The Little Things

It’s been awhile since I’ve wrote an entry for The Little Things but I just had the most luxurious bubble bath and had to write about it. 

A Hot Bath

Whether it’s a cold winter day, a rainy spring afternoon, you’re stressed to the limit or your body just needs some extra TLC, nothing soothes quite like a hot bath. 

It’s the perfect way to get away from the kids, catch up on some “me time” and indulge in your favourite book. After a hard workout or some manual labor there’s nothing better than a calming soak for your tender muscles. And warm blankets have got nothing on a hot bath after getting chilled right down to the bone. 

Add some candles or soft music for a more relaxing effect, pour in the Epsom salts to soothe those muscles or add some fun bubbles and a rubber ducky for the kids (or when you just want to feel like one :))

The next time you’re feeling the stress work its way into your body, run yourself a bath. Crank on those faucets, pour in the bubbles and enjoy.

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The Little Things

In this edition of The Little Things I’d like to celebrate all the beautiful living, life giving trees in our wonderful world.

Trees

I love trees. I just love everything about them. They suck up our nasty carbon dioxide and convert it to beautiful breathable oxygen. They reduce noise and filter out pollution. They offer shade on a hot, sunny day and they generously share their fruit and flowers with us. They provide homes for many birds, squirrels, chipmunks and insects while also sacrificing themselves to provide wood for our own homes. They come in a wide array of beautiful colours, sizes, shapes and variety. You can climb them, carve your initials into them or just relax under their loving branches. You can take cover under them in the rain or bright sun. You can use their big branches to attach your tire swing to or you can take the time to build a big old tree house up in their wide limbs. 

Trees are just plain awesome! So the next time you’re walking down the street, are playing at the park or just driving by a forest, take a moment to look out at the trees, smile a big smile and be grateful that we have them in our lives. 🙂

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The Little Things

Today I was lucky enough to pick my third bunch of beautiful purple and white wild flowers. These little bits of beauty can be found just about anywhere mixed in with the long grass, thistles and other weeds.

Wild Flowers

Although most wild flowers are considered “weeds” I choose to look at them as another beautiful bouquet ripe for the picking. Many people view them as another nuisance filling up our green space but I think they are just lovely! Most wild flowers come in wide array of vibrant colours, smell way stronger than any store bought varieties and are free for the taking. All you have to do is grab some scissors and get cutting (it doesn’t hurt is you think bugs are cool and you don’t mind getting your legs scratched up by the occasional thistle too.)

So the next time you are walking down a trail or driving by an old overgrown field, keep your eyes peeled for those little bright spots of awesome. Pick a couple or pick a whole bunch and make yourself a very special, very fragrant bouquet of beauty (or share some with a friend) – just make sure to inspect them for insects before bringing them into your house. 😉

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The Little Things

We have had the wettest April on record and if May hasn’t broken the record yet, I’m sure it is pretty darn close. Today, for the first time in what seems like months, the sun has finally made an appearance and it has completely made my day! 

Sunshine and the Warmth It Brings

Where would we be without sunshine? All I can picture is a world full of brown grass, wilted flowers and a bunch of grumpy, Vitamin D deprived people. But with this magic ball of fire in the sky, we are lucky enough to have fields of green grass, the most beautiful flowers you’ve ever seen and some very energetic, optimistic individuals. 

The sun warms our skin and our hearts. It allows us the freedom to shed some layers and open the windows after a long, harsh winter. It provides much needed vitamin D for us all and some essential life giving rays to all the striking flora surrounding us. It stimulates our crops, warms our lakes and pools, and dries up the soggy mess that the spring showers have left behind. Simply put, the sun provides life for us all and I think the world would be a much different and gloomier place without it brightening our sky. 

So I say, bring on the sunshine, bring on the heat and pull out your shorts and tank tops baby!

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The Little Things

In this weeks edition of the Little Things I’d like to talk about those oh so heavenly long weekends! 

Long Weekends

Unless you absolutely adore your job and you dislike your personal life, you just have to LOVE long weekends! Not only do you get three whole days to do whatever you want but as a bonus, you get a four day work week! 

Although I generally like routine, and let’s face it, going to our jobs 40+ hours a week is the biggest routine in our lives, there is just something so refreshing about taking an extra day out of your normal schedule to just relax and enjoy your real life.

Two day weekends are certainly nice but they just seem to fly by so quickly, filled with boring chores and necessary errands. Before you know it, you’re heading back to work feeling like you need a break. Having that one extra day makes all the difference. You tend to get the “normal” stuff done over the regular two days and then bam, you’re given a whole extra day to do whatever you desire! You can lie out on your deck and bask in the sun, you can spend the entire day reading a book, you can visit with friends and family, you can garden to your heart’s content or you can take a trip to someplace you usually don’t have time to go to. The sky is the limit! 

The next time you are granted an extra day off, make sure you show your gratitude and really enjoy your day. Put off the chores, put on your sandals and get out there and have some fun!!!

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The Little Things

When I attended the Unitarian Congregation on Sunday I was pleasantly surprised when we all stood up and started singing “Lean on me”. I suddenly realized that singing in unison with a large group of people is a wonderful little thing that we can all enjoy.

Singing With a Large Group of People

I really enjoy belting out a good tune every once in awhile…okay, it’s a little more frequent than that, it’s usually every day when I’m in the car, when I’m walking around at work and yes, even in the shower. The unfortunate thing is that I cannot carry a tune to save my life. Sure, in my head I sound like the next Christina Aguilera but from the distorted painful expression I see on other people’s faces, I can be assured that I should stick with my day job. 

That’s why singing in a large group is so fantastic! You can sing your heart out and nobody can hear you well enough to cringe. The combined voices produce such an unbelievable reverberation and each person magically sounds beautiful. And the icing on the cake – the energy produced when a large group of people sing harmoniously is out of this world!!! It is such a powerful, positive energy that you cannot help but smile.

So go on out there, grab some friends and sing yourself silly. You will feel amazing afterwards!

 

 

 

 

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The Little Things

Food is awesome. I love to eat, however, I detest cooking. I can handle breakfast and lunch but cooking dinner is the very worst. That’s why I absolutely love those rare nights when my husband and I eat breakfast food for dinner.

Eating Breakfast Food for Dinner

Sometimes it’s a big ol’ plate of pancakes drenched in syrup. Sometimes it’s French toast or even waffles. Often it’s sausage and eggs with toast or if we get really fancy, it’s a BLT sandwich night. My favourite though, the easiest meal of them all…cereal!

There is something incredibly awesome about stuffing your face full of Fruit Loops at 6pm. One minute you’re hungry, the next minute you are eating yummy food. It’s that simple. No slaving over the hot stove for hours, just grab a bowl, pour away and shovel that spoonful of deliciousness into your gaping mouth.

Bon Appétit! 🙂

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The Little Things

Today I’d like to celebrate my small victory in finally cleaning and organizing a messy area at work.

 

A Newly Organized Area

Starting at 8am this morning, my co-workers and I spent the following 5 hours cleaning and organizing our entire work area. I really didn’t think the area was all that messy to begin with but once we all put on our gloves and dug in, we were all astounded at how long it took us. We were covered in dust, dirt and the unknown. As the hours went on, I could see the exhaustion rising on my co-workers faces and I could certainly feel the newly developed headache pounding away in my temples. By the 5th hour, we were all definitely worn out but as the last garbage bag was taken out and the final drawer was closed we all took a step back and admired our newly organized work area. It was clean, it was de-cluttered and it was beautiful!

I believe the reason a freshly organized area is so darn appealing is that you know just how much work you put into it. Not only is it free of dust and garbage but you worked your butt off to get it that way. You took a lot of precious hours finding a home for every little trinket and you put on a brave face as you threw away some pretty keep-worthy things. You accomplished something big, something measurable and you are the one that gets to reap the rewards. It was you that created this new, wonderful, spotless area and I think that is something worth celebrating!

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The Little Things

In this edition of The Little Things I’d like to remember those beautiful moments when you are lying in bed and you look over to see your loved one sound asleep.

Sleeping Next to a Loved One

There is just something so sweet and innocent about someone sleeping. Whether it’s your child, your pet or your spouse, they always look so darn adorable. But even better than catching them in a candid moment of sleep is being curled up right next to them. Sure, you may already be feeling extra cozy in your flannel pajamas, bundled up in your warm, freshly washed sheets but spooning up next to your spouse or draping an arm over your fat, snoring dog is the icing on top!

You instantly feel a little more safe, a little more secure and a whole lot happier. Regardless if it’s your cat, your first born or the love of your life, you can’t help but feel loved and trusted when they feel comfortable and vulnerable enough to fall asleep next to you. All you can do now is close you eyes, count some sheep and join them in dreamland for a night of awesomeness.

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The Little Things

In the last few weeks, while walking outside, I have noticed the return of one of my favourite sounds. Spring is here and with that comes the refreshing sweet sight and sound of all those lovely little chirping birds!

Springtime Birds

I never use to care for birds; they just didn’t do anything for me. You can’t cuddle them like a cat and you can’t play with them like a dog so what makes them so special? Well in the last few years I’ve been putting a bird feeder out in my yard and I can’t believe how uplifting it is to see, and most importantly hear, those sweet little birds.

They are a sign of happiness, of good things to come. When the dark clouds roll in, and the rain is threatening to drop, you can always look outside and see those lovely birds fluttering around enjoying every second of their day. They always appear to be in a constant state of bliss. Whether they are so eloquently constructing their elaborate nest, digging for worms in the yard or singing in the trees, they always seem so cheerful.

I know that these little birds are with us most of the time, some even staying around in the cold of winter but there is just something extra special about seeing those first few springtime birds. It gives you hope that the warm weather is upon us. We can finally shed our winter blues, step out into the sun and embrace the goodness of life once again.

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