Oh Canada!

I traveled on a girl’s trip this Spring with some girlfriends I’ve known for more than half my life, and we went to Canada!

It was my first time in Canada and we left the agenda/itinerary planning to Rowena, because she is an awesome trip planner/researcher and that make sit so much easier if you just let one person take charge of all the planning.

Rowena is a big fan of Hallmark (holiday) movies and loves visiting charming towns that’ve served as a backdrop for the films, and/or have that romantic feel. So, the main destination for our Canadian getaway was Quebec City, but our first order of business was 24 hours in Toronto!

As I mentioned, it was my first visit north of the (US) border, so I was happy to explore a little of Toronto, which I’ve heard so much about. We scored right away when we lucked out on a super cool ride-share driver who gave us some great recommendations and offered us red carpet/VIP service. We did some eating, sightseeing and dancing.

My favorite stop on our quick Toronto tour was a trip to a champagne bar (Coffee Oysters Champagne), which had an unassuming store front, but quickly transported us to a secret speakeasy where we were told to keep our cell phones off. Exquisite decor with delectable bites and drinks!

The one exception for snapping pics, was only for taking photos on the “horse.” LOL!

After our exciting day and night in Toronto we flew to Montrael and landed in Quebec City, the birthplace of Canada, where we stayed in a castle! The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac along the St. Lawrence River is now a hotel, but was once home to French royalty in the early days of what is now Canada. It is said to be the most European city in all of North America.

The area offers amazing views and is very walkable, it felt very European and French. Cute shops and restaurants, with history at every turn, definitely a fun place to explore and relax. Not only did the castle/hotel have so much history to explore and learn about, but the cobblestone streets and building in the immediate vicinity also offered a glimpse into the past.

We did venture outside of the Old Quebec area to an “island” with artisans of wine, nougat, jams, and chocolate!

Another fun stop during that excursion was the falls, which had a suspension bridge to walk across with great photo opps!

All in all, a good time with great friends. A much needed getaway, and a new destination explored which I can add to my list of places I’ve visited.

Hosting Happy Hour Online

Before the pandemic, I had heard of zoom and I knew you could do these old school “party line,” style FaceTime calls, etc… but I never made time to do them or participate in them. Well, the past couple weeks, me and zoom have made fast friends, and these virtual meet-ups with my family and friends are now something I look forward to. I love the creativity in how people are connecting and being engaged with each other, and this includes celebrating “happy hour” too!

Lifestyle expert Paul Zahn joined me virtually to talk about his ideas for how to plan a virtual happy hour! He talked about using items you already have at home, picking a theme and designating a host. It’s that easy, so go, be social and have a great virtual happy hour!

A Little Motivation

If you’ve never worked from home before or have a tough time adjusting to new routines, the “stay at home” order and the idea of pretty much being confined to your home and immediate neighborhood can feel a bit restrictive and confining. And, I’m sure lots of people are quickly trying to figure out how to cope and figure out their new (temporary) normal.

One person that I can always count on for good ideas and sound advice, is my good friend Shannon McKain, who just happens to be a Keynote Speaker and is an authority on strategies to stay motivated, as well as how to pursue and plan your career. So, I asked her to join me for a Zoom interview to talk about how we can find motivation and stay productive and focused during these challenging times.

A few of my key takeaways from our chat:

  • Routine – Get out of bed, brush your teeth, dress the part
  • Goals – Set a few (immediate) goals that will help you right now
  • Branding – Take the time to work on your brand and be consistent on all platforms

As you will see in the interview, Shannon is a dynamic speaker who is likeable and easy to understand. She is a positive influence in my life and I was so happy to have her share some of her real life, practical wisdom in the video. To keep up with Shannon, you can visit her website: shannonmckain.com

My Super Bowl Week in the City

The Bay Area Super Bowl has come and gone…and the reality is we probably won’t see it again here anytime soon. Locals are glad the traffic is gone and city life will return to “normal.” I’m glad that it came through the Bay and I was lucky enough to attend some of the events and fanfare leading up to it. No, I didn’t go to the game, lots of people kept asking me if I was going, but I’m more of the mindset that if my team’s not in it, I’m better off watching from the convenience of my couch. I did however attend some of the preceding week’s pre-game soirees around town. I’ve posted some of my favorite snaps from my Super Bowl week in the City below…

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Adios to Arco…

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This is the final season the NBA’s Sacramento Kings will be playing at Sleep Train Arena…formerly known as Arco. Arco Arena, as so many will affectionately  refer to it, is the place where my pro sports dance team career started, just a few months removed from my college graduation at San Jose State. The team is now moving to a brand new, state of the art arena in downtown Sacramento that is currently under construction. And — since “Arco” will be no more, the Kings invited us (all the team’s Alumni dancers), to perform one last halftime.

The amazing show happened just 10-days after I hit the NFL field for a pregame Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders Alumni Reunion… I couldn’t be more pleased with myself (and how my body held up..lol), or the dedication and commitment all the ladies put into making the halftime come together. We all learned our choreography from a video, then whoever could make it would get together for non-mandatory weekend practices, before the day of, final fixes. I never expected to continue dancing after I hung up my “poms,” years ago, but it has been an amazing blessing to not only pick up where I left off and dance alongside so many talented dancers every so often, but really embellish in the unique sisterhood and bonds formed with every team I have had the pleasure of being on.

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Below are some of the photos from our “Adios to Arco” event…yet, I’ve joked – you never know they could have us back in March or April for a final, FINAL farewell dance…hehe

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Celebrating 25 Years of Arizona Cards Cheer

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It’s been a week since I had the opportunity to perform on Monday Night Football at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Last Monday, I took the field for pregame with more than 150 Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders Alumni to entertain the crowd before kickoff. The experience brought back the chills, some nerves and that anxious feeling you get before performing in front of tens of thousands of people! After being away from dancing on the NFL for several years now, I sort of had forgotten just how HUGE the field feels and how it feels to dance in the stadium. Plus, I had NEVER danced in a domed stadium before…during the one season I spent with the AZ Cardinals, they still played at ASU Sun Devil Stadium, so it did feel different to be in the air conditioned dome. Press play below to see video of the performance…

Anyhow, keep scrolling down to view some of the photos from my fun-filled weekend in the desert, celebrating the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders Anniversary.

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Homeward Bound


Today I made my last appearance on-air as Co-Host of The Hampton Roads Show, and I will be returning home to the Bay Area next week! It’s been lots of fun over the last 13 months on the show and I’ve had some exciting experiences and met lots of wonderful people, starting with the staff and crew on the show and at the station…as well as the chefs, comedians and range of guests who’ve stopped by the show too!

And — of course when you “leave” the next question is where are you going!?!? So, the short and simple answer is I’m leaving to be closer to family. I will be working as a freelancer in the Bay – so if you want to send work my way.. 🙂 And, I will be have more time to focus on my duties as a Mommy to the best little boys anyone could ever ask for!!

Here’s a little Hampton Roads Show photo trip down memory lane…

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#BakeAwayDBA Campaign

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An old classmate of mine, Monique, owns a bakery in Pittsburg, California called, “Sassy Sweets & Eats.” She has been featured on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” (season 9) and in 2014 was chosen for the  “Bay Area A-List” for best Cupcakes! Now she has reached out to me because she is doing a #BakeAwayDBA campaign.

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This is how she came up with the idea:

I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a video of a 6-year old girl named Audrey. She has Diamond Blackfan Anemia, which is a rare bone marrow disorder. She just melted my heart. Her parents post videos of her singing Taylor Swift karaoke, doing Zumba and just being downright adorable. I started following her page and also started reading up on her condition. I instantly felt the need to help out her cause.

I contacted her parents, with an idea and I asked if Audrey wanted to create a cupcake and I would bring it to life and sell it at my shop and donate all proceeds to the DBA foundation… And she did! I revealed her creation and started taking orders and been shipping them across the country in mason jars! It’s been a hit so far!

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Monique’s goal is to spread awareness of DBA and raise money to be donated to the DBA Foundation, to fund research toward finding a cure. Every week she is coming up with new creations to fund the cause andin July she will travel to Kentucky to personally deliver the donation check to Audrey and her parents over the 4th of July weekend…I’m sure she’l be bringing her Sassy Sweets cupcakes too!

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So, whether you’re in the Bay Area or some other corner of the country, please consider supporting Monique through the #BakeAwayDBA campaign.

You can visit the Sassy Sweets website at http://www.sassysweetsbymonique.com