MARCH FAVOURITES

I always love monthly favourite lists, it lets me discover new products that people have actually used and liked. Nothing below is sponsored, I genially just love the products. 

Note taking with Pen and paper. 

I don’t like to call it journaling as this book is also full of my to-do lists and things that I want to look more deeply into or notes on things that I have found out, random crystal notes, what work out that I should be doing (and still don’t). Sometimes I do put my personal thoughts on paper, but I just like being able to take notes as I see fit. 

Green Feta Salad dressing from Kraft

I am a big fan of the Greek salad and everything turns into a Greek salad with this. It is delicious and two net carbs for a tablespoon. I love condiments so I will often use two table spoons with a large salad, but I did a small 1Cup tomato and cucumber side salad for my lunches this week and added tablespoon and it was a lot of dressing. Not that I am actually complaining. 

Deliciously Ella Rose, Lime and Cucumber Facial Wash

I have been using the same Neutrogena facewash since I was in college, 15 years later and it was about time that I upgraded, the wrinkles between my brows were calling out for it. I received this as a gift and it kicked my butt into high gear to focus on my sink. First off it smells amazing. I have never used a face wash like this before, the texture is so thin, it is very watered down oil and it just left my skin feeling so soft and clean. 

The Ordinary

To keep on the skin care ban wagon going I started using some of the ordinary products. I have been hearing about their products for over a year and then one person did such a great honest review it prompted me to stop by a Deciem shop because their website is so scientific. The staff was super friendly and helpful and I bought 3 products. There is no complaint about the price at all, I got all 3 bottles for less than $40 CAN and they have lasted me over 3 months. I am just running out of product in April. I am not sure if it is helping my wrinkles at all, but my skin has cleared up and it is so moisturized it feels great. I am planning on changing up a few of the products to see how they work differently on my skin. 

Crystals

I decided I needed a hobby this year, so I decided to take a crystal course. It has been really fun and I have met some great and interesting people. It’s nice to know that there is others out there that are interested in this part of the universe. I have been using Black Obsidian and Clear Quartz to balance any negative vibes around me. Feeling pretty positive this year.

Candle:

I cannot wait for spring to come so I have been loving Bath and Body Works Fresh cut lilies. This has such a beautiful scent that I love wafting through my home. 

Podcast:

Ever want to hang out with girlfriends while they talk about random shit, this is the podcast for you. I have laughed out loud on public transit and received some side eye on more than one occasion. 

Music

Dan Mangan will forever by my number 1 choice when it comes to music. He just released a new song ‘Fool for Waiting’ and I listen to it all the time. I find it lovely to do some stretching to, mellow and slow gets me every time. 

Safe Travels Friends

We're getting Mystic

I think I have realized something…just stick with me here were are treading in the mystic realm.  I think
I am an Emotional Empath. I have always said that I can read people like a book, I can tell what is going
on with a table of people on the other side of a restaurant and I was always really great at setting people
up because I just knew if they were into each other.  I always told people that I am very interested in
reading body language (which I am), but I have never actually read up on it or looked into it at all.
I just always knew what emotions were happening around me by watching a situation.
These emotions also affect me deeply.

As I continue to grow I have also started this habit of just being “I don’t know why, but I just don’t want
to be in this exact location right now” I have moved locations by 10 feet at a bar because I don’t like the
vibe of the area.  I do this to people all the time, there is two bands that I have a running joke about that
‘their music is fine, but I just don’t like their vibe as humans…there’s just something I don’t like’

That being said, this class was really good.  We learned about the stones and how they relate to the chakras.  
We got to work with the stones and create our own Balancing Set. It was weird because when you hold
two stones I was totally feeling a vibe with one over the other.  I wish there was more info about how to
actually use the stones to balance, but I will do some personal reading on my own to figure that out.

We learned about how when you are meditating with crystals there is risks of "blowing out" a Chakra and
this can cause major imbalance in the body. There is also risk of not doing the balancing properly, which
ould then cause you to be too focused on something like the third eye and getting stuck in that plain
(is that the correct plain???). I am fucking scared to venture into the third eye…are you kidding me?!?  
No thank you, I have no desire to astro-project to another plain and get stuck there. I am interested on
how that feels and what it actually consists of. From my understanding it is actually the feeling of being
somewhere else, but I would not want to go somewhere scary at all.

I'm excited to see where this goes next week. I still haven't figured out how to balance my Chakras,
but maybe by the entry next week I will.

Happy Travels Friends.

These Crystal Eyes

I have been dabbling in crystal knowledge since 2017, it came into my life via ‘Marissa Lace’ and she was

glowing and spiritual and seems to know where to go even though she openly admitted that she wasn’t

there yet.  She just seemed to have her shit together and in 2017 I did not. Don’t get me wrong, everyone

thought I was just cruising along with a great job, a house, a loving husband, but I was miserable in my life.

Work was a nightmare and I worked in an office full of anger, hatred and stress.  It was a breeding ground

for negative energy that was generally out of my control. I totally fed into it thorough and my life revolved

around work; the crazy long hours and constantly having my mind on work. I didn’t have the mental strength

to continue at that pace at work and then maintain relationships. My personal life and mental well being

was suffering and I needed anything to guide my light.  So I thought I would try crystals, I found a local store

and headed over there to see what felt right to me. I bought 4 and for a year I think they really did help to

block some bad energy and bring in some good.

Fast forward a year later and I am in a new job that I am loving and gives me the satisfaction of the career

that I really love, but I am able to have a more balanced life.  Which then got me thinking that I need to fill

that void I feel of not having an interest outside of work. Hobbies never seem to stick for me, I love crafting,

but then I am stuck with all these things and nothing to do with them.  I love baking, but unless there is an

event I end up eating all of them…I love desserts. I still feed into those interests, but I wouldn’t call it a hobby.

So then I found a master crystal class that was 4 weeks and I though…hey why not.   

This week was the first class. I was actually really nervous to attend.  I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in or that the crowd would be so mystic that they would know I was a fraud.  I purposely went in not knowing much about crystals, I know more than the average person, but there is legit healers in this class.  One girl was talking about reading the instructors Aura.

I wonder what my Aura looks like.  

The first class was interesting, it focused on the high level knowledge of the crystals and the chakras. I try to be cool about the whole thing, but I am actually a strong believer in this. We are all connected and some people are more in tune to that connections than others. Maybe it is just that some are listening and some aren't. I want to listen more.

New Year, New Me... Same old song and dance

Hello Friends

So I feel like I start every year the same...with a get healthy (a.k.a get skinny) resolution.  It hasn't once happened.  But now I am not getting any younger and my wrinkles are really starting to bother me and this ship is going down fast so I have decided that I actually need to find something that works for me and the only way to do that is give everything a chance.

 Before the end of 2017 my hubby and I started a Keto diet.  And although I did loose a bit of weight what actually hit me was that I had so much more energy and I felt more rested.  Even with my stress nightmares I still got up and out the door by 6am and came home at 6pm...pre vacation work stress to kept life interesting.  

After taking two weeks off for our visit with family in the beautiful and majestic United Kingdom where we ate everything in site and all anyone did was offer us food and drink when we walked in a room, we are back in action on Keto and I am actually excited to do this.  We are focusing on finding more meals with veggies and less bacon.  We were eating a lot of bacon, we should really invest. 

To add to any life change I am also changing jobs.  After 5 years I am leaving my current company where I am comfortable and I know how to do my job and the exact expectations to venture out to a much larger and high profile position.  I know what this position is, but as any new job it will take some getting used to and I am worried how this will work out with the better lifestyle changes I am trying to make. 

So here is the plan

1. I am going to post here once a week and let you know how it is panning out.  There maybe pictures and complaints.  I want to keep it honest because I want to look back at this and figure out what actually worked for me and where my mind was at the time. 

2.  The daily action will take place on Instagram.  Maybe I will even do some stories...look at me opening up to the world.  Find me here @lovely_odyssey 

3.  I have been using Pinterest for a lot of motivation and recipes. I want to start commenting more on what I try and how it works out.  I also pin a lot of work fashion and random other stuff that interests me.  @Lovely Odyssey

I plan on adding goals as I go to suite what I am feeling, but right now I just need to get into a routine.

Lets do this. 

Artistic journey

Hello friend,

So I have been feeling pretty stale when it comes to my need for an artistic outlet.  This being one of them for example.  I never post,  I always think about t and have some ideas, but lack follow through.  

I'm hoping to really change that.  Let's take a journey into the options out there. I do have a YouTube channel that I used to make these little travel video for people back home (there maybe even personalized bday videos). I am thinking of using a lifestyle theme.  Just have fun with it. At the same time I can try some new stuff and goof off.  

Make life an adventure(?!?). Let's say yes,  even everyday life should be a discovery.

Xo

-J

Ps,  here's a little romantic advise 

To My Darling Journeyer

I am so sorry for my lack of communication over the past year.  After my treacherous journey back to Canada, there was a lack of motivation to keep up with our correspondence.  It is not that I didn’t care for you, but you fell out of favor in my social circle.  You have to understand, dear, that my job and social commitments keep me away from your lovely glowing light.  

 

My year has been an exciting one.  I met a man, he is such a great man and papa really does enjoy him.  They surprisingly have oh so much in common, and mama does relishes in his visits. We met at the start of the year at the market and I do like to think that it was love at first sight.  It moved rather quickly some say, but within months we moved into the same home.  Some though it was quitescandalous, but I am not one to bother with what people say behind my back.  It just shows boredom.  

 

Come September there was a hiccup in our relationship as his welcome in this country has worn out.  So much for being from the mother land, that makes no difference here.  He did have to head back; being so far has made for a challenging circumstance but we have soldiered on.  Technology has vastly improved the ability to continue with a long distance relationship.  Although I do long for the hand written word.

 

I was able to make the long journey over there.  The North of England is very beautiful and the vast country side takes my breath away.  We even made a trip to Castle Howard.  They do have a lovely estate and we were able to walk the grounds.  

 

I do have some exciting news, we are planning to wed very soon.  This April in fact.   It is going to be a very small ceremony with only family attending, but we would like to have a one year celebration when he gets back and that is when all our friends shall be invited to attend.  I do not know why people say it is so hard to plan a wedding.  This has to be one of the easiest parties I have done.

 

I have started trying so many new things including beauty products, kitchen items, websites and adventures.  I cannot wait to tell you about what I have discovered.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Your loving friend

 

Lovely Odyssey

Weekly round up

Received a cute note at work, all this attention is going my head.

Staying at my friends house taking care of their cat and new puppy. I do lie dogs, but I dot like leaning up their pee and poop...litter box all the way!

Finally got my visa sorted for Dubai. Had a little wait at the fly dubai office, but it wasn't painful and I was amused by the space and the people watching.

Had a little road trip into the desert. Will post fully a out that later. Forgot sunscreen