The Secret Spot You Want To Know - A Dose Of Nature In The City

Spring has arrived and we are all wanting to get outside. It's too early for sports and splash parks, so what do we do?

There is something to be said for connecting with nature. There is even THIS blog post telling us there is certain bacteria in the dirt that makes us happier! Fresh air, birds chirping and some quality family time. 

I take my girls to this secret spot a lot and every time I post videos and pictures of us feeding the birds everyone wonder where we are. The secret? Smack in the middle of Edmonton. Whitemud Ravine Park. It starts just off Fox Drive but we take the Snow Valley Exit down to the first parking lot. Walk a few feet into the trees and the birds are chirping. Squirrels are following you. It's basically like you're Snow White. 

The birds are so used to people coming and going and feeding them, you find a spot where they are chirping and hold out your hands with seeds and they come within minutes. My 6 year old is the official Snow White of our family, with in one 15 minute span over 20 times birds feeding from her hands. 

You can buy birds seed at a local hardware store. Look for ones with black sunflower seeds in them. They seem to be the favourite. And if you walk far enough (maybe 10 minutes) there is a look out you can sit down at and feed the birds, or if you bring shelled peanuts (be careful if you have allergies) the squirrels come right up and eat them!

So get outside this spring and go for a stroll. Walking is known to help reduce stress and doing it in nature is just that much better. 

Love, 

Jen The Bitchin' Housewife

Self Care Sunday - Walk It Off

Welcome back. I hope you have had a good week and were able to take a bit of time away from social media from last week's "Going Dark" post. 

This week, let's go for a walk. A simple and free self love and self care experience. 

Some of the benefits are:

• Being outside (in nature even better) is calming.
• It's a great gentle way to get a bit of exercise, releasing some of those happy endorphins. 
• It's a great way to reconnect with yourself and your thoughts.

This walk is about you taking time for yourself. So maybe the kids can stay home, the dog can be walked by someone else or earlier (you don't need to think about picking up poop) and leave the earbuds and heart rate monitor at home. 

It's not about burning calories or counting steps for the day. It's about you taking some time for yourself. 

I myself admit I multitask waaaaaaaay to much. "well if I'm going for a walk, I might as well take the dog, or my podcasts" or whatever else it is we are trying to do at the same time as we relax. Which in reality is defeating the purpose. 

So try this on your walk:

• Listen for the sounds in the area. Maybe you've never noticed just how quiet your neighbourhood actually is? Or that the family of chickadees lived in those trees?
• Explore a pathway you don't usually travel. Maybe there is some hidden gem view on the other side of this road?
• Feel the air on your skin. The fall air is crispy cool, yet something about it seems calmingly satisfying maybe?
• Feel you body relax as you walk. Do your stressful shoulders maybe actually soften and relax away from the ears, bringing on a sense of relaxation?

Sometime the simple pleasures in life are so satisfying but also very difficult to come to in our busy lives. 

Love, 

Jen the Bitchin' Housewife

Self Care Sunday - Walking

Welcome back to Self Care Sunday. Last week we talked about A Simple Bath. Did you make time to care for yourself this week? It's okay if you didn't. Guess what? You get another shot this week! 

This week I want to chat about walking. Again a simple self care most of us can do. Almost every day I wake before my family. I'm an early riser. A few days a week I meet my friends and we do workouts at 6am, but one day this week I woke up and went for a walk in my neighborhood. I felt the rising sunshine on my face, the still crisp cool morning air on my skin and since I was walking without a "purpose" or "place to go", I was able to slow down and take in the smell of the trees, lawns being watered and notice details of my neighbors houses I've never noticed before. 

I finally walked far enough to this space that open up and overlooks the river valley. I've been here before, but never really paid attention to the view or noticed the trail that leads down the side! I've always been so busy as I pass by. I took a moment to sit on the ground and have a few big beautiful breaths and stretches. I got home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated as much as a sweat dripping, muscle burning workout. 

Walking is a simple task, it feels good and gives you the time to reflect. Daydream a little, sort out problems in your head, listen to your favorite music, plan your week ahead, reconfirm mantras and positive affirmations. You can also check out this wonderful post 17 Health Benefits of Walking.

A few tips for getting in your walk:

• Schedule a day (or more) and the time that you will take this walk. Put it in your calendar and note it's as important and someone asking you to do something else. Note if you are a morning or evening person and possible go with the sunrise or sunset.
• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. This isn't a fashion show.
• Download some calming music or an inspiring podcast if your neighborhood or time of day is a noisy one.
• Talk a water if you will be gone a while or it's hot out.
• Get help with children. Ask your partner for this time alone, ask another friend to watch your kids and then when you are done you watch hers and she can go for a walk. If you have to bring the kids, there is no shame in giving them toys or distractions in the stroller to occupy them a little. Remember this is about you, not them.  
• Put your phone on airplane or don't bring it. No Facebook or tweets or emails or phone calls. This is your time to be with yourself. 

Share with me where your walking journey takes you.

Love,

Jen 

10 Tips To Celebrate Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Here is a guide on a few ways to celebrate Earth Day with a little impact for either the environment or your connection to the Earth :

1.  Get outside and feel the earth underneath you. Walk to the store rather then driving. 
2. Bring a reusable bag with you for shopping, even at a clothing or other non grocery stores. 
3. Take a reusable cup to get your coffee from your favourite coffee shop.
4. Grab your water bottle and fill it up instead of buying a bottled water.
5. Try for one day to not use paper towel. Use a rag to clean up. 
6. Open a window for fresh air in your home.
7. Turn off some lights. Have dinner by candlelight maybe?
8. Pick up garbage in your neighbourhood.
9. Thrift store shop, before making your way to a box store. Not just clothes but even appliances, sporting goods and furniture can be found!
10. Find a new purpose for one thing in your home. Thinking about putting that glass pasta sauce jar in the recycle bin? Turn it into a pen holder, change collector or make your own batch of Kvass with it!

Love, 

Jen