With it being Mother’s Day this weekend, I thought I would style an outfit from Talbots for my mom!
Dress: Embroidered Butterfly Linen Shift Dress in french blue
Shoes: Pamela Bow Linen Espadrille Wedges in indigo blue
Earrings: Butterfly Friends Stud Set
Bracelet: Butterfly Charm Bracelet
It has been said, “You are what you eat.” Rewrite that phrase; “You are what you______”
You are what you put out into this world!
If you put out kindness, love, compassion, action, respect, tolerance; ultimately your best version, then you are a good person. If you put out meanness, hatred, selfishness, in action, disrespect, intolerance; ultimately your worst version, then you are an awful person. Some people are awful but claim to be good. This is wrong! Those who are good usually don’t boast or claim their goodness. You are what you put out and you reap what you sow. Ultimately, you get what you truly deserve.
What about you?
Prompt from: Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompt
“Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May,” (Wikipedia). This year in Canada it falls on May 14th. I recognize that many holidays are under fire because they emphasize the commercials, the material and the impersonal. However, for those of us who cannot be with our ‘mothers’ there is nothing wrong with wanting to send them something special.
I am a royal watcher; I watched the weddings of William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan. I watched as much Jubilee coverage as I could. I watched the funerals of Princess Diana, the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II. Say what you will about the Royal Family; I am a sucker for a love story and celebrating the lives of people who have dedicated their lives to service.
My best friend and I try to watch these events together and we make a big deal of it! Having just taken High Tea at The Empress in Victoria, we were inspired to create our own tea tower. Typically, the first (bottom) level of the three-tiered stand are savory items like tea sandwiches. The second (middle) level includes scones with clotted cream and jam. The third (top) level consists of sweet items. You eat from the bottom up. And the best part is: it’s all finger foods!
We are having two flavours of tea from the Loft 35 collection which can be purchased online from the Fairmont Store; Lady Londonderry and the classic, Orange Pekoe! There will also be mimosas for toasting!
| First Course | Mini Vegetable Quiches Devilled Eggs Cucumber Sandwiches Open-Faced Salmon Lox Bagel Bites *cream cheese, arugula, capers, pickled red onions |
| Second Course | Scones With clotted cream & raspberry jam |
| Third Course | Two-Bite Brownies Macarons Mini Lemon Tarts Mini Strawberry Shortcake Cups Banana Bread |
What expert do you wish could come teach you what they know?
Living or dead?
If I could truly pick anyone I would choose Agatha Christie. She is THE master mystery writer, to learn from her would be incredible! To have hear all about her life straight from her mouth would be so neat. However, if I could only choose someone living I would choose a chef or someone very well connected to the culinary world. My top picks are Gordon Ramsay or Padma Lakshmi. Gordon Ramsay is wildly successful. He seems to be very well versed in lots of types of cuisines, and he would have so many awesome stories from his adventures. I have a food bucket list; having a master class with him and eating in one of his restaurants is on it. Padma Lakshmi is a force to be reckoned with; she has taken Top Chef to new highs are host and executive producer. She highlights food, cultures/groups and social issues –learning about all of those things would be simultaneously fascinating and humbling.
What about you?
Prompt from: Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompt
If you are new to my blog; I have been setting three small goals each month. In January, I focused on my physical health. In February, I focused on my mental health. “I made the most (of what I started)” in March and I tried to “finish what I started” in April.
May is my “birthday month” so as I head into my 37th year I just want to stop and take a moment to think about what I have accomplished so far and how I have set myself up for another trip around the sun. Ultimately, over the past four months I have been able to make real changes in my life! I am still consistently getting exercise (and have even improved my yoga practice), drinking more water than I normally did in 2022, making smarter choices when it comes to eating. As a result I am down 20 pounds and feeling great. I am still journaling, meditating and reading everyday –those things have become an unconscious practice. I was also able to scratch something off my ‘bucket list,’ give up coffee and develop better sleeping habits.
The goals for this month don’t have a theme, perhaps they are about the “little things that make a big difference!”
What goals are you setting this month?
I can’t believe how fast April flew by! I have been setting three goals each month since the New Year; I focused on physical health and then mental health and then I “made the most of” March. For April, I decided on the theme of “Finishing What I Started…,” because I felt like I was losing a bit of momentum and I was unable to fully accomplish my goals. To keep myself accountable I’m checking in monthly with you all. As a refresher, my goals were…
How did I do?
In terms of goal #1, I managed to make it through 94 workouts and I am feeling fantastic. Originally, when I set the goal there were 109 workouts and then NTC added 5 more workouts. Technically, I am only doing 113 of 114 because one of them is a handstand prep sequence and I am not comfortable doing that. 19 workouts left!
In terms of goal #2, I set a goal in January about decreasing coffee so this was a throwback to that; although I accomplished that original goal by reducing consumption to one cup a day. But since my tea order arrived I have been starting my day with a cup of tea and to be honest I don’t miss coffee. My skin is looking better and I think the effects have carried over into improving my sleep.
In terms of goal #3, over the course of the month I researched and tried out some small tactics to prevent myself from feeling tired when I woke up. Which included: no reading on my ipad before bed, mint oil on temples, switched up the linens on the bed and my pillow, consistent bedtime and increased the darkness. I definitely think that it will take a bit of time to see the results from this and it will be an ongoing process.
Write about the last time you felt guilty.
I feel guilty all the time. I feel guilty on a daily basis. mostly it’s about really trivial stuff. However some of the stuff isn’t trivial
-Leaving the dog alone all day while I am at work.
-Eating, oddly enough, is where I feel a lot of guilt. Having suffered disordered eating on and off for most of my life you can see how this might make sense.
-Saying no, even to the most insignificant request.
-When I see someone who’s struggling while I am thriving.
-My relationship with some of my family members. I could do better, however, so could they!
-Not doing my chores and letting my to-do list pile up. I don’t know how procrastination can feel so good and so terrible at the same time.
-Cancelling plans with someone even when the reason is serious and legitimate.
-Asking for help. I hate looking weak and I hate bothering someone.
-Spending money even on something I need or really really want and have saved up for.
-Working too much! I really struggle with work life balance.
Hmm…maybe I should see someone about these!
What about you?
Prompt from: Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompt
Ad·dic·tion
/əˈdikSH(ə)n/
noun
the fact or condition of being dependent or “hooked” to a particular substance, thing or activity.
Book: A Most Intriguing Lady by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York
Music: Ellie Goulding’s Higher Than Heaven
TV Show: Love is Blind (Season 4; Netflix)
Movie: Murder Mystery 2 (Netflix)
Cosmetic: Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution (The Ordinary)
Clothing: Lace Top With Ruffle Detail (Ricki’s)
Accessory: Béis Sport Pack
Drink: Lady Londonderry Tea
Apparently “tinned fish” is a food trend for 2023. I remember back in the day when I got made fun of in school for packing it in my lunch. Of course, nothing beats a tuna fish sandwich, a tuna noodle casserole, or a tuna melt, but I have found some great “grown-up” recipes and these are my top five!
1. Cheesy Tuna Toasts with Olive Salsa
2. Spaghetti with Tuna Puttanesca
3. Tuna Burgers
If you have a recipe, feel free to comment below!