Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

 Let's Dig In https://unsplash.com/@eliomendes My cat is a very typical one and does things that are typically, well, cat-like. Her most annoying cat-like characteristic is to wake up at 4am, most days, on other days it's more like 2am! This particular morning I considered myself lucky, I got an extra 20 minutes of sleep in, as the meowy alarm only went off at 4.20am! Success, kind of.  Wednesday's are walking group days for me, but on the Wednesday in question, I was without a car at home for various reasons of family travel or work or whatever. Since I'd had  hours of pre-dawn reading time (which is my very favourite thing to do, so kitty is all forgiven anyway), I got particularly comfortable in bed with my book, my steaming mug of coffee and no-one in the house to disturb me. Bliss! Even kitty had gone back to sleep since her tummy was now full. By 6.30am I remembered my resolve to go to my walking group regardless of not having a car. It's only 2.5km away to th...

Healthier and Happier Together 3 Best Tips for a Healthy Relationship https://unsplash.com/@jeremybanks You wake up in the same bed every morning (or the spare bed if the snoring is unbearable, am I right?), eat the same cereal for breakfast every morning and drag yourself to work either home-office or workplace and wonder to yourself, "Is this It?" No, I can attest that ' this is not it '. This is how I know: If we want things to change, we have to BE the change Now this doesn't mean that all the relationship work is up to you, it simply means that if you are the one who wants things to be different, you have to be the one to do things differently.   - Shake routines up a little, maybe cook a tasty     breakfast to have together on a weekday               - Bring your partner a fruit and dip snack for morning tea if you both work from home               - Pack them a home baked (or store boug...

Because It's All About You https://unsplash.com/@adaliabotha Thank you for your patience while my book launch was happening. Now it’s time to celebrate YOU! I want to know what you've been up to. I've been so embroiled in the details of launching that I lost sight of the world around me. So much so that I took a little digi-detox time for reflection. Now I want to know a little more about you. You know enough about me and my life. What accomplishment are you most proud of?  What goal have you set out to achieve this month?  What characteristic do you LOVE about yourself? If you're not comfortable with that, then ask someone else to describe a characteristic they love about you; or reflect on your general characteristics in a journal or note-taking app. https://unsplash.com/@itsmiki5 If you need a little help settling on a characteristic you love about yourself, I've included this article to help you:  Characteristics list What I discovered on my mini digi-detox is t...

 5 Tips for a Loving Relationship 5 Tips for a Loving Relationship Often we know what we're supposed to do to make our relationship work, but we don't know how. In the video link above, I've outlined some really easy tips you can do today to make a positive difference in your relationship. The video is just 45 seconds long, so in no time at all you'll have the relationship tricks that you need for a loving partnership, right at your fingertips. Or if you'd prefer to read the notes, click  Real Relationship Tips that Work . For a lighthearted look at positive ways to impact your relationships, I'll be offering my dating diaries eBook for free for a few days from 6 March 2022 . It's a quick read that you can enjoy together, as a couple, or by yourself if you're looking for ways to improve your relationship dynamics. Here's the link, but remember it's only free for a few days from 6 March 2022:  Creating Sparks that Last eBook The time zones are a...

Nobody Perceives You the Way You Perceive Yourself Frida Kahlo Cover image from the book; Frida Kahlo's Garden I am the person I know best.   Quote from Frida Kahlo regarding her self portraits. I have been fascinated by Frida Kahlo's expression of self for many years. Her use of light and shadow in her creativity depicts, closely, her awareness of shadow and brightness in herself. Light and shadow that each of us have. The quote above is preceded by deeper reflection: I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best. For me, alone time has always been paramount to me thriving in a noisy, busy world. Alone but not lonely, which I think is what tormented Frida somewhat. That opinion is my own based on the fact that she divorced her husband, Diego Rivera and ended her longtime affair with photographer Nickolas Muray in the same year. Anyway, this is not a study on Frida Kahlo, merely a reflection of how well she knew herself and how that led...

How Do They Shape Our Identity? https://unsplash.com/@sagefriedman I’ve been thinking long and hard about this question over the years. I mean, change is inevitable, but how much of that change is influenced by our partners? How much of our core self remains untouched? Do you know? Are you the same person you were 10 years ago? 20 Years ago? No, of course you aren’t, because growth changes our perspective of everything. https://unsplash.com/@anthonytori So how do you maintain the you whom you have crafted so hard to forge, while evolving with adaptations to reality? There are 6 questions below that will help you find the answer. Examining your morals and ethics goes a long way to observing the person within that you want to portray to the world. To help keep your identity intact within the framework of a relationship, I’ve created a fun, anonymous survey that’ll help you define your beliefs. No email required! caleb-george-VL9ugqp_mko-unsplash It’s a blend of thoughtful, deep questions...

Walk Your Talk I was recently interviewed by the talented fantasy fiction author, Ash Oldfield, who released The Rachaya Series second edition this week! Talk about the dragon within!  What follows is the transcript of highlights from our interview with the full interview at the link below: ~ Elora Canne has written two children’s books and, more recently, her memoir, EN ROUTE: The Best Is Yet To Be. As a retired Childcare Educator of 20+ years, having so much free time was just what she needed to put pen to paper. Her memoir spans a period of roughly 10 years, including her inward and outward travels as a midlife gap year helped her handle her internal struggles and re-ignite her decades-long marriage. Q: What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book? A: I’m an early bird, it’s when I do my best work. But I’m also a spontaneous note scribbler when inspiration hits. Q: What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book? A: Just write everything down. Don’t s...