Here’s a few random discoveries I want to share with you.

1. While checking out a new coffee shop called Brickyard Grounds  (1289 Gerrard St East) I discovered that I could pay with my coffee using PayPal. Oh how I love technology.

2.. I visited a store on Bathurst St called All Time Party Depot (3457 Bathurst St) , that I hadn’t been to for a while. If you like gorgeous napkins (like I do) – then this store if for you. There is hundreds and hundreds of napkins to select from – Seriously.

2. I went to visit Hard Candy (382 Yonge St) as a guest for a work out and was blown over. Everything about gym impressed me – the unique lockers, the incredibly hot wet steam, and the entire space.

3. My obsession with Davids Tea continues. This is my new favourite. Guests who visit my apartment are now invited into my kitchen to sniff a variety of tin cans! It’s pretty funny.

5. I can’t stop dipping these egg free/dairy free biscuits INTO my tea. OMG. Why have I never been introduced to Misura before?

That concludes my random blog post!! Stay tuned for my next blog post called “Eating My Way Thru Vegas” K?

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I’d like to tell you about Valentine’s Day 2013. I wasn’t dating anyone but knew that I wanted to celebrate the “day” and not just sit on my couch in my apartment!  So I did something brilliant. I booked a massage at Body Blitz late in the afternoon. I remember walking in and immediately noticed how quiet it was – as everyone was ON A DATE!! I didn’t mind the peace and quiet. ….TRUST ME. It was like having the whole place to myself! After the massage, I took advantage of the water therapy, showered and changed.

Then I walked around the block and went to Scotiabank Theatre. I can’t remember what I saw -but I do remember that the movie theatre was pretty empty. Again, everyone was probably out having Valentine’s Day Dinner.

After the movie, I proceeded to celebrate Valentine’s Day and went Bar Chef to have a molecular mojito. Again – Bar Chef was pretty empty!! I got home around 11 pm . I have to admit that I felt pretty relaxed and loved the choices I made.

Now let’s talk about Valentine’s Day 2014. I’m dating someone so Valentine’s Day is going to be different than 2013. We are going to celebrate with a special dinner at home and I’ve got a special gift to give to him as well. I can’t reveal anymore details cause he reads my blog!!

What inspired me in 2014 for Valentine’s Day….. is the stuff I’m finding on Pinterest!!  Here’s some of my favorites.

Love this simple idea too…

Wishing everyone a happy Valentine’s Day!!

For more information:

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It’s almost the end of  summer. (sniff) But I’m trying to make the best of it. Here’s 7 ways I’m enjoying the last days of this amazing season.

1. I’m wearing these super comfy Crocs as much as possible. I simply can’t believe how comfortable these shoes are. No Joke.

2. I’m trying to get as much Vitamin D as possible. This means, that on a gorgeous sunny day, I went to the Sheraton to hang out at their outdoor pool. BLISS.

3. I’m enjoying summer treats, such as No Sugar Raspberry Froyo from Yogurty’s. This has been the PERFECT treat for my carb free diet!! I’m really hoping to see more no sugar flavours in the near future!

4. I’m wearing my summer clothes as much as possible. However stay tuned for a blog post about how excited I am to wear my Fall Clothes!!

5. I’m using my David’s Tea Travel Cup- as much as possible.  I purchased this cup for $9.99 at the beginning of the summer and the promotion lasts till till Sept 2nd.  This was THE MOST BRILLIANT promotion and I really hope they repeat it next year. (David – are you listening? I hope so).

6. I’m watching the US Open Tennis and trying hard not consume too many of these amazing MAPLE BACON kettle chips from Neal Brothers. I’m having a tough time. They are positively addictive.

 7. Im blowing bubbles. That’s right. Im a 48 year old woman but often think I’m a 10 year old kid.

How are you enjoying the last days of summer? As much as I’m going to miss summer – I’m super pumped to wear my fall clothes. Stay tuned for a blog post called: “I Will Miss You Summer. But I Can’t Wait to Wear These Fall Clothes”.

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Who is MomWhoRuns and What Does She Do? T’is the big question. So here is the answer.

Who Is MomWhoRuns?

I seriously should have called myself “MomWhoEats” but years ago when I first started blogging with Urbanmoms, I was a mommy blogger. I then noticed how much I loved sharing recipes, reviewing restaurants and have slowly morphed into a food blogger.  I still write about other topics…as long as I think it’s of interest to my dear readers (yes..thats you)

I have truly embraced the journey of blogging. Soon it will be 4 years since I first started blogging and I’m seriously hoping to launch a new “look”. Stay tuned. It’s about time!

What Do I Do? 

For many years I was a food sales rep. Then I saw a niche market to tweet for restaurants that didn’t have time to tweet nor did they have the skills. It was a tough sell many years ago, but these days everyone knows that they need to be using Social Media.   My services have expanded to Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram as well as blogger outreach. I even have two clients in Ottawa. (which I think is pretty cool). I call myself a Social Media Consultant (not an expert).

Oh yeah – I’ve also given dozens of twitter lessons over the years for those who want to handle their own accounts. It’s all good. I can’t complain.

One day there will be a formal website called Hire Me To Tweet!! One day….

One can often find me, tweeting from a coffee shop. If you see me and my MacBook…please say hi.

Hope this blog post gives you a better idea of who I am and what I do.

Cheers,

ps Many thanks to @ledolci who inspired me to write this blog post after a quick chat we had this week.
 

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A “Random Rant”  about a whole bunch of stuff that has happened to me in the last week:

-I bought myself an iPhone 5 as an early birthday gift. One of the only reasons I wanted an iPhone 5 was to take take better pictures for my blog! Time will tell. Still trying to sync everything over from my iphone 4. Wish me luck.

-Usually I buy  Belkin products to protect my iPhone and my iPad, however I decided to buy a hard covered case for $12. I returned it to Staples 30 minutes after purchasing it as 4 people could NOT remove the case. Lesson Learned. (ps the staff at Staples were amazing)

-Usually I go to the Apple store to buy all my accessories, but was already at Staples and bought a Belkin car charger for my new iphone. Guess what? It doesn’t work  either and I’m pretty sure I threw out the receipt and the box. #nothappy. Again, lesson learned.

Total Fail – both items. Not happy

-I’m in Ottawa at the moment and arrived with a nasty cold. I brought medicine with me as I knew I was getting sick and this stuff  (err, Tylenol Cold) SAVED me. I took a dosage on Friday night at 11 pm and took another dosage in the middle of the night. Guess who woke up on Saturday at 2 pm. Guess who also had a nap between 6 and 8 pm?

-This is totally random: My parents live in a condo in downtown Ottawa and the cost of using the laundry machine is $1.25. My laundry machine in mid town Toronto is $2.25. Can someone explain this  to me?

-I went to the National Home Show/Canada Blooms last week. Why did it take me 17 years to go to Canada Blooms? #lessonlearned….won’t be missing it again.

-My mom went on a cruise and came back with a Kipling hand bag for me. I have no idea what this is but apparently my 74 year old mom knows her “labels”.

So how was my random blog? did you like it or should I stick to recipes and restaurants and food products? LOL

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“How Did You Start Blogging?”

I get asked this question a lot so I decided it might be a good time to blog about the answer to this question.

Here’s the story (vs. Here’s the Recipe..LOL).

In April 2009, I was searching thru Craigslist and stumbled upon an ad that said “Wanted; Mommy Bloggers for A National Food Campaign”. I hit the link and sent an email that I guess entertained them, as I got an email back. (which was from  Agent Wildfire,  by the way)

They were looking for mommy bloggers for a National Activia campaign. There were a few of us selected…one from Western Canada, 2 in Toronto (@ParentClub and I) and I believe someone in Montreal too.

We  then signed a six page contract. We also had a skype call. Eventually I had a twitter lesson too  (thanks @theKaren). But  it NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND.

I was really disappointed. In fact we were all disappointed.

I decided that I wanted to pursue “blogging” and thought I would research other mommy blogger sites. To be honest – at that time – I didn’t even know food bloggers or travel bloggers or lifestyle bloggers existed!

I sent an email to Urbanmoms and Jen Maier took the time to email me back and meet me at  a local Starbucks. The meeting ended with a handshake and a commitment that I would be called “Not So Supermom”, plus I would refrain from swearing. Those were the only rules!

I posted 3 times a week for a year as Not So Supermom and loved the experience. However all good things come to an end.

In September 2010 – my days with Urbanmoms were over.

I consulted with @theresaalbert for an hour on the phone – who counseled me whether to go to another mommy website or start my own.

The outcome of that discussion: To start my own blog.

I then hired a young woman who was starting a web design business and bingo  – 6 weeks later I launched Momwhourns in October 2010.

What a great journey it has been.

The End.

ps blogging wouldn’t be so much fun with the amazing support of my readers. Thank you for your continued support over the years.

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I love clever marketing, funny logos and basically anything that makes me chuckle out loud when I’m least expecting it. ie. like spotting a funny sign or tshirt.

Here’s a few examples:

Spotted at a farmers market in NYC

Spotted at the Grilled Cheese in Kensington Market

Spotted in Cayman Island at a restaurant

Spotted in Anthropologie in Florida. Two random men really getting comfy on their couches. Looked like a TV ad (but it wasn’t)

Spotted: She’s Connected Conference. This company has the “cheekiest” marketing campaign (Blo Dry Bar)

So did you smile too while you were reading this blog post? Hope so…after all it’s the end of 2012 and there’s lots to smile about!!

Happy New Year Everyone!! May 2013 be full of good food, great booze, friendship, amazing health and more stuff that makes you smile.

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Once again, I was introduced to another business while on Twitter. No it’s not a restaurant (surprise surprise). The Colour Lab is perfect for people like me. Women who need their hair coloured (err,,,my roots done), every 4 weeks and often have no time to make an appointment. Dyeing your roots is not a new concept but The Colour Lab uses new techniques, new technology and Goldwell products that are impressive. I can actually make the claim that my scalp didn’t have that “burning sensation”.  The Colour Lab is so passionate about colour that this is all they do here.

Don’t get me started!!

I was immediately attracted to the fact that I didn’t need an appointment, the convenient location, and the fact that Goldwell products  do not contain any harsh chemicals. (SCORE).

Better yet, I loved the space. Call me shallow – but this is important to me.

See what I mean?

There are only 4 chairs and in front of each chair is an iPAD. That’s right an iPAD. You won’t be reading  magazines from 2005 at this salon! In the photo below you can see each iPad conveniently located in front of each chair. Brilliant.

Black and White. (and spotless)

I was so thrilled with the service and the colour, that I decided to try out Jean Charles Hair Salon for a much needed hair cut.  I loved the fact that the Colour Lab and Jean Charles are owned by one family. Everyone is involved..the kids, and the parents. Pretty neat. I walked in looking like this (see photo below)

Way too much hair

Jean Charles did his magic with his scissors and before I knew it…Voila…a new look.

After

Here’s the info you need to know:

Colour Lab, 1013 Yonge Street (one block north of the Rosedale Subway stop)

Hours; Monday – closed, Tuesday to Friday 11-7, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-5

Phone: 416 933 7676

Jean Charles Hair Salon: 1761 Avenue Road, Phone: 416 481 3131

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Social Media and Job Hunting. It works!! Here’s my Story:

I went away on vacation, only to return last Wednesday to find out that I was unemployed. I immediately updated my profile on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.  I stated that I was “Seeking Employment as a Sales Rep or a Community Manager”. Immediately I had two replies on Facebook to contact two separate companies and two retweets on twitter.I was impressed.

By 1 p.m…I had a meeting with 3 foodie friends (@TheBumpercrop, @afoodgypsy @lisataerk). They brainstormed with me and delivered a “go-Vicky-go” type of speech.

The pep talk worked!!

On Thursday, I met with @nearafar who also answered some more job hunting questions and gave me another pep talk.

On Friday, I received emails from @HorriblePeanut @FiestaCupcakes @CDNFoodieGiirl, and @Labamboche with leads. I was truly feeling supported by my twitter friends. Oh yeah – there was another friend (who sadly is not on twitter) who sent me numerous emails with ads too.

On Sunday I met with @sackman66 at 7:45 a.m for TWO hours of networking. WOW..I was on a roll. My friends were really there for me and I was ever so grateful.

On Monday morning, I had a phone call with someone from twitter who was looking for some assistance with her start up .We even met for coffee in the afternoon. Sadly it wasn’t a great fit but once again “twitter’ made the connection (thru a retweet cause I wasnt following her).

On Monday nite, I finally sent out my resume to one of the companies that contacted me thru Facebook earlier last week.

On Tuesday morning, I heard from her and at 2 p.m I was in the office…. armed with my MacBook, iPad, and iPhone….ready to work!!

Now how awesome is this story!! Whats even more awesome is I’m working with a company that I really believe in and when I walked into the office I knew FOUR people (thru twitter of course).

I have to finish this blog entry with this photo. The office has this machine in the kitchen:

It’s a VITA MIX and my boss was all too happy to demonstrate how it works!! This means, I was treated to this delicious bowl of hot soup that was made in less than 10 minutes.

I am now working for Shes Connected and I’m beyond thrilled to be part of this team.

Morale of the story: Use Social Media if you are job hunting and don’t be afraid to change your profile!!

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