So the collection was slashed in half (ditto for frames, holiday napkins and that table confetti stuff - those tiny little plastic hearts and stars have a way of making their way into the mashed potatoes anyway).

I've just started reading Peter Walsh's book Does this Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? Walsh addresses North Americans need to consume 'more'. He says, "Consumption is king. We spend too much, we buy too much, and we eat too much". I hear what he's saying - we distract ourselves with things like food and material items in an attempt to seek happiness. If you knew me as a kid or a young adult (or have ever helped me move), you know how attached I felt to 'stuff'. As the years have gone by, this need to be comforted by material items has lessened more and more. I recognize (especially this week) that in order to make room for your future, you need to get rid of the things around you that are just taking up energy.

That word - energy - kept popping into my head this week. I look at the pile of stuff on my dining room table that will soon make its way into boxes. I feel relieved to say it is just that - stuff. Now that my home is lighter, more open and contains the things that I truly love and care about, the energy that was once sucked up by all my 'stuff' can be released back into the air to be used for a better purpose.

I accomplished a heck of a lot this week, but there are still more areas of my home I want to sort through. And my garage...well, that a whole other project. Time to get the boxes out and get this stuff out of here.

Au Revoir Bonhomme...

The decluttering continued last night as I sorted through a container of stuffed animals and dolls from my childhood. They look a little sad to say goodbye, don't they?

The martini glasses did not survive the purge

Neither did the cool vintage martini shaker that (along with the glasses) have been in my china cabinet, unused for the last 4 years. I had to face it - I'm a wine girl...'shaken, not stirred' is not my style, and neither were the beer steins. When I caught a glimpse of them I would feel guilty, knowing that one of those brewskie glasses walked out of the Brothers Two Restaurant late one St. Paddy's Day not that long ago.

The china cabinet wasn't even going to be the first item on my 'purge list'. I was simply trying to make room for the 2 sets of wine glasses I received as Christmas gifts, and the next thing you know, there goes my uber cute tea pot (that drips all over the place when it pours) and the tablecloth weights that I've been hanging on to since my 20's that have never been used.

My goal with this week's experiment was to eliminate 5 items of clutter per day. As you can see from the photo (taken after only the first day of my decluttering process) that goal is going to be nooooo proooooblem. And if you see some familiar items and you're the friend/relative/restaurant manager who presented me with said items (knowingly or unknowingly), rest assured that both me and my china cabinet are feeling a little less weighted down today...now where is that corkscrew?

ALLER!: Mega declutter (January 2 - 8, 2011)

My space is pretty comfortable and really I don't have any major storage issues, but I feel a good purge will help to make my home (and my mind) a little less cluttered. I am motivated by odd thoughts - "What if you want to pick up and move to Ireland for a year...what will you do with all this stuff?" or "What if you suddenly die tomorrow? Your mother is going to have to deal with the liquidation of your over-abundance of craft supplies". So to prepare for such unexpected life shifts (and to make my life a little lighter) I am committing to getting rid of at least 5 items per day over the course of this week. No area of my home will be spared...I will be rifling through kitchen cupboards, opening and assessing bins of childhood memories, and re-prioritizing my CD collection.

I'm a bit nervous about this process...I'm a sentimental person by times. But I am also good at looking at things through lenses of practicality, so I think that will motivate me to toss, sort and redirect the material items of my life...it's only stuff, right?

I will keep you posted...

JANUARY....named after Janus, the god of the doorway

It seems appropriate as we step through the doorway of a new year for my first month of experiments to have a theme of renewal. Here are my 'experiments' for January:

January 2 – 8: Perform a (mega) declutter of my home

January 9 – 15: Eliminate sugar from my diet

January 16 – 22: Add an extra $200 in income this week

January 23 – 29: Finally throw the Robbie Burns Day Party I've wanted to for years

And a new year begins...

Welcome! I have lots of doubts as I set up this blog and look at the impending task I’ve set for myself: committing to performing and writing about a different life experience each week of 2011. You probably noticed that I’ve only committed to 50 weeks instead of the year’s actual 52 week calendar…just leaving myself a little wiggle room in case I need a week’s break or a little vacation.

I more or less have all of the weeks planned for the year. I was surprised at how easily the 50 concepts came flowing into my brain. Really, it’s a way for me to capture the dozens of ideas that are constantly swimming around in my head. The “I should try…” and the “Oh, I would love to do…” and “Wow, another year has gone by and I still haven’t…”. I also have a tendency to think I ‘should’ accomplish everything RIGHT NOW! By initiating this 50 Week Experiment, I can still accomplish everything, I just don’t have to worry about exploring my chakras, until say, September.

I’m not going to learn to run or start a raw food diet. I just don’t want to. My list of 50 experiments are things that I have a true interest in, or want to get back to doing, or that maybe I already have a bit of experience with, but want to explore further.

Wish me luck!