Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Staples Canada

ID Theft: Eight “Harmless” Ways to Lose Your Identity

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There you go, minding your own business. Doing things like you’ve always done, not hurting a fly. And then one fine day, when the sun is shining and the birds are singing – BAM! Someone swoops in and steals your identity.

Think it won’t happen to you? Think again.

Identity theft is at an all-time high in Canada. In fact, it’s the most serious, non-violent crime and fastest growing type of fraud in North America, increasing steadily and setting records in the number of data breaches recorded. In 2015, more than 17,000 identity theft cases were reported in Canada, with a loss of more than $10 million.

I’ll just let that sink in for a moment.

So, we know it’s a problem – one that Canadians simply aren’t paying enough attention to. However, it’s actually pretty easy to safeguard yourself and your loved ones against identity theft; there are simple steps you can take to ensure you’re not a victim. …

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Celebrating 30 Summers Days with Staples Canada

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

At the beginning of June, I accepted the #30SummerDays photo challenge, sponsored by @StaplesCanada.

For the last month, I’ve posted themed photos that showcase my love for the season. And while y’all may have looked at my Instagram stream, thinking, “cute pictures!” – I actually have a little secret: I took them all with a handy little camera from Staples Canada!

30SummerDays4Staples Canada is the place to find Wifi-enabled cameras from Canon and Nikon, which allow you to upload your pictures and movies on-the-go. A social sharer’s dream! And, they just happen to have the BEST prices on some of the hottest cameras – like the Nikon COOLPIX S9600 Digital Camera, which features built-in Wi-Fi for instant photo sharing and remote camera control with a compatible smartphone or tablet.

30SummerDays3The 30 days flew by! I mean – newsflash – it’s the first of July today! And, if there’s one thing I learned from the photo challenge, it’s the importance of documenting life’s moments (big and small). Now would be the perfect time to pick up a Wifi-enabled camera from Staples Canada, to start cataloging your own memories. …

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Celebrate #30DaysofSummer with Staples Canada

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I have a long list of perfectly preserved memories from my childhood summers.

Late nights on the porch with my little friends, swatting mosquitoes until my mom hollered from inside. Riding my bike to the neighbourhood park (which was much too far a jaunt without parental supervision by today’s standards – sans helmet or cell phone!). Double dutch on the sidewalk. Watching MuchMusic endlessly as one lazy day stretched into the next, hoping to catch A-Ha’s video for “Take on Me” or Belinda Carlisle’s “Mad About You”.

Not quite understanding the sexual innuendos in Three’s Company, but laughing along anyways.

instagram-buttonWith the arrival of June comes the unofficial start of summer. And what better way to preserve this year’s memories than a photo-a-day challenge? Sponsored by @StaplesCanada, follow along as I – along with some of your favourite bloggers – post themed photos to share our love of the season with #30SummerDays. Staples Canada is the place to find Wifi-enabled cameras from Canon and Nikon, which allow you to upload your pictures and movies on-the-go. A social sharer’s dream!

BONUS: To thank you for following along, at the end of the challenge, I’ll be giving away a Wifi-enabled camera to one lucky reader! Catch my posts on Instagram (@lenalivelovelaugh) daily, and if you’d like to participate yourself, here are the photo prompts:

#30SummerDays

1 – Rabbit, Rabbit! What brings you good luck?
2 – Monday, ugh! What’s keeping you going today?
3 – Who made you smile today?
4 – Look up. What do you see?
5 – #TBT (throw back Thursday) Share a photo from a past summer trip!
6 – National Doughnut Day! Snap a pic celebrating! Or, what did you have instead?!
7 – Saturday! What are you up to?

8 – Time to relax before the start of the week. What does relaxing look like to you?
9 – Manic Monday! What’s giving you a case of the Mondays?
10 – Is the sun out? Snap a pic! If not, what’s it like out there?
11 – Get over the hump of the week. How were you productive today?
12 – Treat yourself, it’s almost the weekend!
13 – Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious and ducking for cover, or out and about?
14 – Flag Day! Got one flying in the warm breeze?

15 – Happy Father’s Day! Snap a pic or share one of an awesome dad!
16 – Monday motivation. What motivates you?
17 – Got a pet? Share them with the world!
18 – Stretch those legs mid-week and go outside or for a walk. Snap and share!
19 – #OOTD, what are you wearing? Got your summer clothes on?!
20 – Happy Friday! You made it! Smile and say cheese!
21 – HAPPY SUMMER! Take a picture of what summer looks like to you to celebrate!

22 – Sunday Pancakes! Do you have a Sunday breakfast routine?
23 – Got those sandals out? What’s your favourite pair?
24 – What made you happy today?
25 – Are the flowers blooming? Take a picture of your favourite!
26 – Wehew, it’s hot out there. How are you cooling down?
27 – Last Friday of the month, what are you up to?
28 – Is today a beach day? Snap a pic and make everyone jealous!

29 – Go out for a picnic! Make sure to take a picture!
30 – Last day of June, how are you sending it off?

So… what brings me luck? Click here to find out! I look forward to spending #30SummerDays with y’all!

#CelebrateAdminsCA with @StaplesCanada!

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Food for Thought: The majority of administrative professionals are happier than their bosses (61% vs. 18%). Yup, it’s true! The survey was conducted by Staples in honor of National Administrative Professionals’ Day on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014. And for the second year in a row, a majority of respondents say the admin boosts employee morale and is a better team player than the boss. Who knew?

In fact, when it comes to who holds the most power in the office, the boss wins. But second in command is the admin, ahead of the chief financial officer and human resources director. Administrative Professionals are multi-talented, go above and beyond the duties of their position, and sometimes even assume the role of office “matchmaker.” Is there anything an admin can’t do? I think not!

“Staples is proud to recognize the great work being done by administrative professionals and the critical role they play in companies across the country,” said Mike Edwards, Staples executive vice president, merchandising. “National Administrative Professionals’ Day is an opportunity to thank these hard-working individuals for helping their businesses make more happen every day.”

Know a fabulous admin? Staples Canada offers an assortment of great gift ideas – and we’re happy to dish out some amazing suggestions. In honour of National Administrative Professionals’ Day, Staples Canada is hosting a #CelebrateAdminsCA Twitter Party! Join us on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014 from 1-2 pm ET to learn more interesting tidbits from the survey – as well as the chance to win some amazing prizes.

Now heads up party people – it’s a daytime Twitter Party, so be sure to pop in for a fun afternoon chat. If you’ve attended @StaplesCanada Twitter Parties in the past, you’ll know that they are AH-MAZING. RSVP for a chance to win, and see you on Wednesday afternoon! …

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Put it Under the Tree: #StapleGifts

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Are you a Tweeter? Did you join our #StaplesDeals Twitter Party last week? Because, you know, it was kind of EPIC. Tons of great conversation, some of the hottest deals for Black Friday, and oh yeah… FABULOUS prizes!

Well folks, we’re doing it all over again. This Wednesday night, join us for the #StaplesGifts Twitter Party. We’re sharing some of the BEST holiday ideas from none other than Staples Canada. From tech to toys, you can cross everyone off your list… and if you can’t find what you’re looking for in-store or online, Staples will find it for you!

(Looking for gifting inspiration? Check out their Holiday Centre, your guide to great gifts and the coolest tech.)

Join us tomorrow night as we tweet up a storm. RSVP below for a chance to win – and be sure to bring your wish list to the party!…

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#StaplesDeals: Yes Please!

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Oh Black Friday, how I love thee! FYI: I don’t ever want to live in a world that doesn’t include Black Friday shopping. I’m addicted to the sales! And now, with more and more retailers jumping on board with amazing promos and pricing, it’s the perfect time to cross a few items off your holiday shopping list.

But be honest, when planning where to spend Black Friday (both online and in-store), have you considered… Staples Canada? You should!

This Black Friday, Staples has some AH-MA-ZING deals on tech, supplies and office essentials that will make you a holiday hero. And if you want to be the first to know about all the great products on sale, you simply MUST join our #StaplesDeals Twitter Party tonight!

We’ll be giving you tons of ideas and inspiration for Black Friday shopping, and of course, you just know there will be amazing prizes up for grabs, including a Google Nexus 7 Tablet!

RSVP below for a chance to win – and be sure to bring your wish list to the party!…

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Staples “First Day of School” Winners Announced!

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We all have our back to school stories… good and bad. And, if you were brave enough to share… you may be a winner in Staples’ First Day of School Contest! From over 600 entries, Staples has crowned three ‘First Day of School’ story champions. The competition was even stiffer than last year and entries ranged from side-splitting to heart-wrenching with plenty in between.


It was truly a difficult task to choose just three winners; while judging the contest, I found myself laughing, cringing, and even getting emotional over the various entries. (Of course, cringe-worthy stories are the BEST stories, aren’t they?) Kudos to everyone who took the time to write about missed school buses, intimidating older students, strange and new situations, and of course, bathroom blunders.

Pop on over to the Staples Blog to view the top entries, and congratulations to all of the winners who will be taking home a Canon T3i Prize pack! And, if you didn’t have a chance to share your story (and are just dying to), email it to facebook@staples.ca and it could be featured in an upcoming blog post!

#GoingBack: Share Your Story & Win with Staples!

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I’ll never forget my little guy’s first day of school… because it happened just last year. I somberly dressed him in his adorable school uniform, packed his favourite snack and secured him in our car. And as we drove, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.

“You okay back there?” I asked.
“Where are we going, Mommy?” Ryder asked.
“We’re going to school.”

I suppose I could have said “We’re going to Tibet” or “We’re going to protest whale poachers” – because he had no frame of reference for what “school” was. I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept driving.

As we pulled up to the school’s Kiss ‘N Ride zone, his new teacher opened the car door and welcomed Ryder. And as she took his hand to help him out of the car, he darted a furtive glance at me.

“Mommy!” he called, just as the door slammed shut. I waved at him quickly and then stoically drove away, knowing that the separation anxiety would overwhelm him, but staying would only make it worse.

As soon as I turned the corner, the tears started flowing. I couldn’t believe that we had come to this day! My little baby with the sweet mermaid eyes. My little boy with the sensitive heart. He was growing up much, much too quickly.

I spent the entire afternoon pacing back and forth, watching the clock until it was time to pick him up. And as I pulled into the school shortly after 3:30pm, I saw him. A little boy with a tear-streaked face, using the back of his hand to wipe his nose. Red-rimmed eyes and a quivering bottom lip, clutching onto his new teacher’s hand with all his might. And as I drew closer and we made eye contact, I read his mind as clearly as if there was a thought bubble over his head. And it read:

“B*tch! Oh no you didn’t!”

Let’s just say that the ride home included a few hurled accusations about child abandonment. I was already looking forward to the second day of school. Right.

Do you remember your first day? Whether it was side-splitting or tear-jerking, Staples Canada wants to know!


Enter Staples Canada’s #GoingBack contest. THREE (3) entrants will each win a Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS Lens Kit (value $600 CAD) awarded to Best Video Entry, Best Written Entry and Best Picture Entry. The contest will be judged by a panel of popular Canadian parenting bloggers: Katie Allen of Little Miss Kate, Tenille Lafontaine of Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous, Meri Temudo of lil sugar and… Moi!

There are 3 ways to enter:

1. Create a video response to the YouTube commercial by clicking on the ‘Comments’ section and selecting “Create a Video Response”.
2. Submit a photo through the Staples Canada Facebook contest app.
3. Submit a written story through the Staples Canada Facebook contest app.

The contest closes on September 9th, and then we’ll be going through the responses to select the lucky winners – it could be you! Good luck everyone!

Staples Home Office Makeover: The Big Reveal!

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It’s going down in history as one of the WORST office chairs EVER.

Readers were horrified – and sympathetic – when I recently revealed the state of my home office. The ripped and tattered chair; the disorganization and disarray; the potential fire hazard. Okay, multiple fire hazards. And that’s just what you could see in the first photo.

Well, something had to be done. Thankfully Staples Canada swooped in to save the day; seeing that I (obviously) needed an intervention, they allowed me to pick out a brand new home office – on three conditions:

1) I purchase the goods from Staples (done!)
2) I ditch my old chair. Seriously, it had to be on my curb (done!)
3) I take the oath to De-Clutter and Prosper

Did you know: A recent survey commissioned by Staples Canada and AIR MILES revealed that an overwhelming 83% of Canadians agree that a cluttered or disorganized workspace negatively affects levels of productivity. Despite this fact, 26% of Canadians describe their own desk as cluttered. I, Lena Almeida, pledge to never let clutter or disorganization rule my workspace again! (done!)

And so… it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for…. my big reveal. Brace yourselves; it doesn’t look like the same room, but I promise, it is!…

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Staples: “Clear the Clutter” #Giveaway

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

If you took a peek at my recent home office pictures – or what I like to call “The Before” – you’ll know that I’m in desperate need of a makeover. And while you all agree that I need a new chair (thanks for the horrified comments, ha!), I also drastically need to cut down on the clutter and disorganization. This weekend, I’m doing my best to De-Clutter and Prosper!

Click here to view my Staples De-Clutter and Prosper Home Office – BEFORE.

Of course, you know I’d never undertake such a  feat without spreading the love to my readers. So, while you all wait with baited breath for my big reveal (note: please do not wait with baited breath), I have the following giveaway to share!

Here’s the scoop: In addition to sponsoring my home office makeover, Staples Canada has been busy – they’ve joined the AIR MILES Reward Program as a national Sponsor. Now shoppers can earn AIR MILES reward miles on all their Staples purchases! To help cluttered Canadians spring clean their workspace, Staples and AIR MILES are offering my readers a chance to win a “Clear the Clutter” prize pack. Filled with items to organize your desk, it’s a prize valued at more than $500!

One lucky winner will receive:

$100 Staples Gift Card • 100 AIR MILES Bonus Miles • Assortment of Patterned Martha Stewart File Folders • Stack+Fit Martha Stewart Desk Accessories: Shagreen Drawer with Inbox and Organizer • Martha Stewart Large Shagreen Double File Pocket • Case File – Accordion File with Handle • Martha Stewart Home Office With Avery Dry-Erase Weekly Planner, Red and Grey • Belkin Conserve Valet – Smart USB Charging Station • Fellowes SmartSuites Monitor Riser Plus • Fellowes Powershred 69Cb 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder

To enter, simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries. And, stay tuned for my pictures of my new home office!…

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Staples Says: De-Clutter and Prosper!

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Ever wonder where the inspiration for my blog begins? If you’ve pictured my workspace as a clean, zen-like area which helps to get my creative juices flowing, I’m about to out myself. Specifically, I’m about to out my home office.

It’s a dump.

The room is nice enough; a 10 x 10-feet fourth bedroom that we use as a study for obvious reasons (er, we only have two children). But it’s also a place where I hoard useless papers and junk mail; random blogging artifacts that I meant to review six months ago; a pile of coffee cups that is normally cleared by my husband once a day, and a plethora of arts and crafts paraphernalia from my scrapbooking addiction circa 2008.

Not. Very. Inspiring.

And now… I can’t believe I’m doing this… here’s a picture of the shambles that I work in. (Sorry, Mom – it’s true, I haven’t dusted my desk in oh, never.) Yes, there’s clutter everywhere – especially in places that should have been cleaned weeks ago. On the bright side – I just found the USB cable I was looking for – apparently, it was under my desk and by my feet the whole time.

Okay, time for a closer inspection. Now you can tell that my office chair has seen better days, but truth be told, my faithful “executive” chair held up pretty well until last year, when it took a turn for the worse. My husband has been after me for months to find a replacement, but since I always believed that a ratty chair did not impact my ability to produce blog posts, I’ve always rebuked him. However, I could be wrong – A recent survey commissioned by Staples Canada and AIR MILES revealed that an overwhelming 83% of Canadians agree that a cluttered or disorganized workspace negatively affects levels of productivity. Despite this fact, 26% of Canadians describe their own desk as cluttered. Is your workspace a dump too? Join the club!…

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Recycle for Education; Recycle for Our Future

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The year was 1990. My grade 6 class lined up noisily outside Room 201; the girls discussing in detail exactly why Joey McIntyre was hotter than Jordan Knight (it’s the eyes!); the boys trading juvenile insults they had heard on The Simpsons the night before. Our teacher hushed us with an annoyed glance, and we quieted instantly, for fear of the dreaded detention – or worse, 100 lines.

I will not cause a disturbance in the school hallways before class.
I will not cause a disturbance in the school hallways before class.
I will not cause a disturbance in the school hallways before class.
I will not cause a disturbance in the school hallways before class.

The door opened and Mr. W, the intermediate gym teacher – and now the computer lab supervisor – beckoned us into the classroom. Desks were arranged in a “U” along the perimeter of the room; on every other desk, a personal computer. (And at any given time, at least two with an “Out of Order” signed taped to the monitor.)

“Pair up!” Mrs. B declared. “Find a partner and take turns using the word processing program.” I sighed as I realized that my regular computer lab partner was ill, so I’d have to team up with Frank. Yeah, him – he thought he was so cool because he had a computer at home – the only student in the class lucky enough to lay claim to one. So, he typed with a vengeance, attacking the keys with his two index fingers at an alarming speed of 22 words per minute.

I slumped down beside him as he double-clicked on WordPerfect 5.1, the only program loaded on the computer aside from Paintbrush. Click, click, clickity click… I looked at the clock on the wall, willing the minute-hand to fast forward to 3:30pm. I hated computer lab. When would I ever have a need to type out random sentences on a big white box?

Those are my first memories of using a computer. Looking back, I realize that my elementary school’s “computer lab” – a old lunchroom that had been re-purposed as IBM central – was nothing more than a collection of out-of-date machines that had likely once belonged in a bank or customs department. And, our sole purpose for using the PC was to learn how to type. (Because hey, us girls would all grow up to be fine secretaries.)

That was 1990. And today, while little girls can be anything their little hearts desire, sadly, the computer lab situation in elementary and high schools still has its share of challenges….

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