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.

Try everything that ever made you wonder...

Maybe it's the spirit of the Olympics or the exciting things going on around with my friends lately (shout out to those with new jobs, babies, husbands/wives, houses, etc!) but I think I'm slowly starting to get into this new go-get-'em mind set.  This week, I've found myself correcting my own negative thoughts and really trying to focus on all of the good.  By interrupting the negativity, I'm worrying less, feeling more calm and have more positive energy throughout the day.

In my last post, I talked about three things I wanted to work on- Saying "yes" more, conquering fears and being nicer.  All week, I've been keeping these goals in mind and have tried to seek out some new things to try.

Originally, when I vowed to say "yes!" more, I pictured wild adventures and risk taking.  Although I hope that some great stories come out of saying "yes", this week showed me that saying "no" to one thing can be saying "yes" to another.  Passing up a night of going out with friends because I need a quiet night at home is saying a huge "yes" to my needs.  In this case, it wasn't due to laziness or a lack of wanting to hang out.  It was just a need of my space and time.  But that also opened up a "yes" opportunity to get up early on Sunday morning and go for breakfast with my brother and his girlfriend which I am rarely able to do since I would have been hiding under the covers all day.  All in all, a positive "no but actually yes" scenario.

I have also been talking some time to unwind a bit in the evenings with a pot of tea, a candle and a book.  Right now I'm reading Half Blood Blues by Canadian Esi Edugyan.  My candle of the moment is Bahama Fizz from Bath & Body works and my tea is Birthday Cake from Davids Tea.

Lots of things intimidate and scare me in this world and I have the tendency to back away when things get tough. I've been eyeing the gym across the street for a year now and finally seized the day and got myself a membership.  I had an awesome trainer show me around and give me a bit of a workout routine and it's amazing how quickly I've started to see positive changes in my energy level.  I've even found myself loving spin class which may or may not have anything to do with the fact that my instructor looks and acts like Jef from Emily's season of the Bachelorette...  He told me I had great form and I almost fell off the bike.  But anywhoo...  The exercise has really been a motivator to pay a bit more attention to what I'm eating and start working on a healthier balance when it comes to meals.  On that note, I purchased a bag of Bacon Ranch popcorn from Popcorn Indiana (http://www.popcornindiana.com/buy/10).  Don't do it.  Nasty, nasty stuff.

Aside from the everyday holding the door open and please-and-thank-you's, my be nice highlight of the week was in my own apartment building.  There is an elderly man who lives on my floor.  He's known as a bit of a Chatty Calvin.  If you make eye contact or say hello, you're stuck talking to him for days.  Last time I said hello, he brought pictures of his deceased wife out of his wallet and told me all about their life together.  I typically avoid him when I'm coming and going from the building.  I saw him on a park bench outside the other day and, although everything in me told me to keep on walking, I stopped and said hello.  He simply smiled, said "Nice day!" and I was off and on my way.  I feel bad for dissing the poor guy.  I look forward to stopping to chat with him a bit more next time.

The long weekend is approaching and I look forward to more opportunities to challenge myself continue to strive for positive changes.  I encourage you to do the same.  I'd love to hear all of your comments and ideas below.

Until next time,
Darby

Follow me @darbvt