Monday 31 December 2012

Learning To Roll With The Punches

It's New Years Eve and I am looking forward to getting dressed up and ringing in the new year with my husband, friends and family!  Tomorrow will most likely be a day of leisure, watching movies or a reality TV marathon (this is how we have spent the last few New Years days) and then I am headed back to work with an exciting year ahead.

Because of the way the holidays fell during the week, I got an extra few days off which was very needed and much appreciated.  I fully took advantage of this down time and really tried to relax and not let anything stress me out too much.  I often over think everything!

The past year was also a very busy and exciting one but by the time the holidays arrived I was ready for a break from life and all of its responsibilities.  I spoke to some other people who were feeling the same way as we got closer and closer to Christmas.  There is no doubt our society jam packs each day with as many tasks as possible and I think the Christmas holidays often present a time to just focus on family and friends.  

While I was sick for most of my time off, I still enjoyed the time I did spend with family and friends and the time I took for myself.  That time off allowed me to recharge my batteries and look forward to an exciting 2013.

I am not one who makes New Years resolutions but it is something I have talked about on my blog before and something I will make even more of a focus on this year, with a slight adjustment.  Living a balanced life a.k.a. making time for myself, reaching new levels of success at work and developing stronger personal relationships with the people that mean the most to be me, adjustment - also being able to roll with the punches.  I often feel like things need to be a specific perfect way for the next step to happen and I am slowly realizing that is sometimes not reality, its exhausting and potentially holding me back.

My time off has been good, giving me the opportunity to reflect on the past year.  I am proud of myself for accomplishing certain goals and know there are areas that require more attention as I move into the new year.

So I would like to propose a toast - to a balanced life and rolling with the punches!

Cheers, Happy New Year!

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Guest Blogger: Charlie Shares His Christmas


Hello, its Charlie again.  My Grandma Brown was over for Christmas dinner yesterday and let me know that she really enjoys reading my blog posts and would love to hear from me more often so I thought I would write about my Christmas.  

I have always loved Christmas, I love opening presents, I love to jump and run in the snow and it is the one time of year that I get to chat with my good friend Santa.  Every year while mom and dad are asleep Santa stops by our house to drop off our gifts and fill our stockings.  Once he is done his work he sits with me while he eats his cookies and we have a little chat.  

He tells me about his night, what the weather has been like that evening in other countries and how the reindeer are doing.  Santa really is the best because he always shares a bite of his cookie with me even though they have chocolate in them and mom and dad say I can't have chocolate. 

This year Santa brought me two new toys and some of my favourite treats.  Christmas day mom made turkey and I got some bites of that as well.  Mom and dad are both off work for a week so we have been spending lots of time together playing, going for walks and snuggling.  All in all it has been a great Christmas.  Now you will have to excuse me, its time for my boxing day nap. 

Enjoy the rest of your holidays.













Thursday 13 December 2012

Spread Some Christmas Cheer For All To Hear

Yesterday I started my morning at Starbucks with a red cup (they have really been bringing me some Christmas cheer this year). I wished my Barista a Merry Christmas as she handed me my coffee. She said "thank you that is the first Merry Christmas I received this year".

Shut the front door! On December 11th, only about 2 weeks from Christmas, that is the first Merry Christmas the Starbucks Barista received? What's wrong with this picture?

Why are more people not spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear? If you are looking for some inspiration to get yourself into the Christmas spirit and start spreading some joy, I am sure you will be able to find something on this list that makes you smile.

Thanks Paul Castain for this great blog post - 5o Thoughts For An Awesome Holiday

Merry Christmas!

Saturday 8 December 2012

I Heart Coffee

Life is good lately, actually life is great.  It's the Christmas season so there are extra tasks on my to do list that I am excited to check off, like finding the perfect gift, writing Christmas cards, creating a homemade gift, parties, planning for my Christmas feast and making time to curl up on the couch and watch my favorite Christmas movies.

All of these extra things have me looking for ways to squeeze the extra hours out of each day.  I have been making an effort to get my fitness on, eat energizing food but I have to say the number one thing that has been powering me through my busy days with a cheery demeanor, is a great cup of coffee.  That's right, I have a new love for coffee.

I use to only think of this drink as a morning wake up call but now it is so much more to me.  My best friend Meghan has been trying to tell me this for years as her addiction with coffee started at a very young age.  When I first started working at CCI Studios the guys drank an abundance of coffee and always joked about how much they were getting done because of how much coffee they drank.  Back in that day we drank coffee from a pot.  Now we make our coffee in individual cups from our Kurieg and I have to say there has never been as much getting it done, as there has been lately.

The delicious magical drink is the key to my happiness and extreme productivity.  Being someone who normally requires 7 or 8 hours of sleep to function properly but wanting to have some extra hours in each day, I have found my solution.

Sure some studies show that too much coffee causes anxiety and stress but I am not stressed and I have never felt more positive and chipper.  Cheers to the morning, after lunch and early evening coffee, lets get some stuff done.

Monday 3 December 2012

Happy Monday

For the most part, I am excited to start a new week on Mondays but what it is it about getting your but out of bed on a Monday morning that is so difficult?  Its especially hard if you have had a productive fun filled weekend.  I normally wake up early with my husband when he gets ready for work but sometimes on a Monday I pull my furry little bear into bed with me, for a an extra 30 minutes of sleep and a snuggle.

Once the day gets started, its always exciting to think about the new adventures that wait for me in this week - but I will take the extra snuggle time any day.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Sunday 2 December 2012

O Christmas Tree

Saturday we went to the Christmas Tree Village and U-Cut in Bothwell to get our tree and some Christmas spirit.  We decided for part of our Christmas gift to our niece Marley, we just wanted to take her out for a fun day with Aunt and Uncle and the Christmas Tree village seemed like the perfect place.

Marley had a great time helping us pick a tree, running through the hay maze, riding the slides at the playground and riding the train with Aunt Heather and Uncle Tyler.  I don't think she had as much fun as Tyler and I did though.

When the little trip was over and we brought our tree home to set up, it toppled twice before we were able to begin decorating.  It took a little team work between Tyler and I, some reinforcements and power tools to finely get the tree up.  Its now standing and my living room has been transformed into a cosy Christmas nook.

Not only did we get a great tree and some awesome memories but I think we also started a new Lapier Family Christmas tradition!




















Wednesday 28 November 2012

Late Night Inspiration

I know there are lots of you out there who work hard to squeeze everything you can out of each day.  You are in my office, you are my friends, some are family members and some of you are the bloggers I enjoy following.  You wake up early because you are excited to start the day and work on something you live for.  You stay up late to get a little bit more done than you did yesterday because you are working towards something great.  The task you are working on may seem small in the grand scheme of that big goal and sometimes it may be a little hard to get your but into gear.  I am up a little past my bedtime, somewhat procreating now because I am writing a blog post and searching for inspirational quotes.  But, I thought what the heck, a little refreshing blog post to share some inspiration with everyone else who is working away right now to get some extra things checked off that to do list.  Happy working, experience, procrastination and success!

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards."
Vernon Sanders Law

"Unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average man, you are just not cut out for positions at the top. "
J.C. Penny

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up."
Babe Ruth

"Don't wish it were easier.  Wish you were better."
Jim Rohn

"If you want to manage somebody, manage yourself.  Do that well and you'll be ready to stop managing.  And start leading."
Mark Gonzales



Friday 9 November 2012

Starting Friday A Little More Tired Than Usual

Happy Friday!  I have to say, I am looking forward to the weekend and hoping for some R & R.  This week Tyler and I have not been sleeping very well, our fur baby Charlie has been rattling his cage and crying in the night.  Charlie has been crate trained since he was a puppy and has always stayed the whole night in his crate.  

Of course, as soon as we let him in from a pee, he will not go back into his cage and thinks that he can sleep in our bed with us.  To stop him from crying and allowing us to sleep, we have been bringing him into our bed with us.  I know, we are giving in and now we have a habit to break.  It is just so odd that this is happening now after 5 years.  I cant help wondering why he is feeling he needs to be with us in the night?

I also cant help but wonder what it is like to get a young child on a regular sleeping pattern, yikes.  I found myself thinking that our little dog Charlie was put in our lives to teach us a few lessons about how to disciple.  Right now I think he is winning but I will let you know how we do on breaking this habit.  Enjoy your weekend and your rest, I know we will.


Tuesday 30 October 2012

The Never Ending Tape In My Head


A few weeks ago I was listing to a female CEO being interviewed about her career as she offered advice to women looking to achieve similar success in their career's.  Near the end of the interview the woman was asked, "What do you think the main difference between female and male professionals in positions similar to yours is?".  

She responded by stating that most women have a constant tape running in their heads questioning every move they make which sometimes causes lack of confidence.  This response resonated with me, I am one of those woman.  If I spend a long day at work I feel satisfied that I have accomplished a lot in my work day but harbour some guilt for not spending enough time in that day with my husband.  When I have a weekend where I decide to turn off the email and devote all my attention to my family and friends, my mind tells me that I should have spent some time working.  If I stand up for something I believe in and speak my mind knowing that not everyone will like what I have to say, I wonder if it was worth ruffling feathers.

The woman continued by stating that men just do not question themselves in this manner.  Now, I can not read minds so if there are any men out there reading this post, please feel free to chime in with some insight.  I can confirm that my own head does work as the woman being interviewed explained. 

I am very aware of the way my brain second guesses my daily decisions so I try to overcome these negative thoughts and feel good about the choices I make but everyone once in a while, they do creep in.  One of the reasons I started this blog was to get some of those thoughts out of my head allowing myself to sort through things a little better.  So far writing things down has worked wonders for me. 

I also follow quite a few blogs, most of them are written by woman and I think reading about the celebrations and struggles that other women face makes me feel connected and normal. 

To those of you who let your internal voice take over, lets work hard to be satisfied with what we accomplish at the end of the day, not be afraid of standing up for what we believe in and  simply be a little easier on ourselves.

Time to press stop on that never ending tape.

Monday 15 October 2012

Our 1st Wedding Anniversary

It was one year ago today that Tyler and I officially started our walk through life together.  This first year has been nothing short of a dream come true.  Our life together is not perfect but I love every single part of it.  I do my best to cherish all our moments together, big and small and I look forward to the the journey that lies ahead.  


Sunday 14 October 2012

I Am Thankful For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday for many reasons.  I love the Fall weather and colours it brings, I love the food, I love the Brigden Fair but most of all I love to spend time with my favourite people.  A lot of holidays are centred around spending time with friends and family but for me Thanksgiving seems to focus on it a little closer.  Its simply food and time around the table chatting, eating, drinking and laughing.  An extra day off during the work week never hurts in lending some extra time to catch up with people you don't regularly have an opportunity to get together with.  

This Thanksgiving was a great one and a little less hectic than last year as I was preparing for my wedding which was a week away.  It was perfect and I checked off most of the things I wanted to do during the weekend.


Some seriously needed couch time with my BFF Meg.



Ma Ash showing Marley what the Bridgen Fair is all about and uncle Ty and Marley sharing a pogo.


Grabbing some grub at the fair, this is the real reason I go.






Checking out all the animals and just enjoying time with our family. 



A Visit With The Browns


We spent the fist part of Thanksgiving weekend in Peterborough with our Brown family.  We started our day at the Farmers market, which I was very impressed by.  There was a huge selection of fresh food, my highlight was grabbing a head of purple cauliflower.  There was entertainment and like any good farmers market delicious food to enjoy while you shop.  We grabbed some perogies which were the best I have ever tasted.

After the market we all went for lunch.  Just sitting chatting with our Brown family made me wish we lived closer and this date was one we could do every Saturday.  From the local pub we went to visit grandma.  My grandmother has Alzheimer's and she no longer remembers who we are.  One thing she does remember are her church hymns, so we sign.

My aunt Mary, aunt Ruth, uncle Roy & uncle Ian live in Peterborough and worked very hard to take care of my grandmother at home as long as they could before they required additional assistance that could only be provided by a nursing home.  I watched them with my grandma while we were visiting and they were so wonderful with her.  They new what she needed and how to best communicate with her.  They new the other residents on her floor and were kind and friendly to them.  It is sad to see my grandma different than she use to be but I find comfort in knowing that she is being given so much love and care each day.

I wish I lived closer so I could spend time with all the Browns more often.  They are loving people, with strong hearts and I am proud to call them family.

Check out some pictures from our visit.








Monday 8 October 2012

I Love "Its Ok"

Life around the Lapier residence has been a little crazy lately and something tells me its not slowing down anytime soon.  Tyler and I are ok with that for the most part but when the days sometimes get long, things fall through the cracks - like going to the gym on a regular schedule, dusting and so on.  This makes me feel a little out of wack.

Then I came across A Fancy Day and found Courtney's "Its Ok" posts.  I have found great comfort in these fun little posts because they made me realize that I am not the only one who's life is a little crazy and imperfect from time to time.

I encourage you to check it out and take part by commenting your "Its Ok" moments.
 

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Guest Blogger: Emily June (my sister)

Recently, I quite abruptly moved back to Sarnia, my hometown from Toronto, it was a confusing move, one I wasn't sure if I was making the right choice or if I was making a terrible decision. I found myself, day in and day out, doing the same thing over and over again and not really doing what I wanted to be doing. Dance. Having time was an issue, expenses was an issue, I can make excuse after excuse, but my head just wasn't in it. It was a hard thing for me to wrap my head around, something that I didn't want to except, that dance wasn't the first thing on my mind for once in my life. It hurt, I felt like a failure and that slowly I was loosing a part of me. Its a feeling that only an artist their self could understand. I didn't want to give up, so part of myself was making up stories in my head that I was still pursuing it, when sure enough I was at a stand still in my dream to become a dancer.

A few months went by of this feeling and I came to realization that this was a pattern that I could sink into, a lifestyle that I truely didn't want to be a part of, so I made a change. One of the hardest changes I've encountered in my life thus far. Moved home. I told myself that was something I would never do, once I was out I was out and to become an adult. Well that my friend, is easier said then done. I went through battles day to day up until the time I packed everything into my sisters car to the time I decided what I wanted to do next. Struggles of trying to figure out what the next step in my life would be, and how it would alter my future. Nights in the studio trying to regain my spark and see if it would come to me. I now knew by this point I wanted to travel, I have thought about traveling every since I left highschool, I never pursued it because I didn't want to step away from dance, but I felt like this was my chance to take on another adventure that I've always wanted.

My friend Mariah had been up in Jasper, Alberta for the summer working and by the looks and sounds of it had been having a great time and making some money. After looking into to an au pair in Ireland and Australia, I decided to take a chance, and apply for the job in Jasper. After a few days, I was at the studio with my dance teacher and I got a phone call, I stepped out of the room and came back in minutes later and said "well, I'm going to jasper"." And that was it, I was going to Jasper in two weeks.

On September 3rd, my mom sent me off on an air plane too Jasper, 12 hours later, I found myself there and so homesick. I couldn't shake the feeling, I missed my family and friends so much, I just wanted to go home. But I stuck it out a couple more days and before I knew it I was having the time of my life - meeting all these amazing people and hopefully some life long friends.

Although I was enjoying myself something was missing, dance. Something was missing once again in my life, like there can't be a happy medium. I started working out more, hoping that would fill the void, but it didn't. Its a part of me and always will be. I am a dancer and although I might not be doing it at this moment, its who I am. And I will never ever give that up.

What I have concluded from all this is that I have two dreams, and I need to search for the right place for me to pursue and conquer both. I will do that, it may take some time, which is hard for me to understand because I always want everything to happen fast. I have learnt to let go of that and I truely do believe everything happens for a reason. whatever is ment to be will be, with good judgment of course.

Being an artist is who I am, and who I will always be. I'm just dancing my way around the world first.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

PETHERNATION



I have been very fortunate this Spring/Summer to spend a lot of time with my out of town family, specifically those on my moms side.  My cousins and I have always been very close but over the last few months I think we have become evan closer.

The older I get, the more valuable my family becomes.  Every time we get together we have so much fun.  I have been wanting to write a post about my family for awhile but am finding it difficult to find the right words to describe our relationship.

We are family but we are also friends.  It is like the best of those two relationships mixed into one.  They are like friends because we always have such a great time together, we can count on one another and we take care of each other.  Because we are family and we all come from the same place, we have an understanding of one another that only a family member could have.

Sometimes I do things like over analyze something I have said or done and drive myself bonkers wishing I could take it back.  I ask myself "Why am I so crazy?"  Then I spend a weekend with my family and it becomes very clear why I am crazy, its because they are crazy and made me that way.

My aunts husband has a name for us that is probably his way of explaining our tight knit clan - Pethernation.  Pether is my moms maiden name.  When my Uncle Tim got married last month Craig exclaimed, "Pethernation has captured another one".

Despite our craziness and sometimes because of our craziness, I love my family.  I have such wonderful memories growing up with my cousins and I am so excited to experience more adventures with them as we all become adults.

Watch out - you might be the next one sucked into Pethernation.