Here’s a couple videos to commemorate the day as we honour our wonderful mothers who do so much for us.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I admit, I used to be a tad like this as a young lass.

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An ode to mothers courtesy of JibJab:

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And my personal fav:

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There are countless of proposal videos online, but never have I seen one that looked like it was so thought out and organized. “Mr. Proposal”, as I’ll call him during the following interview, went all out to pop the question to his lucky girlfriend. All the best to you both for your upcoming nuptials!

Part 1:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 2:

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A.L.A.N.: Where did your idea come from?

Mr. Proposal: She had been showing me all these different proposals on youtube that were pretty cool, but I wasn’t entirely impressed. Some were amazing but others were just great ideas, with no hot sauce! What ever I was going to do would need a lot of flavour, and a lot of hot sauce. I noticed that the ones I liked the most were the ones where the guy was presenting himself. I didn’t matter how extravagant it was, but if he was genuine to himself in his approach it was immensely touching. So I decided I would be me, and present the best me I could.

A.L.A.N.: How long did it take to plan?

Mr. Proposal: It took approximately 6 or 7 months to create, plan, and ensure proper execution. I had to figure out where and how it was going to happen. What music to use, each song had a specific connection to our life together. I had to write my lyrics to a number of songs, then edit and record my tracks.

I had to work on and create the “Show” rehearsing with the dancers, and practicing my performance. I had to secretly coordinate 50 or so friends and family to be there and know all the cues for their involvement. I had to engrave the bench she was sitting on (where we had our first kiss), it was engraved with the date of our first kiss “The Kiss” and also engraved with the date of the proposal, entitled “The Question”. I had to secure the camera crew, and photographer. I was creating the ring from ideas in my mind, not buying a existing ring in the store. So many things listed above I feel like I am just listing endless elements, but it is an indication of the insanity of those 6-7 months.

The above is just the creation of the show, and not even touching on the logistics and execution. Where were we going to get power in the middle of the street? What if the police show up? What if it’s raining…. which it was. ALLLLLL OF THIS, and not letting my woman (who I live with) know a single thing. Que deep breath!

Truly though there is no way I could have done these things alone. Each element had a fantastic and forever special friend involved in it supporting me all the way along. To these friends I owe them more then I could ever repay!

A.L.A.N.: Worst possible thing to go wrong?

Mr. Proposal: The worst possible thing that could of gone wrong, essentially did. During the entire evening of the proposal, it was pouring rain, POURING RAIN!!! We were out at a dinner and my Best Man, aka “The Captain” was messaging me with the concern of what we should do if it continues to rain. Friends and family were instructed to be at the scene an hour before to do a “dry run” and now it would be taking place in the rain.

The decision was that if it continues to rain and nobody would wait in it, and if it was still raining when the plan of a dog walk would be initiated, that we would move forward as planned. I knew if it was pouring rain and I had to ask my Lady to walk with me, she would say “Yes” no matter what. I would perform just for her, or with no power, or no dancers or with no audience, it was going down!! This is not to mention I had to break into my mothers house to get my dog, because a friend of mine had used my keys that day. I was LOCKED OUT and I needed the dog to go on the ruse of our dog walk. No B+E charge that night though :). I also forgot to read my speech I wrote months before and had to wing it. The speech that came out was better then I could have ever written, it flowed so naturally :)

As you can see in the video it stopped raining for about the 30 minute period between when we left the house for the dog walk and the end of the proposal. If you look at the ground it literally dries as the video plays and at the end you can hear me say “and now it starts to rain!”.

A.L.A.N.: Was your proposal perfect?

Mr. Proposal: I can honestly say that my proposal went to perfection! I had created this idea in my mind but obviously never truly knew how it would work out in reality. I was experiencing it all for the first time as well. I was able to break into my mom’s house successfully to retrieve my dog, the rain parted with eerily perfect timing , everyone made it out, I landed my back tuck!!!

But most importantly she said “YES” and loved every minute of it. So yes, I would say it was perfect, but perfect for us. I think when you propose to your woman it should be about you two. You have to know your woman, know yourself and create the appropriate idea. For example some women like being proposed to at a baseball game, and some don’t…. well most don’t, but some might. :)

The only thing I may have wished to see a change was, when I spoke with videographers about how they saw the event being capture, I choose the guy who said he would dedicate one camera to being on her the entire time. The video that came out doesn’t really capture too much of her reaction. Maybe the video could of had a small square in the corner that was of her the entire time. However I am ok with the memory of her reaction being secluded to my mind and memory alone. Her eyes that night are truly something I will never forget, video or not.

I’ve taken on the annual Boxing Day shopping tradition for years now, even before it became legal in Toronto for stores to open their doors on this official statuatory holiday. Over the years my shopping decisions have been honed, and I have come up with some strategies that have made Boxing Day shopping a lot less stressful for me.

1. Be the Early Bird
• This is the first and most crucial tip. If you don’t want to be battling for parking spots, stuck in traffic, or feeling like a fish swimming upstream, you need to wake up early in time to get all the benefits. You need to also keep in mind that some stores run out of stock of those door-crasher items fairly quickly. I guarantee you as soon as 10am start to roll around, the line-ups outside the stores start forming to prevent overcrowding in the store. Malls in major Ontario cities usually open by 8am on Boxing Day; big-box stores like Futureshop as early as 6am. So in order to plan your day out right, try to be there at least 30 minutes before store opening.
2. Make Your List and Check it Twice
• Check out bargain-hunting websites like RedFlagDeals.com for early flyer leaks. If you’re able to get a gander at a flyer from a store you would like to visit on Boxing Day, go through it and find the things that you need (but most likely just want) to buy. Compare your list with items from other stores so that you’re able to get the best price possible. Then plan out which stores you need to visit based on this list and priority of the item. Try your best to research your purchases beforehand–just because something is cheap, doesn’t mean that it’s worth your money. Think quality and check out reviews on the item, sites like Amazon.com or Epinions.com will be a big help as long as you know the model number of the item you’re planning to buy.
3. Wear the right clothing.
• Ladies, I am telling you this for a reason. You do not want to be stuck in a mall for 4+ hours wearing 3″ stiletto heels–wear some comfortable flats or runners. And please don’t dress up to go shopping like you’re going out clubbing, because you’re going to be uncomfortable wearing those jeans that are a size-too-small just so that they can show your “assets”. You need to be comfortable. Wear some thick leggings, a tank top and a light sweater. This will make trying on clothing in the change rooms (or even out of the change rooms) so much easier.
• And remember: You’re going to be in an area crowded with people. This means lots of body heat. Even though it may be -10 outside, try to leave the jacket in the car, or in the mall’s coat check (it’s going to be heavy carrying 10lbs of down feather around).
4. Bring Cash and Stay on Budget
• I know it is so much more easier to swipe that plastic, but having cash means quicker transactions (some stores offer “cash-only” lines for check-out), and you don’t have to wait for people who forget their PINs or could’ve sworn they deposited that cheque last week. Cash will also help you stay on budget, because once you’re out, your’re out. Just make sure you keep it secure among the crowds.
5. Take Public Transit
• I know taking the crowded and oh-so-reliable TTC with bags of purchased goods doesn’t seem too appealing, but at least this way you don’t have to worry about drive-stalking people in the Yorkdale parking lot, hoping that they’re headed to their car to leave (only to find out they’re dropping off their bags and ready for round two of shopping). Finding a parking spot (especially at Yorkdale) is a nightmare… not to mention the road range you have to deal with during those moments. Sometimes it’s best to save yourself the hassle.
6. Don’t go alone
• Boxing Day shopping with friends is so much more convenient and fun. When you’re out shopping with friends, one can hold a spot for you in that super-long line up while you pick up some last minute things, the other can text you about an unadvertised sale that’s happening in another store on the other end of the mall, another can make sure your staying on budget and not buying more than you can afford, and best of all: you all can relax and unwind for a late lunch after all the shopping is done. If there’s more than two of you going (e.g. an even number like 4), I would say split up and the pairs can meet up at a pre-determined place and time later (you cover more ground this way). And if just the two of you, stick together as much as possible so that you don’t get lost in the crowds.
7. Watch Your Bag
• Keeping in mind all the crowds to need to make sure that your valuables are secure. One of the easiest ways to do this (esp. for ladies) is making sure that you’re carrying the right purse: an over-the-shoulder or sling bag will be your best friend. You’re hands will be free to rummage through the racks, and be close at hand from others. Men, be careful how far out that wallet sticks from your back pocket.
8. Review the Return Policy
• Most likely you will purchase something on Boxing Day that was more of an impulse buy. When you come to your senses a few days later (and realize you didn’t need that second Slap Chop), make sure that you’re able to return it back to the store of purchase for a full refund. Just ask the cashier as you’re checking out. Most likley returns are processed a few days after the 26th to combat the lineups, so just keep that receipt on hand. One my favourite places to shop for their great return policy is The Bay. They have made such a great turnaround with their marketing and sales in the past few years, that it’s my go-to store on Boxing Day. Their return policy is 90 days with your receipt (tags attached) as long as you made your purchase with their HBC credit card (30 days otherwise).
9. Shop Online
• Not only is shopping online a time-saver, you don’t have to worry about carrying all those items around (especially if it’s a 40′ plasma TV), because they’ll be shipped right to your door (usually for free). For the past few years I’ve been buying my electronics and movies online because many big-box stores offer their Boxing Day pricing starting on Christmas Eve online. I managed to scoop up a couple of Blu-rays I really wanted–er, needed, and they should be delivered free to my door within the next few days. This way I don’t have to worry about standing in those long lines at the electronics store and wading through the crowds on Boxing Day. Just make sure you have a good Internet connection.
10. Take Time to Relax
• When I go out Boxing Day shopping, it’s usually a 5-6 hour event including wait time, and if I have to venture to a different shopping complex the same day. After all that shopping, grab a cup of coffee, soak those tired feet, snack on those holiday leftovers and revel in all those holiday purchases before your bank statement comes in. You deserve a break.

So, I literally wasn’t robbed by Smurfs, but they had a costume contest tonight, and the blue critters nabbed first place (as well as a couple of passes to the Montreal Bachata Zouk Fest). As soon as I saw them walk into the social that evening, I knew my chances of winning that costume contest were slim. But kudos to them, anyone who can paint themselves blue on a Sunday night gets a gold star from me. They were so cute… such a great job. I wish more people would put that kind of an effort into their Halloween costumes.

Speaking of costumes, onto mine. If you can gather from the photo, you can see that I’m dressed as the Black Swan. Not very original you’re thinking? I know, dressing up as the title character from a popular movie in the current year isn’t very creative. But wait… I’m not just Black Swan–I’m The BLACK Black Swan (clever, eh?). I didn’t come up with the idea for the costume until a couple days ago, and though the pun on the name would be a good twist (though I probably should’ve worn a sign). I was going to go as “The Black actress turned down for the roll Natalie Portman made famous in the Acadamy-Award winning film Black Swan”, but figured “The Black Black Swan” had a better ring to it.

I did actually see a few other Black Swans out there this weekend. The social I was at yesterday had one there. I’m still kind of pissed that she got ‘selected’ to be one of the finalists in that Halloween competition and I didn’t… she didn’t even have a freakin’ tiara and her tutu looked like a regular skirt! Anyways… there was a nice Black Swan at tonight’s social as well. Adorable outfit, and she even had a nice, little tiara and detailed eye-makeup (but she was no where to be found when tonight’s competition rolled up, thank goodness, but I did take a photo with her. :-D).

For my costume, I actually made my tutu myself. Got some ribbed elastic ($1.29), thick ribbon (2 metres for $1.49) to mimic ballet slippers, and black netting/tulle ($3.00/metre x 4 metres) which I cut and tied together (I’ll probably post the tutorial in a later post). Found a nice corset-style top at Urban Behaviour for $25. Tiara from Dollarama which I painted black. Topped my outfit off with a black, feather boa which was multi-purpose, because I used it as part of my dress and cut some to accent my tiara as well. Black eyeliner and eyeshadow for my self-done make up, and that was it.

After working up the nerve to volunteer to enter the contest, I got a lot of cheers from the audience after clarifying my costume name as “The Black Black Swan”, but the prize went to the adorable Smurfette and Papa Smurf who went all out for their costume from head to toe. Great job!

Til next year… still not sure what to do with this tutu now…

On the menu was:

“Can’t Wait ‘Til” Spring Mix Salad and Avocado with a Creamy Vinaigrette

Making your own salad dressing is a big money-saver. For this one I used some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a dab of mayonnaise, some lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper.

“Stuff You” Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

I admit, this is from a store-bought package, but they tasted delicious!

“Spear My Heart” Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

So yummy. My first time trying anything wrapped in asparagus.

“He’s A Jerk” Chicken with Penne Pasta in a Cream Sauce

I marinated some chicken breasts overnight in a home-made jerk sauce (could’ve used more “jerk” though). Next time I’ll be sure to add some scotch bonnet peppers.

“Dark Hearts” Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

I meant to make the cake (and even the Ice Cream) from scratch, but was running out of prep time (had to go salsa dancing later that night!). Not as “lava-ey” as I hoped (I think I left them in the oven too long), but still quite tasty.

And my girl Colleen brought some fan-freakin-tastic chocolate-caramel covered apples for post-dessert! Courtesy of The Real Canadian Superstore (who knew?).

Dinner went wonderfully, and my lovely friends definitely enjoyed all the food (thank you for coming!). Who knows? Maybe I’ll make this an annual thing… we’ll see what cupid has in store.