August 27, 2015
Walk and Dream: The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk #WalkForSickKids
Medicine has always been an important part of my life. When I was younger, I wanted to be a surgeon more than anything else in the world. My life was centred around helping people and trying to make them better. It was what motivated to become a lifeguard, to volunteer in retirement homes as well as at York Central Hospital and later to participate in a research study at Sick Kids Hospital as part of the Aventis Biotech Challenge. The days that I spent not only in the lab but with patients taught me so much. Medicine is all about healing and creating miracles and why my life has always centred around caring for others.
While I may not have become the surgeon I had always wanted to, I did graduate from a Kinesiology program and I am currently working in a teaching Family Medicine unit. Every day I am able to witness little miracles in our patients and share in these moments with them. It is a role that has humbled me and taught me to appreciate every moment in life because nothing in life is ever guaranteed. My work has brought home to me how important it is to give back to others and to support research and providing care for patients. This is a concept that I am continually trying to share with others.
Sick Kids is a world leader in both patient care and research in order to make sure that every child has the chance to be healthy, happy and dream. It is because of courageous individuals, volunteers and generous donors that these children are given the chance to achieve all they deserve.
The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk will be held this year on September 26th, 2015 in downtown Toronto. The Great Camp Adventure Walk is a challenge by choice event – you get to choose whether you want to complete a 5km, 10km, 15km or even 20km. Campsites are found along the route every 2.5km, each having its own unique theme and activities. The Main Camp at Fort York will be full of family friendly activities including: entertainment, arts and crafts, Fun Zone, games, Tuck Shop and quiet areas for rest.
The Great Camp Adventure Walk gives families the opportunity to not only support those in their lives that may have been affected by childhood illnesses and cancer but to also teach their children about the importance of fundraising and the miracle of medicine. It gives children a chance to support children.
If you want to be a part of this important day to benefit Sick Kids, head over to the Great Camp Adventure Walk page and sign up to take part in the walk (they are dog friendly too!) or donate to a group or individual participating (if you want to donate to my team, you can do so here). If you are signing up for the Great Camp Adventure Walk, you can use the code: social, to receive a $10 discount off the registration fee.
The 2015 goal is to raise $2 million for Sick Kids and every little bit helps! So head over to the Great Camp Adventure Walk to learn more, donate, volunteer and participate. Every action counts and makes a difference in a child’s life.
Please take a moment to enter to win the following giveaway. Not only do you walk away with $100 but you also win $100 donation to a team of your choosing – a win-win!
The Great Camp Adventure Walk for SickKids Promotion Contest
Disclosure: I am part of the Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk for SickKids campaign with Influence Central and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
August 26, 2015
#X15 #WW with linky
Last week, my son and I attended the #X15 Media showcase in Toronto. The set up was incredible and we were able to test out the newest games coming up. Our two top picks were FIFA 16 and Gears of War.
Here are some highlights of our day:
As well as some of the media pics of the games that I really wanted to share with you:
Make sure you link up below so that I can visit you to! Have a great day 😀
August 25, 2015
Finding Gabriel by Rachel L. Demeter
Sometimes fate has its own plan for us. In Finding Gabriel, Gabriel learns this lesson first hand.
About Finding Gabriel
After a decade of bloodshed fighting in Napoleon’s army, Gabriel returns to Paris a shattered and tortured soul. He is plagued by his inner demons and decides to end his suffering with a pistol. But fate intervenes.
Ariah Larochelle is a survivor; orphaned at twelve and the victim of a terrible crime. Ariah has learned to trust no one and to keep her back to the walls. When she finds a gravely injured soldier on the shores of the River Seine, she is moved by compassion. She rescues him and brings him into her home.
Now scarred on the inside and outside, Gabriel discovers a kindred spirit in Ariah. The feelings he thought he had lost forever are re-awakened in the face of adversity. But when Ariah’s secret past is revealed, the ghosts of her past threaten their new love. Can they find hope or will the pattern of their history repeat itself.
My Thoughts
An extremely exciting novel from start to finish! Not only was it sexy, romantic and exciting but it was full of adventure and raw emotion. Ariah and Gabriel are not your typical main characters. They are battered, broken and as far from perfect as you can imagine but their story is so compelling and real.
I love how Ariah pulls Gabriel out of his belief he is broken. He is lost, hurting on the inside and feels so much pain that he wants it all to end. Like so many of us who are suffering with our past and depression, he is suffering so much on the inside and can’t find a way out of it. It is Ariah and her imperfect past who shows him that we must look past our suffering and learn to live with it. That they are not badges of dishonour or that people look at us with hate but that they are marks of our strength and courage to keep moving forward. Ariah shows him a compassion and love that he has never known. Not even when he reveals the worst parts of him, is she swayed from her belief that he is a good person at heart.
A fantastic, raw and powerful novel from start to finish. I finished this novel in one sitting as I did not want to put it away. I was so engrossed in Ariah and Gabriel’s story, and how they overcame their pain to move forward not happy and blissfully but at peace with all around them and their own personal demons. While it has some sexy and romantic scenes, I love how the focus is on the characters and their personal scars from their past that they must deal with.
The novel is available August 27th, 2015 and you can purchase a copy on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Rating: 5/5
Book Trailer
About the Author
Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and her high school sweetheart of eleven years. She enjoys writing dark, poignant romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 24, 2015
Week Two Update: Onward and Upwards With My Healthy Living Goals!
My second week turned out a lot better than my first week with regards to my goals, for which I am quite proud of. My daily routine became much easier to stick to (thankfully) and I have begun to notice some differences with how I feel mentally (not so foggy brained) and my stomach feels lighter and not so heavy feeling. This has made attaining my goals that much easier to accomplish.
So here is how I did with last week’s goals:
- 1-2 pound weight loss. I maintained my weight but did not lose anything extra.
Continue to maintain my vegetarian diet with a meal planThis is becoming easier and easier!ÂYoga fours times this week.Honestly, yoga has become my favourite new form of exercise. It leaves me feeling so refreshed from head to toe.Daily evening meditation.
Daily squat, lunge, push up and crunch challenge with a fitness calendar.I posted my calendar on the fridge so now I have no excuses! I go through each day highlighting what I have completed.Two litres of water a day10,000 steps minimum a day.I did it!! I am so proud of myself – all week I reached a minimum of 10,000 steps.Daily morning detoxtea I am using Purgo teatox which I love.Â
This week’s goals:
- 1-2 pound weight loss.
- Yoga four times this week.
- Daily evening meditation.
- Daily squat, lunge, push up, crunch and plank challenge.
- Two litres of water a day.
- 11,000 steps a day (got to up my goal a bit!).
- Two 3km walks.
Here is my big surprise: I am taking part in the Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk on September 26th! I am officially ‘in training’ mode as my team-mate would like to complete the 10km walk. You will find more out on my upcoming walk for this great cause this week.
Don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win a $50 Shoppers Drug Mart gift card!
August 21, 2015
Back to School with Smithsonian Geography: A Visual Encyclopedia
Learning about the world around us is important for so many reasons. It expands our children’s horizons, allows them to see the world through fresh eyes and understand how the world works and how far we have come. Geography captures your imagination and takes you around the world. The DK Canada Smithsonian Geography uses images to draw you into the encyclopedia, sparking a curiosity of the world around you.
Geography, a visual encyclopedia was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. The book is broken down into the following sections: Planet Earth, Rocks and Minerals, Water, Climate and Weather, Life on Earth, The Human World, Mapping the World and Country Factfile. There is literally something for everyone on your list and you can start anywhere in the book. Just pick it up and let the book take you on an exciting journey. If you turn the book on its side, you will notice each section is colour coded so if you prefer to jump to a specific section you can easily do so.
Each page contains many colourful photographs that help to bring the story to life. For example, in Crystal Cave, the photo covers both pages of the book and brings home how huge the crystals are in comparison to the miners working there. I found myself at times reaching out to just touch the page, not because I thought it may have a texture but because the photographs were so powerful and touching. It makes you want to travel the world.
My personal favourite section of the book was under Life on Earth where it examined the Moorland and heath. My kids loved learning about volcanoes, tornadoes and hurricanes. This book was not only perfect for my kids to enjoy together but I also learned so much about the world around me. Geography, a visual encyclopedia fits in perfectly with our home library.
Make sure to check out more titles at the DK Canada Back to School Boutique for more top titles from DK Canada.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
