Non-Mom's Blog

Very Thankful Thursday

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:51:03 +0000

This week has been full of ups and downs and everything in between and has made me again realize how thankful I am to be where I am and who I am.

I am thankful for my health and the health of my family. I see others who have had their health fail them in some way or other and while I am still coughing (darn dry cough that won’t go away) my health is great and so is hubby’s and my family. Whew!

I am thankful that even though I am surrounded by sadness at the moment I am keeping my head up and being positive. I think I can be more of a service to my friends and loved ones if I keep that perspective instead of letting the sadness in. That’s not to say I’m not sad for them, I am, but as I mentioned earlier in the week, I am going to be a bright beacon for them to pull them back up.

I am thankful for a recent opportunity that has presented itself and what it will mean to myself and my hubby and our future. If I wasn’t staying so positive I know it never would have happened and I am now a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. When things are firm I will go into detail, suffice to say though that it will be a good thing as soon as it’s implemented.

I really believe that in writing these posts it helps to remain focused and keep going. My mantra over the past couple of years has been ‘one foot in front of the other’ and even in the darkest times I have repeated that and it has indeed worked. Did it take time? Yes. Was it hard? You’re darn skippy it was. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

What are you thankful for this week? How do you keep going?

Wordless Wednesday

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:55:04 +0000

Nonmom Notes

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:05:23 +0000

A day later than usual due to the Victoria Day long weekend here in Canada, but lots and lots to say!

What I’m Proud Of

This week I’m very very proud of my determination and motivation to get the rest of these pesky pounds off of me. After a second week of the scale not moving at all I realized I really have to ramp up and redouble my efforts. So I started walking, and I keep a fast pace too. I’m not a runner, I may be eventually, but not yet, but I LOVE WALKING! So off I went. My heels let me down a little with some fun blisters that are still healing up, but that’s ok, a switch of shoes and some creative bandaging combined with willpower and some great music did the trick. A very cool app that came recommended to me from a friend on twitter (thanks again Amy!!) has also made this so much more fun for me, Endomondo. Check it out. Seriously, it rocks. And the pro version is free on Blackberry (which I use) until May 31st.

I plan to keep this walking up, I like it. The weather may hold me back tonight but that’s ok, if I can walk 5.9km/hr for an hour or more, surely I can jump on my elliptical and burn some calories if it rains out right? Go me!!!

What I’m Up To

Cleaning and crafting. Yes the massive emptying of the house continues and actually, the house is at about 90% now. Just a matter of doing the office (dreading that job) and tossing a few other items. Canadian Diabetes comes this week for their Clothesline pick-up and I have about 4 bags ready for them. I try to donate as much as possible and this group in particular is fabulous for donating to if they have the service in your area. Google it. It’s worth it.

I also did get some crafting in which I LOVE!!!! I finished the little Elmo backpack for my nephew and he adored it! When I gave it to him last night I showed him and asked him ‘who’s that?’, no hesitation at all, he answered clearly ‘Elmo!’. Proud Auntie moment achieved.

I managed to find the decorative wood piece I was after at Home Depot and got that painted yesterday so it will go above our headboard in the master bedroom and when eventually the crown moulding goes in (accepting donations to my reno budget freely LOL) the colour will match that as well as the current trim. I am so excited! I also got the letter ‘A’ for a photo project I am going to do in my reading nook in the same room. I saw it on Pinterest, check my boards, I re-pinned it. I got an ‘H’ for the basement and stained it a golden oak colour so that in the basement I can do something similar but it will be both of us and our time together that is featured. Simple but fun and wonderful projects!

As if that wasn’t enough, I really was on a painting kick, I painted a small bushel basket, I think it’s a quart, to match the waste bin I also painted years ago for the powder room on the main floor to hold toilet rolls.

All simple projects that just add that little something more to the house.

When I eventually get all of these done I will most definitely post pics .

What’s On My Mind

Besides crafting and cleaning? LOL Health, and that includes mental health. There is so much sadness all around me at the moment and I know that if I let it it will envelop me. But I am making a stand, and I think ultimately it will help those that are going through rough times too, I am going to remain positive and try to share and spread that to them instead of the reverse. I think everyone needs some positivity right now along with my empathy and sympathy so that’s what I’m doing. I’m sending out mass hugs, happy thoughts and positivity. Hugs to all and hope for better times ahead.

Fun Stuff

I got NEPHEW TIME!!!!! Nephew hadn’t seen me (except once on Skype) since December, I know, I know, bad Auntie, but last night we had a family dinner out to celebrate my mom’s birthday and of course, he was there. I mad scrambled on Saturday to finish his treat, a crocheted Elmo backpack I created for him (the button is the nose, sooooo cute!!!) and he LOVED it!!!! He was shy at first with me, but at the end he warmed up to the point I was getting hugs, and even got not one, but TWO kisses!! He even let me pick him up and he told me quite the story, the finer points of which I’m a bit foggy on, but he was quite detailed and into it. So cute.

Made my week, if not month.

What are you up to this week? How do you stay positive?

Thankful Thursday

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:02:20 +0000

I am admittedly a little late with this post, my schedule has been a bit, well, wacky this week, but I still want to say my thanks for this week.
I am thankful for my best friend, my darling husband, NonDad.
Eight years ago this week we officially started our relationship with a sweet kiss.
Like every relationship, we’ve had our ups and downs, but we did vow to endure ‘for better or worse’ and I am proud that we are still very much in love with each other. I know without a doubt that if I need him, he’ll be there for me and vice-versa. This is sadly becoming rare in some couples and I feel beyond lucky that we have this special bond.
With that in mind, I wish all of my wonderful friends who are in any form of relationship that they can get through the hard times and embrace the good. Life is full of ups and downs, I’ve been through my fair share of them too in recent years, and that light and love will envelop them and their lives.
My hugs to everyone!
What are you thankful for this week?

Wordless Wednesday

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:32:37 +0000

I haven’t been in a few years but this is one of my favourite shots I got at The Toronto Zoo.
Stripy!

Author Interview: Scott Clements of Gasparilla’s Treasure

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:14:35 +0000

I simply cannot say enough good things about Gasparilla’s Treasure so I was lucky enough that its author, Scott Clements, has fed my appetite for more by allowing me to interview him here on NonMom!

Read on, join the fun and pick up a copy of the book, you won’t be able to put it down!

Gasparilla’s Treasure is such a great book, how did you come up with the story?

CLEMENTS: When I first started, I knew I wanted to write something fun and entertaining; something my ten year old son would enjoy reading. I’ve always loved stories where a normal kid, with a normal life is suddenly faced with a massive adventure or journey; something the reader can believe might happen to them.

So how did you take that broad concept and turn it into Gasparilla’s Treasure?

CLEMENTS: I started with the simple sentence, “Thirteen-year-old boy wants to find the treasure his family has been seeking for four generations.” Seemed like a fun idea, so I started outlining it, always keeping in mind that single sentence. Before I knew it, the story was outlined and it practically wrote itself.

You mentioned that you like to outline, I work with some students and am trying to get them to understand the importance of outlines, can you tell us more about your writing process?

CLEMENTS: Once I have my single sentence, I start the outline. I have worked in the Movie and TV business for about twenty years, and I tend to lean towards the structure of a “formula” movie script. I find this structure grabs the reader, and keeps the pace moving. The outline assures I have all the proper story elements in place and that the pacing of the story will keep the reader engaged. The outline also lets me see the entire picture before I start writing. I can see story holes, or things that I can improve before I ever start the first draft. I’ve tried to write without an outline, but quickly find myself in a dead end, not sure where to go. When the outline is complete, I just write. I don’t worry about anything except what my characters would say and do in the situation; I just try to get the story out of my brain. Writing technique and sentence structure can be worked on later. Story and characters are so important to me. I think they are the main thing that engages the reader.

You said you wanted to write a book that your ten year old son would love. I couldn’t put it down at age 34! How does it feel knowing that your book is appealing to a broader audience than you expected?

CLEMENTS: I think it’s important to know your target audience, and write for that audience. In the back of my mind, I always dreamed I could reach a broader audience like J.K. Rowling with Harry Potter, or Louis Sachar with Holes (the list goes on and on)… so when I hear my story and characters are connecting with adults, I actually feel proud of the characters. Like they are my kids and they have managed to win the hearts of the reader. But when a young reader tells me that their parents couldn’t get them to go to sleep because they wanted to keep reading my book… well, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Can you tell me a bit about your characters? They seem so real. Are they based on people you know?

CLEMENTS: I wanted my hero, Trip, to be every kid. He is smart, but not too smart. He is athletic, but not too athletic. I think he’s the kid I wanted to be growing up. I wanted Trip to be someone the reader would instantly like, someone they could relate to, and someone we want to succeed. I hope I accomplished that.

I certainly think you accomplished it. I loved Trip right away. And what about Josh and Sarah?

CLEMENTS: Josh was one of those characters that when I finished writing him, I had totally figured out who he was. On my second revision, I was really able to hear his voice, and change what I had written to fit my new understanding of him. Now when I read, he still surprises me and makes me laugh. I really love him! And Sarah is the brains of the operation. She’s a smart, pretty, confident girl, and the boys would fall apart without her. Let’s be honest… us guys need girls in our lives or we would really screw everything up.

What made you decide on St Augustine as your setting?

CLEMENTS: Trip has to decipher clues that lead him to map pieces hidden throughout the city. I needed a city that could become a character in his search for the map pieces. My wife, son, and I were on vacation in St Augustine and it was so beautiful, and full of rich American history, that it quickly became the obvious choice for my story. It also becomes very important to the climax of the story, but you’ll have to read it to see why.

You mentioned the clues. They were so clever and intriguing. How did you come up with those?

CLEMENTS: Well, I would love people to think I’m clever enough to figure out the clues, but the truth is I started by deciding where the map pieces would be hidden, and then figured out the clues to get them there. It’s much easier that way.

I know Gasparilla was a real pirate who plundered hundreds of ships, but how did you decide to focus on his treasure?

CLEMENTS: Once I knew my quest would be set in St Augustine, I started researching hidden treasures of Florida. When I came across Gasparilla, I got pretty excited. The more I learned about him, the more I saw what a perfect fit he was for my story. Gasparilla plundered a massive amount of treasure, and it’s still out there somewhere, just waiting for someone to find it.

Gasparilla sailed off the west coast of Florida, and your story is set on the east coast. How does his treasure end up in St Augustine?

CLEMENTS: Gasparilla died after tying himself to his ship’s anchor chains and throwing himself into the Gulf of Mexico. But as an author of fiction, I get to ask myself, “What would he do if he didn’t die at the bottom of the Gulf?” I think he would gather up all his treasure and tuck it away somewhere no one would ever find it.

What were some of your influences in this story?

CLEMENTS: Well, for anyone who has ever seen “The Goonies”, “National Treasure”, and “Indiana Jones”, you will quickly see they were all movies I loved. I hate to say my books are influenced by movies, but my life is so ingrained in the movie business, that’s just the way it is.

Do you have any other personal experiences that play into Gasparilla’s Treasure?

CLEMENTS: I think my brain is stuck in a teenage mind set. I find it easy to recall events and emotions from that time, and I try to translate them into my writing. I hope this will resonate with young readers and that they will find it relevant.

You mentioned your inspiration for Gasparilla’s Treasure, but in general, where do you get your ideas and inspiration?

For my first two books, I sat down and racked my brain for ideas that might make great stories, but now I see stories all around me. I saw a young girl sing in church a few weeks back, and my brain keeps making up stories about her. I took a vacation at a creek house, and it made we want to write a story called “The Creek House Kids”. I played golf today, and I want to write a story about a kid that plays golf. My brain starts bouncing the ideas around, and now I just have to figure out which ones will actually be interesting.

Have you always known you would be a writer?

CLEMENTS: My high school teachers would have told you, “No Way!”, but I’ve always enjoyed dabbling in writing, but never really thought I would sit down to write a book. I think everyone has stories they want to tell, but just never get around to it. I finally got around to it.

What are some of your favorite books and authors?

CLEMENTS: I absolutely love Orson Scott Card. A friend of mine turned me on to “Ender’s Game” about three years ago and I have since read almost every book he has written. And of course I loved all the Harry Potter books. I have read them each at least three times. And I eat up anything that has to do with the space time continuum. I’m such a nerd!

What is the best advice you ever received for writing your book?

CLEMENTS: I actually got the best piece of advice on a script I wrote. I gave it to a script writer friend of mine to read and he said, “Throw this in the trash, read the books “Screenplay” and “Writing Screenplays That Sell”, and then start over.” It was great advice. From those books I learned about structure, characters, ways to organize, etc. And now I apply what I’ve learned to writing books.

What was the biggest obstacle that you faced while writing your book?

Like most people, I think time and motivation are the things that stand in the way the most. We all have such busy lives, and it’s so easy to say, “I’ll just write later when I have time.” You have to make the time!

What advice can you give to debut authors out there?

As a debut author myself, I’m still trying to figure out what works. So for now, all I can say is stick with it and believe in yourself. If your story connects with the readers, it will find its audience (I hope).

When you’re not writing or working in the movie business, what kind of things do you enjoy doing?

CLEMENTS: I love spending time with my wife, son, dog, and three cats. Doesn’t really matter what were doing, I just enjoy the time together. I also really enjoy a good game of golf.

What can we expect next from Scott Clements?

CLEMENTS: I’m finishing up the final chapters of my next book. It’s about Chet Parker, an outcast at school that gets thrown into the hunt for Mr. Fluffy Pants; the cat of the most popular girl in school, Heather. Mr. Fluffy Pants disappears while wearing the valuable diamond tennis bracelet of Heather’s mom as a collar. Chet discovers that he is quite good, although unconventional, at being a pet detective. It’s a fun detective story that is really going to connect with pet lovers.

My parents read to my sister and I as kids and I was (and still am) a bookworm. What books are your favourite to read with your son?

CLEMENTS: My wife and I have been adamant about reading to Corey since before he was born. I really love books that can make us laugh together. Nothing too heavy (there will be plenty of time for him to learn about life’s struggles and disappointments). It’s fun to try and engage him with a reading style his own brain may not have thought of.

As someone who works with a lot of kids at different ages I see the gravitating away from books and more and more towards movies/tv/video games. What are your feelings on this from your unique perspective of being in the entertainment industry and also an author and parent?

CLEMENTS I think movies, TV, games and books all have their place with our children. Everything in moderation. A well done movie or TV show presents the story to you with predetermined emotions and images and can really connect with the audience in a unique way. A video game engages your instincts, reflexes, and reasoning, literally engaging you with the story and its outcome. And a book can dig deep in your brain the way no movie, TV show or game ever could. When I read a book before bed, I dream in the writing style of the author, the book gets so engrained in your imagination it just can’t get out. That doesn’t happen with movies, TV and games. Any youth out there who choose to skip reading as part of their entertainment options are really missing out. Only a book asks you to open up your imagination and see where it takes you.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me and good luck with Gasparilla’s Treasure!

CLEMENTS No … thank you. And thank you to all the readers that take the time to support indie authors. Unlike publishers who have exhaustive marketing budgets, us indies rely on our readers to help us get the word out there through reviews and blogs like yours. I really appreciate what you’re doing here!

You can follow Scott on twitter here, and the book too here. Scott’s blog is Gasparilla’s Treasure and features a fantastic video too!

Scott is having a special promotion on Goodreads to win a copy of the book, two are up for grabs! Entries end at midnight on May 25th so enter now. Click here for details.

Nonmom Notes

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:10:25 +0000

Nonmom took a little break, sort of, from her computer over the weekend and decided to focus on the house and getting it spiffed up a bit more, but she’s back now and ready to start another great week!

What I’m Proud Of

I am beyond proud of myself for my determination, focus and ‘still going’ drive to get the house in order. For too many years now my house has been the ‘depot’ for all things and I have finally reached my limit and am clearing it out. I am tired of tripping on ‘stuff’ and not being able to relax (yes I’m one of those people who cannot relax in chaos). I can handle some clutter yes, but I need a couple areas to stay neat and be my little oasis’. I am proud of getting the windows and mirrors done, the dusting up-to-date, the vacuuming of the main floor and upstairs (the basement is NonDad’s domain) done, more clothes and ‘stuff’ out for donations and even having a little bit of time to finally do a craft project I’ve been wanting to do since April. I also got new towels etc. for the two upstairs bathrooms and they look awesome! So there, I’m really uber-proud of my hard work .

What I’m Up To

Well, as the above implies, I’m in spring cleaning mode…still. I’m also in home project mode. After visiting some friends earlier in the year I got the bug to update our home. I’m on an admittedly tight budget, but there are still plenty of things I can do that will make a huge impact. I’m currently shopping around for 2 mirrors to change the ones in the upstairs bathrooms as well as new lighting fixtures for all 3 bathrooms (I know, 3 bathrooms in a small townhouse is kinda silly, but we actually use all of them LOL). I’m also going to be doing some painting, hubby lives in fear of when I do this as it usually results in some sort of stupid injury inflicted upon myself because I should have waited for him and I didn’t. I think I’m going to tackle the master bath this weekend. I found my painter’s tape, I may start taping off tonight. Eeeeeeee!!!!

What’s On My Mind

Balance. Finding it and keeping it. I think I burnt myself out a little bit on social media in the past couple of weeks, you know you have a problem when you start wearing your Bluetooth while cleaning just so you won’t miss any calls, and I needed and took a bit of a break on the weekend. I needed to re-focus, and actually focus on something else for a bit and I must admit, I feel a bit refreshed. I think having all the windows open at home helped with that too, nothing like fresh air!

It’s important to know that while we can be connected 24/7, we all need to step away and the world will not end. I checked, twitter is indeed still there .

Fun Stuff

The review will be coming but as part of my mini-break on the weekend I enlisted NonDad to play a fun game of Battleship with me. I love board games. Always have. And I was sent a copy from my friends at Hasbro as part of the movie launch so I waited impatiently for about 3 days before informing hubby we were playing. I take this stuff seriously too, as you’ll see from my apparel in a shot that will accompany the review (so stay tuned!), but need to study up on my naval strategy as I was beaten by one shot. Grrrr. Re-match is being scheduled asap let me tell you.

How did you spend your weekend? How do you stay balanced? What’s new and exciting?

Event: Gillie Beans Fund Fun Day May 26th!

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:08:59 +0000

This is an event created in memory of Gillian May Berthelot who passed away in June of 2010 after battling a rare cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma. Gillian battled this disease for 13 months with a contagious smile, a brave spirit and zest for life that left all in awe. She was an inspiration to everyone who knew her and she taught us all how to live life and how to have fun!

To keep her enthusiasm going and help others who suffer from this rare form of cancer, her family and supporters have put on this FunD Day to raise awareness, funds and celebrate life.

I first heard about the event through a colleague last year and I am happy to post about it again this year. Reading her story broke my heart but made me smile at the same time and I encourage all who are in the Whitby area of Toronto on May 26th to go out and show your support, and have some fun at the same time.

All money raised goes into research at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario through the SickKids Foundation. In 2011, The Gillie Beans FUNd raised over $30,000 for Rhabdoymosarcoma research, I can hardly wait to see what they accomplish this year.

Here are the event details, I hope they are crowded to capacity and beyond .

The cost is $10 per person – lunch is included, as well as games and prizes.

It features:

Star Wars Character Appearances
Terri & Rick Children’s Entertainers
Carnival Games
NEW: Gillie Bear Clinic
Face Painting
Cake Walk
A&W BBQ lunch
Draws
Fire truck display
Silent Auction & More!!!

Gillie Beans Fund – Sick Kids Hospital Event
John Dryden School
40 Rolling Acres Whitby, Ontario
L1R 2A1 Canada
The event runs from 11am to 3pm on May 26th
Event Website: www.gilliebeansfund.com

Thankful Thursday

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Oh my gosh, is it really Thursday already?! Wow, it totally is. That came up quick didn’t it?

Well, let’s get going shall we? Time to say ‘Thank You’!

1. While it is not as warm as I would love it to be (Ontario was spoiled with a teaser heat wave in March), I am beyond thankful there is no snow and the sun has indeed returned today. (Special thank you to a twitter friend on that one *wink wink* @D1rtyDan)

2. I am thankful for my little family consisting of my hubby and I and our furballs. I cannot tell you how much I love it when I come home, call out ‘Mommy’s Home!’ and Spot and Smudge come running (literally) to greet me.

3. Despite being admittedly a little worn out, I am thankful for a busy schedule. I said to myself during a VERY slow time a few years ago that I would never been ungrateful for being busy so I celebrate it

4. In celebration of it being Mother’s Day this weekend I am thankful to my Mommy for being my Mommy. I don’t think I tell her that enough but she supports me constantly in everything I do and is beyond proud of me, especially lately. She is always there for me and probably my most prominent cheerleader too . THANK YOU MOMMY!!!!!

On that note, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! You have perhaps the hardest and yet most wonderful job around, you all deserve a lovely day!

Wordless Wednesday

NonMom: Everything BUT the Kid! — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:35:11 +0000