Fallow Ground

Happy Sunday, and to all the Australians, Happy Father’s Day!

In our family, we’ve got a rack of ribs planned, and scalloped potatoes (I have the best recipe — will share soon!), corn and quinoa salad and chocolate dipped strawberries ready for dessert. Guy food, to celebrate our favourite person. Our boys are going to love it.

But right now I’m curled up in my leather chair with the music on, thinking about rest and fallow ground.

Will you give yourself permission to rest a little today?

Introverts and extroverts rest differently, of course, but do you know how YOU rest best?

There’s buffering rest, where I’d do anything just to shut off my whirling brain — and then there’s real rest:

• planned

• healthy

• good for me

• peaceful.

We need the fallow ground before we can plant again and get growing.

I come from a family of do-ers, where rest isn’t much of a thing. We LOVE to be productive and busy, and I’m proud of being a hard worker.

But sometimes ‘productive’ turns a corner into a tired that feels bone-deep.

I popped some fresh jasmine on my desk this week, then draped it over my (repaired!) laptop so I could take a photo.

I rested, and thought about spring.

Like I wrote on Instagram, 2020 feels like a baby that WILL NOT SLEEP, a fussy baby we’re passing from one pair of arms to another, up all night, rocking.

Today, I hope you find your version of rest.

Sometimes the little things — the scent of jasmine, a perfectly poached egg, real mint tea — can deliver a little pocket of peace in this crazy world.

Enjoy your day. I’m thinking of you.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• My fun blouse from Friday — you guys are loving it!

• I’m teaching again! Did you know I was a high school English teacher in my 20s? In October I’m teaching Book Bootcamp via zoom, where new writers learn to write their NONFICTION books (sorry, not memoir). 4 Sundays / Mondays in October for 3 hours. Want to learn more?

Look What I Found!

Hello! Did you miss me??

I had a total computer failure on Sunday and I nearly went bananas. You guys, my laptop IS MY WHOLE WORLD. It’s my nonfiction & fiction writing. It’s my copywriting business. It’s my blogging. And though my sweet husband whipped in with my 10 year old laptop as a backup and all my documents are stored in the cloud, I’ve spent the week watching that beachball go round and round while everything was so s-l-o-w.

Panic stations!

But yesterday, the Apple Store called and my repair was free (even thought it should have been $997) and it’s the third day of Spring and it’s going to be 28 degrees today so I’m back, baby.

Happy, regular old me!

And on my way to the parking garage at 6pm, I found a shop still open at the mall and discovered the lovely leopard print sheer blouse above for a very cool $10.

Cute, right? I popped a camisole underneath and opened the three top buttons.

I hope you’re doing well today. I really value being consistent and I missed ‘chatting’ with you all on Sunday. In fact, I was thinking…how fun would it be to zoom sometime, for whomever can make it?

Would you like to meet each other virtually?

The only thing that’s stopping me is this absolutely STUPID fear that I will be the only person who turns up to my zoom party.

Stay tuned…maybe I’ll get brave and send out an invite. We could all perk each other up and cheer each other on.

Enjoy your day,

Catherine x

PS.

• If you want to have your own black leopard print sheer blouse like mine, go for it! Link is here and they deliver. Wait…it also comes in Forest green! Size up, you guys. The cut is a little on the small size.

• Hey…if you have a sister or a friend who might like to join us here on Love Our Age, please forward this email. xo.

Seriously Good Coleslaw (not kidding)

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!

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.

“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.

Help For Your Feet!

Happy Friday!

It’s a busy one for me — work meetings, book promotion, a teen to shuttle around, and through it all…laundry! I’m at the lucky stage where work from home is productive and my kids are older. I can appreciate how hard it might be for you in Canada and America with back-to-school routines happening (or not!). Or if you’re in shelter-in-place in Australia!

Oh, Covid, when will you ever leave us?

My go-to stress relief is walking, walking, walking. I’ve always loved it. After a running injury and some genetic problems, though, my feet have been hurting.

If you’re like me — painful foot probs — this can help. A lot!

Yoga Toes.

Ahhhhh….the relief. For me, it feels like someone has actually given me the kind of foot massage I want but never get.

Yoga Toes are hard to put on (pro tip: start with your little toes and work toward the big toe), but they stretch the front of my feet and offer so much relief. (It’s more about relief in the front of my foot than in my toes. Apparently it’s also good for plantar fasciitis…if you have this, you’ll know.)

You can get the newer model, Yoga Toes Gems, too. Links are here if you’re interested.:

• In America

• In Canada

• In Australia (I’ve never shopped online at Dick Smith, but that’s the only place I found them in Australia! Plus free delivery…)

Hope you can spend some time this weekend putting your feet up!

Thinking of you all as the world turns and we walk forward.

Love Catherine x

PS.

Feedback, please!

• Can you tell me if you write in a journal? Just a quick yes / nope will do!

Why I Went Gray at 49

Hello!

Let’s start with a happy disclaimer: I believe we should all have the freedom to look any way we want to. For me, that’s gray hair. For you, maybe not.

But since a few of you at Love Our Age are gray-curious, I thought I’d tell you my story: why I chose to go gray at 49.

I LOVE my gray hair. Are you intrigued? Want to see my transition? (I’m not trying to convince you at all…I just thought I’d share my journey.)

I went gray s-l-o-w-l-y. I just stopped colouring at 49 and waited for my blonde hair to grow.

It looked okay at first, almost unnoticeable in the sun, and the wide strip of roots really didn’t bother me. But since my hair grows super slowly, and I wanted time to get to know myself as my true colour shone through, I finally reached a point where I probably looked like I was letting myself go.

And because I was the only person I knew going gray, I spent a lot of time explaining to whomever would listen that I was growing into my gray hair, blah blah blah, and why.

Honestly, I felt like I had to apologise for myself.

Apologise for my own hair freedom! Stupid, right?

I also felt the teeniest bit that by making this choice for me, I was somehow perceived as judging other women. And that felt blech…because it wasn’t true. In my heart, I am ‘You do you and I’ll do me!’ but when the conversation came up — and it did — women universally told me I’d look older and “age myself.”

Well, I agree.

I look older than women my age who colour their hair.

But for me, that’s okay.

Here’s why looking older doesn’t bother me. I am gray. I was gray underneath the blonde anyway…so I felt more like myself when I let the silver shine through.

The half and half part wasn’t lovely, but it wasn’t terrible. I mean, terrible is being unwell or worrying about family or having disasters, right? Terrible isn’t HAIR.

Finally, after about 18 months of slow growing, I looked like this. This is me, ‘young but gray’ and YES, I think I look older than other 54 year olds, but I LOVE MY HAIR. Soft. Silky. Silver. I don’t feel that the gray really registers…I just think I look like myself.

One upside is that I’ve gained hours and hours and dollars and dollars of my life back from not being in the stylist’s chair every six weeks, then four weeks, then three weeks…and I will never have roots again.

But that’s my choice. Yours might be totally different and I know you’re rocking your look!

As for you, my friends, you should do exactly what YOU love! But if you want to explore going gray, let me say this: it’s actually FUN. It’s so much fun to see what colour your hair truly is! And anyone can transform back to blonde (or brunette) in an hour. But I never will :)

Enjoy your journey as you grow older and lovelier. Love your age however you want to…and thank you for listening to my story!

Catherine x

PS.

• Hope that answers the “gray hair questions” from new readers! I feel weird posting a whole bunch of photos of me, me, me!

• Last night I made these to take on a hike with some new girlfriends! (Dessert in the middle of hike? That sounds exactly like me! Ha!) Recipe is here…Raw Brownie Bites, gluten and dairy free.

I'm changing. Here's how.

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:

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!

Hooray for Strawberries!

Welcome to the weekend!

In Australia, we have one month of winter left, but strawberries are heading into season so it’s definitely time to dip them in chocolate. Right? Right!

Everybody makes this “recipe” but it’s easy to have a less-than-perfect result. Here are my 5 tips for perfect strawberries:

1. Wash and dry the strawberries well. Make sure they’re completely dry, right up to the leaves (which you gently pull upward). Chocolate won’t stick to damp berries.

2. Don’t cheat and use your microwave! Heat the chocolate in a double boiler. Just bring an inch of water to simmer in a pot, and place a bowl on top. Toss in the chocolate. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

3. Add oil. Break up one block of baking chocolate (or chocolate chips). Add to the bowl. Then add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil — this is what gives the beautiful sheen. Stir until melted.

4. WAIT. Don’t dip too early. Let the chocolate cool and thicken a little before you start dipping. This may take 10-15 minutes. Line a tray with baking paper for the dipped strawberries. If the chocolate is cool, it won’t pool as much at the base of the berry.

5. Cool at room temperature, then pop in the fridge. Leave the dipped berries to cool for at least 5 minutes on the bench top. Then put them in the fridge to harden. The chocolate won’t crack off the berry when you take a bite.

Tip #5 is the most important!

So easy and so delicious. Enjoy…

Love Catherine x

PS. Cuter than Olivia Newton John and just as Aussie! 

• Today, I want you to meet my little neighbour Grace. She’s four, smart as a whip, bubbly, beautiful — and her family is never ever going to give up on finding a cure for Grace’s ADCY5-familial Dyskinesia. It’s a very rare disorder that affects Grace’s ability to move and speak…but inside and outside, Grace is fully, beautifully FOUR. So funny and sweet. So smart.

• Grace’s mama, Emma, is a trained nurse and a tireless self-motivated (unofficial) researcher and advocate for this rare disorder. Grace’s nan, Jenny, is my very very dear friend.

• We can help with wheelchairs! It’s time for Grace to be wheeling around on her own and I’d love us to help. Grace’s wheelchair fundraiser is here. Please can you click through and make a donation? ($345 is raised out of a $67,500 target.)

• You can watch Grace on TV here :) Grace on Youtube!

If You Need A Break From The News...

So much is happening and people are hurting and I’m not sure how to encourage anyone this week… but, like you, I’m sending thoughts around the world to Beirut and Covid-struggling nations, and also here to our own island home of Australia.

Let’s take a deep breath. I truly hope things improve soon. If you need a little break from the news, please read on for something fun…

---

Here’s a tiny break for you!

Can we focus for a moment on something silly and girly? I’ve decided to drop in here at Love Our Age and talk about an extremely FUN experiment I tried this week.

It’s about hair.

It seems like everyone I follow on the internet is trying this weird big brush / blowdryer, and everyone is saying the same thing:

“It looks like I’ve been to a salon.”

That was enough enticement for me to try it out. I ordered mine here in Australia, but if I were in Canada I probably would have purchased the Revlon one. (We don’t get the same level of choice Down Under.)

Here’s my honest review: “It looks like I’ve been to a salon.”

It’s a little bit cumbersome and my wrist got tired—plus it was awkward as anything to take a photo for you while drying my own hair—BUT I found it easier to use than a blow dryer plus round brush.

The result? For hair with longer layers (maybe 4 inches plus?), or hair to your chin or longer, this blowdryer brush is a DEFINITE YES.

I love it.

I have no idea why, but it magically looks like I just spent $65 getting a fresh blow-out at a salon. Highly recommend.

If you try it, let me know what you think. (My hair is fine and super silky now that it’s grey instead of coloured, so I’m not sure if you’ll get the same result. Yours may even be nicer! I would say for the price, it’s totally worth it.)

One thing — the brush dryer is huge. Look at it in relation to my hand. I think it looks even bigger in real life. Mine has three speeds: low, medium or high. I used medium and it took about 10 minutes. Ha! Another 10 Minute Fix!

Hope this is fun for you to try!

I’m just over here in my corner of the world doing what I can to make people feel as good as possible, given the circumstances. Take care of yourselves out there.

Love Catherine x

PS. So funny! Tonight my husband said, “Did you go to the hair salon today??” Nope. Here’s where you can find it online:

• In America, on amazon here or for a little less try this one.

• In Canada, try this one — it looks like mine.

• In Australia, I bought this one at amazon.com.au and I love, love, love it!

And if you’re looking for free, beautiful books, please check out this giveaway…so easy to enter! My cousin and I are giving away books this weekend. Hurry, enter before Sunday!

Fleur de Sel Caramels

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:

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…

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.

Martha Beck's Secret to Life

Hello there!

In case the world feels a little crazy to you right now, I thought I’d share a quote I heard this week and absolutely loved.

“If there’s a secret to life, it’s this:
Find people you like, and do stuff with them.”

— Martha Beck, bestselling author and speaker

Simple and absolutely true.

Have you found your “people you like”? For me, 100% it’s my own family. I love (but also really really like) my sons. The older one is precise and analytical — a reader, a thinker, a talker, a breaker of chains. I can’t wait to see what he’ll offer the world. The younger one is warm and street smart — a reader of people, a creator, a builder, the one who draws together a circle of friends. He’s the glue everyone needs. And my partner is my truest friend — so smart, with wisdom to make the long shots I can’t even see, a foundation and a bridge for hundreds of people at work (and for us, too).

The family I chose and made …those are “my people.” It’s a little insular, but there’s nothing I love more than spending time with them. If you read my new book, you’ll know my favourite time of day is twilight. This photo captures one of my favourite memories with my people — dusk at Hyams Beach, three kilometres of deserted white sand, just us, laughing and running. There was a good dinner ahead of us, spaghetti bolognese cooked by me, a family movie night, beds to snuggle into, warm baths, clean sheets. This little trio — husband, son, son — is my greatest joy.

Today I’m thinking of Martha Beck’s secret to life.

Choose your people. Choose well. And do stuff with them. That really is the secret.

Happy Friday, everyone. I know things are tough out there, so that’s all the more reason to hang on to the people we love. Or this — go and find “your people”. I know they’re out there.

Enjoy your Friday.

Love, Catherine x

PS. It’s time for 31 Crush, and Victoria (the creator) is “the Victoria” in Chapter 2 of my new book, The 10 Minute Fix. She’s a creative dynamo, so lovely and so much fun! You can be coached by Victoria for the month of August — pay what you can — to fall in love with a new activity, habit or pursuit in August. Email Victoria to learn more. I did 31 Crush last year and it was magic!

Is This Something You Do?

It’s a rainy winter Sunday for us in Sydney. My older son just got back from a two hour hike (packing 30 kilos of weights) in the bush; my younger one is sleeping in after a late-night skateboarding session in the garage with a mate.

I’m up with coffee and candles, lamps on, watching the early morning rain.

Resting.

Is this something you do? Do you prioritise rest?

Do you give yourself permission to slow down and actually enjoy resting? I’m bad at this but I’m trying to get better. I’m learning that rest needs to be deliberate and planned in order to feel like a break (for me). Now that work has spilled over into our home lives in the past decade—and even more so during COVID—it’s important to decide when we’ll rest.

We’re trying to take Sunday as a rest day.

No work. No emails. No sneaky copywriting to get ahead for the week. No book writing.

Are you going to rest this weekend? Can you plan a rest you actually enjoy? (Coffee, candles, a good book. A nap, a walk, some time to daydream.)

I’m sure you deserve it.

Love Catherine x

PS. Thinking of you all as the world turns and Covid surges back and forth. I hope you and yours are well. If work is a problem, I hope you find a way to create something new. I’ve been there during the Global Financial Crisis and it’s so hard…when you’re stressed and worried and can barely think through all that fear. Reach out if you need a little encouragement. I’m here.

Fab Sneakers and a Cute Girl

Today, let’s talk about sneakers!

Everyone’s wearing them now that the world’s turned upside down, and my stylist-author friend, Jules, recommended that I buy a pair, so I did.

These Zanerobe cuties are from Target, and they come in white and black. Unfortunately they’re sold out online, but I also tried these on and they are SO comfy. Take a peek!

If you need to run around and be comfortable, sneakers are the best. Today I got up and got cracking, picked up one teen from a sleepover with his mates, said goodbye to another teen who was sleeping over here, put the laundry in and started working. Popping on a cute pair of sneakers and a fun outfit always makes my day feel better…

Orange jumper, white jeans, sneakers — done! Happy Friday.

I hope something amazing happens to you today!

Love Catherine x

PS. Jules Van Mil is also a debut author, and her new middle grade novel hits the shelves this week. Take a look — you can buy it in bookshops in Australia, at Booktopia or online here in North America (Kindle). I was lucky enough to read an advance copy. It’s fantastic! Age 9-12.

Best Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies & Fun Fixes

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.

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.

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.

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:

(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.

• For Canadians: on amazon.ca here.

• For Americans: on amazon.com here.

• For the UK: on amazon.co.uk here

• For my Aussies: Order from an independent bookshop in Avalon NSW at Beachside Bookshop here! Or amazon.com.au or Booktopia.

• For free delivery (but a higher price!) on Book Depository.

13 Ways Of Looking At Everything

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.

Ta Da! The Winners are...

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

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:

• For Canadians: on amazon.ca here.

• For Americans: on amazon.com here.

• For the UK: on amazon.co.uk here

• For my Aussies: on amazon.com.au or Booktopia.

• For free delivery (but a higher price!) on Book Depository.

Bake with me...best ever pie crust!

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.

• For Canadians: on amazon.ca here.

• For Americans: on amazon.com here.

• For the UK: on amazon.co.uk here

• For my Aussies: on amazon.com.au or Booktopia.

• For free delivery (but a higher price!) on Book Depository.

About Last Night and Being Loved...

“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.

• For Canadians: on amazon.ca here.

• For Americans: on amazon.com here.

• For the UK: on amazon.co.uk here

• For my Aussies: on amazon.com.au or Booktopia.

• For free delivery (but a higher price!) on Book Depository.

If You Need To Feel A Little Better...

Happy Fourth and Canada Day to my overseas friends.

I had this idea last night at midnight…do you ever aggressively schedule in REST for yourself?

I’m terrible at it!

But then I watched an Instagram post from an amazing speaker, and she mentioned that after a big speaking event, when she’s wiped out and emotionally spent from giving so much of herself, she plans an immediate rest.

I thought of it as an ‘aggressive rest’! She schedules time for herself to recharge after giving so much. Fourth of July and Canada Day for many of you has meant celebrations and all the big emotions that go along with caring for the people you love.

Do you rest when you’ve been with a lot of people? Or rest after a big event?

In The 10 Minute Fix, I write a lot about getting activated and finding the courage to try new things. I also write about self-acceptance and rest.

Here are the big takeaways from early readers of my new book (yay!):

• “The 10 Minute Fix makes me feel better about myself.”

• “I read the whole book, but now I’m going to re-read one chapter a day, and really think about it.”

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

• “Love The 10 Minute Fix so much. It makes me look for the gift in the problems. Catherine, your light shines through.”

Thank you to everyone — I’ve even had several people tell me you’ve ordered copies for friends and family! This makes me feel like it’s ALL worth it! It helps authors so much when you buy a book, or write a review on amazon. On Sunday here on the blog, I’m doing a giveaway for people who have lost jobs, or need a little lift, or just need some encouragement. You’ll be able to nominate friends, too, and I’ll choose some winners and make sure they get a copy.

For now, if you’d like a copy for yourself & someone you love, here are the links.

• For Canadians: on amazon.ca here.

• For Americans: on amazon.com here.

• For the UK: on amazon.co.uk here

• For my Aussies: on amazon.com.au or Booktopia.

• For free delivery (but a higher price!) on Book Depository.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Summer for many of you, winter for us! Brrrrr!

Love Catherine x

PS. Selfie taken a couple of years ago when I was last in Canada. As you know, I’m a lucky hybrid: Canadian Aussie. Stay well out there. Thinking of you all and so appreciative of your love and support.

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

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.”

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.

• In Canada: amazon.ca

• In America: amazon.com

• In Australia: amazon.com.au or Booktopia

• In the UK: amazon.co.uk

• You can also go to Book Depository but they set their price 30% higher with free delivery.

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!)

The Best Pizza At Home

Hello, everyone.

Exciting days around here! Lots is happening and I can’t wait to share.

Tonight, we’ll celebrate and make pizza. I’ve had so many requests for my recipe. With two teen boys and multiple skateboarding friends, it’s a huge hit.

When it’s pizza night, I make my dough anytime during the day and leave it to rise. Here’s a pro tip: this pizza is better baked on a simple pizza stone that goes into your cold oven, and then you turn the oven as high as it goes. And it’s best to have a pizza spatula. Assemble your pizza on the spatula to slide onto the hot pizza stone.

‘You’re Always Fun To Be With’ Pizza Night Recipe

• Turn on your favourite happy music. (For me, that’s jazz!)

• In a bowl, mix together with a whisk:

  • 4.5 cups plain flour

  • 6 teaspoons dry yeast

  • 2 teaspoons salt

• Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1.5 cups warm-but-closer-to-hot water. Mix everything together with your hands a little.

• Plop the doughy mixture (loose, with flour bits and chunky bits…it doesn’t even look like it’s mixed much at this point) on the bench top.

• Knead it all together for around five minutes. You’ll wind up with a smooth ball.

• (While you knead, have a little daydream about your people. I think about my three guys, wishing them all the good things they need, and imagine me being there for them—healthy and fun and ready to listen.)

• Oil the bowl, pop the dough in, cover with cling wrap and let it sit in a warm place for at least an hour (or as long as you want). Pro tip: I heat up my oven to 150C when I start making dough, then shut it off to cool down. That’s where I put my dough to rise.

• Punch it down once, let it rise again for a while. Divide into 8 sections. Roll out thinly.

• Really important: put the pizza stone in a cold oven, turn it as high as it goes, and when super hot, bake pizza for 6 minutes.

Happy pizza night! See you Sunday.

Love, Catherine x