a peek inside the fishbowl

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about a new aromatherapy garden at work. I’ve been mulling it over ever since. The person I interviewed for this – and she’s not in any way one of those people who are really “into” aromatherapy if you know what I mean –  said that touching and smelling the herbs in the garden had a “powerful” effect on people.

It makes sense. I think everyone has a list of fragrances that make them happy.

Here’s mine:

• campfires
• lakes
• the forest
• crabapple blossoms
• rain
• freshly mown grass (especially if there’s a gas lawn mower involved)
• charcoal grills

What are your favourite scents, and how do they make you feel? Content? Relaxed? Nostalgic?

When I catch a whiff of my favourite scents on the wind I take a deeeeeep breath and think, ahhh, now that makes me happy. I guess it’s because somewhere deep in my brain I’ve created and stored a positive association between the scent itself, and the feeling of Something Good. I got to thinking: If I already have a list of smells that make me happy, why can’t I add a new one to it?

Here’s the thing about that list of scents above: they aren’t exactly accessible to me on a regular basis. As much as I’d like to have a campfire in my yard every night, I can’t. And there are only so many times a week I can visit my local woods.

I wondered if I could make it so that I could take a sniff of a scent when I needed it, and as a result, nudge myself towards feeling better when I was sad/stressed/out of sorts.

I realized I was partway to doing this already… with minty smells. I thought about all the ways I’ve been tapping into minty aromatherapy already:

I buy this minty shower gel and lip balm and bar soap (all from terra20!). I drink mint tea (Stash is my favourite brand). I chew mint gum. I grow mint in the garden (and yes, I actively smell it!). I own a couple of different essential oils that are minty in nature, including this roll-on I bought at Saje. (Sidebar: I love the smell but cannot use it as a “peppermint halo” as described on their website. Some people say it eases headaches when applied to their hairline, but I quickly found out that I can’t apply it anywhere on/near my face because it stings. I only apply it to my wrists and to a bracelet I picked up at terra20 a few years ago.)

I guess I was subconsciously buying these items because I really like minty smells but the more I thought about it the more I realized that minty smells make me happy and relaxed.

For the past few weeks I’ve tried to be extra mindful of the mint. And I am kicking up the mint factor a notch and attempting to make a stronger association. After all, mint is a more “portable” smell than, say, a freshly mown lawn. I can take mint with me! Every morning I listen to a meditation podcast. Each one is only about 10 minutes long, but I make sure I can smell the mint as I tune in to the host’s positive messages. (The aforementioned bracelet is good for this.)

My goal is to connect the happy/relaxed feelings I get by listening to my podcast with a minty fragrance.

I now keep my roll-on tube of minty essential oil on my desk, and another one in my closet where I’m likely to see and remember to use it. When I’m feeling down, or particularly anxious or stressed I take a sniff and think ahhh, now that makes me happy. And you know what, I think it’s working. It instantly transports me to a better place.

I also try to be more mindful of other happy scents when they happen. When I walk in the woods or catch a whiff of a lawnmower I take deep breaths and think about how good they make me feel, and how they restore my equilibrium when I’m feeling off balance.

We are almost one month away from the National Run for Women’s Mental Health Day (Sunday, September 27).

In 2017, I participated in my first SHOPPERS LOVE. YOU. Run for Women and I was very impressed by the whole experience. I am not a competitive runner and I was new to this kind of event. I didn’t have much to compare it to but I didn’t expect it to be so… inspiring. Honestly, I thought races would be simply tiring and sweaty and possibly heart-attack inducing but not INSPIRING. It was really nice. I remember how I felt being there. I was buoyed by the crowd and it was amazing. And I was thrilled that it raised funds for women’s mental health at The Royal. (Little did I know at the time that two years later I’d actually be working there!)

So with all of this in mind, I eagerly signed up for the 2020 edition of the Run for Women back in the fall. I’m still not much of a runner, and I never will be, but I knew I could definitely do a 5K walk. It’s what I do every day! Easy breezy, plus, it’s for a great cause, right? Well, guess what happened between then and now – er, a global pandemic – and so this year’s in-person run had to be cancelled. But organizers decided the need for women’s mental health funding is more important than ever and the SHOW HAD TO GO ON, so this year’s run is a virtual one instead. There will be a sizable swag bag for runners but no bustling crowd, no high fives, bagels or bananas at the finish line.  I am ok with this. I will do my 5K quietly, by myself, and ask my family for high fives and bagels. But here’s where you come in, would you consider throwing a buck or two in my donation jar? Mental health support for women has always been important, but it’s an especially critical time and support is truly needed.

If you’d like to make a donation to my fundraising page you can do that right here.*
And of course, you can also sign up for this virtual run! Your registration fee and fundraising dollars all go to support mental health in Ottawa. That’s a big win!

Thank you, friends!

** p.s. In the spirit of TOTAL AND COMPLETE HONESTY I will admit that I’m on a work team and I’d secretly like to blow everyone’s minds and be the new girl who raised the most money. So if you can help me do that I’d really appreciate it. :D

I’m officially 48.

My mantra this year is “48 is great.” Because it is. I feel… taller somehow.

I realized that for me, having a birthday during a global pandemic is almost the same as having a non-pandemic birthday. My perfect birthday essentially involves sharing good food with the ones I love, and I’m pleased to report that’s exactly what I got.

My alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m. every day. It’s not because I have a long commute, but I have a long list of things that I want to achieve every morning. That list includes a power walk, which takes about an hour. On my birthday I treated myself to a way to one of my favourite spots along the Ottawa River. (More about that later.)

Breakfast was bacon and eggs, after which point I got started on the day’s work. (Let the record show that I wish I had taken the day off! Next year, for sure.)

As I mentioned, a food tends to be a focal point of my birthdays. And as such, Mark bought me my favourite takeout lunch from Pure Kitchen in Westboro. The Liberty Wrap has deep fried cauliflower, buffalo sauce, ranch, pickles, tomatoes, carrots, greens, flour tortilla. The youngest ordered one as well (hold the carrots) and the eldest got a veggie burger.

On impulse I also added their peanut butter cups to our order. If you like chocolatey things, you will love these.

I opened cards and gifts after lunch. The girls have always made their own cards, letters really, and I treasure each one so much. The youngest bought me a pretty pot from Ikea and a new plant from Plant & Curio.

(Please check out their Instagram account and see how pretty it is. I can’t wait to go there in person! Some day, right???)

The eldest gave me a new bird feeder for our window.

Mark bought a very sturdy and serious-minded Bird Feeding System^TM from Wild Birds Unlimited and set it up. He ALSO cleaned the family room window in the process. BONUS.

Big lunches tend to make me sleepy around 3 p.m. so to help me fight off the urge to nap at my desk, Mark brought me a shot of espresso. That guy is a keeper, eh?

When I finally clocked out for the day, the girls and I hopped in the car and went to fulfil a desire that was decidedly non-essential. We bought plant pots at Homesense and Piper got a new toy.

On the trip home we stopped at Canadian Tire to buy soil. They were sold out of regular potting soil so we had to pony up and buy fancy dirt. I guess we haven’t been the only ones expanding our indoor gardens!

I couldn’t help myself and bought another plant for myself, an unusual Alocasia with pretty red stems. (One of which I broke off on the way to the register. Boo.)

For dinner we placed a giant order from MHK Sushi here in Westboro, my favourite sushi place in Ottawa. Mark bought wine. It was a feast.

After dinner the four of us went on a long walk with Piper to Hampton Park. The sun was setting and as the park darkened it took on a chill. It’s amazing how much cooler it is there on a warm day.

Dessert was waiting for us when we arrived back at home. Mark and the eldest had picked up donuts from SuzyQ. We were almost (almost!) too full to eat them. I picked a s’mores donut and got to blow on a candle and make a wish. I thought about how fortunate I am to have all of this, I made my wish, and blew.