Poetry. Mental Health. Wellness. Cooking.
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Part 19 - Written on May 3rd, 2022. It's been a while since I've written about the covid-19 pandemic. We've just crested another wave. Probably the highest rate of spread yet. Luckily, the hospitalizations weren't catastrophic. But still, so many people were sick. … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 19 & 20
Talking about body image, self-esteem, and infertility. Content warning: some discussion of weight related insecurity. Last week was National Infertility Awareness week (April 23rd-29th, 2022). The perfect time to talk about the many impacts and struggles faced by those struggling with infertility. For some background, I've never been someone with perfect self-esteem or confidence. As … Continue reading Am I Just Defective? Body Image & Infertility
HBLogs is turning 2! Celebrating 2 years since the creation of HBLogs. I can't believe it has been 2 years since I started this written journey. I started this little spot on the internet because I had always loved writing and had this dream to share it with the world. It started as a total … Continue reading Celebrating HBLogs Birthday
This poem is dedicated to fighting for climate justice and published on Earth Day April 22, 2022. Gentle water lapping on the lakeside,water like an aged mirrorreflecting the soft colours of the evening sky. Blue tinged with soft pinks and yellows,the scene so still.A tiny moment in timespent reflecting on life's louder moments. A beautiful … Continue reading What World Will Be Left?
Ah, the changing of the seasons. The turning of the globe,the shifting of the sun in the sky.The never-ending circle and cycle. Ever changing, ever growing, ever dying. We anticipate, we embraceand we grieve your rhythms. You reflect the churning within us all. Your chapters of darkness.Your chapters of light,of shedding and letting go,and of … Continue reading The Changing of the Seasons
Meal ideas & what I've been eating in the last 2 months. We all get tired of meal planning and finding something to cook every. single. day. And then we worry about whether or not it's healthy or are we getting enough vegetables and fiber in our diet. It can add a lot of stress … Continue reading What I’ve Been Eating Lately
My story and experience of infertility treatment. *Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice just me telling my husband and I's story of infertility treatment. Our Treatment Story After about 7 months of trying to conceive on our own, I met with my family Doctor. I asked if there was … Continue reading Doctor, Can’t You Fix It?
Blinding.Bright.Cleansing. Beams of warmth stretched out long.Piercing through only on the coldest of winter days.Glistening off the frozen earth. Invigorating.Energizing. The source of life in the North.An open sky like no other season, crystal clear and shining.The softest of blues. All of these cold months are not dark, but interspersed with brilliant light. Bringing with … Continue reading Winter Sun
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Written on February 4th & 14th, 2022. Who knew there would be a part 18 of this series. With Covid numbers and spread still very high I guess that means this series lives on. It's been days of the Trucker Protests, the "freedom … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 18
Opening up about our journey with infertility. I will never be 25 and pregnant. I will never be 25 and a Mom. It sounds silly, but one of my life goals was to start a family at 25. I just had this idea that 25 would be the perfect time to have my first child. … Continue reading Opening Up About Infertility
The winds of change are blowing outside. Rocketing.Howling. Rattling the tree branches.Shaking the window panes. I rest inside my cozy house and watch the blustering and blowing.The rain streaming. I pray it does not come in,that it does not blow down my warm house. I think to the others who have no houses, who wander … Continue reading Winds of Change
Can self-help books actually improve your mental health? What are the pros and cons of reading them? My thoughts and personal experience with self-help books. Self help books have been around for a long time. Pretty much since humans started publishing written content for public consumption there have been various forms of self-help reading. You … Continue reading Self-Help Books & Mental Health
My hopes and goals for the New Year. I have a love hate relationship with new year's resolutions, as I explored in my post last year, I think they can be a mixed blessing. They can serve as a positive motivator to reevaluate where we are and where we would like to be and give … Continue reading What’s Next? My Goals for 2022
And just like that another year is gone. Taking a moment to look back on 2021. As I sit here to write about 2021 and my thoughts about the New Year coming, I'll admit I'm foggy. This year was such a whirlwind it's is truly hard to put into words. If you would like to … Continue reading A Year in Review -2021
It was the night before Christmas... Hello Friends, I find myself having trouble fully grasping that it is again Christmas, another year has come and gone. I know, everyone is joking about it on social media but it's true, where has it gone? This year my husband and I are thankful to be spending Christmas … Continue reading A Christmas Letter – 2021
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Written on December 15th, 2021. Hello friends, I haven't written a Covid Chronicle in what seems like a long time. And to be honest I somewhat naively thought I might never write one again. Not that Covid had disappeared by any means, but … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 17
I published this poem on Instagram last year around Christmas before I had really begun publishing my poetry and thought I would also share it here finally. It's mornings like these, when snow falls steadily,like a blanket over the city,that I wish to stay to stopto pauseto breath it inthat snow smelland to just watch … Continue reading Morning Snowfall
Back a while ago I tried HelloFresh, now I've tried GoodFood and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. *this article was in no way sponsored by or in partnership with GoodFood. All products were purchases on my own. We've all seen it, there seem to be new mealkit services popping up everywhere. They … Continue reading I Tried GoodFood
This poem was written about a pair of ravens that were nested close to our apartment throughout the pandemic. We would listen for their calls, and looked for them each day when out walking. We were graced with a few chance sightings of these beautiful birds. Her croaking voice a haunting call. To stand in … Continue reading The Raven
A little life update with what's been going on and where I've been. Hello Friends, it's been awhile since I have been regularly posting and I thought I would write a little life update to let you know why. Some of the reasons are happy and others not so much, but I hope you'll stick … Continue reading Life Update: Where Have I Been?
A warm and delicious twist on a classic meal. Cabbage rolls always make me think of my grandmother. She used to make them all the time when we would come for large family gatherings, huge piles of these tasty bundles stacked onto serving platters. We usually left those dinners with a few leftovers to take … Continue reading Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Casserole
Sharing one of my favorite recipes that I can't get enough of lately! This has been a recipe I have made over and over again in the last few months. It is really easy to make, freezes well, and tastes really fresh and fun. Great for a weeknight dinner or to add to a tex-mex … Continue reading Black Bean Burrito Bowl
Where do the geese go when they leave for the winter? Are they journeying home, or are they going away? If you stopped to ask them, I wonder what they would say. Do they enjoy the trip, the chance to soar? I wonder how they came to wander, what made that first goose take to … Continue reading The Geese
Crickets calling,like the sleigh bells of summer. Ringing out their magic in the night.Filling the dark with twinkle and delight. Down far below my window.Oh, how I'll miss your songs come the long, cold, winter. All poetry and artwork are my own original works. Please do not download, copy paste, or otherwise use them without … Continue reading Crickets
Oh soft summer breeze,come caress my warm cheek,sweep across my hot brow. Lift from me my worries,my stress,my shame. Fill me with hopes,dreams,and calm. Send my spirit up into the leaves,to new heights,and a new perspective. Oh soft summer breeze,help me rest,help me sleep. So that I can waketo live again. All poetry and artwork … Continue reading Summer Breeze
How I spent my summer vacation and taking two weeks away from social media and blogging. Hello friends, I'm back. I spent the first two weeks of August on vacation not just from my regular 9-5 but also from social media and here on the blog. So, I thought for my first post back, I … Continue reading How I Spent My Summer Vacation Offline
You've been gone so longit makes me wonder sometimesif you ever really were. A distant memory nowthat someone could almost make me believeyou were just a figment of my vivid imagination. And yet,deep in my bones,in the pit of my stomach,I know that you were. Without a doubt,you were here. Right here.Tangible,living and breathing.And being … Continue reading You Were
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Written on July 20th, 2021. Is this the end of the Covid Chronicles? Its been a month since my last Covid Chronicles and I think you can guess what this post will be about. I got my second Covid vaccine! This moment is … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 16
Sparkles.The light glimmers and bounces off the water. The air is thick with the smell of weeds and mud.The trees hum with the vibrations of insects.The leaves rock back and forth in the gentle breeze. A single boat splits the surface of the water sending ripples off, out onto the shores. Turtles pop up their … Continue reading River Beach
An update on my mental and physical health. I want to be as transparent as I can with my writing while also balancing what is public, and what is private. But unfortunately, there are no sheer curtains one can buy for content on the internet so I'll just have to use my gut and share … Continue reading Mental and Physical Health Update
I don't know what it is but lately I have been craving baked goods. The idea of coffee and scones, or pie, or cookies just sounds amazing all the time. Problem is we're still in a pandemic, and not able to just pick-up whatever I'm craving all the time, and if I'm being honest I'm … Continue reading Delicious Microwave Brownie Recipe
In a world that says "there is so much to get done" in so little time,birthdays can feel like checkpoints,where we aren't sure if we'll measure upto where we are "supposed to be by now." Like the minute hand ticking on the clock in the exam roomwhen you still have too many questionsleft to answer. … Continue reading Blessed Birthday
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Written on June 21st, 2021. I wasn't planning on writing this post right now but I can't help but document this moment. I realized after I took this photo that it is slightly confusing. This is my first covid vaccine, but I got … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 15
The reasons I love yoga and how it has changed my experience of fitness. Over the last year and a half, yoga has become my new favorite form of exercise. I have practiced yoga for about the last 3 years, but the pandemic has given me a whole new appreciation for this unique form of … Continue reading 7 Reasons Why I Love Yoga
My complicated relationship with my LGBTQ+ identity. Talking about internalized homophobia, labels & authenticity, gender identity, bi & pan-erasure, and passability. It's Pride month, if you hadn't already noticed the rainbows everywhere. For anyone asking, why do we need a dedicated Pride month? Visibility is vitally important when it comes to confronting systems of discrimination … Continue reading Who am I? Exploring LGBTQ+ Identity
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Written on May 30th, 2021. The doctors are saying we have made it out of the 3rd wave. The somewhat unexpected deadliest wave of this pandemic yet in Canada. It feels like we have all just come out to see the sun shine … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 14
The singing of the cicadas fills my ears. They are singing their last song before the rain and the frosts come,and they die. Their children will slumber through the winter and emerge next summer,to sing their song again. The song of their ancestors. Their song of sweet vibrations is a reminder to live nowas before … Continue reading Cicada Song
I've been experiencing a lot of self-doubt lately, I think it comes with the territory of trying to do creative things, and things that are new. This is particularly true when you are sharing it online for all the world to see, which involves opening yourself up to criticism but also in general to people's … Continue reading Overcoming Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome
This darkness is fuel. Don't run from it,don't fight it,grab hold of it. Grow from it.Explore it. Let it be thisthat inspires and feeds your return to the light. It can't consume youunless you let it. All poetry and artwork are my own original works. Please do not download, copy paste, or otherwise use them … Continue reading Darkness
Sunset skiesare like a kiss goodbyeat a day's end. Vivid.Full of passion.Full of life. Their colours on full display,they capture us and fill uswith awe and peace,warm our hearts,and make us feel like the world is a little better. But should you turn away,or blink,or just not pay close attention,they are gone and over.A missed … Continue reading Sunset
Sharing my experience trying out HelloFresh. Is it the solution to all of our cooking woes? *this article was in no way sponsored by or in partnership with HelloFresh. All products were ordered on my own. Meal kit services have become all-the-rage in the last couple of years, and even more so during the pandemic. … Continue reading I Tried HelloFresh
Talking about the pros and cons of transitioning to working online and how it has impacted our mental health. If you're 5 minutes late to a meeting in real life, no-big-deal no one is watching the clock and you might even be able to slip in with a few other people who are also late, … Continue reading The Pros and Cons of Working Online
It is hard to believe that HBLogs is turning 1! One year ago I took a leap, and decided to just go for it, to pursue my dream unabashedly. I don't think when I started this project a year ago I could have told you exactly what direction this would lead or what my content … Continue reading 1 Year of HBLogs
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Written on April 18th, 2021. "May you live in interesting times". Something that was said to me a number of years ago by an elderly man who lived in the retirement home that I worked in at the time. He said it sort … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 13
How to not break the bank on self-care. I discussed in my recent wellness series that I have a conflicted relationship with self-care (What Self-Care Reveals About Our Wellness). While I do enjoy spending time caring for myself and think it is important to do so for our mental health and wellness in our burn-out … Continue reading Self-Care Without Spending Money
I am awake. It is dark outside my window. The hats hang on my wall empty,waiting to be worn,waiting to see the daylight,waiting for an adventure. We are all waiting. Waiting to step outside. Ready to free our mouths and spirits. Ready to let go of our worries. Ready to walk hand in hand with … Continue reading Waiting
A rich and creamy hearty soup for those chillier days. Quick enough to make after a busy work day, but tastes like you worked on it all day. A nice twist on a classic chicken soup, and nutritious too! Serves 4-6 people. What you'll need:1/2 Cup of Long Grain and Wild Rice (mixed together, or … Continue reading Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Chicken Soup
I say this all the time in my cooking adventures, but this really is one of my favorite recipes! This is one of those easy slow cooker recipes that still feels fancy. Super flavorful with lots of nutrition it is an excellent one for a weeknight dinner but still fun enough to serve to guests … Continue reading Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
This is a journal of my thoughts and feelings during the pandemic of COVID-19. Written in the first two weeks of March 2021. I thought it would be fitting to write another Covid Chronicle as we hit the one year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic. For where I live, we began our lockdown on March 15th, … Continue reading Covid Chronicles – Part 12
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