Small Steps Are Perfect Catherine Greer

This is happening lately...

Hi friends! A quick intro for the new people: I’m Catherine Greer, lover of shoes, kitchen dancing, finding joy, making Sunday desserts and writing books. Thanks for joining me for a little weekly inspiration. You’ll hear from me every Sunday morning in Australia (Saturday night overseas). If you need a reminder of what I look like, I’m a silver-sister, here on Instagram but I haven’t posted in ages…

I had a realisation this week and it really shook me, so I’m sharing it with you.

Maybe it will help?

Here’s the story: as well as writing books, I also work in Australia’s finance world as a copywriter and communications specialist. This means I write all the things — books and blogs (adult novels, picture books, young adult novels) and also executive speeches, business articles, presentations, advertisements and more.

I was struggling with a presentation — trying to make it look good, trying to find the right words — and suddenly the simple solution just came to me.

The problem with how I approach things is that I plow ahead, diligently, doing MORE of the same thing until I get the results I want.

And I made a coffee that morning and thought of the famous words that are usually misattributed to Einstein (but probably came from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting — see link below): “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

So I made a promise that I would spend the week like this:

It sounds so simple.

My results were amazing.

I don’t know how long my comfortable brain has had me stuck in so many areas of my life, but now I’m changing it up. From the simple to the complex, I’m over here trying EVERYTHING differently.

  • The type of dishcloths I use get so smelly when the boys just leave them wet in the sink. Now: sponges.

  • My morning routine: it has always been slow chair time with hot coffee. Now: I want to be the one to walk the dog in the fresh morning air.

  • Eyeliner: watch a YouTube video.

  • Gift wrapping: try another way for bulky packages - link below and it’s fabulous.

Every single thing I’ve done differently has worked so much better.

I wonder if it will do the same for you?

Sending you good vibes and all the blessings this weekend. Next week, I promise we’ll race towards the holidays togather.

Stay tuned for favourite recipes, lots of baking and more!

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

Go small, my friend 🌼

Hi and happy Sunday! A quick intro if you’re new — I’m Catherine Greer, writer of books, lover of small dogs, compulsive baker, beach walker, mum of two young adult sons, wife to a thoughtful guy who bought me an Ember mug so my coffee stays hot for hours. 💖 You can see a few photos of my world here!

Thanks for reading every Sunday!

Today, here’s what I have for us.

When I feel like I’m stuck or drowning, and I have no idea what to do next, my tendency is to go big. I want to dive in and figure it out. Or I beat myself up over not doing better, or knowing better. (Welcome to my brain: Hello my name is Catherine, and I’m tough on myself. It’s exhausting.)

Lately, I’ve been trying the opposite.

I’ve been going small.

Tiny.

One breath. One idea. One positive thought. One short walk around the back garden. One treat. One stretch right here in my chair.

I’m learning to go small.

Somehow, small is connected to wisdom and contentment. It’s connected to being realistic about our lives, and hopeful that future will get better.

A story for you…this week a friend reached out to say that she’s struggling. And I wanted to offer all the ways to fix it: ideas and strategies, plans and help.

But then I went smaller. I offered a plate of her favourite sweet potato fries at a cafe we love, with a dollop of hummus and sea salt.

That’s the love that landed.

Today, can you walk up to your giant-sized problem, and think of a way to go small?

That’s my plan as I get older and wiser.

Happy Sunday! Thanks for being here.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • A beautiful, free 8 minute meditation by Sarah Blondin: Learning to Surrender.

  • Oh my goodness, this pasta cooks in one pan — sauce included.

  • My Ember mug, to keep coffee hot for a couple of hours. You can change the temp with an app on your phone, if you want to. I keep mine as hot as possible. Pricey, but it works. This dupe might be good?

  • If you like the idea of being kinder to yourself, you’ll love Small Steps Are Perfect. Readers say, “Lovely little book, whether you read it from cover to cover, or just a chapter that calls out to you, highly recommended. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️” Find it here in Canada, here in America, here in Australia and here in the UK.

I love this idea.

Hello, friends — and hello to all the new people joining us this week! (I’m Catherine Greer, an author living in beautiful Sydney, and you’ve signed up for my weekly newsletter for a little inspiration and FUN.)

Let’s get to it.

This week I’ve been thinking about two ideas that collided. Ready?

  1. Negative thoughts are addictive. This came via a neuroscientist, and I forgot to save the link to the article for you — so sorry! — but the gist was this: our brains LOVE negative thinking because we believe it will keep us safe. Optimism is frightening because it has no “warning” and though pessimism feels terrible, it also feels like it will protect us from danger. It feels wise to be pessimistic.

  2. It’s safe to ask this question.

If your mind is stuck on a worry loop today — and your worry and pessimism feels like it’s keeping you safe — remember that your brain is just doing its job: trying to protect you.

But it’s okay to ask a different question.

Deep breath.

What if it works out?

I hope this helps you like it helps me—just a little reminder that life can ALSO be “gorgeous, fabulous, beautiful” and it’s safe to expect good things.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Thanks for being here. I appreciate you!

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!

When Life Feels Like a Disaster-piece

Hello, friends.

Last week, while my husband was driving, we pulled up behind this dog-in-car. The bulldog looked a little like how I felt that day. Worn out, ground down. Covid. Separation. War. Bad news, bad news, bad news. I know.

So here I am, doing what we’re all doing around the world: turning on the lights wherever we can.

How?

Don’t marinate yourself in the bad stuff.

Yes, we need to be aware, but there’s a point when awareness becomes doom-scrolling and doom-watching and life feels like a disaster-piece.

In my book, Small Steps Are Perfect, I promise all of us this:

It’s all true.

Every chapter in that little powerhouse of a book tells a story or reminds us to TURN ON THE LIGHTS.

Words heal. Books inspire. It’s so much more impactful to give a book than a bottle of wine to a dinner party host, and so many women (most of us?) curl up in bed with a book every night.

Sending love today. And asking for a quick favour: if you haven’t got your copy of my book, will you consider getting one…or giving one to someone who needs a little hope?

Find Small Steps here in America, here in Canada, here in the UK and here in Australia or from a local online bookshop here!

It’s my way of shining light in the world.

Love, Catherine x

PS.

Useful stuff today!

  • For a family member whose story you want to capture, the people at Tales will create a professional (private, if you wish) podcast episode to listen to forever.

  • A little beauty hack — these tiny razors. Love em!

  • Autumn’s here in Australia — love the look of these snakeskin boots!

  • Considering taking a break from alcohol? My beautiful cousin, Jean McCarthy, Recovery podcaster, has a new book, Prepare to Be Alcohol-Free.

A Simple Way To Feel Happier

Happy Sunday! A warm welcome to all the new people this week. I’m Catherine Greer, Sydney-sider, beach walker, compulsive baker….and author of some best-loved books, including the upbeat and encouraging The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect.

New Year, same me—and I’ve been thinking about how to get on with things without so much worry.

Acceptance is the key, right? Be where our feet are, accept what is, and move forward.

So I’ve been thinking about the things in my life that are finite, and the activities that are infinite.

Certain tasks are infinite games (they’ll go on forever): healthy eating, working out, managing our own thoughts. This can be so irritating to admit!!

We have to do them FOREVER, on repeat. There’s no end to the game.

  • We’ll always have to manage our thoughts (which love to run away from us and be negative, right?)

  • We don’t get a break from taking care of our own health. (I sometimes pretend to take a break, but the consequences follow me regardless. Hello, Christmas goodies that I’m still carrying around with me! You were worth it, but it’s time to slow down now…)

I will never “arrive” with health or fitness or keeping my thoughts on track. Neither will you. Infinite games, my friends, so we might as well acknowledge them, do them, and (in my case anyway! Argh!) stop complaining about it.

Making peace with our infinite games makes life easier.

Have a beautiful week wherever you are! I hope you stay safe, rest when you need to, and find some small joys today.

Love Catherine x

PS.

  • It’s summer in Sydney, and I’ve loved wearing this dress — perfect to throw on at the beach or pool. Pockets! Heavier fabric. Long, loose and elegant.

  • James P. Carse wrote a philosophical book called Finite and Infinite Games and Simon Sinek built on James’ ideas in a business / leadership book called The Infinite Game. I haven’t read either yet, but just applied to idea to my own life. What’s infinite and finite in yours?

Dreaming of a White (Sandy Beach) Christmas

Hello, friends and welcome new people! It’s Catherine Greer from The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect (new book!). So happy you’re here this weekend. If you’re new, an intro:

  • I’m married and we live in Sydney. I’m Canadian and Aussie — first half of my life in Canada, second half in Australia.

  • We have two young adult sons (one in Year 12 and one studying Law Commerce at Sydney Uni).

  • I love growing older and wiser! I let my hair go silver at 49, adore baking, lift weights grudgingly, have the sweetest puppy, don’t Facebook but I am on Instagram and I’m an author.

This beautiful white sand beach above is my favourite place in the entire world, a three hour drive from Sydney.

Here’s what I’ve got for you today — a bit of a truth bomb.

Ready?

We are so good at criticising ourselves, and we are so bad at loving ourselves.

We tell ourselves we’re too much AND too little, but let me offer you a virtual coffee (or tea) and offer this perspective.

I just wanted you to know that today.

Enjoy your weekend. Rest up, relax a little, be the joy.

Love Catherine x

PS.

For the new people…thank you for being here!

  • A favourite skirt if you’re Aussie (you can order online): it’s a lovely linen blend and surprisingly slimming. Mine is cream and I pair it with a black top.

  • A favourite poem: American poet Billy Collins’ “Forgetfulness.”

  • If you want to get all your girlfriend & sister gifts in one fell swoop, I would be so honoured if you’d consider my books. They’re $19.99, pretty and encouraging. If you’re posting gifts, they send as a letter with slightly more postage…easy! (Look at my towering stack of bedside reading….and yes, I still read and re-read my own books for all those good ideas.)

America – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

Canada – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

Australia – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix or shop local here.

United Kingdom – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

Whoa. This is beautiful.

Hi everyone, and hello new friends — it’s Catherine from The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps Are Perfect (new book!) dropping by on your weekend.

When I get newsletters, I like to SEE who is writing to me…so I took a dozen selfies for all the new people, but when I went to pick one where my eyes weren’t closed — ha! — my photo roll was FULL OF NATURE and I had to share.

  • a jacaranda tree and Jacaranda Snow (my first picture book!)

  • a red bottlebrush (called Grevillea)

  • white flowering something-I-don’t-know

  • bush walk in our suburb down a sandy path

I am so lucky.

Nature. Does it recharge you, too?

Deep breath, my friend: today is an excellent day to open your front door and look around. Notice what you’ve been given:

  • a city streetscape

  • an ocean view

  • a back garden

  • christmas lights

  • snow

  • A rainy Sunday?

I used this inscription to begin Small Steps Are Perfect — it’s Van Gogh, and his words are every bit as beautiful as his paintings.

It’s time to appreciate where we are.

Tiny little things matter.

Holidays are a perfect time to look carefully at what’s right in front of us. I hope you have time to enjoy what you see outside your own door, and chat with or hug the people you’ve been given to love. We are so lucky to be here, aren’t we? Very small things are the best.

Happy (peaceful) Sunday. I’m thinking of you.

Love Catherine x

PS.

Green...are you feeling it?

Friends, hello! Hi new people…it’s Catherine from Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix writing to you!

42 days until Christmas! Do you celebrate?

I’m getting into the spirit of green around here. Maybe it’s the influence of my latest book cover, maybe it’s just all the gorgeous green in Aussie shops right now.

How do you feel about green?

I found this lovely faux silk blouse from Zara…

It’s such a classic. You can’t tell from the photo, but the buttons are a pretty mother-of-pearl. (Sorry, couldn’t find it on the Zara Australia website but I bought it Friday…so maybe have a hunt around?)

Other than that? Ohhhhh, I landed on a new solution for sleepless nights.

I started getting up.

Really. I just started getting up and doing a few things instead of rolling around worrying about not sleeping. It was a tip from my mum, Katie…you guys know her from “yellow” in The 10 Minute Fix! She told me once, ‘If I don’t sleep, that’s okay…I’ll be a little tired tomorrow.’

I stopped resisting my own sleeplessness (which seems to be another gift of midlife—like a softer tummy, silver hair and changing skin).

I’m trying to believe that sleeplessness can be a gift. It gives us time to reflect and ponder. And if we’re a little tired the next day, well, it’s not as hard as so many things that people have to endure. Right?

Gift: a couple of nights ago, I had a beautiful middle-of-the-night-to-me text conversation with my cousin in Canada, Jean, who is more like a sister and a girlfriend to me than a distant relation. (You read about her in Small Steps Are Perfect!)

While sleepless, I started listening to myself.

Some people meditate or pray or make To Do (and To Don’t) Lists when they’re sleepless. Lately, I’ve been doing this thing that I feel quite sheepish writing about, but it works.

Hand on heart, other hand on tummy, and say this to yourself: “I love you. I’m listening.” Then listen to your own thoughts like a kind friend. Ask yourself how you’re doing.

Essentially it’s two lines from my all-time favourite meditation from Canadian Sarah and it’s free here if you have 12 minutes to spare.

When we tell ourselves we’re listening, it somehow accesses the tender parts of us that we so rarely share with others.

I’m listening to me.

Are you listening to you?

Try it tonight if you can’t sleep.

Wish I could send every one of you a pretty green shirt along with this email. If you love green, I hope you go out and find yourself a cute one. Green treat. We’re green and growing.

Happy Sunday,

Catherine x

PS. Yayyyyy! Welcome new people. Love to tell you about my books because they’re spreading cheer around the world. Yes, I still re-read my own books because I need all the little reminders.

Sunday Pick-Me-Up!

Hi friends! It’s Catherine from The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps Are Perfect.

What’s new in your world?

For us in Sydney, spring is in swing, bush turkeys are trying to nest in our back garden (eeeeep!) and I’ve been busy writing a new novel that I think you’re going to love. It’s been so much fun!

Also: I found a new recipe for chocolate cake that I’m going to try for my weekly Sunday desert AND I’m starting to put out my nutcracker collection. There’s a story behind them, so if you don’t yet follow me on Instagram, you can read about it here.

This cute guy on a rocking horse is here in Australia (and you can order online, but be quick…they sell out so fast!) Here’s a similar one on Amazon.

Today I plan to rest a whole lot, to make dinner with love for my crew, put a tablecloth and a table runner on the table and enjoy the things I have. The fancy glasses. The beautiful plates.

Lately, I’ve been considering this idea and it’s changed the way I approach my days.

So true.

Today, for me, it’s pure enjoyment of all the things in front of me. The good (family dinner, a table to set, a meal to cook, a cake to bake, a book to write) and the not-great (laundry, weekend copywriting to meet a deadline, and all the hard things we don’t tell each other but we all deal with every day).

Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy your day.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. New book out now!

Why would a woman love Small Steps Are Perfect? You can grab it when you feel a little down, and be inspired. Letting lovely new people know where to find it:

This is so much fun.

Hi to so many new friends who are joining us this week, and hello to everyone who has been here for a while. Thanks for sharing my Sunday! It’s Catherine (from Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix) dropping in to say hello…

…at 4:37am on Sunday morning! Yep, couldn’t sleep, thinking of you.

Why?

This idea.

Ruby slippers. Red shoes. A metaphor.

I wrote about it in The 10 Minute Fix, but it bears repeating:

Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz could have gone home at any time. So can we.

We’re already wearing the ruby slippers…but we forget.

Let me give you an example in my own life this week. Please do go ahead and insert your version of fun in the place of mine. For me, dancing is so much fun. But truly, how many chances do you get to have a boogie? At a wedding? Maybe at a party. A couple of times a year at most, right?

Wrong.

This weekend I remembered I can dance any time I want to. I put in my earbuds. I pick a song I love. I shut the door. I can have a dance with me, for me.

Anytime. Several times a day.

It makes me so happy.

I know this is obvious, but be honest: how often do you actually allow yourself to do what’s fun?

I’m guessing you can probably go and do that thing right now.

Who is stopping you? You are.

Who was stopping me? I was. But not anymore.

If your life feels a little short on fun at the moment, HEY! We’re adults. We can give ourselves the gift of having fun, and being fun.

We’re already wearing the red shoes, my friends. Let’s hop up, put our phones down, and do something that we love.

Let’s LOVE our age,

Catherine xx

ps. Fun stuff for you…

  • Red shoes. Truth: I’m not a red person, but I would wear pink all the day long. Still, these are fun red heels. High, though. I barely do this anymore! Or cute with shorts or wow, red trainers. Okay, maybe I could wear red shoes :)

  • Why would a woman love Small Steps Are Perfect? You can grab it when you feel a little down, and be inspired. Letting lovely new people know where to find it:

I'm nervous about sharing this, but...

Hi everyone, and hello new people. I’m Catherine from Small Steps Are Perfect (new book!) and today I’m nervously sharing a little something with you.

It’s important.

BUT…please know I’m not sharing this because of our bodies or how much we do. This ISN’T about our bodies or our achievements.

It’s about TIME. And it applies to EVERYTHING.

Okay?

Here’s the idea.

I’m ageing. So are you. But it doesn’t matter because TIME can be a FRIEND.

It’s not an enemy.

It can be GOOD that things take a while.

It can be SMART to start when you’re old. Take a look at Joan and what she’s done with 13 years. Read the caption, please :) This image isn’t really about Joan’s health…it’s about her attitude to time.

It’s about doing things SLOWLY. It’s about believing that ageing is a good thing, and the best really can be in front of us, not behind us.

Time is our friend. We’re so lucky to have it. We’re also lucky to have this beautiful Canadian woman, @trainwithjoan, out there as an inspiration — NOT because of her body transformation, but because she reminds us that in all things…

  • FAMILY relationships

  • MAKING something new

  • STARTING over

  • Beginning LATER

  • Feeling LEFT BEHIND

…that time can be our FRIEND.

Just take a look at me (above). I’m 55 now, grey, wrinkled, losing hormones faster than a toddler can chuck a tantrum in the grocery store and still I believe this is true:

Time is my friend, not my enemy.

I have a bit of a similar story — starting with something new in the middle of my life. I had a dream to be a published author. Six years later, here I am…but there’s a lot of effort and trying and worry and failure that you can’t see in this photo. It took three years to celebrate my first published book. I’ve written two full manuscripts you don’t see here (yet) and I don’t know what will ever happen to those :) I’m halfway through another one. Fingers crossed!

Has it been like landing with my bum in the butter? Nope. No. Not at all. Has it been a roller coaster, with a lot of hard work, trying to keep faith with myself and convincing myself to keep going? Yes.

Has it been worth it to walk and shuffle forward toward MY dreams? Absolutely.

Has it been fast? No.

Have I had help or connections or fabulous luck? No.

Am I here, building slowly, believing TIME can be my FRIEND? Yes.

You also have time.

Time to do the things you want to do, the things your heart is aching for you to do. It might be

  • travel

  • writing your books (write your books…we need more books!)

  • building your tiny business

  • getting healthier

  • or even keeping the faith (that all your kids will get along and love each other properly one day, that the wound inside you will heal, that you can feel a little better than you do now)

Give it time. See TIME as your friend, please. It’s not too late. It’s good to take your time.

You can walk ever so slowly towards your dreams, like I try to do. I’m still becoming the woman I was born to be: a writer who connects with people’s hearts. I’m taking my time.

You can, too. Whatever your thing is, YOU CAN, TOO.

There’s room for all of us, and time is our friend.

Happy Sunday. I’m cheering for us all.

Love Catherine x

ps.

Pretty Things For Sunday

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Hi everyone, Catherine here.

Today I’m thinking of all the ways we can enjoy ourselves, whether we’re out of lockdown (Sydney) or in lockdown (Melbourne), whether the borders are now open (Canada & America) or whether you’re simply hanging around in your pjs at home because it’s the weekend and you want to.

I’m doing lovely things:

  1. Making a dessert for Sunday dinner.

  2. Slipping on my favourite ‘pink diamond’ ring. Similar one here — mine is three seasons old from Lovisa and I wish I’d bought a few :(

  3. Taking a long walk in nature and enjoying the Aussie bush in our beautiful city.

  4. Reading something I enjoy. I’m into Jeannette Winterson’s fascinating book of essays about Artificial Intelligence, 12 Bytes. And I absolutely LOVED Ishiguro’s novel Klara and the Sun. If you’re at all wondering about how we might live with robots, you’ll love his book. I fell in love with the soft-hearted Klara.

  5. Working on my new novel.

  6. Hugging anyone who comes my way in the kitchen.

  7. Listening to Fleetwood Mac while I cook: this song.

  8. Pausing to slow down and be.

  9. Adding the joy for someone else.

That’s it, my friends. If you’d like to join me, then let’s go ENJOY this day.

Sending love around the world,

Catherine x

PS.

Thank you for telling me how much you’re enjoying Small Steps Are Perfect. It’s a wonderful little gift book, and Christmas is coming!

You can find Small Steps Are Perfect here:

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5 Surprising Ways To Feel Better Even If You're Tired

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Hi, my friends. It’s Catherine from Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Happy Freedom Day, New South Wales — we’re out of lockdown on Monday! For everyone from every country, thank you for being here with me.

We have 83 days left in the year, which gives us so many chances to do and be all the things we might have been in 2021.

That’s 83 sunrises and 83 night walks.

83 fresh starts.

When I was writing Small Steps Are Perfect, I learned five surprising ways to feel better — no matter what was happening in my life. If you’re like me, we’re ALL tired of Covid and being steeped in the daily tea of negativity and bad news.

I was also struggling with some personal bad news and setbacks, and ugh, I needed these tips.

In case you’re not able to get my book just now, I wanted to share them with you here.

  1. Failure can be a good thing. It can force us to get moving.

  2. Choose who you let sit at the judges’ table in your life. Everyone has an opinion. Should it matter to you? You can choose.

  3. Allow other people to be wrong about you. That’s it: just let them be wrong.

  4. Try not to miss it twice. If you’ve made a commitment to try something new — writing your book, exercising, having a day of healthy eating — missing once is okay, but try not to miss it twice.

  5. Sometimes a book can really help especially when we don’t want to share what’s happening. Like Beyonce with her Lemonade album (she turned lemons into lemonade), I wrote the book that I needed to read when I had a very hard year. That book is Small Steps Are Perfect. It cheered me on. It’ll cheer you on, too. It will also cheer on a friend who’s having a tough time.

Mistakes Market Research SS.jpg

Small steps are perfect. They really are. We have 83 days to enjoy, to live a little, to do the things we wanted to do in 2021.

Love, Catherine x

PS. You can find Small Steps Are Perfect here:

Easy Macarons

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Happy Sunday! It’s Catherine from The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect—my new book!

I promised you my easy macaron recipe. Let’s do this! It’s ideal for your gluten-free friends and family.

First, though, thank you to everyone who has jumped in and ordered Small Steps are Perfect. It’s a little book of comfort & joy and I hope you love it. This morning I received another beautiful message from a reader who said, “Just got my Small Steps Are Perfect book today—when will there be a third, please…so excited!” Thanks, Ingrid. I’m grinning.

Also this:

“You’ll want to share this book, but you’ll want to keep it for yourself, so save a lot of guilt and buy two.” Love!

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If you’d like to pick up a copy for you (and I hope one for a friend!), the links are below. Thank you for your support! Writers can only keep writing when readers buy and share books, and I appreciate you.

Now on to these beauties….

Can you see how delicious they are?

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The pep talk: yes, you DO need to weigh everything and you DO have to be exact.

You’ll need:

  1. A scale.

  2. A fine metal strainer to sift the almond flour.

  3. Piping bag with a round tip.

  4. Almond flour, icing sugar, caster sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, and GEL food colouring (not liquid).

Okay, let’s make this easy. All the YouTubers act like it’s rocket science but I think it can be practical and fun (that’s my take on life, actually).

The Macaron Shells:

Weigh and set aside these ingredients in separate bowls:

  • 260 grams egg whites (not from a bag…from real eggs…and at room temperature)

  • 172 grams caster sugar

  • 312 grams almond flour

  • 458 grams icing sugar

  • (You’ll add a few drops of GEL food colouring to the egg whites later)

The filling:

  • 230 grams (1 cup) butter

  • 380 grams icing sugar

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Make the shells:

  1. Whip egg whites to firm peaks, and gradually add caster sugar. I use my Kitchenaid mixer.

  2. Add a few drops of GEL food colouring and mix. So pretty!

  3. In a big bowl, sift almond flour and icing sugar together through a metal strainer. Discard chunky bits. Weigh again and make sure you have 770grams total weight. (Yes, you have to.)

  4. CAREFULLY and SLOWLY, mix the dry ingredients into the egg whites in your mixer until BARELY combined. I turn my mixer on and off, take it slowly and barely mix together. Nobody tells you to do it this way, but if you’re CAREFUL and don’t over mix, it saves you a lot of time and painful mixing by hand.

  5. Then you need to macronage. Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl, use a spatula or a scraper and fold, fold, fold until the mixture falls off the spatula in a ‘figure 8’ ribbon without breaking. Then stop. Don’t overmix.

  6. Pour mixture into a piping bag with a round tip.

  7. Line cookie sheets with baking paper.

  8. Pipe small 2 cm (1 inch) shells. Aim in the middle, hold the piping bag upright and squeeze a ‘dot' — it will spread a little. Whack the finished tray on the counter to remove air bubbles.

  9. THE SECRET — let dry for 30 mins to an hour. You should be able to run your finger across the top of the shell. This creates the ‘feet’ on the macaron shell.

  10. Preheat oven to 160 C fan forced. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

  11. Cool, match up the shells, then make the filling in a mixer. Whip the butter for about five minutes, add the icing sugar and the vanilla and that’s it. Pipe the filling onto one shell and top with a matching shell.

This will make more than 50+ delicious macarons. They freeze really well, and taste even better the following day. Everyone loves them.

Is it a little bit tricky? Maybe, but only the first time. That’s kind of like life, too.

Enjoy!

Love Catherine x

PS. If you need a little inspiration, please consider SMALL STEPS ARE PERFECT: Simple ways to find comfort & joy. You can find it here!

Surprise! It's new!

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Surprise!

Happy Sunday, everybody, and hello new people. You’re so welcome here in my little corner of the internet. I have some book news to share…

Small Steps Are Perfect: simple ways to find comfort & joy!

Isn’t it pretty? I love this book!

You might love it, too. Here’s why.

  1. It’s practical.

  2. It’s an instant pick-me-up when you need some encouragement.

  3. It’s the perfect book for your bedside table—short chapters, fun stories, wisdom, reassurance…all the good things we need to feel better. Like a big sister to The 10 Minute Fix.

  4. It’s a fantastic gift for a friend—lasts longer than flowers, and it’s pretty, encouraging and fun!

You can find it here!

This book is dedicated to all of you (you’ll see when you open it!)

Here’s a sneak peek inside. Months ago, when I was writing the epigraph, I loved the synchronicity and magic of finding these words of Van Gogh’s. I’d never read them before. Amazing.

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You guys, this beautiful book is like the little engine that could…we just keep chugging on, my friends, and sometimes we need a bit of inspiration and encouragement. Comfort & joy. That’s what you’ll find here!

I’m off to celebrate with coffee and breakfast! See you next Sunday…and I hope something amazing happens for you today :)

Love, Catherine x

PS.

  • Welcome to the new people this week. So happy you’re here.

  • Stay tuned…next week I’m sharing my EASY recipe for macarons that anyone can make. One batch is probably 40-50 macarons. Buy almond flour + butter + icing sugar + gel food colouring for next Sunday .

  • Book love—with my whole heart, THANK YOU for your kindness and support! Sharing books with your friends truly helps authors keep doing what we love. I appreciate you!