Getting a Jump-Start on Christmas Shopping

With December right around the corner, the holiday season creeping closer, I feel the need to keep reminding my readers to start shopping for pressies (yes presents!). Not just any ordinary presents - this year, we all need to make an effort to really go the extra mile and find out what your loved ones desire. This holiday season is about affectionate giving and careful planning.

And I have a suggestion - don’t worry, just one, and then I’ll let you get your shop on. The one gift that never fails to delight is jewelry. In particular, diamonds! Whether you buy necklaces, rings, watches, earrings or bracelets, as long as they’re wrapped in a beautiful wrapping paper and a big red bow, your loved ones will be starry-eyed this holiday season.

May I suggest checking out

Tis the Season for Holiday Shopping

In my family, the wintery holiday season has always been about last minute shopping. So much of mid-December is consumed by the sheer frenzy and anxiety of getting presents - good presents - before Christmas Eve. The frenzy also gets induced by finding Christmas cards, stocking stuffers, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons. Now that I think about it, the only member of my family who hasn’t been in the last minute holiday shopping frenzy was my Grandma. She was always quite the opposite. She planed her Christmas gifts, wrapping paper, tuck-in gifts, and stocking stuffers months in advance. This year, I’ve decided to take queues from Grandma.

Since we are already at the end of October, it’s time to get your December holiday shopping on. I don’t mean to rush you, but believe me,

Remembering Life’s Little Moments

Just yesterday evening, I felt inspired to look through an old photo album my mom gave to me years ago. It had been sitting on my vanity for months without me even opening it, and yesterday, with the cool winds of autumn beginning to blow, I felt nostalgic enough to take a peak. As I looked through past Christmases, birthday parties, and events I can barely remember, I was reminded of the importance of photographs.

Photographs, in my opinion, are integral to a life well lived. It’s wonderful to be able to look back at years, even decades, before and remember what it was like to be with a certain person, or at an event, or even just reminded of something that happened. It seems that we are so lucky to have photographs in our lives. Without them, so many things would flee our

Autumn Photographs

With autumn comes a plethora of photo-op occasions; what comes to mind, off-hand, is first day of school (be it kindergarten, high-school, or college), Halloween (for trick-or-treaters and party monsters), first day the leaves change colour (more likely if you’re living in cooler climates), pumpkin picking, and Thanksgiving. Needless to say, Autumn is the time for taking pictures. To remember autumn is to remember the most memorable times and the most colourful moments.

And photos aren’t just for you to keep. They can make wonderful gifts this time of year (or if you’d like to plan ahead for the December holidays). Sending cards with your favourite autumn photograph can be a sweet gesture for your friends and loved ones (especially if they’re in warmer climates and

Halloween is Just Around the Corner- Are You Ready?

Going out this year? No, I don’t mean going out to dinner or to the movies. I mean, are you going out trick or treating this year? Or perhaps you feel a bit old for the ancient tradition of trick or treating. Maybe it’s more your style to attend the masquerades, costume balls, and parties that are so infamous every time October rolls around. Yes, that’s right folks. Halloween is almost here. Have you decided what you’ll be?

Some inspiration for those in need: you can opt for the traditional Halloween costume of something terrifying. Ghosts, Frankensteins, and monsters are always classic. Or you can do something more like Heath Ledger’s The Joker or the killers from Strangers. Perhaps you want to create your own scary costume, combining Elvira’s spider-web covered,