currently | a positive start to 2014

I have so much to tell you and show you - including a trip to Mexico - but I don't want to force the words out. Here's a look at what's been up lately around here.

watching & listening | to lots of youtube videos.

That includes listening to every Jhene Aiko song I can find - this one in particular. Her voice is so unique and soothing. Her style is hard to peg, but it's half R&B and half chill.

reading | On Looking.

A friend of mine (hi, SE!) recommended this to me about a year ago I'd say and only now am I getting around to it. I've only read a few pages so far, so I can't give you a real review. Based on what I've read so far though, I think it will help me be more present, especially on my walks with Abby.

Sometimes I drag her along in the mornings because I woke up late. I hope to be able to get out of bed earlier and take our walks on a slower pace. I'm sure she would appreciate the extra time to sniff our neighbours' compost bins and find errant turkey bones.

annoyed by | our front door's lock.

With the rain and cold we've had lately, our lock has frozen. It takes me a good minute or so of wiggling and tapping in order to get the key in. Let me just say right here that tapping is putting it lightly. More like slamming? This cannot be done bare-handed - mittens are a must. Otherwise, I would cut myself. So, yesterday I was a bit too ambitious (aggressive?) with my "tapping" and broke D's key in the lock.

neglecting | cleaning my bathroom.

It's really not that bad. Ever since the new year, D & I have been on an organizing/cleaning kick. Straight up, I am a messy person. That said, in the past few weeks I've made a few changes in my habits that have made a huge impact. Now... dishes only sit on the counter for a day or two and I keep a few surfaces free of clutter. The keyword here is few - my dining/craft table always seems to house those things that don't have a "home". Tell me you have a space that seems to collect the most random things...?

We've also reorganized our spare room closet, our tupperware cupboard and two bookshelves. I wish I had pics to show you because this is a major improvement.

So with all of that, my bathroom has taken a back seat.

excited about | buying a house.

I think 2014 is going to be the year. Want to follow along?



Thanks so much for reading,
xx Janelle

little lessons : build in rest & buy yourself a sweater

Happy Monday to you all! We survived.

Last week was a little bit of a blur for me. Every night I had somewhere to be or something to do - mind you, it was all fun stuff. When the dust settled this weekend, I had a bit of time to reflect.

Here are a few mini-lessons I've learned:

- If you see a sweater you love at Target and there's only one left in your size, buy it. It won't be there next week.

- No matter how long you've been saving, you will feel a pang of anxiety when you make a big purchase. Wait it out, you will get excited...

-  If you plan to go somewhere on Friday, built in rest time during the week. Otherwise, you will crash. You are not superwoman. It's okay to be tired and call a time out. This is a lesson I will learn and re-learn.

- Peppermint tea will make your belly feel better 75% of the time. Drink lots of it!

- A short workout is better than no workout. Even if you can't remember the last time you did any physical activity other than walking your dog.

post-workout & smiling.

How was your weekend? Any lessons learned?

xx Janelle

Halloween Tag | lambchops & chocolate

I normally never do these, but I was tagged by my real-life friend Val from Making It Sparkle, so I had to say yes.

If you're not into these types of things, come back next week for a Fall favorites post inspired by my friend Jamie's YouTube channel. I'm hoping to share some of my well-loved items for Fall. Some food, some clothes, some home comforts. Oh, and don't worry there will be no mention of pumpkin spiced lattes! Promise.

THE HALLOWEEN TAG 

 

1. What is your favorite Halloween movie?

Hmm, well considering I can't handle scary movies at all... probably something more suspensful. Maybe Black Magic, although I haven't seen that one in years. I'm more into Christmas movies. I think it's still too early to watch Elf though. I have strict rules about these things.

 

2.  What was your favorite costume?

Ah, so many to choose from! I'm one of those annoying people who gets overly excited about dressing up in costume. I was a dance and theatre kid back in grade school. That should explain some of it.

Here's my favorite costume I've thrown together:

I got to become my beloved childhood best friend, my stuffed animal Lambchops. Every little girl's dream.

Please ignore how scary I look in the top right photo. I know it's Halloween and I was cold, but still.

3.  Do you like haunted houses?

No. Not even a little bit.

One year I succumbed to peer pressure and went to to a haunted walk at a zoo with friends. This was a terrible idea. The thought of going through these enclosed spaces while people jumped out at me with blood all over themselves and holding weapons was too much for me. I got about one or two steps into one of the exhibits and darted back out. So, I waited outside after each one. All night. While seven year olds went through without batting an eye.

4.  What's your favorite candy?

Chocolate or sour candy.

5.  Do you decorate for Halloween?

I don't now, but if we had a house we would put a few pumpkins out. No skeletons and bones though.... not really our style.

 

6.  Do you still dress up for Halloween? If yes, what will you be this year?

I always do, if there's a party to go to. This year, I planned to be a mermaid, but I couldn't make it to the fabric store, so I'm going as a swamp lady instead. There will be drapey fishnet fabric, painted on fish scales and fake seaweed. I'll make it work!

7.  What is the one Halloween candy you can't stand?

Those taffy's wrapped in the orange and black wrappers. Ick.

8.  What's your best Halloween memory?

Trick or treating around my subdivision as a kid. There were quaite a few houses which meant a decent candy haul. We always collected our candy in pillowcases. Did you guys do that?

9.  What song comes to mind when you think of Halloween?

The monster mash.

10.  What's your favorite part of Halloween?

Cute kids in costumes. Little superman's & fairies melt my heart!

11.  Would you rather trick or treat?

Treats!

12.  Candy Corn- Take It or Leave It?

Ew.

 

13.  If a black cat crosses your path, what do you do?

Call it towards me so I can pat it. Here kitty, kitty, kitty....

14.  Do you carve/decorate pumpkins?

Yes! I haven't the past couple of years though. I painted one a few years ago and it was really enjoyable so I think I'll do that again soon.

15.  How old were you when you stopped Trick-or-Treating?

16? I still remember feeling too old for it at that point, but some teens in the neighborhood still did it. I guess I'm a sucker for free candy.

I was a banana that year. A hellow hoodie and a sign on my chest that said "Yes, I'm a banana". I hope you don't feel jealous of how cool I was... Haha.

16.  Festive Nail Art- Yes or No?

Subtle nail art is good. Black with silver, a deep burnt orange or peach, but no long red claws for me.

I hope your Halloween is extra sweet. Happy trick or treating!

xx
Janelle

give thanks

 

 lettering by me.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends & readers! I hope you find time this weekend to spend with your loved ones - both human & furry.

Things I'm thankful for today...

D's family and all they do for us. I can't even count all the drives they've given us.

My parents willingness to come down to Halifax to visit, so we don't have to drive up. 3 kids here does outnumber 2 parents up in New Brunswick though and they have a car... but still. 

Having the afternoon off work. My manager is super-accommodating and I'm so grateful for that.

Creativity and the joy it brings.

Friends and connections I've made through volunteering with Happily Ever Active. Building community.

Stuffing. Who can argue with that one?

Wishing you a great weekend!

xx Janelle

 

weekend recap | Sackville adventure

Want to come with me to get a tattoo tomorrow? Not usually the first thing a friend says to you when you arrive to stay the weekend. 

Last weekend, I went to stay with my good friend L in Sackville, New Brunswick, our former university town. In a moment of bravery, or maybe impulsivity, she booked a tattoo appointment for Saturday morning. After hitting up the Sackville market for some Indian comfort food, we headed to Moncton.

She decided on a simple black anchor on her wrist. And before she could change her mind, we found ourselves in a small room at the back of the shop.

The tattoo took all of 3 minutes to complete and before we knew it we were back on the road. We did a little store-hopping to find some storage baskets for her new place. By the time we finally made it back to town, we were starving and had to just sit for a bit. An episode of Orange is the New Black and stir-fried noodles is the perfect wind-down activity. Oh, and cheesecake.

Do you like our creative laptop stand?

On my last day we decided to head down to the waterfowl park. On our way there we spotted a really pretty courtyard with old doors by the mealhall. There are big round metal tables with fixed chairs and lots of greenery.

The least awkward of all the photos. Trust me.

It wouldn't be Sackville without the wind. Oh, the wind. Don't be deceived. My hair is not in a ponytail in the photo below.

The waterfowl park is such a peaceful place. It's set back from the university and the main roads, so most days it's calm and quiet. 

We walked along the boardwalk through the marsh and sat on a small bench and watched the ducks dive. We played a little sketching game and talked about the different definitions people hold of a successful work life. We talked about getting our shit together and about what that really means. We talked about settling down and how comforting it can be to have a homebase from which to explore the world on mini-vacations and trips.

L has a great perspective on building adventure into everyday. Travel is non-negotiable for her and I love that. 

All in all, we both had a soul filling weekend.

I hope all of you have a great day.
xx Janelle

weekend recap | getting stuff done at home

 

veggies from D's dad | abby waiting patiently for her treat | hedgehog closeup | blurry selfie, since i rarely post my face on here.

This weekend was just what I needed. I think D and I were both craving some time at home to do some cleaning, watch movies and relax.

On Friday night we watched FIBA Americas (basketball). Then on Saturday, I had a laughing fit with the seniors at our dance fitness class. The theme was ABBA and we came up with some pretty creative choreography. "Jump with my baby", turned into us miming being pregnant while hopping up and down. Almost everyone was in stitches. Maybe you had to be there?

Saturday night we watched The Beach - I know. I can't believe it took me this long to watch it. Apparently, it's a classic Leo movie. I liked it, but I feel like it started going downhill about halfway through. The whole gameboy scene was a bit wacky.

Today we got a few things done around the house that we've been procrastinating on. Hung a curtain in the living room (pics soon!), cleaned 3 windows, and hung up this painting I did a while ago.

I try not to see the mistakes when I look at it. I do like the hair though and it's the first of my artwork I've ever framed and hung. Plus I think it coordinates well with the wall colour.

What did you do this weekend? Fill me in.

Thanks for stopping in,
xx Janelle

that weekend feeling

I find myself living for the weekend and I know I'm not the only one.

Monday mornings seem to creep up unannounced and it's back to the weekly routine. Work, eat, sleep, repeat.

"How many days until Friday?" we all joke.

Isn't this a little bit sad? 

I don't want to live 2 out of 7 days. I want to live all of them. I really don't care how cheesy that sounds.

For the past couple weeks I've been reflecting on how I can capture the "weekend feeling" during the work week. 

A few Mondays ago I went out for dinner with my sister. I rarely do this because I'm usually too tired to stay downtown after work. We were having a great time catching up, laughing and sharing our excitement that our brother would be moving to Halifax, but at first I kept feeling like I had to get home. It was a work night.

For some reason, I felt like I was obligated to get going, even though I knew the dog was cared for and I had nothing else planned that evening. 

I wasn't quite ready to leave yet, and we had lots to catch up on, so I forced that nagging thought out of my mind and we walked down to the waterfront. We got slushies like when we were little, sat on the dock and hashed out what our future lives might look like. 

For an hour, I forgot it was Monday. And for a moment, it felt like the weekend. A time to relax, enjoy time with friends and family and eat slowly. A time when the dishes can wait, I can play one more round or stay out just a little bit later.

I think I'm going to start allowing myself more opportunities for times like these. The weekend moments. Everyday.

Wishing you a happy day,
xx Janelle

currently | frivolous with a side of serious

Now seems like a good time for a little life update. Want to come and virtually sit with me for a minute?

Listening to | Can't Hold Us. I know this Macklemore song came out a few months ago, but I was a bit late to the game. This has been my morning jam lately. I first thought John Legend was the featured artist, but it's Ray Dalton who has that smooth, soulful sound. I need to look up more of his other work. Fun fact: He used to be a gospel singer.

Craving | Anything from Humani-T Cafe. Can I just live there? Or better yet, can their chef come live with me? My current favorite treat is an iced vanilla soy latte. I gulped mine down in less than ten minutes last time. So yummy. It was the first time I had tried an iced latte and I'm already dreaming of my next one.

Yesterday I had their African Peanut Stew and was pleasantly surprised. I have a go-to recipe for this soup, so I was worried it would taste "off" to me, you know what I mean? Thankfully, the flavour was completely different from my recipe and I loved it! It had just the right amount of spice and had big pieces of sweet potato and celery.

Procrastinating | on a project. I've been pretty creatively productive lately - ever since I took a night class at NSCAD in the Spring. But, I've been slow to make progress on a new creative expression program I'm building. More to come on this in a few months... I can't wait to share more with you.

Wishing | I could sleep better. A few situational factors have resulted in me sleeping a little over half of what I normally would. Yesterday I survived the afternoon on chai and a dark chocolate energy boost around 3:00. I trained myself to love the dark, smooth bars by Lindt. Right now I'm loving the 70% plain, but the one with almonds in it is also worth stealing from your coworkers treat drawer. Not that I would ever do that.

---

Thinking about | how to truly acknowledge and more importantly, dissect white privilege. I thought I understood the term before, but I didn't. Last week, I read this post about how to be an anti-racist ally and could not stop thinking about it. The article is very accessible and it helped me recognize a few areas which I needed - and still need to - read up on. 

Although I have been involved in diverse community groups for some time, only now do I realize my own limitations in facilitating diversity workshops. It may sound obvious but as a White person I will never be able to understand what it is like to live as a person of colour. I can assume, carefully listen to others' experiences, read every existing journal article on racism, and even empathize but I will never truly know. This is the very first step to humility. Baby steps.

In the same way, confronting my own biases and prejudices is a never-ending process. It can be uncomfortable at times, but is so necessary. There is still so much I need to learn about diversity, racism and how to advocate respectfully and appropriately for and alongside those who are systemically oppressed. With time and patience...

Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you stopping by and reading my rants and rambles. Especially when they are about things that are so important to me.

xx Janelle

Post idea credit to Dani at Sometimes Sweet.

a birthday pool party

This is where I spent most of my day Saturday and it was heavenly. 

Last Wednesday was D's niece's 10th birthday and next Wednesday is his nephew's 4th birthday, so their parents threw a joint pool party for friends and family. 

I had been looking forward to some time in the water, since we're not able to get to the beach for lack of a vehicle and I'm practically a mermaid. Being away from the water just feels weird to me. I was born near the ocean and plan to leave near it always. 

Although I now think I'm inseperable from the sea, or any water really, it wasn't always this way. When I was about five or six years old, I spent the first 4 weeks of swimming lessons on the side of the pool. Crying. My parents persisted though, and I went on to finish all levels. My mom can't swim and for this reason she was determined to make sure we could. It worked, Mom!

Back to the party: When we first got there, the kids were in the pool, but they quickly came out to fill their hungry bellies with hotdogs, hamburgers and cake - of course! Soon after the younger one (let's call him C) opened his presents, we hopped in the pool. By default (as the oldest person in the pool area) I was appointed the unofficial lifeguard/babysitter/water-gun police. At this point, I was lucky enough to be befriended by the most talkative, adorable, energetic four year old. She wanted me to catch her every single time she jumped in and was my shadow for the next hour or so. And..... cue baby fever.

 

1 | D being climbed on, as usual

2 | me keeping an eye out

3 | C telling begging us to spray him in the face with his water gun. no fear...

All in all, it was a perfect summer day. A little BBQ, a little swimming and a lot of sunshine. Hope you all had a great weekend!

xx Janelle

summer intentions | less of this and more of that

Confession:

Okay, so remember a month ago when I posted about wanting to cut down on clutter in the apartment? Well, I still haven't made much progress. Here come the excuses - brace yourselves! I've been either hosting guests (both family & friends) or away for each of the last 4-5 weekends. This doesn't exactly leave me with much energy during weeknights to decide whether or not I can live without my flower-y boxer shorts from high school. Spoiler alert: I can't!

Sometimes when people try to live with less, others tend to focus on what they're doing without, what they're giving up. We're not buying anymore clothes. Spending freeze. Less is more. Give it away! Purge it ALL. This man only owns 55 things. No really, he does. 

But at its core, minimalism is centered on what you gain. It's about having more. For me, the desire to get rid of some stuff and monitor what comes into my apartment comes from wanting more space, physically and mentally. I'm easily distracted - especially by shiny and/or sparkly things - and so leaving room for some empty space in my home leaves me room to think and create. To spread o u t but also to get out. Less stuff in a smaller home means less time spent cleaning/organizing and more time doing. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather be free to gallivant around on an unusually nice day instead of trying to make sense of pile of clothes ready to morph into a blob of some sort. 

In keeping with this theme, I made a list (surprise!) of what I want less of this summer and this lead to another list of what I want more of. Want to see?

Do any of you ever feel that wanting less leads you experience more? What do you want to do more of this summer? Read, swim, craft, travel? I'd love to know.

As always, thanks for reading.

xx Janelle

an unintentially moody update on the last 2 weeks

addicted to coffee (decaf, flavoured, lattes etc.)

I think a little recap is in order, since I didn't post here in oh, about 3 weeks. The truth is I've been trying to keep myself motivated in other arguably more important areas of my life - like work, a course I'm taking one evening a week and taking care of the dog. Which some nights consists of me half-passed out reading in bed with her sulking next to me. I can't lie. I've been a little run-down lately.

I'm not trying to turn this post to turn into a bummer, so I'll feed you some happiness (or at least something lighter). After all, I am wearing the schlumpiest of the schlumpy sweatpants. And that shit makes me happy.

The most UNimportant update is I cut my bangs.

I didn't plan it at all really. Just trimmed them normally, didn't like them, wanted a change and impulsively snipped them a week or so later. Last time I had them like this was a couple years ago, but they only stayed for a couple of months. They took some time to style back then and I really appreciate having low maintenance hair. They've been a bit easier to maintain this time, so I'm hoping to keep them for a while. We'll see...

I would also like to keep the sun a bit longer. The pic on the left was taken on Monday and the right side on Thursday. From sandals and my new (and favorite!) maxi dress to covering up in lounge pants and funny slippers that remind me of Minnie Mouse. Must be the bows!

It's still coat weather here. This was me last night. I was reading a blog about a vegan restaurant and I just couldn't stop thinking about my favorite vegan soups from Human-T cafe. So I made the long trek to the cafe with D in the mist to pick up a nice big cup of this.

Broccoli soup with sweet potato and crostini. I drank the whole cup. Yes, drank. I was expecting it to be a bit thicker, but it the taste was so delicious I didn't mind at all. The perfect comfort soup. And best of all - dairy free!

If anyone is actually still reading this -- I'm thankful but surprised.

Tonight I watched Jesse & Celeste Forever. It was completely adorable, weird at times and tear-inducing. Andy Samberg was impressive and Rashida Jones was magic. You should watch it - it's on Netflix. Unless you just broke up with someone, in which case, you should probably wait six months or so. I'm telling warning you, it's emotional.

Afterwards, I forced myself to just paint and this is what came out. Ugh, feelings.

 

TGIF. Tomorrow.

Anyone have plans for the weekend?

xx Janelle

stop chasing, start choosing.

Made this on Tuesday, inspired by Paul Dalton's quote from the article below.

 
On Tuesday night I read a Tiny Buddha article exploring the idea of being authentically happy. Part of the article really resonated with me and I wanted to share.

I really like the word authentic. While genuine is usually used in reference to an image or expression we show to others, authentic seems to imply more of a connection with oneself. It's a bit more reflective. And as a classic neurotic over-thinker, I'm comfortable with reflection. I can understand it.

#2 in Paul Dalton's list of how to be more authentically happy starts off with a bit of a Freudian ego/id complex and then goes into something I've been struggling with lately - wanting things. I've spent a large chunk of time mindlessly and compulsively clicking through F21 and Victoria's Secret, making summer wardrobe wish lists and quietly coveting bloggers' new purses or dresses. And yet when my eyes are pulled from the glowing screen to the growing pile of clothes on the floor I can't help but imagine how much lighter I would feel if I just gave it all away.  

Okay, definitely not all of it - but a lot of it. At this point, I think my thought processes, values and beliefs lean a bit toward minimalism, but my actions and behaviours for the most part do not. In other words, I'm not exactly living with congruity.

I'm hoping to make a few gradual changes over the next little while and will keep you posted on the progress. I hesitate to follow any specific challenges or rules, like "give away 100 things" or "wear only 30 items of clothing for 30 days". Instead, I'm going to take inventory of what I have, what I need and what I would like. More importantly, instead of being stressed by mess and clutter, I want my apartment to be cozy, welcoming, relaxing and to encourage creativity.
This may seem a little vague, but the truth is I am just beginning to explore this idea. While I don't see myself becoming a true minimalist anytime soon - I want to want less.

And this time, instead of wishing, hoping and waiting. I'm going to try changing. Step one is to pare down.

Would you ever try minimalist living or living with less? If anyone has any useful resources for moderate minimalism, I would love to see them - blogs, books, websites... I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks so much for reading,
xx Janelle

currently : a long, long weekend.

Photo from April 2012 - Point Pleasant Park

I hope you're all enjoying your long weekend so far! D & I escaped to the country for a few days of relaxation at his parents' place. I slept in until 9 this morning (!!) - which is somewhat rare because I usually wake up at 8 on weekends for doggie business. 

I have a fun details post coming up for you tomorrow with the little hints of Spring I've been spotting around here. For now, here's what I've been up to lately...

CURRENTLY

Drinking: The most bitter coffee I've ever tasted. I was maybe a little too excited to try out D's mom's new Keurig machine and was let down hard with the first sip - swamp water. She said it has something to do with their water supply, since they have a well and a softener. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I am a diva and bring my own bottle of city water when I come here. Because of that, I probably should have used it to make the coffee. Oh well!

The rest of this post will be less whiny. I promise!

Thankful for: Scoring things I want to buy, for free. A series of coincidences yesterday resulted in me acquiring three new things - two of which I planned on buying soon. I noticed a bunch of pill cases in the living room and mentioned that it reminded me that I needed to buy one. Sure enough, D's mom had one stashed that she wasn't using and offered it to me. All it needs is a good scrubbing and it'll be just like new.

Later on that night as we were talking about coffee, I mentioned that I was going to buy a little french press, so I could have some on weekends. And what does D's mom pull out of her armoire but a perfect stainless steel and glass press with a black handle - the exact colour and size I would have bought. Although I refused to take it several times, she insisted. She actually had never used it before and it had just been hidden away for the past few years. So lucky!

Thinking about: Going on vacation. Everyone I know is going or has recently been on a trip. I'm sure some of you are experiencing the same thing! My parents just got back from Cuba, my sister is going in May and my co-workers seem to be on a never-ending, rotating vacation schedule. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, but I am planning a trip with the ladies in my Dad's family in November. I haven't been down south in six years so I am very much looking forward to a fun, family trip. I can't even tell you how excited I am to be reunited with the Caribbean sea. I'm a mermaid at heart.

PS - I have a fun post of my bathing suit picks coming up soon!

Watching: The Killing. Once again we've been "binge-watching" a TV series on Netflix. Most nights we watch one or two episodes and we're now nearing the season finale of the first season. So much has happened this season and the last episode even had me tearing up, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it all works out. Have you ever watched it?

Wearing: Jeans on Fridays! With my new job, comes a new dress code. At my workplace, we have casual Fridays which I love. Since I've only been there four weeks, it's still a novelty to be able to wear jeans to work. I usually pair mine with a breezy button up and a cardigan or blazer. I try to keep it professional, but I get to have a little bit of fun with it. Do you have casual Fridays too? What do you wear? I'd love some ideas!

xx Janelle

**Props to Megan & Danielle for the post inspiration.

weekend plans : hibernate

© Sanchez & Lope for WWF

I was going to start off by saying I was preparing for the big storm on it's way, but stopped because that's not true. Unless you call making an ATM detour and buying almond milk "storm preparations". I guess I'm mentally preparing myself? In any case, we won't actually be hibernating all weekend. Tonight we might have dinner with a friend, tomorrow I have volunteering (details in this post) and Abby will still need to go out. We plan to bring her out to romp in the snow during the blizzard tomorrow. We may be crazy.

"You're brave for being out in this weather!" a lady called out to me last week from her front porch. It was -28C with the windchill. A dog has to use the bathroom... I mean.. grass/snow pile?  It's not really possible for me to just not bring Abby out because it's cold. That would be cruel. For all 3 of us.

I do plan on doing lots of snow day stuff tomorrow though, like cleaning up my enormous clothing pile in the bedroom, napping, making soup and cozying up while watching Netflix. Side note: I burst out laughing when on last week's Mindy Project made reference to couples watching Netflix in sweats because that is us most Friday nights. Guilty!

---

I also want to share some links I enjoyed this week. Maybe you'll like them too?

1. Jenni's post on "marital blish" | it's so comforting to read posts from people who share their feelings freely & honestly. this post will hit home to a lot of couples (married or otherwise, I'm sure!)

2. A Winter Survival Guide | I can't live without my lipbalm & my winter bandeau (headband) from H&M. What's on your must-have list for making winter more bearable?

3. This board & this one | I have such immense baby fever and this photos make it so. much. worse. My heart is literally bursting at the tenderness & love in these photos. Oh, but this shot made me laugh.

4. Struggles of a perfectionist creative | This post is so relateable. I'm working on just letting go & creating. The more i make stuff, the better it gets. I finished that collage I was telling you about & I can't wait to share it with you soon.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay warm & stay safe if you're expecting erratic weather.
xx Janelle

sometimes i make lists about the weird stuff i do

 Just an old photo from winter 2011, skating on the Oval

Do any of you remember the column in Glamour called 'Hey, it's OK.."? I don't know if they still run it or not as I stopped reading the magazine. Basically, the feature was a list of things that it's okay to do every once in a while. I liked the concept and how it encouraged people to let their idiosyncrasies show through. It's nice to be reminded that I'm not the only one who doesn't shave their legs for a week in the winter-time. It's not sexy and that's okay.

I also think it's important to be kind to ourselves. I know I can be very hard on myself and I'm somewhat of a perfectionist - except when it comes to my pile of clothing in the corner of my bedroom. That doesn't count! As I move through my twenties I find that it's getting easier to accept my shortcomings. I'm never going to be someone who has it all together and I am 100% fine with that. I'm trying not to beat myself up over the little things. It's a learning process, but a little self-compassion can help so much.

In the spirit of the original column, I made a list of things I do sometimes. Most of these have happened in the last week so they were still fresh in my mind. Some of these are things I refuse to feel bad for and others are just my little quirks. I hope you can relate to some of them!

SOMETIMES I...

- don't do dishes for a whole week. i just let them pile up until i absolutely have to wash them so i can make a meal. sometimes this means we eat our cereal out of tupperware with measuring spoons. i need a dishwasher - a machine, i already have a human one.

- annoy the heck out of my dog by smothering her with love, hugs & unwanted cuddles.

- get hangry. you know, so hungry you get angry. this happens most often after i get home from work and can't decide what to have for supper. you're seriously putting yourself in a bad situation if you try to talk to me in this state. save the important discussions for after i've had the first bite. you'll be so glad you did.

- feel guilty about a comment i made years ago. this happens more often than it should. the people i made these comments to probably never think about what i said, but i'm still haunted. i guess you could say i'm really, really good at overthinking.

- make an English muffin with cream cheese and call it supper.

- get overwhelmed by all of the support of some of the caring people i met at Mount Allison. seriously, the staff at MTA are so generous. i'm so thankful.

- dance like a maniac while i'm cooking or baking. when i made cherry bars on Sunday, I was grooving to some Mo-Town hits. not just dancing, but seriously grooving and twitching. something about prepping food makes me a little crazy.

-  want to spend the night parked on the couch, preferably with an episode (or three) of Ink Master, Sherlock, Luther or Dexter.

Do you share any of these habits? If you make a list, link it up in the comments! I'd love to read it.

xx Janelle