Inspiration

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

Thank you for this reminder, Ann Friedman! Not every hobby is a side hustle, or needs to be, or should be. Your hobbies don’t need to make you money.

Introverts, it’s that time of year! Actually who am I kidding, it’s always the right time to cancel plans if you’re feeling too overwhelmed by life. Thanks to Girls Night In for writing some honest, awesome scripts for us.

One article on this topic was not enough for you? I present yet another guide to making plans that you actually want to keep and saying no to any plans that you don’t want to make. This one is super helpful too.

I like the idea that marketing just means being considerate to your people. Makes a lot of sense, and might make it easier for those of us who hate being too self-promotional. Remember that it’s *not* very considerate to make it hard to find out about you/see pictures of your stuff/find you online, etc.

Lately I have been really working on becoming a better plant parent, and I thought these were some good tips. Plus, the article’s photos are fodder for my plant addiction. Help.

Loved this article, which is all about the idea of protecting your time. My favourite takeaway was to switch from saying “I can’t do that” to “I don’t do that.”

This week I finished The Sellout and am almost finished Rest. The Sellout was wacky but I enjoyed it, even if I felt totally out of my depth intellectually. Rest is good and is reminding me to do more of what I know I need to do: go for walks, take breaks, prioritize vacation, detach from work.

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I’ll be honest and say that this was not one of my more fruitful weeks in terms of inspiration. I have been feeling a bit down because of the constant cold (Trying not to complain! But it’s tough.) and lack of light, so my productivity and inspiration have been a little low. I’m still plugging away at my goals for January and my work, just with slightly less energy than usual. Here’s hoping that shifts next week! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. xo.

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

It would be inappropriate to start this list of links with anything other than Oprah’s speech. I watched it first thing Monday morning and cried the whole time. She is an inspiration to me every week, but this week it’s particularly true. Thank you, Oprah.

The Feel Good Food Plan from Bon Appetit’s Healthyish looks so delicious and nutritious! I haven’t been following it in real time (it started January 2), but it’s full of cool ideas I’d love to try.

This is hilarious.

Lots of good tips here for saving money! I already do most of these, but I especially like the idea of getting my bank balance by text. Looking into how to set that up!

You may have heard by now that a YouTuber made a terrible video in the Aokigahara suicide forest, but you may not (like me) have known the history of this place. I was inspired by the way this woman took the time to explain the situation and context more fully while holding Logan Paul accountable for his despicable actions. CW: suicide.

I added the book Rest by Alex Pang to my reading list this week thanks to his great interview on Hurry Slowly about the importance of taking regular breaks and detaching from work.

Holy moly did this podcast episode get sent to me at the right time (thanks Sonja!). It’s all about using your intuition to guide you and bring you more of what you want, but what it really reminded me to do was stay grounded.

I also really needed to read this: “Maybe stop worrying so much about productivity and getting things done. Worry about things worth doing.”

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How’s 2018 going for you so far? The days are going by so quickly for me. I had Harvest Table Dinner this week, as well as Tuesdays Together, and both were great! The week also had a couple not-so-great pieces of news, but we’re getting through it as a family. This weekend I have a library date with a friend (!) and one of my book club meetings. Haha – lots of books for me! I hope you have a wonderful weekend too. xo.

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

It was so fun to see Barack Obama’s list of favourite books and music from 2017. Nobody is cooler than him. (Except Michelle.)

I read this Twitter exchange and immediately started crying – it’s that powerful. Such a great example of what happens when we choose love, compassion, understanding rather than hate, anger or judgment.

Every year I watch Google’s Year in Search and every year I sob. 2017 was a hard year and the video doesn’t shy away from that: it’s life, it’s raw, it’s everything. Watching these makes me feel so deeply human.

How delighted was I to discover a super-cool website called Girls Night In which celebrates staying home?! And which also has a book club? With a chapter here in Toronto?!? Let me count the ways…

While I probably won’t be tackling a year of no shopping, I did find this piece inspiring and refreshing. I also love Ann Patchett, so reading anything she writes is a joy.

A very sweet personal documentary about moving far away from your family and staying connected to them. It’s also a beautiful portrait of New York.

Austin Kleon’s super-short guide on how to be happy. My personal list would probably look pretty similar.

I love the idea of having a social media detox, or as I recently saw it called, a Dry-Fi month. So this article was a great reminder that we can delete any app we want from our phone and in doing so, help ourselves make better daily decisions.

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Yay! Feels so good to be back here sharing the things I love. My holiday break was so relaxing and rejuvenating and the first week back at work has been surprisingly calm. That’s a good thing, because I’ve been fighting a gross cold all week (not to mention the bone-chilling weather). I’m hoping that one more good night’s sleep will help me kick it! I’ll be back on the blog soon to share my word of the year for 2018 and some goals & intentions for the new year. Until then, I hope you have a wonderful weekend! xo.

Every week on Friday, I share a list of the most interesting and inspiring content I’ve read lately here on my blog. You can expect thoughts on productivity, happiness, balance, spirituality, politics, and more. Subscribe here to get updates. See archives here.

Reading this list of innovations of 2017 that improved women’s lives gave me hope. Yes! Especially the mammogram one: we were seriously overdue for some innovation on that one.

I know that I am notorious for sharing book lists, but this one looks especially thoughtful and varied. I also loved reading this one, because of how many on her list I have read and enjoyed: helps me trust her suggestions!

Reminder: the demons hate fresh air. A truism I hope to remember over the holidays when things get too hectic!

I’ve really been enjoying Jocelyn K. Glei’s newsletter since I signed up for it – they’re so beautifully designed and there’s always at least one interesting link that sparks ideas. In her most recent one, she linked to this list of 36 ways to find more meaning and creativity in your daily life, and I’m hoping to work my way through each of the articles over the holiday break.

My friend Sonja has been posting a “Kitchen Blessings Advent Calendar” for every day of December – 31 days to nurture your relationship with food. There are some serious gems in here and reading these have been such a treat. My kitchen needed some love!

I made homemade ornaments for the kids that live in the apartment above mine and they were a huge hit! Super easy to make with ingredients you probably already have. I just painted mine bright colours once they were dry and wrote the kids’ names on them. Yay!

I’m coming up on one full year of doing 1 Second Everyday and I cannot explain how excited I am to watch the whole year in one go. If you’re a person who enjoys documentation as much as I do, I encourage you to try this project next year! It’s the most fun.

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This week has been a lot of wrapping up at work, catching up with friends, festive gatherings and family time. I’m so excited to take the holidays off to have a really rich and restorative break. I’m taking a break from the blog too! There won’t be a new Inspiration post until January 5th, but I may pop on here to reflect on 2017 and set intentions for 2018 – we’ll see! Until then, have a wonderful holiday. xo.