A Month Of Margaret Atwood

This has been a good year for Margaret Atwood’s TV career as two of her books-turned-TV-shows have gotten raving reviews (and a few Emmy wins), which is why i’m recommending you dedicate December to catching up on them and a book or two by this insanely talented Canadian author!

Week 1 & 2: Watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

This dystopian tale is set in future America where religious dictatorship rules pall and women are enslaved and used by families to produce children. Ladies, be warned, you’ll want to rip out your ovaries and burn them after watching this show.

Week 3: Read ‘Cats Eye’

A perfect example of what a literary genius Atwood is. Read this, bow to it a couple of times, publicly acknowledge that you will never produce something as good and then pass it along to a friend.

Week 4: Watch Alias Grace

End the month with this short six-part series that follows the murder trial of a young maid in the 1800s. The series is perfectly executed and will keep you pressing the next episode button immediately after each one ends.

I Drank 3 Liters of Water for 3 Months

Yes, I basically lived in the bathroom the entire time and yes, I definitely saw improvement in my hair and skin but that was all expected. What I didn’t expect to happen though was…

… for my mood swings to (ahem, noticeably) decrease. I kid you not, it was like a black veil was lifted from in front of me and suddenly the birds were singing and the sun was brighter (fine, it wasn’t that dramatic, but I did notice the sun okay?).

… to become less sluggish. Three months ago my mornings basically consisted of me tucked beneath my sheets, hot tea in hand crying “why have you abandoned us” to the moon and yelling at my daughter to make sure she didn’t forget to put random things in her backpack. Now in the mornings i’m actually up and out of bed and physically running after my daughter (while I yell at her to put random things to put in her backpack).

Have a Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was spent getting a much needed massage at the spa followed by a low key dinner with some friends. The topic of the evening was: if there was a war and we had to live abroad what would we do for money? Sadly, that was the evening we all realized how little skills we had and settled on hairstylist, shawarma stand owner and english tutor!

Anyway, I try to fit in a massage every week but unfortunately with a young kid and a full time job that can be hard to do. This was a lesson I learned early on from my mother who always stressed the importance of getting regular massages for stress relief and blood flow. I can’t tell you guys how much it has helped over the years! What are some of the best spas you’ve been to around the world?

ALSO,   

…. your New Years Eve plans have been sorted, you’re welcome

…. and check out the most expensive house in the world

… this Finnish journalist’s opinion on the crucial mistake American’s make in how they view life 

… do we love or hate this leather jacket?

Peer Pressure and Pool Phobias

My little one is turning seven soon and I know how cliche this is, but it’s happening too fast! I’ve noticed so many new things being introduced to her like feeling stressed, bullying and a need to fit in (whether it be through her clothes, backpacks or what shows she likes to watch.) I noticed it the most this Halloween when I knew she desperately wanted to go as a superhero but opted for a more gender-neutral costume (vampire) so as not to be laughed at by the girls in the class (and also went with nothing princess-y so that she could still hold up her tomboy image with the boys). For this six year old nugget, the struggle was SO real last weekend! 

But back to this weekend, when she asked me a very important question (one, I hate to admit, I struggled to answer). My daughter has always had a huge phobia of the water and still doesn’t know how to swim (which gives me drowning-related anxiety attacks mid-night, most nights) and I’ve tried taking her to several different classes (kicking and screaming, mind you) and this weekend was our attempt with instructor number four. This time the poor angel didn’t fight me, instead she solemnly nodded and said “I know mama, I really need to learn this time. But what do I tell myself when i’m scared but I still have to do something?” 

What do you guys think? What mantras or statements do you teach your kids when they feel this way (whether it be tackling a phobia or going to the doctor or dentist)? 

Tim Minchin’s Life Advice is Worth Taking

I’ve read one too many articles on how to live life and what my priorities should be but i’ve never connected with their ideas as much as I did with the list of nine pieces of advice given by musician Tim Minchin during his honorary Doctor of Letters acceptance speech. 

The part that spoke most to me was learning to focus passionately on smaller short term goals rather than one big long term “dream”. It never occured to me that it was okay to not have a dream (which was a self-imposed requirement I constantly pressured myself with).

What part spoke to you the most?