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The “technology that has made my life easier” edition.

• RSS Feedreaders.
  Before using a feedreader, I used to either bookmark blogs I followed or just linked them to my site and hoped I would remember to regularly check them all. Having a feedreader and being able to check all those blogs from one place (and not forget about some) has cut out so much hassle. Yay for RSS!
• The iPhone.
  When I got a smartphone, the changes it brought into my life were surprisingly significant: I no longer carry directions, addresses or meeting info with me anymore (I can look them up on my phone in the car), texting is infinitely more enjoyable, I can watch videos off YouTube on my phone, and the most importantly: I can actually get work done on my phone with the fully-functional, all-I-could-ever-use internet.
• Facebook.
  Social networking sites can be a powerful marketing tool, a great way to stay connected with your friends or a royal pain in the ass—it really depends on how you use it. For me, it has been much of the first two, and as such, has made my life a lot easier in the way that I can get more done without leaving my desk (or bed, or couch, or wherever I happen to call my workstation that day!)
• Phones with speakerphone / hands-free capabilities.
  I suck at multitasking, but sometimes a gal needs to get things done when she’s on a phone call. For example, I often clean or make dinner while I’m on the phone with friends—or when I’m on conference calls that don’t require my participation, I put them on speakerphone and do crunches until it’s over. It’s all about efficiency!
• Voicemail / Caller ID
  What can I say? I’m a screener. :)

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

“The finer things in life” edition.

• Bubble baths.
  I never used to take baths as a child, but in the last couple year they have become a regular occurrence in my life. Sometimes I will draw the curtains, light candles and listen to classical music or sermons. Other times, I will just draw the curtains and focus on total relaxation. Either way, bubble baths are heavenly for both the mind, body and soul.
• Classical music.
  I have always enjoyed classical music; my first recollection of really loving it goes back to the 3rd grade in school where they’d play it over the intercom while we each chose a book (in French, no less) and read quietly for a half hour. These days, I play it when I’m studying, cooking or relaxing.
• Going to the ballet.
  Ever since I was a little girl, my mother always took me to The Nutcracker ballet every Christmas. It was the highlight of the season; we’d get all dressed up, I’d bring my nutcracker with me (only after watching The Nutcracker on VHS sixty million times beforehand), and then we’d nibble on overpriced theater snacks (like chocolate covered almonds or gummy bears) during the show. In the days that followed, I was Clara the ballerina. (Thankfully, I never broke anything trying to spin on my tippy toes like her!)
• Earl grey tea.
  I am not much of a tea drinker (I much prefer coffee alternatives), but after tasting an earl grey creme brulee a couple weeks ago, something strange happened: I have gained a newfound palette for earl grey tea. It has a such a rich, velvety flavor and aroma, especially when coupled with vanilla silk—how could I have missed this before?
• Reading by the fire.
  Unlike most homes that still have wood burning fireplaces, we happen to use ours almost year round. It has been a great central point to getting our family together; like moths to a flame, literally. There is just something about a real fire in the fireplace that is so melodic and soothing to watch; the flames flickering, the radiant heat, the occasionally crackle and pop—it all adds to a rich, relaxing experience.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

• Fake glue-on nails.
  What can I say? They’re simply fabulous. (And they make my short, crooked fingers look long and elegant for special occasions!)
• Hair serum.
  My hair is naturally silky, but when I’m in a rush to be somewhere and I need to blow it dry after a shower, it goes all poofy and coarse. Cue the hair serum. It smells good, and just a tiny spritz rubbed into my tips does the trick!
• Clean spaces.
  I have come to realize that a clean room has a profound effect on one’s life. Although I don’t have any scientific evidence to back this up, I suspect it’s because a clean room = a clear mind. Regardless—I feel so much better working and living in clean spaces.
• Kimora Lee Simmons: Life In The Fab Lane.
  I am not much of a TV person (much less a “reality” TV person) but somehow I stumbled on this show while in Alabama and fell in love with it. I can’t even tell you how sad I was that they didn’t have it on TV in Canada, so I’m sure you can imagine how happy I was just a couple weeks ago to find out that Slice TV (in Canada) had picked it up!
• My business notebook.
  In this notebook, I keep track of everything I do in my business—everything from to-do lists, appointments and meeting notes to day-to-day records like, “emailed [name] re: [subject]“. I would be lost without this thing—it comes in so handy in knowing what needs to be done each day and in looking back to reference things.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

• Running in the hail for an hour.
  It’s character building! — When we got outside for our warm-up, I knew that this run was going to be hell. So I prayed for strength, endurance, and most importantly, I prayed that this might be my best run this season. And it was. I was wearing thin yoga pants, a t-shirt and a relatively thin hoodie where the snowy hail was actually collecting on me, but it turned out to be the most enjoyable run I’ve had this year in terms of my running technique and how I felt physically!
• Blankets.
  They keep you warm when you’re freezing. Need I say more?
• Seeing Yulia dance in on our 47″ television.
  I was watching America’s Ballroom Challenge last night when, unexpectedly, Yulia Zagoruychenko showed up as one of the Latin competitors. I was so excited (she’s my favorite dancer) that I actually squealed out loud. At the television. Needless to say—my dog (whom I was previously snuggling with) was not at all happy or impressed. He leaped out of my arms, jumped off the couch and gave me a really angry glare, as if to say, have you never heard of sensitive hearing, lady?!
• Becoming genuinely more social.
  After weeks of forced conversation, finally having a series of conversations that felt natural (and not forced) has been like a breath of fresh air.
• Discovering new clothing you forgot you had.
  I probably have too much clothing (and not enough room to keep it all), but there is an upside: discovering something you forgot you owned is like buying it new all over again!

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

My mother is close friends with a sweet old lady named Mrs. J. She speaks little to no English and was married off at a young age, abused by her husband, then divorced and was never educated. She has lived off of welfare for most of her life. Despite all of this, she is warm, loving and extremely generous to those she trusts—not to mention, wonderfully talented in the areas of East Indian cuisine.

A couple days ago, Mrs. J went into The Brick to purchase a new couch and loveseat. She had saved up for months and months to buy this set, but because she had no real measurements of what would actually fit in her small apartment, she ended up buying a set that was simply too big for her place. To make matters worse, the chemicals in the couch triggered her asthma and allergies, making her sick.

When her daughters found out about this, they approached The Brick and asked if they could return or exchange it. The Brick said no. One daughter’s husband tried. The Brick said no. With no luck, they called my mother and explained the situation, asking if she could do anything about it. In her typical fashion, my mother replied, “of course I can!”

There is one thing you need to know about my mother, dear internet, and that is this: she always gets her way. Throughout my life I have watched her get her way in and out of everything from speeding tickets and store returns to changes in the public school and government home support system. The concept of staying quiet to avoid a fuss falls on deaf ears with her. Embarrassing sometimes? Yes. Inspirational? Definitely.

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• Homemade sushi with sautéed tofu.
• When people you aren’t even related to become your family.
• Saving that hot pink skirt you bought years and years ago, only to have it become the perfect addition to your latin ballroom costume now. Packrating pays off!
• Impromptu little gifts.
• Flip flops—because sometimes, even on the coldest and rainiest of days, putting on socks and shoes to leave the house is just too much work.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

• Cooking skills.
  Today I felt like a tomato and bean sauce over rice. So I got a can of tomato paste, a can of chick peas, a handful of various spices and seasonings just… made it. Without a recipe. Without thinking about it. It was almost like second nature! (And it ended up being totally delicious.) … I guess all those vegetarian cooking classes I went to with my mom when I was younger paid off!
• Surfthechannel.com
  Between this and Windows Media Center on the desktop computer, I will never be constrained to the formal television schedule again!
• Getting things done.
  There is really no way around this—one of the best feelings in the world is the one I get from simply getting things done. It’s like a huge burden has been lifted off of me.
• … And nailing it.
  Because it feels so good to work hard at something and finally nail it—especially when that something happens to a dance routine you’ve been working on since, I don’t know, forever?
• Going for a run (and not procrastinating about it).
  Today I forced myself to go for a run early in the afternoon. It was sunny, and although the first four reps of my workout were a little hard, it ended up being very rewarding by the end. And just to drive the “don’t procrastinate, or else!” point home, It rained a couple hours later. I’m sure you can imagine how happy (and relieved) I was that I didn’t leave it for later in the day!

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

You can ask anyone. Chanel is a social person.

In fact, I’ve always been the actively friendly, sociable type. The kind of person who has friends from many different social circles; someone who meets new people in everywhere and anywhere, like on the skytrain, at the sink in public washrooms, or at the counter in Subway, for example.

But then something happened.

I don’t know what brought it on, and I can’t quite pinpoint when it began or when it began to fade (it’s on it’s way out now, for sure), but it happened like this: one day I was social, next day I woke up hating people and avoiding phone calls from my friends.

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• Rootbeer floats.
  I had one today from A&W for the first time in years, and let me tell you something; IT WAS GOOD. I was surprised at the quality of the ice cream, too. (I’m—ready for this?—not really an ice cream fan! I know, Chanel not a fan of something sweet? INSANITY.)
• Spending time with the family.
  We tend to live separate lives during the week, so its always nice to get together on my dad’s days off and do something as a family. Yesterday we watched old home videos from 8+ years ago. Earlier today we went out for brunch in Steveston then drove to South Surrey (White Rock) to check out the current lottery home valued at 3 million. It was fun! (And inspirational.) Which brings me to my next point…
• Kitchens!
  A beautiful, spacious, clean kitchen always gets me incredibly excited and oddly inspired to start cooking and baking. It must be from all those years of watching Martha Stewart Living as a child.
• Core Rhythm’s “secret to sexy abs” workout.
  I just love this DVD workout. I know I’ve talked about it before and I’ll probably talk about it again, but may I just say… It’s fabulous. And it works!
• The two person comedy routine my brother and I have going.
  My brother is—hands down—the funniest person I know, and although I don’t consider myself particularly funny, when the two of us team up together and get on a roll, unstoppable hilarity ensues. (Keyword “unstoppable”—much to the frequent dismay of our parents.)

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

Disclaimer to The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: I know that picture of the Winkey dog in my hands looks questionable, sort of like I’m inflicting some water torture device on him, but I was actually just trying to clean up his muzzle—which, he will tell you, is no different from water torture. But I’m pretty sure it’s still legal.

• Canned mandarin oranges.
  Best way to eat dessert, err, fruit.
• Phone calls from American friends.
  They have the greatest accents EVER.
• When people refer to me as a “writer”.
  “We need to make this flow better… Chanel, you’re a writer! What do you think?”
• Homemade sushi.
  It tastes totally different from regular sushi, in a good way. A very good way.
• Finding things you thought you lost eons ago.
  A pair of hoop earrings, a nice shade of burgundy nail polish, my XanGo goodness bracelet, nail polish remover—stuff I took with me on a trip six months ago.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

• Fluffy white “just bathed” Winkey dog
• Warm memories from the past
• The weekend, a.k.a. relaxing!
• Being more hopeful, less cynical
• Remembering to pack snacks for boring meetings

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

• Best friends.
  They always know just what you need: “I’ll call you once a week so you don’t get too anti-social.”
• Friends in Latin Pre-champ.
  Pointers from people who are much, much better than you at dancing helps immensely.
• Being able to watch TV and do crunches, AT THE SAME TIME.
  Forget functional exercise—this what we call a fabulous way to keep Chanel from gaining weight when she watches TV. Should have thought of this one years ago!
• My extremely comfortable bed.
  After two hours of dancing in heels, there is no place more heavenly.
• Waking up to the birds chirping
  Perhaps this happens every morning when the sun is out, I don’t know—but it was only until today did I realize that if I quiet my busy mind, even for a moment, I can hear them singing.

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

• The uni-ball vision exact pen.
  One could search one’s entire life for the pen that fits like a glove (metaphorically-speaking, of course, as I’ve yet to come across the pen that fits like a glove, but while we’re at it, wouldn’t that be such a neat idea if you happened to be writing outside in the cold?)—Luckily, I’ve happened to find true love in this pen.
• Bagels.
  I could wax poetic on how much I love bagels, but I will spare you the unholy pain and just say this: they’re AWESOME. My favorites (aside from the trashy, squishy white ones you buy at the airport minutes before just making your flight) are Mount Royal’s whole wheat bagels and Alvarado Street’s sprouted wheat onion & poppyseed bagels.
• Waking up to the sun filtering into my bedroom.
  The weather man said it would be sunny from Sunday to Wednesday. My my my Vancouver, how the sun becomes you! It’s so nice to wake up to the sun playing with my bedroom walls.
• Soft, feathery vocals to summery soft music.
  I don’t know what to call this genre of music, but I’ve recently been able to truly appreciate how lovely it is. Examples: Knock Knock – Lenka, I’m Yours – Jason Mraz, 1234 – Fiest, Don’t let me fall – Lenka, the first 2/3rds of Lovebug – Jonas Brothers.
• The Nanny.
  I have warm memories of watching this show with my mother growing up, and I’ve recently started going through the old episodes again. It’s highly unrealistic in many ways, but still puts a huge grin on my face, even 12+ years later. I’m still trying to replicate her laugh!

Wage a battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

Last summer, I lost 9 pounds in just over a month and blogged about it. I had promised I would blog about how I did it, but I never did, because I am clearly a liar. A lazy liar.

For the next couple months that followed the writing of that entry, I continued to lose weight. I continued to lose weight all the way to 131 lbs, and then I forgot how I had been keeping the weight off in the first place and decided that I was the exception to the rules that had been created by me, for me. Three months after that point, I achieved the impressed feat of gaining 10 pounds within two months.

If I was the “lets make excuses” kind of person, I would tell you that I have been under a lot of stress in the last 2-3 months, which is obviously the reason I gained it all back. If I was the “lets justify our fatness” kind of person, I would tell you that we had an especially cold and snowy winter season, and that this extra blubber was needed for winter hibernation and heat conservation.

But I am neither, so I will tell you this happened because I was lazy ass who was too lazy to write down what she did to lose the weight and keep it off, thus allowing her to: 1) forget everything, 2) break all the rules, 3) become a pig, and 4) gain it all back again.

So here is my long overdue weight loss guide. I could let you assume I’m writing this now of all times because I promised, but that would make me a passive liar. True is, I need to fit into a skin-tight spandex Latin ballroom dress in just under a month and I would prefer to do it without the use of Crisco or fishing line. Thus, the lose ten in thirty days challenge begins.

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So far in my life, I have been extremely blessed. There is no way around it—In comparison to many others, I have had a remarkably easy, opportunity-filled, supportive, warm life. People love me. People believe in me. People encourage me. My parents believed (and still believe) in sparing no opportunity for their children. The world was open to us.

When I was young, tall and skinny, all my mothers friends told her I should be put in modeling. (This is entirely a different story, as I have a very distinct opinion on that.) When I achieved strange things at young ages (like owning my own business at 15), people were impressed. I was not like most of my friends. I was definitely not like most people my age.

If you want to talk about someone who could fall into a wide variety of stereotypes—I was Canadian (yet I apparently have a “valley girl” accent), homeschooled (yet one of the most social people of all my regular-schooled friends), vegetarian (unpopular when I was growing up, but now trendy) and Christian (but not preachy, psycho or judgmental). And I was the exception to every stereotype.

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