My Paint Nite creation from November 2015

1. I’ve rediscovered my love of creating. When I was a child, I did all things creative. I would spend HOURS in my basement painting, drawing, creating. I even painted the table I worked on 4 or 5 times with different scenes. My art time was my saviour. Throughout high school (and university as well), they kind of beat the creative out of you, and I lost touch with my love. Recently I’ve just been letting myself create- including going to Paint Nite. Have you heard of this? It’s some amazing shit where you pick from (literally tons) of ‘paint nites’ in your area for a picture you like. You go to a restaurant, and drink, eat and learn to paint. It’s bloody fantastic. Even as I’m writing this I’ll be heading out in a few hours to my second one.
2. The holidays are getting me down, to tell you the truth. I’m missing my grandmother, who passed away from cancer in the spring. While I’m excited about it, because of the great (mostly healthy) food, and time with family- grieving while celebrating is kind of a mind fuck. It is absolutely NOT stopping me from wearing my many (mostly cat-themed) Christmas T-shirts! I’m a festive cat-loving nerd. And that’s awesome.
   

   On my mat, at the studio. Ahhh…

3. My goals for next year are getting me super excited. You’re hearing it here first- one of my big goals is to practice yoga every. damn. day. For the whole year! 365 days of yoga, 365 days of saying YES! to me. Some other goals for myself are to learn the art of Fencing (already signed up), eat more sprouts (yum) and to blog more. So look out for that.
4. My hair is always a source of concern for me. Having PCOS, hair loss is something I face daily. While I mostly have a handle on it, when my life gets too stressful, I tend to show it in falling hair. This being a really weird, grieving holiday season for me- my hair is unhappy. For a long time I stopped colouring it, and have kept it short, thinking this is what’s best for hair. TOO fucking bad. I’m sick of living in fear, or feeling held back from my hair. So I dyed it, for the first time in over a year. It feels great! I will not allow my hair to bring me down. My hair brings me joy. I feel happy and confident in my hair.

What are your goals for 2016? Will you be pushing your boundaries for growth and transformation?

Blah, blah, blah.

Do you know that’s often how I start writing? Even putting anything on the page like that can really get my creative juices flowing. Try it if you keep a journal- something will come out, just put pen to paper (or font to screen).

This past month has been my busiest ever as The Hormone Diva. I’m gearing up to take a secret group of ladies through a secret thing-a-ma-bob coming in January 2016. To me it’s like birthing a baby (and no, I don’t mean that literally- I’ve never had children and have no idea about that!) that is taking every last ounce of determination, willpower, and focus I have.

Not to mention that within a span of a month I will have been at two local expos, plus many podcast interviews and extra private coaching clients.

Me at the Balanced Life Expo on September 26!

Oh- and Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend!!! TURKEY. Mmmm. . .

Sometimes life sneaks up on you (me). 

I’ve also been experiencing almost constant dizziness for several weeks, due to a mold allergy which always seems to get worse in the fall!

How I’m dealing with it:

• Saline/Probiotic nasal rinses daily
• Daily ginger/cinnamon tea
• Kombucha every. single. day. to keep my gut healthy and inflammation down
• Air purifier- I recently bought this one and it arrived yesterday. I awoke this morning to MUCH less dizziness and that’s pretty flippin’ sweet.
• Sublingual immunotherapy. I’m waiting on a shipment of some little vials that over time have the potential to completely eradicate my allergy, and that sounds like an excellent outcome.

In other news, look out for more of my potty mouth coming through in my blogs, newsletters, and other communications. I feel liberated and happy using those ‘naughty’ four-letter words. Fuck ya! Business and health doesn’t mean no fun. And no fucks. Because I give many fucks- about YOU, and me.

And lastly, PUMPKIN. I’m totally, 100% and unabashedly obsessed with pumpkin. Homemade pumpkin chai tea, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin hot cacao, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin muffins and more. Pumpkin has SO many health benefits, and if yo combine it into tasty (and healthy!) treats like I have, you can enjoy it for flavour and health.

What’s going on with you lately, Chica? Are you also on the pumpkin train? What treats have you been enjoying?

The inaugural The Diva Dishes post. Woohoo! Just another way for you to come into my world! Get ready for some rants, some celebrations and other shizzle on my brain lately.

Where’s all the Other Women?

In the last month I’ve been nose to the grindstone creating some freaking AWESOME shit coming your way soon. Part of these projects is finding images that convey the feeling and experience I want for you. As I’ve been going through hundreds of photographs of women, I’ve started to notice a pattern. 90% of the images are of young, 20-something super skinny women.

Not that there’s anything wrong with being skinny, but come on! The majority of women are not a size 2, or even a size 6. So let’s get real. Unless I search ‘overweight women’ or ‘old women’, there is no variety. Where are the curvy, medium-sized or middle-aged women? I’m all about representing the curvy-lady train, and that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. So this is pretty irksome.

T-Tapp

My latest obsession is T-Tapp. This is a form of no-impact exercise that not only sculpts your (already) hot bod, but also increase focus, and helps combat many ailments like hormonal imbalances, diabetes and every chronic fatigue syndrome! I bought the 15-Minute Basic Workout DVD and have been following her suggested “Bootcamp” for my goals (general health vs. weight loss). I have been doing this for only 2 weeks, and already I’ve noticed:

1. Increased focus and mental clarity
2. A shrunken tummy (and WAY better core control)
3. Ovulation (which you know has been a bit of a dilemma for me lately)
4. An overall sense of ease, peace and confidence

Whether these are all the result of T-Tapp I can’t for sure say, but I’m feeling good!

Mmmmmm. . . . . . .

Just look at the picture. Need I say more?

Well okay, I’ll spill it. My first ever experience with FRESH chamomile flowers makes me feel like a giddy school girl. Just the thought of drinking these beautiful blooms is enough to make the heart melt. And funny enough, chamomile is known for it’s anti-anxiety, relaxing and mood-boosting qualities. Part of the reason I chose this beauty as a main ingredient in my Cramp Tea!

I got this fresh herb from my local farmer’s market.

Summer Readin’

Jane Austen is rocking my summer reading time. Years ago I worked at Chapters/Indigo for a seasonal job at Christmas time. They were a really great employer, and the discount was sweet. I purchased Jane Austen’s whole collection at that time. While I’d already read about half of them, I’m just getting around to reading the rest- they’ve been sitting in their box for a looong time. I love the way she mixes in wit, romance and character building into a well-rounded story. I get lost in those pages!

What thoughts are circling in YOU lately? I bet it’s juicy! Share below. . .

If you missed part one of this post, Where I’m At, check it out here.

Self-Care

• I’ve started a morning and evening routine, to keep me on an even keel.
• I’m doing meditation every single day, for about 10 minutes total.
• I’m using affirmations every single day, for about 10 minutes total.
• Short workouts prevent me from getting too tired, so I’m using the Seven app
• I’m stretching for 5 minutes every day.
• I’m getting out in the sunshine as often as Mother Nature permits.
• I’m journalling– consistently- for the first time in years.
• Near daily art therapy in the form of an adult colouring book
• Essential oils like lavender calm me down and citrus lift my spirits.
• I hug my kitty as much as possible.
• I’ve implemented a laptop curfew, 1.5 hours before sleep
• I’m using my acupressure mat for stress release
• I’m taking regular breaks during my workday, where I might close my eyes, do some stretching, a workout or some sitting down and doing nothing.

Diet

1. Getting my progesterone up– my Luteal Phase has been shortened and ovulation has been difficult to come by
2. Balancing cortisol – I’m SUPER stressed/sad/angry about the loss of my grandmother and it’s making every day life harder. I feel much more tired and irritable that I have in a very long time.

What my average day looks like now:

Exercise

• Short HIIT training with Seven app
• Rebounding – I’m doing this every morning for 10 minutes
• Restorative, Yin or Hatha styles of yoga
• 20-30 minute nature hikes
• Stretching – I’m doing this every morning for 5 minutes

The Diva Dishes

What are YOU doing to care for yourself right now? What part of this self-care is the easiest and most difficult for you?