Will 2024 be your year to shine?

We’re already a couple of weeks into the new year – how’s it going so far? Have you kept all your New Year’s Resolutions? Even if you don’t make resolutions, setting goals and creating a plan to achieve them definitely gives you a sense of direction. My own process is fairly simple these days, consisting…

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Happy Everything

Wishing you all the joys of the season - Janet Barclay

Thank you for reading my blogs and newsletters!   In between spending time with family and friends over the holidays, I’ll be doing a year-end review and will share my findings with you early in the new year. Whatever you’re doing, I hope it goes well, and look forward to reconnecting with you in 2024.…

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Join me for a cup of tea!

Tea has been part of my daily life for many years. It’s more than just a hot beverage – exploring different flavours and brands of tea is a fun and rewarding hobby. Earlier this year, I stumbled upon a company called Genuine Tea and quickly became a big fan. Here’s why: Their teas have no…

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2023, I’m ready for you!

Photo of two calendars for 2023

I’ve been thinking a lot about the past year, what went well and what didn’t, and how I’d like the next 12 months to look. If you’re going through the same process, I hope my thoughts will inspire you. My Word for 2023 I’m at an age where many of my friends, clients, and former…

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My Warmest Wishes to You

A photo of hot cocoa, representing warm wishes

Every year it seems to get harder and harder to say the right thing. Is it okay to say Merry Christmas? Is it better to say Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays? Or is it presumptuous to assume that someone is celebrating a holiday at all? Yet not saying anything doesn’t feel right either. So let me just say this:…

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How I Combined Five Interests for an Awesome Experience

Photo of sidewalk on James Street North in Hamilton

Lately I’ve noticed that some of my activities encompass two or more of my interests. Since I tend to be task-oriented, I appreciate being able to tick off lots of boxes, even if they’re only in my head. But what’s more exciting is that the process of combining passions leads to a more satisfying experience.…

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Colorcinch: A powerful yet easy-to-use photo editing app

Pink Gerbera photo edited with Colorcinch

As a blogger and web designer, I’m always looking for ways to make the process of resizing photos less labour-intensive for myself and my clients. So, when someone from Colorcinch told me about their image resizer, I was eager to take it out for a spin. I confess that as a hobby photographer, I was…

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My Experience as a Big Sister

Janet Barclay and her not-so-little Little Sister

As a matched Big Sister for many years, I once answered a few questions from someone who was interested in becoming a Big Sister. In case you’re also considering this volunteer role, I’m republishing their questions and my updated answers. Do you have any personal insight on this? Anything about your experience (as either a Big…

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Are we ready for what’s next?

Woman looks outside wondering "What's next?"

After two years, it seems that our days of dealing with lockdowns, masks, and vaccination passports are finally reaching an end. As celebration-worthy as this is, it’s hard not to feel apprehensive. After all, we’ve seen restrictions lifted and reinstituted more times that we can count! It’s also hard not to be cynical and think…

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Are You Introverted, or are you shy?

introverted or shy

Many people, when introduced to the concept of introversion, automatically think of “shyness.” Although it’s true that many introverts are shy, not all introverts are shy, and extraverts can be shy as well. In her book The Introvert Advantage Marti Olsen Laney defines introversion as: … a healthy capacity to tune into your inner world… a…

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