It’s no secret that I’ve struggled with depression during difficult periods in the past. My new revelation is that since this past spring, I have been medication-free. It took a few weeks to wean off the prozac, but knowing I can be fine without the drug makes me feel more in control of my body, somehow. For many people, medication can be absolutely necessary and there may be a time when I resume, but for now I am trying other methods to keep the blues away. In order to maintain good mental health, I’ve made a few things in my life a priority. Living in the northern hemisphere, these steps can be hard to maintain once November hits. These seven tricks are paramount to how I fight the winter blues, and I hope they help you as well!
Usually when I try super eco-friendly products I have a gut feeling that they won’t work quite as well as toxin-laden, heavy-duty, disease-causing products will. I know you agree with me. Well, folks – I think we’ve hit a turning point. Last week I took my boys to Nova Scotia and showed them the sights of my hometown. After a gorgeous Remembrance Day ceremony, we ended up on Citadel Hill (where else) and explored the museum.
It’s important to be able to get your geek on sometimes, and those of us who have loved ones in the mode – only a few gifts are special enough to suffice!
Those kids – you know the ones. No – not the ones who already know how to program a computer at age 4, but the ones who could redecorate your house with Pinterest-perfect fluency over a long weekend. If you have crafty, talented kids in your midst, you’ll want to check out our gifts for crafty kids.
We don’t even need a gift to want to board a plane. But, well, ok. People who travel tend to know themselves and their world very well, so finding the perfect gift can be a challenge. I tend to favour minimalist packing, stylish plane attire, and good luggage. There are a few other traveler gifts on the list too…
I’m ready for the election to come to a close. I want my vote to count, my opinion to matter, and to have political discussions with rational people. I am not one to force my opinions on others. Frequently I ask people with different opinions to explain their stance to me. I ask not with an agenda of undermining or changing their beliefs. I ask with the goal of learning a new point of view.
Testing a microwave is a tough one for me. I tend to use few features, and when I use my microwave I’m in a rush. Manuals seem unnecessary, and, really, aren’t all microwaves the same? I thought so until now. Breville has come up with a new model called the Quick Touch Crisp that not only does the normal stuff like popcorn and eggs very well, but comes with a crisper pan for use in the actual microwave that gets food crispy on the bottom. No more soggy pizza with burnt cheese on the plate.
You know those days where you step in the dog’s water bowl, break a vase reaching towards an upper shelf and then leave the house with odd socks only to find that your car battery is dead? I was having one of those on Thursday. And also Friday. Tasked with testing Tide purclean – a new formula of laundry detergent, I thought it would be a great idea to wash the largest king-size duvet in the house for the first time. That’s one of those decisions that resembles my typical ‘let’s invent a new recipe for this special dinner party’ debacles.
September brings with it an insanity not seen during any other months, and this year is no different in our house. With two boys in school all day and then off to various extra-curricular activities at least one day a week I am handing out sandwiches in the car, or picnicking with one while waiting for the other. While we all love a good picnic, it gets a little boring after a while, munching on the same old easy to pack foods with a child who is tired and just wants to zone out. We often sit together and lose ourselves in a Netflix show while waiting for a program or sport practice to start, nibbling dry sandwiches and crumbly cookies. Time to up my game!