• The Konmari Method and Saving Money

    07/10/2016 - By 

    On this cold day that feels like it will snow, I am inside doing laundry and reflecting on the state of my house, which I successfully ignored during the warmer months. It is a cluttered mess. Maybe not by some’s standards, but by mine it is. Even trying to find the right winter clothing has been painful….and, by the way, I can’t believe I have to think about that already!! My mom in Saskatchewan already has a foot of snow. Oh, Canada. So what has being stuck inside on cold days made me think about? DECLUTTERING! And saving money because…

  • A New Book Discovery and A New Parenting Strategy.

    05/10/2016 - By 

    As I sit and write this, I can hear my cat out on the open balcony, playing with leaves. He is pouncing and chasing. I can hear the patter of his feet and the rustling of the leaves as he attacks and bats at them. The fall light streams in through the window in a golden glow and the air smells of cinnamon and pine. My kids are at school and I sit hear and sip coffee, researching ideas and writing to you. If you are an aunt, a sister or brother, a lover of art, a fan of quirky…

  • Astronauts and Angels

    03/10/2016 - By 

    My son went to his very first funeral for his six-year-old peer. It is a sentence I never thought I would say and it is with a heavy heart that I write this. Hunter dressed in a homemade prince’s crown and his knight costume, as he was both to B, who passed away. Inside the Chapel was a table with post it notes where you could write a favourite memory. Every time we approached the table to write a memory of his friend, “B”, he would tear up and declare that he couldn’t think of anything. With his mouth set…

  • Being Attached to Fear.

    30/09/2016 - By 

    I get attached to STUFF. Sometimes it is the memory of buying it. The anticipation of it being yours. Or it is the memory of the person that gave it to you. If it was someone special or a defining moment in your relationship when you received it, that only makes it more special. I have tons of “special” moments in the back of my closet and I don’t need to uncover the objects, from underneath the pile of clothes to donate, to dust off those memories.  So why do I keep them? Fear. Fear that if I let go…

  • Herb Garden Woes

    28/09/2016 - By 

    Inspired by my own outdoor garden success and urged on by pretty Pinterest successes….I decided to jump in to indoor herb gardening! Little teacups and tiny terracotta pots filled with scrumptious homemade herbs? Count me in. I told my dear friend that I would love an indoor herb garden and, that sweet soul, she set one up for us while we were in Cuba for a wedding. I came home to an indoor growing light installed with a timer in my cabinet. I was overjoyed. Some plants were all set up! I ended up not knowing how to take care…

  • My Son’s Friend Died and Nothing is the Same.

    27/09/2016 - By 

    It has been a hard week. We found out that my son’s six-year-old classmate died. Yes, you read that right. We were shocked too. Shocked is not the right word, it sounds too innocent and not bulging with the feeling of what we are actually experiencing. There are no words. She was the most robust and beautiful soul. A more resilient kid couldn’t be found….her dad described her as “Teflon, both physically and emotionally”. Not that she didn’t feel stuff, but with the right support, she bounced back quickly. She was one of my son’s favourite classmates in kindergarten last…

  • Stress At This Time Of Year

    23/09/2016 - By 

    Aaaahhhhh! Deep breaths everyone. Kids or no kids, everyone feels exhausted and stressed this time of year. Summer is over, winter schedules are upon us and it feels like we must get our house in order….am I right? I have a lot in the air right now. I added on a whole bunch of wellness courses and even those seem to be “obligations”. I also went back to having a hard time saying no to people….that “year of yes” people blog about, where they say yes no matter what to “experience more”…..yup, unintentionally had that year. On top of that,…

  • Beakerhead 2016

    21/09/2016 - By 

    In Calgary, there is a yearly event called “Beakerhead” which they proclaim is “A Smash Up of Art, Science, & Engineering”. I was only able to go for a few hours during the day and, even without the lights on the impressive displays lit up, it was really cool. I went while my kids were at school but next year I plan on taking them on a tour of the displays. Since I only had one day free, my friend and I focused on seeing the Chain Reaction pieces. We managed to see a few, in between stops to shop…

  • The Meow Foundation Adopt-a-thon: Interviewing Some Very Special Cats.

    20/09/2016 - By 

    On Saturday, September 17th, I was thrilled to be invited to the Meow Foundation’s new location to interview cats at their Adopt-a-thon. I am a huge cat lover and one of my favourite felines, Thorin, is a rescue from their foundation.     Meow Foundation is no-kill cat rescue center in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. An acronym for “Make Each One Wanted”, it was founded in 2000 by 11 people who wanted to save stray or abandoned cats. It is a cage-less environment that allows the cats and kittens to play, stretch out, relax, and really be themselves. I chatted with…

  • Exploring Gut Health

    14/09/2016 - By 

    I will never take my health for granted again. I used to eat whatever I wanted, at any time of day, without a second thought. Now, I have a severe gluten-intolerance and I will never take my health for granted again. A couple of years ago, on my husband’s birthday, we went out for Vietnamese. I used the bathroom as soon as we got there. It was okay clean, but not great, and the pipe under the sink was held together with duct tape. All of a sudden, I thought of Anthony Bourdain’s comment in one of his books. He…