One Second Everyday: 2024

I am so proud and happy and baffled to say that this is my EIGHTH year using the 1SE app to capture snapshots of my daily life. I actually cannot *believe* it’s been that long, but I also can’t imagine not having this yearly time capsule, so I’d say the habit has well and truly stuck for me. There isn’t much that makes me feel quite as nostalgic and grateful as watching back my year in seconds, and getting to feel & remember what life was like each year. Especially since I have a notoriously bad memory!

I’d say the thing that makes this practice so powerful and poignant for me is seeing just how quickly life can change. Three years ago, you can see the exact moment (to the day) that my life got taken over by Bruno. Last year’s video shows the heaviness I was feeling, and it also shows when it starts to lift. Amazing experiences are just a single sliver of time, but so are bad moments. It’s all passing fast, and I’m so happy that I’ve grabbed all these little bits to preserve and cherish forever.

This is also my official yearly plug that, if you think this looks fun, to DO YOUR OWN! You will not regret it!

Happy 2025, everyone. Sending you lots of love & wishing you another happy year of good memories and joy.

xoxo,
Steph

PS. This is the app I use to create these videos! If you’re curious you can watch my previous videos here: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023.

2024 In Reading

Another year is coming to an end and I’m writing this post, at least partially, as a symbolic recommitment to my all-time favourite hobby. The last time I wrote a year in reading review was way back in December 2020, which is not coincidentally right around the time I started really struggling with my mental health and stopped feeling as much like myself. I’m in a much better place after a few hard years, and I’m excited to be back to, among other things, reading(!) in a more serious way. I feel like I have started to relocate my attention span after a long absence, and am feeling a newfound desire to tackle more challenging books after a few years of exclusively craving more simple happily-ever-afters in my beloved romance novels.

Still, this year in reading wasn’t my best. Compared to recent years, I didn’t read as many books as I normally do, lowering my reading goal at least twice to be more realistic for my actual pace. I tried to tackle more complex books but largely failed, instead listening to far more audiobooks than usual to make up for my fidgety attention span. Obviously I love reading audiobooks, so no problem there, but I only wish I’d made more time to actually slow down, sit down, and open a physical book. That practice is what I actually find most meditative and calming, but it was harder to come by this year.

My Goal

I believe I started the year with a goal to read 75 books, then lowered it to 70 and again to 65 as the year came to a close. Let’s be clear: this is still a lot of books and I’m still very proud of myself for prioritizing my reading. But if I’m being honest with myself, there were huge swaths of the year where I let my reading lapse in exchange for way, WAY too much time spent scrolling on my phone, and looking back now I really regret it. Scrolling will never be as satisfying as reading. It doesn’t make me happy, it makes me feel bad about myself, and it’s honestly not even very fun even in the moment. I let myself get carried away, especially during more stressful times (read: leading up to the election) and that was a mistake.

I’m happy to say that I have my screen time far more under control these days thanks to Opal, so I feel like my attention span is back online. I’m excited to use it for more meaningful activities in 2025.

What I Learned

1. Beware the bedtime routine!

I recently realized that my nightly routine was interfering with my reading time in a major way! Because I usually take my vitamins when brushing my teeth, I was taking my magnesium supplement (which helps with sleep) a few minutes before getting into bed. Seems fine, but what it actually meant was I was falling asleep within literally 2 minutes of trying to read in bed, then struggling valiantly to keep my eyes open and read a few pages. I’m going to start experimenting with taking my supplement after I’m in bed and have already been reading for a little while. Which brings me to lesson #2:

2. Read before bedtime

I’ve decided that one of my daily habits for 2025 is going to be making time to read during the day, long before bedtime. Relying on only my pre-sleep reading time for all my yearly reading is clearly not going to work! There would be times when I was reading a particularly great book and I’d read it over lunch, and of course I often listen to audiobooks on my dog walks, but other than that I was solely relying on those short, sleepy moments before bed. This will not do!

3. Audiobooks are easier & harder

As I said, I love audiobooks and enjoy reading them immensely, but sometimes struggle to absorb as much from them. In fairness, this is because I’m often doing other things while listening, which means it’s harder to take in the information. I find myself rewinding a lot because it feels like I’m not actually processing what I’m hearing, or am getting too distracted and completely lost the plot. This doesn’t mean no audiobooks in the future, it just means I want to be more careful about which ones I choose to listen to, and try to take notes on them to help my comprehension.

My Favourites

1. Shakespeare was a Woman (And Other Heresies) by Elizabeth Winkler: This book was truly terrific in every way. It felt like a page-turner, even though we’re reading about things that happened literally hundreds of years ago. It was mysterious and mischevious, and I absolutely love how much it questioned our steadfast belief in a myth with no evidence. I had never even heard of the Shakespeare authorship question, but this book thoroughly laid out the evidence in an objective (and fascinating!) way and I enjoyed every second of it. Also: she is an amazing writer and researcher. My favourite part was when she challenged the staid old men on their staid old beliefs and they got very angry. It was a delight!

2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: This one felt totally immersive – you were in the character’s world, in his head, understanding the world through his eyes. It was tremendously compassionate and stirring, but also extremely informative: I learned so much about the opioid crisis, about Appalachia, and about poverty in America, but in such a human and grounded way.

3. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll: I loved how subversive this book was in subtle ways. For example, instead of glorifying serial killers (especially the charming or handsome ones) as our culture is wont to do, the protagonist in this book does not even once mention his name. Instead, she focuses on herself, her friends, and her quest for justice in a sexist, misogynistic world.

4. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman: It’s hard to recommend this book, because it honestly haunted me. I’ll tell you right up front that the ending is not satisfying, but is obviously meant to be that way. It is moving, sad, strange, upsetting, compelling. I have thought about it many, many times since finishing it earlier this year.

5. Real Americans by Rachel Khong: I will read anything Rachel writes because she is so talented, and her writing is so beautiful. This was the story of three generations of a Chinese family, told from each of their perspectives. It’s about family, and identify, and pride and anger and fights, but also about heritage, and love, and nostalgia and pain. It’s about a lot of things, but mostly it’s just a joy to read and meet these characters.

6. Good Material by Dolly Alderton: Wow. I recently got this one out of the library again just to read the last section and be impressed all over again. This is the story of a breakup, told mostly from the perspective of the heartbroken guy who has been broken up with by the love of his life. We follow him on his journey, including his attempts to be a standup comedian while dealing with the heartbreak, but then right at the end the script flips a bit and we get the whole picture. It’s amazing.

7. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio: This one was a ROMP! So much fun. Quirky, delightful, a total page-turner. The protagonist (single at the outset) wakes up with a husband, and realizes that if she sends him into the attic, a new and completely different husband emerges. Chaos and hijinks ensue. I found it hilarious, but also quite profound.

8. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore: I had been in a pretty serious reading rut before picking this one up and was just so enamoured of the feeling to be swept up into a book again, to stay up late reading, to not want to put it down. The premise is that a child goes missing at a summer camp…several years after her older brother had also gone missing in the same place. The search begins, but it’s very complicated. It’s a great whodunit with a twist I didn’t see coming, and I enjoyed being along for the ride.

9. Fight Right by John & Julie Gottman: I love the Gottmans and their work on relationships, and I really enjoyed reading this book about fighting. It was so refreshing to see fights taken seriously and addressed in a scientific way. I feel like I learned so much about myself and my partner, what leads us to fight, and strategies for fighting better. It was really very good and I feel like it should be required reading!

10. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan: This one is sneaking in right before the end of the year! I listened to this on audio which was a great choice, the narrator brought the Irish accent and sayings to life in such an immersive way. I found myself stopping in the middle of what I was doing just to stare into space and listen, because the writing was so beautiful and evocative. How she was able to create such an immersive world in seven short chapters is absolutely beyond me, but this story tugged at all my heartstrings and was nearly perfect.

+ The Ministry of Time by Kailene Bradley: As I write this, I’m only about a third of the way through this one, but I’m adding it to the list because I can already tell it will be one of my faves of the year if I finish it in time. It’s creative, thoughtful, well-written, and very compelling. I am loving it, so it needed an honourable mention here!

+ Books by Ali Hazelwood: As I said, I love romance novels, and this year was when I discovered Ali Hazelwood for the first time! I read almost all of her oeuvre and became an instant fan. As a lover of modern romance, I’m not sure what took me so long (probably the fact that I find her covers a bit cheesy-looking), but I am glad to be here and have enjoyed everything of hers I’ve read so far.

So there we are! My year in reading. It’s very fun to look back and see what stuck with me most out of everything I read, and celebrate the books I loved most. And I am excited to do more reading next year! I’d love to read more of the NYTimes’ Best Books of the past few years, read more fun fantasy, read more immersive audiobooks. It’s nice to be reminded of how much I really do love this hobby and how much it helps me feel like myself. Onward into more books for 2025!

PS. You can see everything I read this year right here, and as always you can follow along with what I’m reading over on Goodreads here! Happy reading, everyone.

How Does It Feel?

This past weekend, I was at Nurture for the ninth (!) time. It’s one of my life’s great privileges that I get to be part of this retreat every year, and I always leave with something new. This time, as I walked the labyrinth, I had an insight that is both incredibly obvious and also quite profound. I am not entirely sure I know the answers yet, but I feel like at least now I’m asking the right questions.

The insight was this: I can’t think my way to self-care, I have to feel my way there. I told you: somewhat obvious, no? But somehow I have missed this lesson, somewhere along the way. And despite how it sounds, it’s not as easy (at least for me) as it might seem. You see, much of my self-care has (until now) been slightly more on the utilitarian side. Practical. Evidence-based! Well-researched! Optimized! And also…maybe not the stuff I really need.

Take, for instance, my habit last year of going to the free open swim session at our local pool on Monday nights. I had a lot of positive thoughts about this habit: It’s so close by! It’s a great form of exercise! I really do love swimming! I’ll feel good afterwards! A winter swimmer is the kind of person I want to be, especially after reading Wintering by Katherine May!

In reality, I think that maybe I actually sort of hated it a lot of the time. I remember realizing one night, after being hit by a stray pool noodle, after the umpteenth preteen kept obliviously blocking my way, that this whole thing was ridiculous. Sure, it was free, and sure, it was at a very convenient time, and sure, I really do love swimming, but wow: this was annoying. And cold! And loud! And chaotic! The feelings I was actually having didn’t fully align with the thoughts I was having about the experience. The narrative didn’t match the real experience.

Another example: I realized recently (with great surprise) that I actually don’t like our couch. To be clear, I thought that I loved our couch! It’s pink velvet, and it’s adorable, and it makes me happy to look at. It has a whole hilarious backstory to it, including the fun tidbits that a) we got it for free, b) we got to tour an epic mid-century modern mansion when we picked it up, and c) years later, I found an identically matching chair for $14 to complement it perfectly. And yet: this couch is not that comfortable! It LOOKS great. I have a lot of great THOUGHTS about it. But sitting on it is not really the best experience. It’s not great for lounging. It’s not great for cuddling. It’s….not that great.

I think you’re seeing the theme here. I’m a logical person, and I’m very type A. I want things to make sense and be well-researched and smart and logical. Apparently, I had not realized, that has come to include much of my self-care practices and decisions in general. For instance, I know that meditation and movement and gratitude practices are good for me, but do they truly feel good for me in the ways I’m doing them right now? I might be writing out a gratitude list, but does it really make me happier or am I just going through the motions? I might enjoy watching a YouTube channel because it’s interesting or “inspiring”, but how does it actually make me feel afterwards? Everyone says baths are amazing, but can I be honest with myself that I always get simultaneously cold and overheated, and don’t really enjoy them very much?!

Here’s my takeaway: if I want to feel more alive, I can’t just keep asking myself, “what will make me feel more alive?”. My brain has all kinds of thoughts and ideas and answers, but I don’t think I want my brain’s answers. My brain has a five-step plan to try to feel more of the things I want, but I don’t think I want a plan. I just want more goodness that actually feels good. Hilariously though, I don’t quite know how to do this. It feels to me a bit like a zen koan, which maybe just shows how far I still have to go.

But I do know this: it starts with paying attention to my moment-by-moment experience in the present. How does this feel? And this? And this? When do I feel lit up? When do I laugh most? When do I feel achey? Right now, my right heel hurts from the way I have my legs crossed on the table and my upper back is sore from my neck position being on my laptop on this godforsaken couch. I just moved. It’s better. I lit candles tonight, they’re lovely. I felt like writing, and it was nice to write.

One feeling at a time.

32 Favourite Things

Hello dear friends! I turned 33 this weekend and so it’s time for another one of my birthday lists. I used to be so consistent about these back in the day, but I’m so sad to see that I wrote my last one was when I was turning 30. That’s two years gone! I know it was a hard season for me, and it makes sense that I lost the thread, but I always regret it when I stop documenting things, so I’m excited to pick this one back up.

I was first inspired to do these by Elise Cripe, who put out a yearly list of favourite things and favourite moments each year on her birthday. I always loved them, because they gave us such a wonderful glimpse into her life and some wonderful recommendations to boot. Plus, it’s a wonderful reflection activity, much like my recent ‘what’s saving my life’ post. It’s nice to recognize the good things, and it’s nice to memorialize them for future versions of yourself who will no doubt forget what life looked like these days.

So here we go! My 32 favourite things from the past year, with a few thrown in from the years I missed, if I can remember them. 😉

Bruno! | I cannot believe it, but the last time I wrote one of these I had yet to adopt my sweet puppy. He came to me in the autumn of that year. As of this September 1st, I will have had this constant companion of mine for three entire years, a fact which completely astounds me. He can drive me crazy sometimes, but I truly cannot imagine my life without his goodness, his enthusiasm every time he sees anyone he loves, his sweet cuddles, and his hilariously loud groans when he changes position. I adore him, and I am so grateful he is in our lives.

Mrs. Meyer’s Acorn Spice Soap | Hilariously, I mentioned another scent of this soap brand the last time I wrote one of these posts, but this is my new favourite (I still love you, lavender!). I cannot describe the smell at all (it doesn’t smell like acorns, I can tell you that much 😂) but it is so sweet and nutty and truly delicious. It makes me happy every time I use it, which is daily.

Daystamp | There was bound to be some overlap with my ‘what’s saving my life’ post, but this one absolutely deserves being mentioned in both. I scoured the app store on Christmas Day looking for the perfect habit tracker and probably downloaded 6 or 7 to test out before I found this one. I have since converted several people to using it to huge success, which I consider a massive win. I love how customizable it is, I love seeing my streaks build up for different habits (especially in the year view) and I LOVE that it has a widget on my phone’s home screen so I don’t actually forget about my habits altogether. It is so good.

The Notorious RBG Reading Retreat | In my last favourite things post, I briefly mentioned the feminist romance book club that I’d started in an attempt to make more friends and reclaim the genre of romance. In the time since, we have continued the book club AND officially instated a yearly reading retreat, which is exactly as magical as it sounds! Last year, we had our second-annual retreat on a perfectly sunny, crisp, warm weekend, and spent the entire time in wonderful company, eating great food, co-reading, and re-watching Practical Magic. ‘Twas a dream & I cannot wait for this year’s rendition.

Victorinox Serrated Kitchen Knife | I’ve actually loved these for a long time, but I only ever had one that I’d gotten from my mom as a gift, and never thought to get more. This Christmas I decided to buy one for a friend of mine and picked up a few for us to have at home too, and y’all! I cannot get through the day without using them at least twice. They are just perfectly sharp and can cut anything nicely (including tomatoes), and are also perfect to use at the table for things that a basic butter knife can’t get through.

Donating Blood | I gave blood years and years ago when I was still in high school & university, but after traveling to certain countries I was restricted from donating for several years and then got out of the habit. Now I’m back baby, and committed to donating quarterly! These days, they have a fancy app that tells you your stats (if you’re a nerd like me), they give you great snacks, and most importantly it only takes about 20 minutes and will literally help save someone’s life. It’s rad, and it gives me such a good feeling every time I go.

Tiny Sketchbook | At our Nurture retreat last spring, we had a workshop from Sarah Aranha, who taught us about observational drawing and it inspired me to want to doodle more. I am also quite inspired by Leeandra Cianci’s doodling practice! I bought myself a tiny 4×4 sketchbook from Michael’s, which I love because it’s so easy to fill a page and not intimidating at all. It also makes a very fun thing to do when you’re waiting for food or passing time with someone – I now have several adorable & hilarious collaborative drawings I’ve done with friends & family.

Todoist | I’ve actually had an account with Todoist since 2013, but it’s only been in the past year that I’ve really started using it in earnest. I’ve always loved the design and loved using it off and on for my personal stuff, but it was missing some key features I find useful for my work (namely a calendar view)…until recently! Just this week I upgraded to a Pro account and moved all my work tasks into it too, and I’m loving it so far.

YouTubers | I love YouTube and have so many favourite channels. It’s probably my favourite website on the internet, because I just find it so interesting and entertaining and often *real*, which is not something I can say about Instagram most of the time. Right now, my favourite Youtubers are Caroline Winkler (hilarious and thoughtful), Beatrice Caruso (hilarious + fitness-ish), Life of Riza (cinematic and beautiful), and Brian Lagerstrom (delicious + practical). They’re all so different, but that’s what I love about this platform. There is so much creativity here and it inspires me daily.

Striped Hammock | The one I have is definitely not very high quality, but it brings me no end of delight. We will need to find a good place to hang it at our new place here, but that is a high priority for me, lol. There is nothing better than lying in the hammock in the sunshine! Especially if Bruno is closeby and I have a nice drink and a good book. Perfect.

Voice Memos | The past few years have been VERY heavy on the voice memo-ing with my besties. They are such a great way to keep in touch! They are like having a personal podcast to listen to on your walks, with all the best information and details from your friend’s life, or their thoughts & feelings, or their recommendations. I am obsessed with both sending and receiving them, and they are now my favourite way to keep in touch with people.

We Can Do Hard Things | Speaking of podcasts, this one’s my favourite of the past few years. I love Glennon, Amanda & Abby so much, and I love that they talk about the real things. I always feel more grounded and sane after listening to them talk about literally any subject, especially when it’s just the three of them.

Tiny Tiles Quilt | I made this quilt for my friend Katie’s new babe Roisin and it is definitely the most beautiful thing I’ve ever made with my own two hands! I was so proud of how it came out, even in all its imperfections, and watching her play on it was such a joy. It’s such a great pattern and way easier than it looks (just a lot of repetition!) so if you are looking for a pattern, I highly recommend!

Slowpreneur | This is my own thing, but I need to mention it because it has brought such joy, meaning & healing to my life. I started this podcast to celebrate the new philosophy I was experimenting with after burnout & some mental health struggles: that of slowpreneurship. I first thought of the term on my own, but later found out that several very smart people are also talking about this and using it in their businesses. It’s been a game-changer for me, and it really renewed my passion for my work. I love helping people find more calm & intention in how they run their businesses, and I love making a podcast about it.

Hamilton, Ontario | Mike & I moved to Hamilton towards the end of last year and it has truly felt like home right away. It might help that we are living (by accident) literally a ten minute walk from where I lived as a baby and only 25 minutes away from my mom & grandma. Not to mention we are only about 2 minutes away from Donut Monster, which is an absolute delight, to say the least. In short, we love it here and are so excited to explore the city more when it starts getting nicer outside.

Our Apartment | Speaking of Hamilton, I would be remiss not to mention our delightful apartment. It has the most amazingly high ceilings and so much crown molding and herringbone wood floors and so much natural light and a perfect little patio for my perfect little lavender bench. It’s truly the apartment of my dreams and even though it’s old and rough around some of the edges, it’s so perfect for us in this stage of our lives. We love it and can’t wait to keep making it our own.

Souper Cubes | Another repeat from this post because I love these things. My mom and I now have cooking days where we make the same recipe side-by-side, and I take mine home in my cubes to freeze. They’re such a ridiculous simple invention, but they actually help me EAT things I freeze, which makes them genius. I have the 1 cup version, which is perfect for freezing single portions of stews or soups to heat up for lunches.

Pizza Night | My sister gave me a sourdough starter for Christmas, and while I am pretty terrible at making sourdough bread, I am quite good at making sourdough pizza dough (because it is essentially foolproof). We’ve created a weekly pizza night tradition where I make a dough with my discard and cover it in as many random toppings as I can find in the fridge. It has been so fun and we both love it. Yum.

Capstone Pattern Co. | I’m biased, because Laura is a client and friend of mine, but I truly think her sewing patterns are the best in the world, especially for beginners. Every single detail is carefully thought through and beautifully wrought, and it makes sewing each of them so easy and fun. I have sewn three tops now, including recently the Juniper Tank in a gorgeous raspberry gingham. It hasn’t been warm enough to wear it yet, but I truly cannot wait.

Tiny House Upgrades | Since moving into our dreamy apartment in November of last year, I have been on a mission to make as many small but delightful changes as we can to improve it. We’ve swapped out the showerhead, installed an automatic sensor lightbulb in our closet, re-glued the pot lights that were falling loose, and most recently used a little metal doodad to cover an empty hole in the top of our sink that drove me crazy every single day. I love making these tiny changes, most of which have cost less than $10.

EMKFit Videos | My friend Moni first introduced me to Emily’s video for The Greatest Showman (you heard me) years ago, but I forgot about her stuff until recently. This year I’ve been trying to exercise daily, and now her videos are a go-to for me. They’re so fun, and an excellent workout without feeling like a slog. I obviously am partial to the musical ones, but at this point I’ll try anything she puts out. May I suggest starting with the Mamma Mia one?!

Simple Modern Tumbler | Everyone and their mother has a tumbler with a straw FOR GOOD REASON. I never cared about to-go mugs or water bottles until this one, which I now take with me absolutely everywhere. There is just something about the straw that makes me actually use it, and I am obsessed with the lavender colour I got.

The Lazy Genius | It is a surprise to nobody who knows me that Kendra Adachi’s work is on this list. I first discovered her through her YouTube series, but have gone on to become a superfan. Her podcast is one of my favourite listens every week. She is just so smart and practical, and I love the way she thinks about life and the world. I never fail to learn something new from her perspective and find it so useful and refreshing.

Friday Things | Speaking of smart people I love learning from, I have also become a huge fan of Stacy Lee Kong’s work at Friday Things, both her articles and her social commentary on Instagram. She is brilliant and incisive, and often notices things that I don’t, or puts words to things that bother me. She has her finger firmly on the pulse of pop culture and takes it seriously in a way that I really love, since pop culture shapes the way we see so many things in our daily lives. Her work is important, and she is probably my favourite follow on the internet.

Sip & Sip | For the past two years, Mike and I have been joining our friends in Almonte for what we call Sip & Sip, which basically consists of going down the Mississippi River on inner tubes with tons of refreshments and snacks, for an entire afternoon. It is truly the most relaxed I feel all year and I cannot wait to do it again this summer.

Anti-Depressants | These were a precious thing to me this year, and I do not say this flippantly! I was on medication for just over a year to help support me through a very tough time, and I am so grateful to have had the support when I needed it. My doctor described it this way: you’re out to sea and you’ll still have to work to swim to shore, but the medication will make the swim easier and less turbulent. That was exactly my experience – it gave me a bit of a boost so that I could pull myself up and get back to feeling good.

Thereoke | My friend Julia invited me to take part in her first-annual Thereoke™️ night and it was one of my favourite things this year for sure. Exactly what it sounds like: gather with friends in a private karaoke room and SCREAM into the void while singing along to all your favourite songs. My pick was ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, but there were so many other bangers and it was exceedingly cathartic.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow | This was probably my favourite read of the past year. It’s so charming and fun, such a beautiful story of friendship and play and creativity. I loved it so much and I wish I could play all the games they create! Mike also read it and loved it, which is high praise! Other notable fave reads: Demon Copperhead, The Wishing Game & Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies.

Dawn Power Wash | We have reached the era where I care about cleaning supplies and let me tell you, Power Wash is IT!!! GoCleanCo taught me that (contrary to popular belief) it is not just regular Dawn in a fancy spray bottle, it has its own chemical formulation that makes it super sticky to grease and really hard-working. This literally – no exaggeration – got the oil and grease off parts from my CAR with little to no scrubbing required.

Tide Rescue | While we are on the subject, let us also discuss Tide Rescue, which has no right to be so effective on food stains. It is a running joke among everyone who knows me that I literally spill something every single time I eat (embarrassing, but true), and this stuff works miracles even if I just use it to spot clean things. I’m talking wine! Pizza sauce! Avocado! It’s so good.

Hamilton | Last summer, I was finally able to see Hamilton (the musical) after many years of delays. I was meant to go in April of 2020, but of course that couldn’t happen. Then I was meant to go in March of 2023, but we ended up getting the chance to go to Kenya to shoot a wedding (!) and our tickets were non-refundable, so I gave them to Sonja & her partner. Finally, last June, my sister Bron and I went and it was SO joyful. I absolutely love every single song, and it was so fantastic to finally see it in person. Yay! I also love the Disney+ version, which carried me through the pandemic years.

Mike | Cheesy but true: I would not have made it through these past few years without him. Mike makes me laugh every single day, even (especially) when I am too grouchy and in my head to be fully present. He is one of the funniest people I have ever met, while also being gentle, sweet, creative, inventive, and kind. He can fix anything, is best friends with my grandma, and has taught me the importance of putting googly eyes on everything. (Yes just like in EEAAO! I cried when I first saw it!) We’ve had some *hard* times in recent years, but I really do think that those times brought us closer together. Currently we’re doing better than we ever have, and I’m excited to see what our future holds.

And that’s all, folks! All the lovely things that made my life better in the past couple years. I love this tradition and I am glad to be back to it after a few years off. It feels like capturing a moment in time of who I was and what I cared about, and I love seeing everything all together like this. Yay for favourite things, and yay for birthdays! Grateful to be another year older, and grateful to be back to feeling like myself again. ❤️

If you’re curious, you can also see my favourite things from when I was 29, 28, 27, 25, 24, 23, 22, and 21.

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