The Summer of June

June 2020 Flower Journal

2020-07-31T19:28:00.000-04:00

These days, my camera is filled with photos of all the flowers blooming around our house. I guess after all those months of cold weather, where the predominant colours are white, grey and brown, I just can’t help myself to “stop and smell the roses”.

Towards the end of spring, I actually questioned whether I really needed to take quite as many pictures of flowers, but then I realized how much joy it brings me, and the beautiful moments I remember when I look back on them. So, I figured I could document it here too, along with a few stories behind the pictures that I’d love to remember.

Our two lilac bushes bloomed in late May. They actually caught me completely by surprise with how quickly they grew from tiny green buds to having large flower clusters that were starting to open - we’re talking just one week! Thankfully, they stayed in bloom for quite a bit, and our purple lilac even changed colours towards the end of its blooming period, when it became mostly white (this is its regular colour). I don’t remember having seen it change colour like this before, so I had to capture it.

I almost missed taking pictures of our peonies this year. Thanks to the heatwave that passed through our region in the middle of the month, they bloomed and almost wilted in just a matter of days. Thankfully, I managed to get outside one evening and capture some pictures, but it was hard to stop!

These irises have been in the backyard since before we moved in to this house, and it’s been so fun to watch them bloom every year. Since they’re close to our vegetable containers, these are the flowers I got to enjoy the most this year. Almost every time I went outside to work on or pick something from the garden, I couldn’t help but stop for a few minutes and enjoy looking at and taking pictures of them.

These tiny dianthus always catch me by surprise. They’re nestled in between all the tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in our front yard flower garden, and it’s such a joy to see them pop up once all the spring bulbs have wilted, but before the peonies and daisies really open up.

This was one of the first lily blooms that opened this year, towards the end of June, and I’m so happy to say that there are still some blooming now, a month later. Also, it’s hard to tell from the pictures but these are reaching up so high, they’re almost taller than me.

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Looking back on this little floral journal of last month, I can’t help but notice a theme: with the hot weather and little rain we had throughout the month, so many of these beauties opened up and were gone in a matter of days. It’s such a beautiful reminder to slow down, find a bit of quiet and really enjoy the moment.

Interestingly enough, as an introvert who needs this sort of break anyway in order to show up at my best (but who also tends not to make room for it enough in my days), this has been a theme showing up in other areas of my life a lot lately too. To notice it in this context only makes it even more meaningful for me.

Tell me, how is your summer going so far? What are you enjoying most about this season?

Reflections on 30

2020-06-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month I celebrated my birthday. It was the end of 30 and the beginning of 31 for me.

To be honest, until a few days before, I wasn’t very excited about it. In fact, I was actually dreading it a bit. That’s because my mind was focused on all the goals I haven’t yet reached, all the dreams I haven’t yet accomplished, and all the projects I haven’t even started.

A few days before my birthday, I took some time to look back on my 30th year of life and take stock of not only everything I did accomplish, but also everything I’ve been through in the past year and that I’ve come through on the other side.

So many highlights have to do with the project that occupied most of my time this year - Toby & Mikka’s, the healthy treats (for dogs and cats) brand I’ve been building alongside my brother: from launching new products like our Sample Packs and our line of Barks with Turkey, to doing several collaborations with other, more established brands in the pet industry, to getting so many kind words and positive feedback from our clients - there’s been so much goodness in this part of my life

After years of debating with myself (yes, really!), I finally launched a separate Instagram account focused on health and well-being, and have been enjoying creating content for it. It’s been a little quiet in the last few weeks, but there will be so much to share in the months to come.

I also had some exciting wins in the kitchen: I made chocolate hummus for the first time ever, which turned out absolutely delicious, and, after years of trying different versions, I finally found the perfect pesto recipe too

I finished knitting my second ever pair of socks, enjoyed wearing my first pair all throughout winter and spring, and started two more projects (a winter sweater and a summer tank top)

I discovered a couple of apps that have made a big difference for me: the Notion app, which has become my go-to tool for getting my mind and life organized, and the Overdrive app, which has helped me start rebuilding a regular reading habit.

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What’s more, this all happened during a year that included a pandemic and countless heartbreaking news, as well as plenty of challenges, changes and hardships for my own family, which is helping me to appreciate it all even more.

This exercise has helped me feel so much better about my 30th year of life, to get excited about the brand new year ahead of me, and to really enjoy celebrating this moment in time.

I hope that if you too feel stuck, unsatisfied or unsure about the last week, month, or even year of your life, you can take a moment and really look back through that period of time, to find the positives - the accomplishments, the wins, and the steps forward - because they really are there, however big or little they may be, even when things feel particularly hard, scary or uncertain.

So tell me, what’s been the highlight of the last month for you?

Taking Stock // March 2020

2020-04-11T12:42:00.000-04:00

March started out like any regular month, with a long list of goals to work towards and tasks to get done but then, just a few days in, a worldwide health crisis erupted, and none of those things seemed to matter anymore. I spent a couple of weeks just trying to make sense of what is unfolding, but throughout it all, one thought kept coming up in my mind - that, even in the darkest times, light is still present. In other words, even when things feel particularly hard and scary, as they have for many of us, there is still plenty of good to be found as well.

In that spirit, here are a few of the things I want to remember about March 2020:

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making lemonade out of the oversized bucket of metaphorical lemons that this month served us

cooking lots of brussels sprouts; we found them at a great price and stocked up on 10 pounds of them (yes, really!), so I made this recipe several times - that marinade makes all the difference (I make 4-5 times the amount recommended, use most of it on the brussels sprouts, and save the rest for other dishes) and the sprouts come out so juicy - I love eating them both hot & cold

drinking so much water (I really notice when I get out of the habit, whether it's getting a headache, my skin being dry - especially with all the hand washing - or feeling low on energy, so I'm making it a priority every day) and trying out some orange peel and fennel tea too, inspired by Olivia’s post & stories on Instagram (check out her immuniTEA highlight too for more ideas and options of ingredients to add into this tea)

reading The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin, and starting to figure out how to work best for my own tendency

enjoying all the sunshine - we’ve gotten quite a bit of it throughout the month, and it just doesn’t get old; I guess if there’s a silver lining to these long winters, it’s how much I notice and truly appreciate the light and sunshine during the rest of the year

waiting eagerly for spring to arrive - and thankfully it did! We had temperatures above zero almost exclusively for the second half of the month, and by the end, most of the snow had melted - which doesn’t seem like much, but it definitely is in our area. Usually, in March, we still have several feet of snow left, so this early start is pretty unexpected but so welcome

loving Notion; I found out about it from Michelle’s video and decided to try it out. I started out using her Life Dashboard template and have been slowly adjusting it to fit my own needs ever since

needing some time to find a new normal, like most of us, I’m sure; once things started getting serious around the middle of the month, I really had a hard time focusing on, well, practically anything, and perhaps as an involuntary “survival” mechanism, disconnected from my goals and dreams - it wasn’t until the end of the month that I started finding my focus again

smelling spring flowers - these beautiful hyacinths and daffodils that my mom and I received for Women’s Day - and getting excited about seeing the ones in our front yard pop out of the ground in just a few weeks

watching our favourite TV shows on the weekend; everyone in our family is on such different schedules now, that there’s just no way we can keep up with most of our favourite shows as they first air on weekday evenings, so it’s become the perfect excuse to sit down together on Saturday afternoons and catch up with them after doing some work around the house

knowing that, among all the hard and scary, there is still plenty of good around too - and leaning in to that as much as I possibly can

feeling like myself again; to say the last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions would be an understatement, but after feeling unfocused and disconnected for most of the month, by the end, I started to get a sense of normalcy again

bookmarking all the positive quotes and reminders on Instagram - like this wise quote about gratitude, this helpful approach for dealing with overwhelm and this collection of positive news amongst all the heartbreaking ones

listening to a few episodes from two of my favourite podcasts, The Perfectionism Project (this one helped me start writing and documenting again) and Grow with Soul (this one shared a refreshing perspective on tracking & using numbers in our businesses)

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Tell me, besides the health crisis and social distancing, what's standing out in your mind from March?

Taking Stock // September 2019

2019-10-03T22:18:00.000-04:00

September went by in the blink of an eye, though I can't say I mind it. For much of it, I was dealing with lots of fear, self-doubt, and other heavier feelings like these. That being said, I still managed to enjoy some of what this month had to offer. Here are a few things that stuck in my mind:

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cooking with our own vegetables - it just never gets old; we haven't had the best season in the garden, mainly due to the extra long and cold spring weather, but we've still picked plenty of zucchinis and green beans, cucumbers, and some tomatoes too

drinking a mug of mint tea (most often picked from our own garden!) at least once a day, but most likely two or three times a day - I can't get enough of it, and now that the weather is really cooling down, even just holding the warm cup in my hands is so soothing

hoping the snow doesn't come our way too soon, even though it's already snowed in other parts of Canada and the temperatures have been dipping into the single digits several times already

enjoying writing again

loving these apples from our own tree; although we've been living in this house for over 8 years now, and the apple tree has always been here, this is only the second year we get to eat apples from it. They're not the prettiest, as they get attacked by bugs throughout the summer, but they're so tasty

smelling the aroma of holy basil that we grew in the garden this summer; it was the first time we planted holy basil, and when the flowers bloomed, it caught me completely by surprise that they smell like bubblegum!

watching some of the new shows that have started airing this fall - there are a few good ones, but Bob Hearts Abishola and Stumptown seem to be the highlights for me so far

noticing all the flowers that are still blooming; perhaps it's the long winters and grey days that come with them, but seeing the beautiful flowers growing around our house and everywhere I go makes me so happy; knowing that they won't be around much longer this year makes spotting them even sweeter

feeling lighter after a period at the end of summer that felt particularly hard and stressful

giggling at all of Toby & Mikka's antics; they really do make life so much better

listening to Taylor Swift's new music - I can't help it! Lover, Daylight, and London Boy are definite favourites for me from her new album, and this rendition of Holy Ground is so beautiful too

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When I started writing these, I had no idea they would be so garden-centric, but this little space of ours really is such an uplifting place, no matter what else is going on outside of it. There's something really special about helping a tiny seed grow into a much bigger plant, that's not only beautiful to look at, but that we also get to eat and enjoy on our plates too. I'm glad that so many of my happy memories from this month revolve around it.

Tell me, how was your September?

The Holiday Break

2019-01-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

This holiday season has been just what I needed. Since it didn't have the best start, it turned out to be a great lesson in letting go. Instead of worrying about how much we needed to get done in a very short time (we got our tree 2 days before Christmas, and didn't even put any decorations up until just a week before!), I decided to let go of any expectations I had and just enjoy the process of doing things, however many we were going to get to.

I'm always someone who enjoys the process just as much, or sometimes even more, than the results, but I realized that I wasn't having the same attitude about the holidays. Thankfully, all it took was taking a moment to let this awareness sink in and to make the decision to change my attitude (once I realized that it was the only actual problem). After that, I enjoyed every day, every activity and every moment so much more.

There was plenty of cooking, eating and decorating, followed by lots of movie (and documentary!) watching, sleeping, and just generally being quiet and taking a break - a real break from the busyness and from the go-go-go rhythm of our lives. 2018 was a big, intense year that pushed and stretched me in so many ways, and I was really feeling the need for such a break.

Just like the last few years before, it was also a year of so much growth for me. To be able to notice and reflect, at the end of it, about how much I have indeed learned and changed (for the better, I'd say) throughout these past 12 months felt really good. Realizing that these lessons helped me enjoy the holiday season more than I have in a long time felt even better, and I'm so looking forward to continuing to learn in this new year too.

Happy 2019!

At the Christmas Tree Farm

2018-12-30T22:10:00.000-05:00

This month has been so hectic that I wasn't sure when (or even if!) we would make it to the Christmas tree farm to pick up our tree, which has become our annual tradition. Since we worked the first three weekends of the month, we were only left with one option - the weekend right before Christmas.

Saturday it rained all day (and it wasn't just regular rain, but icy rain!) which narrowed our window even further, to Sunday alone. On Sunday morning, my brother woke up feeling terrible (there's been a cold/flu virus making its way through our whole family for the past month, and it had finally gotten to him too), so I wasn't sure if we would even make it to the farm at all. After some back and forth, we decided to go, though our visit was quite different from those of previous years. While we usually spend a good chunk of time walking among the trees before deciding on our favourite, this time it took us about 5 minutes to pick the tree, and within about 20 minutes we were back in the car, making our way home.

Thankfully, it was a gorgeous day outside and I made it a point to capture some pictures (and videos too, that I shared on Instagram Stories - you can follow me there to see more glimpses of my day-to-day and what I'm working on) while we were there. As I was looking back at them earlier today, all that stood out to me was the beautiful weather and scenery, and I'm so happy that we went anyway, despite all the obstacles that seemed so big at the time.

PS: I shared pictures of our visits all the way back in 2011 and 2012, too. I can't believe it's already been this long that we've been going to this beautiful farm!

Taking Stock // Summer 2018

2018-10-08T21:44:00.000-04:00

cooking veggies from our garden - one of the best parts of summer each year, no doubt. To be able to cook and eat something we've grown with our own hands, from a tiny seed to a delicious vegetable - it just never gets old

drinking smoothies every morning; it's become such a simple and wonderful way to start the day, and I had a lot of fun finding ways to capture snippets of it every morning for a week, and sharing them on Instagram. Now they all live in a story highlight on my profile, titled, "Smoothie ❤️"

reading Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill*, and learning so much. I've heard about this book so many times before, and can't believe it's taken me until this summer to dig in

playing in the pool with Toby. We only got 2 or 3 weekends of pool time, but they were so sweet. We saw Toby get more comfortable in the water and swim at a really relaxed pace - and learned how that relaxed feeling instantly goes away as soon as someone else wants to get in the pool...

enjoying getting organized with Asana

waiting to get approved for an application my brother and I had been working on since February, for a new business we're starting together; the wait was finally over mid-August and since then, we've been going full speed ahead, getting our equipment, setting up our space, building relationships, and taking so many more little and big steps to move this new venture forward. It's something I'm really excited and optimistic about, and looking forward to sharing more details about soon

loving the sunshine and hot weather, of course! We had a really hot summer and, after last year's particularly cool one, I appreciated it even more than I usually do, despite the several heatwaves that kept us mostly inside the air-conditioned house for days

needing more hours in the day, or maybe some more helping hands... or both? Between working on the new business with my brother as well as my health coaching practice, trying to keep up with our vegetable garden (and not doing so well most of the time), and preparing for a big overseas trip my parents went on in July, our plates were full all summer long - and, to be honest, they only seem to be getting fuller this autumn too. Thankfully, they're filling up with things I absolutely love, so there is no complaining here

wearing whatever kept me cooler in the heat of the summer - most of the time, a uniform of shorts and tank tops (ha, I guess some things really do stay the same...while looking through old posts after writing the first draft of this post, I was a bit amused to notice this seems to be my hot weather uniform - it's exactly what I wrote about wearing during a hot spell last September too)

watching quite a bit of tennis. Between the Roland Garros and Wimbledon tournaments at the beginning of summer and the US Open in the beginning of September, as well as a few smaller tournaments in between, I couldn't get enough tennis! Of course, this only made me want to get back on a tennis court, racket in hand, that much more...and I'm still looking for ways to make that happen

feeling that back-to-school feeling and, even though I'm not going back to school this year, feeling almost like I am actually taking part in it somehow because, just like a new school year, working on new projects and buckling down to work feels like a similar kind of new beginning

listening to more podcasts than I have in a long while; some favourites have been The Perfectionism Project, Grow with Soul, and Money Making Maven.

dreaming of overseas trips

celebrating so much: birthdays (mine and my mom's), anniversaries (of moving to Canada, of moving in this particular house), receiving funding and taking steps forward with our businesses, and so much more; summer always feels like a new beginning to me, almost as much as January (but with more colour and daylight hours), and this year, that feeling was amplified thanks to everything that's been happening in my life and work.

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This summer has been a busy but full and exciting season and, although I'm not thrilled about the dropping temperatures, I'm feeling more hopeful about the rest of the year - and beyond - than I have in quite a while.

I'd love to know, how has your summer been? What stands out in your mind as a highlight of this (already past!) season?

*Disclaimer: The book link used in this post is an affiliate link.

A Hopeful Start

2018-02-15T21:15:00.000-05:00

We're halfway through February already. At times, I can't decide if it feels like both the blink of an eye or a lifetime away since the clock struck midnight on January 1st. For once though, I can say that so much change - both inner and outer - has been happening in my life during these first few weeks of the year, that I'm feeling quite hopeful.

I didn't start 2018 in the best way, actually. For the first couple of weeks, I was incredibly stressed out, and quite ill. To begin with, I was facing some difficult situations and decisions that I wasn't looking forward to at all. Then, although I tried my best to resist the nasty flu that made its way through my family right after the holiday break, it eventually knocked me down for a whole week!

Thankfully, as the flu slowly but surely moved out of my body, somehow so did the stress I was experiencing. The shift started unexpectedly, with listening to a podcast episode that pulled me out of my thought process at the time and helped me consider the situation from a different perspective. That was followed by the lucky timing of some incredibly supportive conversations that happened very closely together, and plenty of reflection time while ill. It was also, of course, backed up by all the personal growth work I've been doing over the last couple of years. And so, I felt myself coming out of this really hard period I've been in, and now I feel stronger than I have in years, maybe ever.

I've listened to advice about how change starts from within for so long, and the past few weeks have been such satisfying confirmation of that. It doesn't mean that the challenging situations that were causing my stress have disappeared. In fact, if I were to look at them from the same perspective I had only a couple of months ago, I could say that they've gotten even more challenging.

This is why I'm so proud to be in this position, and to have the mindset I do right now, that allows me to keep going every day. It's because I know that whatever change has taken place has nothing to do with external factors. Rather, it's a result of the work and effort I've put in throughout the last couple of years, to grow and to build myself up, and it feels so good to see clearly how far I've come.

I have many more things to say these days, and I want to show up in this space more consistently, to share what I'm learning, experiencing, and overcoming. For now though, I'll stop here, simply by saying that I'm feeling more energized, motivated, and excited by what's ahead than I've been in a very long time. I have a good feeling about 2018.

Encouragement to Self

2017-10-06T11:20:00.000-04:00

We talk a lot about how easy it is to compare ourselves to each other these days, and we're aware of its negative effects on us and yet, no matter how hard we try not to, we still end up playing the comparison game from time to time, and feeling inadequate. In this online world especially, it's so easy to go from feeling inspired by someone or something to comparing ourselves and our work or lives with them, and feeling like we fall short.

I was journaling this morning and, as I was writing, I realized I had fallen into this trap yet again. What I thought was worrying about my progress towards my goals because of what I was or wasn't doing, actually turned out to be nothing more that comparing myself to someone whose work I've been following for a while, and who I've been particularly inspired by lately. I was worried because, compared to how much I see her doing, I felt like I was doing practically nothing, and definitely not enough if I wanted to reach my goals too.

As I kept writing and uncovering this thought pattern though, I started to see more clearly, and actually ended my journaling session with some encouraging thoughts for myself. I wanted to share them here too, both for my own benefit, so I can come back to them when I start feeling this way again, and for anyone else who is currently feeling like they are not doing enough.

I'd love to know, do you ever catch yourself playing the comparison game? How do you pull yourself out of it when you realize what's actually happening?

Taking Stock // September 2017

2017-10-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

September was a hard month for me. Not only did it absolutely fly by (even more than other months!), but all throughout it, I struggled to stay positive, to see the big picture, and to get things done. All the little (and big) things that are not going well in my life took up so much space in my head that there was almost none left for the good, the fun, and the happy. Of course, I know the hard is never the whole story, and I don't want to write off September 2017 as terrible, so I thought that taking stock of the simple, everyday things that did bring me joy would be a nice way to say goodbye to this month.

And so, my September days were filled with...

making placemats; I finally finished the first knit herringbone placemat I've been working on for a while now. Time to cast on the second one!

cooking hummus; I use the basic recipe from Ella's first cookbook* and add whatever flavours I or my family want to try at that time. A couple of weeks ago, I whipped up two batches: one with roasted onions and one with artichoke hearts, and just yesterday (even though, technically, it wasn't September anymore) another two: one with roasted hot peppers and one with roasted sweet peppers

drinking mint tea; I struggled with some bloating and general stomach issues throughout August, and it wasn't until a particularly uncomfortable day in the beginning of September that I thought of having some mint tea to help my digestive system. Thankfully, I felt much better before I even finished my first cup and since then, I've been enjoying a cup of hot mint tea often in the evenings

reading little bits of different books, though I have to confess, I didn't make time to really curl up with a book all month

hoping for better days ahead

playing lots and lots of Sudoku; it's become my go-to pastime in the evenings, or anytime during the day, when my brain feels a bit fried. I try to use the Sudoku book I have so I can get a break from my computer screen, but if I'm being honest, most often I play this online version - and recently switched from the medium to the hard level, which is really challenging me

loving my pets; the guilt that I'm not giving them enough attention is almost constant, but when I do take the time to cuddle them, I almost instantly feel so much better

needing a break and some quiet time, stat

smelling autumn in the air

wearing tank tops and shorts again during that week-long hot spell at the end of the month

watching a bunch of TV show season premieres; I've already mentioned this before, but I'm partial to sitcoms, and I've been looking forward to new episodes of The Big Bang Theory and the new Young Sheldon all summer long, and they definitely didn't disappoint. A little more surprisingly, I also enjoyed the first episode of The Good Doctor

noticing how much less patient and more irritable (i.e not myself) I am when I don't take time for myself to be quiet, to reflect and to daydream (#introvert)

knowing that this too shall pass

feeling generally down, but also a slight and slow shift upwards

bookmarking quite a few interesting, thought-provoking and perspective-shifting blog posts, many of which will be included in my next RLL post, coming soon

giggling through reruns of Mike & Molly during lunchtime every once in a while

wanting to slow things down

listening to as little as possible; I'm in this mood where it feels like there's so much noise and sound around me constantly, that whenever I can get a little quiet time, I am loving it

pondering over how I can make room for more fun and play in my life

considering new options, things I haven't tried yet, and alternatives that I know will take me outside my comfort zone

buying mostly groceries and not much else

thinking too much; spending too much time in my head and not being able to drop fully into my body and just be present in the moment

dreaming about a better future, always

celebrating 2 years since I quit my full-time job; things haven't turned out as I hoped and dreamed (yet), but I know that if I had to make that same choice again, I would - even if sometimes, on particularly hard days, I question it for a second

Thankfully, it's October now. A new day, a new week, a new month. It's the ultimate fresh start and I'm already feeling much better and more hopeful. I'm looking forward to the month ahead and feeling excited about all the possibilities - after all, there are always so many.

How about you, are you ready to say goodbye to September and hello to October?

*Disclaimer: The book link used in this post is an affiliate link.

Reading, Listening, & Learning: August 2017

2017-09-10T19:05:00.000-04:00

A while ago, I talked about how I wanted to share more of what I'm reading, listening to, or watching, because it's such a big part of my life. I'm always either purposefully looking for answers to my struggles and questions, or simply stumbling across words that inspire me in a big way. I'm constantly coming across words that influence me positively, and ones that make me think and, in the process, change my perspective on my own issues and life in general.

Well, it's been over a year since I first shared a list like this, and that still remains the only one I've shared so far - the second one, that I started putting together shortly after, still sits in my drafts, unfinished. With my growing desire and determination to share more in this space, right now feels like a good time to pick this series back up again, especially since I've been doing a better job of keeping track of all these pieces of wisdom lately. Without further ado, this is what caught my attention last month:

Photos via Gal Meets Glam & Healthy Crush

The Excuses We Make by Jenny Sansouci - Some interesting thoughts on the excuses we use to not do the things we want to do, and the difference that commitment can make. The post starts off with the topic of excuses in relation to writing, which resonates with me so much, and includes an excerpt of an eye-opening perspective on writer's block from Seth Godin.

7 Types of Content That Do The Networking + Community-Building For You by Sarah Von Bargen - Networking, especially in the online world, is one of the main topics on my mind right now, as I'm working to grow my business, and this post is such a gem. I already knew about all these different types of content, but Sarah is so thorough in her explanation of how each of them works and how to use them successfully, that I know I'll keep coming back to this post over and over in the next few months.

Overcoming That Failing Feeling by Julia Engel - Starting and growing my own business has been such a steep learning curve for me that I've had a "failing feeling" for most of this journey so far. Reading Julia's post and identifying so much with her words was a great reminder that our fears and doubts can show up regardless of how much or how little success we're experiencing, and that it's up to us how much power we give them.

"I’d say almost everyday I experience this panic. A panic that I’m failing at life and failing with my business. [...] And even when I’m feeling happy in the present, I’m normally forecasting my failures through self doubt, thinking I’m not good enough to do something in the future."

Farmacy: Eating Your Way by Almila Kakinc-Dodd - This guide about eating our way and listening to our bodies is chock full of so many simple yet valuable bits of advice. Many of them are things I would recommend to my own clients but the timing of the post itself was great. I stumbled on it at a time when I was experiencing some short-lived but uncomfortable digestive issues too, and being on the receiving side of these recommendations helped me to refocus on taking care of myself, and to resolve my issues.

How I Overcame Shyness and Made My Own Success by Bianca Bass - As someone who is both shy and introverted but, at the same time, has to put herself out there in order to grow her business, I'm constantly told that I have to get out of my comfort zone and go against my nature in order to be successful. This post, written from the perspective of someone who is also introverted, at its core, offers the same advice: you have to put yourself out there. The main distinction that it makes however, is that, us introverts can become successful because of the way we're wired, and not despite it. In other words, being shy and introverted is a strength, not a weakness - and this thought makes such a difference for me.

I'd love to know, what have you been reading lately that you particularly enjoyed?

Summer Hiking

2017-08-30T18:07:00.001-04:00

Around here, it seems like summer is essentially over. I remember waking up a couple of weekends ago, and getting this feeling of autumn being in the air. The sky was covered with dark grey clouds, it was windy and crisp, and it really felt like a fall day. Since then, most mornings have been just as cool, and with school being back in session this week (there's an elementary school two streets away from us, so we can hear the bells ringing and the kids laughing and playing outside on their break again), it really feels like summer is over.

To be honest, I'm not too upset, at least not as much as I usually am, to see summer go. For one, we didn't really have much of a summer to begin with. It was mostly rainy and cool, with just a few bouts of heat and consistent sunshine in between.

Also, at the beginning of the month, when I felt that little knot in my throat realizing that my favourite season is once again almost gone, I decided to do something about it. Instead of wallowing in sadness, I started looking forward and planning for the season ahead. I have to say, it's worked quite well. I really am excited for fall now, and ready to get to work on my goals and enjoy all that the season has to offer. Before that though, I do want to take a moment to look back on summer, short as it may have been, and remember some of my favourite moments from it.

We weren't able to book a long vacation this year, so instead we decided to explore and enjoy the sights closer to home. We spent several weekends hiking through parks within driving distance of our house (ones that we could get to and come back from in the same day), so before I turn the leaf on this summer, I wanted to share a few pictures of the beautiful places we've adventured to this season.

Tell me, what are your favourite memories from this summer?

The Time Between

2017-08-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

So much has happened since I last updated this space, I can't quite believe it. I start every week with the best of intentions to put more time and love into this blog, yet somehow it keeps slipping through the cracks. Often, it really does feel like time flies by, even though I don't like to say it or think of it that way (mostly because I think it's up to us how much we fill our days, and whether we take time to be present). So, to help "slow down" time a little bit, I thought I'd look back for a second, and take stock of some of the things that have happened since the end of May:

I turned 28 mid-June and enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing day to celebrate. The best part of it for me was, no doubt, sweating through the warmest day of the year until then. There's just something about sunshine and hot weather that makes me really happy.

This blog turned 7 years old (!!!) which might be the most incredible thing of all. My life has changed in so many ways during this time, and I kind of love that the blog has been a constant through it all. I admit that, looking back through the archives, I kind of wish I had documented more of what took place (both with and around me), which is a big reason why I'm still trying to show up here consistently.

I started working with a marketing and mindset coach who is helping me break through some of my limiting beliefs and take steps forward in my business. As a coach myself, I can't believe it took me this long to recognize how valuable a (great) coach would be for my business. Thankfully, once I did realize it, I stumbled on the opportunity to work with my current coach within a few days.

I met one of my online friends in real life, which was easily one of the highlights of this summer for me.

I struggled with navigating tough times and keeping a positive mindset through it all, but eventually found several ways to focus on the good most of the time and not let the bad affect me as much. This doesn't mean that every day is sunshine and rainbows now, or that I no longer have bad days. It simply means that I've been consciously working every single day on myself to cultivate a positive mindset, with good results.

I explored a few parks from our part of the world and really enjoyed hiking the trails with my family, including our pup Toby.

I've stayed inside, busy at my computer, for too many days, and forgot or neglected to take time to enjoy the sunshine. The good news is, there's still a bit of summer left, and a few more weeks to appreciate this favourite season of mine.

Tell me, what has your summer been like so far? What are you still looking forward to this season?

Kitchen Goodness

2017-05-26T18:45:00.000-04:00

It's probably no surprise from a blogger, but one of the main ways I get inspiration for my meals is from....blogs! Of course, food blogs are great, but I also love looking through health and wellness blogs. One of my favourites from the latter category is JSHealth by Jessica Sepel. I've been following Jessica's work on and off for the last few years and during a recent weekend, after reading one of her new posts, I decided to click through the entire recipe section for some inspiration.

Right away, I found plenty of ideas that I liked, and started making a mental list of the ones I wanted to try out soon. Once I got to a 5- or 6-point mental list, I remembered that I rarely follow through on these things, so I figured I'd share my favourites here too, both to keep myself accountable and to perhaps help anyone else who might be in need of a bit of (healthy) cooking inspiration.

Photos via JSHealth: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Miso Eggplant

Most times, I eat eggplants roasted and mixed into a dip/spread similar to baba ganoush, so I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate them into my meals

Cauliflower Arancini Balls

I'm thinking that these balls could easily be formed into patties instead and served as a great veggie burger option

Brussels Sprouts & Grain Bowl

I only started cooking with brussels sprouts regularly this past fall and winter, and this bowl seems like a lighter, springier option for this otherwise hearty vegetable - I'd love to try it out with quinoa

Cumin, Cauliflower and Carrot Mash

The colour of this mash is incredible, and I've been loving the flavour of cumin lately

Fig & Pistachio Chocolate Bark

Most of my dessert cravings involve chocolate or cacao, and making a chocolate bark (and getting creative with the toppings!) has been on my list forever

Healthy Vegetable Bread

I usually love a savoury breakfast and I'm partial to breads, so this one looks like a perfect fit for me

Of course, there weren't only 6 recipes that caught my eye, so here are a few "honourable mentions" that I'd love to try as soon as I've had a taste of the ones above:

Banana & Dark Chocolate Blender Muffins
Healthy French Toast
Coconut & Banana Quinoa Porridge
Carrot Cake Muffins
Baked Sweet Potato with Spinach, Chickpeas and Lemon Tahini Drizzle
Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower Chickpea and Mint Tabouli
Tomato Onion Brussels
Creamy Thyme Mushrooms
Cauliflower Rice
Cumin Spiced Asparagus
Healthy Nutella Mousse
Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Sea Salt Teff Cookies

Please tell me, would you try any of these recipes out? Where else do you find cooking inspiration?

Life Currently // May 2017

2017-05-06T19:56:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I last shared regularly on this blog, but lately I've been thinking more and more about it, and itching to make it a bigger part of my life again. I do have some ideas for posts, but it seems that I've gotten so out of the habit of actually sharing those ideas that, every time I open a new blank post to start writing, my mind goes blank too. So, I thought I'd start simply for now, with a little snapshot of what life looks like these days:

cherishing all the short periods of sunshine in between the clouds and pouring rain

smiling every time I take a peek at the daffodils and hyacinths in our front yard (so happy that it's finally that time of the year again!)

getting back to daily morning walks around the neighbourhood with the pup

trying hard to get into the habit of working out regularly

working on two knitting projects at once: a pink scarf that keeps my hands busy on evenings when my mind is tired after a long day, and a set of placemats that is the perfect excuse to learn a new stitch

staying organized with the Bullet Journal system, and feeling thankful to have found a way to wrangle all the thoughts that are constantly swimming through my mind

making progress on the content I am planning and creating behind-the-scenes for my health coaching website, and looking forward to sharing it with everyone who is ready to start being proactive and taking charge of their health and wellness

feeling excited about new work projects, especially a potential new collaboration with a fellow coach I've really been enjoying connecting with over the last few months

watching loads of Instagram Stories and losing track of time a little too often

dreaming of seeing more of this world, in no small part thanks to all that time spent watching Instagram stories

Well, that about covers most of the things that I'm spending time on and thinking of right now. I'd love to know, what's going on in your life these days?

Roadtrip Sights

2017-04-17T17:50:00.000-04:00

At the end of last month, I had the chance to go on a short, overnight roadtrip and, oh my goodness, was it so needed! I had been dreaming of going on a longer roadtrip for months (maybe even years at this point?!) and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I went to Toronto (for the second time ever) with my brother for a mix of business and pleasure, and I'm quite proud of how much we were able to fit into the short time we had there. I'll have more pictures and words about our adventures in Toronto later, but for now I just wanted to share a few snaps I took on the road, both getting there and back.

The views on the side of the road. It doesn't seem like much, especially because I'm generally a sunshine girl (and we had very little of it the whole trip) but at that point, we still had well over a foot of snow in our neighbourhood, so seeing this and not even a little bit of white around had me ridiculously happy. Not to mention, the whole way there and back, we saw gaggles of geese flying overhead constantly, which was just another much needed reminder that spring was not going to be far behind even at home. (Fast forward to today, just over two weeks later, thanks to much warmer temperatures and loads of rain, we now have barely any traces of snow left, the flowers in the front yard are popping up from under the ground at rapid speeds, and the tree buds are just about to burst - spring is in full swing!! But I digress.)

Seriously, seeing the green of the trees against something other than snow made me so happy!

I kept seeing these signs on the side of the road every few kilometres, and it made me think that, in all of my years of life, I never actually saw any deer from the road. Well, as fate would have it, on our way back home, I saw no less than 4 of them (3 on one occasion, and another one later), so I had to take a picture of one of these signs as a happy reminder of this good fortune. :)

As we got closer to home, of course we started to see snow again.

I really enjoyed this trip. It was everything I hoped it would be: a nice break from the routine, a chance to explore and discover new things and places, and an opportunity to rest and recharge. Of course, as it always is, it's also been the reason for even more roadtrip daydreams ever since we got back...

Bright Spots

2017-02-06T08:46:00.000-05:00

A box of beautiful citrus - lemons and clementines.

I am aware that we haven't had a long and hard winter so far, but I really do miss summer. In all of January, we've had no more than two total days of sunshine, one at the beginning and one at the end; the rest of it was entirely grey. Needless to say, it was starting to really affect me and, despite my efforts, my mood went way down. Thankfully, February has been a little brighter so far. Although it's still mostly grey, we've had peeks of sunshine that have really helped me out a lot: there have been a few sunny mornings already and there was also that one day last week with beautiful afternoon sunlight coming out from behind the clouds just in time to shine down on us for a little while before sundown. Even this morning, as I'm writing this, the sun is coming up into a bright blue sky, peeking out from behind the house on the other side of the street and giving me the energy and happy vibes I need to start this new week off on the right foot.

A brightly coloured cup for my next hot concoction.

I miss summer. I miss the warm weather, the mostly sunny days, and most of all, I miss the sights, sounds, and smells of the season - birds chirping, flowers blooming, grass growing... all the little things. I think one of the hardest parts of winter for me is the lack of colour. On a bad day during this end of January - beginning of February period, when winter has been here for long enough already but I know that it will still be here for quite a bit longer, I feel particularly discouraged. On these days, I make sure to do a couple of things that help me feel better: for one, I try to stay away from my Instagram feed, that every year seems to be filled with pictures of sunny and warm (sandal-wearing warm!) places that seem so far away from my current reality. Second, I do my best to fill my indoor life with as much colour as possible; it might seem silly, but it's incredible how much a little bit of colour - whether it's in the form of a cup, a piece of fruit, or a shirt - can do for my mood.

New drawer organization that's making me smile more than anything else right now.

For now, I'm thoroughly enjoying this sunshine that's now falling directly on my face and later on in the afternoon, when, according to the weather channel, we'll have some more snow falling (and, consequently, more grey skies), I'll hold on to the thought that last week, most groundhogs across Canada predicted an early spring.

I'd love to know, do you prefer summer or winter? How do you cope with all the grey winter days?

New and Better

2017-02-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

This week, after much procrastination, I finally started working on my health coaching website again. I originally launched it last March, as a very simple version with just 4 basic pages. It served me well for a while, but last fall I started developing my vision for what I wanted it to become, and realized that the simple site I had was no longer going to work, so I started researching, planning, and mapping out my vision, as well as creating content for it.

The first version of my health coaching website

Of course, since the actual website makeover is not something I know much about, I've been avoiding actually making the transition for some time now. Well, I finally got myself to start working on it this week and so far, I've really been enjoying the process. It's been very different from the first time around, when I was stressed for the most part - it was quite the learning curve working with Wordpress for the first time!

I found a new theme to use, the drag-and-drop kind that is much more user-friendly for someone like me who doesn't know much about web design, that I'm very happy with but that also means that I am basically starting from scratch again. Despite that, and thanks to everything I've learned in the past year and all the research I've done to prepare for this, I'm actually feeling more excited than stressed this time around. Besides working on the design, I'm also re-organizing the content that was already there, and adding more - there will be a blog too from now on, along with some other new sections I've cooked up.

A tiny sneak peek behind-the-scenes

I'll be sharing more updates and news about the re-launch through my newsletter

My vision for this website is to not only be a place where someone who would like to work with me can find more information about me and the services I offer, but also a resource for all of us who want to change the way we approach our health, to make it a priority and the first step in the journey towards our big dreams, whatever they may be.

I'm so happy to finally be turning all those ideas in my head into something real, but even more so, I'm hopeful that what I'm creating will help people stay healthy and feel their best, so they can go after their big dreams fearlessly.

I'd love to know, what do you think about health coaching? Are you familiar with it? Is it something you'd be interested in trying?

A Season Like No Other

2017-01-04T13:29:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day back to my regular routine after the holidays - and what a wonderful break it's been, spent quietly at home with my family. It was all about filling the hours with lots of eating, laughing, movie watching, and couch surfing, without having to rush or stick to any sort of schedule.

There was something different about this holiday season for me. Usually, I would have this inner pressure sitting heavy on my heart, telling me that I haven't done enough, that I've let another year slip by without moving towards my big dreams, and that I have to get really clear on my next steps right away so I can hit the ground running once that calendar on the wall changes, and never let it happen again. This year, however, I didn't feel any of that. Instead, I felt so at peace, and I was so much more immersed into the celebrations, quiet and simple as they may have been.

To be honest, these holidays haven't been picture perfect: a bunch of the dishes that we had been looking forward to making for our celebrations didn't happen, the holidays cards didn't get mailed until three days before Christmas, my desk, which hasn't seen an inch of clear space in months, actually became even more cluttered and, as a literal last bump in the road, we spent a chunk of the last (freezing) morning of the year assessing damage and filling insurance paperwork after a minor car accident; and yet somehow I was able to thoroughly enjoy this break, more than I have in a very long time.

I realized that it wasn't the season itself that was different from the ones of past years, but that the difference was inside of me. I really believe that, through all the work I've had to do on myself, 2016 really changed me and taught me so many precious lessons. It made me stronger, and it showed me what - and who - matters most. Ultimately, it painted the picture of how I want to live my life clearer than I've ever seen it, and I can't help but think how sweet it is to recognize, looking back, that the hardships and struggles of these last 12 months were all for good reason.

Even more, this inner change also allowed me to see December 31st and January 1st for what they actually are, two regular days coming one after the other, no different than the 363/4 other ones in the year in anything besides their potential to offer us a beautiful blank slate to use however we like to slowly create our own masterpiece day after day.

I hope that, whether 2016 was a great or difficult year for you, that you were able to enjoy a holiday season filled with love, laughter, and relaxation, and that you're looking forward to this 2017 that thankfully comes, like all years do, one day at a time.

Fired Up

2016-11-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

Late last month, I watched Leonardo DiCaprio's new documentary, Before the Flood, about climate change and what can - and needs! - to be done about it. The tone throughout the movie was quite pessimistic, but I think it came from a deep desire to make clear the urgency of the situation and the need to take action right away. By the end, it left a really strong impression on me. In some way, I think it came at the right time: for the last few months (actually years, if I'm being really honest), with trying to find my way in the adult, working world, I have been quite focused on myself and my day-to-day tasks and to-do lists; because of this, I've put a bit aside one of my biggest passions, the one that convinced me to start this blog in the first place, and that was at the core of most major decisions I've made in this time: a passion to contribute to better health and wellness for our planet and for all of us humans living on it.

Photo via Inhabitat

In this sense, seeing this documentary was a much needed and very welcome reminder to shift my focus again to include more than just my own little world in my big, lofty goals for the future, because the truth is that my world (and any of our worlds really) wouldn't exist or be possible if the world at large, our planet, is not well. I've been aware of most major issues talked about in the movie - the exploitation of the oil sands happening right here in our own country (Canada), the melting glaciers, the damage caused by palm oil production and cattle raising, the Paris Agreement that was signed last December - but to be able to learn more details and see the sobering images in a way reignited that urgency in my heart again to start doing something and truly contributing to the wellness of our planet - and of our own lives along with it.

I know that for many of us living in developed countries, it is hard to fully grasp the impact of climate change yet, seeing as there haven't been too many shifts severely affecting our quality of life, and the movie was a good reminder for me that the people who do the least harm to our planet, are the first and most deeply affected by these changes - and that, although we may not be able to see it in our day-to-day, it doesn't mean that the change isn't happening.

Watching the documentary really motivated me to start taking action. I'll start with the easier and more straight-forward changes I can make: being really mindful of all the products I buy to make sure that they don't contain any palm oil and further reducing our consumption of meat, especially beef (although that is already very minimal), but I plan to keep going much further. I really believe there is always room for improvement in everything we do, so I think that a good way to make progress in this case is to constantly ask myself, "Is there a better way - one with a smaller negative impact or, even better, with a positive impact, on our planet?" and use the answers to make changes in the things I use, buy, and create.

One of the main points that stuck out to me thanks to Leo's film is the need to speak up and work together towards better ways; to speak up and ask for better things that will benefit rather than harm our planet; to speak up and ask for better solutions, more mindfulness, and a heightened awareness - because, as with most anything, if we don't ask for it, it will more than likely not be given to us. While I've been passionate about this for a long time, I generally conduct my life by the idea "live and let live" which, coupled with my shyness and introverted nature, has meant that I haven't been very vocal about any of my passions so far, and have only shared with the few people I've come across who are just as interested as me in the same things. Over the last few months though, it's become clear to me that keeping things to myself isn't going to produce any changes, so it's time to start finding ways to be more outspoken in ways that respect my own personality. Not only that, but there's also a big need to work together to create change, because we won't go nearly as far as we could by doing things separately, each in our own little corners.

So, I'll end this post with the following thought: if you've seen Before the Flood and/or are just as passionate about creating positive change for our planet, reach out and let's talk about whether we can do something together to make it happen.

I'd love to know, have you seen the documentary? (If not, it's now streaming on Youtube.) What did you think about it?

On My Plate

2016-10-28T11:00:00.000-04:00

Part of feeling better over the last few weeks has meant that I've been back in the kitchen, cooking and trying out lots of new recipes from my favourite food blogs and cookbooks. I wanted to share here a few of the things I really enjoyed making - and of course, eating too.

We found some beautiful (almost) local peaches towards the end of the summer, so buying a box of them every week and making this peach oat smoothie every weekend became the norm for several weeks in a row. I don't think I've used oats in my smoothies before, but somehow, paired with all the other ingredients in the recipe, they made the creamiest smoothie I've ever had. This will definitely be in regular rotation next year, as soon as peaches are in season.

Chia pudding is easily one of my favourite treats, and though I usually make it with cacao, coconut water, and a bit of stevia, I've been eager to try other combinations as well. This newest favourite of mine came together last week, when I was craving a sweet treat but couldn't be bothered to prepare much of anything, so I thought that mixing some of the homemade apple sauce I had in the fridge with chia seeds would be the easiest option. After trying out a small portion in a bowl and loving it, I just added chia seeds to the rest of the applesauce jar, and had a yummy treat to grab any time I felt like it for the following few days.

These double chocolate chip cookies always satisfy my cravings for cookies - they remind me of the store-bought chocolate chip cookies I used to eat almost every day in my teens, but without the guilt of having something that's not healthy. I dreamt of these for several weeks before I got a chance to actually make them, and once I did, I made a big mistake - doubled everything but the sugar! - yet they were still deliciously crumbly and completely satisfying, especially when paired with a matcha latte as a mid-morning snack.

I love mac and cheese, but I'm no longer crazy about the ingredients that usually go in the recipe. Over the last couple of years, I've gathered several gluten-free, dairy-free alternatives to try, but had yet to make any of them. Once I saw the Creamy Butternut Squash and Shells version in Candice Kumai's Clean Green Eats* cookbook (currently one of my favourites), I couldn't resist anymore. Not only was it one of my favourite things to eat, but while I was cooking the squash, I couldn't help thinking that it was also one of the prettiest things I've ever cooked too. I skipped the bread-crumb topping and, since I grew up eating mac and cheese as a dessert, poured a little bit of honey on top of it on my plate, and it was honestly so good.

This raw nectarine cake came together quicker than any other one I've made before. It was almost 5pm when I realized that I had to make something with the few nectarines we had left over before they went bad, so I looked through a few of my cookbooks and settled on this recipe right away: the Peach Perfection Pie from Fresh*. I made a few substitutions - I used dates instead of raisins for the crust, and nectarines and bananas instead of peaches for the cream - so I could use what I already had in my pantry. Although we had to let the cream gel for a while and couldn't dive in that evening, it was so worth the wait - the light, refreshing cream was the perfect complement to the sweeter and heavier crust. My only note about this is to make a larger amount of cream than called for in the recipe. I made almost double and still didn't completely fill the thick crust.

I love roasted sweet potatoes - fresh out of the oven are best, and I can never help myself from eating a bunch of them straight out of the pan - but when I want something different, I make this mix instead: celery root, butternut squash, and apple chopped to about the same size - the apple pieces can be a bit larger since they're softer and cook up quicker. Even though it all adds up to a big, full-to-the-brim pan by the time it's ready to go in the oven, somehow it never seems to be quite enough and disappears in the blink of an eye (seriously! I had no more than a spoonful of leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day).

I've been wanting to make some energy balls for a long while, but this was again one of those cravings that went unsatisfied for weeks (maybe months?). Once I found Jamie Oliver's recipe for these cacao pumpkin energy balls and realized I had just enough puffed millet to substitute the puffed brown rice/quinoa called for in the recipe, I had to try it. It was so delicious that all four of us had to restrain ourselves from finishing the entire plate of them the same day. I definitely need to make more soon, but after reading Olivia's post about puffed cereal, I'm not sure I want to use this ingredient again. Instead, I'm thinking that roasting some buckwheat and using it as a crunchier alternative could be a nice replacement.

I keep trying more and more healthy and delicious recipes that I'll be sure to share again here (I also shared past ones here and here), but in the meantime, I'd love to know, what have you been cooking and eating lately?

*Disclaimer: The book links used in this post are affiliate links.

Falling for Fall

2016-10-14T13:13:00.000-04:00

Fall is definitely here and, while I'm not thrilled about the dropping temperatures, I've actually been really enjoying it. I love that, unlike the past few years when the whole season seemed to go by in a flash, the transition this year has been much slower and smoother. Granted, it was bittersweet to see the leaves on a few trees start turning red in the middle of August, but the colourful show is still going on now, almost two months later, and it feels like every day they're only getting prettier. It's really been an autumn more beautiful than I've ever seen before here in our corner of the world. Needless to say, it's been a treat to go for walks around the neighbourhood lately, and attempt to capture a fraction of the beauty that can be seen with the naked eye.

I'd love to know, what is the weather like where you are? Are you enjoying an equally beautiful fall season?

PS: A few of my favourite sights from past autumn seasons: 2014 and 2015.

On The Rise Again

2016-10-04T12:13:00.000-04:00

Here we are at the beginning of October already. I could talk about how I can't believe that this year is already three quarters over and how, with each year, time seems to speed up, but everyone seems to be aware of it by now. Besides, I'm feeling quite happy - in spite of the cooling temperatures - to be here now, and I'm putting as much energy as I can into enjoying the season, the day, and the moment.

September for me was a month of shifting seasons that brought along all kinds of subtle and not-so-subtle changes in my daily routines and life. In our corner of the world, it felt like almost as soon as the clock stroke midnight on September 1st, the temperatures dipped to bring us crisp nights and mornings instead of the constant heat and stifling humidity (which I didn't enjoy nearly as much as this description makes it seem). The autumn equinox brought along even more cool air, to the point where most days now we are in the single digits until the sun gets high up in the sky. I can't say I'm enjoying waking up to a cool house - in fact, it's throwing off the nice morning routine I was just getting into and was so enjoying. At the same time though, it feels like a new beginning, a fresh start. There is a lighter feeling in my heart, along with a newfound sense of purpose and excitement I thought I had completely lost, and I am definitely enjoying that.

Summer, as much as I adore it and mourn its departure every September, wasn't as kind to me this year. It brought to the surface a lot of struggle, plenty of dark days, and all kinds of intense feelings so, this time around, the hot days, the abundance of colours, and the sweet gifts of the season that I look forward to for nine long months were not thoroughly enjoyed, but merely noticed here and there. I am thankful to be turning a new leaf now, both outside and inside, though I will admit to ever so often still wishfully thinking of what these short, glorious months could have been had I been able to fully savour them.

I'm not naive to think that this all happened unexpectedly, and without my playing any role in it. When I decided just over a year ago to be brave and make the choices that I have been making over the last dozen months, I expected hard days ahead. I knew that all the fears, limiting beliefs, and demons that I held inside would come rushing out, and that this time I could no longer make excuses and brush them aside, but rather that I would have to face them. I thought however, that the work I had already done until then would help me through - of course it did - and I couldn't imagine their depth or extent at the time. In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't because, my goodness, I might not have been so brave, and that would really have been such a shame, because the truth is, despite the crippling fear, doubt, and aloneness I have felt these last few months, I'm happy with where I am right now.

Over the last few weeks, I've felt myself starting to come out on the other side of this stormy wave, and getting stronger than I have been in a long while. I'm once again excited and inspired by my work, and I'm looking forward to (rather than dreading) bringing it out into the world. I've started to find and use tools that help me keep going, that bring the lows a little higher and end them a little sooner, so that I'm enjoying life and most days again, and am doing much better at taking in the beauty of the little things.

This summer wasn't at all what I expected but, looking back, I think it was exactly what I needed. It taught me so many valuable lessons that I hope will help me rise higher than I ever have before, live my purpose, and go after my dreams.

Here's to a wonderful and kind October!

Out In The Garden

2016-07-13T06:11:00.000-04:00

After another early morning walk today, we took some time to check on the garden. We've had loads of rain over the last week, so it had been a few days since I went out there, and I couldn't believe what I saw this morning! There has been so much growth happening during these last few days. The beans and peas are climbing up our homemade trellis with a vengeance, the sweet peppers have grown a few tiny fruits and the hot ones are filled with them, the cucumbers and zucchinis are getting established, the strawberries are flowering once again and, what makes me the happiest among all, the tomatoes are growing big and strong and doing really well. They were still quite small when we transplanted them a couple of weeks ago and we worried that we might not be picking any fruit until well into fall. They're already so much bigger though, and we even spotted a few tiny green tomatoes on the vines, so the prognosis is getting better. It also means that there will be lots of extra work to do this coming weekend, tying them up for support, in addition to the original plan of sowing more seeds.

I didn't take any pictures today, but I remembered taking a few at the beginning of the month, after we had planted everything that is there now, so those are the ones I'm sharing here. I'll bring my camera out again this weekend, and I already know there will be such a big difference!

Watching this slow and steady growth in our garden always makes me think of that tendency so many of us have to overestimate what we can do in a short amount of time, but underestimate what we can do over a long period. A red, juicy tomato will not grow in a day, but give it a few months and you'll be amazed by its beautiful colour, wonderful aroma, and incredible taste. In the same way, it might not feel like I'm accomplishing much in a day (it doesn't), but give me a year or two, and you might be surprised by what I can make happen (I am too). I just need to keep doing, keep trying, keep growing - slow and steady. Slow and steady.

Mornings In The Neighborhood

2016-07-11T14:08:00.000-04:00

This summer, we've made a habit of taking Toby out for a walk early in the morning, since it works best with our schedules. We always go for about an hour, each time taking the same route. Last week, I brought along my new Narrative Clip 2 camera, and clipped it to my waistband for the entire walk. I didn't know what to expect while downloading the pictures, but I was so happy to find a few real gems.

I have to be honest and say that I'm not always thrilled by the idea of going for an early morning walk, so getting to see these pictures has helped me to appreciate this little routine in a new way, and reminded me just how nice it actually is: the sun is high up in the sky already but the temperature, although warm, is comfortable instead of sweltering, and maybe the best part (for me, at least) is that the whole day is still ahead of us.

That particular morning was so beautiful - the bright blue of the sky, the lush green all around - and I am so glad that these pictures managed to capture it, along with the quiet and stillness of the early morning. Seeing them helps me to look at the places we go through in a different light and I couldn't help but reflect on this idea and relate it to life in general: it always helps to look at things in a new, more positive light.