A Journey into Mindfulness and Self-Care During the Holidays

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hello cuties, I'm starting off with a big yolll. I'm tired. Good morning, welcome back to Fiverr's Time podcast with your host, grace. I'm so excited that you've joined us for day 8 of PODMAS. Today we are talking all about moments for me or you, aka self-love, self-care, especially leading up to this time of year.

Speaker 1: 0:37

It can be so busy and so overwhelming and sometimes just go, go, go, go go. I've actually had a pretty relaxing December in the sense that I am not overbooked, I am not over busy and I was very intentional about that, which is about moments for me, but I know that not everyone is able to do that or has lots of family things going on or celebrations with friends, etc. Busy times of work, working in retail or health care or anything, etc. It can feel very busy around this time. Even working in what do I work in, digital creation space can feel very busy If you want to really ramp up the brand deals. I know that this is the time of year that all of those businesses have the chuchang to spend and are also looking for people to help with their marketing because it is the season of buying. But I did not sign up for a busy season and I'm glad that I did that and that I slowed down and that I was really protecting my space. So I'm happy that I had that ability. But, that being said, I'm feeling so tired today I think I just like have been very go, go, go. I also did want to stay not busy, but I did want to do this 12 days of Vlogmas or Vlogmas I knew I was going to say Vlogmas at some point of Podmas, because I know that for myself.

Speaker 1: 2:06

I feel that I love podcasts. Podcasts are one of those things in my life that I listen to when I'm putting road to sleep, I love to listen to on my walked or long drives. I know that this time of year can feel lonely for some, or you are looking for accountability when you want to get out on those winter walks, and that a podcast is something that can support you through that, and so I wanted to create this podcast series just for that reason. But also it has been, I guess, tiring in the sense of like having to emotionally share every day. But honestly, I'm loving it. I'm loving it. I think just today I'm just tired. You know, cute tiredness happens, and that's why I thought moments for me would be a good episode for this, for this day in general.

Speaker 1: 2:54

I also had a facial recently, which I wasn't planning on doing. I usually get a facial once a year from my beloved Cassandra at Calm Down Club. She's literally amazing. I've never had it. I remember the first time I ever had a facial, it was like revolutionary for me because I never had one before and it was like, oh my gosh, wow, having someone slather your face with goodness for an hour is like no other experience. But then I would try to replicate that and anytime I got a facial, wherever I went, I always felt like it was like, so salesy, like I had ones where people were like fully talking the entire time about the products they were putting my face and they were like, oh yeah, you need this for that and this for that. And I was like cute, I'm here to chill, I don't want to be sold to.

Speaker 1: 3:37

And then I kind of realized the like world of facials and like beauty treatments and things like that. It's very salesy, but anyways, cassandra actually used to work in a world like that and now she has a studio that she runs out of her house and it is literally it's called the Calm Down Club and it's literally that's what it is, and I think she has this beautiful philosophy where you come here to really calm down and she doesn't work through sales and obviously she sells stuff. She creates so many beautiful products but, like you, will not be sold to pretty much your entire treatment unless maybe you ask for something specific. But I think she is just phenomenal and so I I've gotten I think this is my third facial with her. I think I treat myself usually once a year, usually do it around my birthday. I didn't do it around my birthday this year and then she had posted something of someone getting a facial recently and I was like, oh my gosh, I need that. Like I was just watching the fingers, like like you know all you know those things. Have you ever seen the videos of people getting facial treatments? Oh, they look so nice. Anyways, I was like I need that in my life and then I didn't book it.

Speaker 1: 4:41

And then I was watching Love Island Australia, which, yes, I've been watching Love Island Australia. I love it, although I am at a very lull part of the season and sometimes there is no lull parts and then that's when you know it's like a really entertaining season and sometimes they're all are lull parts and you're just like Come on, we got to get to cast some more. Bring cast some more for a little more spice, which I feel like is why they include cast some more. Anyways, long story short, never short is that there's one girl and I don't know if she's like an esthetician or facialist or anything by trade, but she was. This one guy was like hey, can you give me a facial? And I thought she was just gonna put like a sheet mask on him or whatever. But she did the whole thing in the massage and I was watching and I was like I need that in my life. And then I booked an ASAP. I was like she's an opening, this, I need it in my life, and I'm so glad I did. I really did need that in my life.

Speaker 1: 5:30

And she always starts it off like if you have ever gone to a meditation class or restorative yoga when they really tell you to like set your intentions and whatever. She always starts it off with like a little bit of that type of meditation to it. And I love Loved force meditation, not force. But I love being in a place where, like I literally cannot, I have to sit and think about whatever it is or be intentional with that moment. I love when I'm put in a position like that, which is why I love going to Restorative yoga classes and things like that. But yeah, she started by saying, like, choose a word for this Treatment and like what you want to set your intention for, whatever. And so she starts by doing that and at the end she asked you to do a final breathe out and breathe out into that, whatever your intention was and like, a lot of the time it's like peace or calm or something like that.

Speaker 1: 6:21

But I chose energy. I was like I am just looking for really good energy in my life right now, and so in my mind I was like I want to be energized, I want to feel that energeticness, I want to feel like alive and Just like all of those good Vibes. And I did leave feeling that way and so it was just like one of those things that was like so wonderful now, while I'm here feeling so Drained today, not even it's just a moment, it's literally a moment. Right now I'm just like oh, I'm just feeling kind of like and I kind of just want to like veg out and the crown season is out. The second half. I told you guys I watched the first half like whenever it first came out I didn't realize it was gonna be so far apart. So now the second half is out, like I just want to sit down and watch that, but I just haven't had the opportunity to like, I have not had a chance to just like sit and binge a show, except for Love Island, which I can have on the background when I'm doing tasks and things like that. But the crown it's like I need to be Present, present and watching. I also only have Netflix on the TV, so it has to be like on the TV. I can't have it on my iPad where I can move around and do things.

Speaker 1: 7:34

So anyways, long story short is today we were talking about moments for me, embracing ourselves and making sure we set ourselves up for success. Because I want to be, I'm in the giving spirit of the season. I want to be Available, and that doesn't mean gifts. We already had our gift conversation where you, where I, stand with gifts and things and stuff. But I want to be able to give myself and my qualities and my personal gifts and my Just myself to the people in my life as best as I can. I want to be the most present. I want to be the most just like Holly Jolly this Christmas season and really enjoy that time with others. But I can't do that if I'm if I'm too much, if I'm giving too much or not giving enough to myself. So I have just decided that this year is the year where I'm actually gonna take time to step back and reflect and think about and Put in place support for myself so that I can be my best version for all the things and people and stuff that I have to do.

Speaker 1: 8:35

And so one was booking a facial. It doesn't have to be a facial, obviously, but just booking something for me. For me, that's a facial, because that is where I can really just be my most Zen, and I also have been trying to take time to have slow mornings every morning, which row has been really appreciating. So I'm glad because Sometimes she gets up and she's like let's go, let's eat, let's do like this. And my mornings are totally directed by row because, honestly, I cannot do.

Speaker 1: 9:06

I feel like I'm always pushed like different reels or Instagram accounts or tick tocks or whatever, where people are like get up before your kids, yeah, get your day going before them. It makes all the difference. And like, I always see that and I'm like, yes, I would love to, like, I am such a morning person, I love doing that stuff, but Rosie wakes up at like five, five-fifteen. I am not waking up at four, thirty to start my day. None, none, none, no. We just both happen to be morning people. So we have to start our day together and right now I am in such a Slow, cozy, morning mode which I'm just totally embracing, especially now that we're on Christmas holidays and everything. It just feels so good.

Speaker 1: 9:48

There are times where it's overwhelming, when we spend too much time in bed, and then I feel very rushed, but right now it feels very much part of the routine, like it feels good. And that's where I always try and listen to myself, because I know some days it's better if we get out of bed and I get in the shower right away, like sometimes that's my first thing. It's like okay, row, we're up, here's some milk, watch a show. I'm getting in the shower and getting dressed and starting my day right away. But right now it just feels so good to wake up and have my bowl of cream of wheat. You guys know I'm freaking obsessed with my dipping my dose in the cream of wheat and Watch some love Island.

Speaker 1: 10:26

She can watch a little show and we can just chill and have cozy mornings and it's so cute and I make her a little snack plate and then I'll be. I'd like the night before, like in the evening when I'm putting her to bed, I actually our lamps in our room are too bright, so sometimes she'll come into my room, sometimes I'll go into hers and hers she is a little Christmas tree, which is perfect, it's just enough light. But like the lamps in our room, if we turn them on it's like it's too much for the cozy morning. It's like I don't want it to be day-day time yet, like it's still cozy morning. And so I actually found a little red and beige silk scarf that she was playing with. That is mine, I think, from somewhere. Anyways, I put it over one of our lamps and it's like the perfect lighting.

Speaker 1: 11:04

And so the other night I was putting her to bed and she likes to use the scarf to like wrap it around her baby here little stuffed bunny, and I've been keeping at my side table so that I have it in the morning when I put it over our lamp. But she Was like oh, I want to play with it, baby wants to sleep with the tonight. I was like okay, but like, if you come into our room in the morning, can you just remember to bring it? And she was like or can we put it next to my bed tonight? And she was like no, mommy, I'm gonna remember to bring it in in the morning. I'll come, I'll bring baby, I'm gonna bring the scarf, I'm gonna bring whatever other things. She always has a list and she always does. She always comes prepared even first thing. When she wakes up she remembers. And she was like and then we can lay in bed and we can have some snack and watch a show, and it'll be so cozy, mommy, it's like best friend, cozy morning.

Speaker 1: 11:47

I'm like queen, yes, so just supporting myself with those cozy mornings. It's been so, so, so, so wonderful. And on the other hand of that is that I'm fully embracing, like 430 is like bedtime for me, like not actual bedtime, but like we are winding down for the night, like I am fully embracing that and I have no guilt in it. Like I find that like at 3 I go to pick up a row from school and it's like I'm like, oh yeah, it's the day like 2, 33 o'clock. I'm like, oh my gosh, I feel so energized, the day's gonna be so great. It's like I get my second wind and then I go to pick up row and like we will usually go do something Like maybe go play at the park or play outside with neighbors or whatever.

Speaker 1: 12:28

And then it's like we come in and it's like 430 and I'm like queen, we're just chilling, right. She's like, yeah, we're just chilling. It's like we just hang, make a really slow dinner, and trouble will sometimes come up from the basement and be like hey, what's for dinner? And I'll be like I don't know, can you do something? And then he'll make dinner or I'll have had something like in the oven she pan, we're living for she pans slow, easy living right now. Just throw it in. And by slow I just mean like I don't need to be in the kitchen, like cooking 24-7, paying attention to the meal, like just pop it in the oven.

Speaker 1: 12:57

And so I have just been like Loving that and I feel like it's made me so much more productive during the day, like this is a new revelation, revelation, revolution, whatever for the winter time for me, like I am usually, like I usually feel like, especially on gloomy days it's been sunny recently, which has been so nice, but especially on gloomy days, which I find sometimes can be so, so much in the winter, like you won't see the Sun until literally 430 when it's like falling beneath the, beneath the clouds, and all of a sudden this is beautiful pink sky and you're like I've lived for this moment. But like, on days like that where you don't see the Sun, like I find it really hard to find energy and Productiveness. And so this schedule has been like it has been working so well for me and I'm just totally feeding into it. So those slow, lovely morning spent in bed, and then finally, and then, and then the best part is so I only eat like the Cereal, like my cream of wheat, and Roe his or snack plate, and then eventually we do get out of bed, we let the dog out, we have to get up, whatever, and that's when I go downstairs and I make my coffee and I'm my sweet, my sweet something.

Speaker 1: 14:01

Right now I've been enjoying my hello dollies and my shortbread cookies delish, but I have my sweet something With my coffee and it's like, it's like a little something lovely. A little something lovely to get myself out of bed and just like Start my day so slow and lovely. It's been so nice, like literally it's been so nice I could cry it's been so nice. And then I drop Ro off and I go on my morning walk which has just been so wonderful to have that fresh air and that sunshine even if it's not sunny, you know what I mean like just like that fresh air feeling. And then I come back and I just feel so productive and I work, work, work, work until I go pick up Ro. And then it's like I know once I pick up Ro, we're gonna have some fun together and then we're just gonna wind down slow for the night and just chill, chill the f out. It's literally kind of my dream and sometimes life like that feels like.

Speaker 1: 14:53

Sometimes in the evening, when things are like that, I don't know, sometimes I just feel like you, feel like you're too all day in the wintertime and then it's like it's dark and I didn't do anything. But I'm finding, because I'm having that slow morning, productive day and whatever. It's been great and sometimes productive for me is literally like you all know, I love my Monday show and laundry and I'll just watch shows All day and fold and do laundry all day and that's like beautiful, beautiful, sometimes productive for me is literally just making the beds in the morning, or like I'm happy I did that and now I'm just gonna veg and chill out, like I just feed into whatever my mood is that day, when I have the ability to do that. Some days it's like okay, I got deadlines, I got things to do, I need to get going and I was land, and it's like I'm not really matching this energy. But right now I'm being very balanced, like I'm being ahead of the game. I'm not doing things last minute. I'm feeling so much better about it because I'm having just like those slow mornings and evenings. It's been so, so nice. So, yeah, that's something I'm doing to support myself right now, and I can't say this enough but having wonderful and delicious Snacky things around, like things to make snack plates, I am such like, I feel like snack plates are such a winter thing for me, especially around that like a winter afternoon thing for me, especially around that like 1.32 o'clock mark, it's like, ooh, I just need something that's gonna get me to dinner and I just want a bit of everything and so just having those types of food I have been so bad about keeping our fridge stocked.

Speaker 1: 16:31

Recently I've just been feeling overwhelmed. I actually like I'm almost on the verge of doing grocery delivery. I actually like grocery shopping but I just like and I find grocery delivery overwhelming. I've only ever done it once from Walmart, but I actually saw Viola who does the Farm Boy groceries the same people as Longos. I actually saw that truck. I didn't think they had Farm Boy grocery delivery here, but I saw the truck in a neighborhood close by so I was like, oh, maybe you can get it. And I was like maybe I'll do grocery delivery.

Speaker 1: 17:01

But then also grocery delivery kind of overwhelms me because then you have to know what you want and like it looks different. I always like going in the store better, but right now I'm just like not in a good position for being prepared with food and so the least I can do is just have a few nibbly bits in the house, like some protein cookies and some fruits and veggies, like just things like that. Like I'm not in a meal mode right now. I'm just having a really hard time with being prepared and ready with meals because I'm just in that slow down era, so I need Trevor to take over in that part. I need to tell him to take over that part. Trevor's so good at cooking meals, like he used to do all our meals when we first got married, because I would get home later from work and so he would have dinner ready Like he was the king, and he used to do all the grocery shopping until I like made it my thing like grocery shopping. So are we just to actually do it together? Like there was a point where he would do it if we didn't have time, but then we always did it together on Saturdays. Now we like never do it together. But anyways, long story short is I just need Trevor to start taking that over and I need to let him know that I want to take that over and he'll be so good at it. He's so good, I'm so excited. I actually feel a whole weight off for my shoulders right now knowing that Trevor's gonna be cooking for the foreseeable future until.

Speaker 1: 18:11

I feel like I'm in that type of mood, and that's what it's about. It's about give and take, and this is what this episode is about. It's about reflecting on where you are right now and how you can support yourself and sometimes you just gotta lean on your support people. And also another thing when it comes to that is just like also being good with things not always being the same routine they always have. I talk about this all the time how I am a routinely person but my routines are short lived, like I am not the same routine forever and I feel like sometimes my routines have seasonal flux, fluctuation. Fluctuation Is that it Fluctuation to them.

Speaker 1: 18:53

Like I find sometimes, like right now I'm telling you how I'm in my like dark, my darkness era, not me dark, but like it's dark a lot. So like I'm really leaning into the darkness and the relaxation that comes with that and the rest and the restorativeness. And then during those daytime windows where those short light windows, I'm being a little more of my productive self and so that's working for me now when, like later on in the summer, that probably won't work for me, like when it's summertime, it's like after dinner I wanna be out, I wanna go to the pool, I wanna play with the neighbors, I wanna go get ice cream, I wanna go to the park. Like I wanna do that stuff, I wanna spend time at the splash pad, whatever it is which is so funny. Thinking about that now, it's like I literally could not even think about possibly doing that right now, like no, 430, I'm like pajama's on fire, made clove tea brewing, so.

Speaker 1: 19:46

But yeah, I just think like that's the important thing is touching base with yourself and reflecting on how you're feeling right now. Because, honestly, just talking to you about the whole grocery thing and how I've just been feeling so unmotivated with food and groceries and stuff like that, and then all of a sudden making that plan right now where it's like I'm gonna tell Trevor like hey, can you go grocery shopping and can you start making the dinners. And it's like wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. And I just wanna stay there. Like nobody's not been cooking, like we've just been having whatever, pulling things out of the freezer here there, whatever, and figuring out last minute dinners, and Trevor's been stepping in too to help out with that. But like now that I know that I'm gonna give that to him as a responsibility, I'm like wow, we're gonna eat bomb ass food for the next little while and I'm not gonna have to be responsible for it. I'm so excited and he's gonna be happy about knowing that he's responsible for the groceries because, like, he just wants to know what he needs to do.

Speaker 1: 20:42

Because sometimes he'll be like, hey, I'm gonna go to the store, like he'll go to the gym in the morning and be like, okay, I'm gonna pick up milk and eggs, like you know some essentials that we need, that we've run out of coffee beans, whatever, like, what do you need? And then I get really overwhelmed. I'm like, what do I need? What do I need? What do I need? And then I'm like, whatever, it doesn't matter. And he's like, well, what are we gonna have for dinner? I'm like I don't know. And it was like too much for me to think of where. He just is like, is there something you want for dinner? Cause, like, I'll get it, I can make it whatever. But it's like, now that I know I'm giving that to him, wow, I feel so much better. Well, I feel so much better. So that's really great. That's really great. I can't wait. I can't wait for this episode to end so I can go tell them.

Speaker 1: 21:17

But, yeah, what are things that you're doing, that you're supporting yourself through this busy end of the year and also, if it's not busy, just supporting yourself through this time of the year. I just feel like I am realizing that I need to put myself first sometimes and it's hard and I feel overwhelmed when I go to do that. But yeah, I'm also thinking about we're going to have a whole episode about New Year's and New Year's New Meet. No, just kidding About the New Year's and how I like to look at the New Year's and resolutions and all of that. But I'm also starting to put into place things for next year that I wish that I've done sooner.

Speaker 1: 22:01

I never planned my appointments ahead of time. I always book them the week of, or I think of it and then I book it as soon as I possibly can. Sometimes it has to be a couple weeks because there's no appointments or whatever, whereas I want to start booking my appointments so that they're really thoughtfully planned and that it's not a oh, I have to go do my appointment. It's like I'm excited about it, this is my me moment this week or whatever, and so I just want to have them more spread out so that they don't all end up in the same week or so where it's like, oh OK, this week I'm going to have this and this next week I'm going to have that, and it's like once a week thing for me. That's things that I have to do anyways, but then it's like I'm making it a moment. So, yeah, those are things that I'm working on right now and I'm feeling good about it.

Speaker 1: 22:51

I'm feeling good, but I'm just really feeling zen that I went and got that facial the other day and that I have just put myself first that way, because I do feel like in that hour I really did embark that, or embark, I don't even know what I'm saying. Cutes, I already told you I was tired today. Ok, but embrace that word and that was energy for me because I just really want to have those good vibrations. I I'm just feeling. I'm feeling really good, even though I'm feeling really tired right now. I need a sip of water. I should have put something with caffeine in here. Hmm, delicious. Hi, cuties, I'm not going to lie. If you're watching the YouTube, you know I just stopped over a second. I just had to go to the bathroom so bad, you know and you just need to tinkle. Yeah, I got to tinkle Now, I got to sip.

Speaker 1: 23:50

But, cutes, now that I've relieved myself, let's talk about the recipe of the day, because moments for me also include. I just talked about how I'm handing off my cooking, but this isn't what I'm talking about. Something special, a little whatever. That's like stress free, but feeding the family sometimes is going to be so freaking, overwhelming, and we all know that. Anyways, today we are cooking my mom's favorite. This is a staple. She makes for Christmas. Sometimes she makes it for Easter. It is so freaking good.

Speaker 1: 24:21

It is a fish pie. It is a creamy delicious. I call it fish pie. It's actually seafood. It's a seafood pie. It's got shrimps and scallops and fish and potatoes and creamy sauce and then it's all topped off with a filo top. Oh, crispy, crunchy, delicious. It is so freaking good and it is like I feel like it's like something that well, I guess only seafood lovers like, but it's like something that everybody really enjoys.

Speaker 1: 24:46

If you like seafood and it's something simple, you just got to throw a bunch of stuff together and then throw it in the oven and then let it sit a bit to thicken up the sauce. Oh, it's so good, so cutious. If you're looking for something delicious to make for a special occasion, because seafood's a little bit pricey, but I mean, you can make it for a weeknight meal too. It is so good and the leftovers are equally delicious. So go check out that on Instagram, on TikTok, on YouTube. You know the drill already.

Speaker 1: 25:13

Come on, we're on day. What are we on? I don't remember anymore. Eight and it is Tuesday, and today is Rose's last day of school. So we are officially entering Holly Jolly Festivity season.

Speaker 1: 25:25

Meet her jams, jams, like pump of the jams. All we've been listening to is crazy frog. And there's crazy frog Christmas. Now, last Christmas I gave you my heart and she loves we Be on my free. Literally. That's all you ever wonder what I'm listening to on the way to school drop off. It's just crazy frog. And just last week she was obsessed with Larry silly songs by Larry from Veggie Tales for like a month, and now we're gonna be on a crazy frog kick for a month. But honestly, the crazy frog is getting me hyped. Every day I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we are the champions. But yeah, that is what we're heading into is the Holly Jolly season of just me and my girl every day.

Speaker 1: 26:12

And then Trevor is actually off this year I think I already told you this but he's off next week, the week between, like, christmas and New Year's, which, like, he's never just off. So we're all gonna be just off Just hanging out. I don't know what we're gonna get up to, but me and we're always like to do our little daily adventure For Wednesday, thursday, friday three days, three days, three daily adventures. Probably go over to Niagara Falls one day. Hit up some tourist attraction there. Try to think of other things that we'll do. I will think of new, fun, interesting things we haven't done yet. You got, I look, gotta look up, gotta look up what's going on. I do want to take her skating, but Trevor probably wants to do that too. So maybe we'll do that on the weekend or next week. That's a good.

Speaker 1: 26:52

Between Christmas and New Year's. Oh, I wonder if there is kids Christmas movie. I guess wish. I Haven't heard good things about wish. Tell me if you liked wish. Should we go see wish, because row always likes a movie. Maybe we'll go see wish.

Speaker 1: 27:06

I keep saying it's such a big S H. Yeah, that's really. That's really what's up. I just like I'm trying to embrace my last day of independence Before I go into full mom mode. But honestly, I love full mom mode. It's always so fun, it's always so fun and then at the end of it I'm like I need a break. I Need to watch my shows. The crown, oh yeah. When am I gonna get to watch the crown now, thinking about it, it's like, hmm, when am I gonna get to watch the crown? I Maybe one day it'll stay up late. That will never happen. I literally it. I didn't fall asleep at like 839, actually was stayed up till like 11 the other night. I always regret that, though, because then I'm up at five with row and it's like just go to bed early, just soak it all in it's hibernation nation hibernation station. Okay, cute. Thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 1: 27:58

We have a shorter episode today, mainly because I'm exhausted, and that's just where we're at. I love you all so much, sending you hugs and kisses. Go make some seafood pie. It's literally so good. I am so excited that I get to experience it twice. The best thing about making the family recipes is that I know I'm gonna get to taste it again on Christmas, or I don't know if my mom's making it this year for Christmas or Easter or whatever, but I'll get to taste it again soon, and I already get to have it now. It's like twice the goodness. Okay, I love you all so much. Hugs and kisses. Don't forget to take care of yourself and reach out to your support people and book things that make you have a little me moment, whether that be whatever you want it to be. Okay, love you, cuties, oh.