October @ Glance

No one belongs here more than you (Brene Brown)

October… with windows open, it’s deliciously cool - before sweaters become essential in the morning, but a good time for cute ankle booties. Pleasant picnics in the park, apple picking and baking, nature walks and leaf peeping, golden landscapes … cups of endless tea and guilt-free snuggling with a book if it’s rainy, odd scents of pumpkin latte in the air …. ahhh, October it’s my favorite month, perhaps because it also feels so precious, racing past in a flaming blur.

Lots of goodies are planned for this month!

Personal Goal: Make a photobook of our summer holidays! Modern day whittling - taming a few thousand photos stored on my camera roll and turning them into one, tidy, printed, book. I have marked a few slots in my calendar every day for photo editing. I’ll go at it for an hour, while listening to an audio book or inspiring “Ted talk” and hope to be able to import them all into a Snapfish (recommended by friends for ease of use and affordability) or Shutterfly (used in the past, easy with fun templates) at the end of the month. Who knows, I might even make a year book .. I can already see the smiling faces of happy grandparents as photobooks make such great holiday gifts.

October Challenge: This month I challenge you (and myself) to take one habit to build or to break. I was hugely inspired by the book I read last month - A Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and am trying to apply its principles to reclaim the time lost to Instagram first thing the morning and use it in a more productive and meaningful way. Easier said than done - I tried meditating - but kept falling asleep, tried reading uplifting books, but found them exhausting - then finally tried Duolingo app (I am learning French) and Bingo! Love the 2-for-1 as I replaced a bad habit and created a good one at the same time.

Quote to live by: No one belongs here more than you (Brene Brown)

September @ a Glance

“Awareness is learning to keep yourself company. And then learn to be more compassionate company, as if you were somebody you are fond of and wish to encourage.” - Geneen Roth

The summer’s been relaxingly slow, lovely to enjoy, with little pressure, and a lot of happy family time. We’ve been away in the UK for most of August, and as lovely at it was to travel and not keep to a particular schedule, we all came home craving our regular routines. We’d been eating out a lot, often choosing delicious over healthy (yum yum, but not so good for the tum tum!). Which means I really need to kick my butt back into gear in the gym. I haven’t styled a single photo while away, and haven’t written much since the beginning of the year, but I am itching to do some shooting and writing this month. Busy work period is about to begin, and I need to get ready - wish me well!

I love the seasonal changes September brings and hope to embrace them all starting with the traditional apple picking (and pie baking) and a long awaited visit to a sunflower farm - activities we do as a family. Downton Abbey (a favorite moment of escapism - but, I have to admit, always imagining life as “Lady Me” rather than enjoying the role of the servants in the kitchen, guessing I’m not alone in this fantasy!) is being released this month and I simply can’t wait to see it. Home cleaning and organizing are top of my list this month, with a few new projects to tackle (bathroom storage and kids bedroom). Morning Tea Date with a friend is something I enjoy immensely, hope it will become a standing arrangement over time.

PERSONAL FITNESS GOAL: Work out at least 5x a week! I am a member at a local yoga studio and try to make it there for a Slow Flow, Yin or Nidra class at least 4 times a week. I also love swimming and joined a gym with a pool a while back. Our fitness instructor left, and I found myself lacking motivation. Recently I learned about the BBG program (accessible via Sweat app) and gave it a go both at home and at the gym. I will report back once I had a chance to test it thoroughly. Also, at last, my ballet classes will resume! It is a small group mixed level Adult Ballet class with challenging bar exercises and creative dance sequences (adagio) that I can never memorize, but I have such fun in the company of other women - none of us expect to make it to the big time, perhaps we’re all a little past that point, but we have so much fun with each other, I wouldn't dream of missing out. Different teachers, same ladies - so good for body and soul.

THIS MONTH: Childhood Cancer Awareness month. I try to give a small donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital every time I pop into a grocery store. Will make a point for making a larger one this month.

QUOTE TO LIVE BY: “Awareness is learning to keep yourself company. And then learn to be more compassionate company, as if you were somebody you are fond of and wish to encourage.” - Geneen Roth