Me Time

Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed, but it hasn't been such a negative thing as the word seems to suggest. All of the things filling my time are wonderful and certainly worthy of my time and attention, but I am starting to feel it getting to the point where I need to take a step back.

I am the kind of person that likes to be busy, I actually thrive when I have everything scheduled and seemingly have "no time." The downside to this is that sometimes things can get a little unbalanced and something ends up suffering. It is at those times that I need to realize that my current plan of action is not sustainable and to do something about making it different.

So, that is what I have been doing lately. I have been taking a lot of me time and allowing myself to just be. For the past few years this time of year has been quite busy for me, but it is especially so this year. There is absolutely nothing that I would like to give up, and I know this current busier lifestyle isn't for long, so I just take the time I need for myself to be able to face everything head on, with purpose, determination, and a happy heart.

What time of year tends to be the most busy for you? How do you handle it? I would greatly enjoy some new tips!

P.S. I don't really like the word "busy." I know I used it, but it was mostly for the sake of convenience. It just seems to be almost glorified in a way, as if being busy is a mark of success and if you're not busy you're not contributing in a meaningful way, and I simply do not agree with that. Any thoughts?

Packing Tips: Long Necklaces

Just a quick post for you today, I was at training all of last week and through the weekend, so I haven't really had anything exciting to share!

With all of the travel that I've been fortunate to experience in the last couple of years, I've figured out a few tips and tricks to make my packing process easier and to also make using my items easier when I reach my destination.  One thing that stumped me for far too long was how to pack necklaces. I had seen so many tips out there that just didn't really work for me. Then, one day, I thought of this method and I have never turned back.

What I do is I take a towel (usually a hand towel, but you can really use whatever size works for you) and fold it to make it the right size for my necklaces. With my really old hand towel(ish) sized one I usually fold it once. Then, I lay my necklaces down on the towel. If they're super long I fold the chain back on itself to make it fit on the towel without anything hanging over the edge.

Next, I take the towel and start to roll/fold it. I say "roll/fold" because the first part is a fold, to make sure the pendant or clock or large part of the necklace is held in tight and then I roll after that.

I end up with a rolled up towel that I just stick along the edge of my suitcase. I usually add it before I put anything else in, but it can really be added anytime. Just be sure to keep it flat and tight so the necklaces don't slip out the end.

How do you pack your larger necklaces for travel? Any other tips? I would love to hear!

Macarons with Maria

This past Saturday Maria and I decided to switch up our tradition of Saturday Morning Cupcakes for some Saturday Morning Macarons. This was mainly because I wanted to try a new place in Saskatoon that sells macarons. I know this has been a "thing" for awhile, but Saskatoon (well, even Saskatchewan in general) takes a pretty long time to catch on. So, this opening was a big deal to me.

We chose a couple macarons each (vanilla and strawberry for me, vanilla and lemon for Maria) and a pot of tea each and sat down to enjoy the morning together. As usual, we covered a wide range of topics and emotions and had some really insightful (at least to us) moments. These Saturday morning dates, I tell you, they're the absolute best.

What are some cute ways you like to spend time with friends? Do you have any traditions? Have you tried any new places lately? Please share!