Your Life As Art Photography by Pam

Balance In Life

Is this really a thing?

Can life truly be balanced?

Ive personally found that the more in tune with myself I am, the more balance I can bring to my life. Lets face it, its up to us to bring the balance in, with kids, work, household duties, life etc we have to consciously make the choice to slow down and find the balance we seek!

Its always around mid August I am re-seeking balance from the relax of summer. Being away more than we ever are in the fall and winter, getting caught up with things at home that have been pushed aside for the time being.

The other night I had the opportunity for 2 hours completely alone at home. Well when I say alone I mean alone as a human ;) My fur and feather babies were with me, however we spent 1 1/2 hrs of this time in complete silence. It was incredible. It was exactly what my soul was craving.

And it wasn’t to just do nothing, I did partially “do nothing”, however I find it much more productive to say I was resetting my energy, which was very productive and key!

Last week I changed my internet start screen from a generic one which everyday showcased so much violence and negativity (news) to Daily OM. Like a breath of fresh air! Now when I open an internet browser for anything, I am welcomed with a peaceful image and beautiful daily inspiration that takes minutes to read.

Today’s, Making Choices from a Place of Balance hit home for me, especially this week! “It is important to make decisions from a place of balance, by taking a breath and checking in with heart and mind.” This reminded me of my Monday evening at home. How in just 2 hours I was able to tidy up the kitchen, get some laundry done, meditate and journal. It felt incredible. It felt like I had all the time in the world. Simply by slowing down from a “busy” mind into a balanced mindset. 💞

That little nudge

We all have experienced that little nudge feeling before in our lives. Many of us perhaps didn’t know it was our own self trying to get our own attention. That gut feeling, the little voice in our head, thinking of something and seeing it…

My why began as my children, I was doing it for them, making healthy choices for them. Well if I have learned anything from being a mom its that my children, by far, are my greatest teachers. They have taught me the greatest amount of compassion, understanding, patience, love, growth. Opportunity to rise up, make changes to be a better person and mom. As much as I do this for my kids, I do this for me.

Ive become much more in tune with my body over the past couple years. Not only feeling more in tune with my body also achieving living a much more authentic truth as well. Freeing from any past negative situation or experiences and really living my best life!

I have gained control of my health, also slightly lost control, regained and then one day it stuck. Suddenly after years of that voice telling me to just do it – make a healthy choice.

Step 1 – Making the choice – its all about the mindset

Step 2 – Making the shift – realistic and beneficial

Step 3 – Living the life – authentic and true

Its so easy to get into the rhythm of the everyday. Go, go go and perhaps missing out on key signs, signs that we don’t always recognize if we aren’t paying attention to ourselves closely. Almost becoming numb and just living the day to day.

Ive been learning to do this. Floating about in step 3, not exactly sure what step 4 is but going with the flow. The fear of the unknown has never been easy for me, its also helped me grow. The more authentic I am – who I am around, what I choose to do, the foods I eat, the places I go, being true to me and my word all plays an important part to become more in tune.

I am learning that my body has been talking to me, yet there were so many years I did not show it love. So many years that I was ignorant, made poor choices and completely took my health for granted.

Guess what, people change and so can our health.

I am optimistic that any health challenge I am faced with I will only come out stronger, more in tune with my body and soul and healthier. Any challenge is an opportunity to uplevel with purpose.

Choosing holistic health to support daily life. Investing in me with time. Understanding, patience and love.

Being authentically me.

Sometimes this comes as a gentle nudge, other times a life changing experience, either way if we are listening, we truly benefit from this life lesson. Only room for positivity, gratefulness and truth.

I am thankful for the nudges which have directed me to the life I am living and even lately the opportunity to once again uplevel my life and living.

Pay attention to yourself. The little messages you hear in your mind. Even something as simple as thinking… “do I really need this” or “its just one it wont hurt” and your body/mind is later screaming at you in various ways.

It really truly is the whole picture, not just “eating healthy”. I could just eat healthy and think Im doing good, it is good don’t get me wrong, but its so much more than that. Its the thoughts you think, the people you are around, the products used in the home and on the body. Its a shift in your lifestyle. Choosing to be a better person – to be the best person you can be and living authentically.

Life lessons can only be experienced, not taught.
We are all the creator of our being, captain of our ship, architect of our life.

I want my kids to know their mom has always tried her best, has made some awesome choices and also some bad choices in life, but rose above, works hard yet has realized its better to work smarter. That any challenge I am faced with or we are faced with, we can over come and rise above. Change, challenges also mean strength. Whether that challenge is within ourselves, as a couple, for our children or as a family. Sometimes that little nudge, when listened to with compassion and love can be everything. <3

Our Growth Opportunity!

Moments and dates in life are important to me. Even ones that are filled with heart ache. Two years ago on June 23 we woke to our newly finished basement flooding with water! I am truly grateful that the damage was minimal – meaning it wasn’t the entire depth of the basement and was water not sewage – thank god!

However it was devastating and hit me very hard. So why remember this date? Because its where our family re-grew from. There are lots of moments in life that challenge us, sometimes to the point where we think there is no return, but we rise up to who we need to be and do what we need to do. Sometimes challenges hit us in life to wake us up, to shift the path we are on, to help someone else and when you are enthralled in the moment its even more challenging to look beyond or think ahead.

So there is an opportunity for growth. If anyone tells you that life is perfect, they are lying. Maybe they choose not to be vulnerable and keep their life private, that’s their personal choice. They could also choose not to focus on the negative and rather rise up to what is positive in their life. That is real. The reality is shit happens and how we choose to deal with it will help direct our new path in life, how we will grow from it!

2 years ago this became a real struggle for me. However much like the other challenges Ive faced in my life, I kept trucking through. I honored when I needed to rest and literally do nothing, I honored when my husband needed to do the same. I celebrate and remember today especially because we have literally come full circle and I am so proud of us – all of us – myself, my husband, both our children and our pets. I am proud of us of how we have banded together with understanding and love.

After we completed the basement in March 2017, we got right into doing the kitchen, dining and living room. When the basement flooded my husband had just taken down the plastic tents from removing the popcorn ceiling and just the weekend before, my husband finished installing all the flooring. Thankfully those steps were completed. I am so grateful for that. At the time the old kitchen was very minimal, we had no furniture – literally because we got rid of our old stuff from downstairs and moved he upstairs furniture downstairs – which made the reno’s easier on the main floor and then the basement flooded LOL.

It actually is funny. Seriously if I didn’t laugh I would cry – alot! We were literally starting over with most of our belongings in the basement, which also had more things due to the upstairs reno. It was devastating but then it hit me.

This was the 3rd home we moved to. Much like our previous two homes we knew we wanted to put our touch on it. However we had accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. I am a very sensitive and caring person, so if we or our children were given something I had a very challenging time letting it go. Not to the point of hoarding, however we had a lot of “stuff” that was needing to find a new home. Yes I would have preferred donating it or even having a garage sale, however this literally forced me to offer up the control. I literally had no control over this situation whatsoever. Which was very challenging for me. I was forced to give up all our “stuff” – even some of the sentimental things.

Our family learned how powerful it is to hold value in the moment and memories vs the “stuff” because the “stuff” can be taken from you just like that!

I am proud of us because we have literally come full circle from that day! The basement was completely re-done again and our main floor is all complete giving us the opportunity to now create our own master oasis!

Trust Your Inner Guidance – Empaths

Sometimes we don’t really know we are sabotaging our life until we feel it physically and emotionally. This may sound harsh when you are about to read how I sabotaged my life this week, however it is what it is and for me this is real.

This past weekend I indulged in black Tim Hortons coffee. I have not drank coffee in years,, let alone timmies which can make me vibrate! Granted I used to drink it all the time. It was available to me, so I thought why not Im being active this weekend it will “help me get things done”…

So in truth, its a life lesson. My sleep had been awful most of the week. The restless legs began Saturday night, thankfully my Balance and AromaTouch oils helped me to be able to get to sleep and actually sleep peacefully. However since Sunday night my body has been messed up and this mama has not been sleeping well!

Add in my negligence of topping up my thyroid roller bottle. Even as I write this I think to myself… It literally took 5 minutes to top the roller bottle up. Actually less than 5 min and get it on my neck. I received lots of signs this weekend that I was NEEDING it… I was freezing cold all the time, my throat became scratchy – almost like ‘hello pay attention to this area of your body’, my digestive system slowed and I just feel like BLAH!

The true kicker… I had my body at a point where I didn’t need my blend everyday. However I pushed my limits. So a combination of self sabotage has had me not sleeping great, feeling blah and just totally off. That morning I finally “got it” and refilled my thyroid blend.

Its so true that in life you can be trucking along, feeling great, going with the flow and miss a couple key factors which can have you side lined momentarily. As crappy as I do feel, lack of sleep and my thyroid blend, does that to me – I know this. I KNOW this… yet I allowed myself to do this to me.

Time to rise back up, get back on track with purpose. I got my thyroid blend on Wednesday morning and already the scratchiness was subsiding. I knew it was this when Ive been taking On Guard+ the past couple days and took some TriEase in the middle of the night – to help with the scratchiness. Nope what my body wanted and needed was my thyroid blend. Ok listening loud and clear now!

Much like my previous post the other day, one step forward. Monday we came one more step forward for our laundry mud room being complete. I am so eager to get it finished, but patience and allowing my body and mind the time it needs to rest – which its clearly forcing on me now!

To help me get on track that day, I pulled some cards. That morning I chose the 5 card spread…

Situation – Believe – “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can” Nikos Kazantzakis Believe in yourself and know that you can create anything you wish, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Believe in your dreams and realize the potential of your own divine power. Trust your inner guidance – as it is directing you to a promising new truth, one that places you into alignment with spirit. I believe in me. I know that what sustains me is the power of cosmic consciousness. I am endowed with intelligent knowledge, intuition and absolute truth. “I believe in the wonders of life”
Challenge – Abundance – “Accumulate the wealth of wisdom acquired through God realization”. “He is wisest who seeks God. He is the most successful who has found God.” Paramahansa Yogananda . Abundance is measured by the extent to which your inner peace and mental control enable you to be happy in all circumstances. Bring peace into every moment of your life. What does Abundance feel like to me? I am one with Spirit. I am abundance.
Guidance – Beauty – “Your true nature is reflected from your soul” “When the mind is calm, how quickly, how smoothly, how beautifully you will perceive everything” Paramahansa Yogananda – Swan Spirit – See the inner truth within yourself and others regardless of outer appearances. Recognize your beauty inside and out. Identify and accept the loveliness found in every characteristic that makes up who you are, for only you possess them. Remember and celebrate the beauty that you are! “The beauty that radiates with me spreads throughout the universe.”
Intention – Acceptance – “Embrace and be at peace with everything in your life” – “The good or bad is not in the circumstance, but only in the mind of him that encounters it” James Allen . Spirit of Deer – I have come to remind you to be gentle with yourself. Love and accept the wholeness of who you are in this very moment – for you are beautiful! What if you could completely embrace every situation and every experience by knowing that you have created all of it for your own personal growth? Allow this transmission to transform all perceived obstacles into precious opportunities. Love every moment. Welcome the unexpected and dance with delight in this dream called life. “I embrace and accept everyone and myself. I think every situation in my life.”
Outcome – Adventure “ Living a life filled with wonder and excitement” – “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams” Oprah Winfrey . This is your life. You have a golden opportunity, right here, right now to create it anyway you wish. Dare to dream big, by listening to the language of your heart. Open the eyes of your heart to see this wonderful world full of beauty, charm and adventure. You are living an archetypal story filled with emotional content, mystery, magic, contradiction and conflicts that seemingly appear as a paradox. Remember that you are the dreamer, dreaming this dream called life. Welcome the perfection of all that is and you will come to understand that all of life is nothing more than a passing phase. Come to understand that each phase is born out of the dream creation of Cosmic Consciousness and realize that you are here on earth to have fun. Feel the excitement and awe of life, instead of fear and doubt of not knowing the future. Let go of any attachments to outcomes and you will welcome the gifts being granted to you in each and every moment. Everything you receive from the material world is going to teach you something along the way to make you a healthier and happier being. Adventure is ot outside of you, but within you. The very basic core of your being as living vibrating spirit has an innate passion for adventure. Wake up in the morning and welcome every experience you receive as part of this ever-unfolding happening dream. Be excited about life, because in essence you are a radiant light-being here to express in this grand adventure called life. This is your moment to shine! “I welcome the magic and mystery of life”.

Wednesday I knew I had my BUTI Yoga class but to be completely honest I was thinking of any excuse I could think of… but I went, I felt great, oiled up all day and before bed and it was exactly what I needed! That night I slept great and woke up feeling amazing!

The other interesting piece of info is I recognized how the caffeine affected me, it’s also something that is advised to limit or avoid for empaths! I picked up a new book last weekend from the Mystic Crystal shop, The Empath’s Survival Guide by Judith Orloff MD is a wealth of information and I am just into the book in chapter 3!

What is interesting is I had also been lacking on my meditation practice. My husband was the one who suggested I do some meditating to help balance. I chose Gabby Bernstein’s Journal Meditation and it was awesome! Beautiful way to re-start and re-connect 💖!

One Step Forward

Renovations have been our life for the past 4 years. 15 actually if you count back to our 1st house!

It’s so much more than just changing the flooring or painting the walls.

I put my entire heart and soul into what we are doing. Once we lock a design/change in and I can visualize it, I want it done now.

Renovations have taught me how to be patient. How sometimes things get messy, like really messy and you don’t know if you can do it anymore – but you can and you do. Just like life. Renovations to a house is so much like life in general. It can get really really messy, but out of that mess comes a beautiful message!

I tend to always be thinking one step forward, which would actually feel like 10 steps back for me. One of my strongest strengths is Futuristic. I can look ahead and see things falling into place or how it “should”. I’ve learned the power of slowing your mind and enjoying quiet. To enjoy the process – because lets be real, when you plan something – well when we have it never goes exactly to plan – but many times that is such a blessing! To know and trust that everything happens in Divine timing.

So many obstacles we faced over the years married with children, daily life, work… the house & renovations!

Our whole home renovations are coming to near completion. The main part of the house, the family areas, the kids areas etc are all complete and “US”. It was really important to us to make this home ours and not try to fit into someone else’s life. It’s been freeing for all of us. Its pushed us to grow. Patience truly is a virtue.

Today we came one step closer to our laundry / mud room to being complete which completes the existing home’s layout, it’s not just all new – its US!!!

We are now gently taking one step forward again as we complete our vision and finish our dream home with something special for us – husband and wife/mom and dad! For our years of hard work and dedication, love, forgiveness and patience. The excitement far outweighs the fear of taking that “one step forward”. Because then you are committed, there is no going back. Its thrilling and so exciting and then the excitement wears off, the stress, over thinking and worrying comes out. The pressure of ‘just getting it done’ pushes on me real hard and I lose the enjoyment of the process. A process of gentle reminders, to strive for progress not perfection, that one day (soon) it will all be done and all be US!

Tonight we are one step closer to being complete, I truly celebrate no more disruption for our kids. Routines that can be enriched with our final new space and the organization we all crave!

Now that the rest of the house is complete, us, comfortable for the kids, its time for the two of us to create our own special space!

For tonight, as much as I would love to be in that room organizing and shifting things, which have been over crowded during all the renos, for everything to have a purpose and a place.

I came home and knew I needed grounding oils. I put Anchor and Arise in the diffuser and on my wrists. Put the groceries away, tidied the kitchen and now enjoying some downtime.

In divine timing, the laundry mud room will be complete. Our master suite will be underway and some other amazing finishing touches to our home! Feeling very blessed. Grateful for the energy work, meditation, reading, journaling, oils, yoga through this process. As our home shifted to “us” we have all became more at home in our heart and our home! 💗

Encouraging A Child’s Intuition & Trust In Themselves

This blog post is kudos to my daughter. Children are always learning and this weekend proved to be a great life lesson for our girl and us as her family!

During a walk at our family cottage, we walked down to a stream where each year minnows and or tadpoles like to start their life. While looking at the stream our daughter noticed something. She spoke up and said “look its a snake at the edge of the water!!!”. We all, perhaps not wanting it to be true, immediately said no, that can’t be a snake its just a stick. So our son threw a stick into the water near the snake/stick… sure enough the snake began swimming back up the river (thankfully not towards the lake LOL).

Further along on our walk we were headed back to the cottage on the road. A path our kids have been familiar with since they were in diapers and one we enjoy many times a season. As we walked past the stream at the road we could hear the fish trying to swim/jump through the water. Getting down by the stream our son was looking in the water at the fish and said, ‘nope these aren’t trout’. Our daughter piped up and said ‘they are salmon’. Again we all were hesitant, honestly because how would she know what kind of fish they were. We watched the fish for a bit until a woman came out of her cottage, which is near the stream and asked if we (and others walking by) saw the salmon running up the stream…

Monday our daughter was making a cheesecake so we could celebrate Mom’s birthday with the family, she brought up some interesting facts to us. Listing each of these points. I asked her what that meant? She proudly said, “I was right”. Which she was, without a doubt, however I also let her know a much bigger life lesson that had just happened for her… to always trust herself, speak up and speak her mind!

My little girl empath has a very intuitive way of thinking and I just love it and want to completely support her in embracing it as a beautiful part of her personality!

Looking back she could have totally just got down on herself thinking that her words, thoughts, opinion do not matter or are not appreciated – even if she is right. However I am SO thankful she chose to stand up and make it known that she was right and it was completely her gut feeling each time to believe herself!

Kudo’s to you my girl! This just reminds your dad and I that we are doing something right as your parents especially when we encourage you and your brother to follow your heart and speak your mind! <3

I can honestly admit when the kids were younger and asked “why?” all.the.time. It was slightly annoying LOL. However I am SO thankful for children asking why or pushing for what they believe, this is how they learn, this is how their personalities develop and how they begin to trust themselves and their own intuition. Im so proud to be your mama, to both of you! You are going to move mountains :)

Live and Be Free

Hind sight is 20/20 without a doubt. Life lessons however are the best, most effective way to learn in life. Well, in mine at least.

Music is a wonderful thing, it can pull memories to the surface, sometimes without realizing it. Kind of like the sun shining and then the sky filled with dark clouds. A spark came to me. Any bad memories or sad moments of the past with a person, think of a happy memory. Forgive and let go of the sad or hurtful memories and live and let yourself be free.

I had always thought part of my story was going through infertility and living with pcos but its actually beating infertility, being blessed with two incredible children and becoming a strong confident woman!

Its been (and will continue to be) a fun, interesting, learning, growth experience and I am impressed at how I have allowed myself to be open to growing even more.

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated meeting each other 18 years ago! Such a blessing to think how we have grown together over that time and have created the life we are living. We’ve had a lot of passion and a lot of forgiving, happiness, tears and angry words, laughter and fun. True happy high’s and sorrowful lows. Also the absolute best 18 years of my life. I am truly thankful we have stuck it out with each other this long. Because we have each become a couple of awesome people and I am so thankful for my husband!

Ive learned that any darkness needs a light shone on it to help it heal. You have the ultimate power to change your story, much like Ive chosen to change mine. No longer allowing any focus on any of the negative people or things and realize at least 1 good thing about it or them. Replace that hurtful memory, allow it to be released and free yourself.

I have been enjoying Sarah Prout’s Dear Universe Book Club as well as Gabby Bernstein’s The Universe Has Your Back Book Club. I really love the positivity. I also just went to my first BUTI Yoga class and wow. I loved it so much – empowering! Ive been wanting to move my body, its been about 6 months since I fell out of that routine. I was nervous, worried what others would think if I couldn’t do it… alot of the head talk, that is pure BS! I did it, loved how it felt and am loving my body more. Love the skin you are in. Be the best person you can be. Everyone else’s opinions are merely that. Live honestly, authentically, successful and happy!

Those negative stories that I thought were the ones that made me me, I completely missed the point, until now. What was the lesson with everything and everyone? How have I grown because I knew them or had the experience. I thought I knew this, I really did, I thought I was believing it, but I don’t think I was.

ONE Blend

💛 ONE! 🙌

My girl and I had an outing together the other day, so I grabbed one of my doTERRA backpacks to throw my camera in (I was also going to check out a new-to-me camera lens!). When I opened the backpack to put my phone in… I found my beloved @doterra ONE blend! Mmmm this blend is INCREDIBLE!

This blend is also super close to my heart and soul. It was the blend they specifically crafted for the 2016 Convention Gala. My first ever convention and gala experience. It’s funny we have 3 @doterraca backpacks and I was specifically looking for this blend on our wall rack just a couple days before I found it (again 😂)! I’ve been using this blend for the last few days and it’s like a great big deep, satisfied, filled with happiness and love sigh! Oh my it’s fantastic! Grounding, calming and just so fresh and yummy!

So… I had to craft a blend for the diffuser. Here is what I came up with and it’s currently filling our house with all the oily goodness that ONE is!

💛Ylang Ylang is the oil of the inner child and it is uplifting but also calming.
💛Frankincense is the oil of truth and is very grounding.
💛Vetiver is the oil of centering and decent. It is calming and grounding to emotions and the mind.
💛Douglas Fir is the oil of generational wisdom. This oil is so fresh smelling, ita cleansing and purifies.
💛Cardamom is the oil of objectivity. This blend is refreshing and supporting to our respiratory system.
💛Melissa is the oil of light. It is calming to tension and your nerves.

From my experience, this is an amazing blend for your brain and mental health as well!

Save this recipe for later. I promise you will love it! 🙌😍

#diffuserblend
#ouroilylife
#momlife
#oilyphotographer
#adhdmom
#pcosmom
#mentalhealth
#essentialoils
#lifestylephotography
#yourlifeasartessentials

Climate Change and You!

Woke up to Winter 🤦‍♀️

Remember when we used to have actual seasons… I do from my childhood. Winter was winter, all winter without multiple spring breaks and spring was spring, summer was summer and fall well you get the point. Not to be a debbie downer on this frigid cold Saturday morning, but I will be real for a moment… our weather is changing due to things WE as humans CHOOSE to do. You may think, well I’m just one person, or in our family we are “just 4 people”. EVERYONE can make a difference. Choose Clean products… yes even if they “cost” more. Really what amount can you put on your health and life?! Choose to be conscious of your driving habits, the water you use, the products you buy – why are vegetables and fruits now packaged in SO much plastic?! I maybe wont be here in 100 years to enjoy this planet but someone from my family will be. Yes even you as 1 person 🙋‍♀️ CAN make a difference! First step is choosing 2nd step is ignoring the naysayers, 3rd step is just following through everyday making conscious healthy choices for you and your family!

Side note… what I find interesting is the government is saying they are big on climate change and carbon tax etc… did you know it’s also the government who allows companies to use these toxins in our day to day life?! Many products allowed here in Canada and the US are banned in the UK…

Waking up this morning to another crazy weather change reminds me the importance of making healthy, educated, conscious choices – which yes sometimes requires a wee bit more work, like not buying everything at the grocery store. Making an additional stop to buy from the local butcher or ordering clean health and beauty products with ingredients I can trust and that are healthy for my body, but it’s worth it. Maybe if we all began realizing how crucial this is to living our best life we could all have an impact on this world we are living in!

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/cosmetics/labelling/safety-ingredients.html

https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/ingredients-banned-in-other-countries/

What are Endocrine Disruptors? https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/endocrine.html

For those of you who have been here a while and know my PCOS and our ADHD life story… drastically reducing or removing endocrine disruptors from your life is KEY!!!

But the choice is yours…

#ouroilylife #makeanimpact #teachchildren #reducereuserecycle #cleanproducts #investinyourself #makehealthychoices #wecanallmakeadifference #nogardeningtoday #winterisback #adhdmom #healthyissimple #healthyeating #pcosmom #momlife #endocrinedisruptors #badfortheenvironmentandourhealth
#youcancleanwithouttoxicchemicals

Buy Yourself The Flowers

Buy yourself flowers just because… and to take macro shots of 🤣💐😊
I used to not like buying or getting flowers because they don’t always last long.

I used to think it was a waste of money, because they didn’t last long. I’m big on value and quality.

You know what though… the flowers are worth every single $1 of the $10 dollars they cost me! Priceless when I can pull out my macro lens and create art I love and enjoy!

I create an incredible array of memory photos each winter. Especially the past couple on the sleds! Those times when I don’t have my camera with me, or it would make the trip even longer to stop every 10 minutes 😂!

Bring some nature indoors… it’s amazing how you can instantly feel uplifted and your creativity is sparked!