Susan Sierra

We’re on the ferry, headed home after a long weekend o’ fun. Steve has taken the boys to the arcade and Jayla is settling in for a nap. We’re on one of the older ferries, with chairs you can move so I’ve rigged up quite the bed for Jayla (lucky girl!).

After our quest to find the perfect spot for our mini-vacation, we settled upon the Chateau Victoria. And what a perfect choice it was. Priority #1 while traveling with small kids is to book a one-bedroom suite. That way, the kids can go to bed in the bedroom, and we get to stay up past 9:00! I read lots of reviews about Chateau Victoria, so I knew it would be great…but it was even better than I expected. Extremely friendly staff, sparkly clean rooms and comfy beds…what more could you ask for?

I’m always a tad embarrassed upon arrival when the bellmen unload the mini-van and just barely manage to load all of our stuff onto one cart. This time was no different. Packing lightly isn’t something we’re very good at. We like to have all the comforts of home. And this time we also had to bring along all the supplies for an Easter egg hunt in the hotel room!

One of the highlights of our trip was the visit to Craigdarroch Castle. My oldest son Jacob (8) especially, thought it was “so cool”. Since I brought along my new bff (my lap top) I was able to check dinehere.ca while we were there and found some great restaurants too. Shizen Sushi served up some of the best sushi we’ve had and Café Mexico was fun and casual for the kids.

Well, the idea of a nap for Jayla was a nice one, but who am I kidding? It’s back to the play area we go…

I used to spend a lot of time (and quarters) at the arcade when I was a kid. I then progressed to my own system. Nintendo. Not the Super or the 64. Just plain old Nintendo…

My favorite game was Super Mario Bros.

The reason I bring this up, is because someone has made a bunch of Super Mario videos out of lego…and they’re really good…

Watch one here.

I came here one day to find that the web guy had placed a picture on my blog. Nice touch. But, the picture was a pre-bang shot. And that’s a hair memory I’d rather forget. So, I asked him to use a different picture (the one over there —>). The problem is, he didn’t like the dark background, so he photoshopped it out. Is it just me, or do I look like I have a plastic lid on my hair?

Happy Friday!

I have long been a believer that real estate prices will go down. Really.far.down.

I’m sure the fact that I’m a renter accentuates that belief, but the math is just not computing. Prices have gone up too far too fast, the mortgage-to-rent ratio is completely out of whack, and household incomes are not increasing.

When the topic comes up, I’m never really good at explaining why I believe so strongly that the bubble is going to burst. Thankfully, now I don’t have to. Check out this post from a local real estate blogger. He has obviously spent hours putting together these graphs and charts and making it all look pretty clear…

Check it out here.

PS - click on the graphs to make them bigger

Amidst all the questionable stuff I receive in my inbox, this one is quite a jewel. It’s daily notes from the universe, written by one of the Secret teachers, Mike Dooley. Great little tidbits of inspiration, and funny too. I love how he intertwines your name into the message to make it feel like it’s just for you. The one I received today is…

“Did you know, Susan, that your primitive little computer already has about 672 powerful options, shortcuts, and functions you don’t even know about that could make your life simpler, happier and zippier with just a few clicks?

Cool.

And did you know that the Universe has about 672 giga-trillion powerful options, shortcuts, and functions; friends, allies, and confidants; secrets, solutions, and answers; ideas, inventions, and dimensions; angels, wizards, and fairies; engineers, strategists, and specialists; plotters, planners, and diagrammers; nooks, crannies, and hideouts; games, adventures, and thrills; stories, legends, and fables; flavors, scents, and melodies; pleasures, pleasantries, and passions; eurekas, cowabungas, and yeehaas you don’t even know about that could make your life simpler, happier, and zippier with just a little visualizing?

Yeah, cooler.

You can start now.

The Universe”

You can click here for own personalized messages from “The Universe”.

Blogging is a lot like being on the radio…talk, talk, talk (or blog, blog, blog) with no one to talk (or blog) back. So, why don’t you introduce yourself?

How about your name, where you’re from and just for fun, complete this sentence…

I’m looking forward to _______________________.

I’m not an organized person by nature, so with 3 young kids and a career, I found myself in need of help. My house was in disarray, I was handing in school forms late, and I was stressed-out by the mere thought of having to make another kids’ lunch.

Then I found her. She would soon change my life. She is Flylady. I spent some time perusing her website and before I knew it, my house was clean and for the first time in my life, I really felt on top of it. If you ever feel C.H.A.O.S. (Flylady’s acronym for Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome), you too will benefit from what she has to offer. It’s a lot to take in, but you can treat it like a toolbox…use what you need and leave behind what you don’t. Help is here.

*image from flylady.net