Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Special K Protein Cereal

What Fills You Up Inspires Me

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This evening, I sat at my computer with one goal in mind: to respond to comments that have been piling up. Long time readers will know that I am obsessed with replying to comments; but lately, life has been kicking my a**. With two jobs, two kids, one home renovation and zero time to stop and smell the roses, I’ve become somewhat of a machine – barely slowing down even though I know I’m close to burning out. So, I decided to dedicate this evening to catching up with my online friends.

However, the very first post that popped up – and one that I’d been meaning to follow up on – was What Fills You Up? from a few weeks ago. And instead of responding to comments, I found myself opening up a new window and writing this post, to tell you all… WOW.

I am wowed. Reading what fills you up is touching, life-affirming, and most of all, incredibly beautiful. And human. And inspiring. From family and friends to Swiss chocolate and classical music, it’s a nice reminder of all the blessings we have in our lives. I realize now that I can add another thing to my list of fulfilling things: reader comments.

But how did this all start? It’s all thanks to Kellogg’s Special K Protein Cereal. If you haven’t had a chance to enter my awesome giveaway, please do! Because while being emotionally fulfilled is one of the greatest feelings in the world, so is feeling fulfilled nutritionally. According to the Special K Protein What Fills You Up Survey, recently conducted by Angus Reid Forum, 1 in 4 women confessed that if their breakfast doesn’t fill them up, they find themselves more tempted by cravings throughout the morning. And, when the urge to snack arises, one third admit lack of willpower causes them to stray from their healthy habits.

Of course, if you take a peek at the handy little infographic on the right, you’ll see that 63% of women say time with family fills them up. Well, looking at the reader comments left for me, I’d say that closer to 90% of y’all feel that way. And you know what? Couldn’t agree more. Some may have closer relationships than others, but for the most part, we feel fulfilled from spending time with those that love us most.

Please, don’t take your family for granted. Love them. Tell them you love them. Be good to each other. Be fulfilled.

Tonight, I’m celebrating all the little moments that fill me up.  

What Fills You Up? Special K #Giveaway

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A few weeks ago, I shared with you a very special moment in which I saw my little boy in a whole new light. And in that moment, I was fulfilled.

Then, I posed a question to my readers: “What Fills You Up?” I feel like I had a permanent smile on my face as I read through the responses. Thank you so much to everyone who chimed in!

“My family fills me up (right down to our 4 furbabies). They make me happy and content!” – Judy C.
“Listening to my grandchildren’s laughter.” – Anne T.
“Colouring with my girls on our window seat when the sun is shining in.” – Yash
“My two beautiful girls spending time with their mommy, fills my heart till it overflows.” – Chandra C.

Click here to see more heartwarming examples of what fills you up.

Of course, while being emotionally fulfilled is one of the greatest feelings in the world, so is feeling fulfilled nutritionally. According to the Special K Protein What Fills You Up Survey, recently conducted by Angus Reid Forum, 1 in 4 women confessed that if their breakfast doesn’t fill them up, they find themselves more tempted by cravings throughout the morning. And, when the urge to snack arises, one third admit lack of willpower causes them to stray from their healthy habits.

Available now in grocery stores across Canada, new Kellogg’s Special K Protein Cereal is a nutritious and crunchy cereal with a touch of vanilla flavour. With 10g of protein and 9g of fibre per serving, and a source of 10 essential nutrients and an excellent source of iron, Kellogg’s Special K Protein Cereal helps satisfy hunger and makes mid-morning cravings a thing of the past.

To help fill you up – both in body and mind – I’m pleased to offer my readers a chance to win a Special K Protein Cereal prize pack, which includes:

• A gift certificate to create your own family album story book
• A Special K red 2 GB iPod Shuffle to play the tunes that keep you moving
• A motivational book to help seek and maintain happiness
• A generous supply of Special K Protein Cereal to help you feel full, longer and the red dish set you need to enjoy the most important meal of the day


To enter, simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries. Good luck everybody! …

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What Fills You Up?

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The strangest, most unexpected, most satisfying thing happened a few nights ago.

While folding laundry, I heard my little guy holler from the staircase. Since I regularly have visions of the boys tumbling down the steps, I hollered right back, “Get off the stairs! Either up or down, make a decision!”

“But Mommy”, he complained. “I want you to come here.”

Since every battle with a 3-year old has to be carefully considered, I decided to go see what he wanted. I found him on the landing of our staircase, ready for bed in his pajamas. He looked up at me, eyes alive with excitement.

“I want you to take pictures of me,” he said. “I want to model for you.”

At first, I was taken aback. Reid is the worst person to take pictures of – yep, he’s one of those kids who never looks at the camera. So the fact that he willingly asked to be photographed was a surprise in itself. Second, I have no idea where he learned the word “model”. We’ve never mentioned it, and I questioned if he even knew what modelling meant. Still, I decided to play along, and grabbed my iPhone from my dresser.

“Okay,” I allowed. “What should I do?” I asked.
“Just take a picture when I say so,” my wise-beyond-years little guy responded.

And then, he struck a pose. 

Our resident Baryshnikov gave me his best Travolta-esque stance. And just like that, he grew years in my eyes; I no longer saw him as my little baby. He became my little boy. And although the lighting was poor, the flash caused owl eyes and he was decked out in his old pajamas, this instantly became one of my favourite photos of Reid ever.

In this moment, I was fulfilled.

What fills you up? Satisfaction goes beyond just eating food; it’s about being fulfilled, feeling energized and, for 63 per cent of Canadian women, spending quality time with family. (Interestingly, men do not place as much emphasis on family, with only 48 per cent saying that time with their loved ones is what fills them up – a 15 per cent difference.)

Kellogg’s Special K Protein Cereal took to the streets and asked, “What fills you up?”

According to the Special K Protein What Fills You Up Survey, recently conducted by Angus Reid Forum, a remarkable 94 per cent of women know that eating protein in the morning will help satisfy their hunger. However, nearly one in three admit their breakfast doesn’t provide them with enough of this essential nutrient. To provide Canadian women with a protein punch, Kellogg’s has introduced NEW Special K Protein Cereal with 10 grams of protein and nine grams of fibre to help satisfy hunger and keep Canadians filled up.

Okay, so a photo of my budding disco king brings me satisfaction. Tell me… what fills you up?