January: Banana Pecan Mini-Muffins

With the New Year, my main mission for 2015 is a simple one:  Getting and Staying Happy.

In order to achieve this lofty goal I applied a START-STOP-CONTINUE approach.  Cooking is good for the mind, heart and soul.  Especially when shared with others.  And so I’ve decided to START cooking more – using recipes I’ve never tried before and sharing my culinary mis/adventures on the blog once a month.

I’ve even created a sub-menu on my homepage under REVIEWS for you – my readers –  to find them easily…and hopefully try a few yourself all year 🙂

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JANUARY’s recipe:  Banana Pecan Mini Muffins 

Note:  In an effort to share my baking with friends – I took  a simple Banana Loaf recipe and poured it into mini-muffin pans instead.  Which means my ‘muffins’ aren’t super sweet.  FYI.

The best bananas to use for banana bread are those that are over-ripe – i.e. black ones. The yellow peels should be at least half browned, and the bananas inside  squishy and browning.

Ingredients (approx. 4 dozen mini muffins):

  • 2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup of sugar (can easily use 3/4 cup, or drop it down to 1/2 cup if you want it less sweet)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of pecan pieces

STEP 1:  Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and spray butter a mini muffin pan OR use muffin papers like I did.

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STEP 2:   Mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth.  STEP 3: Stir in melted butter, baking soda, salt, sugar, egg, pecans, vanilla extract, and flour.   There’s no need for a mixer for this recipe! And to make clean-up is easy too – mix everything in one bowl … like me 🙂
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STEP 4: Pour the batter into your prepared mini-muffin tins OR into your mini papers on a cookie sheet – like me 🙂 Now…these ones may not keep a ‘proper muffin shape’ …but they’ll be just a delicious.
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STEP 5:  Bake for 15-mins  at 350°F (175°C), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Remove the banana bread from the pan.

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Keepin’ it Cozy!

I shop A LOT, I know.  But before I make a purchase,  I always try to make sure I can wear something multiple ways.

If you can’t think of at least two places to wear it, don’t buy it …. is a good rule to follow, I find.

Do you remember this fabulous acid pink dress I bought when AdditionElle opened their new Stockyards location?

Profs II-53Now, that we’re in the depths of January – a pop of hot pink colour is a sure-fire way to lift my mood and spring in my step.

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Wore this dress to the office the other day.  I simply threw on a warm, extra furry, black and white cowl-neck sweater (a gift I got for Xmas) over top of the dress … belted it … and voila!  Winterized and office ready!  Boom!

IMG_6362Belts can make everything better.  Either a skinny belt over a top, sweater or a sash on a wool coat; having something there to define where your waist is makes you look shapelier.  I really am pleased with how it transformed this furry sweater overtop of this dress.IMG_6369

I often pick out my outfits the night before – especially for those days I’m headed into the office.   I cannot tell you how many times I used to not bother, then be in a rush in the morning and just put on the first thing I could find in a hurry.  With a bit of pre-planning you’ll pick something practical, stylish and feel great, rather than rushing and feeling like a hot mess all day!

Plus it gives you time to pick out your accessories — which I had a habit of running out without when I would pick it out in the morning!  I feel naked without earrings and hate looking for the time only to stare at my bare wrist.  **grumble grumble**

A little planning the night before is totally worth the effort friends. 😉

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How I Got The Look: Acid pink swing dress, AdditionElle; Black n’ white furry sweater, LauraPetites; Sliver buckle belt, Reitmans; Booties, Nine West Outlet

What tricks have you been using to keep warm, cozy and cute during the winter months that help you make the most of your current closet offerings? Tell me about them in the Comments Section below.

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Asia: 22 days – 3 countries

In an effort to keep my 2015 promise to myself to Shop Less, and Travel More … I’ve taken the bulk of March off work to explore South-East Asia.

In my last post, I reviewed the 5 essential things to know before you go ….the importance of planning BEFORE a big trip.  I’m happy to report that I’ve been able to book all my flights, determine a budget for the overall trip, topped up my travel insurance, and have made an appointment for all necessary vaccinations with a travel clinic for early next week (giving me plenty of time to begin any early doses of meds, if required).  I’m feeling pretty accomplished friends. 🙂

Now, the big question remains … WHERE the heck am I going?

The Huffington Post recently put out an article entitled: The Top 50 Cities To See In Your Lifetime.  I’m sad to report that I’ve only been to 8 out of these 50 cities so far. Buuuuuut…come March 2015, I’ll be able to check off #26 from this list!

DESTINATION #1:  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur

This is the capital and most populous city in Malaysia. The main religion there is Islam, with significant Buddhist, Hindu and Christian minorities.  With tropical super-summer-heat weather from March through to July.  I’ve gotta keep both of these elements in mind when coming up with outfit choices.

Sadly, there won’t be any major festivals being celebrated while I’m there.  This is the first destination of this trip as I’m meeting a gf of mine who currently lives there.  Once I’ve recovered from the 29-hour flight there (yup…29-hours of solo travel – two stopovers – ew!  That’s what you get when you book big travel on points friends.)  After taking a few days to adjust to the time difference, she and I will head off together to ………….

DESTINATION #2: Boracay, Philippines

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Boracay Island

This is a small and most famous island in the Philippines –  known for its beautiful beaches, and pricey resorts, with a major party scene.  Woot! Woot!   We’ve decided to book a more modest hotel for the bulk of our stay here, but do a two-day splurge-o at a fancy spot before we depart.

Thinking I might even don my very first bikini on this beach …let’s see if my online order arrives on time…and if my body confidence is at an all time high by then.  The main religion here is Roman Catholic, so I’ll fit right in – catholic guilt and all 😉

DESTINATION #3: Hội An, Vietnam

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Hội An

Our last trip will be to this historic Old City in Vietnam, with a unique mix of Japanese, Vietnamese, and European influences.  Turns out, there’s a community of swing dancers out here and they are hosting a dancing weekend while I’m there!!!

VLX – Vietnam Lindy Exchange, is a fun weekend of Swing dance exchange hosted by Saigon Swing Cats annually since 2009 in different towns in Vietnam. (Mui Ne, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Saigon).  

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2015 VLX – Swing Dancers Nationality

Apparently for the first time in the history of the VLX, this year, the Vietnamese represent less than 10% of the dancers.   We have signed ourselves up for the full weekend – which means we don’t have to do much research for hotels – yay!    I’m also determined to find a fab tailor to make me some custom threads too while we’re in Vietnam, I just hope there’s enough time.

There you have it folks – high level overview of where and what I’m planning on doing in South-East Asia.  Weeeeeee!  Writing this post has been super helpful – It’s really REAL now and I’m getting excited.

Full Disclosure: I’m freaking out!!!

This will be the first time I’m flying completely solo — I’m a nervous flyer in general, and these multiple connections I’ve gotta do alone is making me very anxious.  Plus, don’t the airplanes of Malaysia have a recent history of disappearing all together!?!?!? 😮

A tourist inadvertently destroying the place he is visiting

Packing right is going to be incredibly important.  With all my many flights and connections, I’ve decided NOT to check any luggage.  Which means, I’ve gotta come up with 22 days worth of outfits that are cultural respectful, yet summertime comfortable that fits into 1 piece of carry-on only … yikes!

That’s gonna be challenging.  Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll cover just that friends.  Dun dun dunnnnnnn…

What are the MUST pack vs. Nice-to-pack items that YOU’D recommend I take along with me for this upcoming adventure friends? Would love your packing tips and thoughts and tricks — leave them in the comments below.

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Asia: What To Know Before You Go

PPMeow! turned one year old a few weeks ago … and in an effort to make the most of this New Year,  I took a START-STOP-CONTINUE approach to help me focus on what I wanted to accomplish and focus on.

I promised myself to START Shopping Less, to Travel More!  

Well…I’m doing just that friends!!  I’ve taken the bulk of March off work to explore South-East Asia!

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In 2012, I was fortunate enough to finally visit The Motherland (India) …without being limited to strictly visiting one distant relative’s home to another, as I remember doing as a child on our only family trip to Calcutta.   This time I travelled with a gf  — we took 21-days to explore several cities in Northern and Eastern parts of India, which included: Delhi – Varanasi – Agra – Jaipur – Pushkar – Udaipur – Goa – Mumbai.  This was the most adventurous trip I had ever taken – complete with 8 near-death experiences.  Click here for a few pics of that fab trip.

That was my first time travelling to Asia as an adult.  And in preparation, I did a bunch pre-trip research at that time.  Research that I needed to refresh myself on as I prepare for this next visit in a couple of months.  So I thought I’d share my tips with y’all in this post 🙂

According to The Rough Guide’s First-Time Asia there are 5 ESSENTIALS to know before you go…

1.  Visas & Boarders

A Visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued. The country issuing the visa typically attaching various conditions of stay, such as the territory covered by the visa, dates of validity, period of stay, whether the visa is valid for more than one visit, etc.   Many Asian countries issue visas free of charge on arrival at major airports and land-boarders. You simply show that your official your passport is valid for at least another six months and that you have a ticket out of the country. India, however, requires visitors to buy a visa in advance before arriving.

Screen Shot 2015-01-14 at 10.16.32 PMThis table gives a broad outline of visa requirements in Asia, You should confirm the details of a visa requirements for a particular country before travelling as rules at each embassy changes often.   The forms can be lengthy and may require you to hunt down info that you may not know off-hand.  So, best to start the visa process early, if you can.

2.  Booking the Flight

Once you have your visa application, you can now BOOK A FLIGHT.  The travel industry is hugely competitive business so it pay to shop around! talking to a travel agent will help you come up with interesting alternatives within your destination as well.  Some of the sites I’ve had the most luck with are Flight Centre; CheapFlights.ca; and SkyScanner.
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3.  Travel Insurance

Whatever the length of your trip to Asia, it is strongly advised that you arrange travel insurance to cover medial treatment and perhaps the loss of personal possessions. If you get seriously ill or are involved in an accident, your insurance coverage will enable you to get the best care as well as medical evacuation to your home country, if necessary. The insurance industry is also a highly competitive one, so shop around and price compare on websites to help you make your mind up. Also check with your company benefits provider, as well your credit card providers –  there might be some cardholder deals available to you for travel insurance. 😉

4.  Vaccinations

Preparing for a great trip doesn’t just involve packing right, it also involves preparing yourself medically to ensure your travels are healthy and worry-free while you’re there and upon your return.

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This Incredible Map Shows All The Infections That Vaccines Could Have Prevented Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/map-of-vaccine-preventable-infections-2014-1#ixzz3OrGLkI6n

It is wise to get medical advice as early as possible about which vaccinations you require for your trip as many are given as a course of two or three intervals in order to be effective. You also need to find out early about the type of malaria-preventative medication that is recommended for other areas you are visiting as you may need to start taking tablets in advance of departure.  While your family doctor may offer some injections cheaply or free, you may want to contact a private travel clinic to make sure you get the most specialized information available.

5.  Budget

Last, but certainly not least, is determining a BUDGET.  When planning a big trip like this, everyone’s budget will be different and unique to them.

Now, the Western Dollar goes a pretty long way in Asia.  Here are a few “sample budgets” to help illustrate top-end…mid-range…low-end begets might work out when traveling to different parts of Asia.  Hopefully to give you a better idea of how much things will cost and how much you should expect to be spending on certain things.

Screen Shot 2015-01-14 at 10.50.03 PMCongratulations —- You are now armed with the essentials to know before you go and travel Asia!!!!

Are any of you thinking of doing any big travel this year? Where are you off too?  Did you find this post helpful as a starting point to getting your travel ducks-in-a-row?  Hope it helped you recognize the importance of planning BEFORE a big trip.  Tell me your thoughts in the comment section below.

Ooooh…I’m getting excited (and nervous) for MY big South East Asia trip now!!!   I’ll announce the countries I’m planning on visiting this March in my next wanderlust post.  Stay tuned friends. xo

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Younique 3D Fiber Lashes – Product Review

I’ve never been a big wearer of makeup.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff!  I’m just not very skilled at the application part.  And so, I limit myself to press powder, a bit of blush, lippy, eyeliner and mascara.  I’m a simple gal 😉

I’ve always wanted to try those fake, fun, lashes….but the truth is the idea of GLUEING something directly to my lash-line kinda freaks me out!

Recently, I was sent a product called Younique’s Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes … and I have to say, it has totally won me over!!!

US-1017-00It’s a natural product that enhances the length of your lashes and gets applied like a mascara.

To really SEE the magic of this product — I’ve taken a ton of before vs. after shots to really see the difference.

WARNING: Extreme close up pictures of my eyeballs throughout this post friends – stand back!!!!

My natural eye lashes are a pretty decent length, however they’re not very thick and full as I’d like them to be.  The photos below are without makeup so you can see what I was working with:

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The 3D Fiber Lashes involves applying a Transplanting Gel and Natural Fibers to help create the appearance of incredible thickness and volume to your existing lashes.

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The instructions for application are simple…..and are as follows:

  1. To prepare your eyelashes for optimal results, first apply one thin coat of your own regular favorite mascara and let it dry. Then, apply Moodstruck Transplanting Gel to your lashes.
  2. Immediately following, and while the gel is still wet, apply the Moodstruck Natural Fibers.
  3. Reapply the Transplanting Gel a second time to secure the natural fibers onto your lashes.

That’s it!  And Volia ~ Super Duper thick full lashes:

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Look at how the fibers fill and lengthen the look of my lashes                                                                                                                                         Left eye: Younique Fibers     vs.   Right eye: regular mascara

I applied and wore these 3D Fiber Lashes for all-day wear this past weekend — I dunno about y’all, but my eyes always tear up in the cold winter air.  I’m happy to report that these lashes remained perfect all day as these fibers are water-resistant. (FYI … I only applied the 3D Fibers to my upper lashes, not my lower lashes.)

Plus, they didn’t feel heavy along my lash line when I blinked, like false-glued-on-lashes would I imagine.   Applying the product was super easy too, and you can see the immediate results: 300% increase in thickness and volume of my lashes, while still looking real and natural.

The one tip, or tool, that I wish I had during the application process was a lash comb to help separate the lashes and eliminate the clumps that may form when applying the fibers to the transplanting gel.

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The ingredients of the natural fibres are 100% natural green tea.  And the transplanting gel is a base of water, beeswax and iron oxide (i.e. the black colouring).  The recommend shelf-life is 3-months if you use it everyday, and up to 4-5 months for occasional wearers as long as the tubes are capped tightly.

To remove, I simply followed my regular face washing regiem – using my Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Exfoliating Scrub that I’ve been using this month (stay tuned for the that product review at the end of the month friends).  These fibers are water-resistant … but easily wash off with warm water and facial cleanser at the end of the day.

The Younique’s Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes costs $35 CAD – and you can order it by clicking the link or by emailing Independent Sales Rep, Josselyn Parra directly.  Be sure to tell her Irene and PPMeow! sent ya…and she’ll take good care of you 🙂

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I’ve included a demo video below, in case you wanna see the application process before trying it yourself.

Cheers to YOU and your new thick & full lashes ladies!  Enjoy!

 

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Little Black Dress #4

Continuing with January’s  Little Black Dress series on the blog today.

If you missed any of the previous LBD’s….click here, here and here.

Today’s LBD is a brand new one I picked up during the holidays when there were crazy sales and deals to be had.

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Photo credit: Val Soo


LBD #3: Sheer Panel Swing Dress from CLEO

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Photo credit: Val Soo

This dress fit me like a glove right off the rack!!!

It’s the perfect length, no hemming required.  The arm holes required no pinning and the neckline didn’t reveal too much cleavage.

Plus, the broad straps easily allow for a regular bra to be worn – #winning 🙂

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Photo credit: Val Soo

Sheer panels seemed to be pretty fashionable this holiday season.  I like how it adds textural interest in a minimalist way to this all-black dress, bringing  lightness and breathability to heavy fabrics in the winter.

I really want to come up with ways to take this frock outside of being just a cocktail dress.  If you’ve got some ideas for how to do it – share them with me friends! 😉

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Photo credit: Val Soo

How I Got The Look:  LBD and jewellery set from Cleo (click here); Wine glossy pumps from BCBG; Sheer hosiery from Dollarama

Do you have a favourite Little Black Dress?  Where’s it from and how to you style it? Tell me your tips and tricks by leaving a comment below.

WANNA see the other LBD’s I’ve talked about so far – click #1, #2 and #3.

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Little Black Dress #3

Continuing with January’s  Little Black Dress week on the blog today.

If you missed any of the previous LBD’s click here:  #1 and #2.  Today’s LBD isn’t completely black I know….but go with me 🙂

I picked it up this Fall at SexyPlus Clothing’s Blogger Soirée   — to see how I styled it for Fall wear on my birthday, click here.

LBD #4: SexyPlus Clothing’s JAX Newsprint

FullSizeRender-5It has been bitterly cold in Toronto.  So keeping warm and cozy has been more important than ever.  Which means a perfect excuse to adorn oneself in faux furs!!!

FullSizeRender-4Regular hosiery options just wasn’t warm enough under this light Fall dress.  So I’m wearing thick leggings with tall boots instead.  Cover up as much of that skin as you can ladies. Instead of going bare-legged, consider wearing tights or thermal leggings  beneath your skirt or dress. Not only does it look more climate-appropriate in formal situations, your legs will remain softer since they won’t be as exposed to the elements. Just like scarves, leggings and tights come in many different varieties, so it is nearly impossible not find a pair that will work with your outfit and mesh with your personality 😉
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How I Got The Look:  LBD from SexyPlus Clothing; Grey fur scarf from Indigo; Black boots from Payless; Black leggings and earrings from Old Navy.

IMG_6301Do you have a favourite Little Black Dress?  Where’s it from and how to you style it? Tell me your tips and tricks by leaving a comment below.

WANNA see the other LBD’s I’ve talked about so far – click here and here.

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Little Black Dress #2

Continuing with  January’s  Little Black Dress  series on the blog today.

Today I took a cheap little summer office dress and transformed it into winter wear ….

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LBD #2: Belted Merona from Target

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This dress is pretty great.  The long silver zipper down the back adds this simple, sexy quality to an otherwise pretty modest dress.  These pictures don’t showcase the large buckle belt that comes with this dress.

My apologies for the poor photos quality in this post – it was pretty dark outside when I remembered to snap pics.  Pardon my winter-bun-headed look ….its the only way to keep my hair from getting crazy static once the parka goes on.

image2-3Here’s a zoomed in look at this fabulous hot pink sweater I picked up on sale at Winners.  It fit nicely under the dress as its quite light-weight and the details up the arms really add a little dazzle to break up this all-black look.
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How I Got The Look:  LBD from Target; Hot pink sweater from Winners; Glossy silver pumps from Payless; Sheer hosiery from Dollarama; Necklace & earring set  from LOFT

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Do you have a favourite Little Black Dress?  Where’s it from and how to you style it? Tell me your tips and tricks by leaving a comment below.

WANNA see the other LBD’s I’ve talked about so far – click here.

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Little Black Dress #1

I dunno about you friends, but January is officially Little Black Dress month for me.  There has been WAYYY too much eating over the festive season … and this holiday weight is making me choose blacks over other fun colours in my wardrobe these days.

Lucky for me, I’ve got a lil’ Collection of LBDs that don’t nearly get enough of my attention all year round.  So why not use this month to let them shine 🙂

LBD #1:  Forever21+ 

IMG_5905Truth be told, I bought this dress as a Halloween Costume one year, when a girlfriend and I dressed as Robert Palmer girls.  The best (and easiest) costume to pull off I tell ya.

What sold me about this dress was the different textures of fabric used.  The top is this shiny poly-blend with a sweet little twist to the neckline which leads to off the shoulder sleeves, and the skirt portion is a ribbed cotton.

IMG_5902There is beauty in simplicity.  I tried sticking to a head-to-to black … keeping the hose and heels black too.  But in the end, I needed more — and that’s when this red blazer just kicked it up a notch.IMG_5913This giant pearl necklace is my absolute favourite (Your Big Sister’s Closet) – it just adds the perfect punch of sophistication to this entire outfit.

IMG_5906Do you have a favourite Little Black Dress?  Where’s it from and how to you style it? Tell me your tips and tricks by leaving a comment below.

How I Got The Look:  LBD from Forever21+; Red blazer from Jessica, Sears; Glossy black pumps from Payless; Sheer hosiery from Dollarama; Necklace from Your Big Sister’s Closet; Gold earrings from Ardene

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A New Year, A New Start

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!!

This month (January 6th to be exact) Petite Plus, Meow! turns ONE YEAR old!  I’m truly humbled by the positive response the blog has gotten so far.  Thank you.

My very first outfit post, entitled:   Peplum, Pencil Skirt and Pink Pumps really shows how green I was to the world of fashion blogging – complete with uncreative title, with no clue what I was really doing in terms of key words/tagging – simply publishing content with no one to read it, basically.   Somewhere over the 170 blogpost write-ups of last year (yup…that’s how many there were),  I think my personality, charm, wit and modesty 😉 began to come across – or at least I hope it has.

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As much as I love fashion  – I’ve never felt like an authority on anything fashion related.  This Fashion & Lifestyle blog started as a fun outlet – and continues to be a place to capture all those things I’m passionate about, new things I discover and try, thoughts and general musing that take place in my life, with the occasional quote/comic that inspire and amuse me …. shared with readers in hopes that you’ll enjoy them too.

Two years ago, the world as I knew it was turned upside down, and I got an opportunity to reassess and really focus on me again.   I began investing in higher quality fashionable pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories – decorating my outside in an effort to uplift my inside.  The more ‘grey’ I felt, the more dressed up I would get, sticking to that old adage of ‘fake it ‘til I make it’…if I LOOKED happy and put-together then I’d eventually FEEL that way too.  And it totally worked!

The last year of blogging has definitely helped boost my own self-image, self-love, body acceptance and self-confidence.  And for that, I am forever grateful. As much as I loved my life last year – I often find myself asking “There’s gotta be more to life than THIS?”

I’m not really one for New Year Resolutions… but this year, my focus is simple:  Getting and Staying Happy! 🙂

In an effort to figure out exactly how to get started with this lofty goal I applied the STOP-START-CONTINUE approach to behavioural change.  It is also often used in feedback surveys in Adult Instruction (i.e., my day job).  In business management before the new year begins management will often ask these three questions:

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1.   What can we STOP that is not producing the desired outcome?

2.  What can we START doing to produce the results that we are looking for?

3.  What are we doing that we should CONTINUE doing that is working/producing the desired results?

This same business principle can be applied to our own life in making this year the best year possible.  In order for this to really be effective, we do need to set goals and monitor the progress so we can make corrections as they are needed, but this is a good start to turning an idea into action.  Better than a New Year Resolution I think 🙂

OK.  Now that I’ve explained the concept, let me apply it … and by capturing it on the blog it will keep me accountable to monitor the progress of each item – win:win.

2015 will be the year I will STOP:

  • Making excuses for people.  When people show you their true colours – believe them, the first time.  This applies to everyone – friends – old and new, love interests, family members, co-workers and networking contacts.  “Family isn’t always blood.  It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are.  The ones who love you no matter what.”  
  • Being overly critical of myself and of others, when it comes to my career-expectations.  I need to adjust my expectations – personal fulfilment and satisfaction isn’t solely achieved in or by one’s work-life.  And that’s ok.

2015 will be the year I will START:

  • Shopping Less and Travelling More – with or without a travel mate.  Which means I gotta learn to drive.  Drivers and pedestrians of Toronto streets, you’ve been warned. Dun dun dunnnn…
  • Turning off Netflix to read more.  Perhaps we can start a virtual book club on PPMeow! Thoughts?
  • Cooking more using recipes I’ve never tried before.  And sharing my culinary accomplishments and fails on the blog.

2015 will be the year I will CONTINUE:

  • Blogging and Instagram’ing regularly about What I Wore AND What I Did. Outfits of the Day, shopping sprees, fashion collaborations and new collection launches,  as well as reviews of the various products I try, events I attend and other lifestyle activities I participate in …especially if for the first time.
  • Surrounding myself with positive, interesting, enthusiastic, fun people.  Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.  When it comes to relationships, we are greatly influenced — whether we like it or not — by those closest to us. It affects our way of thinking, our self-esteem, and our decisions.  Positivity begets positivity.  Negativity….ain’t nobody got time for that.

TA-DAH!!!  There you have it.  My Action Plan for 2015.  Are these things above gonna make me get and keep me happy?  Who knows.  But it’s a good start for the New Year ahead for PPMeow! 🙂

Hoping this first week of 2015 is starting of right for each of you….and that you’ll continue to follow me & the blog on our adventures all year long.

What do you have planned to tackle and accomplish this year?  Taking a look at things in your own life – what can you do to make this year better than last year?  Would you try using this STOP-START-CONTINUE approach to help you do just that?  Tell me about it in the comment section.

word cloud for year 2015

Happy New Year once again, and let me know what positive changes you are making in your life.

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