5 Ways I Like to Relax

Over the last few years I have taken a conscious decision to listen to my body and take out time to self care.  We all have different ways to relax, for some it's going for a run, other's like watching some Netflix. Here are some of my ways to relax:

1. Bath

taking a nice long bath is a great way to unwind. I have tried to incorporate more and more baths into my self care routine, I went from never having time to take a bath to working it in at least a couple times a month.  I love the toxin free bath bombs from Rocky Mountain . They are filled with organic ingredients, essential oils and natural extracts! and my All Time favourite bath product is this Lavender Bubble Bath - it is amazing! On my super tired days, this is a perfect way for me to end my day, sinking into a bubble bath of toxin free lavender with an amazing calming effect after which I feel my body less tense and ready for a nice sleep.

Serenity Wellness Bath Bomb c/o Rocky Mountain Soap Co.

check out all the other amazing Rocky Mountain Products we love

2. read

Ever since I can remember reading has been my favourite pass time. I love delving into the world of novels and escaping into the stories of the characters.  It is the best way to give my brain a break from the overthinking and worrying it does on a normal basis and just relax!

this is not even a quarter of my book collection:

3. draw

I usually have a small sketchbook with ink pens with me in my bag or purse. I find that whenever i am feeling really overwhelmed or over stimulated drawing makes me feel so calm.  My brain is able to focus right into the drawing.

I find the stippling technique to be really calming:

4. sit by the water

I am so lucky to live in Vancouver, we have beautiful beaches and are right on the WestCoast, with the Pacific Ocean right there, I enjoy just sitting by the water, listening to the ocean or even just watching it. One of my favourite things to do is to drive to Iona Beach and watch the sunset in silence, it is such a beautiful sight!

Iona beach:

5. massage 

and lastly, there is nothing more relaxing for your body then a nice massage. Again this is something I have recently started to actually invest in and take time for.  We don't realize how much our body has to go through and how a massage once in a while can do wonders.

What are some ways you like to relax?

*note: this blog post is not sponsored by rocky mountain soap but we are their brand ambassador and all the opinions expressed are our own.  We first fell in love with their products and then partnered up with them - enjoy & check out all the other amazing Rocky Mountain Products we love

nordstrom - half yearly sale is here!

It's here! It's that time of the year - the NORDSTROM Half Yearly Sale! Lucky for you, we have curated some of our favourite pieces that are on sale right now - and are amazing deals!

It's the perfect time to shop for your summer wardrobe or your summer vacay! 

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the stories of 5 inspiring women in my life

here is a stories of 5 inspiring women in my life:

My paternal grandmother:

A woman so strong that at her time it was unheard of, but she attended school until grade 5. A woman so strong that she had to quickly become the head of the house, in a very patriarchal society of Punjab, India,  at a young age when her father was in prison. 

A woman so strong that she raised 6 children whilst running the household, taking care of the livestock, working in the fields, keeping her home running in times of debt, cooking from scratch - grinding her own lentils to make flour, waking up early to to milk the buffalos so her youngest son could sell the milk in town, a woman so strong that when in debt she still made sure her eldest son would do his PhD - first one in his village to do so.

 A woman so strong that when she  emigrated to Canada, in her old age, she worked on the farms here in British Columbia, in not so great conditions and earning not very much. 

A woman so strong that when her eldest son (my father), at the age of 39, suffered multiple strokes and brain hemorrhage that left him paralyzed for life she stood strong, supported my mother and took care of myself and my 3 sisters so we could make it through and we did. 

A woman so strong that she almost lost her second son to alcoholism and her third son to hepatitis C but she rained strong through out it all, both of them survived and lived healthy lives.


 A woman so strong that she raised such strong woman (my sisters and I) whilst running a household, and being the strong foundation that our family leaned on. Nothing could break her. Until it did. and it broke us all. and she is missed every single day.

My Mother:

 A woman so strong that at the age of 15 she emigrated from India to Canada, a new place, where she didn't know anyone except her brother and everything so new to her. 

A woman so strong that she not only worked crazy hours at her brother's restaurant as a waitress, she went to hair dressing school and soon, after only have studied till grade 10 in India, was able to get her grade 12 in Canada, 

A woman so strong she supported my paternal grandparents and my father's siblings when they came to Canada whilst my father went to school. 

 A woman so strong that when she could have given up and could have felt beat, rose at a very young age of 32, with 3 children, her husband,  lay in the hospital in a coma for 3 months, with almost no chance of survival, but she believed and she was his biggest support, my father went from a coma, to learning to walk again, talk again, eat again, drive again and it would not have been possible without my strong mother. 

a mother so strong she financially supported the entire household, raised 4 daughters (in a very patriarchal punjabi community in the diaspora that doesn't want daughters but wants sons), went from a waitress to a bank manager for 25 years & then opened her own mortgage company. 

 A mother so strong that she supported all her children through higher education. 

my 3 sisters:

 they are women so strong that each one of them inspire me in different ways. the four of us would be nothing without the strong women: my grandmother and mother in our life. We each have chosen the harder path, we have survived and stuck it together, we have seen strong women in our life make it through and seen my father being so supportive of us to become strong women and our grandfather always pushing us to achieve more and not care a single bit that we were girls and not boys.  In fact he spoiled us girls compared to the boys haha. 

the strength that each one of my sisters exude is what keeps me going, their resilience, their ability to shine and hold their own, their strength to live a life full of adventure when there are so many naysayers.  Their wisdom, their love and friendship. 

these 3 women are so strong, that all that we have been through, we know we are in it together, and we have each other and that is why we can get through anything. 

15 things I take on a plane

There is no secret that I have been travelling around the world since a young child and have an itch to go on my next trip once I'm home. But it's also no secret that I also have particular anxieties when it comes to Travelling - especially flying on planes! Therefore when I travel, especially on long flights I need particular things with me to make me feel as comfortable as possible. I have a system in place when it comes to flying, so I thought to share all the must have things with me when I board a plane!

pin this to save this list for when you are travelling: 

1.  Blanket Scarf

I don't know about you, but i am always FREEZING on a plane! I always, always, always dress up in layers when travelling on planes. And being comfortable is my priority.  Therefore I'm usually in sweats (with a change of shorts if I am landing in a hot location), sweat shirt, nice loose tshirt, scarf, jacket etc.  

more blanket scarves: here , here, and here

2.  Socks

Continuing with my "I'm FREEZING on the plane" theme - I always carry an extra pair of thick, warm and fuzzy socks. It is a must for me!

more socks: here

3.  gum + gravol

I always keep a pack of gum with me especially while travelling or on a plane. I get motion sickness and my ears pop so gum really helps with that. Gravol is another must - as I mentioned before, I get motion sickness on the plane so I make sure I have gravol with me

4. easy personal bag

as I have emphasized before, I really need to be as comfortable as possible whilst travelling. Therefore my side bag or personal bag needs to be comfortable for me.  I prefer a small backpack for this.  In everyday life, I just happen to be a backpack person - it's just easy to carry around.

more backpacks: here , here, and here

5.  book or kindle

I am a avid reader. So I always need a good book with me. I always carried an actual physical book with me, but lately I have used my Kindle instead. 

6.  earphones

I need to escape with some music or a good podcast. Or I will use a movie to help me fall asleep during the flight. 

7.  notebook / mini sketchbook

I always carry a little notebook with me, to jot thoughts down but also keep important information i might have to write, such as address of where I will be staying. I also have a tiny sketchbook I like to carry with me.  

8.  passport holder

I am always paranoid I'm going to lose my passport, so having my passport in a separate holder makes it stick out and I always know where it is.

more passport holders: here, here and here

9.  lotion

have to keep hydrated on long flights! 

10.  pens

I take tons of pens with me. Not just for my sketchbook but I always make sure I have a couple to fill in forms etc.

11.  ipad

long flights, long delays, lots of waiting around in the boarding area means I need my kindle or Ipad to keep me distracted and entertained

12. snacks and my own food

okay, it's no secret that I HATE airplane food. Therefore I always buy bunch of snacks at the boarding gate for the flight. I usually will have a proper meal before getting on the plane.  

13. water bottle

I need to stay hydrated on the plane, so I make sure I purchase bottled water at the boarding gate as well

14.  neck pillow

As I have mentioned before, I try to be asleep for the entire flight - so I definitely take along a comfortable neck pillow.

15. aisle seat 

okay so this isn't something I bring along with me, but I always try to book an aisle seat. I feel less claustrophobic in the aisle seat. I also can stretch my legs easily and since I like to get up a lot, either to use the washroom, or for a little walk, this is much easier when in the aisle seat.