The 10 Minute Fix: 100 simple ways to feel better now

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.

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!

Well, she's a bit much...

Happy Sunday, my friends (and all the new friends this week!) I’m Catherine, up early in the rain writing to you while my family sleeps in. I’ve lit the candles and made hot coffee. So far, the day has been beautiful, and this week should be fun. I’m celebrating 25 years of marriage to this guy on Tuesday. A bit about my family: we have an 18 year old sitting his final exams for high school next week (gahh!) and heading to uni in February, and a 22 year old finishing up his Law-Commerce double degree. We live in Sydney, and the photo above was taken at my favourite beach in the world, Hyams Beach in New South Wales.

Here’s what I want to share this weekend—for you, if you’ve ever had someone roll their eyes and call you a “bit much.”

We need you to be as much of yourself as you want to be.

Your contribution to the world—your brand of JOY—is why you’re here. I love these words from Lindsay Rush:

Aren’t we so lucky to have YOU?

Yes. Yes, we are.

Enjoy your Sunday. I hope you have a brilliant one.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

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:

You Can Start Over...

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Hello, everyone.

What a week. In my little corner of the world, we’ve been under pressure. Covid lockdown continues in Sydney, and I’ve been growing and learning (which always means embracing hard things…ugh!).

When I feel off-course, I literally read my own book.

It’s true.

This is my favourite chapter of The 10 Minute Fix because I need it for myself. Maybe you need a little reminder, too. In a world where we can feel the pressure to succeed, and where we rush to make everything work, there’s something to be said for claiming our right to start over.

With a partner. A child. A work situation. A dream. All of it—sometimes it takes a few tries, and we need to give ourselves grace on the journey.

We can be easier on ourselves. What a relief.

I hope you rest today, and remember to have some fun (in the way that truly feels fun for you!). It’s a big weekend for North Americans…thinking of you all!

Love Catherine x

PS.

  • A beautiful poem about the night from Robert Frost. Love!

  • I bought this Essie Expressie quick dry nail polish and I love it! Try In The Time Zone or Breaking The Bold. Nail polish is always an easy, fun way to perk yourself up. And if you make a mistake, just swish-swish it off and start again.

  • Happy summer if you’re in the other hemisphere. I wish! Winter’s getting to me this year. This little white dress would be cute to throw on after swimming!

  • You’ve been such a huge support for my book—thank you!

Tricking You?

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Hello, new friends! Welcome to Love Our Age…I’m Catherine Greer and you’re here probably because you just read The 10 Minute Fix. I’m leading with a selfie today so you can see me! I’m always signing up for blogs and then not really knowing who’s writing to me :) So here I am, Catherine, standing in my study in Sydney mid-way through a big writing day.

I drink a lot of coffee, my friends. :)

Hi to everyone, all of you who I know and love, and new people from around the world and in my city.

I’m so glad you’re here! I have something really juicy to share today — an idea I read a couple of weeks ago that truly changed me. (You can find Mel Robbins at melrobbins.com)

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I had to unpack this and ask myself if it’s true.

Yes, thinking about writing sometimes does make me feel like I’ve been writing — even when I haven’t put a word down on a page. Thinking about solutions in dealing with a teen really does make me think I’ve done something to improve our relationship…but I haven’t actually DONE ANYTHING at all.

I’m not suggesting that it’s not helpful to think.

I’m agreeing that my thinking and even deciding often tricks me into believing I’ve already done the thing and moved closer to my goal when I haven’t.

Do you do this? Think and plan and then somehow get tricked into believing that you’ve acted on your plan?

Most of life is about the doing.

Moving closer to our goals? Doing.

Getting healthier? Doing.

Writing a book? Doing.

Changing jobs? Doing.

Starting a business? Doing.

Improving a relationship? Doing. Acting.

I’m so excited about this idea. Here’s why: because now that I see it, I can change it. I can think and plan—of course—but also make sure that I act.

Enjoy your beautiful weekend! I’ll be here today helping a teen with a ton of assessments (not just worrying about him) AND doing some writing on my new book. Can’t wait for you to read it! If you enjoyed The 10 Minute Fix, you’ll love this one…

Love, Catherine x

PS.

  • I overbought a ton of pears…wondering if I can make a pear pie for Sunday dinner? Does that sound terrible to you? Maybe mix it with apple? Here’s my apple pie recipe from my author website and blog. I am a serial baker—haha!

  • It’s the book birthday of The 10 Minute Fix! That little book has been sneaking its way into women’s hearts around the world for exactly one year. If you want to celebrate with me and gift a copy to a friend, you can get it here in America, and here in Canada, and here in the UK and here in Australia. I love that this small book is helping women feel a little better about everyday life. To me, that’s everything. xo

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3 Minutes for Neck Relief...

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Hello, everyone! Happy Friday in Australia :)

Welcome to all the new people here at the Love Our Age blog. If you found me via my new book, The 10 Minute Fix, I’m excited to have you here. I hope you’re enjoying the book so far. I got a beautiful message from a reader this week about Chapter 64: “Let People Remember You.”

“That chapter reminded me of how much I used love and wear yellow, too! It also made me think of Mum, how she loved the colour blue, roast chicken, the constellation “Orion’s Belt,” apple crisp...the list could go on and on.”
— Melanie in Canada

How amazing is it that one tiny book can help us remember the people we love?

If you’re new, you need to know that I blog twice a week, Friday and Sunday mornings in Australia, with goodies that are fun and worthwhile. So…on to today.

How’s your posture going? Mine is pretty terrible.

It’s been another busy writing and teaching week for me, with a lot of time in front of my laptop… Ouch! My upper back and neck are feeling stiff. So I did a little search last night and my favourite teacher online is Adriene, who has an incredible YouTube channel called Yoga With Adriene. She’s lovely…take a look!

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This is one of her older videos and I absolutely love it.

Here’s why:

  • You’ll get neck relief in under 3 minutes.

  • Anyone can do this (you could probably do it now sitting in your office chair)

  • The video is charming and whimsical — that flowered headband! It’s just…nice somehow.

  • The music is sweet and old fashioned, so different from what daily life is dishing up at the moment.

Click here to watch or on the image below. I hope you find it useful!

Enjoy your Friday,

Love Catherine x

PS.

  • Lately I’ve been cheering myself up with (silly, right?) nail polish! I had light blue nails this week and now I’ve changed to black. Hello, Halloween. Not an #ad, but you can find cute, inexpensive nail polish in Australia here. My favourite is this brand, Sally Hansen Insta-Dry. Go on, reach for a little Instant Happiness! Why not?

Lucky Me

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So the coffee machine broke yesterday — it literally catapulted my coffee mug off the machine, threw it on the kitchen floor, sprayed coffee everywhere and broke my favourite mug. How?? I dunno, but it did.

Thanks, Nespresso!

But still I think: Lucky me.

Lucky me that I have coffee, that I have a kitchen, that I have a timber floor, a mop to clean up. That I’m flexible enough to bend down and pick up broken glass, that I have a gorgeous dog I had to yell at to keep her out of the kitchen and out of harm’s way with her little paws.

That I have a husband who walked in and said, “WHAT THE—!!!” and a teenage son who rolled his eyes and said, “Mum, what did you DO????”

And by the way, did I tell you that a year ago I dropped a cup of coffee out of the microwave, and coffee shot upwards for 9 FEET and sprayed all over our kitchen ceiling and I had to get it repainted?

But…I’m lucky.

Even though there is the other story I could tell—the one that involves fear and lack and worry and pain and struggle—ultimately I choose over and over to say this: Lucky me.

What’s the old saying? That if all of us put our troubles on a platter and had the chance to take home someone else’s, we would all choose our own?

For me, that’s true.

Nothing here in Sydney is perfect or stress free.

Nothing is as lovely or glitzy or easy or CUTE as it seems in my photos or anyone’s on the internet. Mine or yours. And I know this is true.

Today I cleaned up the kitchen before I realised I should’ve snapped a picture of all my broken mess to show you my reality, and all my many, many mistakes…But since I forgot to do that, I’m showing you the picture I took of me with my book yesterday.

I am so very proud of The 10 Minute Fix. I hope you read it and enjoyed it. And if you have — can I ask you a favour? Would you please gift a copy to someone you love? (Buy it here in America, and here in Canada, and here in the UK and here in Australia.)

Thank you for supporting authors and cheering me on. (What you may not know is that books don’t make much money for authors — most full time authors earn under $11,000 a year from their books so…it’s about something else! It’s about love, not money.) I wrote this book because I wanted to encourage women. Today I read this review: “I wish I could buy this book for all the overwhelmed women of the world.”

(If you need encouragement and a complimentary copy just for you because times are super tough, let me know. And if you can share a copy with another woman, please do!)

Enjoy your Friday — and watch out for your own killer coffee machine!

Love Catherine x

PS. Here’s how women are sharing The 10 Minute Fix. (It posts as a letter for easy gift giving…)

  • Heather shared 6 copies with her book club. Thank you.

  • Leanne introduced it to her staff, and 10 people ordered a book. Thank you.

  • Jen and 5 other girlfriends received it as a gift on a girls’ weekend away. Thank you.

  • Sharon gave books to all her daughters. Thank you.

  • Jules mailed copies around the world to her friends in Australia, England and Canada. Thank you.

  • My sister Dar (“it’s time to drop that bag of rocks!”…you’ll read about her in the book) got 10 to give to her friends and family. Thank you. This is how we help each other, one virtual hug at a time.

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Seriously Good Coleslaw (not kidding)

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My friends: you need this coleslaw recipe.

You need it even if you don’t like coleslaw. Trust me on this!

Why?

Fresh lime juice (or lemon, but lime is better), cilantro, a tiny bit of honey, jalapenos, good quality mayo and a whole lotta love.

This is PERFECT with fish tacos — I’ll share those another time. But the coleslaw is everything good. It’s hard to take a pretty picture of coleslaw, but this is the finished product and it’s WONDERFUL.

Please give it a go!

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Seriously Good Coleslaw

  • 1/2 head purple cabbage (yes, you need this. Please don’t use prepackaged shredded cabbage)

  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and chopped

  • 1 small red onion, minced

For the dressing, combine with a whisk:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 4 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice (lime is BEST and fresh is BEST)

  • 2 Tablespoons honey

  • 4 minced jalapenos (pickled ones in a jar)

The rest is easy!

  • Grate the purple cabbage in a bowl. Yes, yes, yes, you have to buy the head / half-head and grate it, guys. If you cheat and shred it or use the prepackaged shredded cabbage mixture it’s just NOT GOOD. I warned you, and you’ll see…it doesn’t taste great. Just don’t, okay?? Get the grater out. It’s not that hard.

  • Mix in the chopped cilantro and minced red onion.

  • Pour on the dressing and mix through the cabbage.

Maybe it doesn’t sound or look sensational, but honestly this Coleslaw is fabulous with fish tacos, any kind of roasted meat or chicken, great in a taco, fantastic on its own as a salad.

HAPPY FRIDAY! I know things are tricky out there in so many ways, so here I am with a quick selfie hug from my study to say…bring your wow, not theirs to Friday.

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“Your wow, not theirs.”
— Merilyn Beretta

Love this idea! I’m older AND lovelier, more fun, more myself. I hope you are, too.

Let’s LOVE our age,

Catherine x

PS.

  • To everyone one of you who showed your love & support by buying copies of the The 10 Minute Fix for your sisters and mothers and friends….I want to thank you with my whole heart!

  • It makes a sweet gift, and so easy to post as a letter — it’s slim enough! Available in Canada, America, the UK, and Australia at Beachside Bookshop and online at Booktopia or Amazon Australia.

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I'm changing. Here's how.

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about COVID and all the changes it’s brought. In our house it means that two of us now work from home. We’ve always cooked our meals and rarely ever do take-away, so that hasn’t changed. And we love our own company, so we don’t feel too isolated.

But there’s this: I don’t want to shop anymore.

Do you?

In Sydney, shops are open but people are cautious. I’m sorry that retailers are having a hard time, here and around the world. I wonder if all of us are feeling grateful for what we do have, unwilling to venture out, and focused on more important things.

I’ve never been a shopper as entertainment since I’ve been married and a mum. There are so many other pursuits I want to do with my time, and all of them involve learning. Being in the mall isn’t fun for me.

That makes me think of a tiny, important message in The 10 Minute Fix: do you know what YOU find fun?

It’s Friday and we’re all heading into the weekend. Can you be intentional about adding a little of your kind of fun into your weekend?

Like last week, I’m really tempted to do this again:

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Celebrating life always feels fun to me!

Gathering my family and putting on some music, tea, sparkling water or drinks, a special plate of food and good conversation — that’s my fun. Can you plan to do some of yours?

Walking. Sitting down at the piano. Grabbing your ukulele. Kitchen dancing. Waking up to see the sunrise. Preparing an old favourite family recipe. Zooming a relative from far away. Beach walk or sending a card in the post to a friend. Using the good dishes for afternoon tea. Fun earrings!

No matter what, we are so lucky.

Enjoy your weekend!

Love Catherine x

PS. Recipe is here if you missed it (more hints and tips than ‘recipe’ but worth a read if you want perfect strawberries). And little Grace…our cute Aussie 4 year old who needs a wheelchair, we’re helping her get there! Check out Grace’s page here. Thank you!

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Fleur de Sel Caramels

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Hello! Today, my friends, I’m spilling all my best secrets on my blog, starting with this: absolutely to-die-for Fleur de Sel Caramels — salted caramels!

A tiny bit fiddly, and you need to make them with love, but ooooo la la, they make a beautiful gift. I hear this a lot: “Will you make your Fleur de Sel Caramels as my birthday present?”

Let’s get started!

You’ll need a trip to the shops to get these key tools:

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You’ll also need butter and heavy cream and white sugar. You can substitute any salt (I sometimes use pink Himalayan) but sea salt flakes make it special, and a box will make many, many batches of caramels.

Trust me: these are worth it! Recipe below…

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And here’s the pep talk: you will NEVER REGRET learning to make these caramels and everyone loves them. So special for a holiday or as a gift, or if you want someone to adore you!

Also — you have to take the pan off the heat at 248 degrees F on the candy thermometer or the caramels will be too hard / overcooked or too soft / unset. So yes, you need one.

Some things are a little hard, right?

But hard things are usually WORTH IT.

Sending love and encouragement to you all today, whatever you’re facing or celebrating. I’m truly thinking of you.

Love Catherine x

PS. Need to feel a little (or a lot) better? A 10 Minute Fix update is coming next week! I love this book, and love that it’s floating around the world, helping women feel more like themselves. Available in Canada, America, the UK, and Australia at Beachside Bookshop and online at Booktopia or Amazon Australia.

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Best Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies & Fun Fixes

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Happy Sunday!

These aren’t just ANY jam drops. Nope. These are the best, most delicious cookies I make. Raspberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies. Trust me, you need this recipe. So easy.

Cream together in a mixer:

  • 1 cup butter

  • 2/3 cup white sugar

  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Add 2 cups + 2 tablespoons plain flour. Mix.

Roll into balls and indent with your beautiful thumbprint.

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Add raspberry jam. I use a piping bag to do this. (The trick: warm up the jam a little or stir it well to make sure there are no lumps.)

See? So pretty.

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Bake at 180F / 350 F for around 12 minutes. Cool. Then melt some white chocolate. I use about half a bag of Nestle White Melts. I can’t remember if you have those in Canada or America! Oh man, I’ve been in Australia for 23 years. I’m nearly Half & Half now (but I still sound 100% Canadian).

I pour the melted chocolate in a ziplock bag and snip the end. Then I drizzle over cooled cookies and wow, suddenly everything is elevated to SENSATIONAL. So easy.

Cookies are best when they’re made with love, right? These ones are going to be served to some beautiful women near Cronulla Beach today. We’re doing a tiny, social-distanced book event at Anna’s Shop.

I’m excited to dress up, drive down and share my stories from The 10 Minute Fix.

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Three friends are hosting 10 Minute Fix bookclubs with their crew, and if you’d like to do the same, please invite me on Zoom! I’ll bring the virtual cookies (at least the recipe) and see your faces and hear what you think. You can email me here.

My favourite fix this week is #61:

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(Yep, just like I wrote in the introduction, I need my own book! I still read it at night before bed.)

Enjoy your Sunday. If you’re baking cookies, these are the best.

Love Catherine

PS. Please—if you love it—spread the word about The 10 Minute Fix. It’s helping people feel better, and we all need more of that! Under $20 for so much “feel better now”…worth it. E-book is $9.99.

13 Ways Of Looking At Everything

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Last week, Yvette brought me tulips—and look at them. Don’t you love their sense of independence? Don’t you love how they find their own way?

They fling themselves about as if they don’t know they’re pretty.

Behind the tulips and above my kitchen table, you’ll see the poem I wrote about in The 10 Minute Fix. These four framed stanzas are from Wallace Steven’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” published over 100 years ago in Harmonium in 1917.

I wrote about stanza II in my book, but my favourite at the moment is stanza XIII, covered by tulips.

“It was evening all afternoon.
It was snowing
And it was going to snow.
The blackbird sat in the cedar-limbs.”
— Wallace Stevens

If you were here this morning, we’d have a coffee together. We’d sit at this table and I’d offer you something delicious on a china plate. We’d talk like friends do, first about one of us, and then the other. We’d trade stories and remind each other that Covid can’t last forever, that people are basically good, that every day something wonderful happens to someone.

We’d admire the tulips.

You’d make me laugh and I’d make you another coffee. (I’m a lot of things, but hardly ever funny.)

We’d find 13 ways to look at things and together we’d fix up our worlds.

Isn’t friendship everything?

Aren’t we lucky?

Right now, after you finish reading, please text a friend you love. Let’s just do this—tell the women in our worlds that we appreciate them. It’s a 10 Minute Fix I didn’t write about, but should have.

We’re all so busy, flinging this way and that, but the heartbeat of our lives is staying connected.

Enjoy your Friday and stay safe out there.

I’m thinking of you.

Love Catherine x

PS. If you’d love to pick up a beautiful book of poetry, try The Ember Ever There. The author, Jean McCarthy, is my beautiful cousin and friend. You can find it here in Canada, in America and in Australia.

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Ta Da! The Winners are...

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It’s winter school holidays in Australia, and we had a little beach break this weekend.

Walking these three kilometres of pure white sand with my parka on made me yearn for a beach home. I don’t know about you, but as every year passes for me, I’m looking for more simplicity in the little things. Nature. A drive to a beach for the day. Fresh air!

Oh, I would love to live near this beach! But…it wouldn’t be easy.

Or would it?

Are some changes far easier to make than we think?

I love this question and I’m learning to ask it more:

“What would this look like if it were easy?”
— Tim Ferriss

  • What if book sales were easy?

  • What if talking with my teen was easy?

  • What if finding a partner was easy?

  • What if getting healthier was easy?

  • What if buying a beach house was easy?

My mind always jumps straight to this will be hard. But…what if it was easy? How would that look?

If we open up to the possibility and ask our minds the question, it gives our brains a chance to come up with some solutions.

Try it about your biggest challenge right now. Ask yourself, “What if <insert here> was easy?”

It makes you feel different, doesn’t it? It makes me think there’s a chance for a victory, and also helps me see a bunch of good ideas I haven’t seen before.

Before I head off into my Sunday, full of house cleaning, gardening and dog walks, I have a 10 Minute Fix Book Giveaway to announce!

I love giving! For everyone who entered to win a copy of The 10 Minute Fix for yourself or a friend who needs a boost, here are the 5 winners. (I’ve emailed you asking for your postal address!)

  • Jennifer

  • Leah

  • Heather

  • Carolyn

  • Laura

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Enjoy!

Love Catherine

PS. LOVE hearing your feedback on my new book! Got this message this week: “I love Fix #90—you are not for everyone. Literally walked out of my bedroom and talked about it with my teenage daughter. It’s the lesson I wish I’d learned at 16. It would have saved me so much grief.”

Okay, book sales! (“What if book sales were easy, Catherine???”) Available online or in select Aussie bookshops:

Bake with me...best ever pie crust!

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You guys, a girlfriend was coming over for lunch. I made my favourite cauliflower cheddar soup, and I had five withered apples in the fridge. Not enough for a pie, not enough time to fuss, so I quickly made a galette for the first time ever.

Here it is, prior to baking. It was so delicious!

Because I love you all (hugs!), I’m sharing my best ever pie crust recipe. Aside from my sister, Dar’s recipe—she’s the gardener I write about in The 10 Minute Fix—mine is the best I’ve tasted.

Pie Crust (for one pie…make half for a galette)

  • 2 cups plain flour

  • 1/4 cup icing sugar

  • 3/4 cup butter

  • 1/4 cup cold water

Mix the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. I use a whisk. Cut cold butter into 1 cm cubes, and squish it through the flour mixture. You can use clean hands or a pastry cutter. Add the water and form a ball.

Here’s the trick to rolling pie dough: place a piece of baking paper on your bench top and roll the crust on that, then flip it over into your pie plate and peel off the paper.

For the galette filling

  • 4 or 5 peeled, sliced apples (or other fruit)

  • 1/3 cup white sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • a little butter to dot on top

Place apples in the pie crust shell, sprinkle with sugar / cinnamon mixture and dot some butter on top. Fold up the edges of the crust to make a galette. Voila!

Bake in a preheated oven (temps vary…my oven is great at 180 C fan forced and I bake for around 40 minutes, but you’ll have to watch yours. Test the apples for softness with a knife.)

It was perfect for a quick, last minute dessert and you’re likely to have everything on hand. A galette is easier than a pie and looks delicious and rustic. Agree?

Happy Baking…see you Sunday!

Love Catherine x

PS. “It makes me feel better about myself” is what I’m hearing over & over about The 10 Minute Fix. Also this, “It’s giving me good parenting tips.” If you want your own copy now, it’s $19.99. I promise, there are 100 good ideas in there.

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About Last Night and Being Loved...

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“I chose these flowers for you,” my new friend told me at dinner last night. “I had them make it up specially. I thought about your personality, and wanted to pick the colours you’d like. The yellow iris. The roses.”

Paulette is a gardener, and thoughtful and Canadian. Even though I’ve only known her a little while, she’s the kind of person you’d call if you found a lump or needed an emergency dog sitter or wanted to float a business idea and get good advice. She’s sensible. Calm. Savvy.

And she’s this: she’s good at making people feel loved.

It’s a skill, like baking or riding horses or gardening.

Of all the things I am and do, I hope I’m like that, too. It matters to me that I make people feel loved and seen. When you read my new book, you’ll find so many 10 Minute Fixes about loving people well.

  • How To Be ‘the one’ For Someone (Chapter 49)

  • Let’s Talk About Kids (Chapter 79)

  • The Best Relationship Advice (Chapter 10)

This week I promised a giveaway — books for people who need a lift. There’s a lot of job loss right now and sickness and struggle.

Here’s what we’re going to do. (THIS IS SO FUN! Yayyyyyy! I love to give!)

If you know someone who might love a beautiful copy of The 10 Minute Fix, enter YOUR details below. I’ll choose a bunch of winners and get books to you…so YOU CAN GIVE The 10 Minute Fix to someone who might need it.

From me, through you, to someone who would love it.

Sounds like a deal, my friends??

CLICK HERE TO ENTER - WIN A BOOK FOR A FRIEND!

Love Catherine x

PS. You’re using my book to show girlfriends and mums and daughters that you love them. I cried when I got an emails like this from Sharon and Jules and Marg and Wendy and Tara this week. Right here, below, THIS IS MY DREAM. You are literally making my dreams come true. I mean that so sincerely. Thank you.

  • “I ordered four copies, one for me and three for my daughters!”

  • “I gave a copy to my two best girlfriends.”

  • “I loved mine, so I bought three more to give away.”

Want your own copy now? It’s $19.99.

There's Something I Have To Tell You...

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My friends, while the world was reeling, I waited quietly, with respect. I’ve bought books and products from Americans, cried, reached out, donated. I made the decision to hold back from telling anyone about my news, because I believed the world needed to focus on others, not me. My new book quietly hit the shelves on 31 May.

Today, I’d love to tell you all about it.

When the big things feel broken, sometimes it feels wonderful to focus on the little things.

Here it is, from me to you.

The 10 Minute Fix: 100 simple ways to feel better now (Balmoral Press) — at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk, Booktopia and Bookdepository and in select Aussie bookshops.

So let me tell you about The 10 Minute Fix!

I’m pretty sure you’ll LOVE it. I write about 100 simple ideas to feel better RIGHT NOW. You’ll get lists! Easy reminders! And it’s like a mini-workbook, too, with space to jot down your thoughts.

Advance readers are saying beautiful things (bless them!):

  • “It’s made me feel better about myself.”

  • “Completely compelling…I couldn’t put it down.”

  • “So pretty! It’s a beautiful book.”

  • “A high-vibe book.”

  • “Makes me feel like I can do it, too.”

  • “So many books have just one idea. This book has 100 ideas. All realistic and do-able.”

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I hope you’ll want to share a copy with your mom, your friend and your sister. (You might even want to leave a page open for your partner or your kid!)

Okay, today — please show me you’re here to cheer me on. This is my book where I cheer for you!

From my heart and home to yours, please enjoy my new book, The 10 Minute Fix!

Love Catherine x

PS. Next week I’ll do giveaways if you’ve lost your job, or want a copy and things are tough, or want to nominate a friend. RRP is $19.99.

Thank you for your support. If you can, I hope you order a copy to keep and one to give away to someone you love. (Yes, your mom or your daughter will love this little helpful book…promise!)