Hi friends! Happy Friday! How are you? What do you have going on? Our friends are having their annual Elf party tonight and we have the fighter group’s kids’ Christmas party tomorrow. I’m setting up a table for the kids to make snowman slime! I’m also teaching a barre class and finishing up holiday baking and prep so I can CHILL next week. I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead! This post is going live early, so when I’m awake and have the kids dropped off at school, I’ll put all of this year’s Favorite Things giveaway winners live here. (Yessss you can sneak in last-minute entries until I get the winners posted.)

Friday Faves

Some adventures from this week:

The most beautiful hike with the crew! They woke up and asked to go to Sabino Canyon, so we headed there for a family hike to the Sabino Dam. The water was freezing, but it didn’t stop all of us from getting our feet wet. 😉 I’m so happy the babies like to hike as much as we do! We capped off the afternoon with a trip to the dog park, Starbucks for pink drinks for the girls and a pup cup for Maisey, and smoked brisket with salad and homemade sourdough for dinner.

Can someone please explain to me how both of my babies are almost as tall as me?

Decorating nana’s house for Christmas. We were late on the boat this year, but better late than never, right? We took pizzas over and had a little front yard picnic while the Pilot strung the lights and the girls danced around to Christmas music.

Fitness + good eats:

Here’s what this week’s workouts looked like! I don’t typically count walks as my workouts (since we don’t move very quickly and I think of it more as a mental health break than a workout) but included them below.

Read more

Take a moment for yourself this festive season, with these 50 affirmations designed to help you find calm in the chaos

Christmas is a time for giving, gratitude, reflection, and togetherness. It’s also a time for over-flowing to-do lists, kitchen nightmares, noise, lights, and family fall-outs. So, this year, doesn’t it just make sense to make a commitment to creating pockets of calm, where you can?

Affirmations are short phrases or mantras that we can repeat to ourselves, either aloud or in our heads, that help us to focus our minds, soothe stress, and build resilience. Here, we’ve collected together a list of 50 affirmations, designed to help you find calm in the chaos.

Which ones resonate with you? Pick out a selection, note them down on your phone, or write them out on a piece of paper to keep in your bag or pocket – and, when you feel your stress levels rising, breathe deeply, and repeat your affirmations. Let the calm in, and the chaos go…

1. I let go of the pursuit of perfection.
2. I am committed to peace and calm.
3. I am capable of tackling obstacles.
4. My thoughts do not control me, I control my thoughts.
5. My wellbeing is worth protecting.
6. I am doing the best I can.
7. I take things one step at a time.
8. My feelings deserve to be recognised.
9. I invite joy into my life.
10. I am the architect of my own life.
11. I give myself permission to rest.
12. I let go of stress.
13. I am safe.
14. I can ask for help when I need it.
15. I deserve to be treated with respect.
16. I recognise my skills.
17. My feelings are valid and I will Iisten to them.
18. I do not need to please everyone.
19. I treat myself with kindness.
20. I live in line with my values.
21. I have the tools I need to face challenges that come my way.
22. I will take time to find joy in my day.
23. I am allowed to say ‘no’.
24. I am grateful for what I have.
25. I treasure happy moments.
26. I relieve myself of the pressure to perform.
27. I can feel a sense of calm moving through my body.
28. My mind is still and quiet.
29. My anxious thoughts don’t rule me.
30. It is healthy to set boundaries with others.
31. I deserve to rest.
32. If I reach my capacity, I can stop.
33. I am not responsible for everyone’s happiness.
34. I breathe out stress and breathe in peace.
35. Asking for help is a sign of strength.
36. It’s OK to need quiet.
37. I deserve to feel appreciated.
38. I am not responsible for the things I can’t control.
39. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.
40. It’s OK to take a step back.
41. I will have a peaceful day.
42. I let go of the tension.
43. I have faith in myself.
44. I return to the present moment.
45. I am capable of being calm.
46. I do not ponder on intrusive thoughts.
47. I am loved.
48. External stress doesn't need to affect me.
49. I deserve compassion.
50. I am calm.

Looking for support? Connect with a counsellor using the Counselling Directory

Read more

This Turtle Cheesecake with caramel, chocolate, pecans, and an Oreo crust is a dessert that gets talked about long after the plates are cleaned. Sweet, decadent, and almost magically delicious, this cheesecake steals the show.

Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake

I make this cheesecake only once or twice a year and it is always by request. Just the smallest sliver really is a serving.

Decadent, rich, and worthy of any special occasion, this is a masterpiece of a cheesecake. It steals the spotlight at any dessert table and has been known to cause more than one person to sigh with joy.

Turtle Cheesecake

The cheesecake starts with an Oreo cookie crust that is covered in caramel sauce, then a layer of creamy cheesecake. Once cooled, it is sprinkled with toasted pecans and drizzled with both caramel and chocolate.

This Turtle Cheesecake beats just about any cheesecake I’ve had from a bakery. No exaggeration at all, my friends.

The crisscrossed swirls of caramel and chocolate drizzle make this cake look especially stunning. And it tastes even better than it looks!

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Served for dessert with a strong cup of coffee, this is pure chocolate caramel cheesecake bliss. This is the dessert to bring when you want to wow a crowd!

While this cheesecake looks gorgeous and tastes even better, it’s not a fussy recipe at all. I’m happy to tell you that this dessert is much MUCH easier to make than you might expect.

Can’t get enough of that chocolate and caramel “turtle” flavor? Flourless Chocolate Turtle Cookies happen to be naturally gluten free yet still decadently tasty.

I make at least a couple batches of Shortbread Turtle Cookies and Read more

From a book about nocturnal exploration, to a podcast that will help you find your mindful moment, try something new with our enriching suggestions

1. Page-turners

Wild Nights Out: The Magic of Exploring the Outdoors After Dark by Chris Salisbury

Instead of settling indoors during the shorter and darker winter days, take it as an opportunity to go on a nocturnal adventure, and explore the wonders of nature after dark. From learning how to call for owls, to fireside storytelling, outdoor educator Chris Salisbury’s fun-filled guide is packed with games and sensory activities that can be enjoyed at any age.

(Out now, £14.99)

2. Out and about

Enjoy a winter picnic

If you think picnics can only be enjoyed during the summer, think again! Winter picnics are becoming increasingly popular, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a perfect, low-cost activity to share memorable moments with loved ones in the brisk beauty of winter. So, pack your bag with warm comfort drinks and lunches, and be at one with the outdoors.

3. Act of kindness

Volunteer for Be My Eyes

Living life as someone with vision loss can be difficult, but volunteers at Be My Eyes are here to help make the world more accessible. Sign up to lend your sight to blind and low-vision users to help individuals solve tasks and tackle problems via a live video call – it will certainly make a big difference to someone’s life.

(Visit bemyeyes.com to find out more information)

4. Lend us your ears

‘Meditation Minis’

Do you find it difficult to make time for mindfulness in your busy schedule? With these short five to 20-minute guided sessions, you can always make time for a daily dose. Led by hypnotherapist Chel Hamilton, each episode is designed to calm your anxiety and find inner peace.

(Available on all podcast platforms)

5. Plugged-In

Yulia Sherbak

Whether you’re an embroiderer seeking creative inspiration, or someone who can simply appreciate the fine art of “painting with thread”, follow self-taught embroidery artist Yulia Sherbak. The beautifully intricate needlework featuring nature and wildlife, certainly speaks for itself.

(Follow @mossandfeather)

Read more

When the world is dragging you down, remember there’s plenty of positives out there, too. Enjoy our rundown of 50 sensational stories from 2022, to give you a more optimistic outlook

Environment

1. Parts of the Great Barrier Reef are reportedly showing the best signs of coral recovery in 36 years!

2. In a major milestone, there are now enough solar panels around the world to generate 1 terawatt of electricity.

3. Based on current progress, scientists estimate that the hole in the Earth’s ozone layer will close around 2070!

4. As of September 2022, Denmark has become the first country in the world to offer ‘loss and damage’ compensation to developing countries affected by climate change, in the form of €13.4 million.

5. Engineers at Stamford University, California, have created revolutionary solar panels that can also generate electricity at night.

6. In a truly selfless and generous act, an anonymous French man who won the Euromillions jackpot has used his €200 million winnings to start an environmental charity.

7. In August, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, based off the Yorkshire coast, was declared fully operational. It features 165 wind turbines, and will help to provide renewable energy to more than 1.4 million UK homes.

8. WasteSharks are the latest incredible innovation tackling plastic waste, utilising drone technology. Designed by Dutch company RanMarine, the aquatic drones were inspired by whale sharks catching their prey, with each one able to hold up to 160 litres of waste.

9. Hawaii closed its last coal power plant to focus on greener energy options, removing the 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases it created each year.

10. In a world-first, the National Grid is removing 22 electricity pylons from Dorset’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is replacing them with 60 miles of underground cables, in a bid to return the landscape to its natural form.

Animals

11. In April 2022, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill was passed into British law, in a landmark ruling that recognises animals as complex beings, and protects them with stricter sentences against those who mistreat them.

12. Dog-lover Erica Hart has used a drone to search for and rescue more than 200 lost dogs in the past seven years. Helping distraught owners, her birdseye view has been invaluable in tracking down pups before any harm can come to them, and she’s even started a Facebook group to create a community on the watch for missing dogs, to reunite them with their families.

13. They may say ‘cat’s got your tongue’, but not any more. App, MeowTalk, claims to have cracked the code to translate a cat’s meows into human languages