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Yesterday after 4:00pm I yelled downstairs to the nanny that it was after 4:00 and she could send my son back up as her day was over… she yelled back up… “It’s okay; he’s playing with my daughter”.

Okay – I had a confused look on my face and went downstairs to check. Her daughter is living in the Philippines with her father and grandparents, how were they POSSIBLY playing together. I walked into the play room, and there they were! My son and her daughter playing together via SKYPE! They’re the same age, and don’t speak the same language, but were having a blast sharing toys and running back and forth to show-and-tell with their stuff.

I couldn’t believe it. My, how the world has changed. There they were, two 3 year olds, playing together, yet they were thousands of miles apart. Unbelievable. I loved it! Thank you Skype for this incredible moment!

BONUS CODE: SKYPE (Bonus code will be available after 10:00 am)

Over 40 thousand fans at the Heritage Classic game at McMahon Stadium. WOW! What an experience. Sure it was cold… but extra layers and a cup of hot chocolate cured that. The game was GREAT. The astmosphere was AWESOME. The drunks behind us were… well… drunk. They only said a few stupid things… and some of it was funny. But hey, they were having a great time.

Did you go, or did you watch at home? Or at the bar? No matter where you saw the game, it was the experience. And nice that the boys won 4-0!!

The Mustard Seed has a higher demand for food hampers during the winter. Dry pasta, sauce canned vegetables and canned meat are all good things to donate. Calgarians are being asked to help out.

Even packable lunch items such as granola bars and fruit cups for kids’ lunches, are also welcome.

Donations can be dropped off at either of the two mustard seed locations, every day.

Visit the Mustard Seed for more information

Dear Christina,
I heard you mention yesterday that Valentine’s Day was overrated. Do you really believe that? I personally love the opportunity to have an extra special day with my honey. However, I don’t feel that he thinks the same way. I was really hoping he’d come home with some flowers, or at least SOMETHING to show his love. I think he too thinks that Valentine’s Day is over rated. How do I let him know that I would have loved to get some flowers, without sounding selfish?

Yours truly,
Michelle

Dear Michelle,
Okay, perhaps I should have chosen my words more wisely. It’s not that I think Valentine’s Day is overrated, rather, I think that we as consumers get sucked in to paying WAY too much for Valentine’s. I understand why flowers are more expensive on Valentine’s Day as it’s a supply and demand thing… but if you wait a week or two, you can get the same flowers for less. My question is, why can’t my husband buy flowers any other time of the year?! The “surprise” flowers are the ones that make me happy!

As for what you’re expecting to get on Valentine’s Day, I would say, let him know. Most guys I know can’t read minds! And I’ve come to learn that if you don’t tell them, they don’t know. As much as we would love them to be romantic and spontaneous… most of them aren’t. And the sooner you learn that, the sooner you’ll be able to communicate better with your husband.

So now the question is… how do I let him know what I want? I’m pretty subtle when it comes to what I would like with my husband. For instance, when we were grocery shopping I told him I would like to get THOSE flowers from you. I know it takes the romance out of Valentine’s Day… but if I wanted romance I would have told him “I want romance”.

Basically, you have to know who you’re with and how they work. I tried letting him be romantic and mushy and lovey dovey… but that’s not who I married. I’m okay with that… because when I ask him to be mushy, he usually is… but I have to remind him. Just remember, unless you married a mind reader… he just can’t do it.

I hope that helps. And Happy Day After Valentine’s Day to you!

Christina

BONUS CODE: MUSHY (Bonus code will be up and running after 10am)

(Permission has been given to post this email – with names changed)

Dear Christina,
How do you ALWAYS sound so happy and upbeat? I’ve been listening to you for years on Calgary airways, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard you grumpy. Don’t you ever have anything bad happen… how can you always be in a good mood? I recently broke up with my boyfriend, and it’s been so tough to even say hello in a friendly manner. What is your trick to being in a good mood all the time? I’m sure you go though rough times, but you always seem to be the one cheering me up. This break up has me so emotional all the time. I didn’t expect the break up… it blind sided me. And I can’t seem to pick myself up. What do you do in times of depression… if you ever get that way.

Heart broken and Sad,
Kandice

Hi Kandice,
First off, let me begin by saying… He has no idea of how great you are! I mean that. It’s not easy to believe when you’ve gone through a break up – that surprises you. More times than not, it really is him… and NOT you. Which is hard to convince yourself of… but the key to healing is time. (Which sucks… because you just want to feel like you again NOW… not in time). Trust me, you will bounce back and be your old self again in no time.

How do I know that… because yes… I too have experienced bad things including break ups. The upbeat me on the radio is real… but it’s also my job. Let’s be honest, no one wants to hear the person on the radio who always has problems… so most of them I keep to myself… and bring the “happy” Christina to the airwaves. But I don’t mind. It helps me get over my own life “humps”. That’s where I’ve learned that if you go in positive, you come out positive. Some days it’s tough. Especially on the days where one of my boys gets sick, or if I’ve lost a loved one. But being “forced” to be happy actually does make me happy. Does that make sense?

Kandice, you will bounce back. I promise. Until then try to find something that makes you smile everyday. Sooner rather than later you’ll find that you’re smiling more and more every day. All the best to you!

Christina

We’ve seen some huge weather jumps and falls in the past week. Last Friday we broke a record getting up to almost 14 on the plus side… and then the past few days we’ve been in the deep freeze.

I don’t mind the cold so much when it’s sunny. As long as you bundle up, it’s not too bad… But still it’s freezing. So to make the most of the cold weather, I went out after the show to take some beautiful pictures of our winter wonderland. Here’s some pretty pictures from the ridge along McKenzie Lake. If you have a fantastic picture you want to share, email them to me at christina.rowsell@rci.rogers.com

BONUS CODE: PRETTY