These are a few (more!) of my favorite thiiings...

We did it!  We survived winter.  A cold, dark, snowy, stormy winter.  I don't believe that we've seen the absolute end of it but April is upon us and my sunroof is begging to be opened.

Enough with the naysaying though.  Let me share a few (of my favorite) thiiings that made those yucky March days just a little less yucky.




1.  Books
     Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
Although I'm typically not super into historical fiction, and certainly not Westerns, this book had me at hello.  I love the narration and all of the obstacles these brothers face on their way to California to finish a job for the Commodore.  A really good Canadian read that may even leave your heartstrings pulled a bit tighter.  You can find Sisters Brothers at your local bookstore or online at Indigo.



2. Health & Beauty
    Olay Complete with SPF 15
I'm not the type to be picky about the products or brands I use for skin care.  To be honest, when it comes to face creams, I usually just grab whatever is over $10 but under $20 and usually on sale.  Sticking to the 60-75mL size is great because they're easier to travel with and the jars fit nicely in my medicine cabinet.

What immediately drew me to the Olay all day moisture cream was the smell.  Since I can remember, I have loved the smell of sunscreen.  I can't get enough of it.  Not the coconuty ones either.  I want the straight up Coppertone Sport goodness.  It will take you right back to your childhood frolicking at the beach or wading in the public pool. It ran me around $15 at my neighbourhood Rexall.  Oh-                                                       it's also good at moisturizing.  Bonus!

3. Online/Social Media
    LinkedIn
I know what most of you are thinking and I thought it too.  I didn't get it!  I didn't understand what the benefits of being on LinkedIn could be.  It seemed like a whole lot of work and why would I want all that information about myself floating around in cyber world for just anyone to see?  Well, it turns out that LinkedIn has some great functions other than being a way to see if your ex is still a deadbeat or if your high school sweetheart is a wealthy CEO now.  Mine is not.

LinkedIn has groups and company pages you can join to enter into conversations about anything.  You can be linked to fellow alumni, those with common interests or skills as well as any type of field or community you would like to be a part of as a listener or contributor.

If it has been two years since you set up your account and have never typed "l-i-n..." into your Google search bar since, do yourself a favour.  Give LinkedIn onnnne more chance.  Perhaps this 2 min video will help.  

4. Food & Drink

    Cajun Blackened Salmon
No Favorite Thiiings list would be complete without a good recipe.  I love fish but I don't have much experience or confidence when it comes to cooking it.  I don't really know what flavours go with what fish or how to enhance a dish with anything other than salt & pepper.  Thank goodness for this recipe from Food.com!  It's a great way to spice up a salmon fillet but you can also use this seasoning on pretty much anything else.  I substituted some spices for some others and used all black pepper since I didn't have white in my cupboard.  I made a spinach salad on the side but you could also make rice or grilled veggies.  Try it tonight!  http://www.food.com/recipe/cajun-blackened-salmon-278329

What are some of your Favorite Thiiings?  Please leave a comment below or join the conversation @midtowndiaries #favoritethiiings.

New Year's Goal- Get through winter without having to wear a light therapy visor...

December is really such a tease.  I spent all month admiring beautiful lights and decorations, enjoying good food and drinks with family and friends, feeling merry and briiiiiiiight...

And then January hit me like a ton of bricks.  The first few days were great (despite the 16 bottles of Gatorade I had to chug just to get out of bed).  I felt ambitious, motivated and excited.  THIS is the year.  The year I'll really get it together.  I'll discover the perfect work/home/social balance.  I'll make the most fabulous food while running at least 20km a week.  I'll watch less TV and read more books.  I'll do yoga.  I'll get married (oh God- that actually IS going to happen!!!)...  but then, by the first full week of January I'm already feeling overwhelmed, defeated and I've somehow managed to injure my elbow?!

This winter blues stuff is nothing new for me and I don't think I'm alone.  The cold weather and short days make me feel like a prisoner.  There is nothing appealing about leaving the comfort of my warm living room to go out in the snowpacolypse or -33 degree temperatures.  Then Thursday rolls around and I realize I haven't left the house in three days (thank the stars above that the new season of The Bachelor just started back up!).  The winter makes me feel like I'm at my worst.

As you can imagine, I'm a real joy to live with during this time of year.  T will be accepting applications for temporary fiance swaps soon.  We had a chat last night about what I can be doing to make the winter go by a bit quicker that would also help build my resume without having to wear one of these:

Although the last two "winter projects" (working part time at a Froyo shop and taking an Into to Tea class) helped make the months pass by, they aren't exactly things I feel especially proud of.  I really enjoy working with people but I also find a lot of joy in reading, writing and exploring the online social world.

It took about 2 minutes of googling before I found some really interesting courses in Social Media and Community Management at one of the Toronto colleges downtown.  Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going back to school!!  Again!!  In the Faculty of Business & Legal Studies!!  Wait... what?!  I'm excited to start my first course in Social Media Marketing next week.  

Stay warm out there and please leave me any comments or suggestions you may have on beating those winter doldrums.  You can find me on Twitter @darbyvt.