Stilettos and Espressos

Carrying traditions on: learning how to bake my mother’s orahnjača (walnut roll)

Growing up, I remember waking up to the sweet smell of my mother’s orahnjača (walnut roll). At bridal showers, I always gravitated towards the orahnjača on the desert table as it’s not too sweet, nor too heavy and it always goes nicely with a cup of coffee. However, my mother’s recipe is my all-time favourite.

My mother always insists on baking it first thing in the morning to let it rise properly. Whether or not that’s an old Croatian wives’ tale, or if my mother made that up, I can say with confidence that I baked this recipe in an afternoon with no issues. It didn’t turn out perfect and again (as noted in my previous post about sirnica/Easter bread,) I had to decipher my mother’s recipe as she only provided me with approximate steps and “about” increments. With some investigative work, a few FaceTime calls and a million questions to my mom, I was able to figure out her orahnjača recipe!

Ingredients:

Part 1:

4-5 cups of bread flour (start with 4 cups and add more as needed)
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
2 tbsp of active dry yeast + 1 tbsp of sugar in 1 cup of warm water
pinch of salt
5 yolks (separate egg whites and place in fridge for part 2)
1 whole egg
1 cup of warm milk
1 shot of Jamaican rum
grated lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon

Part 2 (filling):

1/2 cup of sugar
egg whites from previous part
3/4 of a pound of ground walnuts
1 shot of espresso

Directions:

Using the paddle attachment of your stand-up mixer, cream the sugar and unsalted butter together on a low speed.
Add egg yolks, one by one, while mixing.
Add the whole egg.
Slowly add your flour on a low speed (I use speed 1 on my Cuisanart mixer).
Slowly pour the warm milk in while mixing.
Slowly add your yeast mixture in.
Add the rum and lemon zest and juice to the mixture.
Once thoroughly mixed, switch the paddle attachment and insert your dough hook and continue on a low speed (at this point I turn the dial to speed 2) until the mixture becomes a little tacky (you don’t want it to be too sticky or too firm; so add more flour or warm milk as needed).
Once the dough has thoroughly mixed, take the dough and knead it on a floured surface for about 10-15 minutes into a ball.
Place the dough ball into a large bowl, cover with a wash cloth and let rest in a warm oven for about 2 hours.
Remove dough from oven and on a floured surface, take your dough and cut into two halves. Take both parts and roll into two separate dough balls. Then place the dough balls into two separate bowls, cover each bowl with wash cloths and place in warm oven again to rise for about 30 minutes.
While dough is rising for the second time; take your ingredients from part two (sugar, egg whites, ground walnuts and espresso) into a medium-size bowl and mix with a spatula.
Remove dough from oven after it has risen for a second time.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees C.
Roll each dough ball into a long flat oval or rectangle (does not have to be a perfect shape)
Then with a spatula, spread the walnut mixture on your flattened dough.
Gently take the edge of the dough and roll (you can also place the dough on a table cloth and pull the table cloth to roll it).
Repeat steps 16-17 on the second dough ball.
Place each roll into a bread pan OR you can place each roll on a cookie sheet.
Cover your bread pans or cookie sheet with tin foil and place in the oven and bake covered for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown (use a toothpick test to determine if it is done baking), for an additional 25-35 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest for on a cooling rack about 30 minutes to an hour as the mixture is hot and can leak if you cut right away.
Enjoy and serve with coffee! Dobar tek!

How COVID-19 got to me: stress, fear, uncertainty and self-care during a global pandemic

Friday was the first day that I cried….a lot.

I felt exhausted from homeschooling the kids, trying to get some work done as well as regular chores and I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I buried my head into a sea of tears and had to walk away into a different room in my home to be alone. I felt guilty for doing this, because I did not want my boys to see me cry. My husband told the kids that mommy needs a few minutes to herself.

Before the pandemic, if I was ever stressed, I would go to the gym or go out to a local coffee shop to diffuse, but due to the current lock-down there is no where to go, which adds an extra layer of stress.

I never in my life imagined that we would live through a global pandemic, yet here we are.

It is currently week 6 of the lock-down here in Ontario and everyone is starting to feel it in different ways.

Up until this point, I was making the most of this situation. I embraced the idea of slowing down. I even wrote a blog post about it. I started to do things that I normally wouldn’t have time to do: participating in the wave of baking bread and sharing it on Instagram; drinking fancy wines on the weekends, pinning arts and crafts ides for the kids on Pinterest and purged a lot of old clothes and toys for donation. I started watching foreign dramas on Netflix for fun and even contemplated downloading TikTok and get in on the bandwagon, but changed my mind because I am too old for it.

For the first time in years, I had a break from rushing home from work to soccer practice and I really enjoyed this idea and yet, time went on…..

There is still that fear of catching the virus itself. As my oldest has asthma and was born with a heart condition, I am extra vigilant. I barely leave the house and if I do, its just for necessities. On top of all this, I still worry that my husband may bring it home from the hospital where he works at.

As the lock-down here in Ontario continues on, it started to hit close to home for me. Knowing that it will be months until I see my parents, my friends and colleagues again started to weigh heavily on me. 2020 was supposed to be our year. Our family has been through so much over the past 6 years- premature birth, high-risk pregnancy, my husband’s residency and a sudden family death to name a few. I know, many of you had plans cancelled too, so we aren’t alone, but I just felt like this was a big and crewel joke.

Now, I am starting to worry about the financial implications of the pandemic too. Like you, many questions are going through my mind: will there be massive job loss? Will our taxes increase to support these benefits? Will we ever recover from this?

This created a perfect storm which culminated in me breaking down on Friday night. However, this in of itself brought a huge relief as I let all that fear, worry and guilt out. I’ve been positive throughout this whole process and on Friday night, I was extremely overwhelmed. Trying to balance everything at home just got to me and I reached my boiling point. I needed that release.

What I can tell you is that I am learning more about myself and how to cope with such situations. This time has also given me time to self-reflect and I gained a new perspective. My grandfather lived through three wars, Spanish flu and communism, yet he lived a wonderful life and passed away at age 101. He endured and saw a lot in his lifetime but he survived. He had hope and appreciation for life.

What I have found helpful during these times is reflection and mindfulness. I have been journaling since I was 8 years old and I have found journaling so helpful during this time. Staying connected on social media has become a blessing and watching all those good memes (the guy toasting to himself in the washroom is my all time favourite). Self-care and taking breaks from homeschooling and work is so important too, I’ve had a few nights where I just had a face mask on while reading a good book. I also find exercise quite therapeutic.

My advice if you are feeling overwhelmed, upset or frustrated, take that energy and turn it into something positive. Find your niche. Find something that sparks you, that makes you feel like you, no matter how difficult the circumstances are.

If you feel overwhelmed like I do, I want you to know, it’s okay, because you are not alone. It’s okay to cry and let your feelings out. We are all feeling this and is even getting to the strongest of us……and it’s okay to feel vulnerable. I keep reminding myself to count my blessings and that this will not last forever.

As I have learned with experience, the human spirit is resilient, but this is a choice: you have to choose that path and firmly believe in it because your mindset is what will get you through this.

Carrying traditions on: Learning how to bake my family’s sweet Easter bread

Easter is considered to be the most important holiday in the Catholic faith. For Croatians specifically, Easter is also about tradition. On Holy Saturday, Croatians (and most Eastern Europeans for that matter) will bring baskets of sweet bread and eggs to be blessed during mass. Some people also add smoked meats and green onions to their baskets. This tradition of bringing baskets to be blessed dates back generations.

Usually, we go to my family’s home in Windsor for Easter, however due to the pandemic this won’t be possible. Perhaps it was a sign for me to learn how to bake my mom’s Easter bread and carry the tradition on. The Easter bread my mom bakes is a sweet bread, known as sirnica or pinca. This sweet bread is typically baked in Dalmatia, but other regions in Croatia have their own versions of this Easter bread. Some put rum in theirs and others raisins. My mother-in-law who is from Gorski Kotar makes her Easter bread with a ham in it. This particular recipe that I am going to share with you is the one that my mom makes every Easter. My mother learned this recipe from her sister-in-law, my Strina (aunt).

Most Croatian-Canadians will understand when I say that figuring out my mom’s Easter bread recipe is like a solving a puzzle. No directions and all approximate amounts (od prilike) for the ingredients or po potrebi (as needed). With the help of FaceTime and a lot of questions on my end, I was able to figure out this family recipe. Overall, I was quite pleased with the results, despite the fact that a part of the bottom tore. The bread was nice and soft and reminded me so much of home.

3 loaves | 2 hours prep time | 3 hours total

Ingredients:

8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 packet of Dr. Oetker vanilla sugar
Lemon grinds from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Fleischmann’s active dry yeast (mix with ¼ cup warm water and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar)
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm milk
Approximately 2-4 cups of all-purpose flour (note: my mom’s recipe just says flour as needed, so I kept adding flour into the mixer until it formed a dough).
1 egg for glazing
Cooking spray for pans

Directions:

1. Follow the directions for the yeast (mix ¼ cup warm water and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and let stand for 10 minutes).

2. Mix the yolks with cup sugar; add the vanilla extract and packet of the vanilla sugar. Mix for a few minutes.

3. Add the yeast mixture and continue mixing.

4. Add grinds from lemon and lemon juice while mixing.

5. Add the cup of warm milk while mixing.

6. Add the oil.

7. Add the flour slowly to the mixer until it forms a dough. Then with a wooden spoon, knead the dough into a ball.

8. Take your dough, cover with a kitchen cloth and let it rest in a warm oven to rise for approximately 1 and a half hours.

9. Once dough has risen, remove from warm oven. Punch the dough and knead on a floured surface or use a wooden spoon to knead the dough (I had to knead the dough, my mom uses a wooden spoon so I would say do what is easier for you).

10. Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (or 280 depending on your oven).

11. Divide dough into three round cake pans, or corning ware bowls, or stainless steel bowls (note: if your pans are not non-stick, then spray generously with PAM or whatever cooking spray you have available)

12. Crack one egg and scramble, with a brush, glaze the three loaves.

13. Place pans into oven and bake at 275 (or 280) for 15 minutes; then increase heat to 310 (or 325 depending on your oven) for 40-45 minutes.

14. Remove from oven and place loaves on cooling racks to cool.

Notes:
*I didn’t want to make as many loaves as my mom, so I cut the ingredients in half and still worked beautifully. I filled two small corning ware dishes and one normal sized corning-ware dish.
**I think it would be easier in non-stick cake pans as they don’t stick; in hindsight, I should have placed mine in bread pans but my mom insists it has to be a round shape as that is traditional. As I did not have cake pans available she said corning ware dishes would be fine. I didn’t have cooking spray available, so I brushed oil on it and some of it stuck but overall it was still good!
***My mom uses a hand mixer but I used my Cuisanart stand-mixer and it turned out fine.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter. Enjoy!

egg and ceramic rabbit — Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Quarantine and chill: What slowing down has taught me

We are now entering week three of self-isolation here in Ontario, Canada and I must say that despite all the insecurity and fear surrounding the pandemic, for the first time in a long time I feel peace.

I feel peace away from the traffic.
I feel peace in the neighbourhoods and in the streets.
I feel energized.

For the first time in a long time, I don’t have to worry about rushing home from work to get supper ready on time. I don’t have to worry about planning my day around the kids’ activities and worrying if I’ll be on time or not because of the traffic. I am no longer exhausted from staying up late at night to finish chores as I have a bit more extra time during the day. I can finally enjoy that cup of coffee warm in my own home, in my pyjamas while cuddling with one of the kids. It’s great. Although the implications of the pandemic are scary, I feel somewhat at peace knowing I am at home, safe, with my little ones. My anxiety levels have definitely decreased knowing that we don’t have to rush to go anywhere. It’s a welcoming break.

I must say, its not perfect: homeschooling the boys has not been easy; we have meltdowns and we have tantrums. Sometimes they just aren’t that into it. I am currently in the process of trying to get set-up to work from home. Like everything though, I’ll figure it out. With that being said, the kids’ bedtime routines have been a bit off, and I am working on creating some type of routine. But overall, the big reward to all this is that we are spending more time together. We are doing things that we would not otherwise have had the time to do and we are starting to get creative. We spend time exploring the backyard in search for nature’s treasures. We started baking almost everyday and it’s been a delight and sense of pride for the kids. I made bread for the first time and a decent Croatian apple strudel. Not bad for a novice baker.

In an odd way, the pandemic has taught me a bit more about myself and how stressed I really was. Trying to balance a career and motherhood is exhausting. But for the first time in a long time, I feel as if I am finally in tune with myself. I adapted a more gentler and slower lifestyle, which is the complete 360 to the life that I was used to. I found that since the pandemic started, I am exercising even more, despite the fact that the gym is closed. The fact that I am getting an extra hour or two of sleep as well is another added benefit. In addition, with malls being closed and whatnot, I found that I am less tempted to shop and waste money unnecessarily. Since being at home, I’ve adapted a minimalist wardrobe and I actually think its suitable for me and my taste. Perhaps living simply is the way to go.

Slowing down is a blessing in disguise.

We all need it from time to time.

Getting in tune with our learning cues – my experience with home schooling my children thus far

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we in Canada are basically adjusting to a new way of life as we navigate through self-isolation. Because of the pandemic, most non-essential services are closed, including schools and day cares. In Ontario, school is currently postponed until April 5th (although this is subject to change) and now parents are left with the seemingly daunting task of home schooling their kids. Last week was a bit of an experiment in terms of home schooling the boys as I tried out different methods to see what works best for them. I was pretty relaxed considering I don’t believe in forcing kids to do something when they really don’t want to. Furthermore, as it was technically their March break, I didn’t want to push them too much with home schooling.

What I learned from that first week is that my boys need structure and simply put, thrive under a structured day. I also learned that I have to tailor their learning based on their age and needs: T, my oldest, is in senior kindergarten and can start to recognize words , read books for his age and is really good at math. Whereas, my youngest I, is 3 and a half; he knows his 123s and ABCs and loves to draw.

Here is a little glimpse of our homeschooling routine.

pencils in stainless steel bucket — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Please note, what works for my kids does not necessarily mean it will work for you as every child is different. In addition, I am not an educator (although I did get into teacher’s college but rejected the offer because I got my first job in Toronto and went there instead) so I am basically putting together what works for my kids from the resources I have available to me. My educational background is in Political Science (I have an MA and a BA) in case you are wondering (and no I won’t be teaching them public policy or the foundations of classical political thought yet!)

The key is being in tune with

their needs and following their cues.

The first thing I did was create a schedule for the boys and placed in on the fridge directly across the island where we eat so its in plain view. I figure the island is the best place to conduct our home school as they can enjoy a snack while learning plus we have a lot of space. With that being said, the schedule is in no way strict, its more of a guideline for me and if they aren’t into it, we move on to the next activity or have some free play time instead.

Play is so important for kids as it promotes their development and sense of imagination.

Based on my research, preschoolers and kindergarteners only require 1-2 hours of learning a day. I also learned early on that you can’t force them to learn as you do not want to create a negative association with learning. At this age learning just needs to be fun!

We typically start our day like we would on a normal school day: we get dressed, we brush our teeth and we eat breakfast and get started with our day. Usually I will start Kumon first as my oldest is in Kumon and his teacher gave him work sheets until the end of April. For my youngest, I found a Kumon workbook at Costco called Are You Ready for Kindergarten? so that he too can try out Kumon.

My biggest challenge is since I am at home while M works, I have to home school them at different times.

This can be challenging homeschooling two kids who are at different levels. What I started doing is that I’ll focus one activity with one child and then switch. So far this method has been working for me, although some days it can be challenging as one may be more interested in his toys for instance.

I also found that there are a lot of great resources available online for children, such as the Scholastic Remote Learning and the School Age Program with TVO. I really like the Scholastic Remote Learning because every day there is a new lesson theme (i.e. bears) and comes with free printable worksheets. There is a quiz at the end of each lesson so it gives us time to recap what we learned for that day. Both my boys seem to enjoy this program the most. My cousin, who happens to be a teacher, set my kids up with a Raz-Kids account to get them ahead with reading. She tailored the program to each of their levels. I also downloaded the Math Story Time App and Go Noodle on the iPad.

With that being said, I try to stick to the guidelines surrounding screen time as set out by the Canadian Pediatric Society as much as possible. I also find that if my kids have too much screen time, they become really wired (as do we when we spend too much time in front of a screen!) This is where free play and going outside comes in handy.

Our kids need a break from all this stimulation (be it from technology and what not) and sometimes we just need to let kids be kids!

…so we go outside, be it in the backyard to run around and play soccer, or to take the scooters out for a scooter ride (since parks are off limits due to the pandemic). Fresh air is good for everyone and getting my boys moving makes for a much happier day. Going outside promotes both physical activity and wellness in children.

I decided to create an arts & crafts board on Pinterest to get ideas on how to help the boys with their fine-motor skills. For instance, tomorrow we will make crocodiles out of green popsicle sticks. Considering that Easter is around the corner, we’ll make some Easter-themed art such as paper plate bunny masks. I also love to get my kids involved with baking. It’s a good opportunity for them to learn basics such as measuring and counting. Last week we baked muffins and earlier this week we made Croatian crepes (palačinke). I happened to have a gingerbread cookie set left over from Christmas so we spent one morning decorating gingerbread men. The kids are always so proud with how tasty their creations turn out!

Luckily, I stocked up on flash cards and workbooks from Costco last summer so we can work on different things such as basic math, counting, alphabets and sight words. My oldest can read and is slowly starting to write words, but my youngest still knows only his 123s and ABCs, so I would sit specifically with him and go through each flash card together.

depth of field photography of p l a y wooden letter decors on top of beige wooden surface — Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

My oldest son’s kindergarten teacher also posts different activities to do at home on the classroom Twitter account, so I get both my boys involved. Today’s activity was to take out utensils and create patters and do some basic addition and subtraction. Tomorrow we will have an alphabet scavenger hunt where we will look for letters and then put together to create words.

By that point, it brings us to about noon (keep in mind I throw a snack or two in during the morning learning fun). After lunch I basically just let them unwind or play. My youngest still naps so I try to get him to sleep while the other will watch a show or play quietly. The afternoon is also a good time to read a book or two. Fortunately, my boys love being read to so every day we pick a different book to read. Other than that, the afternoon is pretty open and I basically let them control what they want to do for that part of the day.

As each day passes, I find that I am learning more and more about them; what their likes and dislikes are; what their strengths are and what skills we need to work on. I also have a new-found appreciation for teachers and early childhood educators.

Overall, I learned the key is to have fun otherwise it won’t work. Home schooling, when done right, can be a great experience for everyone.

Fear, resilience and hope: reflections as we enter an unknown world

Since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 virus a pandemic, I was silent. I did not know how to process this information. A few of my close friends described this as a real-life “Contagion.” I am not a medical expert, but what I do know is that the worst here in Canada is yet to come. I also know that it will be a very long time until things are back to “normal” again. Like many of us, I entered a state of shock.

woman looking towards the sky — Photo by YURI MANEI on Pexels.com

The hardest thing for me to process was watching my husband’s demeanor change over a course of a few days. My husband is a respirologist and like his colleagues, has been monitoring the situation quite closely. When I asked him what this all meant, he looked at me and said that life will be different for a very long time. The events happening throughout China and Italy paint a grim picture of what could happen if we don’t act fast to “flatten the curve.” Within a week the number of positive cases in Canada have jumped to just over 1000.

Not only are there an array of health issues and questions surrounding the management of the virus itself, but it touches upon so many other facets of life: the economy, the workforce, the way government works, education and overall, our lifestyle. Schools across the country and around the world have closed down. Employers are asking their employees to work from home if at all possible. Places of worship have asked their membership to pray/reflect at home; restaurants and bars have closed down, although some are remaining open for take out or curb-side pick-up just to keep afloat. People are asked to self-isolate and keep their distance until medical professionals and governments can come up with a solution. Life as we know it has stopped for a while so we can self-isolate in hopes of containing the virus and give the medical system some more time.

Probably the hardest thing society will face is not just the virus itself, but the financial implications that come with it. In addition to that, I fear a mental health crisis is to follow.

Humans are social beings and I know from experience that being on lock down is difficult. I’ve had some experience on being on some sort of lock down: my oldest son was born prematurely and the first winter home we could not leave the house (except for medical appointments) as his immunity was compromised. I remember screening all visitors for colds because a common cold could harm his premature lungs. He obtained an antibody shot called Synagis every month during cold and flu season to protect him against RSV. As parents, our goal was to keep him safe.

When I was pregnant with my youngest child, I experienced a form of isolation again. I was considered high risk due to my history of preterm labour. This meant extra medical appointments and physical restrictions. I was placed on strict bed-rest for 2 months following a one-week hospital stay for short cervix. I remember how difficult those times were- not being able to go out, not being able to go to work, to pick up my toddler son, I couldn’t do anything….it was hard, but I had one goal in mind: to keep my pregnancy safe and deliver to my baby to full-term.

You see, there is a common theme here with this isolation- being safe. In this present moment, our duty is to keep our loved ones safe; to protect our grandparents, our parents and our children. It’s our duty to stay home and to protect the elderly and the vulnerable. Our governments are asking us to do this and our medical professionals implore us to do it. I don’t have a crystal ball, nor will I speculate on what is to come, but I do have hope that we can get through this. It won’t be easy, but we have to stay positive.

It is clear, the effects of this pandemic will last years to come. I’m sure our children and our children’s children will be learning about it in their history classes. But as history has shown us, humans are resilient, time and time again. We will grow strong and learn from this experience. I am sure the best and the brightest are working on different treatments and solutions to bring this pandemic to an end, because there is hope.

We all have a role to play in this, by self-isolating, by helping the elderly, by being connected with our loved ones virtually, by staying home when you are sick and by washing our hands. In the meantime, lets show our gratitude to all of those on the front lines: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, hospital staff, custodians, grocery store workers, delivery drivers and so on. Together we can overcome this virus. Together we are stronger, for our future depends on it.

silhouette photography of grass — Photo by Darwis Alwan on Pexels.com

The secret of happiness

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

What is happiness?

The past few years I’ve been on a journey to figure out what true happiness is. Over the course of 7 years I’ve went through some pretty big transitions from being me -> to wife -> to mother. If you think about it, that’s a lot change a person can endure in such a short period. You go through many different changes: the stages of pregnancy, the hormones and sleep deprivation that comes with it, the stress of finances, parenthood, work-life balance and so on. These challenges can certainly catch up to you!

For a while I was not feeling like myself and really started to ask myself some hard questions about life, namely what is true happiness.

I’ve definitely endured some of my own challenges which affected my perspective on life. We live in a world where things are becoming more and more materialistic, where we spend more time on our phones and less time talking to each other. We are surrounded by images that mislead us to believe what happiness is – a designer handbag, a luxurious vacation abroad, a Friday night out and so on. It seems as if today’s society is defining happiness by the amount of money we make or the the type of car we are driving. Over the past few years this topic started to fascinate me and as a result, I started writing about it more and more. It’s no wonder why so many young people are depressed- we have created for ourselves false expectations because of what we see on social media and television.

woman wearing grey long sleeved top photography — Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com

Following my uncle’s sudden passing last April, I started to go through the many stages of grief and began questioning my own purpose in life and what is truly important. I slowly began to realize that happiness isn’t the designer handbag I am wearing, but the people that surround me and the one life I have to embrace.

After my uncle’s death, I started to go through every memory I had of him because I did not want to forget anything about him. It then dawned upon me what the true meaning of happiness was because he knew the secret. What was it? He valued life and lived it to the fullest. He was kind to every person he met and valued each person for who they were. He was extremely generous because he enjoyed seeing people happy. He was always one of the first people to help- be it on a house renovation, a car repair, or volunteering at an event, he was always the first in line and he enjoyed it. He laughed, enjoyed dining at fine restaurants and was very sociable. He had an infectious smile that everyone loved. My uncle lived for today, he lived for the moment. In my homily dedicated to him I stated that “our world would be a much better place if we were more like him.”

The months following his passing, I started to realize what is truly important in life. I realized that a lot of these material things that surround us, don’t really matter. They are just that- things. You can have a lot of things, but if you aren’t surrounded by people who love you, then you don’t know what true happiness is. If you don’t have anyone to create memories with, then you are losing out on happiness. If you don’t do things that are fulfilling, then you can’t find happiness.

I began reflecting with my kids every night the good parts of our day and the bad parts of our day. We would discuss some things we enjoyed doing, and if we made poor choices, how we could have handled the situation differently. I started to laugh more when they goofed around before bed time, because I realized that stressing out before bed time is not worth it. Sometimes parenting can be hard- there are highs and lows, so I started to tell myself to enjoy this time because time is going by too fast!

I slowly started to realize it’s okay to not have the “most expensive” wardrobe or the “perfect” body and instead, to embrace the one I have. Now, I am thankful for my health- I feed my body with healthy food and exercise because that is what makes me feel good on the inside! I also enjoy a nice glass of red wine on the weekends (that’s what my uncle used to do!) and have a glass with my husband or some friends.

I started to live my life a bit more slowly. I began to count my blessings and not focus on my shortcomings. I slowly started to accept what I do have – and what I have is precious.

You see, my uncle knew the secret to happiness and lived it every day. I realized that the secret to happiness is CHOICE. You can create your own happiness. You can continue to be miserable, to complain, to loathe and to be jealous of others….or you can choose to be happy. You can appreciate the things you already have, embrace the good moments and reflect from the bad.

I have chosen to live my life in happiness. What will you choose?

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Natalie’s beauty insider for 2020

If there is anything I enjoy more in life is trying out new skin-care products and cosmetics. I have always been a “girly girl” in the sense that I love a nice, sheer lip gloss and an even better moisturizer. My signature look is simple: clean, classy and polished. I think self-care is so important; not only does it make you look good on the outside but it also makes you feel good on the inside!

I wanted to share with you some of my top picks for Winter 2020. I like to try a range of products that are available from department stores to your local drug store. Sometimes you can be surprised with the things you can find at places like Shoppers or Rexall.

I also wanted to reiterate that this is in no way an advertisement, nor was this blog post sponsored by anyone. I am simply a girl sharing with you some of my favourite products and essentials from my make-up bag that I have been using this season. Consider this tried, tested and true!

From left to right:

YES Studio Lip Balm “Uh Huh Honey” – I happened to find this at Indigo over the holidays and picked it up as some stocking stuffers for some friends. I thought why not try it out myself? It’s probably one of the best lip balms I have tried to date. It feels like you are putting a serum on your lips and is very moisturizing and not too balmy. Approximately $10.00 at Chapters/Indigo.
Bobbi Brown Skin Long Wear Foundation – I thought nothing could top Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation but then I happened to find it. My brother gifted me Masterclass for Christmas this year and I chose Bobbi Brown’s make-up class. What I have learned thus far from the class is that beauty comes from within and Bobbi’s take on cosmetics is to enhance your beauty; not to alter your beauty. Well thats basically what this foundation does is enhances your skin and just gives it a nice finish. You can find it at the Bay for about $58.00.
NYX Precision Brow Pencil – sometimes I love a good drugstore find and this is definitely one of them! I love the flat tip on the applicator and makes for a smooth and easy finish. It also comes attached with a brow brush on the other end. I would think this is somewhat comparable to other brow pencil’s I’ve tried in the past such as MAC and Anastasia. For $12 bucks this product is great for your brows! Available at most drug stores such as Shoppers.
PUR 4-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20: I do not like heavy coverage and some days all I want is a nice, clean, sheer finish. I also suffer from seasonal allergies to the point where my skin does not tolerate products with heavy ingredients well. The beautician at Shoppers Drug Mart suggested I try PUR. I absolutely love this product and wear this on most days. It’s light and easy and a little bit goes a long way. Available at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Christian Dior Lip Maximizer Hyaluronic Lip Plumper – nothing feels more luxurious than this! This product really does deliver good results. I am not much of a lipstick person, but I do love a good gloss and this one does not disappoint. In addition, I find it does not get sticky and it also does give that plumping effect. I picked this product up at Sephora.
Vichy Mineral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster – as stated in the previous paragraph, I have really sensitive skin, especially around the eye area and for years I have been using Vichy’s skin care line. I love this product and it really does deliver and make your face nice and plumped. One to two pumps of this product is all what you need followed by some rolling motions from my Hadaka Quartz Face Roller that I picked up at Angel’s Beauty Bar in downtown Hamilton. I do this routine twice a day and I have noticed some pretty good results.
The Colossal mascara by Maybelline – I also suffer from eye allergies so I have to clean all my brushes and change mascaras quite regularly. It can get quite expensive. One day I was in a rush and stopped at a nearby Rexall and came across this mascara which was on sale. I thought I would give it a try. I was quite pleased with the results. I like that it is not a plastic brush. When I applied the mascara to my eye lashes I truly thought they looked pretty real (the jingle “maybe its Maybelline” came to mind!). I also like that it is not clumpy. Maybelline is known for making pretty good mascaras, specifically Great Lash, but I personally think this one is better.
Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Moisturizing Cleanser – I literally just started using this yesterday and I love it. My skin felt nice and smooth and did not dry my face out like most cleansers do. I found it to be quite gentle and it basically did the job. Available in most drug and grocery stores but Walmart has the best price for this product online.

What are your favourite cosmetic and beauty essentials? Share in the comments below!

Much love,

A Croatian Christmas in Canada

To me, Christmas is more than opening presents and decorating a tree. For me, it has, and forever always will be about tradition. Being Croatian, it was important for my parents to pass down their traditions from their homeland to my brother and I. It’s about getting together with friends and family. It’s about faith, charity and spreading love. It’s no joke when they say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of year because it truly is. Christmas is a very special time of year, not just for Croatians but for Catholics and Christians worldwide.
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As I child, I was always amazed by my parents’ stories of their Christmas celebrations in Croatia. My parents grew up in the inlands of Dalmatia, in a small village called Ruda in the municipality of Otok, located by nearby Sinj. The Christmas my parents experienced was very different than the one I had: there was no tree, there were no presents, but there was a home full of family, faith, food and love. During the Christmas season, hay would be laid throughout the house and children would receive special treats such as oranges, figs and if they were very lucky, chocolates. Certainly this was a humbling experience!

Advent
The Christmas season officially begins four Sundays before Christmas, called Advent. Most Croatians will place a wreath in their homes with four candles which symbolize hope, faith, joy and peace.

Feast of Saint Nicholas – December 6
On the Eve of Saint Nicholas day, children will leave boots by their front doors in hopes that Saint Nicholas will visit them and bring them a treat. However, if the child was naughty, then they will receive a lump of coal from Krampus instead!

In the Croatian diaspora, it is common for local Croatian Catholic parishes to present a Saint Nicholas luncheon or banquet, with children performing a special Christmas recital for their loved ones. Other traditions include the sale of ornaments, baked goods and pšenica bowls during these events.

paper bags near wall — Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Baking
It is quite common for Croatians to bake traditional bake goods during the holidays, specifically štrudla od jabuka (apple strudel), breskvice (peaches), Mađarica (Hungarian lady) and orahnjača (walnut roll). My mom’s orahnjača is my absolute favourite (and I promise to share her recipe and test it out again!) and is great with coffee in the morning.
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The Feast of Saint Lucy – Blagdan Svete Lucije
Another special Croatian tradition is the planting of wheat (pšenica) in commemoration of the feast of Saint Lucy. The planting of wheat during the Christmas season symbolizes new life. Once the wheat has grown, most Croatians will tie it together with a red, white and blue ribbon (the colours of the Croatian flag) and/or place a candle in the middle. Typically, this plant is then the main centrepiece for the dinner table on Christmas day.

Christmas Eve – “Badnjak”
I remember the sight of a bakalar (cod fish) hanging in my parents’ fruit cellar. Its basically a dried-up cod fish used to make a bakalar stu with potatoes. This tradition is specific to Dalmatia as well as parts of Istria. Croatians, like most Catholics in Europe will enjoy a special fish dinner on Christmas Eve. Although fasting on Christmas Eve is not mandated by the Catholic Church, it is a tradition Croatians, and other Europeans, share. One of my fondest memories growing up is my mother and my late uncle cooking this wonderful bakalar stu together. We would then attend midnight mass (polnoćka) together and enjoy Croatian Christmas carols. Following this, we would come home to the smell of sarma (cabbage rolls) and fresh figs. Sometimes, people will get together after midnight mass to celebrate over drinks and music.

gift boxes on brown wooden board — Photo by Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com

Christmas Day – “Božić “
The big day arrived, it is Christmas day or Božić! It is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. If you did not make it to midnight mass, then most Croatians will attend mass on Christmas day. For most Croatians, Christmas day is the day when we get together with close family and friends over a big feast of cabbage rolls, schnitzels and much, much more. On Christmas day, presents are exchanged with loved ones and stories are shared with young ones.

bowls chairs christmas decorations decorations — Photo by Todd Trapani on Pexels.com

The days following Christmas…
The Christmas season does not just end on Christmas. For many Croatians, the Feast of Saint Stephen the Martyr (Blagdan Sv. Stjepana Prvomučenika) and the Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist (Blagdan Sveti Ivan Apostol i Evanđelist) is celebrated on December 26th and December 27th, respectively. If your name is a variant of Stephen or John, traditionally, a celebration would be held in your honour of your name-sake day (or imendan). I like to call it Christmas day parts 2 and 3.

The Christmas season traditionally ends on January 6th – the feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings Day, to commemorate the day when the Three Wise Kings visited baby Jesus.

Exploring new places, starting new traditions

A wine tour of Twenty Valley, a hidden gem in my very own backyard

When it comes to wine, places like Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa Valley come to mind. I am not necessarily a wine-connoisseur but I do enjoy some good wine. I’ve been fortunate to travel to places like Napa Valley and Italy where I’ve gone to wine tours and tastings. Growing up in Windsor, Ontario, I was well-familiar with Pelee Island and all it’s glory, but I never really thought about Niagara on the Lake or the surrounding areas. Perhaps because I was so far removed, or never really took some time to consider visiting there. Since moving to the GTHA, I started to explore various restaurants in the surrounding areas. It didn’t take me long to realize that you don’t have to travel too far to find good restaurants and wineries, and I am not even talking about going to Toronto!

I’ve been to Niagara on the Lake but I haven’t done it properly, like gone on a proper wine tour. It all started one afternoon at my niece’s 8th birthday party back in October. I was talking to a few of my husband’s cousins on how we should get together and what not and how we always do something with the kids, but never just us. I then said, “I think it would be nice if we all went on a wine tour.” And like magic, it just happened. We organized our first ever cousin’s wine tour.

40a9b3ef-7e92-4ff2-a2a5-547d02fa611d — *Just a bunch of cousins hanging out at Westcott Vineyards*

We spent a few weeks figuring out where to go, how many wineries to visit and booking a bus. I booked the restaurant and my cousin-in-law’s husband looked after the wineries. Luckily, my cousin-in-law’s husband is an expert when it comes to wine, so he put together a lovely roster for our tour. It worked out that all the wineries were located in Niagara’s Twenty Valley region instead of Niagara on the Lake.

Twenty Valley is located right in between Grimsby and St. Catharine’s and consists of Beamsville, Vineland, Jordan Station and the Town of Lincoln. Not only is the region home to many world-class wineries, but to breweries, restaurants, markets and much more. I’ve actually been to Christmas urn-making parties at the Watering Can in Vineland a few times and have been impressed with the beauty it surrounds.

I ended up making a reservation for dinner at Edgewater Manor in Stoney Creek, as it made sense to dine closer to home.

The weather couldn’t have been better for a late-November day as it was sunny. We started our tour at Hidden Bench Winery, a lovely winery located in Beamsville. It is a quaint area surrounded by a few barn-houses. There were 11 of us total in our group and we had our own private tasting room, where we were greeted by some friendly creatures! As we entered our room, a flight of four wines were waiting for us. We started with their riesling and made our way to the pinot. It was a nice start to our tour.
Our next stop was at Tawse, an organic winery with some French flair to it. This winery is a larger and more-commercialized winery. We had an hour walking tour of the winery and a private tasting in the cellar. I would say the pinot noir was my favourite at this one. This winery also makes various spirits as well. The grounds were lovely and had a nice view of the lake from a-far.
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Following this we stopped at Cloudsley Cellars, a smaller, more boutique-style winery. We had a tasting with the owner, right in the cellar, which made for a more intimate setting. I would say the chardonnay was my favourite here.

We concluded our wine tour at Westcott Vineyards, a family-owned and operated winery with a beautiful view and equally lovely rose! I really enjoyed the story behind their “Temperance” wine, inspired by two women who were feminists for their time. We tasted four wines here and I think the rose was my favourite at this one.

We had a bit of time in-between the last winery and the restaurant, so we made a quick pit stop for cappuccino and drinks at Cappola’s Ristorante in St. Catharine’s. My husband’s cousin-in-law grew up in the area and is friends with the owners. We were greeted with friendly smiles and some Louis Martini!

*Drinking a much needed coffee after a long day of wine touring*

We concluded our evening at the historic Edgewater Manor, located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Stoney Creek. The manor is absolutely beautiful and is well-decorated for the upcoming holidays. The food was phenomenal and our service was second-to-none. We were surprised by a guitarist who played some lovely flamingo music to us.
It was overall, a magical experience which made me realize you don’t have to travel too far to experience good food and good wine. But most importantly, we created a new tradition for us to carry for years to come.