Self-care is a buzzword we hear thrown around a lot these days. Self-care looks different to everyone and changes according to our mood. At times, being alone is what I need most to recharge my battery. Doing something creative or binge-watching my latest BBC obsession on Netflix. Other times it’s being with friends and family that fills my cup (literally AND figuratively.)
I had the good fortune to be kid-free this past weekend and took full advantage of the situation to get out and about the city and be social with many friends from several corners of my life.
Self-Care Weekend
Friday Night
Friday night I spent with the mama friends I made from my son’s elementary school. We’ve watched one another’s kindergarten babies grow into teenagers. We’ve laughed and cried (but most laughed) and drank together over the years. It had been several months since I connected with these dear friends and it was terrific to catch up. We had a deliciously decadent dinner at Burgoo followed by an evening of laughs at The Comedy Mix.
SaturdayÂ
I had TWO naps on Saturday. That’s right, TWO. (Now some of you are jealous and some of you are judging me.)
My good pal Marnie, of Music with Marnie, is turning 50 in a few days and threw a delightful backyard party with close friends. I am much better in a small group setting, so this was the perfect evening to me. There is nothing better than going to an event where you know no one and leaving with a handful of new friends. I think you’ll find Marnie’s blog Glowaway about aging with vitality an informative and fun read.
As a side note, in my twenties, I saw a LOT of live music in Toronto and often enjoyed hanging with the band afterwards. Mainly I was into ska and grunge music. Fast forward a couple of decades; I’m still cool. I’m still hanging with the band, only now the musicians are from my favourite local kids’ band. The irony was not lost on me.
Sunday
I decided to hit the Veg Expo at the Vancouver Convention Centre. It took under 3.2 seconds before I remembered how much I detest crowds. (Breathe, breathe, breathe.) I persevered though and had a walkabout around the hundreds of booths. I’ve been vegetarian for more than half my life and although there are a gazillion more options for vegans and vegetarians than when I started out, I wasn’t really wowed by the show. I admit this could be due to the fact I have an aversion to crowds and lineups.
Sunday evening was spent having an early dinner on the patio at Ouisi Bistro with two of my mom blogger buddies Taslim Jaffer of Taslim Jaffer and Salma Dinani of The Write Balance who became my friends IRL (in real life). It was a triple date with our hubbies.
After dinner, we headed to the Stanley Alliance Theatre to hear conscious parenting expert Dr. Shefali . I think we’ll be processing everything Dr. Shefali presented for a few days as her take on parenting is quite radical and thought-provoking. It was a good reminder we don’t own our children and forcing our agenda onto our child can leave them with little space to discover their own path to happiness. After all, isn’t that what we all want for our children, happiness?
I hope your week unfolds beautifully.
When I’m not hanging with the band, I’m hanging on social media. Join me on  Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
