On Friday I took the cats to the shelter for their vaccinations. It turned out that one of the kittens received a dog vaccine by accident…so we had to watch him carefully for the rest of the night. Thankfully he was fine, but it was stressful. Luckily my friend came over to play with the kittens and watch Legally Blonde, which took my mind off the worry.

At Run Club this morning, we dressed up! I was a witch—we also had a bee, two unicorns, an inflatable tube man, and a gorilla.

Next week is shaping up to be a busy one: work, my French course begins, chores, an in-office day, dinner out with my mother-in-law, and taking back the cats to the shelter so they can be adopted. I’ll be devastated to see the cats go back, but they’ll find amazing homes—and Winston will be happier, having his home back.

La réunion de la Croix-Rouge de ce mois-ci était vraiment le fun! La semaine prochaine, on fait une simulation d'urgence en groupe pour se préparer au prochain incident.

Vendredi, j'ai emmené les chats au refuge pour leurs vaccins. Il s'est avéré que l'un des chatons a reçu un vaccin pour chien par accident... alors on a dû le surveiller de près pendant tout le reste de la soirée. Heureusement, il allait bien, mais c'était stressant! Par chance, mon amie est venue à la maison jouer avec les chatons et regarder Blonde et légale, ce qui m'a vraiment changé les idées.

Au club de course ce matin, on s'est tous déguisés! J'étais déguisée en sorcière — il y avait aussi une abeille, deux licornes, un bonhomme gonflable et un gorille.

La semaine prochaine s'annonce très chargée : le travail, le début de mon cours de français, les commissions, une journée en présentiel au bureau, un souper au resto avec ma belle-mère, et le retour des chats au refuge pour qu'ils puissent se faire adopter. Ça va me briser le cœur de les voir repartir, mais ils vont se trouver des familles extraordinaires — et Winston sera bien content de retrouver son chez-soi.

J'adore les chatons, mais ils me demandent pas mal d'efforts de ma part. Hier soir, je les ai emmenés au salon pour qu'ils explorent un peu. Wren était la plus à l'aise de tous, comme prévu.

Je suis allée au pub avant-hier avec mes anciens collègues de la Banque TD. C'était merveilleux! Ils sont intelligents, drôles, et tellement gentils. La TD me manque ces derniers temps. Je pense que c'était une erreur de la quitter.

Ce soir, j'ai une réunion de la Croix-Rouge. Demain, les chatons et leur maman ont un rendez-vous pour leurs médicaments au refuge, et mon amie Amanda vient me voir. J'ai vraiment hâte à tout ça!

When Marius and I moved into our condo a few years ago, it was much bigger than our last place. I thought we’d never fill it—but it only took a few months. All the kitchen cabinets? Full. The media unit and bookshelves? Full. Every closet? Full. The storage locker downstairs? Also full! I was amazed that it took so little time to fill, but much more time and effort to declutter and streamline. Now we’re zealous about if we bring something in, something goes out. We have enough.

When my dad comes over these days, he oohs and ahhs over the ‘minimalism’. For us, it’s less about the way our condo looks than feeling a sense of calm when we come home. I don’t want to reach into a cupboard for something and knock over ten other things to get to it. I don’t want to spend money on items that end up in a landfill—I want to invest in quality pieces that last a lifetime. I want to fill our home with things we actually use (and also plants). Spending less on stuff also frees up money that we can spend on delicious food, home improvements, or trips.

What does enough look like for you? Do you think you’d recognize it if you saw it?

Ces temps-ci, je réfléchis beaucoup à la notion d'« assez ». Ça ressemble à quoi, « assez », dans notre monde hyperconsommateur d'aujourd'hui?

Quand Marius et moi on a emménagé dans notre condo il y a quelques années, il était pas mal plus grand que notre ancien logement. Je pensais qu'on ne réussirait jamais à le remplir — mais ça n'a pris que quelques mois. Toutes les armoires de cuisine? Pleines. Le meuble télé et les étagères? Pleins. Chaque garde-robe? Plein. Le locker en bas? Plein aussi! Ça m'a vraiment étonnée de voir à quel point c'est allé vite pour tout remplir, mais à quel point ça demande du temps et des efforts pour désencombrer et épuré le tout. Maintenant, on est vraiment rigides là-dessus : si quelque chose entre, quelque chose doit sortir. On en a assez.

Quand mon père vient nous voir ces temps-ci, il fait des « oh! » et des « ah! » devant notre « minimalisme ». Pour nous, c'est moins une question de look que d'éprouver un sentiment de calme quand on rentre chez nous. Je ne veux pas aller chercher un objet dans une armoire et en faire tomber dix autres au passage. Je ne veux pas dépenser de l'argent pour des trucs qui vont finir dans un site d'enfouissement — je veux investir dans des pièces de qualité qui vont durer toute une vie. Je veux remplir notre chez-nous avec des choses qu'on utilise pour vrai (et des plantes, aussi!). Dépenser moins pour du stock, ça libère aussi des sous qu'on peut mettre sur de la bonne bouffe, des améliorations pour le condo ou des voyages.

Et pour vous, ça ressemble à quoi, « assez »? Pensez-vous que vous sauriez le reconnaître si vous l'aviez devant les yeux?

I went out for a stroll this morning and picked up fresh bread to accompany this delicious Golden Cabbage Soup for dinner.

I’ve picked up a habit from the wise Brits across the pond and have started making a mid-afternoon tea. It’s the perfect pick-me-up to get me through the rest of the work day.

This past weekend was more animal-focused than usual. The kittens are all eating wet food and using the litter box on their own. My heart goes out to Birdie, the mama cat, who curls up in the least comfortable spots. I offer her towels and blankets, but she prefers the hard wood floor. Our rabbit Winston is still not happy with the cat house guests—he peed on both our duvet and weighted blanket, sigh. We went to Buntoberfest, which was a blast, and an Open House for the Toronto Wildlife Centre. I did my usual volunteer shift at the Toronto Animal Shelter and picked up more supplies for our little foster family.

I did a 10km run this weekend, too! I haven’t been able to run pain-free until recently—thanks in huge part to the Feet First Clinic for the physio exercises and new orthotics.

I’m a bit tired from the weekend, but am ready for the busy week ahead. I’m going out to a pub for live music with friends tomorrow, and have our monthly Red Cross team meeting. This Saturday is Halloween—Marius and I are going to check out the decorations and stay in with a horror film.

In other news, our AD (assistant director) team from ‘Ready or Not 2’ has been nominated for a DGC Award, which is nice. It was a fun movie to work on, with an exceptional AD team. Fingers crossed!

C’est un lundi pluvieux ici à Toronto.

Je suis sortie faire une petite marche ce matin et j’ai acheté du pain frais pour accompagner une délicieuse soupe dorée au chou pour le souper.

J’ai pris une habitude des sages Britanniques d’outre-Atlantique : je me prépare maintenant un thé en milieu d’après-midi. C’est le petit remontant parfait pour traverser le reste de la journée de travail.

La dernière fin de semaine a été encore plus axée sur les animaux que d’habitude. Les chatons mangent tous de la nourriture humide et vont à la litière tout seuls. Ça me fait tellement de quoi pour Birdie, la maman chat, qui se met en boule dans les endroits les moins confortables. Je lui offre des serviettes et des couvertures, mais elle préfère le plancher de bois franc. Notre lapin Winston n’est toujours pas ravi de la présence de nos invités félins — il a fait pipi sur notre couette, et sur notre couverture lestée, soupir. On est allés au Buntoberfest, c’était tellement le fun!, ainsi qu’à la journée portes ouvertes du Toronto Wildlife Centre. J’ai fait mon quart de bénévolat habituel au refuge pour animaux de Toronto et j'ai ramassé du matériel pour notre petite famille d’accueil.

J’ai aussi couru un 10 km cette fin de semaine! Ça faisait un moment que je n’avais pas réussi à courir sans douleur — un énorme merci à la Clinique Feet First pour les exercices de physio et les nouvelles orthèses.

Je suis un peu fatiguée de ma fin de semaine, mais je suis prête pour la grosse semaine qui s’en vient. Demain soir, je sors dans un pub écouter de la musique en direct avec des amis, et on a notre réunion d’équipe mensuelle de la Croix-Rouge. Ce samedi, c’est l’Halloween — Marius et moi allons aller voir les décorations, puis rester tranquilles à la maison devant un film d’horreur.

Dans un autre ordre d'idées, notre équipe d’assistants à la réalisation pour le film Ready or Not 2 a été mise en nomination pour un prix de la DGC (Guilde canadienne des réalisateurs), ce qui fait vraiment plaisir! C’était un film super le fun à tourner, avec une équipe d'assistants extraordinaire. On se croise les doigts!

I love the beautiful patterns, the unabashed show of colour. I love being reminded of my grandma. I love how at first touch, a quilt feels cool—but you only have to spend a few minutes under it to start feeling toasty. I love how quilts are timeless—cherished treasures crafted by hand, to be passed down through generations.

Quilts aren’t like sets of china or coin collections—they serve a purpose in a home and provide warmth. They are both practical and beautiful. A quilt can tell a story through its pattern, and stand on its own as a piece of art. I especially love how historically, quilts have been created by women—sometimes on their own, and sometimes in groups. Quilts have a strong history steeped in tradition, and I find it fascinating.

I tried to do it right, and got help from a professional dietician who made sure I’m getting all the right nutrients and emphasized the importance of protein at every meal. Did you know that there are protein-enriched breakfast cereals? And protein-enriched non-dairy milk? And protein-enriched pasta?? There’s a whole world of protein-related ingredients out there.

The transition to fully veganism was less difficult than I anticipated. I miss chicken and milk chocolate, but not red meat. I haven’t had to sit out any social engagements due to dietary requirements. My digestive system took some time to acclimatize, but overall I feel more energized and less lethargic after meals.

One of the best parts of going vegan is seeing others make more plant-based choices. My mom is having more vegan meals. We hosted Thanksgiving and my mom-in-law was supportive and enthusiastic—she even brought delicious vegan desserts. My beautiful and talented sister already eats a largely vegetarian diet. I think the biggest challenge will be my dad, who usually BBQs the same kind of meat every meal.

In case you want vegan meal ideas, here are my go-to’s these days:

Breakfast:

• Protein-enriched cereal with non-dairy milk
• Overnight oats (oats, ground flax, hemp seeds, chia seeds, raisins, and non-dairy milk)
• Smoothie with kale and protein powder

Lunch:

• Protein-enriched pasta with sauce and tempeh, chickpeas, lentils, or edamame
• Sandwich with smashed chickpeas, dill, and vegan mayo

Dinner:

• Korean Tofu Rice bowls (this is my favourite recipe)
• Vegan wellington (a lot of work but worth it)
• Chilled tofu with sushi rice (easy and delicious)
• Anything from Rainbow Plant Life

Snacks:

• Peanut butter and jam sandwich
• Nuts
• Go Macro bars
• Tony’s Chocolonely

If you try any of these recipes or products, I hope you enjoy them!

I’ve saved this part for last, because it felt odd to start the post with something that is often controversial: I went vegan for ethical reasons. I don’t want to support the meat and dairy industries, which are often, if not always, cruel. Is it possible to love animals and still eat them? The older I get, the more I think that no, it isn’t.

There are many things that society has taught us are ‘okay’ or ‘fine’, but that you realize later are anything but. To me, eating animals is one of those many things.

I don’t expect anyone else to make the same decision as me—I’m sharing my thoughts.

Aujourd’hui, j’ai utilisé un prompt incroyable que Marius a conçu pour Claude afin de créer une vidéo sur notre agence de communication. C’est vraiment impressionnant ce qu’on peut faire de nos jours !

Le feu de camp du club de course hier était fantastique. Il y avait plein de monde sympa, dont plusiers personnes qui ont fait le choix, comme moi, de ne pas avoir d’enfants. Quand on a déménagé dans le quartier en 2022, on a pris un petit risque—on ne connaissait pas de tout le coin. Mais quatre ans plus tard, je suis tellement contente qu’on l’air fait. Le gros attrait ici, c’est la magnifique rivière Humber. Rien qu’hier soir, j’y ai vu des saumons, deux coyotes (dont un qui était peut-être un ‘coyoup’ ??), une mouffette, et un raton laveur. J’ai aussi découvert le superbe chemin Home Smith Park—wow. Vraiment, wow. J’ai tellement hâte de montrer ça à Marius.

I’ve got this gentle playlist going and the kittens have all fallen fast asleep, with sweet dreams and little toe twitches. The tortoiseshell Wren is a snuggle bug—she wants to be curled up in your lap at all times. Gully used to dislike being touched—now he asks to be pet. I’m so proud of the smallest kitten, Chickadee, who was the first to drink water by herself from the dish. And sweet fluffy Robin kept eating litter—I think it’s because she’s teething, so now I offer my finger for her to gently gnaw on. Mama cat Birdie is calm and steady, as always. She loves Temptations treats.

Today I used an amazing prompt that Marius crafted for Claude to create a video about our communications agency. It’s really remarkable what’s possible these days.

The Run Club bonfire yesterday was wonderful. So many lovely people came, some of whom are childfree like me. When we moved to this neighbourhood in 2022, we took a bit of a risk—we weren’t familiar with the area at all. But four years later, I’m glad we did. The main draw is the marvellous Humber River. Just last night alone, I saw salmon, two coyotes (one of which may have been a ‘coy-wolf’??), a skunk, and a racoon. I also discovered the beautiful Home Smith Park Road—wow. Just wow. I can’t wait to show Marius.

Kitchen:

• Nature Clean dishwasher pods
• Attitude liquid dish soap
• Biodegradable dish scrubbers
• Who Gives a Crap Swedish dish cloths
• Who Gives a Crap paper towels
• Compostable garbage bags

Cleaning and Laundry:

• Attitude all-purpose cleaner, window cleaner, laundry detergent, floor cleaner (all refillable)
• Reusable duster
• Scrub Daddy scrubbers and Magic Eraser

Bathroom

++Shower:++

• Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner
• Silicone body scrubbers
• Dove soap
• Method body wash
• Attitude shower spray (refillable)

++Face and Body:++

• Pacifica face cleanser
• Attitude lotion (refillable)
• Sky Organics Cotton Swabs
• Body Shop face scrub and body spray
• Quo and NYX makeup
• Garnier micellar water and reusable cotton rounds
• Dove and Secret deodorant
• Burt’s Bees chapstick
• Green nail polish

++Oral hygiene:++

• Hello toothpaste
• Water flosser
• Tom’s mouthwash

*Can’t find: Pollident (retainer cleaner)

++Toilet:++

• Who Gives a Crap toilet paper
• Tushy bidet
• Mrs Meyers room spray
• Method toilet bowl cleaner

Other:

• Attitude hand soap (refillable)
• Who Gives a Crap tissues
• Pür mints

On vient tout juste de terminer la nouvelle série Netflix, ‘Below’. Étant originaire de la côté Est, c’était merveilleux de voir les Maritimes représentées d’une aussi belle manière cinématographique. J’ai été captivée jusqu’au dernier episode, où Netflix nous a servi la fin classique où ‹ tout s’arrange à merveille ›. Les méchants ont eu ce qu’ils méritaient et nos héros sont partis vers le soleil couchant—avec un petit indice pour la saison 2. On regarde aussi la série ‘Carrie’ de Mike Flanagan.

Aujourd’hui a été une grosse journée au travail. J’étais nerveuse pour une rencontre client, mais ça s’est bien passé, et là, on attaque les corrections à fond de train. J’ai le goût de regarder mon téléphone pour voir mes nouveaux courriels ou messages, mais j’essaie de trouver un meilleur équilibre travail-vie personnelle.

J’essaie de sevrer les quatre chatons qu’on a en famille d’accueil, mais la nourriture humide pour chatons est un bien piètre substitut au lait du maman, faut croire.

Le club de course organise un feu de camp le long de la rivière Humber cette semaine. J’ai vraiment hâte. Ça fait des années que je n’ai pas vu un vrai gros feu.

À bientôt !

I’m snuggling our rabbit Winston while I write this post. He smells like a meadow today.

We just finished watching the new Netflix series ‘Below’. Being from the East coast, it was wonderful to see the Maritimes represented in such a beautiful and cinematic way. I was intrigued until the last episode, when Netflix gave us the classic ‘everything comes together and works out perfectly’ ending. The villains got their comeuppance and our heroes sailed off into the sunset—plus a hint of something for season 2. We’re also watching Mike Flanagan’s series ‘Carrie’.

Today was busy at work. I was nervous about a client meeting, but it went well, and now we hit the ground running on edits. I want to check my phone for new emails or messages, but I’m trying to achieve a better work/life balance.

I’m trying to wean the four kittens we’re fostering, but wet kitten food is a poor substitute for mom’s milk, I guess.

Run Club is doing a bonfire along the Humber this week! I’m excited. It’s been many years since I’ve seen a proper bonfire.

Until next time!

When I was younger, an unplanned Friday night felt like the worst possible scenario: everyone must be hanging out without me. But now, an unplanned Friday is ideal. I’ve worked hard for this apartment, and to cultivate this simple life—I should enjoy it. Cozying up on the couch and enjoying a TV show is perfect.

This morning when we woke up, Winston was curled up at the bottom of the bed. I’ve never met such a sweet and brave rabbit—we’re so lucky that he’s ours.

It’s been a week since I brought home Birdie and her four kittens. They’re growing and exploring.

Even though it was only 2°C in Toronto this morning, I went to Run Club. It was a small group, since most people were at the TCS Toronto Waterfront 5km. We did the ‘out-and-back’ run: along Eglinton and dipping into the Humber Ravine. We’re so lucky to live somewhere so beautiful.

I’m going to spend the rest of the door doing physio, cleaning the house, doing a puzzle, and watching TV ☺️

J’ai passé un vraiment beau vendredi. Le travail était tranquille, alors j’ai pu me concentrer sur des tâches plus globales liées à nos méthodes de travail. J’ai eu un cours de français où j’ai appris du vocabulaire sur le transport et la circulation. Il y a plein de façons de dire « car » : on peut dire la voiture, l’auto ou — pour faire plus québécois — le char. Marius et moi, on est aussi allés visiter sa formidable maman — elle donne une tonne de souliers et voulait que j’aie le premier choix (c’est un ange!). J’en ai pris trois paires.

Quand j’étais plus jeune, un vendredi soir pas prévu, ça me semblait le pire scénario possible : tout le monde devait être en train de sortir sans moi. Mais maintenant, un vendredi libre, c’est l’idéal. J’ai travaillé fort pour avoir cet appartement et me bâtir cette vie simple — je devrais en profiter. M’installer confortablement dans le divan à regarder une émission, c’est juste parfait.

Ce matin au réveil, Winston était roulé en boule au pied du lit. Je n’ai jamais vu un lapin aussi doux et courageux — on est tellement chanceux qu’il soit à nous.

Ça fait une semaine que j’ai ramené Birdie et ses quatre chatons à la maison. Ils grandissent et explorent partout.

Même s’il faisait seulement 2 °C à Toronto ce matin, je suis allée au club de course. On était un petit groupe, parce que la plupart du monde était au 5 km du TCS Toronto Waterfront. On a fait un parcours aller-retour : le long d’Eglinton en descendant dans le ravin Humber. On est tellement chanceux d’habiter dans un endroit aussi magnifique.

Je vais passer le reste de la journée à faire de la physio, faire le ménage, faire un casse-tête et regarder la télé ☺️

Today was quiet. I went for a run along my usual route. I’m trying to cultivate a simple life where I find joy in the small things—like running the same route and noticing the same people, pets, and kids. I can watch the same tree bud in the spring, flourish in the summer, and shed its leaves in the fall. Right now the street corners and yards have signs for mayoral candidates, too. (We’re keeners, so we cast our votes on the first day of advanced voting.)

Work is ramping up again. Sometimes it feels calmer but then I remember we delivered three projects this week—it just feels calmer because I’ve finally gotten used to the systems and processes. It’s great because I was able to help design and improve said systems and processes. You don’t get to do that at every job, and it’s part that I genuinely enjoy. Now that I have some capacity, I should think about what else to change/improve.

I keep thinking about a wonderful book I read recently, called The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill. I knew I loved O’Neill’s writing, but The Lonely Hearts Hotel was beyond. I highly recommend.

Demain j’ai un cours de français sur Preply, and we’re stopping by my mom-in-law’s place to go “shoe shopping”. She’s decluttering her shoe collection and put aside a bunch for me to try. (I know, she’s the best.)

À demain !

It’s bittersweet—the salmon’s task seems impossible, and it’s particularly hard to watch at the weirs. The poor salmon have already come so far, and then they face the steepest inclines. I don’t know how any salmon make it at all. It made me wonder if there’s a solution to make those difficult spots a little easier? I may be the only person who has ever Googled, “how to help salmon up weirs”.

Hah! A quick Google search later and it turns out “fish ladders” (aka “fishways”) exist for just this purpose. And lowered “notches” in the weirs help, too. A bit of good news to end the day.

When people ask me why I want to learn, I tell them my reasons are three-fold: for work, to communicate better with my mom’s side of the family, and to challenge myself to understand another language. I feel a bit ashamed admitting that I’m only fluent in English, when so many people in the world are bilingual or trilingual. In Europe, it isn’t uncommon to speak two, three, or even four languages fluently. As someone who has only ever spoken one language, I’m curious about what it’s like to chat, watch TV, and even dream in another.

I started during the pandemic with Duolingo. My week-long streak became a month, became a year, became four years—but I still wasn’t able to hold a conversation. Duolingo only got me so far, and I didn’t want to keep banging my head against the sassy green owl.

I signed up for a course at Alliance Française, which was a lot of fun. The best part was it forced me to actually start speaking in French, and listening to other real French speakers. The only downside was that Alliance Française—while tax-deductible—isn’t cheap. So while I saved up for another course, I found a tutor via Preply. (Funny story: the lovely Susan Heyward from The Boys recommended Preply to me.) Weekly hour-long 1:1 lessons with my tutor Colette skyrocketed my French skills. If I had to choose one thing to recommend to people who want to learn another language, it would be a good private tutor.

Colette found great ways to ground French in the real-world for me. So instead of just studying verb tenses, she recommended French books, TV shows, YouTube videos, and music. I started watching the news in French, and listening to French radio. I even switched my Garmin to French!

My sister and I went on a trip to Montreal, and I had a whole conversation with a bookstore clerk entirely in French—what a rush! That probably sounds lame but I don’t care. That interaction alone gave me the motivation to stick with it and keep going. Maybe I’ll even write a blog post here in French one day.

Allons-y !

I think the kittens are ~3 weeks old, because their ears have just unfolded and their eyes are open (although they’re still blue). Their first teeth are coming in, and they’re wobbling around the room, exploring. They haven’t quite gotten the hang of playing yet.

I’m not sure how long the group will be with us—the TAS didn’t give me a timeline. But for now, I’m just enjoying their company. It feels nice to be able to give a mother cat and her babies a safe, comfortable place to stay. It never feels like the “right” time to foster, and certainly when the email came in on the Friday before a long weekend, I wasn’t sure if it the right call. But it was Thanksgiving, and we have a lot to be thankful for—why not share some of that with a cat family in need?