Well, here we are once again… The end of the year. The time when we sit back and reflect on the past 12 months. And let me tell you, 2008 has been quite the ride…

Professionally, 2008 was full of fantastic opportunities for me. I had the chance to get a real taste of what the magazine industry is like, thanks to a series of amazing internships, and I have to say… I am in love. I’ve loved magazines for as long as I can remember, but actually seeing my name in them and contributing to the whole process is a total rush. I hope that 2009 will bring many more opportunities and challenges as I keep working towards my goal of having a full-time career in writing.

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If you find yourself in a state of panic because Christmas is but days away and you haven’t finished your shopping, I have only one thing to say to you:

Welcome to the club.

While B-rad and I are frantically hitting up the stores this weekend (assuming we can get out of the house, thanks to “Snowmageddon” here in Toronto), you can rest easy with a few helpful shopping tips from yours truly, which are being featured right now as part of Canadian Family’s Holiday Survival Guide. 

Until next time, bust out the hot chocolate and stay warm!

If you’re endlessly optimistic – like yours truly – then the news has certainly not been your friend as of late. The constant stream of stories about political shenanigans, massive job cuts and the global financial crisis compete with the cheery sounds of Christmas carols, making for one very confusing trip to WalMart. Do I get the special edition copy of The Dark Knight? Or the very frugal – yet timeless – ball in a cup? WWPMD? (What Would Peter Mansbridge Do?)

There’s no denying that we’ve run into some tough times. But we’re not alone. I recently had the opportunity to read a great piece by Yuki Hayashi in the Winter 2009 issue of Canadian Family that delves into a side of this financial meltdown that we may have overlooked – the global food crisis.

While many Canadians find themselves fighting to make ends meet this Christmas, for those who already struggle to provide food for their families every day, our current economic reality is even more of a crushing blow. And it’s not just here – it’s everywhere. Global food prices are skyrocketing. Staple foods like rice and grain are harder to come by. It’s a dismal truth that even the sunniest optimist can’t deny. Dismal, but not hopeless. (more…)

If you happen to flip through the pages of the December 2008 issue of Glow magazine, you might notice a familiar name on the “moms tried it…” page. Go ahead and check it out. I’ll wait.

Yes, it is indeed yours truly. I had the pleasure of testing the new fragrance by Christina Aguilera called “Inspire,” which is actually quite lovely. And let me tell you, there is nothing more fantastic than free products showing up at your door as though by magic, so I would highly recommend signing up to be a tester on their website.

As for being under the heading of “moms tried it,” well… I’m going to go ahead and assume they’re referring to the cats. Otherwise, I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.

Happy December 3rd, all! With Christmas only a few weeks away, I’m sure everyone is starting to feel a little more holly and jolly. But if you need some help getting into the festive spirit, head on over to the Canadian Family website and check out the piece I wrote about Christmas picture books for kids.

Enjoy!

There are a few things that I will admit to being addicted to, happily and without shame: magazines, good books and big cups of tea are around the top of the list. But it seems that somewhere along the line, learning has crept its way into the ranks. As such, I am heading back to school. Again.

One very cool thing about my line of work is that I feel like I’m always learning new things. Whether I’m researching a story or proofreading someone else’s work, I end up taking in a lot of information… which often comes in handy during Jeopardy, or late-night games of Trivial Pursuit.

But there is something about learning in a formal environment that I just really enjoy. I like lectures. I like taking notes. I like walking away from a class feeling like I can do something that I couldn’t do before. And that’s exactly what I’m hoping to take away from the continuing education class I’ve enrolled in at Ryerson University…

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