Celebrate

Have Yourself a Merry Massive Christmas

Hello, my friends around the world. We’re heading into a hot and lovely Christmas in Sydney. It’s time for family fun and holiday cheer, and all of us rubbing shoulders together in a world that’s magical and bright, and also possibly noisy and busy.

Last night I arrived home from walking Evie to find a giant Costco bear on our roof — a hilarious and huge Christmas gift from one of our sons. So we’re the house with a bit of this going on…plus a massive bear on the roof!

Ahhhh, Christmas!

If you’re lucky enough to be with some of the people you’ve been given to love, I wish you so much laughter…movies and treats, snacks that you definitely don’t need at night, and starlight walks to look at the sparkle in your suburb or neighbourhood.

I hope you have a moment to pause in the morning before everyone else gets up, and appreciate this time of year.

All the joy.

All the work.

All the love.

I don’t know why, but I keep thinking about all of us women spread across the world…and the kind of lives we lead and what we do to contribute. We work, we love our people, we get stuff done.

We gather up the heartache in a suitcase and walk miles with it to help someone else, and often we carry the joy and pain of our families and our friends.

We live. We care. We keep going.

When I think of you, I think of these words from Maya Angelou…a woman who knew a thing or two about living.

This Christmas, while you share your song, I hope you have a wonderful time — and that you’re appreciated and celebrated for who you are, and what you do.

I’ll see you on the other side of this beautiful holiday season.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!




Time to Turn on Some Fun.

Hello, my friends. Yes, ten days until Christmas — and here’s the tree in Martin Place, Sydney. We’ve had some beautiful, hot weather and songs on repeat about snowfall and a cosy Christmas.

In my mind and heart, I am more than ready for a Christmas break. Work finishes this week — hooray! — and soon it’ll be time to sink into the season of joy.

I don’t know about you, but for me it’s time to have some fun — and be more fun.

Here’s my quick list:

  1. Put on a dress. It’s so simple, but it always makes people feel good to see a woman in a lovely dress. (Little kids especially love this. Why? It sings out, “Let’s celebrate!”)

  2. Ask for what you need. I’ve prepped the family that I want more games nights, less movies. More laughs, less of couples watching tv. More help in the kitchen. More help running up to the shops for groceries. Ask, ask, ask…and delegate where you can.

  3. Notice the joy. Sit by the tree. Look at decorations in your favourite shop. Wrap the gifts and think about the person who will receive them.

  4. Use puff pastry. Seriously, make that Christmas tree with Nutella and puff pastry. Fill puff pastry squares with spinach and ricotta. Or cut it into strips, sprinkle with cheese, twist and bake. It’s easy to pull something warm from the oven.

  5. Be imperfect. (This one’s for me. As a novelist, I love having control over the ending…but life is decidedly imperfect. So go on, CATHERINE…let things unfold. See what happens. Live in the now, and not an imaginary Christmas holiday).

  6. Walk a lot. Walk off the puff pastry. Walk to meditate. Walk with someone or by yourself if you need a reset. When something’s wrong, walking never makes it worse.

  7. Use the ‘pretty’ everything - that’s why you have it stored in the cupboard. The best glasses, the best dishes, the Christmas crockery and napery. You do have a little more time right now, and it feels good when things look pretty.

I wish you were here this morning while my house is quiet and everyone’s sleeping. I’d invite you out to the patio for our coffee by the pool and a loooooong girl chat about how it’s going.

If things are easy, I’d celebrate with you. And if things are hard, there’s this: remember who you are, and how hard you work in this world to bring your people together. You keep things ticking over, and you’re still going, and you’re about to gather together with some of the people you’ve been given to love.

I saw this beautiful hand-lettered sign this week, and I wanted to share it with you here. Made by Lori Hetteen - link to her work below. If we could see inside the heart of you, this is what we’d find: effort and weariness and beauty, a woman who has tried so many times to make the world at least a little shiny, someone with a huge, huge, beautiful heart.


Take care, and I’ll see you next Sunday. Sending you so much love from sunny Australia.

Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe proof is here!

Hello, my friends. It’s time for an update about all the things. Wish you were here to have coffee with me at my kitchen table. If you were, I’d hand over the Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of my new book, launching in March 2025.

The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe is looking fabulous and I’m so happy with the cover design. Last weekend I had a virtual meeting with my Reading Team and I filled them in on the behind-the-scenes so they’d have the first look at the cover. (Thank you, thank you! Loved meeting up with you!)

Here’s one more peek at the final cover for you. The designer and publisher were aiming for something that pops online, with strong typography and a modern feel.

This one will hit the shelves on 4 March, so that’s just 90 days away! I’m excited about everything that’s to come.

  • We’re finding the right actor for the audio book — hooray!

  • We’re planning the marketing and PR activities!

  • The final version was sent to print on Friday!

Here’s what you’ll find inside: laughter and sorrow and wildly unique people, Aussies and a gorgeous white sand beach village, a woman’s struggles to find her new home, a bit of DIY on a beautiful but dilapidated apartment, a mouthy teen who needs some love, a little hint of romance, shocking betrayals, new friends, a midlife reinvention and more.

The more is…my favourite family recipes are included in my beautiful book. All the cakes I make and love, and quite a few extra treats, too. We’ll talk again in upcoming months…I’ll let you know about pre-orders and how you can get a copy. Thank you for being excited for me.

But now, over to you…

the holidays are coming!

How are you doing in your holiday prep?

I am behind! Too behind! But the tree is up, a few gifts are wrapped, and I’ve done a bit of shopping online this year. I’m truly looking forward to a break from work, and time to relax with family and friends.

This week I read something beautiful about women:

It’s true.

Holidays are absolutely a labour of love, and women stand at the centre. Spokes in the wheel, the strength and the planning and the getting people places — this is what we do. It’s who we are.

Over upcoming weeks, I promise to give you a few hints and tips that I use to bring the joy at holiday time…with the hope that I can make your load a little lighter, too.

As always, I’m wishing you a beautiful weekend. If no one has asked you yet today, how are you (really)? And if you need comfort or joy, I hope you find it in the simple things:

  • Step outside for a walk

  • Light a Christmas candle

  • Put your feet up and rest a while

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

When Life is an Avalanche

Hello, my friends. Hi if you’re new—I’m Catherine Greer, author, copywriter and baker, lover of Christmas, mum of sons, slightly-tired woman heading into the holiday season.

How are you? (How are you really?)

Today’s been challenging, and I’m not sure how to handle it. Someone in our extended family whom we love so, so dearly has a very big health worry now, and life feels like an avalanche.

When things go wrong, the worst of it—for me—is the shock. Just when I desperately need to think clearly, I can’t—and everything’s frozen. I try to chip away at that block of ice in my brain, searching for something: a way forward, an idea no one else has had, some small way to help.

Life is so long and full of opportunities, and also so very short.

Today, if everything’s okay, it’s the perfect time to say thank you.

And if things are hard, there’s this: I hope you get your dreams.

Take good care out there, and I’ll be back next week with a happier note in your inbox.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff…

  • For each one of you this morning, this song is us. 🩷 Thankful.

  • We had a beautiful weekend away for my son’s graduation in the Australian Army. Thankful.

  • Today we’re decorating the Christmas tree, so we’ll have quiet early mornings with the tree lights on. Thankful.

  • I’m making a turkey dinner for the family, and I absolutely love the new KMART range of Christmas table linens. I mean, can you even believe this $10 tablecloth with Aussie bottlebrush? It’s so soft and so Christmas-ey. And these napkins? And these red velvet bow napkin rings? I know. So pretty.

A Day Early for a Special Occasion

Hello, my friends! And hello to all the new people this week. Normally I send my newsletter on a Sunday, but we’ll be travelling down to Canberra to a special event.

Our oldest son, a lawyer who will soon be working as a consultant at a global firm in Sydney, is graduating from the Australian Army reserves. He’s spent the past year getting qualified, so it’s time to welcome another Lieutenant into our family.

We’ll be at Duntroon, at the Royal Military College for a celebration dinner.

Life evolves so quickly…and of course with kids, we remember every age they’ve ever been as they grow into adulthood. I cannot believe I have a son trained for active duty. I can’t believe that his life could go in a very different direction from what I hope it will. (May this never come to pass…)

But a wise friend told me this once when we were talking about our kids.

So, we celebrate.

We celebrate his bravery, and a willingness to serve his country. We celebrate a young man who I very much hope lives to be old, arthritic and playing cards in a beautiful nursing home in his nineties one day, with grandchildren he adores and a full and long life.

For all the mamas out there, deep breath. This — whatever this is — is their journey. And we’re so, so lucky to be a part of it.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend. I’ll pop into your inbox as usual next Sunday. (Is it time for us all to think about the holidays? I hope so!).

Take care! Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

  • Yep, I’m wearing the shoes I mentioned last week in silver (photo above) so I can walk across grass and stand all night if I need to. Here they are in white. My silver ones are sold out online.

  • Also, this dress. A few seasons old, but it’s a winner. I’ll take a velvet wrap because I think the night will be chilly.

  • I have my eye on this dress. Nice for work in navy? Or fun in yellow? Elegant always looks best…is it a sign that it’s called Catherine?

  • This swimsuit coverup set (wide pants and tied top) is perfect for the young women on your Christmas list. The girlfriends around here are getting it under the tree!nSo cute with a brown bikini. (Those days were so much fun! Maybe I’ll give it whirl this summer.) And this copper bikini is super cute, too.

Easy Tips for Quick Entertaining!

Hi my friends. I hope you’re having a relaxing weekend!

We’re in the middle of jackhammering — literally — while a couple of builders are replacing pool tiles this morning, so I will make this short and sweet. (And send apologies to our neighbours…so gracious when I texted them with a heads up about today! Thank you!)

After making an impromptu breakfast for six, I thought it would be fun to talk about my quick and easy entertaining tips.

I love welcoming people into our home, and the trick is to keep it easy. Here are my top tips:

  • Always keep a few staples on hand in the freezer or pantry. My list includes:

    • Cannellini beans, a jar of sundried tomatoes, frozen spinach — for this quick dish for lunch. Recipe is linked for you below.

    • These croissants (again, linked below) — you will be so grateful I told you about them and the link is below. The pain au chocolat are also incredible.

    • Hummus and carrots, for an easy snack or roasted and displayed beautifully as a side for dinner.

    • Nuts - I love the mixed nuts from Aldi in the green foil package.

  • Cut greenery from the back garden. Sometimes I use rosemary and often the leaves from a camellia bush. In Australia we’re lucky that there’s always something blooming if you search around. But bare branches are also beautiful. See below.

  • Quick clean — for me, this is guest bathroom, vacuum the kitchen and set the table.

  • A tablecloth and napkins always makes your home look special.

  • Light some candles, even in the daytime. I love it when our home smells inviting.

That’s it. People care far, far more about us than about our homes anyway. It’s never about how perfect things look, or what you’re serving. It’s about inviting people in with an open heart.

Even if you are stressed and tired and it would feel easier to cancel altogether or go to a cafe, it’s lovely to BE the love you need in the world.

While the jackhammering carries on here, I’m going to hop off and tidy a few things. Thanks for joining me this morning, and I hope you have a beautiful Sunday.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

Want to be on my Reading Team? 🧁🩷

Hey, hello! And happy Sunday! I’m dropping in this morning with a quick update. How are you doing? And if no one has asked you yet today, how are you really?

I’m gearing up to get painting again. Not the fun kind, the home improvement kind! And I’m nearing the final copyedits on THE BITTERSWEET BAKERY CAFE. Yay! I make myself laugh every time I read it, but also if I’m honest, I am SO HOPING all of you will love this one as much as I do.

The book opens here—at the Sydney Opera House at dawn.

Publication date is 4 March 2025. You can expect laughs and fun and recipes, too…and a smart and sassy story set in Sydney, Australia and the South Coast of New South Wales. 🩷

Here’s an invitation for you all

So here it is: a beautiful invitation for those of you who are interested…soon I’ll be setting up my Reading Team, and I’d love to invite you to join.

What is a Reading Team?

  • Amazing people who are interested in receiving a package of goodies related to an author’s book, including an ARC (an Advance Reader Copy).

What do people on your Reading Team do?

As part of a Reading Team, you’ll do three things.

  1. Read the book early — that means before launch date on 4 March.

  2. Write a review — easiest place is Amazon and I can help with the tech, if this feels tricky for you.

  3. Post a photo on social media — and / OR tell your friends about the book, or gift a copy to a friend. (I know that not all of you are on social media, and that’s totally okay.)

That’s it. You can be from any country at all, but note the packages will differ a little bit because I’m not sure yet about the budget and postage.

Are you interested?

Email me here if you’d like to be on my Reading Team! There’s no commitment at this point, but I’d like to cap my Reading Team at around 25 spots.

Happy Sunday, everyone. And here’s a big huge hug and thanks for your ongoing support.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!


Hello from Australia! 🇦🇺

Hi there! It’s a beautiful sunny Sunday in Sydney: the coffee is hot, it’s a rest day after a busy work week, and we’ve got a 20 YEAR OLD with a birthday to celebrate. Around here, that means I’ve already made my best, easy chocolate cake and I’ve chosen a theme for birthday dinner.

We’ve decided to go Mexican…recipes linked below! Chicken enchiladas, nachos, Mexican rice and something green. (I always have trouble figuring out what veg to serve on Mexican Night. Do you??)

Time seems to be running, but also there’s always so much to do. I can’t believe the days of being a mother of teens is now behind me.

  • All those weekends of picking up skateboarders at 10pm, loading them into the car, bringing them home for a poolside barbecue and cannonballs and laughs that went late into the night.

  • Regular sleepovers for five of my son’s mates…and all those air mattresses from Kmart and the matching duvets spread across the floor.

  • The spontaneous dinners of homemade mac and cheese and burgers and hastily cut-up carrots and hummus.

That’s the old season, and now, with a twenty year old uni student doing his second placement in Sport and Exercise Science…we’re onto the new.

It reminds me of an important lesson for us all.

It is so, so easy to want to hang onto the past. The life we have, the job, the kids this age, the perfect holiday, perfect health, our own youth, a family home.

But…we’re swept along by the tick of the clock into something new.

That was then, this is now.

And though it takes a little effort, reality tells us that we have to move on. It’s best to embrace it with excitement and dreams of promised joy.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend — with some peaceful moments to consider where you are, and where you’re going next.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff

  • All about amazing Grace! My dear friend Jenny has an incredible granddaughter — smart as a whip, so pretty, and waiting for help from the most brilliant medical researcher we can find. Grace has a rare genetic condition, ADCY5, and we’re raising $120,000 so a brilliant young Aussie researcher can help. We’re so close now at $86,178. (Our shortfall is $33,000 AUD but just $22,000 USD). If you want to help, Grace’s story is here.

It's Mothering Sunday - plus more!

Hi everyone, and happy weekend!

Today is what I like to think of as Mothering Sunday…and it’s so important to say that if you’ve ever mothered anyone (kids or replacement kids or friends or people who need you, or beautiful furry besties like little Evie in this photo), then this message is for you.

I woke up today and I was so lucky…one of the girlfriends stayed over and she was up at the crack of dawn working on her tertiary Dental Assistant studies. My own kid wasn’t up yet. And she threw her arms around me and said, “Happy Mother’s Day. You’re an amazing mum.”

She’s not mine, but I’ve mothered her.

You’re probably the same — you’ve mothered friends and random kids and the elderly, and pets and even partners.

Here’s the truest thing I know about Love.

Love is what you give away.

It’s not what you wait to get.

I like to try this in action. When I’m low or blue, I give away as much love as I can. I throw it like confetti. I bury love like seeds. I fling it out my car windows and aim it at people’s tired faces when I see them in the mall.

So here’s my little tip for today. If you’re like me, and right now you need a little more love and care, GIVE YOUR LOVE AWAY.

It will float right back to you. But even if it doesn’t, it’ll make the world a softer place to be.

Happy Mothering Sunday.

Love, Catherine x

P. S. The fun stuff!

  • I’d love your support before the new The 10 Minute Fix II hits the shelves. If you love the first one, will you share a copy with someone else? The best-loved The 10 Minute Fix is here in Canada, in America, in the UK, in Germany and in Australia.

  • Love journalling? The 10 Minute Fix Journal is gorgeous, and every page is different, with over 200 writing prompts. You can get your journal here in America, in Canada, in the UK and in Australia.

  • And if you think this grey jumper is for you, it’s here and it’s so warm and cute. Also comes in cream.

  • Missing all my Canadians today. 🇨🇦 Just had the longest chat with one of my sisters….I’m the youngest of SIX kids! Remember how good it feels to reach out to the people you love.

Try this little tip today...

Hello, friends. How are you?

(And in case no one else has taken a second to ask, How are you really?)

I hope you’re taking a breath just now, and thinking of what you need, and what you might need to give to yourself.

  • An earlier bedtime?

  • A big salad filled with all the things you actually like?

  • A quick hand massage?

  • A treat?

It’s so easy for women to forget to do these little things for ourselves because we are always so busy looking after everyone else.

Case in point: take a look at this lovely little statue near Collaroy Beach in Sydney. She’s called The Knitting Girl and Care Package by artist Richard Stutchbury. It’s a war memorial that was so simple and moving it took my breath away. And yet, this little knitting wartime girl reminded me of this: women always care, care, care, care, care.

We’re taught to be the holders of care from the time we are little girls.

Sometimes I ask myself why it is so easy to forget about ourselves for months at a time. We seem to just…slip off the list.

Maybe you’re different than I am (more focused? more vigilant?) but I can easily forget to put myself on the list with health and movement and doing simple things that make ME happy. So here’s a reminder for you today: do that small thing you love. Do it for you, and with joy.

Enjoy your weekend.

Love,

Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff…

  • Sydneysiders — I went to The Collaroy for their salsa night. There’s a free class every Friday night and I love the vibe of Australians having fun. Just a thought: is it time to try something new-to-you?

  • How are your feet? If you have problems, you need to try toe spacers. I absolutely love these, and I’m so happy to report back that with four months of daily use, they have absolutely helped me get stronger feet and walk pain-free.

  • Making this delicious cake for my birthday brunch today. Yes, I’m celebrating with family and friends…

Wishing you a wonderful holiday...

Hi everyone,

The gifts are wrapped, my family is together this year, and I’m ready to settle in and do a few last things for the holidays.

Rest.

Have fun.

Be fun.

And this — my most important value, and the message I always share.

What else is there, anyway?

Health isn’t guaranteed, and good fortune flows up and down, but love is the constant that we have some control over — how much we love, who we love, and who we treat as family, through blood or friendship.

From my little family in Sydney, Australia to you, I’m wishing you the best and brightest Christmas. (My boys are so tall and grown, I feel positively SHORT these days…but I’m still 5’7”, haha!)

These are my people, my whole heart. And of course, this little Christmas Evie is absolutely included in our circle, too.

I’ll see you on the other side of the holidays, my friends.

Thank you for travelling with me, and I wish you and yours the most amazing holiday.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

  • This is the most beautiful Christmas song ever…you can listen here on Spotify or here on Youtube.

  • Ohhhh, I made Nagi’s Christmas Baked Salmon last night and my photo isn’t that gorgeous but WOW, it’s worth it!

  • I’m taking a little break now — and I’ll see you after the holidays! Not sure when I’ll be back, but I’m thinking mid to end January. Sending love to you until we meet again. ❤️

Two cosy things.

Hi friends,

Dropping into your inbox this morning before the rush begins around here — we’re celebrating the 18th birthday of my son’s girlfriend — yay for adulthood, finishing school and possibility! Before a beautiful dinner, we’re hosting a relaxing day around the pool.

Sydney’s going to be a balmy 30 C, and I can’t wait for a day filled with young adults laughing. It feels like just the thing we need more of in the world right now.

Before I head off to make the Cardamom Tres Leches cake (delicious, you should try it!), I wanted to give you two cosy things.

Ready?

  1. Use the good <insert yours here ♥️♥️). For me today that’s the good crystals candlesticks and lovely tapers. The Latina birthday girl’s favourite colour is red. For you, it might be tea in the bone china cup and saucer, or showering with the heavenly cake of soap you got as a gift. Would you consider using one of your special things today? You’ll get a little thrill of cosy joy.

  2. Keep moving forward. Change always happens, so get your sneakers on, and keep your eyes wide open. (This one’s for me more than for you — are you listening to yourself, Catherine??) Remember to KEEP MOVING. I love this beautiful quote from American poet and author Maggie Smith, who wrote the book by the same name.

No matter what we want, life always has many endings…but that does bring beginnings. And of course there will be the next adventure…so we might as well be ready for change.

If your weekend is peaceful, I’m so glad. And if you need a little lift, I hope you’re appreciated by all the people you’ve been given to love.

Happy Sunday!

Love Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

Something Fun I Noticed Lately

Hi everyone, and happy Sunday from chilly Sydney. (You’ve signed up for a weekly fun newsletter from Catherine Greer…author and Aussie-Canadian.) The Canadian part means that today I’m cooking a beautiful family dinner for Canadian Thanksgiving, complete with a huge turkey and pumpkin pie. 🇨🇦 Here’s a secret: steamed Aussie Kent pumpkin makes a better pie than Canadian pumpkins.

When I zipped up to my local shops for pumpkin, I saw this florist shop dog having a little rest on the owner’s flower cart.

That pup made me think of this:

How often do we not even notice what’s already there, right in front of us?

For example:

  • Beneath the clutter of our homes, there’s a beautiful clean space waiting to emerge…if we take the time to organise.

  • With a little nightly lotion from our bathroom cabinets, our legs and feet are so much healthier.

  • Freshly washing and styling our hair looks fantastic and makes us feel better.

  • Oh, the kitchen junk drawer! Where we store our wrapping paper. Our shoes. The coat closet. And on and on…

The common denominator is not buying something new or doing something huge, it’s using what we have and noticing what needs doing.

And it’s the little things, right?

Lately I’ve been trying to take better care of myself, and that also means tidying up and refining. If you’ve been in my home (and ohhhh, I wish you could all come over for coffee and cake!), you’ll know I’m tidy. But lately I have this urge to take better care.

  • Use what I have.

  • Spend a moment at night to lotion up.

  • During the day, pause to organise something.

Getting in control of the outer clutter really does give us some instant calm. That’s my aim for the moment, and it feels fantastic.

Enjoy your Sunday. HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my fellow-Canadians.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

  • If you know, you know — once the HSC study is done today, I’ll set our Thanksgiving table, place settings staged above! If your teens are sitting the HSC exams this week, good luck! Birds of paradise are from my garden.

  • I’ve been using this simple facial moisturiser and it’s fantastic.

  • Aussies, another gorgeous pair of linen pants are here, but size down. White, black and a cute light green, and so affordable.

  • I’ve been wanting to make fresh mozzarella forever. Looks so easy! We already have everything we need.

Best Sunday Dessert!

Hi my friends! It’s Catherine Greer — for the new people this week, author and Canadian-Aussie living in Sydney. And you should know this: I believe in Sunday dessert.

For some reason I don’t quite understand, making dessert for the people you love shows them that you see them. It signals that this day is a celebration. A cake becomes a little pause in all the busy-ness of life, like a ledge on a mountain climb. We all get to the same place, and we take a moment, and we appreciate the beauty of life and choice.

We choose to have a mini-celebration.

This cake is simple. So simple! It’s also Mexican and delicious and made quickly in a 9x13 pan. It features my favourite spice, Cardamom, so if you love that better-than-cinnamon flavour, you’ll love this. (Note: it’s not a dry cake: it’s literally a milk-infused cake…but not too rich, and not too sweet.)

Cardamom Tres Leches Cake

Preheat oven to 170 C (fan forced) / 325 F. In a mixing bowl, mix with a whisk:

  • 4 teaspoons cardamom (ground, not pods)

  • 200 ml olive oil

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 3/4 cup almond flour

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

  • 1 3/4 cups milk (any type)

  • 1 1/2 + 3 tablespoons of plain flour

  • 4 teaspoons of baking powder

  • 3/4 tsp salt

Pour into a 9x13 pan (in Australia, I’ve used a lamington pan).

Bake at 170 C (fan forced) or 325 F in a preheated oven for 30 minutes plus, depending on your oven. (I know, you’ll have to check. I just baked until firm. For my oven, that was 30 minutes. Don’t stress too much, as you’re covering this with milk, so it won’t ever be dry.)

Make the Leche in a microwave safe bowl:

  • 1 tin sweetened condensed milk (395 grams)

  • 1 cup milk (any type)

Use a fork to poke holes all over the cooled cake, and pour the Leche over the cake.

Refrigerate for two hours minimum. Then cover with this delicious whipped cream.

Whipped Cream topping:

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios for garnish (you could use walnuts, or not add nuts at all)

Every person in my family LOVED THIS CAKE. Think: similar to a carrot cake, but so much better.

If you give it a try, let me know what you think. ❤️ Enjoy your weekend…I hope you find a little something to celebrate, whatever might be happening in your world.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

  • Dancers — the gold cowboy boots are on sale for way over 50% off, with an extra $20 off if you use the code SALEXOX.

  • I’m trying to resurrect an orchid this way!

  • The best Lululemon dupes…love these joggers.

  • 🤣 My fake influencer photo above — I should’ve tried smiling, but look at little Evie sleeping!! 🇦🇺 Aussies: you know how sometimes in summer you want to wear long pants, but they have to be super thin and comfy because it’s so hot? These casual cargoes are fabulous. Wide-legged but tailored, zip front with belt loops but comfy elastic back waistband, thin enough to be great in the heat (wear nude undies for the white!), multiple colours. I’m 5’7” (170 cm tall) and the length is perfect. I bought white and khaki.

Saying Goodbye

Hi friends (and hello if you’re new). It’s been a week of loss for us.

One minute we were opening birthday presents and just about to try Mexican Tres Leches birthday cake, the next we were scooping up a healthy pup—suddenly dangerously ill—and racing, racing to the vet hospital.

I don’t know how you do things, but when we love, we go all in. In a house of boys and men, this pup was my little girl.

And here’s the problem with grief.

But life?

Life is an adventure.

And I know this: adventures are filled with plans and friends and hope and danger. Obstacles, losses, mountainsides, and cliffs that are simply impossible to pass. Yes, there are campfires and joys—yes—and love and rest and ease, but an adventure means there is ALL of it.

One of my favourite poems by Mary Oliver, American poet, is about her dog, Percy—but it’s really about how to live. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s worth reading.

We need to learn the lessons of life.

The big ones seem to be this: how to love. How to hope. How to appreciate and enjoy.

But what can we do when sadness and loss bowl us over, and leave us changed?

We can keep going…with love.

We can keep going with Love.

I hope you have a weekend filled with comfort and joy.

Love, Catherine x

PS. A couple of things to share…

Rest and reset for 2023!

Hello, friends. Happy New Year from sunny Sydney. This beautiful artwork is from New Happy Co (and you can find them here!)

In case I got into the new year before you, let me say this: it’s already wonderful, and I really hope you love it.

I hope you find what you’re looking for.

I hope you seek out every good moment and savour it in 2023.

I hope love and good fortune knock on your front door, and walk right in.

Look at all those days in front of us—those empty circles waiting for us to fill with the choices we get to make.

A fresh start.

New possibilities.

We have no idea what will happen.

Let’s choose to make it good.

And finally, there’s this: instead of rehashing everything we didn’t do in 2022, let’s take a minute to think about what we’re proud of.

Here’s what I’m asking myself:

  • Did I love all the people I’ve been given to love?

  • Did I find joy in simple things?

  • Did I read, dance, walk outside, sing sometimes, laugh as much as possible? Did I look for beauty and find it? Did I try and keep trying? Was I a good friend? Was I a good friend to myself, also?

Here’s to more of that in 2023.

We have a fresh start, all these days in front of us to fill with contentment and joy.

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

Everyone will love you for this...

Hi friends. We’re in the lead-up to Christmas, and yesterday I made the most delicious treats. They’re perfect for gifting or for snacking on with family, and I always make them once a year.

Fleur de Sel (Salted) Caramels.

Here’s what you’ll need to find…the rest will be in your pantry.

Fleur de Sel Caramels take a while to make, but they’re very worth the effort. The only thing you need to do that takes some time is wait until the temperature of the mixture is hot enough, and for that you’ll need a candy thermometer (or a digital thermometer).

I took a quick photo of the bubbly mixture for you…smells divine!

The method is quite simple, and the result is so worth it…

Happy Sunday, everyone. I hope your lead-up to the holidays is sweet!

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

Want a holiday FUN list?

Happy Sunday, everyone. It’s Catherine Greer - dropping in with the list of holiday fun I promised last week. I’m starting with a photo of me so you know who’s writing to you…hi to all the new people this week! Thanks for joining us.

Now that our sons are 22 and 18, our holiday traditions needed an upgrade, so I decided to become the CFO (Chief FUN Officer) of Christmas this year.

Fun rarely happens unless someone makes an effort, so I’ve taken on the job. Ready to join me?

Let’s start with the Littles.

Fun for Little People

  • Christmas Camp Out on December 23. Anticipation is all the joy, right? Every year I find matching Christmas PJs and wrap them up for a “camp out” under the Christmas tree. When the boys were little, they’d set up sleeping bags and camp out overnight with Dad on the floor of the living room. Christmas Camp Out! The kids went wild about a simple sleepover under the tree. We read the same two stories every year — the Jolly Christmas Postman and Christmas Every Day (link to the pdf…published over a hundred years ago, but you’d think it was written yesterday. Smart and hilarious!). Now that the boys are young men, we still do pjs, the stories for old time’s sake, a delicious dinner and a Christmas movie. Here’s the PJ package label for you. Little kids LOVE Christmas Camp Out. Best of all, it doesn’t have to cost a thing.

Fun for Everyone

  • Christmas Ninjas. I came up with this idea because we’re here in Australia without extended family. Every Christmas Eve when it gets dark, we make an incognito Christmas cookie run to a few houses — but here’s the catch. We wear hilarious outfits, and the boys do the drop off as if it’s “Ring and Run.” This tradition started when they were little—lots of thrills and spills and cunning plans—while the adults drive the “getaway car.” The key is that the outfits / costumes have to be funny. High effort, but so many laughs…

  • Games Night with a prize. The prize is the important part, to get the competition rolling. This year, we plan to do Monopoly or poker with either a cash prize or (because we have boys) a voucher for their favourite takeaway.

  • Christmas Cocktail or Mocktail competition. See who makes the best cocktail or mocktail…again, with a prize. New for us this year.

  • Christmas Ball Game. I hope you don’t find this one borderline inappropriate but it could be funny. You can buy it here or easily make your own with plastic Christmas baubles and cups.

  • Family Olympics. I’m dreading this one, but I’ve got sporty men in my life. We’ll do actual exercises like plank, pushups and sit ups (ugh) but you could do fun events. Send condolences: I’ve already lost.

  • Here’s a crazy one from podcaster Mel Robbins’ family…an “anything but clothes” dinner. What’s the catch? Everyone has to dress for dinner in anything but clothes. Hand all attendees a roll of packing tape and see what they create to wear.

  • Good old Reindeer Antler Toss or Beverage Pong.

  • Christmas coffee morning for friends. Set out the goodies and make the coffee. I always love making the Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Tree.

  • Make your own beautiful Gingerbread House. My sister’s recipe is here (a long time ago, I wrote a full blog post with pictures to help you make your own…)

  • A few fun gift-giving ideas, compliments of Marlene, an upbeat, vivacious reader in Canada:

    • Every gift you give has to start with the initial of your name. So I’d be giving candy, clothes, cotton tea towels, and cash! You get the idea…

    • Every gift has to be a colour that’s been designated by the organiser: Catherine gives everyone gifts that are pink, Marlene gives everyone something blue, etc…

    • Budget-friendly: you all agree to “shop” at garage sales. This could be hilarious.

How’s that for holiday fun?

I hope I’ve been a little help to you, if you’ve decided to be the Chief Fun Officer in your home. Have a beautiful Sunday…and next week, let’s talk about rest and relaxation.

Love Catherine x

PS. More fun stuff!

I love this question for the holidays...

Hi everyone, and hello if you’re new or haven’t seen me in a while. A quick intro — I’m Catherine Greer, author of a bunch of books (The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect are best-loved). I live in Sydney with my Canadian husband and two young adults sons.

Last night we went to a fabulous party with a lot of fun people and dancing…and all I snapped was this car selfie.

Do you mind if I tell you a quick little story about my dress?

A couple of weeks before the party, a friend who was also invited leaned in and said, “I’m going sparkly.”

Well, that was enough encouragement for me. I said, “I’m going sparkly, too.”

She showed up looking gorgeous, so sparkly and twirly and fun in red. So did many others. The dance floor made me think of my favourite question, the question that truly is the heartbeat of my life.

It’s confronting, though — at least for me. Here it is:

Sometimes I am worried-tired-cranky-self-focused and not that much fun.

Sometimes I want the WORLD to be fun (good things to happen, people to make my life fun) and I forget that BEING fun is more important than HAVING fun.

But mostly I try to remember that fun begins with me.

I want to do more of this during the holidays. I’m going to try out some new, fun traditions because so many of my existing traditions—Christmas Camp Out, Christmas Ninjas—are traditions I created when our boys were little, and now they’re grown young adults and need some fresh holiday fun.

So I decided I’m going to be the CFO of the family, a beautiful idea from Mel Robbins, podcaster and American author.

CFO = Chief Fun Officer.

I’m going to drive up in the metaphorical “fun bus.”

I’m going to plan a few things to bring the fun.

Next week, I’ll share some of my ideas…you’re so welcome to borrow them if anything resonates. And in the meantime, I hope you bring some fun into your weekend…

Thanks for being here. I appreciate that you are!

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • Oh my goodness, the beauty of my beloved Canada—you have to see this.

  • If you were at the party with me and you asked — here are my pink boots and very affordable dress. Feel free to get your own. I wouldn’t mind at all…

  • For all the new people today…my books, written with so much love. If you need a girlfriend gift, women often get multiple copies and my books post as a letter for around $4.50 postage. The 10 Minute Fix is on sale now in Australia for $12.

  • Ohhhhh, frost flowers. Absolute magic — have you ever seen one?

  • Email me if you have any fun Christmas traditions!

What are your best-loved traditions?

Hi everyone, and hello to all the new people this week! Thank you for being here, and sharing your time with me. ❤️

Can I tell you a little story about why we’re enjoying Christmas early this year?

In this blurry photo, my husband caught me standing beside our treasured Christmas tree…a tree with decorations we’ve collected over the past 25 years of marriage. Isn’t it beautiful?

When I was a little girl, my mum made Christmas magical. We didn’t have a lot, but we had a love for tradition. Out in the country in the middle of the Canadian prairies in the frigid winter, Dad would put up the blue lights on the house, and we always decorated the most fragrant live Christmas tree. I’m the youngest of six, so there were presents and chocolates and delicious baking…games nights and little grandchildren and Christmas music on the stereo on repeat. It was magic. Everything sparkled.

I repeatedly stole baby Jesus from the nativity and carried him around in my pocket until I was outed by my siblings—ha! But he was a baby, and so cute, and removable… I can still hear an indignant sister yelling, “STOP stealing Jesus!” Makes me laugh every time I think of it. 🤣

I loved beauty (still do!), so Christmas — with it’s lights and dazzle, hoar frost and snowy skies — truly delivered.

Today we live in sunny Sydney, and Christmas is summertime, with swimming and beaches…but I still carry the traditions of my family in my heart. Christmas music on repeat. Starting early. Getting out all the sparkle because I love it.

That’s me.

I remember the moment when my eldest son realised how to bring magic to the holidays. He was 20, and it was two Christmases ago. He sat beside me one night while I was gazing at the tree and said this.

I believe this is true.

In almost every situation in life, we have the choice to be the joy. We can be the ones to bring it, in tiny ways.

  • When someone is talking, we can say “Tell me more…”

  • Light a candle in the entryway, so the house smells beautiful when our people come home.

  • Use the cloth napkins and the dress hanging in the closet. Set out the good dishes for afternoon tea.

  • Do what we love (whatever that is). Share our unique loves with the world. For me, it’s making life as beautiful as I can with what I already have. For you, it might be giving other people a sense of peace when they’re with you, or being FUN, or listening, or…

I love the idea that we can all use what we have in our own two hands.

It may be that we can give a lot.

It may seem like a little.

But it matters that we share who we are and what we love.

Today, I’m wishing you the chance to share yourself. To bring the joy. Be the fun. As I wrote at the end of my book, Small Steps Are Perfect, “we need you here. Shining.”

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!