Two months into the new year and I’m still reflecting over 2018 in order to better inform a promising 2019. It was quite the end to an eventful, eye-opening year for me, which got me thinking about how to deal with the unexpected. Without fail, the beginning of the year is a season of resolutions, new beginnings and perceived blank slates. While many people roll their eyes at what can be (or at least appear to be) contrived and cliché self-promises, I believe in the spirit of this season. It provides an amazing opportunity for self-reflection, which I don’t think we engage in enough. We shouldn’t berate others or even ourselves for needing such a blatant reminder to check in. Just as we shouldn’t box it into a single day or month. It’s ongoing process, but some people need a clear starting point. Continue reading
Thoughts
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On paper, some people might say I’m good with my money. I pay my bills relatively on time (key word: relatively), I have a decent savings account, my income is also decent and I’m able to live a fairly care-free life, all things considered. Yet in spite of these financial pros, I find myself keeping a constant sense of money-related stress at bay. I avoid looking at bills right away, I leave taxes until the very last minute, I tap my credit card not knowing if it will decline because I almost always forget to check my balance until it does. These bad habits are so ingrained in me, it’s as though I wouldn’t know how to function properly if I didn’t have these financial anxieties fuelling my work ethic. Continue reading
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With it being World Kindness Day today and Giving Tuesday next week, I thought it was the perfect time of year to revisit my “holiday giving” mission. Over the last few years, a lot of my values have shifted. Not changed, just sidestepped to, for me, more meaningful experiences. One of the ways that’s manifested is the way I give. Last year I wrote a last minute guide to charitable gift giving. It focused on substituting material gifts for donations in the name of loved ones. Continue reading
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Wearing: Hearts of PANDORA Hoops, Timeless Elegance Necklace, Radiant Teardrop ring, Teardrop Silhouette ring, PANDORA Rose Classic Snake Chain bracelet with Radiant Teardrop, Geometric Radiance and Radiant Hearts charms as well as Shining Elegance Safety Chain. Photos by Eric Black.
ACT ONE
I was drowning. Except instead of water, I was submerged in an ocean of my own emotions. They clouded my vision as much as they suffocated my breath. I couldn’t see my way out of the depths. But this is what I was supposed to feel, fresh out of a 12 year relationship, right? Continue reading
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Photo by Jess Baumung
Long weekends are one of the best times to pick up a new book. Considering that we’re celebrating Canada 150 hard AND Canada Day is just around the corner, I thought I’ve waited long enough to remind people what The Lit Squad’s final reading recommendations were for Indigo Books‘ current Read the North campaign. Continue reading
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Photo by Jess Baumung
Just under a year ago, I launched a book club with Chapters Indigo, a company I’ve loved since before I worked there during my teens. I remember sitting in the aisles for hours (being moved periodically by the staff) reading and browsing, knowing full well each time I’d leave with a bag full of books that would be devoured in less than a week. Like clockwork, I’d be back again. Continue reading
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Photo by Lily & Lilac
I’m honoured to be featured alongside 18 incredible Canadian women in The Kit‘s most recent issue celebrating “Women Who Do” with PANDORA Jewelry. Truthfully, a part of me doesn’t believe I belong in it. From an author to a neurosurgeon and an artist, their accomplishments and accolades definitely dwarf my own. Yet if anything I’m doing allows me to rub shoulders with this female force, I must be heading in the right direction. A direction that PANDORA Jewellery is helping to foster. Continue reading
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I’ve always had a thing for strong, silent types, so the John Wicks and Logans of the action-thriller world have been great pseudo-dates these days. But dating myself only goes so far. Continue reading
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The new year is always a time of reflection and motivation. People take on new (or sometimes old) goals in order to focus on a better self and a better life. Continue reading
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I honestly can’t remember the first time I met Catriona Smart. It must’ve been at a Nike Training Club sesh 3 years ago now. Yet though our paths crossed quite a bit over the years, it wasn’t until around this time last year that I plucked up the courage to ask her to grab a coffee with me. Continue reading
