So, you may have noticed that I’ve been a little absent around these parts. My small (but fabulous) corner of the Interweb has been taken over by tumbleweeds, as my updates have been infrequent, to say the least.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy blogging—I do. Writing is my passion, and while I’ve been a bit distracted (more on that later) the bigger issue is that it’s been a confusing process for me. I have plenty of stories that I share with friends and family in social settings, and they always say, “You should put that on your blog.” But it never occurred to me that anyone would really care about my random tales… until I found out that people were actually reading. And not only that, they liked what I was writing. Believe me, it’s not false modesty when I say that I was extremely surprised. After all, my number one hangup with blogging, which has been the source of many false starts in the past, has always been the idea that no one would really want to read about my life. Because really, it’s not that glamorous. Or maybe I’m clinging to threads of my former life when I was painfully shy. Either way, there was something stopping me from hanging around these parts more often.

But you know what? The times they are a-changin’.

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It’s been a pretty awesome April Fool’s Day here at the office (aka in my living room). I ranted about Bratz, pitched some ideas, got a few new CDs to review AND did a happy dance when my U2 tickets came in the mail (to which I say: Best. Hubs-to-Be. Ever.).

But the awesomeness doesn’t stop there! At some point I was apparently hit with a major dose of inspiration (I’m going to say it was the Nerds Rope that did the trick) and decided to (finally) update my portfolio page. Wondering what I’ve been up to since 2008? Go have a look!

I’ll be scanning some more pages tomorrow, so stay tuned!

It was March 15, 1983 when yours truly made her dramatic entrance into the world. Six and a half weeks early, no less. I guess I’m just a little bit impatient.

I’m not gonna lie—25 was very good to me. But I have a feeling that 26 has some pretty exciting things in store, too! And for my first act as a 26-year-old, I’ve decided to hop on the 101 in 1001 bandwagon. So come on back soon and see what’s in store for me over the next 2.75 years!

And in closing… Guess what song was #1 on the Billboard charts the day I was born?

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!

Well, hello there! As you may have noticed, things are looking a little different around here…

As much as I loved my old layout, I decided it was time to take this site to the next level and get myself a little attention. Thanks to the creative genius over at Broken Studio, I’m thrilled to be able to unveil this great new look.

Along with a list of the editorial services that I provide, I’ve also added a spiffy new bio and a contact page. Very soon I’ll have some material up on my portfolio page, which will showcase some of my latest magazine work.

In addition to the new look, I’ve decided to take this blog in a new direction. Soon you’ll see posts that reflect my life as a writer and editorial intern, including news, updates and all things word-related. But if you’re feeling nostalgic for the days of random awesomeness, don’t worry! They’ll still be making the occasional appearance, too.

So, welcome to the new aliciamcauley.ca! As always, I’m very happy to hear your feedback. Let me know what you like and what you’d like to see, so that I can keep improving this site as much as possible… But most importantly, stay tuned! There are great things to come