07/24/2014
07/17/2014
07/15/2014
Survivor
The first photo I have seen of Happy as a puppy. Not long after she was rescued! Her mother and the entire litter froze to death except for this amazing little fighter. My uncle has rescued countless dogs in Northern Ontario where typical winter temperatures reach below 40 degrees celsius and many dogs are abandoned.
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"What do you value most about your life?"
I have been given the great fortune of taking a course about death and dying. Yes, I said great fortune and death and dying in the same sentence. The focus of the course is on how to care for the dying but it's so much more than that. It has been one of the most enlightening and beautiful things I've had the chance to be a part of. I feel so blessed to be taught by so many incredible instructors and to have been surrounded by such wonderful and amazing people as we share this experience together.
I have laughed and cried a lot during these special weekends together and I embrace every aspect of them. I honestly believe this is a course that should be mandatory for ALL students in life. I feel that our society can be so uncomfortable talking about something that we will all experience. I hope that I will at least be able to change the way the people in my life deal with death and dying. Because we truly can make it a beautiful thing.
The homework assignments include thought provoking questions and one for this month is "What do you value most about your life?" When we discuss so much about death and dying it might surprise people how much we discuss living. But it all goes hand in hand. Becoming more concious of my own mortality when my brother died has definitely made me cherish the time that I am given and understand that it could all be taken away at any moment.
So what do I cherish most?
The relationships I have with my loved ones go without saying. Having people to share the good and the bad with is something I think most people value above all. Laughing with the people in my life that I love is so important to me. There's nothing better.
I would have to say that one of the other things I value most about my life is mobility. It's something that I have taken for granted at times but when I'm hiking up a mountain or just going for a walk along the water I realize how much peace it brings me. The fact that I can hop into a kayak and head out for a day on the ocean or down a river is one of my ultimate highs. I love exploring new places, especially in such a way that has a low impact on the environment around me. I love being away from the noise of the cars and being surrounded by nothing but nature. If I could no longer do these things I know it would be really hard on me. But if that ever changes I hope I will be strong, adapt and find a new passion to fill my time with. Or find someone that will strap me into a K-2 and bring me along for the ride ;)
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07/12/2014
07/07/2014
Homemade Natural & Organic Body Lotion
Since I've been trying to choose more natural products to use in my daily routine I decided maybe it would be fun to just make my own body lotion. I've learned that you can't always trust labels that say "natural" so I went to Pinterest (where I spend way too much time already) and found a recipe to test out.
The lotion I decided to make is so simple! I didn't have any of the ingredients at home though so I went on my first shopping trip to Goodness Me. It's a natural food market in Burlington and I am in love.
The recipe on adelightfulhome.com gives you a few options as substitutes but here are the exact ingredients I used:
1/2 cup sweet almond oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax
1 tablespoon shea butter
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
20 drops essential oil (I only used 15 drops of lavender because I find it quite strong and in another batch I used rosewater concentrate)
To prepare it you simply place all the ingredients in a glass canning jar and place the jar in a pot of heated water (medium heat on the stove) with the water level high enough to exceed the contents of the jar. Once all the ingredients have melted together (which takes about 20 minutes) you can pour them into whatever containers you have chosen and allow them to cool.
I was quite pleased with how it turned out and I've even used it as lip gloss. I think they'll make great gifts too.
-h
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06/18/2014
06/16/2014
Why I Share with Homeless People
Why wouldn't I? Within the last five years in particular I have given money to people living on the streets and if I don't have any change the least I can do is acknowledge them with a caring response. A smile and a hello will serve better than treating a person as if they are invisible.
One day in particular remains so clear in my memory and I know I'll carry it with me for a long time. A friend of mine had a very strong reaction to seeing me give someone money. She was so shocked and made no effort to hide her feelings about how stupid she thought what I was doing was. I was pretty shocked myself with her reaction. But I guess it's a common reaction... just one I'm not used to being around.
Here's the thing, we live in a society that is not necessarily structured well to serve it's people. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing bigger and bigger. And there are structures within our society that actually cause a lot of the problems which many people want to pretend don’t exist. People don't want to see it on their way to work, as they pick up their morning coffee or head out to enjoy a day in the city.
Before judging someone for the situation you see him/her in we need to recognize that we couldn't possibly know what struggles that person has had in life. There are so many homeless people living with mental illness. If they don't have the funds or a supportive family to take care of them then sometimes they have nowhere else to go. I think we have all heard (or even made) the argument that people are on the street because they are lazy or an alcoholic or a drug addict but I don't think it's that simple. And if some form of substance abuse is the problem I feel sad for them that they struggle with this every day but it does not make me see them as a lesser person or someone undeserving of compassion. If someone protests why I share by saying "they're just going to waste it on alcohol" my response to that is so what? Who am I to judge what a person chooses to do with the money I give. Don't most of us spend money on things that aren't necessarily of benefit to us or perhaps even detrimental to our health. Of course I would rather see them go and buy something nourishing and healthy to eat but if they don't and I have provided them with some kind of relief in that moment then I am glad. The "they'll spend it on alcohol" argument my friend made seemed particularly weak coming from her considering the fact that her parents pay her way through university including any monthly living expenses and yet I've seen hundreds and hundreds of their dollars go towards booze. I doubt that's what they intended her to spend so much of their money on.
If you can’t understand where I’m coming from then I can certainly respect that. I just hope that the next time you are being asked for some spare change that instead of a simple “no” you will share a smile and wish them a great day… because that’s someone’s brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter. Don’t ignore someone, no matter who it is, who is reaching out to you for help.
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06/10/2014
Twenty-six years young: onto older & wiser decisions?
Being slightly drunk before 2:30pm on a Tuesday afternoon would be immature? Inapprorpriate, right? But if it's your twenty-sixth birthday and your day off on a hot and sunny Ontario day by the lakeshore then it's okay right!? I had totally made peace with the fact that it would just be me and my pooch to celebrate my day of birth (until later tonight at least) but was pleasantly surprised with a patio lunch overlooking Lake Ontario. One too many glasses of wine (which for me is a mere two glasses, or one if we're being honest here) and complimentary birthday champagne left me walking over to Starbucks to sober up and write the day away as my lunch date heads back to work.
For me birthdays always come with a bit of analysis on what I've done with my life thus far, thoughts of my brother as soon as the first person wishes me "Happy Birthday" as I realize the new age I've reached while he stays forever young at twenty-one, and what goals I have for the coming year.
The most recent big accomplishment for me is finally getting that expensive piece of paper: my Bachelor of Arts. And getting accepted to university to start my Bachelor of Education. So one big goal for the upcoming year is to work towards completing my teaching degree so I can finally start working at my 'career'. But last night just after the clock struck 12 and he asked me what I hope for in my twenty-seventh year of life, I said I hope to enjoy my teaching degree and all that comes along with that. I'm hoping that my intuition is right and that I will absolutely love making my way into the school system.
Some other goals I have for 2014 are:
1) grow my own kale! I can't believe my basil has actually survived so far this spring. I must be growing up!
2) write every day... and share it. Even when I'm afraid of the criticism or that my thoughts are insiginificant and need not be shared.
3) stay focused even if I'm not having the greatest day.
4) go on those outdoor adventures I always mentally plan but don't always bring to fruition.
5) communicate kindly in all my relationships, especially in my most comfortable ones.
6) absorb more French. Read, write, listen, speak. French, French, French.
I recently read that in order for people to happy we have a need to grow, to accomplish new things. And I couldn't agree with that more. I want to constantly be evolving and bettering myself and enjoying new experiences. If people don't see why certain changes I make are important to me that's okay but I think that from year to year I'm becoming more comfortable and happy with the person I grow into or at least with the alterations I am making. I never want to stop learning, no matter what age I am lucky enough to reach. I am definitely not afraid of getting old, only of running out of time before I accomplish the things I want to accomplish.
-h
"Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." -Unknown
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Make-up Free Mondays
Going make-up free is not a foriegn concept to me nor is it news in social media. Women and young girls alike had been challenging each other to post photos of themselves 100% natural. Personally there are many days I go without the full meal deal out of my make-up regime. However, this usually occurs when I'm not planning on leaving the house. I also wasn't about to post photos of myself online chronicling this state which usually includes a messy, frizzy bun on the top of my head. But with all the research I've been doing on the cosmetics I use on a regular basis, I've decided to conciously have at least one day a week in exile from my vanity. That means no foundation, no blush, no mascara and not even lip balm. I'm not even going to use hair products or the blow dryer. Although it is rare that I go every day using all the goodies in my cosmetic bag, I do always put on mascara and something to give my lips a little extra shine. So this is where the challenge will be. Even if I'm working, going to spend time with friends or out for a date night I'm going to do it 100% in the skin that my mama gave me. I challenge those of you reading this (if there are any haha) to do the same.
-h
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