Hello Friends

Hello Friends! It's been a while since I last posted and we're already 13 days into February! (How did that happen?) Since we last spoke - I turned one year older, found amazing treasures at my favorite junk store, spent time in Kingston visiting a very special little lady (well, two of them, really!), discovered where to buy Yorkshire Tea close to home, tried PG Tips, purchased a Zutter (♥) and felt heartbroken over the news of my cousin.

The last two weeks have been really busy with school, work and of course, family time. I've been co-facilitating a workshop with a fellow employee helping women who are going through transitions in employment. It's a three week workshop which touches on topics such as self-esteem, communication in the workplace, time and stress management and learning styles. There are various self-assessments done by the clients, as well as ample opportunity to interact with other group members through role plays, group activities and discussions. It can be a really powerful experience for some as they're doing a lot of self-reflection and working on issues that they may not have confronted until now.

I'm really enjoying group facilitation especially watching the process unfold and seeing the participants open up. I used to feel nervous at the thought of facilitating workshops and didn't think it was possible as an introvert to do a good job or be really effective but I don't think I'm the true introvert that I thought I once was. I'm excited to meet with the group and I'm finding myself feeling energized after the sessions. I think my fears came down to lack of practice so I'm really grateful for the experiences I've been gaining through work. On the flipside, I'm still really enjoying the individual counselling I've been doing with clients. Each person has a different story to share and I love learning about their career path(s) or their desire to carve a new one. The most meaningful experience of all has been helping clients find work or direction and being part of the process. The gratitude from the clients has been incredibly special and will continue to motivate me in the work that I do.

After a long and busy week, I'm going to treat myself to some craft-time with H this afternoon. We're going to put the Zutter to the test and make some little journals and gifts. In the evening, J + I are going to a birthday slash engagement party at a vegetarian restaurant we've never been to. Afterwards, we're going to a house party close to home. H is going to another sleepover tonight so all three of us will be having some fun with friends and staying up 'til the wee hours.

Hope you've been well and having a lovely February. Have a happy Saturday. Talk soon. xo