Bucket List

Lots of people have a bucket list of some sort... things they'd like to do during their life. It may consist of goals, aspirations, silly things, places to visit, things to see, events to attend... there are so many options out there and I figured I'd share a few with you all. I think my list is a little all over the place but each and every one of my items has its own special meaning to me. Some I have already accomplished and others I may never get the chance to do... but lets give this a try anyway! This post is a little long as I've come up with about 25 things I'd truly like to accomplish in my life. Hope you enjoy! If you have completed any of these things, I'd love to hear about it! Comment below, link me a photo, share the love!

1. Learn to drive standard.
   This one is a little silly. Most people already know how, but it was something I never had the opportunity to do. I was one of those people who woke up early on my 16th birthday just to go down to the MTO and get my G1, took drivers training to get my G2 asap and got my full G as soon as possible (for those not in Ontario, Canada, this is our graduated licensing system. It takes 12 months between each "level" however you can take driver's ed in order to get your G2 within 8 months... but I digress). Anyway, this is one of goals for whatever reason that is which I plan on doing sooner or later.
2. Own a Mitsubishi Eagle Talon.
   Ok, this one is a little weird... Yes, it's an older car that no one really drives anymore and that not many people would find exciting to own. BUT to me, this is my ultimate dream car. I have wanted one of these beauties since I was in high school, more specifically a 1997 or 1998 Black Eagle Talon TSi (but I could settle for anything over 1995). It makes me melt just thinking about it.... 
   
3. Attend Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, USA.
4. Get Married.
5. Be a Mother.
6. Visit overseas (Ireland, Great Britain, France, and/or Italy).
7. Go on a Cruise.
8. Be a Pharmacist.
9. Give to at least 1 Charity every year.
10. Foster an Animal (dog or cat).
11. Learn to Ride a Horse.
12. Learn to Scuba Dive.
13. Take a Helicopter Ride.
14. Attend the Calgary Stampede.
15. Live in Sudbury, On. Again.
16. Run a Marathon.
17. Own my own Snowmobile.
18. Learn to Surfboard.
19. Skydive.
20. Be on a Reality TV Show.
21. Plant a Garden.
22. Own a Home (not Mortgage, I mean have fully paid off and OWN a home).
23. Be a Grandmother.
24. Ride my Bicycle from Englehart, ON to Larder Lake, ON. (and also from Englehart, ON to Charlton, ON)
25. to be continued....
26. 
    

My newest blog!

Exciting news!
I'd like to invite you all to read my newest blog, The Curvy Cushie!!! The first post is up, and I'm calling for change.

In this blog, I will talk about my journey with Cushing's Disease. I'd like to touch a bit upon the journey to diagnosis, the hurdles that I had to cross, and the damage it caused to both my spirit and body. Also, I as the main focus of this new blog, I will be talking about the journey AFTER recovery/remission of the disease. There are not many support groups/blogs out there for recovering Cushie's (aka people who have or had Cushing's). Therefore, I would like to reach out and tell my story. My words will be down to earth, supportive and encouraging, as I embark on my new lifestyle on the 3rd anniversary of my surgery success. Health, fitness, motivation, nutrition, stumbles, and more! So please, go check out the new blog and follow me along they way!!! 

Thank you all for following Kisses and Curls over the last 6 months or so... It really was a pleasure getting my first shot at blog writing under my belt. Sadly, I will be taking a leave of absence from posting on this site for a while; with a new site and idea underway, CurvyCushie and my journey to make her slightly less curvy will be my top priority for now! But I will be back, better than ever, so STAY TUNED! 

Stay Beautiful everyone,
Kisses and Curls xoxox

Loving Thoughts: 1. Love is Patient, Love is Kind

Ahhh love... I have always been a strong believer that everyone is capable of being able to love and be loved. That's what we build are lives on, relationships, kindness, helping each other, making someone smile when they are down, and expecting the same in return. It is a beautiful thing!

http://www.bubblews.com/assets/images/news/75289871_1397406267.jpg

Before I begin, I would like to explain that I am not an overly religious person, I do not go to Church, I do not follow any religion closely, however I DO believe in faith and do not think poorly of any religion. And most importantly, I support all those who do have a religion they follow, believe in, and trust in, it is beautiful. I say all this because the passage I am about to use for my upcoming series is from the Bible and I feel it is important for to express that I am not trying to misinterpret the meaning of the words or anything like that, it's just a beautiful little poem. Good, done with that, finito.

The passage I am talking about is one that I'm sure most of you have heard at least once before in your lives. As I mentioned earlier it comes from The Bible (I personally prefer the New International Version translation), 1 Corinthians 13:4, and it begins with the phrases "Love is patient, love is kind" so I figured what a perfect place to begin...

Love is Patient, Love is Kind...

There's actually 2 little points I'd like to make with this one... Now, I am a firm believer in this, and I don't know if it's just me, but if you truly love someone, you will wait be patient, you will love what ever bit of them you have at that moment and strive for more. Granted, I get when things just aren't working, fine, that's different. But if you love someone and are happy, what is another day in the long run of things? A month apart because they have a job out of town? A few years of relationship building because they want to take things slow? Waiting to get married or to start a family? Or whatever the scenario may be... Love is patient, and therefore takes patience to learn about one another, to spend time together and apart, to learn not to upset each other and to learn how to make each other smile (one of the most important things).

Some people have been in many shorter relationships, or many longer ones, or perhaps only a handful of either type... But regardless of our relationship history, we have all watched a wondered about those TV romances. The ones we sometimes dream about, wonder if they could happen, wonder if we will even find that kind of love. But love rarely happen in a day, a month, a " couple episodes" or a "season"... 

My point is: we don't always find love right away, we don't always know when love is around us. It will often take time: time to learn, change, make mistakes and above all be patient with one another to experience true love. I saw this "bro tip" the other day and it really made me think... (Sorry for the language)

source: brotip facebook page

After all, sometimes things can't go as fast or the way you wish; you can have all the chemistry and feelings in the world but you need one more thing on your side: time. love is all about timing. And to overcome the time, it can take a great amount of patience. Think about it :)

And being kind... Kindness to me is not simply a passive act. I have been called (more than once) a "people pleaser" and "mother-like." Thinking about this, I understand why I may be perceived that way. My views on kindness are as follows:

To be kind, you must work at it. You must be actively trying, you must make sacrifices, you must do things you may not love in order to respect others. Kindness is being gentle, being humble, being supportive, being thoughtful. And it isn't always easy. But it is important. So be kind to those you care for, it will only bring them closer and make your bond stronger than ever.

Stay beautiful!

Xox Kisses and Curles

LNG - Episode 3 - Road Rage

Ok. So, as most of you know, I grew up for the majority of my life in the wonderful little city of Sudbury. Or I suppose as they call it now the "City of Greater Sudbury"and soon to be Sudbury: Canada’s Resourceful City. Either way, my fellow Sudburians may attest the the horrible road conditions.

I do love my hometown, however every street is LITTERED with pot holes. So much so that the city has itself invest in what is formally known as Pothole Patrol. Put it isn't the only problem with the driving in Sudbury... it's the drivers. Yep. I said it. It's me, and you, and you, and you. We don't pay attention, we follow too close on slippery roads, we hit those potholes, we rush through lights, and we build silly intersections like Killer's Crossing (the intersections of Lorne St, Regent St, Ontario St, Riverside Dr AND the railroad crossing... and yes, 3 of these 4 streets continue in both directions past the intersection)

If you ever want to get from Regent St north (top of the map) to Regent St south (bottom), you have better be quick! The situation goes something like the following: 1) Look back over your angled shoulder for a gap in traffic; 2) Pray to God the light ahead is green so that the way is hopefully clear, or else you may as well wait; 3) dash across a few lanes of traffic to the turning lane and hope to God you service; and 4) if it is clear, hope there is no train coming AND that the lights on the opposite side the tracks are green so you don't get stuck on the tracks after you've completed your turn; and 5) Oh, don't forget to look at all the traffic at the other streets too, this map does it no justice but honestly it is confusing and terrifying all mixed into one. 

That all being said, moving to the city I knew things would be different. But to be honest both they're both just as bad. And I'm waiting for it, I'll get a bunch of slack from my Northern Friends, but let me explain. Yes, the city is fast paced, people move quickly, change lanes at a blink of an eye, and honk what seems like every 2 seconds. Accidents? They happen but not as common as you'd think, especially with the number of people that are on the road. Driving into the MTO building? Nope, that seems to be strictly a Sudbury thing, through and through. Sorry guys, but sometimes the driving stories you hear from up there are just BAD. 

One thing I hear often is "I'll get lost" and "I don't know the roads"... look, do you really think you just memorized the roads of Sudbury the first time you were there, or whatever your home may be? No. Ok maybe if you're a genius and if thats the case you probably wouldn't say you'd get lost. But I digress... almost everyone has a smartphone, a map, GPS of some sort, or ALL THREE. To trust me, if you can listen to a little electronic device and it's possible voice guidance directions, you can get around and you will be A-OK...

I also hear from many of you that you don't want to visit the city because "It's so stressful" or "I can't drive down there, they are crazy and can't drive!" In my personal opinion, City drivers have amazing talent. They learn to be patient, to recognize opportunity, to not be afraid of loud noises or frantic scenarios. But they do drive safely and if I may propose, I think its you that is throwing them off when you come visit. Kidding... really though, we all drive, we all drive differently, BUT we all drive effectively and CAN visit each other and come out alive. Maybe if they look some pointers from us Northerner's, and we took some from the City folk, we could all just get along and drive in peace. 

Stay beautiful!

xox,

Kisses and Curls

(aka Northern Girl)


PS. Voting is open until Sunday morning, but it looks like my next instalment will be a love theme... get your votes in!

Curly Chronicles - Flat Iron

For as long as I can remember, a flat iron lived true to it's reputation: it did one thing and one thing only and that was to flatten your hair, silky and shiny as can be. More recently however, my world came to a startling halt the moment I realized I may had been mistaken this entire time... YouTube, with it's endless plethora of redundancies showed me a world I had yet to encounter: 

Using your flat iron to curl your hair.

My first thought was one of skepticism to be fair, something along the lines of "what is this madness?!?!" I was convinced these youtube videos had to be edited somehow. It made no sense to me that they could take their hair into a flat iron, do some too confusing to even follow twisting and twirling and it coming out all luscious curls that claim to last longer than any curling iron can produce!

Confession: I'm all fairness, I haven't been all that creative with my hair in the last few years so perhaps that had something to do with my uncertainty and doubt. Regardless, I decided to give it a whirl. Besides, I haven't owned a curling iron since I was 19 and my hair does have its own natural "whispy" nature, maybe it would look pretty?

LNG - Episode 2 - 8 Things About Northerners

Today I saw a post on social media detailing "20 Things Men Do That Women Probably Don't Know About" and it made me think.... There are some definite habits that us Northerners do that in the city is seen as touristy, odd or completely unheard of... Not all City-Slickers are like this, but a fair share are and i figured I'd make my own little list.

So here it goes...

Top 8 Things Northerners Do and Think That City-Slickers Probably Don't Understand

1. Hold the door for the next person, and the next, and the next, and th...

Yep... For whatever reason, maybe it's nurture or maybe it's nature, it is just "what we do." I don't know how many times when I've opened the door for the next group of people that I have gotten strange looks from those I assumed I was helping. Sometimes they thank me, rarely do they smile, and mostly they look at me like I am looking for something in return. Sorry guys, that's just me, your friendly NG at your service!

2. Take my time to walk to... well to basically anywhere that falls within the city limits.Maybe I'm just a slow walker, but I enjoy taking my time to walk where ever I am going. One thing is for sure though, I am NOT a tourist anymore. I don't carry a map with me, I don't stop to take pictures of everything I see like it's the first time I've seen it, and I don't have that look of new discovery on my face. I just simply find the little things in life enjoyable, such as making me strolls as leisurely as possible and enjoying the day.

3. Talk to people while waiting in line ups.I swear this one is the worst. What's wrong with making friendly conversation? When did it become so unheard of to talk to your follow "waiters," your neighbours, your coffee line buddy. Especially for places where it seems like you've been waiting forever, or in situations where someone seems lost or nervous. A friendly gesture can go a long way guys, try it sometime, people are beautiful and have amazing stories sometimes, not to mention time begins to pass-by in a flash!

4. Stop when someone talks to you on the street.

Now, for this one, I understand the frustration sometimes of feeling like someone is constantly stopping you for whatever the cause (ex. change, directions, etc). However I'd like to ask "have you ever needed help?" Have you ever been turned around and needed direction while going to a new appointment, or were short 5 cents for bus fare and needed a hand. It happens to the best of us, and when people stop to talk to you I believe it's fair to acknowledge them like human beings, answer their request (whether its to help or excuse yourself) and to leave them with a smile and a fond farewell, "Have a wonderful day, best of luck."

5. Find that new food to me is rarely new to any of the locals, and that's intimidating sometimes.

Ok ok ok... this isn't always true, BUT! Having grown up in some places that are so small we have nothing but little mom&pop shops, one chain restaurant and one fast food place, it is no wonder some of these amazing delicacies have never touched my palate. Getting myself to try some of this strange to me food may be a challenge, but I'm not a weirdo for having never had the chance to try it before.

6. Thinks there should be several lakes/beaches that I can just "go swimming" in.

Within city limits here, there is no lake that we can just jump in and enjoy. The reason this is so odd to NG is that up north, we can't drive 5km's without hitting a lake or having to take a snaking road to get around one, and we can swim in each and every one of them. But the one Great Lake that we happen to be attached to is filled with horror stories of coming out with an extra limb, being full of pollution, and no one goes further than up to their knees at the beach (or so I've been told). This makes me sad, kids here don't know what their missing out on!

7. I don't think I should have to pay cover at a bar... ever.We will never understand the point of a cover charge for a bar where they simply serve alcohol and play music from a machine. Unless I'm going to a concert, why do bars think I should pay more just to get in!? I think this because us Northerners rarely pay cover unless its a ticketed event. I still recall trying to adjust to city life, being utterly confused about this so-called cover charge..."what do you mean, I have to pay you to let me come inside and then pay you again to serve me over priced drinks from your establishment?" Ridiculous, I tell ya...

8. I don't think - 30 degree weather and 4 feet of snow is unheard of.It gets cold and snows in winter. Enough said. It is so weird to hear of everywhere else getting snowed in, can't see the roads, whole towns closed down due to occasional very cold and blustery winter storms. But not in the city... it rarely snows, it doesn't stay, and winter temperatures of lower than -25 degrees get the whole city in a huff. Get over it, bundle up, and enjoy the outside!

LNG - Episode 1 - Men

Life of a Northern Girl

A series of blog entries that aim to tell the story of what it was like growing up as a Northern Bell, what I love and miss, and how the transition into "City Life" has been for me! Hope you like the read, and let me know through comments if there is anything you would like me to talk about more specifically in an episode of the series!

Through the results of last weeks poll, and after discussion with a long time friend (SHOUT-OUT TY), I've been asked to blog a bit about life as a Northern Girl in Ontario... But how to go about it? Should I talk about what life was like living there? Our hobbies and pass-times? What I miss? I wasn't sure at first, but I've come up, with help, with what I think would be an excellent twist!

I would like to formally introduce you all to my new side-series!

LNG - Episode 1 - Helloooooo Handsome!

Lets get this straight. I am not crazy... But big, burly, rouged men are SEXY! Growing up in the North, most of us women have a fancy for men who can take care of things. We're old fashioned. Most of us are tomboys ourselves. We like to play on sleds in the winter (and lets clarify as we often do: Sledding is the art of riding a snowmobile, NOT a toboggan), go for a ride on a quad, drive trucks through the bush and mud. We have fun. Most of us also have a good idea how to fix things when they are broken. Therefore, we expect our men to be able to do the same. I actually have a running joke with most of my lady friends: "The most alluring cologne a man can wear is the smell of exhaust and grease from working in the garage." So needless to say, I've for the most part developed a type when it comes to men. 

The short list is as follows:

1. Must own a truck. Trucks are SEXY... they ride hard, the get you where you need to go regardless of terrain, and you can fit your toys in the back (or your overflow buddies, who needs seat belts anyway