Sunday Reading & Coffee

I always felt reading the Sunday newspaper and drinking coffee was a very grown up thing to do and something I should  be doing, so I did. While I no longer have a newspaper subscription, I still feel that a great Sunday includes coffee and reading.

With this concept, I decided each week- on Sunday- to share some of my favourite articles from the past week. So grab a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice) and enjoy!

Whether or not we admit it, we all have (or want) an appreciation for the finer things in life. How to Be a Bon Vivant has some great tips on how to live well.

Elle Canada is one of my favourite magazines, and I love their column by Stephanie Gilman. Stephanie writes about rebooting her life after cancer and each month she takes on a new challenge- social media cleanse, CN Tour Edge Walk, improv class, and finding her new calling.

I have a tiny apartment, and after 3 years, I'm finally ready to decorate. 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Decorating A Small Bedroom has some great tips.

Flamingos are one of my favourite animals. I love them!! I'm not sure that I can pull off any of the looks from 15 Ways We're Wearing Flamingo Print This Summer, but a girl can dream.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for the first day of a fantastic giveaway!

Weekly Wrap Up

A blog friend of mine, years ago, had a Saturday link up called 'Weekly What'. She eventually cut back on her blogging and the link up came to an end, but I kept doing it...I liked the concept; basically you put all of your Monday-Friday posts in one post on Saturday. It's essentially a summary of the past week on your blog. 

I thought for 2015, I would bring the concept back...

MONDAY: I started the week with no post.

TUESDAY: I didn't link up with Amber for Hey, It's Ok; another no post day.

WEDNESDAY: I wrote about where I've been recently and why I've taken a bit of a blog hiatus. 

THURSDAY: I reviewed The Da Vinci Code.

FRIDAY: I finished the week by updating my 2015 Friendly Resolution.


Hope everyone has a great Saturday...make sure you come back on Monday for a great giveaway that you do not want to miss!!

Friendly Resolution- May

I'm not big on New Year Resolution, because let's be honest, most of us rarely stick to them. This year, I decided that every month, I would make the point to connect with two friends that I haven't seen recently (at least 3 months).

How did my resolution turn out for May?

J- A sorority sister that I did see in February, but my goal is to connect with friends I haven't connected with in at least 3 months, so J counts. Plus I had to reach out to her to schedule our visit, so it counts. We did our usual, drinks and appetizers. So great to see her and catch up. She is so genuine, opinionated (in a good way) and the one of the most encouraging and supportive people I know.

Taco Tuesday- This was actually a Young Professionals Networking event. While these people aren't friends, I hadn't been to this Networking group since last year (I skipped the January and March events). Saw some people I knew, met some new people, and had an overall blast.

S- I met her at a speed networking event back in January, where I had 5 minutes to talk to her. We have connected on LinkedIn and seen each other out at other networking events. We actually went for lunch. It was nice to connect with her and get to know her a bit better.

Brock Alumni- 5 of us went out for dinner and haven't been out as a group since December. Always great to connect with Alumni, especially this group. We essentially laugh the entire time. We support each other and are genuinely interested in what is going on in each others lives. Everything with them seems so low key and effortless, plus tons of fun.

K- My psychic friend. I haven't seen her in months! We Facebook and text, but we've both been too busy to actually connect. This month, we were able to meet up. I saw her on the long weekend. We had dinner on the patio. Always great to see her.

My Uncle- Not a friend and I did see him on the long weekend, but the following weekend, we met in our second hometown for lunch. My Uncle will drive 3 hours to have lunch with me and then drive back. Just the two of us go for lunch and we only do it in the summer, although we didn't do it at all last summer. I love spending one-on-one time with my uncle and these lunches mean the world to me.

L- A new friend! I met her at a 2 day workshop. She was from out of town and staying at the hotel. I offered to have dinner with her, which she accepted. Dinner and drinks on the patio. We had the chance to get to know each other on a personal and professional level. I really enjoyed the time we spent together.


I know that some people on this list- new friend, family and networking event- might not technically count as "connecting with two friends I seen recently", and even if you don't count them, I still managed to connect with a number of people this month.

I'm five months in and I've been really great at sticking to this resolution. I have high hopes for the rest of the year!

January // February // March // April 

Book Club: The Da Vinci Code

 

Book: The Da Vinci Code

Author: Dan Brown

Amazon Summary: 

With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history. 

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his daughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's father's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself.

Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh
 

What I have to say: 
This book has been around for over 10 years, but I just got around to reading it earlier this month. It is a compelling read, with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed learning about the secret society, the symbolism and the historical theory. It was by no means a boring read. 

This book, however, followed a formula and one that I am familiar with. If you have read one book with historical connections and a mystery, you've read them all. Historical secret, secret society protecting the secret, another society wanting to uncover the secret, mystery that needs solving, one person working to solve the mystery can trace ancestry back to the original historic event. Throw in a sub-plot involving a family secret and a long lost family member, and you've got your complete formula.

Final verdict: Worth a read, but note if you are familiar with this genre, you've already heard the story. I would recommend this book and will likely read it again.