In Praise of Easy Crafts

Crafting is one of my favourite pastimes: sewing, knitting, cutting up pieces of felt to make dumb dolls, you name it. When I'm stressed out though, sometimes the last thing I want to do is sit down and follow a whole whack of instructions to create something that might not turn out. Sometimes this is very cathartic, but there are times I just want the instant gratification of a construction paper and glitter glue craft. Here's where the the kid craft books come in (like The Jumbo Book of Easy Crafts from Kids Can Press). Egg carton caterpillars, glitter paper chain, POPSICLE STICK REINDEER! Bring it on! The bonus is that my six year old loves to join in and then we both feel better!

Music

Sometimes I forget about the simple pleasure of listening to music and really hearing the complexities of the melodies in the piece. To just sit and do nothing else but listen is really a very mindful act.

When I was younger it seemed to come naturally. I didn't have the multitude of distractions I do today, I was content to turn off the nattering part of my brain and just settle into the sound.

In my ongoing quest for mindfulness, I'm going to allot some time each day for fully enjoying some music.

Calm

I am no stranger to anxiety attacks and I always like to have a few calm-down techniques in my back pocket for when I get super frazzled. A few that work wonders for me on the worst of days are:

1. Meditation podcasts. Meditation Oasis is my favourite. Mary Maddux's wonderfully soothing voice  is perfect for washing away the relentless brain chatter that those of us with anxiety often experience.
2. Magic Bag Throw this thing in the micro for like 2 minutes and then place on your neck and shoulders for a while. Much like my dog's  Thunder Shirt the Magic Bag applies gentle warm pressure on your shoulders which is super calming.
3. Lately I've been pretty obsessed with the show Mighty B. Written and voiced by Amy Poehler, it's a riotous and ridiculous cartoon about a super nerdy and obsessive little girl. It never fails to make my six year old and I chuckle together on the couch.
4. Deep breathing and yoga stretching. Even a simple forward bend and heart opener stretch will reset my emotions.
5. Focus, focus, focus. A great piece of advice I received once was to wiggle my toes to bring myself back to reality and refocus my attention. I have a bad habit of drifting off and going into my head and not being in the moment.
6. Dance! Living room dance, car dance, chair dance, whatever! Here are some tunes that get me singing and dancing:
 I Know What I Am by Band of Skulls
Lovely Day by Bill Withers
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Care Bears on Fire
Around the Way Girl by LL Cool J
Jump by Van Halen
Talk to Me Dance with Me Hot Hot Heat
From Above by Ben Folds and Nick Hornby
You Wouldn't Understand by Nas
Me, Myself and I by De La Soul
L.A. Lights by Grum
Livin' it Up by Ja Rule
Sugalumps by Flight of the Conchords
Girl Talk by Justin Faust
Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Ain't Nobody Got Time for That by Sweet Brown
She's a Buddhist, I'm a Cubist by Lushlife
Hey Ladies by Beastie Boys
Funky Donkey by Beastie Boys

ok, ok, seriously, I could be here all day listing music I love. You get the picture.

7.When all else fails, a nice glass of bourbon or a bottle of Granville Island Winter Ale works as well.

Hey, list your tips for relaxation!

Check it out!

I'm featured today on The Thirties Grind as a REAL real Housewife of Vancouver ;)
http://thethirtiesgrind.com/2012/11/07/the-real-real-housewives-of-vancouver-janet-brisson/#more-1972

Late summer

It's always bittersweet when the crisp fall air nudges out the summer warmth. Every year about this time I get a feeling of nostalgia and a tiny bit of sadness. The pessimist part of me worries that we're back in it for the long haul of short grey rainy days and I didn't do enough summer stuff while I could. But the optimist side keeps dreaming of cozy fall sunny days, snuggling into knit sweaters and kicking leaves around. I'm trying to listen more to my happy optimist voice (she's much more pleasant).

Tiny play

My six year old daughter Teagan is truly one of the funniest people I know. She constantly amazes me with her curiosity and her quirky ideas for play. Lately she's been adopting new friends: leaves, rocks or tiny flowers and the occasional un-popped popcorn kernel and placing them in different situations.  Like the beds or doll chairs seen below, or providing them with little drawn menus for dinner. I had to sneak "Rocky" and her throne away from Teagan to take the picture as she made it very clear that Rocky had no interest in having her picture taken at all.

Rocky and her blanket

Rocky and her throne

Domo in the cave

Leafy and her Barbie dress blankie

Deliciousness

My friend Leanne brought this enticing jar of lemon curd to my place last weekend to have with our brunch crepes. One taste of this stuff and we were hooked. It's buttery and lemony with just the perfect amount of sweet. Absolutely perfect on hot crepes! I'll need to stock up next time I head south of the border.

My bike rides

My bike rides to and from work have become important times for me to be in the moment, present. I simply can't multitask, which for this iPhone attached girl is actually a welcome reprieve. . One of my routes takes me by the Purdy's chocolate factory. One whiff of the sugary sweet air makes me feel like Willy Wonka himself might actually be crafting some delicious chocolate treats inside! Depending on the weather, I might come across the smoky aroma of someone's backyard barbecue, or if it's just started raining I can pick up the earthy smell of the ground. I've also been tuning into the different bird songs I come across. Nothing nicer than being greeted on a morning bike ride by the bright trill of a feathered friend.