The last few weeks have been busy and stressful—very stressful if I’m honest. Now that my daughter Laura is safely in her new home in BC, I’m more than ready for a break. It’s time to breathe!
Welcome to week 29 of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a sustainable living tip for the week. Week 29 is a little light on content, but I have some thoughts on my upcoming vacation, self-care, and some ideas for the last week of Plastic Free July.
The Sunday Spark – Week 29
On my mind this week: I’m taking time to breathe
As I sit down to write this, it’s the first day of my vacation. For the next 18 days, there will be no alarms or work deadlines. For most of the time, I’ll be enjoying a change of scenery with no housework or laundry to do. Bliss!
The last few weeks have been crazy. Between work, helping Laura pack and get ready for her move, planning and hosting her going-away party, and making last-minute vacation preparations at home and at work, there has barely been time to breathe.
When life gets really busy, it’s hard to take time away from the seemingly endless to do list. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been neglecting my walks and workouts. My July goal of walking 150 kilometres isn’t looking so good at this point.
Self-care is an overused buzzword
I’m not a fan of the term self-care. We all need to prioritize our health and wellbeing, but self-care has turned into an overused buzzword and billion-dollar money-making industry. In many cases, the quest for self-care just adds more stress to our lives.
Earlier this week, as I read Deb’s post on The Heart of the Matter, I wholeheartedly agreed that the things we really need to prioritize for our wellbeing are really quite simple.
So, I will spend today busily tackling last-minute vacation preparations. Then, for the next 17 days, I will pause, take time to breathe, spend time in nature, and soak up my surroundings. It will be good for the soul. And I might get a little closer to that 150 kilometre goal.
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Three highlights of the week
It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:
- On Sunday afternoon, I enjoyed a much-needed distraction when I attended a local matinee performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This is my all-time favourite musical, and it definitely took my mind off Laura’s departure for BC. I’ve been humming the songs all week.
- If you’ve been following the saga of the records, you’ll be happy to know that all three boxes of records arrived safely and have been unpacked. And the rest of Laura’s boxes have also arrived. She’ll find out soon how good our packing skills were.
- Work on our new deck started this week. As is always the case with these projects, our back garden looked like a war zone for a few days. By week’s end, things are looking much better. I can’t wait until the transformation is complete.
Things I learned this week
Life is all about learning, but when life gets chaotic, it’s tough to find time to learn, or even to absorb the things you hear. I normally jot down notes in my journal as I pick up new nuggets of wisdom each week. Today, when I opened up my journal to write this post, there was a blank page.
That’s okay. Regular service will resume shortly!
Sustainable living tip: Plastic Free July – Final week
Check my handy downloadable calendar for simple changes you can make this Plastic Free July. Here are items to consider for the rest of the month:
- Reusable lunch containers
- Use a loofah or washcloth in place of plastic shower poufs
- Make your own DIY toilet cleaner with 4 simple ingredients
- Find alternatives to glitter for your crafts
- Say no to fast fashion
- Scrutinize all packaging on products you buy
- Buy candy in boxes
- Say no to hotel toiletries
I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
The Sunday Spark will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks while I enjoy a much-needed break. For the next two Sundays, I’ve got some different content lined up for my Sunday posts. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
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Have a fantastic vacation! I hope it’s a relaxing adventure for you 🙂
Thanks. Vancouver Island is so beautiful. We’re heading up to Campbell River today so I’ll be checking out some of the places you recommended.
I love “That’s okay. Regular service will resume shortly.” Now that’s beautiful wisdom about accepting life as it is. I hope you enjoy your well-deserved vacation! Sending good wishes!
Thanks Wynne. Yes, sometimes we have to roll with things. I’ve had no internet connection for the last two days so I’m behind on my blog reading. I will catch up tomorrow…or not. It’s all good!
Have a lovely break and well deserved rest. Make sure you read a good book if you get chance.
I already read one yesterday on our travels. And I’m starting another one.
A vacation sounds good for you, Michelle. Taking a break is a luxury in today’s busy lifestyle. Have a lovely vacation. 🍹
Thanks Ranjana. Yes, life is so busy we rarely get a chance for a real break.
Ahh Michelle, thank you for the post highlight- that was very kind of you! So glad to know daughter is getting settled. Enjoy every moment of your time off and doing things just for you 🙂
Thanks Deb. It’s so nice to get away. We walked over 20,000 steps today.
May you have a lovely and much-deserved vacation! And I am glad to be reminded that chocolates in boxes count as a non-plastic alternative!
Thanks Will. Yes, guilt-free chocolate is a good thing!
Enjoy your time off Michelle!
Thanks Cristiana!
Thank you Cristiana!
Enjoy a well-deserved break, Michelle! And thank you for linking to Deb’s awesome post this week. Good, good, good! 🥰
Thanks Vicki! I just started reading your book today. I’m hoping to finish it up this week.
Goodness! Thank you so much, Michelle. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Grateful!
I’m really enjoying it so far. I smiled when I read about your Aunt Louisa’s expert gift wrapping skills. My sister’s birthday is Christmas Day and I feel for anyone born during the Christmas season. I’ve always taken great care NOT to wrap her gift in Christmas paper, and not to put it under the Christmas tree.
Right!! Yes, yes! Never under the tree…I forgot about that! 😉
Enjoy your free time Michelle!
Thank you Cristiana!