Currently Using

My hair is finally starting to grow (and I attribute it to eating more eggs and having iron infusions this spring 💪🏼). 

So one search on Instagram about hair health has flooded by algorithm with hair-related posts, and I came across Abbey Yung. 

Now, I am not here to influence you to buy things, and I most def not sponsored, but one of her recommendations is my new go-to. 

So, if you are buying conditioner and you want one that makes your hair soft and shinier (I’m not gonna over sell it, it is good, but not like hollywood good, if you have a ‘hollywood good’ one, please tell me!), I am currently in love with the Glycolic Gloss. I love the conditioner and the gloss treatment. 

Currently Listening To

So many podcasts!

Creation Myth – a personal journal about a woman’s choice not to have children. 

The whole time, you don’t know where she will land with this decision. 

I think anyone who does have kids can benefit from hearing the experience of a woman who does not. 

Where do we go from here – This is one I dabble in and out of depending on my mood.  It is a podcast about deconstructing purity culture. 

I recently listened to this one on Faith And Feminism, which I really enjoyed. 

Currently shopping/not shopping

Every change of season I get fully influenced by fast fashion and feel like I NEED ALL NEW CLOTHES! 

And I’ve been here before. I know I don’t need new clothes.  I just want how I think new clothes will make me feel. 

(Also, the IUD has given me more junk in the trunk, so I do need more pants and I’m not sad about it.)

But I do have to go back to what I re-learn every season:

1. I have tons of clothes I love; I just need to do the work of putting them together in new ways. 

2. Shop with a list of what the gaps are in my closet and don’t shop on vibes (my vibes shop for an imaginary version of me that has way more money, way more places to go, and has a constant spray tan)

3. Avoid polyester (the stores make this hard, but we need to be strong and unite on this issue, friends)

5. I have to really love it if I am going to buy it (I can’t be lukewarm!)

So I went shopping, I stuck to a list and then I took pictures of things I also really liked and could maybe buy down the road – if I felt they were needed/had extra money/they went on sale. 

* take pictures of things you want to buy but are saying ‘not right now’ to.  Often I look back at the photos and either see a repeat item, or I’m glad I didn’t get it. 

• Mindful Shopping Anchor Phrases (brain tantrums and dopamine)
• Wearing your fave clothes, trends and style, pride vs vanity (podcast episode)
• When shopping isn’t making your life better (minimalist tips)

Currently Eating

My husband away hunting this past month, and it made me realize how much unconscious accountability he provides me to make ‘square’ dinners each day. 

I did make some real meals for me and the kids, but we also enjoyed 

‘fridge smorgasbord’, 

‘girl dinner’, 

‘leftovers’,

and one day when everyone was busy, I ate GF toast for every meal.

In this season of my life, if you ask me to plan meals, I can only think of chicken tacos or spaghetti. 

But I recently pulled out a classic combo that I am repeating for dinners (and lots of lunch leftovers): rice, black beans, yams

Add in some chicken if you want and top it all with cashew cream! (we always have a jar of this in the fridge)

You can eat it in a wrap, as a salad, or crunch some taco chips on top and call it ‘a power bowl’

(we’re having it tonight!)

Currently Reading (read)

One life hack I have developed is to start a new book by listening to the audioversion on spotify.

This helps me get into it without doing the work of sitting and reading.

(Only one time did it ruin the book for me because I thought the narrator made the character too whiny and I couldn’t get past it)

Anyhoo. I listen, and then I read, and I toggle between the two.

These past months I read/listened to Cher’s memoir.  And I really enjoyed her stories, her point of view, and I think she is darn funny without trying to be. Def recommend.  

Currently  Hobbying

It is PUZZLE season, friends!

Yes, it is time to work the existence of a puzzle mat into your dining activities.

I pulled out this Costco one, (gifted from family) that makes me actually laugh out loud.

With its giant portions and hot dogs, and kids tantruming throughout the store. They just need a husband and wife arguing over pressure washers and mixed nuts! 

I love a puzzle that is hard enough to engage you but simple enough to soothe you. Please, no polar bears in snowstorms. 

PUZZLE HACK: I have started packing up the edge pieces separately into their own little bag. Then next time we do the puzzle, we don’t have to sort through hundreds of pieces to pull out the edge pieces first.

I am also still enjoying my lil sudokus. Last Christmas I bought a sudoku book for my kids and ended up taking it and doing it all.

I’m also really getting into oil pastels….but that is for another day.

Currently Drinking

Drinking vinegars, also called Shrubs. 

They are a vinegary syrup made of fruit, sugar, herbs and vinegar. They don’t taste very sweet and do have a vinegary smell. But mixed with sparkling water (or even a cocktail) they are refreshing and unique.

This is something my SIL has introduced me to, and she gave me a lovely set for Christmas.

I have been enjoying them at the end of the night mixed with ice and sparkling water.

I am hoping 2026 Shawna learns how to make some shrub so I can keep enjoying it. There are lots of health benefits, but for me, it is like a mocktail for a dry happy hour.

Currently Playing

When you are a mom (of older kids), you have lots of random downtime between stirring dinner, driving kids places, loading the dishwasher and stirring dinner again. I like to have a book I can pick up while I hang out in the kitchen, but I’ve also enjoyed having a puzzle on the go.

And not just jigsaw puzzles, but I recently turned to a Sudoku book that was under the christmas tree this year.

I thought the kids would be more into it, but turns out I am.

The kids joke that I am being a Stanley. . . .”Fine By Me”

Currently Reading

I am leaving a trail of DNF books in 2025. 

One book I am listening to right now is called Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood. 

I am telling all my friends about it and can’t say enough good things. 

For anyone with a teen daughter, this book is validating, insightful and practical. It is written by a psychologist who has and does work exclusively with teen girls and their families.

Currently Intending

That word is weird, but I mean it in the context of the intentions I have for the year ahead. 

One of the intentions I have for 2026 is more daily movement. 

With my work and being a hockey parent, I am sitting more than ever. 

That used to be ok in my 30s, but in my 40s my joints and muscles quickly go on their coffee break any time there is downtime. And we all know how hard it is to get work done when the staff is on perpetual coffee breaks!

I am also not a gym person, so in order to move more every day,  I am looking for little ways to bring movement into my day. 

I am building a foundation, 

5 minutes of yoga, 

going on the walking mill during a meeting, 

7 minutes on the trx, walking a few blocks while at my office. 

The foundation matters.

And often the foundation creates momentum for us to do more

Too often people try to start a new habit that is so big, it takes SO much motivation, momentum and discipline

I have learned, in my life, that if I start change in little ways, it is easier to build on bigger changes to that over time.

Plus I think sticker charts help.

And as with most years this January and February, I will sit down with the Life On Purpose workbook and plot out a few other things on my mind.

I have kept all of the workbooks from the past years. 

I love to reflect on the different things I was working on over the different seasons of life. It is one more way I feel encouraged to see that little shifts build up over time, and that you really can build a life that you enjoy

Currently Listening

I listened to a lot of music this winter. As I try to give myself more 🧠 brain space, I find having music on instead of a podcast or audiobook is helping me with this. 

One artist I am listening to on repeat is Tia Wood. She doesn’t have much out (yet), but I think I have played this particular song a couple of times a day this past week. 

Currently Drinking

Creatine and electrolytes

I read in the Chatelaine about creatine being very good for women (especially those approaching or post menopause)

So I asked my naturopath about it and she said “Yes, take creatine, the Gym Bros took it from us, but in a few months you will be thinking ‘am I a genius?’”

I’ve been taking it most days for about a month, and I’m feeling like it does help with brain fog and energy.  I add a dash of electrolytes to it for the flavour.

(no recommendations on brand, we just buy whatever is gluten-free)

Although, I will say she also has me on progesterone (game changer for about a year now) and estrogen-support (recent game changer) so those are also helping too. 

She also sent me this podcast episode on women’s hormones – it was so interesting! Worth a listen if you are in perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause!!

Currently Watching

I know we should all be outside more with the nicer weather, but now that hockey season is over, I’ve returned to my routine of Dinner-Prep TV. And now my husband works some night shifts so I have Evening-To-Myself TV too.

(If you haven’t heard me share this before, I love tv. I love the stories, the ideas, I love finding communities online and offline to talk about shows and concepts. I think it can offer so much information and learning, it can even be brought up in therapy!)

Here are some things I am watching

Couples Therapy (on Crave)

A new season is out!! 

This show follows a handful of couples over the course of therapy together with Dr. Orna Guralnik- with snippets from sessions all woven together.

As a therapist, this show is fascinating to me. To hear people’s stories, to watch their dynamics, and to see how Orna guides them through tough conversations.

As a person in a couple, it also humbles me and helps me see myself in some of the conversations happening

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (on Disney+ )

Feel free to judge me cause this show could easily be filed in the Trashy TV bin. BUT, I think it also offers a very interesting look at faith, sexuality, expectations on women and what can/can’t be considered feminism.

As a Christian who is doing the holy work of deconstruction, I find myself asking similar questions as these women are. 

However, I am twenty years older than them so my answers to those questions are  different. But I am excited to see the questions of womanhood and feminism being asked in more faith spaces. 

One Tree Hill (Prime)

I never watched this teen drama when it first came out – but I recently read Bethany Joy Lenz’s memoir (Dinner for Vampires) and wanted to see the tv version of her that was in contrast to the real-life version of her (passive, faith-filled, and unknowingly in a cult).

So this is one of my Dinner Prep shows now. 

Currently Listening to

the Mortified Podcast

The Mortified Podcast (similar to Grown Ups Read Things They Wrote as Kids, which is great too) – this podcast shares live recordings from adults reading excerpts from their journals and diaries they kept in their youth. 

It is a humbling journey back to the underdeveloped-brain and hormone-exaggerated teen-hood  

Speaking of Teen Angst, we watched Napoleon Dynamite with the kids a while back – and my movie quote repertoire is coming full circle. What a Mom Win!

Currently Wearing

The loosest pants I can find

Welcome to the Year of Linen. 

If your Year of Linen includes the Wide Leg Pant, then this will be the year of lower limb freedom!

The older I get, the less tolerant I am of clothes that don’t FEEL good on my body.

I have found some great linen pant options from H&M, and the Gap Outlet. But everywhere I look, you can find them

Note, don’t put them in the dryer. I have already shrunk a pair I just bought….. Maybe they will become linen shorts 🙄.

Currently Baking

Brazilian Cheese Buns 

(Pão de Queijo)

There is a gluten-free Brazilian cheese bun that I had been buying from costco. Because it was $$$, I had been doling the out in small doses to make them last. 

I went to my fave GF cafe the other week and they had made their own. I forgot that I could do that too!

It was ridiculously easy and I didn’t feel a panic about making them last so the kids could enjoy them without me acting all Food Warden-y

Currently Buying

(some) mindful back-to-school shopping

It is tempting to buy into the cultural expectation that our kids need a wardrobe/bag/lunch bag overhaul to start out a school year.

I’ve done it a couple of times and it ends up being quite expensive, each kid wants it to be ‘fair’, and there are impulse buys that everyone decides they neeeeeeed.

If you are like us, we buy things throughout the year, as they are needed. I’ve come to take the approach of taking in an inventory and buying what they actually need. 

• Make a list and stick to it. Maybe allow for one impulse item, 🫠 cause dopamine will make you think that you will be deficient/die without the ‘reward’ it is chasing

This week I went shopping with my niece. And though there was a part of me that felt like I was shopping for the dopamine hit, I tried to be at least mindful of whether or not I really LOVED an item.  (A motto I try to have while clothes shopping: only buy what you love). 

I tried on over a dozen pair of pants and bought one pair.

I took a picture of the ‘maybe’ pair of jeans because it can be so easy to talk oneself into the ‘maybe’ item. You can make a hasty case for it, get excited, justify the purchase, and get that dopamine hit. 

My concession with the ‘buy it all now!’ part of my brain is to take a picture of it and if I love it, come back to it online later. (At least my brain buys it enough in the moment)

Simple on Purpose posts on shopping:

• When shopping isn’t making your life better
• Shop your summer closet
• Mindful shopping anchor phrases

Currently Playing

Monopoly deal

My son got this card game for his bday and we play it often. 

So often that we have gone past that pleasant Go Easy stage the two of us tend to take with each other – and onto the ‘That’s Showbiz Baby!’ ruthless gameplay.

It is easy to learn, games can be fairly quick, and each game feels a bit different.

Currently Listening

Big Kid Music

A surprising treat of having older kids is being able to share music with them.  

If I hear a song I think my kid will like, I add it to their spotify playlists or show it to them. We love finding new artists and listening to new albums together. 

On roadtrips we download an array of playlists and play a skip/block game we created to accommodate the fact that there are three siblings who can’t even share a window view without protest. 

Recently we were on a road trip and listened to Connor Price (a Canadian rapper whose lyrics you don’t mind your kids singing along with) and the new Post Malone country album. It is full of collabs so we played a game where we would guess the duet partner in each song.  And mind there are some Es on here, if that is important to you. 

Currently Packing For Trips

File don’t pile

I will not boast on being well-traveled by any means, but I do feel like I need to pack up and go places often (#hockeymom).  

While there might be many efficient ways to pack clothes, I do prefer a duffle bag because they can be mushed into the back of the trunk to make room for other things. 

When I recently went away for a week I made outfit ideas for each day (plus a bunch extra, obvi) and then I packed them in my duffle bag vertically, like a filing cabinet, so I could see everything and grab something without unloading the whole thing. 

This is also how I have been putting my clothes away for over ten years when I found it on an OG blog. 

👋🏽 Of course, if you have helpful packing hacks, I’d love to see them shared in the Facebook Group 

Currently Self-Caring

Care vs comfort

Self care is different than self comfort. And once I heard that difference, I realized a lot of the ways I was currently seeking comfort (scrolling, online shopping, staying up late watching tv and having an Olivia Pope dinner). 

The other night I was feeling worn out and restless and got excited about the various self comfort distractions I could employ to override the feelings I didn’t want to have. 

Of course I didn’t see it in the moment, but as I reflected on it the next day, I could see I was avoiding my feelings through self-comfort. 

I needed this reminder to not be afraid of feeling my feelings, making space for them, learning from them, and honouring what they have to teach me about myself and my life. 

I’m aiming to bring in more self care steps to help me not get to a worn out place, but to also help me handle the grossness of ‘feelings I don’t like feeling’. 

Posts related to self care and feelings

• The meeting your needs series (including the episode on self comfort vs self care)
• All episodes related to emotions and emotional intelligence 

Currently Summering

As we herald in the summer months of Southern BC I am especially grateful for the new-to-us above-ground pool that I bought this spring.

Now that it is warm enough to lounge in, I find myself making a pitcher of ice tea for the kids (which is an act of abundance for this ‘drink water, it is free from the tap’ mom) and heading into the pool with a book or podcast to float around until it’s time to make dinner or the floatie gives way to the slow leak I can’t pinpoint.

I am also having nostalgia of my days as a health inspector when I would head out for a pool inspection and enjoy being waterside, testing pool chemistry. 

The whole family pretends to care when I declare our pool water to be at optimum chlorine levels. 

Currently Listening

The other day I was putting on a podcast and one of my kids came in the room 

Kid: ‘A counselling podcast?’ 

Me: ‘Yup!’ 

Kid: ‘It’s either a counselling podcast or a Jesus podcast’

Me: ‘Or something about pop culture ‘

Kid: ‘the Popcast, I see you girl’

And I did feel seen. 

Here are some episodes I have liked lately:

AI and Dead Internet Theory

By Money Feels (two Canadian moms teaching about money and investing)

-This episode has made me rethink using chat GPT (did you know it has an environmental impact!? I had never thought of it). And coming off the heels of receiving an eerily personalized phishing email, I am really looking at AI with a side eye. 

How to Handle Screens in Summer

By Your Parenting Long Game (very practical parenting podcast for kids with big emotions)

– This episode is helping me remember the skills we ALL need when it comes to screen use, the importance of clear boundaries (I like to set timers that shut off the game or app when the timer is done).  

Big Jeans Feelings

By Culture Study Podcast (interesting topics and how they are a product or influence of the culture we live in)

– This episode talks about jean manufacturing and trends. It is helpful if you feel like your jeans wear out quickly or you feel overwhelmed by all the trends. 

And the kids and I have listened to the Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel when we’ve been road tripping.  It is a good one for middle-school aged kids. 

Currently Declaring

“It is for morale. “

Since then we have been declaring our little decisions and actions are ‘For Morale’. 

• Bought popsicles for the kids….for morale
• We let the kids stay up to watch another episode of the family show….for morale
• Plant a lil garden….for morale
• Put on something I felt cute in….for morale
• Said my name was Mamacita when I put in my food order….for morale (and eye rolls from my children, which is reverse psychology morale, or something)
• Lined up all my lotions and potions all nice on my bathroom shelf….for morale
• I stocked my office cupboard with protein bars and snacks….for morale!

Currently Imagining  (as a tool for intentional living)

Using our imagination can be a tool for transformation in our own hearts and minds (and therefore, lives).

Often we use our imagination for the worst case scenario, having imaginary confrontations with people, assuming others think the worst of us, or cleverly ruminating on the problems of us and others and the world.

BUT, when we use our imagine with hope and curiosity then we can do things like get creative, solve problems, have more empathy, reframe things, and consider alternatives to our stuckness.

Imagination is useful for gratitude practices, visualization exercises, and a lot of therapeutic exercises that help us inquire  within, learn, and heal. All of these practices can help rewire the brain to think in new ways.

I’ve been playing this scene in my head.  

Setting up imaginary tales of what 90 year old me will want me to notice and appreciate. 

What will 90 year old me find sacred about right now?

What will 90 year old me focus on if she could go back to 41?

I try to give my best guess, and do a little thing in the day that honours that inner conversation I have with 90 year old me.