10 In 2010 + A Life Changing Decision

Merry Christmas EVE!!!

I snuck in a quick but intense 20 min treadmill hill workout early this morning to start the holiday off on the right foot. It’s been rush, rush, rush all morning!

Let’s begin:

You may recall, last year I wrote my 9 in 2009.

It is simply a list of 9 NEW things that I wanted to do in 2009.

I recently did a recap of my goals if you want to check it out and see how I did for 2009.

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Onto bigger and better things….2010!

Here are 10 new things that I want to accomplish in 2010:

1) Sell Glo Bars in stores

Approaching local stores is not something I really had time for while starting up the business in 2009, however I hope to really make headway with this in 2010. I will approach local health stores, grocery stores, kiosk stands, bakeries, gyms, lemonade stands (hahaha jk), etc.

2) Work a booth at the local Farmer’s market this spring/summer selling bakery goods

Last March I applied to the local Farmer’s Market, but I was rejected because they ‘didn’t have room’. Which is code word for ‘your business is only 1 month old and we don’t think you will sell anything.’

Hopefully this year I will get in and be able to prove myself! I know the bars would sell like hot cakes and I just want to get in there and SELL. I don’t care if I have to get up at 3am on Saturday mornings, I really think it would be a great fit for me!! Should I get in I will likely be hiring someone to work it with me.

3) Run my 3rd half marathon (May 30, 2010) and set a new PR (sub 1 hour 56 mins.)

Myself and a few other girls are already signed up for the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon on May 30th 2010. I actually found out we have a wedding to go to the night before (gulp!), so I am going to have to really keep it an early and alcohol-free night!

4) Write a book

I have a lot of ideas floating through my head that I am just itching to do. Patience is a virtue, however!

5) Furnish our bedroom and decorate

This year for Christmas, Eric and I exchanged small gifts because we want to buy ourselves bedroom furniture. Let me tell you, there is a reason that I have never shown a picture of our bedroom on this blog! It is a sad state. We have a bed and 1 set of old drawers…and that is all she wrote.

The room is not warm, inviting, or pretty. :( It’s hideous!

Our plan is to look for Boxing Day sales and hopefully find a good deal on a bedroom set. We also want to paint and get new curtains. If anyone in Canada sees any deals let me know! :) I saw a few sets I liked at The Brick, but they weren’t on sale (yet).

6) TRAVEL!

This was one goal in 2009 that did not happen! No time, no money. However, we hope to be able to travel a bit in 2010. We have plans to go to Florida in MARCH and stay with my mom and stepdad as they are renting a condo in Naples. It will be a really cheap trip as we are going to fly out of Buffalo and we won’t have to pay for lodging. We aren’t sure of the date yet, but I will be organizing a blogger meet-up if we go, so stay tuned for details! I hope to be able to meet a bunch of you lovely gals and travel around FL a bit too. I used to live there, ya know! ;)

7) Attend a Blog Conference

Being a Canadian Blogger is tough! I have had to sit here and watch so many American bloggers attend fun conferences and get to meet! Well, I decided this year that would change. I am taking the reins and hoping to attend the Blog Her NYC Conference! A few of us Canadian gals might be road trippin’ together. I really hope we can swing it!! No promises yet though, it is still just in the ‘crazy idea’ stage.

8.) Save MONEY.

So #6 and #7 may not jive with this goal, however I do think it is possible to be frugal and have fun at the same time! I started this goal early actually. Yesterday, I called Rogers (My evil cell phone provider) and I slashed my cell phone bill in HALF! How did I do this? Well, I decided that I could live without Caller ID, call waiting, etc. I also decided that I could do without my data plan (texting, email). I have a basic $20 plan now that is 200 anytime minutes (which they don’t even sell anymore at that price, now it is $30- ha!), and my monthly bill will now be $31 CAD per month (incl. tax) instead of $65 CAD a month. That is a savings of $408 in 2010!!

My wallet feels bigger already. Yawhoo!

Am I sad about not having email and texting and caller display?
HELL to the YES.

But to be honest, it will miss me more than I will miss it… ;)

In 2010, I will be finding ways to cut back just like I did with my cell phone. I think that there are many things that we have in life that we think are necessities, but they really aren’t. At the beginning of 2009, Eric and I cancelled our Cable TV. And guess what? We don’t miss it much. Most of the shows we watch are on the local channels and other shows we can find online. It is a savings of $600 a year.

9) Get new packaging for Glo Bars and purchase UPC codes for Glo Bars

I am also looking into a US distributor for the bars and using Fed Ex instead of Canada Post for a postal company. Stay tuned for details! Lots of changes will take place in 2010.

10) Raise money for those in need!

In 2009, I raised over $3300 for the Canadian Cancer Society. This year I plan on raising more money for cancer, however I will also be raising money for a new charity…

NEDIC– otherwise known as the National Eating Disorder Information Centre. I will be partnering with NEDIC in 2010 to help raise much needed funds for eating disorder research and support.

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So there you have it. The 10 NEW things I want to do in 2010.

A fresh year ripe with opportunities, don’t cha love it?

What are some new things you want to do in 2010?

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What potential life-changing experience did I sign up for?

Many of you guessed a marathon and some even a Triathlon, but I must tell you what I signed up for has nothing to do with sports.

A few weeks ago, I read a really touching story in a magazine.

It was an article in November’s SELF magazine called ‘The Stranger Who Saved Me’

It is the story of a women who signed up to be a Bone Marrow Donor and saved the life of Anna Robinson, a Leukemia sufferer.

Bone marrow is the soft, jelly-like tissue that is found in the hollow centres of bone. Bone marrow can be likened to the factory that produces stem cells which are the building blocks of blood itself. Donors donating bone marrow will undergo a surgical procedure where the stem cells are collected from the pelvic bones.

A small number of stem cells are also released into the circulating (peripheral) blood. There are drugs available that can be given to a donor to dramatically increase the release of the stem cells into the circulating blood so they can be collected directly from the blood stream.

Donors may be asked to donate either bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells depending on which product is considered to be the best choice for the patient.

Not only did the donor save someone’s life, but the two women were able to meet a year later!

I read the article on the treadmill after a really sad day. We recently received news that an immediate family member was diagnosed with testicular cancer. :(

It is the type of news that makes you stop in your tracks and question everything that you do each day.

I don’t think it was a coincidence that I read this article that day. Normally I read a magazine while on the treadmill to pass the time, but during this workout I started to cry on the treadmill as I read this story.

It was extremely touching, heartfelt, and inspiring.

I knew without a doubt that I wanted to do this.

Having worked at Canadian Blood Services before, I was already familiar with the bone marrow donation and received training on it, but I did more reading up on it to see if it was something I wanted to commit to.

I applied for the One Match program and I was contacted by Canadian Blood Services the next day. They are sending me a swab kit in the mail which will determine if I am a good candidate for the program. I take swabs of the inside of my cheeks, and send it back in the mail to them.

If I pass the swab test, I will then be entered into the world wide bone marrow registry.

I may be contacted or I may never be contacted. There are many people who are bone marrow registrants who are never called upon. If you are a match you will be called and you then have further testing done on your to determine if you are still a suitable candidate. It could be for a recipient anywhere in the world.

What diseases are helped from marrow and stem cell donation?

• Specific forms of cancer:

º Leukemias
º Lymphomas
º Myeloma

• Bone marrow deficiency diseases caused by abnormal red blood cell production, such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease
• Aplastic Anemia which is the lack of normal blood cell production
• Immune system disorders (immunodeficiencies)
• Metabolic Disorders

There are two methods of donation: peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and bone marrow. The patient’s doctor chooses the donation method that is best for the patient.

PBSC donation is a nonsurgical procedure that takes place at a blood center or outpatient hospital unit. For 5 days leading up to donation, you will be given injections of a drug called filgrastim to increase the number of blood-forming cells in your bloodstream. Your blood is then removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells. The remaining blood is returned to you through the other arm. Your blood-forming cells are back to their normal levels within 4 to 6 weeks.

Marrow donation is a surgical outpatient procedure that takes place at a hospital. You will receive anesthesia and feel no pain during the donation. Doctors use a needle to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of your pelvic bone. The marrow replaces itself completely within 4 to 6 weeks.

I thought about this long and hard and I researched both the bone marrow and PBSC procedures to determine if I was willing to do this. I do not think that this is a decision to take lightly and I would not encourage anyone to just ‘sign up’. I really think it has to come from within and be based on a well-informed decision.

For me, recent life events have made me realize how precious life is and how much I take for granted each day. In 2010, I really want to focus my energies on giving back as much as I can.

By the way, as for the big ‘M’ question…well, you will have to wait and see I guess! ;)

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On a somewhat unrelated note…

I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas!!!!

I truly thank you for your support in 2009. It has been a great year and I couldn’t have done this blog or the bakery without your support!

Be safe on the roads if you are traveling today. I hear that some of the US is under a huge snow storm! Anyone out there reading this who is snowed in??

WE’RE OFF TO FLY in the sky all the way to my BIRTHPLACE– Moncton, NB!

Catch ya on the flip side. ;) Will be blogging from dad’s. YAY!

The things that matter most in the world can never be held in our hand. ~Unknown