Gals We Admire: Caitlin Kelly

Caitlin Kelly was born in Vancouver, raised in Toronto and Montreal , and has called New York "home" for over 20 years. Find out what the accomplished expat, who is also the author of Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail, has to say about life as a freelance writer and professional speaker.

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Cars 2: Rev up your moviegoing engines

MOVIE REVIEW
(Release Date: June 24, 2011)
Cars 2: Rev up your moviegoing engines

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If your kids loved the first Cars flick, they (and you) are sure to get a kick out of the movie's sequel from Pixar Animation Studios. Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy (or rather, their voices) are back as the race car and tow truck duo Lightning McQueen and Mater respectively.

Like a true action flick, but one that's been made to be kid-friendly, the film takes viewers around the world to exciting destinations like Tokyo, London, Paris and the Italian Riviera and features thrilling chase scenes. It's definitely a movie that will delight your visual senses. Car-lovin' dads will especially appreciate the animated versions of Mini Coopers, Rolls-Royces and Fiats. And all parents can rest assured that the kiddies will leave the theatre having learned a wholesome lesson about loyalty and friendship. This is a movie you'll want to put down as a fun family outing for a rainy day.

Cars 2 is playing at select Empire Theatres locations as well as other theatres across Canada. Click here to go to the official Empire Theatres site to find showtimes and the theatre closest to you.

Check out the official movie trailer:

CCG Giveaway Alert!*

The fun's not over after you leave the theatre! Hasbro has come out with fun, kid-friendly Cars 2 Editions of some traditional game favourites. Check out our take on the Cars 2 Trouble game and find out how you can enter to win your choice of one of the games in the collection!

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Take a Canadian Holiday

Whale watch in the Bay of Fundy off Digby Neck in southwestern Nova Scotia
(Photo credit: novascotia.com)

Where do you usually think of going when you're planning your time off from work? (And please tell us that you use up your allotted vacation days each year—every CCG deserves a break!) Are Canadian destinations ever on your list? If not, perhaps it's time to reconsider your holiday options. For travel ideas, check out Top 5 Canadian Experiences on the Lonely Planet website. And these are just a few suggestions as we're sure there are plenty of more. After all, we live in one of the most beautiful and geographically diverse countries in the world!

Click here to read the entire article or copy and paste the link below into your Web browser:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/north-america/travel-tips-and-articles/76354

Do you agree with the recommendations? Share with us your top picks of where to go in Canada in the Comments section.

CCG Giveaway Alert!*
Click through to find out what we think of Discover Canada, a new guidebook from Lonely Planet and for your chance to win your very own copy!

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Sweetly Patriotic

We're gearing up for Canada Day early by treating ourselves to the Purdy's Chocolates Canadian Tin. Inside the pretty red and gold maple leaf tin are 12 of Purdy's best-loved assorted chocolates. Once the chocolates have been devoured, the keepsake tin can be used for storing away our post-it notes, pens, and other office supplies. How patriotically practical!

CCG Giveaway Alert!*

Want to win a Purdy's Prize Pack? Click on through for your chance!

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That Don't Impress Me Much - Shania Twain

She's a Canadian darling and in the midst of making a big comeback. Take a trip down memory lane with the 1998 hit from Shania Twain where she advises us ladies (and rightfully so!) to have high standards for the guy who's with us.

Have a great weekend, ladies, and see you on Monday!

Gals We Admire: Laura Calder

This Canadian career gal has the best of both worlds—she gets to work alone at times, and as a team during other times. Find out what Laura Calder, the witty and charming host of Food Network Canada's French Food at Home, has to say about her career as a writer and TV personality.

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Bashing the Ex-Boss is a Big No-No

Hmmm... so your last boss was a cow, a control freak, a downright psycho. Even if that were true, is this the kind of thing you want to spread around? Talking badly about your former employer does a disservice to you and no one else. And although you may not be under the watchful eye of your so-called boss from hell, you truly never know if your paths may cross again. Our advice? If you're going to say something bad about your ex-boss, don't say anything at all. Especially in a job interview (trust us, you'd be surprised by how candid interviewees can get about their former jobs).

Check out this quick video where Debbie Dimoff, former Vice President of Strategy at PMI Canada, offers some alternatives to ranting and raving about your former employer, as well as tips on how to handle some of the tough commonly-asked job interview questions.

The Art of Salary Negotiation

The salary offer. It's the part of the job negotiation process that many candidates dread—either because they're ill-prepared for it or they're too timid to counter the potential employer's offer. Before accepting (or turning down) an offer you're not pleased with, check out the monster.ca article The Worst Salary Negotiation Mistake EVER by Mark Swartz for three solid tips on how you can improve your negotiation skills and come out with a satisfactory compensation package.

Click here to read the entire article or copy and paste this link into your Web browser:
http://career-advice.monster.ca/salary-benefits/negotiation-tips/the-worst-salary-negotiation-mistake-ever/article.aspx

Polished Look from Head to Toe

essie braziliant Collection (from l. to r.: absolutely shore, braziliant, smooth sailing, super bossa nova, too too hot, meet me at sunset)

The hot and sunny days are here, and that means getting fun and flirty with our colour choices for clothes, shoes, and of course, with our nail polish! We've been sporting the beach look lately on our fingers and toes with the essie braziliant Collection, a gorgeous set of six bright and summery shades. What we love about essie nail polish is that they hold up against potential nail-polish-chipping situations like tapping away at our keyboards and smartphones or our regular kitchen duties of cooking and washing up. We head off to work every day with beautifully manicured nails and can be confident that we literally look polished from head to toe. Now that's what we call brilliant!

$8 each at Shoppers Drug Mart and beauty salons

CCG Giveaway Alert!

Want to win the essie braziliant Collection? Click on through for your chance!

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Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Love her or hate her, you have to give Lady Gaga respect for doing her thing and expressing herself however she wants. Dance away to one of her latest hits and, if you're ever faced with self-regret, remind yourself that "I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way".

Have a great weekend, ladies, and see you on Monday!

Gals We Admire: Sherry L. Abbott

Find out more about the extraordinary Sherry L. Abbott, a 21-year cancer survivor with an unwavering dedication to helping women receive the tools and support they need to face cancer with optimism, hope and confidence.

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Cooking with Gwyneth Paltrow

She's the gal you either hate to love or love to hate. With the recent release of her new cookbook My Father's Daughter, we're starting to wonder if there's anything Gwyneth Paltrow can't do. Check out the A-list celebrity on The Ellen Degeneres Show as she plugs her book with a live cooking demo of two recipes: kale chips and vegetable paella.

Get our take on Gwyneth's cookbook and find out how you can enter to win your very own copy!

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Collaborate and Flourish

There are few jobs these days that allow you to work in complete solitude. Even if you're a freelancer or are a small-business owner, there are still situations that call upon your skills to interact and work with others. Employees and companies can benefit greatly from collaboration and teamwork. As Alyson Schafer, one of our Gals We Admire, aptly put it: "There is enough work for all, and more work if you share your learning and resources, are open, and make opportunities for others. Hoarding work will kill you."

To reinforce the idea of teamwork, check out Can you keep a secret? Some companies wish you wouldn’t by Wallace Immen (originally published in The Globe and Mail on May 27, 2011). It's a great read for managers and employees alike on why the strength of your organization depends on an environment that encourages and rewards collaboration.

Click here to read the entire article or copy and paste this link into your Web browser:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/managing/on-the-job/can-you-keep-a-secret-some-companies-wish-you-wouldnt/article2036176/

Father’s Day Gift Ideas: 12 Presents Dad Will Love

Dad’s special day is June 19th, and we’ve got gift ideas for every kind of papa. Check out our 12 suggestions and find the perfect Father’s Day present, but be warned—some of these gifts even mom would want!

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Mealtime Inspiration

What's a gal to eat when she's bone-tired from a long day at work but wants nothing more than a home-cooked meal? We head straight to the grocery store spice aisle to pick up one of six different Club House Recipe Inspirations by McCormick Canada, and voila! We've just completed the first step to preparing the evening's quick, healthy and delicious dinner.

Each Recipe Inspiration has the six pre-measured spices needed to create a traditional menu-inspired dish with a twist, as well as a recipe card listing all other required ingredients. As busy working gals, we love that this item lets us experiment with new herbs and spices we might not otherwise try, and gets dinner on the table in less than an hour.

With six different recipes to choose from—Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Potatoes, Mexican Lasagna, Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas, Pasta Primavera, Asian Sesame Salmon, and our personal favourite Cran-Apple and Sage Pork Chops—these spice packets are a great and pleasantly efficient way for us to take home-prepared meals to the next level.

$1.99 each at major grocery stores

The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars

Don't feel like doing anything today? Not to worry, it's Friday - just get through this work day and you'll soon have two lazy days in a row!

Have a great weekend, ladies, and see you on Monday!

Gals We Admire: Maëlle Ricker

Photo credit: Adam and Kev Photography

Having won the Gold Medal in the Snowboard Cross Event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Maëlle Ricker has the enviable distinction of being the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at home in the Olympics. Ricker talks about what it takes to be at the top of her game, and lets us in on what she finds to be the most challenging and exhilarating parts of being a professional athlete.

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Fast & Easy Brown Bag Lunch Ideas

What's in your lunch bag today? Check out these tasty, healthy on-the-go meal suggestions that are incredibly easy to prepare!

A Huge Payoff You Deserve

For anyone who's ever struggled with self-doubt in their personal or professional life (and really, which one of us CCGs hasn't felt uncertainty at some point in our lives?), check out Want a Huge Payoff? Value Yourself, an enlightening post by Susan Biali, M.D. from her Psychology Today blog Prescriptions for Life.

Biali's key message when it comes to relationships, your physical appearance, or your life path is to stand up for yourself and value yourself in spite of what anyone else says. You'll be amazed by the success this way of thinking will bring you.

Click here to read the entire article or copy and paste this link into your Web browser:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prescriptions-life/201007/want-huge-payoff-value-yourself

Sushi Dress-Up

Sushi is one of the prettiest foods to look at, so it's only natural for its serving vessel to be just as arty. The next time you order in from your favourite Japanese restaurant, give your maki rolls a whimsically dressed-up presentation with the adorable Sushi Service for Two. The six-piece set comes complete with two each of a serving plate, dipping bowl & holder, and set of chopsticks.

$16.99 at joieshop.ca

Run the World (Girls) - Beyoncé

We love Beyoncé's girl power message in her latest track. We're right there with her to "raise a glass for the college grads," as well as for the women who are "strong enough to bear the children then get back to business".

Have a great weekend, ladies, and see you on Monday!

Gals We Admire: Alyson Schafer

Alyson Schafer is a woman of many talents. The parent educator uses her varied skills to make a difference in the world one family at a time. Plus, she's got some great advice on how career gals can achieve their own personal success.

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Take the VIPER Approach

Michael "Dr. Woody" Woodward, an executive coach and author of The YOU Plan, uses the acronym VIPER to outline his five-step plan to career success, which is to ask yourself the following five fundamental questions:

• What are my Values?

• What are my Intrinsics?

• What are my Passions?

• What is my Essence or personal brand?

• What is my Roadmap for getting there?

Check out the video to hear Dr. Woody discuss his straightforward approach: