It was so nice to come back to Muskoka last night. We made a fire, watched Netflix and had a cozy cottage night. Spent almost all of Saturday lazing around, eating snacks and watching shows. We all need to give ourselves a break, relax, and take time to recharge our batteries. SO GRATEFUL FOR THE WEEKEND.
View PostToday was the first day the lake was fully frozen. The ice is nice. This year, we’ve been up on the woods from frozen, to not, and back again. What a year! Tomorrow we’re going back downtown to spend a few days in the city and pickup Emily. Don’t worry Mum, Sean is standing on the dock here. It’s safe! Once making sure it was fully frozen, Sean cleared a section for an ice rink and cold plunge pool. He’s really been into Wim Hof Method the last year. It’s amazing how a dip in ice water gets your blood pumping and leaves your muscles feeling fire. ?
View PostWoke up to a winter wonderland! I reckon we got almost 10cm last night. Had a productive workday then Sean and I went to town around 6pm. Took it easy on the roads and made a date of going to Canadian Tire. Not a lot to do in these parts (or anywhere!) these days. On the way home, Sean had to clear a tree off the cottage road so we could make it back. Crazy times! I think more snow is coming tonight. Good thing we got a good snow shovel!
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The little things like catching the sun in your face. A beautiful tree. Smiling at someone as you drive by. A fresh cup of hot coffee on a cold morning. When you focus on gratitude, even the simplest things can be a source of joy. Do this and I promise it will have a big impact on your entire life. Woke up to a blanket of snow today. It’s cold but beautiful. I ran through the winter wonderland, seeing my breath as I jogged down the road. The sun was shining and the snow painted glitter all around. It was so nice. On the way home, there was even more snow and it’s been a long time since we’ve driven in those conditions. Although it took longer to make it back to the city, we kept saying ‘WOW’ as we drove the winding roads through the snow. I’m excited about my shoot today. Ahh! I’ve been up in the woods so long, being in a studio has me quite excited.
View PostFor the last few years, Sean and I have spent Thanksgiving at the cottage. We’ve been getting the Swiss Chalet ‘festive special’ for about four years now. This year we couldn’t dine-in so we got takeout and went down to Muskoka Beach Road to watch the sunset. Thanksgiving 2020 ftw. This year I’m thankful for Sean and my family, how close we’ve all gotten the last few months through the pandemic. I’ve also really become close with a bunch of friends and somehow, even though we’ve not seen each other much in person, we talk more than ever. I am also very thankful for the internet, for keeping us all connected. To the internet for hosting my blog diary that’s helped me build a career and document my memories. I can’t imagine trying to remember everything I’ve done over the last week, 6 months, or 15 years without having it written down. Around this time last year, I decided to make a change in my life and start working out. I’m grateful that I stuck with it, that I didn’t give up, that I changed my eating habits, and learned to love myself more. I remember seeing this Nike ad years ago, the message stuck with me. Why put off until tomorrow something you could check off your list today? If you want to make a change in your life, start now. Start today. By tomorrow, you’ll already be on day 2. Sending you love, hope you had a nice wekeend.
View PostHad a great meeting in the morning and then picked up some groceries from Pusateri’s for the weekend. I am so in love with this jumpsuit from Zara Kids. I saw it on a friend’s daughter for the first day of school then ordered it for myself! haha Sean and I left for the cottage around 2 and got there just after 4pm. We were gonna go to the 400 Market but it’s not open on Friday anymore. Another time! I was so happy to be back in the woods for a relaxing weekend. Hoping to run 10km this weekend. I really like running in Muskoka more than in the city, less people!
View PostTook the boat out of the water this morning after taking Sean for his last rip on the lake. I don’t think we’ll be putting it back in this year. We’re on our way back to the GTA after sending the long weekend up north with Emily. Sean has buyer for his classic 1982 Stingray Corvette so we’ve got it on a trailer and and we’re dropping it off in Oakville. Our next stop is Emily’s mum’s place to drop her off, she starts a new school next week. The kids have to wear masks all day and they’ve got a bunch of social distancing procedures in place. We know it’s good for her to be back in school but it’s also stressful knowing we are potentially putting her and ourselves at risk. I’ve had a lot of anxiety over the past few days. It’s hard not to have anxiety with everything going on. Watching the news is intense and just sitting alone with your own thoughts can be overwhelming. I’m behind on my blog diary (again) but I also haven’t had my computer since September 3rd. I finally dropped my MacBook Pro off at the shop after months of using it with a broken keyboard. Found out today it’s going to cost $$$ and I think it’s time to get a new laptop. I’ve been using my old MacBook Air and it’s so s-l-o-w. Tbh I’m glad it’s a short week and it will be the weekend again before we know it. Sean and I are planning to come back to the cottage together on Friday. I love summer but fall weekends in Muskoka are so charming. Relaxing and romantic. The leaves have only just started to change and over the next six-8 weeks they will transform to…
View PostWe went for a nice slow cruise around the lake in the morning. It’s very hot this weekend! In the afternoon, we ventured out to Bracebridge, visited a couple of shops, got groceries, and had some lunch. Wherever we go to town we try to stick to the list and be efficient, by the time we get home we’re exhausted. Shopping and getting supplies during quarantine is stressful. I used to love going to the grocery store and dilly-dallying around the aisles but it’s not like that anymore! Found a cute second-hand shop inside the Muskoka Natural Food Market called Revolution with heaps of nice clothes. I didn’t get anything but I might take a few nicer items from my closet to donate. Check them out on IG at @revolution.mnfm. Yes, I wore my fav outfit 2 days in a row. ? At night we had a little hangout with some cottage friends on the lake. Sometimes I miss being in the city but I love being here with Sean so much. ❤️
View PostSean asked if I wanted to go get tacos and the obv answer was YES. We took a nice drive up to Port Carling and had a late lunch at Tilo’s Taqueria which used to be Grand Electric Muskoka. The food was great, the booths were outside and distanced. It was quite cloudy but the rain held off enough to still sit on the covered patio. Tomorrow Jen Kirsch is coming up for a couple of days, our first guest! Looking forward to surprising the Vinyl Night crew when we show up on the Zoom together.
View PostWoke up to find a copy of the Dockside Muskoka magazine left on the dock. I love that they’re delivered this way! Been doing some research on Canada and the history of today. I’d like to acknowledge we are on the land of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee territory. Treaty of Williams (1923), Robinson-Huron (Treaty 61, 1850). If you’d like to see the history of your land, visit native-land.ca. The day was pretty relaxed, Sean worked and I read outside for about 3 hours in the afternoon sun. I finished The Three Mrs. Wrights by Linda Keir, it was so good! Felt a bit weird about doing fireworks given everything that’s going on in the world but then again, they bring joy to us and other people on the lake. Sean set up the camera to do some photos and only set off one before bed. I took these on my phone and ran them through the Huji Camera app. I am forever grateful my parents decided to immigrate to Canada and NOT the USA. Growing up here has provided us with a world of opportunity, education, safely, and healthcare. I am proud to be Canadian!
View PostTo be honest, today was not great. I spent most of the day in a bad mood, filled with anxiety, feeling stressed, snapping at Sean for no reason. I had drinks last night with some girls from the lake and one of them fell on the boat, cut her arms, and had to get stitches. Luckily, no permanent damage and everyone was ok but it had me in my feelings all day. You really have to be on your toes and keep one hand on the boat at all times, an accident can happen in a split second. Later in the day things turned around and Sean & I decided to take a road trip together. We picked up takeout from Pie Muskoka and drive through Bala, to the Wahta Reserve, then back home through Gravenhurst. Sometimes you just need to shake it off and change your surroundings. The journal above is a gratitude journal gifted to me by Cheryl, the owner of Please Notes. She has some really great affirmation filled goods you can find here. We met last year when we were both speakers at I Make a Living last year hosted by FreshBooks. I’m speaking at their next online event on Wednesday 24th, 11am. Sign up here!
View PostMy eye is starting to look less scary. The swelling has gone done after hours of ice, laying down, antihistamines, and CBD. Today we took a long drive around Muskoka and stopped to get a few supplies. This sign was at a market in Port Carling. Most of the stores there have closed and it doesn’t look like they are reopening. ? We picked up plants to put around the house for Sean’s mum. I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow so I can get out in the garden. I will be wearing full body bug protection! I also made a veg lasagna and it turned out so good. Emily has made a choice to be vegetarian so we’re all giving it a go. I don’t eat a lot of meat and hardly any dairy so it’s not much of a change. The lasagna was INCREDIBLE. Sending you love today and everyday.
View PostToday was a great day! I ran 2k in the morning and baked sweet potato brownies. Sean returned to the cottage with Emily in the afternoon. I did some gardening in this great outfit then made a run to town for some supplies. Our friends stopped by in their boat and might take Sean wakeboarding tomorrow. For dinner, we made taco bowls as a family, had dairy-free ice cream sundaes for dessert, then watched The Matrix. Picked myself up some flowers at the grocery and had the nicest chat with a lovely lady named Nora who was working at the store. It was such a beautiful day. So happy it’s MAY!
View PostI spent the day mostly on the couch watching Outer Banks. It’s not a great show but I’m heavily invested now and want to complete my task. Ate some leftovers. Made some cards & bracelets to send to friends. It’s totally ok to not feel like doing anything or to lack motivation during this time. If you survived another day, that in itself is an accomplishment. We are in the middle of a global pandemic and it’s hard to deal with. Tomorrow is a new day.
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