If you want to love well, you need to love yourself first. This week for advent practice ways of loving yourself.

I don’t need another reason to love paper planners but I discovered one. Physical calendars provide a tangible reminder of the ending of the year. There is no next month after December. It’s over. There are no more pages to turn. A fresh blank book is waiting for next year. This year’s planner is full. It’s a bit of a mess actually. It is well worn. My planner is part scheduler, part to-do list and part journal. I tend to make notes through the year in it. There are new days

I see this newsletter as a kitchen conversation. It’s a place to be candid, to be honest, to say the things we are thinking. I have talked t

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. - Warren Buffet It's probably obvious that I am a list maker. And I am a planner. In fact, I think the two things go hand in hand. Lists, in my humble opinion, are just a specific form of planning. If you are going away for a weekend you make a list of what you need to bring. It's a way of planning what you are going to do. When you go to the grocery story you take a list - it's a plan of wh

When we can connect instantly with each other, how do we rationalize going months without talking and 'picking up where we left off'?

I just got back from Newfoundland, It was a bittersweet trip. My sister and I took my father’s cremated remains back to where his life began, a small fishing village named Twillingate (Toulinquet). Small is a very accurate description. The population is just over 2,000. The picture above is taken near where my dad grew up. Life is slow, simple and routine. And like everywhere the full range of human experiences are present: from suffering and sorrow to joy and happiness. And

I’ve always considered myself to be a strong person. Like many women, I have experienced my share of trauma and disappointment. Even from a very young age I felt like I had to take care of myself. I didn’t feel like anyone had my back. My solution was to become an independent woman. I worked very hard at not needing people. My determination to be strong was supported by the cultural messages around me. We've all heard, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." It is reinfo

It's a crazy world out there. Just ask Lucy, the little girl whose first day of school photos have gone viral. Click here to read the story. She looks like a lot of us feel after a day at work! Life can get messy in a hurry. Here’s my truth: I’ve been feeling anxious lately. I know in my head that everything is okay and manageable but I sometimes feel like we are on the precipice of disaster. I’ve faced some big challenges this year. I’m generally pretty good at getting thr

You disappoint me. And I disappoint you. How are we going to deal with it?

I've been busy working on a course and thinking about decision-making, discernment and intuition in our lives. I've been considering how we make decisions. I have a lot to say on the topic. Last week I had a conversation with a woman who is in the middle of a major and life-altering decision. I asked her what type of process she uses to make decisions. She said her biggest question is, "How much risk is involved in making this decision and can I live with it?" Her answer stu

It seems like I've unintentionally focused on a theme in the last few posts - travel and escape. These are also themes in my life. I love getting away. I love moving. I've moved 17 times in my adult life. The longest I have lived in one home is 10 years. I love change. I used to wish I was the kind of person who stayed in one place her entire life. My mother-in-law lived over 60 years in her home. I couldn't do it. I am writing this post during a week long writing blitz. I

Would you stop travelling because of the environmental impact? What would you be willing to do? Here's some questions to consider.

Almost every woman I know shares the same fantasy. Instead of living in a fantasy - reframe it and make it a reality.

Today I was out for my routine early morning walk. I’ve been going much earlier than usual thanks to my cat waking me up at 5 am every day. Once she hears the birds chirping she just won’t shut up. (Feel free to email me your cat rehabilitation advice.) I was listening to a great interview with Brené Brown by Russell Brand (I am having a bit of a Russell Brand moment right now.) As I listened I was laughing out loud at parts of the interview. There is a video at the bottom i

Are you thinking about what you will do when all the conditions are perfect? Meet Summer Sandy. She'll be your best friend.

Don't you love hearing stories about how people got together? I recently read about how Bill Gates asked Melinda out on their first date: "You know I was thinking maybe we could go out — if you give me your phone number — maybe two weeks from tonight," Bill said, according to an interview Melinda gave with AOL's Makers site. "And I said to him, 'Two weeks from tonight? I have no idea what I'm doing two weeks from tonight.' And I said, 'You're not spontaneous enough for me.

How do you get rid of ants in your house? Have you tried asking them to leave? Inspired by Mary Reynolds, author of The Garden Awakening,

I'm completely sold on routines as a way to help us achieve our goals and align our lives with our values. I don't think it is easy to do.

I’m finishing this email in the middle of week four of a significant disruption of my life. Over three weeks ago my husband was admitted to critical care at a local hospital. He was quite ill with a leg infection and initially the doctors feared flesh eating disease. He had sepsis. He spent 16 days in the hospital and although he is home we have a long road ahead of us. (It was like one very long episode of Grey's Anatomy without the hot doctors.) When everything goes to shi

In my last post I wrote about rhythms. This week I want to talk to you about routines and how they support us in life. Now, I know as soon as you read the word 'routines' some of you started feeling resistance and/or are not sure you want to continue reading. Here’s the thing - you already have them in your life. You’ve either been intentional about creating them or they have formed over time. Not many of us intentionally decide to binge on Netflix every night while eating p