Showing posts with label My Happiness Project
August 11, 2016 in

My Happiness Project - August

go home and let nature heal you
drink your tea
breathe and smile

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

My focus this month is on Nurture. Instead of measuring my goals daily, I am aiming to keep them in mind throughout the month. They include:

1. Document every day
2. Gratitude Journal
3. Spiritual Readings
4. Be Mindful
5. Fun - challenging, accommodating, relaxing

Paper - Rustic Home Fundamentals paper collection; Glacier, White Daisy cardstock (CTMH);
Embellishments - Canvas Alphabet, Wooden Shapes, Twine, Bohemian Assortment , Le Pen(CTMH).

To make this layout I was inspired by the creation on page 26 of our new Annual Inspirations. I am linking up to the "Copy That" challenge over at Heart2Heart.
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August 05, 2016 in ,

Plastic Free July Recap

As part of my Happiness Project for July I decided to incorporate the Plastic Free July challenge into my monthly goals after becoming inspired by my friend, Nadine's The Zero Journey blog. I thought this particular challenge deserved it's own recap aside from my Happiness Project to describe how it has impacted my life.

When I first signed up for this challenge I will admit I quickly became overwhelmed...plastic seems to be in EVERYTHING! I realized that you cannot just snap your fingers and be completely plastic free and while the challenge is an excellent idea, it takes time to completely rid plastic in your life. It took some research, creativity, and alternative thinking to navigate through this challenge.  I decided to create a Pinterest board to save the amazing resources and blogs I came across. Here are some of the changes I was able to incorporate into my life this month to move towards being plastic free.

To-Go Cup: I do love my London Fogs. I decided to have a rule this year that I was not allowed to buy one unless I had my to-go cup with me. Funny how easily you can always have one in your car when you make this a personal rule :). I was also able to find a clear glass to-go cup this month to enjoy my iced chai lattes in.

Water Bottle: Carrying around a water bottle is another habit I have already successfully incorporated. I find that I drink way more water throughout the day, feel more hydrated and healthy, and get less headaches. I got this bottle from our Hot Yoga studio and it keeps my water cold all throughout the day no matter the temperature!

Bamboo Brush & Comb: One thing I learned during this challenge was not to necessarily throw out all of the plastic I already use but to watch what you buy when you do buy new. I decided to buy a bamboo hairbrush and comb this month. My plastic ones are still in good condition but I figured they could be moved to my work bag. I couldn't believe the difference the bamboo brush has made. With my long hair I am constantly needing a brush and I feel that this one leaves my hair smoother.

Glass containers: It is going to take me awhile to transfer over completely to glass containers but I have started making the switch. I was surprised at how much longer my food seems to last in glass and how much easier it was to see what was in the fridge. Glass also holds up way better in the dishwasher, top or bottom rack!

Compostable Toothbrush: This was an easy change to make because a compostable toothbrush costs exactly the same as a regular toothbrush! 

Natural Toothpaste: I found this Nelson Naturals toothpaste in a glass jar and decided to give it a try this month. I had tried a few natural toothpastes before and couldn't get past the taste. This one did taste a bit weird at first but I got used to it throughout the month. I felt that I had less morning breath in the morning, too.

Reuseable Bags: This was another change I have been working on, but I took it a step further this month by carrying these small bags folded up in my purse. It has gotten easier to remember to take my bags to the grocery store, but I don't really enjoy carrying them throughout a store. Having these two folded up bags discreetly stored in my purse worked great.

Condiments in Glass: I was quite overwhelmed at how many condiments we buy in plastic. Being quite into cooking I find that I need a lot of condiments with my different recipes. It was quite the hunt to find mayonnaise in a glass container but I did it! At first I was dismayed at the small size of condiments I could get in glass but then I realized how often my larger plastic condiments were expiring before I could use them all. Honey, in particular, seems to stay runny and smooth longer in glass, too. 

Canning: While I have gotten more into canning over the last few years I made more of a point this month to find some time to make my own jams.


Other successes I had this month included zero-waste wrapping and birthday gifts.

I also found out that I could get cheese from our local butcher wrapped in butcher paper. My friend and I hand grated some of it for homemade pizza and it was oh so good! I am hoping to make this more of a habit, too. Lots of these plastic-free ways just seem to take some organization.

Challenges to being plastic-free included:

Freezer bags - I like to freeze our own fruit so that I don't have to go buying frozen packaged fruit from the grocery store for smoothies. Plastic takes up less room and seems to provide a good seal to keep our fruit fresh. 

Chips - I LOVE CHIPS! And my husband does as well. We don't always have chips in our house, but I do make my own salsa and can it so we like to have chips and salsa often. I was able to find corn tortilla chips in a paper bag that I think I will try to buy more often but I haven't been able to replace my ultimate favourite, Miss Vickies salt n' vinegar.

Toilet Paper - I searched to find toilet paper wrapped individually in paper (I thought I've seen them somewhere) but could only find them wrapped in plastic. This is one thing that is often necessary to buy in bulk.


I look forward to continuing the changes I have made to my life and being even more prepared next year for Plastic Free July! While I don't intend to go back to buying all of the plastic I used to because the challenge is over, I liked having the month to put an extra focus on it. I am hoping to have some more time this month once my Masters courses are finished to organize and make some more storage items myself. All in all this has been an eye-opening experience to the realities of plastic and how much waste we really do produce.


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July 11, 2016 in

May & June Recap

Here is a collection of my favourite photos and quotes that I have come across in the past two months.
My new tattoo designed by Chris' cousin, Char.
A lotus flower to represent something beautiful coming out of the darkness.
The om symbol to represent peacefulness.

We moved into our new house on Friday, June 3!!!
Nothing has brought me more happiness in the past year than this move to our new peaceful sanctuary.  
Backyard bonfires with family.
My first house party with my staff! So stoked to have my kitchen back :).

I have discovered Aerial Yoga.
It is so soothing to be hanging in the air, stretching, and challenging myself!

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July 01, 2016 in

My Happiness Project - July

There is a myth, sometimes widespread, that a person need do only inner work...that a man is entirely responsible for his own problems; and that to cure himself, he need only change himself...The fact is, a person is so formed by his surroundings, that his state of harmony depends entirely on his harmony with his surroundings.

- Christopher Alexander, The Timeless Way of Building
found in Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
Most supplies are Close To My Heart:
Paper - Happy Times paper collection; Ink - Pixie, Canary, Glacier, Sunset;
Embellishments - Le Pen, Canvas Letters; Dies - Stitched Rectangles (MFT).

        Harmony Goals         
Be present
Speak no evil
 Love the Earth
Breathe & Enjoy

Inspired by an amazing person and friend, I am going to participate in Plastic Free July. Check out her inspirational blog here!  It is definitely ambitious to go to zero plastic instantly, but it has been something I have been increasingly mindful about. I am excited to try out some more tips and tricks this month to move towards eliminating wasteful plastic in my life. The quote I found above caused me to really think some more about my Happiness Project. Being in our new home and beautiful, peaceful surroundings has brought a positive change to my life. June was a busy, chaotic month and July should be more slower paced. I have too much stress in my life, though. I'm not sure if I have always carried around a lot of stress or if it has just been weighing me down more heavily in the last year, but it is something that I need to address this summer. There are so many pieces to happiness and peace, and I look forward to the changes that can come with these goals in mind this month.

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June 01, 2016 in

My Happiness Project - June

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.
When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will 
bloom like flowers."
- Thich Nhat Hanh - 

My focus for this month is on Friendship. June is a traditionally busy time in my professional life as we wrap up the school year. I chose to focus on friendship because it is often ignored during all of this chaos. My goals are:

- Be present
- Quality time outside 
- Be generous
- Don't gossip
- Remember & Show up

*All supplies are Close To My Heart - Calypso paper collection, Le Pen.

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May 09, 2016 in

April Recap

April brought about a mix of emotions along with some very meaningful gestures from positive people in my life. I was able to end the month and start May with one of the most peaceful and pleasant things I have done in the past year. Here are my top pictures of the month:
Making a Fairy Garden and spending time with my Mom  
My friend Gill and I going to one of my favourite spots along the Goat River.
Reconnecting with my friend, Nadine, and enjoying a walk along another beautiful part of Goat River after a fantastic meal at the Kootenay Thai restaurant in Creston.
Chris and I planted a Muckle Plum tree on the 22nd from our parents on our property that will bloom with pink flowers near the end of April in honour of Paris. Chris also made a bench at work and put it beside the tree.
Peace and serenity at the Meditation & Mindfulness Yoga Retreat in Lake Louise.
At the Meditation & Mindfulness Yoga Retreat I was given a beautiful journal to write down my thoughts throughout the weekend. My top words or "North Star" (guiding star) of the weekend were Calm, Peace, Mindfulness, and Balance. I learned about Heart Math and Loving Kindness, and started a nightly routine with Chris where we share 1 highlight, 1 thing we are grateful for, and 1 thing we appreciate about each other. I set some intentions that I hope to keep as I move forward to a busy time of the year in my personal and professional life.

One of my April goals centred around reading for me. During the past year (and especially now while doing my Masters) I have found it difficult to pick up a book and read for me. I was able to enjoy some great literature this past month, but I am still having trouble getting into fiction again. Here are some books, though, that I did truly enjoy:

Tiny Beautiful Things - Cheryl Strayed
The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
Essential Muir: A Selection of John Muir's Best Writings - Fred D. White
Better Than Before - Gretchen Rubin
Daily Om - Madisyn Taylor
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May 01, 2016 in

My Happiness Project - May


"It is easy to be heavy; hard to be light."
- G.K. Chesterton

This month's goals all centre around play:
  • Laugh every day
  • Sing along to the radio
  • Make someone smile
  • Have fun
  • Take it outside
I liked changing my monitoring around last month by not using a day-by-day calendar and so this month I am going to track my goals with tally marks. The back of this paper is also woodgrain, so I intend to put my top pictures right onto it! I find my focus quote to be very motivating, which may seem ironic, but it is something I have been working on and need to continue to do so. I found the quote in "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin :)

All supplies are Close To My Heart:
Paper - White Daisy cardstock; Happy Times paper collection; PML watercolour;
Other - Le Pen; Watercolour paints; Letters cut from Artistry Cricut cartridge.


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April 18, 2016 in

March Recap

I am quite late with my reflection on March, but here it is. March was a very challenging month for me filled with a devastating down with my health and a much needed peaceful getaway. Here are my top pics:
We went to Maui for 12 days during Spring Break. Although I didn't have to go to work, I did have some work to do on my Masters. Luckily I was able to do that and still enjoy the beach! That's the best spot to write an essay, I'd say!

The view off our deck. Reminds me of the Blue Hawaiian Mai Tai drink I had with the outstanding dinners we went out for. I don't cook a lot of fish, but I thoroughly enjoyed eating the fresh MahiMahi and Oko cooked up by some amazing chefs. I loved falling asleep with the doors open and listening to the sound of the waves crash all night long.

Another gorgeous sunset we watched every single night. It brings me such peace and calm. 

Yoga on the beach. I don't enjoy getting up early in the morning, but this I would do any day.

Chris and I at the Maui Wine estate. I felt like we were both able to completely relax and destress during this trip, which doesn't happen often.

A visit to a Lavender Farm in Kula, Maui. I really have not been a fan of lavender up until now when I have been realizing the calming effects it can have. I am very interested in learning more about it and planting it on our property this year.

My focus quote for the month of March was: 

"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life." - Jean Shinoda Bolen (Pausitivity).

It was very difficult for me to leave the peacefulness and calm I encountered in Maui to come back to the hectic, negative environment in my life right now. I am working at accepting that I may not be able to change the environment I am in right now, but I can add things to other areas to make it tolerable. I need to do more things for me. I have been reading another one of Gretchen Rubin's book, Better Than Before, (she is also the author of The Happiness Project), that my friend Natasha got for me and came across a section that was very relatable to my own happiness project:

"As I hoped, Monitoring was having a good effect on my habits. Even before applying more active habits strategies, I'd noticed myself making small shifts, as the data provided by tracking helped nudge me to do better than before." (page 56)

Although monitoring may have the preconception that in order to reach perfection or the ideal goal, we must do something every single day, rather I have come to learn that being mindful about certain things I appreciate having and doing in my life can make me think about incorporating them more frequently than before.
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April 02, 2016 in

My Happiness Project - April

It's April 2nd and I am happy to get this post up in the midst of my two Masters courses wrapping up!   I decided to go in a bit of a different direction for my April Happiness Project for a few reasons, but I think it will be beneficial. 

April --> Connection

I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet
"Hello" by Adele

I am hoping to focus on connection during this difficult month ahead of me. In particular, I want to focus on my connection to nature, to myself, and to inner peace. In March I came across a beautiful book called "Daily Om" by Madisyn Taylor, which I read from every morning. I thought this excerpt describes a good focus for April:

If you trek into the wilderness and look around with a careful gaze, you will see that the trees, flowers, and even the rocks have a tendency to flow. There is the arc of the branch that leads to the blossom, the smooth dip in a rock formation, the gnarled knot in a tree trunk, and the forking of shoots. As nature is overflowing with curves, corners, knots, and unexpected directions, so are our lives filled with unpredictable twists and turns (p. 11).

           Goals              
1. Enjoy the outdoors
2. Reduce waste
3. Meditate
4. Yoga
5. Read for me

I tried to incorporate my goals into my layout by using a paper collection that I had bought last spring to use before everything fell apart. I love these patterns and had planned to use them last spring for a special project, so I am glad I could reuse them for something that has become important to me. I was also able to use up some pieces I had played around with for other projects that I had saved. I think this is my favourite layout that I have created for this project so far. I love how the circles turned out to be like floating bubbles. It feels peaceful to me :)
Paper collection - Seaside paper collection; Colonial White, Black cardstock; Love Your Day PML cards (CTMH); 
Distressed watercolour paper (Tim Holtz); Die - City Scene Die Collection (Papertrey Ink), Stitched Circles (SSS); 
Embellishments - watercolour paints, Le Pen (CTMH). 

Last summer I started a Gratitude Journal that I wrote in every day for 6 months. Once I finished the journal, I stopped writing, but it is something I would like to get back to. I came across this idea on Pinterest and thought I might give it a try this month:
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