Moving Forwards & Upwards

I have been absorbing - like a sponge - all the information & learnings I can possibly fit into my brain fibers. I'm feeling overflowingly full, but oh, so ready for more!

I have been exploring various ways of increasing my business, my clientele & my overall productivity (Rule #1 it seems is: Less internet time! Nnnooooo!!!! :D ) Not to mention getting a better hold on this thing called life.

So, I have found a variety of free resources online (Yes, I know - spend less time online doing more productive work BUT watch this tele-summit which is only available online.... Hmmmm..... )

I'd like to introduce them so you may find some inspiration as well:

Leonie Dawson - She has an entire section on her site dedicated to freebies, workbooks & offerings to help gain insights to improve business & life. Plus she is super colourful & playful which I LOVE!!

The SoulFuel Revolution - An online event hosted by Wendy Collier featuring daily freebies & tele-casts by experts in business sharing their tips & insights.

Sara Avant Stover - Creator of The Way of the Happy Woman. Particularly, I have been drawn to & have been enjoying her 21 Days of She amazing-ness. Daily emails with suggestions of how to celebrate everything in your life. 

Jennifer Grace - I had the absolute pleasure of taking some of Jennifer's classes in person on The Zen Cruise in February & let me tell you - she shines & is so full of vigor & well, grace! :) She is such an inspiration & has some wonderful offerings right now available.

So excited for my journey! Won't you join me?

Passionate Painting

Last night, I taught a workshop on intuitive painting. It was the first painting workshop I have had the pleasure to teach. It is not the first workshop, however. But this one was special to me & I was incredibly excited. 

These are the gorgeous creations everyone made:

& this one was mine:

 

 
I used whatever left over paint & supplies that other people had used. There are accidents & "what-the"s - but that is what I like about it. The OOPS! (I read once that this stands for Outstanding Opportunities Presenting Suddenly!)

Its the Little Things

Today I take it back to basics. The small moments that make every day gloriously beautiful & joyous. The simple things in life that give me the chills & bring a smile to my face every day. Such as:

- Waking up to birds chirping & the sun shining
- Being surrounded by a pillow of soft blankets like a big hug
- A warm little fur body pressed up against me
- A hot shower on a cold day
- The glorious release of that first pee of the day
- The last piece of pie/cookie or last nights dessert waiting for your enjoyment (& its even better to start the day off with it!)

- Your favourite home cooked meal loving prepared just for you
- When your favourite song comes on the video
- The sound of the waves upon the shore, the wind through the trees or rain pattering on the roof
- Dandelion seeds blowing in the wind

- Something sparkly catching your eye (I especially love when my engagement ring catches the sun & turns my car into a disco ball of rainbows)
- Coming home after a long day & feeling safe
- Finally finishing that item you've had on your to-do list for too long
- The feeling of the sun heating your skin to just the right temperature
- The smell of frying onions & charcoal barbeques
- The first robin after a long winter

- The first soft snowfall of the year - you know the one - it coats the world in a blanket of perfectness
- Collecting stones on the beach & maybe finding that perfect skipping stone

What inspires & uplifts your day? Write a list in your journal, blog about it or share it on FB. Get it out into the world & feel gratitude!
J <3

Easter Bunny Bonanza!

Today was a day of different sorts. A couple of regular cutie clients, family critters and my Lu (she's a whole story of her own! :) ) went out to support the Cuddly Cats Rescue and get their pictures taken with the Easter bunny. Now, I have previously had my pet pics done with Santa (almost every pet I've ever had and almost every year in fact!) but never with the Easter bunny. 

First of all, not every dog loves the idea of sitting on the lap of some huge white fuzzy bunny that talks to them. In fact, many were not impressed in the slightest. Second, having all those pets and people in 1 room can get interesting to say the least. Third, the sounds, kissy-noises, treat bag shaking and toy squeaking we were doing should be an Olympic sport! Ha! But all-in-all, most of us had fun (Hope & Roxy might say differently) and we have some cuteness to remember it by.

 Roxy & Hope

 Lite, Lulu & Oak

Ash & Rowan

All pictures taken by my wonderfully talented friend (and I guess Lulu's owner (only technically! :) ) Jackie Baird at AmberLu Photography. 

J <3

Soup's on!

Today was a crazy busy day (in fact a crazy busy month!!) and exploration of the day took me on a journey to the kitchen.

I love (I mean, LOVE!) squash and yet I rarely eat them (eating a whole squash myself is way too much.) So - I took the jump - I bought a squash and took it home. I Googled how to make Butternut Squash soup.

Here's the recipe I used:
- 1 Butternut squash, cubed
- 1 yellow pepper, cubed (the recipe called for red pepper, but I didn't have one)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic bulbs, mashed
- 1 tbsp salt (I used pink Himalayan)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Nutmeg & Cinnamon to taste
- (I also added some Paprika to make up for using a yellow pepper)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ( I used Greek yogurt again because I had it)

Place all ingredients except the cream in a soup pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 35 minutes. Puree (I put it in my blender) and add cream.

I took an entire crock pot of this to a gathering today (Red Tent Temple Durham Region) and the women loved it! I came home with only a mason jar full! Yum!

J <3

Getting my Mantra on

So, day 2 of my journey in moments and I have already fallen to the way-side. Not that I didn't experience and live, just that I didn't blog about it. That's the hard part. But I digress...

Yesterday I tried something new to me that I have been wanting to try for years. I went to a Kundalini yoga class. 

When I first heard of Kundalini I thought of sexual and perverse things. It sounded dirty and my inner child giggled (I'll admit it still does from time to time.) However, I have heard nothing but rave reviews regardless of the teacher. Now, I am a trained Hatha teacher and I have worked in studios with Kundalini teachers previously and currently but never allowed myself to set aside time to attend a class. 

How was my experience? One word: Glorious! I felt like I worked out a gym, went on a hike through the forest, swam in the lake, meditated for hours, attended a vigorous Hatha practice - all in one! As we were preforming the exercises Devjeet Kaur would say inspirational and meaningful things to us that made my heart sing and my head step back. I felt reborn and ready to do more!

 For being my first journey on my new path, it was a beautiful one. 

J <3

My Idea & My Journey

There are 525,600 minutes every year of a persons life. When you look at it as such a vast number, it appears that we have plenty of time to accomplish our dreams, to learn a new skill, to return that phone call or to try something new.

But what if that number was cut in half? We spend an average of 175,200 of those minutes sleeping, 24,455 eating & 127,200 working. What about the minutes you spend driving, brushing your teeth, showering, grocery shopping, etc? How many minutes would you have left to try something new?

While out walking today, this idea blossomed in my mind. Of spending this 525,600 moments exploring, dreaming, trying & living them. To take the road less traveled & do things I have never done before. I see the possibilities open before me like the road in this picture. Endless. Winding. Exciting.

I dedicate this blog space to starting my journey. Of experiencing & documenting my 525,600 moments. Some may be huge leaps, some may be small steps - but all will be an experience - whether good or not so good. 

This is my idea & my journey.

J <3