Showing posts with label Now is Now. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Now is Now. Show all posts

Friday, 23 December 2016

Things that are Making Me Happy

With my 'things to do list' all checked off, and the big day just around the corner, I thought I would make a 'happy list', a list of things that are making me happy right now as the holidays begin...
  • Twinkling lights on the Christmas tree
  • Persimmons
  • Two excited girls who are just as excited to give gifts as receive them
  • Family gatherings coming up
  • Listening to country music hits from the 1990s with Steve
  • A week off work coming soon
  • Hot tea
  • A good night sleep
  • A sense of calm and relaxation that I have never felt at Christmas before
  • Knowing I've done enough
  • Flannel pajamas  
  • Cookies
  • That no one is sick for the holidays
  • Soup simmering on the stove
  • Quiet evenings at home 
  • Christmas music in reasonable doses
  • Snow
  • Candles
Merry Christmas, friends. I wish you all a wonderful holiday full of peace, joy, and happiness.

    Friday, 16 December 2016

    Wednesday, 7 December 2016

    Now is Now

    During this very full time of the year, I believe it is even more important to be intentional with our time, energy, resources, and spirit. And I am trying. Some things have been easier than others, no doubt, but all in all, I am feeling more present this year, more relaxed. In the end, I want to enjoy the holidays, not merely survive them and come out on the other end a frazzled mess, and by doing the following, I think I am well on my way:
    • I've kept Christmas decorating minimal. We have our tree up, and a few Christmas vignettes here and there, but not much else. I love the way my decorations blend into the normal decor and look of my house rather than overwhelm it, and I love that it did not take me days to decorate everything. How minimalist I've become...
    • We got our calendar organized early on and intentionally left some days empty to just relax and see what comes (good thing, because we were just invited to a photo exhibit this coming Sunday that I am super excited about)
    • Letting go of disappointment and hurt and accepting that all I can control is what I do and how I react to things (not easy, but it does bring so much peace when you just let go)
    • Christmas cards made and sent by the first week of December. I love doing this every year as it is such a fun and creative family activity.
    • Getting the shopping done early
    • Accepting what is not for us. I will probably not be doing any Christmas baking and I am okay with that. I don't love baking cookies and would rather spend my time in the kitchen making other things. And the girls don't seem to miss it. The last few times we baked Christmas cookies, they lost interest very quickly and were off playing together while I was left alone in the kitchen finishing up the decorating and not really loving it...all this to say that Christmas baking is not our thing, and that is perfectly okay.
    • Taking some time in December to do some things that are not Christmas related. I don't know why, but this is important to me, to not do Christmas all month long and sort of wear it out...is that weird? 
    • Finding encouragement - this post was particularly good.
    Being present for the holidays is the best present I can give myself. But then, a year of intentionally trying to be present in the Now rather than rushing on to the next thing has really been the best gift I could have given myself...

    How are you staying in the Now and enjoying the holidays?

    My focus for the year was Now is Now. Read all my posts about being present in the moment here.

    Friday, 11 November 2016

    Now is Now

    One afternoon this week the sun was shining beautifully when I got home from work, so I grabbed the camera and headed out into the yard to take a few photos.
    I love autumn, always have....
    The colors on this particular afternoon were breathtaking....
    Nature has a way of showing off in autumn...
    Over the next few days it rained and the wind blew almost all of the leaves off the trees; I am so glad I went outside and took some pictures when I had the chance.

    Now is Now.

    Wednesday, 28 September 2016

    Now is Now

    With school back in session and activities starting up again, I am finding it increasingly difficult to focus on Now, to ignore the never ending to-do list in my head and just see and savor what is in front of me. I wish this was not the case and I am trying to change things up a bit in order to keep present, but goodness it is difficult.....

    That being said, I took a good look around the other day and really soaked in my surroundings, what is making me smile, and I decided to come back to this space and jot it all down.
    • Fall has officially arrived, both in terms of the calendar and the weather. I love fall. I love the colors on the trees, the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, and that fact that people are more dressed out in public.
    • My new succulent, which I really hope I do not kill. I know these are supposed to be simple houseplants, the sign at the store even assured me of that, but that does not mean it is safe in my house, under my care.
    • This article about the little things in life being most stressful...funny and true.
    • A long weekend coming up
    • Crochet (has this ever not been on my happy list)
    • Kale in the garden. Once winter comes I am going to really miss strolling out to the garden to harvest a handful of kale when I need it. 
    • Watching Bridget volunteer at school and really take an active role in the community there
    • That my dining room drapes are finally hemmed
    • The geranium still blooming on the patio
    • Lavender cuttings on the kitchen windowsill

    What is making you smile today?

    Friday, 22 July 2016

    Now is Now

    Some things that are making me happy this week:
    • My Rose of Sharon is blooming
    • Our bountiful veggie patch
    • Having completed the girls' school memory books
    • New recipes
    • Game of Thrones
    • Ice cream
    • More decluttering
    • A beach trip planned for the weekend
    • Coffee
    • A great sleep
    • Crochet 
    • Friday
    • Hearing about the girls' days at art camp....they are so excited and having such a great time creating every day
    • Make some headway, although slow, on a few of my projects
    What has made you happy this week?

    Wednesday, 22 June 2016

    Now is Now

    Some silly and serious things that are making me happy right now (it's important to have a balance, don't you think):
    • Fresh sheets on the bed
    • Laundry drying on the line
    • Fresh spinach from the garden
    • This article - so honest and raw
    • My daisy in bloom
    • Air-conditioning - it has been hot, hot, hot the last couple days
    • That there is only a week left of school 
    • A trip to the bakery planned for this weekend
    • Wearing sundresses
    • Watching the girls play in the pool
    • Making meals from what is in the fridge and pantry
    • A good conversation with Steve
    • Peonies in my mom's garden
    • Rhubarb muffins
    • Breathing deeply and taking some time to just relax
    • Game of Thrones
    • Hugs from my girls
    • Resolving to set aside some more time for me to crochet
    • Crochet project ideas
    • Clean windows 
    • Cool evening breezes
    Lots of happy things right now, what about you?

    Friday, 27 May 2016

    Now is Now

    It has been an ordinary week full of simple pleasures:
    • The newly planted veggie garden - everything is doing well
    • Drinking iced tea
    • Sunshine everyday
    • Clean windows
    • Finally having all the Girl Guide badges sewn onto the girls' sashes
    • Fresh sheets on the beds
    • BBQ dinners on the deck
    • Setting goals - some silly, some serious
    • Family dinners every night when we get to hear all about the girls' days at school (oh the schoolyard drama)
    • More decluttering (though it is getting harder to find things to purge)
    • Starting a new book
    • Watching the girls' swimming lessons
    • Taking photographs
    • Drying laundry on the line
    • An inspiring read
    These lists are such a breath of air for me. When everything seems too much, too hard, a little overwhelming, just the simple act of writing down the everyday things that bring a smile to my face calms me, centers me, and fuels me to go on. We only have today...let's appreciate it for what it is and let it fill us with happiness.

    Wishing you a wonderful weekend.  

      Wednesday, 11 May 2016

      Now is Now

      I'm pausing this week to remind myself that the little things matter, that there is beauty in the everyday, and I am holding onto these simple joys:
      • Preparing healthy meals for my family
      • Sunshine
      • Seeing the trees budding 
      • Early spring flowers
      • Mother's Day hugs and kisses from my girls
      • Creative ideas and plans for future projects
      • My mom's plum cake - yummy!
      • A good night sleep
      • My home
      • Opening the windows and letting the fresh air blow through the house
      • Chatting with Steve over a cup of tea
      • Knowing how fortunate we are to live where we do and have everything we have
      • A good cup of coffee
      • Taking the time to try a new recipe
      • Crochet
      • Listening to the girls tell me, in great detail, about their days at school
      Here's hoping you can stop and take a moment to appreciate what is right in front of you...

      Have a great day friends...

      (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

      Friday, 22 April 2016

      Now is Now

      Happy Friday!!

      I hope you all had a lovely week. Here are some of the things that have made my heart happy this week:
      • Sun, sun, and more sun
      • Early spring blooms in the garden
      • Making vegan muffins....that are absolutely delicious
      • Not having to scrape ice off the car windows in the morning
      • Flinging open the windows and letting the fresh air blow through the house
      • Making spring plans
      • A much-needed haircut
      • Wearing t-shirts
      • Roasted vegetables and gnocchi for dinner
      • Watching Claire "Sparkle Up" to Brownies
      • Scrapbooking
      • A day at home with my girls
      • Crochet 
      • Seeing Willow all snuggled up in her new blanket

      Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

        Friday, 8 April 2016

        Now is Now

        I've been feeling quite overwhelmed this week. Sometimes life is a lot, isn't it? It is times like this when I find it even more important to think about the blessings and the happy moments in my days, to make a list of them - because writing them all down in one place is a poignant reminder, a helpful way to see the light among all the crazy and sad.

        Here are the things that have brought a smile to my face, a flutter to my heart, and joy to my days this week:
        • Free coffee day at the coffee shop on Monday - what a super way to start the week
        • Some much needed scrapbooking time
        • Claire's new smile - she lost another tooth, and there is nothing cuter than her toothless grin
        • The girls' bookshelves. They each have a bookshelf in their room filled with favorite stories and treasured stuffed toys. I love to see how they arrange things and what they treasure, it is a sweet peek into their little souls for sure
        • Freshly washed sheets
        • Finding the perfect curtains for the dining room (finally, after five years of looking)
        • Crochet, always crochet
        • A well thought out meal plan. I am not always excited to cook dinner at the end of the day, but knowing what I am making really makes things much easier
        • Sunshine - it has been rare this week, but oh so welcome when it has appeared
        • Flannel pajamas
        • Finding a pair of jeans that fit (in a smaller size than usual, hooray!)
        • Cucumber-mint tea, a new favorite
        • A growing pile of things to take to the thrift store
        • Finishing my latest book: "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert. So good.
        • Binge listening to "Magic Lessons", a podcast by Elizabeth Gilbert 
        • Watching the girls at their swimming lessons
        • A cafe mocha treat
        • Hugs from my girls
        Hope there have been lots of happy moments in your week, friends. Have a wonderful weekend.

        (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

          Friday, 25 March 2016

          Now is Now

          For the last two days the weather has been miserable: ice on the trees, torrential downpours, high winds....just terrible and definitely not at all like spring.
          So I have stayed inside and worked on this, my granny square project:
          I've smiled every time I walked past the pile of crochet blankets in the living room. Notice my Cozy Stripe Blanket on top of this pile...oh, I just love crochet blankets, they are so cozy.
          And I've spent some time in the kitchen preparing food for our family Easter gathering tomorrow.

          It felt great to just enjoy my time at home. To savor my time in the kitchen, to linger on the couch crocheting just a little longer, to drink my tea while it is hot, and to just have the time and space to slow down and relax. I could use more days like the last two, though maybe with a little less ice and wind and a lot more sunshine.  

          Have a wonderful Easter, friends.

          (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

          Friday, 18 March 2016

          Now is Now

          This week was spring break and I was at home with my girls! I'm so glad that I had a little time off work. This week was just what I needed - a time to recharge, relax and play catch up on a few things.

          Here are some of the happy moments from my week:
          • Having breakfast with the girls. I start work very early in the morning so it is only on days off that I have breakfast with my sweeties
          • Watching The Sound of Music with the girls. I love this movie and I love that watching it together has become a spring break tradition
          • Cooking salmon for dinner - certainly not an economical meal, but gosh it was delicious
          • Finishing my Cozy Stripe Blanket! Yes, you heard me right. Wednesday night, around midnight, was super exciting as I darned in the last end and laid out my gorgeous blanket on the living room floor.
          • Drinking many cups of green tea
          • Watching in wonder as the paper toy collection in my house grew even more
          • Sewing colorful bags with the girls 
          • Rock climbing as a family 
          • Baking a lemon poppy seed loaf
          • Sleeping later than 6am 
          • Making progress on my granny square project 
          • Finishing the mending and sewing the Girl Guide badges onto the sash - it felt really good to stroke these tasks from the list
          • A kitchen table strewn with craft supplies left there by two crafty girls
          • A little summer planning 
          • Spending a day with my Mom
          • Feeling at ease, at peace, as I moved through my days
          • Celebrating my grandparents' birthdays
          • Doing some much needed clothes shopping 
          • Noticing a little more green in the garden
          • Staying up late to work on projects
          It was a great week and I am really looking forward to the weekend. We have a little trip to IKEA planned for tomorrow, which is always fun and full of inspiration.

          (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

          Friday, 11 March 2016

          Now is Now


          Simple joys from my week:
          • Spring has arrived. The snow has melted, the birds have returned, and the sun and wind are noticeably warmer.
          • This book arriving on my doorstep - so much inspiration
          • Eating dinners from the freezer, making meal time a little simpler this week
          • Cleaning out the closets - it is so freeing to get rid of the excess (why I still have receiving blankets is beyond me?)
          • More garden plans
          • Reading this book - one of the most inspiring books I have ever read
          • Free coffee day at the coffee shop
          • Wearing t-shirts
          • Putting the winter boots away in the closet
          • Baking muffins
          • Opening the windows to let a little spring air in
          • Burning my lilac candle  
          • Strawberry wine

          (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

          Friday, 26 February 2016

          Now is Now

          Beautiful moments from my week:
          • A family walk in the spring-like weather
          • Cozy time on the couch crocheting when the weather turned cold and snowy again
          • Meeting a friend for a good chat and a bit of crochet
          • Trying a new recipe for a delicious and easy to make meal that everyone loved (well, except Claire, but that is a tall order)
          • Taking a load of clothing to the consignment shop, the purge continues
          • Listening to an inspiring podcast
          • Cuddling with my girls
          • Planning the garden
          • Seeing a slight reduction in our grocery bill
          • Noticing that the days are definitely getting longer
          • Coffee - always
          It has been another full week: full of everyday life and full of wonderful little moments that deserve to be celebrated.

          (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

          Thursday, 18 February 2016

          Now is Now

          Today on my way home from work I stopped and bought some tulips. Because today is a good day: my sister had her baby girl and the sun is shining.

          I am about to head into the kitchen to make an Asian soup for dinner, something new that I am excited to try.

          Hope you have had a wonderful day.

          (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

          Friday, 12 February 2016

          Now is Now

          A list of beautiful moments from my week:
          • seeing the sun shining through the windows
          • writing Valentines with my girls
          • eating simple meals
          • crochet, always crochet
          • a good purge of my closet, so therapeutic
          • learning a few new photo editing tricks in Lightroom
          • splurging on blueberries
          • listening to music from my teen years
          • watching the tulip bulb sprout on the kitchen windowsill
          It feels wonderful to be present and take notice of these moments, enjoying them fully and completely.

          What were some of your best moments this week?

          (My focus for this year is: Now is Now. Read more about it here)

          Friday, 5 February 2016

          Now is Now

          A cup of green tea at the end of the work day provides a moment of pause and an opportunity to regroup before the after school/evening activities.
          Watching my girls play and listening to their constant narrative. It makes me smile and laugh aloud when I see that time and time again they prefer to play with paper dolls that they have drawn and cut out themselves rather than the actual dolls that are sitting untouched in the toy bin.
          Reading this book. I finally got it from the library mostly just to see what all the fuss was about. To be honest, I am a naturally tidy person and do not identify with many of the "problem areas" identified in the book, however there is always room for improvement, isn't there? I have learned a few things and I am planning on a good sort through of my clothing this weekend.
          So there you have it, another week. There were many moments this week when I felt completely in the Now, completely present in the moment; it is wonderful to feel this way after existing in such a hurried and distracted state for so long and I love being able to share some of these moments in this space.

          That being said, and in the interest of keeping it real, there were moments this week when I wished the day was a little longer so that I could fit more in, when I added too much to my 'to-do' list even though I now know better, when I spent all my time getting ready for the next day and did not for a minute relish the day I was in. Needless to say, I felt tired, irritated and frustrated. But then I began to think about the realities of life and my perspective shifted. I began to think about how present I felt over the course of the week on average rather than on a strictly daily basis. I quickly came to realize that the Now moments were there, the calm was there, the enjoyment was there, I just needed to step back and look at the bigger picture. Mondays and Tuesdays are very full days for our family (work, school, dinner, Girl Guides) so sitting with a cup of tea at the end of the day is not realistic if everyone is to eat and get to where they need to be on time. It is usually these days when I feel most overwhelmed by all there is to do and my inability to stop even for a moment. But when I step back and look at the whole week, the hurry and demands of those two days are diluted by all the other times when I was present and enjoying the wonderful moments, people, ideas, and things that were right in front of me. Perspective is a truly powerful tool, my friends, and even a small shift can have a dramatic effect.

          I hope you have all had a wonderfully present week. Thank you so much for reading.

          (Read more about Now is Now here)

          Thursday, 28 January 2016

          Now is Now

          A simple list of the moments that I enjoyed and cherished this week:
          • Noticing that the days are getting just a little bit longer
          • The sun streaming through the window at work
          • Drinking green tea
          • Working on my scrapbook
          • Looking at sewing patterns with Bridget
          • Cooking healthy meals for my family and trying some new recipes
          • Cuddles with Claire-Bear
          • A much needed and long awaited date night 
          • Crocheting
          • Wearing a dress
          • Restocking the pantry 
          • Listening to a podcast
          There is nothing earth shattering here, but feeling less hurried has allowed me to be more present, to be in the Now, to see what is happening right in front of me and enjoy it that much more. Thanks to a shorter daily 'to-do' list I feel less frantic and more present; who would have thought that such a small change would make such a huge impact.

          Have a wonderful day and enjoy all the little moments happening right in front of you.

          (Read more about Now is Now here)

            Thursday, 21 January 2016

            Now is Now

            I mentioned last week that perhaps a shorter, less ambitious daily 'to-do' list might help me stay more present. Well, this week I gave that a try. I only put two or three things on my daily 'to-do' list (rather than five or six) and it turns out that in fact it is true: a shorter to-do list allows me more time and energy to focus on Now. With fewer things on the list clamoring for my attention, I felt less hurried, less frantic, and more able to take in the present moment.

            After I finished the few tasks on my list I had the time, space, and energy to look out the window and notice the winter landscape in my backyard, to work on my vacation scrapbook, to read my book, to cuddle with my girls, to have a much needed conversation with Steve. I was able to focus on Now and on what was right in front of me, what recharges me, what brings me joy, what strengthens my relationships....

            And you know what, everything that needed to get done still got done. I know that my desire to live a more present life can not come at the expense of my responsibilities, that there will always be things that need to be done (in my case this is always a load of laundry or cooking), but with fewer things on my daily list I have more room to breath. I am doing what needs to be done but leaving space to enjoy the present.

            This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Gretchen Rubin: "By doing a little bit each day you can get a lot accomplished." So true, my friends, so true. So long as I remember to focus on "doing a little every day" I can get done what needs doing, and still have the time, space and energy to enjoy the day that I am living Now.

            (Read more about Now is Now here)