Shoes

Shoes... They walk the talk for you; they help provide good posture and confidence. Well, that's provided IF they are klutz-proof too: you should be able to run in them down the stairs at midnight, away from the prince.

Here is a question for all females: have you ever found a shoe that is a) comfortable, b) stylish or trendy, c) durable, AND d) practical? Or is it often accompanying opposites: b) and not a) or vice-versa.

Shoe shopping is often a daunting task: once you buy a pair of shoes, they are often non-returnable despite the fine print on the bottom of the receipt. (I hate shoe shopping; it's sort of like speed dating: try them on, five minutes later, on to the next pair.) When it comes to shoes, impulsive buying: creating logical reasons for irrational purchases -- can be very costly. Not just your wallet, but your nicely pedicured feet.

Here are top things to bear in mind when buying a pair of cutesie fairy tootsies:

1. Comfort: How would this pair of shoes feel on concrete? (Most shoe stores probably spend quite a bit on their flooring to provide support for cute and painful shoes.)
   
2. Purpose: How much movement would be required? Would it provide the support I need?
3. Stability: What is the probability of tripping in these in front of a cute guy? (Unless you claim to be a stuntswoman needing a guy to break her fall)
4. Budget: Is this classified under a "need" or "want"? A shoe store may be asking at a killing price for the very last cute and comfy pairs of darlings; however, unless you are satisfying an impulsive appetite, you might be able to settle for the next relative pair of affordable cutesies... elsewhere.
5. Origin of Make: Are the materials ethically obtained? How were the shoes made? (What are your ethical values?)

Maybe it is mission impossible to find shoes that strongly fit in both ergonomic and aesthetics segments. Or, maybe there can be shoes that are physically appealing than Crocs. Until such a pair arrives, I would be having fun re-organizing my shoe shelf in the mean-time.

Scotty the Guardian Dog

Next year, I will pledge against cancer by cycling for the cure. For now, however, I will just draw to help my boyfriend's grandma lighten up; I wish I could visit, but it's not easy getting time off from work. Thank you for continuing to keep her in your prayers.

This picture was first done by hand, then the colours are enhanced using an open-source drawing tool. This was the original:

I love life, don't you?

Brangelina vs Bren

Two words: who cares? I can't walk into a drugstore without seeing tabloid magazines publishing different stories on the cover with catchy headlines, tempting you to pick one up, regardless if you're a fan or not of any of the three celebrities.

So what? The paparazzi could happen to have taken snapshots of celebrities on their 'bummed-out sweatpants' moment; they made speculation that Team Brangelina is having troubles. Like I'd have the time to look pretty when there are 6 kids to be taken care of. Well, besides.. how do we know if their nanny is or isn't a Supernanny?! Er, and why is there even a section on People that "celebrities are exactly like us"? Duh, we're all homosapiens; we'd go through similar stages in life regardless if there's less of us possessing referrent power.

Having said that, a partnership or any union of some sort takes two to tango. It requires sacrifice and compromise; this includes marriage. There's nothing seriously wrong with reading tabloid news; it is quite entertaining to be able to escape your own reality... just for a little while. It is always enlightening to be putting other people's problems under a microscope than our own. The problem with long-term relationships, however, depends on both ability to trust, communicate and respect one another. You work at it. People grow up; you either grow together or apart. Love isn't exactly a happy-go-lucky fairy-tale. Nothing worth having comes easy....

Hmm, think about it. What if the various tabloid magazines are having rivalries in coming up with the best "Bren reunion" story? It's a win-win situation. Whatever the outcomes, I don't really care....

Cat & Mouse presents: Clever Crimes

Good Ol' Fashioned Recipes

The problem with most new recipe books nowadays is that you'd have to scramble aisle after aisle, searching for all the listed ingredients. When I am planning to cook, I'd most likely want to use most of the ingredients I already have. Most of us are not budding chefs; we just want to prepare a meal that is tasty (and healthy). Lately, going to Goodwill and the antique mall has paid off in search of old recipe books.

Just recently, I tried this recipe from a Prairie kitchen cookbook. It was found in the low calorie section; it is called Chicken Breasts Milano. I adjusted the quanties slightly since I was only cooking for 3 people.
6 whole chicken breasts (boned, skinned)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic salt
3/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup butter, melted (you can use butter substitutes if you'd like)
1/2 cup tsp dry mustard

Mix crumbs, parsley, salt, cheese & Italian seasoning in a bowl.
Mix together butter, garlic salt, mustard & Worchestershire sauce.
Dip chicken breasts in the butter mixture, then coat with crumbs.
Roll up, fasten with a toothpick and place in 9 x 12 inch buttered baking dish.
Pour rest of butter mixture on top.
Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.
Remove foil and bake 20 minutes longer.
Yields 6.

Happy New Year and Decade!

Welcome to 2010. This time, hopefully, they will give us our jetpacks and flying cars. Well, try expected economic growth and job creation; (educated guess on) increase in interest rates. It will also be the year of the Tiger whenever the first day of Chinese New Year arrives in February 2010. It will be a splendid year: Canada is hosting Winter Olympics and CBC is airing the World Cup for soccer in the summer. There will be a lot of long weekends to look forward to.

While it is very normal to make new year resolutions and break them, for every resolution I break, there will be a $20 fine or penalty going into the savings account. Hence, it won't be that bad if I did break one: it will help me save towards the things I am budgeting for.

May 2010 be the start of an era where entrepreneurs shine. Let the good times roll and strike when opportunity knocks. It will definitely be interesting to observe how music will evolve. Let's just hope more fun and simple music will hit the airwaves.