When things aren't going to plan...

Hi from the beach in beautiful Australia! I’ve always felt so lucky to be Canadian and Australian, and every time I walk an Aussie beach, I know this is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

This week, I thought of a question that’s been amazing and I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Whenever anything happens—good, bad, or in between—ask yourself this:

Such a great question, and it works for every challenge we’re facing.

It’s an instant way to practice gratitude and look for more of what you want.

Just pause, breathe…and ask yourself, “How is this happening FOR me (and not TO me)?”

I hope you have a cosy weekend to rest and recharge. My plan is to search for the good in everything—easy to do in a landscape that’s so beautiful. This enormous banksia tree here at the beach is absolutely beautiful. It just keeps on growing and thriving…there’s a lesson in that.

Happy Sunday!

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

Your little reminder to do this.

Hi everyone, and hello to all the new people! I’m dropping in with your weekly inspiration. Thanks for all the messages, comments and emails—you’re the best, truly.

You know how life is both up and down — the silver heels and the worn slippers?

Well I’ve been feeling a bit flat and disoriented so far this year, and when that happens to me, I follow down the track of comfort eating (hello, chocolate!) and too much rumination (hello, 3am!). I no longer have a little furry pal to keep me company when I’m up in the middle of the night, and one thing has sort of led to another.

Maybe you feel the same? A little flat?

Or maybe your year has been amazing…and if so, that’s so good. I love the peak of the waves of life, and really hate the troughs. But for me, so far 2023 has been a trough.

That’s why I’m sharing a little reminder for us all:

You know what I mean:

  • Book the check-up

  • Restock the fridge with some healthier options

  • Do a free mediation (I love the one below…)

  • Lotion up your legs and feet before you go to bed at night, and when you get up in the morning

  • Go outside with the purpose of noticing something beautiful

  • Practice some wild gratitude

I’m calling it quits on the sadness and blah.

I’m asking, “How can you take care of yourself here, Catherine?”

I hope if you’re reading this today, you ask yourself if you need to take a little better care of you, too. Notice the good things, eat something green, take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, close your eyes and breathe, remember that you contribute something beautiful to this world.

Happy Sunday. The weekend is always the perfect time to begin.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • Even if you can’t be in Sydney, would you like to support these young musicians and their charity concert? Bossa Nova, Tango and Spanish music played by Seraphim Strings…my son’s the cellist. You can get tickets here. Saturday 1 April from 6-7pm—perfect before dinner! The venue is very close to Town Hall station. Even if you can’t be with us, every cent of your $30 purchase will go to charity. Thank you. ❤️

  • The most beautiful, free meditation by Canadian Sarah Blondin. 13 mins.

  • Do you know about Be My Eyes app, where you can “see” for blind people? Here’s how it works.

  • My silver shoes. My fuzzy slippers. (I know someone’s going to ask!)

Something useful

Hi everyone — just dropping into your Sunday morning / Saturday night with a very quick selfie to show you my new green puffer jacket in case you want one. I’m so sad we’re heading into fall and winter in Australia, so if you want to grab this cheerful jacket, link is below and very affordable. They’re selling so fast, and also in white, hot pink and black. Perfect for dog-walking…and I’m still so sad I won’t be doing that this winter.

Now, onto the important stuff!

This week I invited a beautiful friend over for a ‘mini-retreat and planning lunch.’ She’s wise and gorgeous, and I needed to chat about moving from being a mum-of-teens to a mum of adult sons. (Her advice was brilliant: “Before you ask them something, consider whether you’d like it if they asked YOU the same question.” Honestly, I’d be irritated if I were peppered with questions all day…so there we go. I’m easing back!)

The second thing we did was talk through 20 Questions for Reflection I compiled from various resources online. One of the questions felt amazing:

Over to you! It’s the easiest way to bring more joy to your day.

What do you love to do that you don’t do enough of?

For us, the answers just jumped out. Ask yourself, and yours will, too.

Happy Sunday! Enjoy your weekend.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

For absolutely everbody...

Hi friends! Thanks for joining me — today I’m up and writing from sunny Sydney. I’m pretty excited about a new development: later today, we’re going to try an in-studio yoga class to see how it goes. I only ever took a class once, and literally could not wait to get outta there, but I was younger and so impatient! Then I did a class or two online — see the link below — with beautiful Adrienne. But today I’m going to give it a whirl in person.

I love trying new things. For me, it’s the best way to get out of a funk. We’ve been so, so sad about losing our beautiful best friend last month, and what seems to help is shaking up my own routine and learning new things.

If unexpected death of a loved one has taught me anything, it’s this: you never know the burden other people are carrying.

Have the best weekend, and take the time to love all the people you’ve been given to love.

Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • For better balance: try brushing your teeth standing on one leg at a time. (I always forget to do this. I need a sticky note on my bathroom mirror!)

  • For endlessly hungry teens at my table: quick and easy cheesy garlic bread from Nagi at Recipe Tin Eats. I don’t have her cookbook yet, but I need it! What a gorgeous Aussie!

  • For cleaner floors — I’ve never tried a Dyson, but I absolutely love my new stick vacuum. I grabbed it on sale, and it is worth every penny.

  • For free, lovely yoga — try Yoga with Adriene.

  • For beauty’s sake: remember Sonnet 116? “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds…”

Being Fun

Hi everyone. Yesterday my husband and I took a drive to our favourite beach, and on the way stopped for a delicious brekkie at Kiama, a seaside town.

As I looked across the road, I saw these teens living life to the full. A sunny Saturday, an airbrushed tattoo, why not?

It made me think about how often I’m fun.

It also made me think about how often the people I love are fun.

Because here’s the truth:

Your life may be a lot different to mine, but we’re all pretty serious around here: we’re focused and goals-oriented and the appointments for teeth cleaning are booked. We run after our dreams and we’re responsible.

But are we fun?

Maybe not as often as we could be.

So here’s the challenge for me (and maybe for you): this weekend, I want to bring some FUN to the table. Being fun takes a little planning, a switch in attitude, and a playfulness that it’s so easy to lose in our busy lives.

  • Do something unexpected. (Choose one: bake a cake when it’s no one’s birthday. Put on a pretty dress for dinner. Wear the flashy earrings. Put on a tablecloth, dig out the good china. Visit a different town or suburb and take a walk.)

  • Let yourself have fun. (We’re so serious—but what’s fun for us? Play music you loved in high school. Sing along? Watch a comedy routine on Youtube and let yourself laugh?)

  • Delight someone you love, unexpectedly. (It might be as easy as their favourite chocolate bar set beside the chair they always use. It might be a beautiful text to a friend. It might be a big, huge, unforgettable gesture—send them a book in the mail, a present, a pot of flowers at their door, a trip, a duplicate of something they’ve seen you wear and you know they love).

It’s so important to remember that having fun is always about BEING FUN. Usually, it take a little effort—and this weekend, I’m ready to bring it. I hope you are, too.

Have a beautiful Sunday, everyone. See you next week!

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • One of my sons needs this: how to reliably stop hiccups, with Andrew Huberman from Stanford University.

  • This activity for toddlers. Keep them busy!

  • I’ve heard so much about this candle-warmer: scented candles last so much longer, with no open flame.

  • These amazing young musicians are selling tickets for their charity concert — are you able to come? Bossa Nova, Tango and Spanish music played by Seraphim Strings…my son’s the cellist. You can get tickets here. Saturday 1 April from 6-7pm—perfect before dinner! The venue is very close to Town Hall station.❤️

A useful tip for you ❤️

Hi everyone, and hello to the new people who’ve joined us. I’m Catherine…author and writer of weekly inspiration for women around the world. Thank you for being here.

And thank you for all your messages from last week about my sad news. Hearts are healing, of course, and our routines are changing, but I want you to know that I lingered over every single email from all of you, and they were so, so healing.

Today, I want to share something I’ve talked about before—a tip that always works for me. And it’s Latin, so that means it’s extra-cool and memorable.

It may be something you’d like to try.

For me, as soon as bad news hits, I’m out the front door and walking. I’ve always been this way as long as I can remember: a walker and a thinker. There’s something about the walking that seems to resolve the pain, and help with confusion and sadness.

Life will roll on with good news and bad for all of us; no one magically has a perfect life. That’s why I like to have an immediate fallback when things go wrong.

I take a deep breath.

I put on my shoes.

I get outside and walk. And walk. And walk.

Solvitur ambulando. It is solved by walking…or if not solved, exactly, at least the movement of my feet feel like I’m heading into my future, trying to sort out my next steps.

It’s a good first response: when life bowls you over with a wave of bad news you weren’t expecting, remember that walking gives you a healthy way to move forward, even if it doesn’t change what’s happened.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Hug your friends, yourself, your kids and your beloved pets. This beautiful life of ours is so, so temporary.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

Saying Goodbye

Hi friends (and hello if you’re new). It’s been a week of loss for us.

One minute we were opening birthday presents and just about to try Mexican Tres Leches birthday cake, the next we were scooping up a healthy pup—suddenly dangerously ill—and racing, racing to the vet hospital.

I don’t know how you do things, but when we love, we go all in. In a house of boys and men, this pup was my little girl.

And here’s the problem with grief.

But life?

Life is an adventure.

And I know this: adventures are filled with plans and friends and hope and danger. Obstacles, losses, mountainsides, and cliffs that are simply impossible to pass. Yes, there are campfires and joys—yes—and love and rest and ease, but an adventure means there is ALL of it.

One of my favourite poems by Mary Oliver, American poet, is about her dog, Percy—but it’s really about how to live. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s worth reading.

We need to learn the lessons of life.

The big ones seem to be this: how to love. How to hope. How to appreciate and enjoy.

But what can we do when sadness and loss bowl us over, and leave us changed?

We can keep going…with love.

We can keep going with Love.

I hope you have a weekend filled with comfort and joy.

Love, Catherine x

PS. A couple of things to share…

I love this idea.

Hello, friends — and hello to all the new people joining us this week! (I’m Catherine Greer, an author living in beautiful Sydney, and you’ve signed up for my weekly newsletter for a little inspiration and FUN.)

Let’s get to it.

This week I’ve been thinking about two ideas that collided. Ready?

  1. Negative thoughts are addictive. This came via a neuroscientist, and I forgot to save the link to the article for you — so sorry! — but the gist was this: our brains LOVE negative thinking because we believe it will keep us safe. Optimism is frightening because it has no “warning” and though pessimism feels terrible, it also feels like it will protect us from danger. It feels wise to be pessimistic.

  2. It’s safe to ask this question.

If your mind is stuck on a worry loop today — and your worry and pessimism feels like it’s keeping you safe — remember that your brain is just doing its job: trying to protect you.

But it’s okay to ask a different question.

Deep breath.

What if it works out?

I hope this helps you like it helps me—just a little reminder that life can ALSO be “gorgeous, fabulous, beautiful” and it’s safe to expect good things.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Thanks for being here. I appreciate you!

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff.

About shame and making mistakes

Hi friends, and happy Sunday! A couple of weeks ago, we met our son in the city on his lunch break. He snapped a photo of us walking towards his office building — if you squint, you can see two women in black with cute white sneakers, husbands in white ball caps trailing behind.

This photo reminds me that perspective is a beautiful thing.

The problem? We rarely have it.

Most of the time, life is lived on the ground, in the swell of the rest of the humans trying to navigate obstacles (crowds! challenges! cobblestones!). We can see a short distance ahead, and quite a way behind us.

Because we see the past so easily, it can make us live in regret.

Our inability to see the future can be scary.

And what’s the result of that? We have limited perspective. All of us do. We get it right, and we get it wrong sometimes.

We make mistakes and fail.

We’re all living on the ground, bumping around, doing the best we can with what we can see. So today I want to offer you this: failing doesn’t mean you are a failure.

There’s a difference between “I did something wrong” versus “Something is wrong with me.”

If you’ve tried something and failed, maybe it’s time to think of it like a Math problem: I did something wrong. I made a mistake in the math. I took a shot, apparently I did something wrong — and it didn’t work out.

I didn’t do what needed to be done to get the result I wanted.

Maybe that’s what most mistakes are — just getting it wrong. Like getting the Math wrong. No big deal, right? No need for shame, embarrassment, or beating yourself up. Just try again. That’s very different from making a failure mean there’s something wrong with you.

Perspective is everything.

Next time you’re tempted to criticise or shame yourself for getting it wrong, remember this view from my son’s office window. It’s so very different from my view on the ground. We can’t always get it right, but getting it wrong doesn’t mean we are wrong. It just means our actions didn’t create the result we’d hoped for.

And on we go, into a fresh, new week. What a gift: we woke up this morning, and we get to try again.

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

Tearing Down and Rebuilding

Hi everyone (and hello to the new people here). This week I’ve been thinking about renewing relationships and connecting with the people we love. Our family recently took Canadian cousins on a whirlwind tour of Sydney’s CBD, and I snapped this photo of my beloved Queen Victoria Building.

I love beautiful buildings, and QVB is incredible: built in 1898 and designed by a 28 year old architect, it was essentially a make-work project in the middle of a recession so the government could employ out-of-work craftsmen. Take a peek inside…

The QVB is a survivor. Built for a purpose, and reinventing itself over and over—even saved a couple of times from being torn down—the Queen Victoria Building still stands. As of 2010, it was preserved as a historical site.

Here’s what it makes me think about my own life, and possibly yours: we’re built for purpose, but that purpose keeps changing.

I’m in the middle of changing from a mother of teens to a mother of men. In fact, I’m behind…and wow, there’s pain in that. After a few sleepless nights, I realised this week that I need to catch myself up to my current reality.

Maybe you do, too.

Is there something in your life (a role you play, a relationship you have, a skill that used to work) that’s just no longer working?

The biggest challenge I’ve faced lately is that we need to allow each other the space to change.

We need to allow ourselves the space to change.

When the old “fit” no longer works, or feels off, the best thing to do is this:

Allow, allow, allow, allow.

In our relationships, it’s okay for us to feel behind, or out of synch.

We may be wrong about people (especially as they change).

Other people may be wrong about us (because we’re changing, or even because they never really understood us to begin with).

With every iteration of ourselves, with every new year and new set of experiences, the way things worked before may not work in the same way now. And that’s life, right? It’s a cliche because it’s true: the only certainty is change.

Allow, allow, allow. Have the courage to try something new. Reinvent your way of thinking. Test it out. Keep discovering what might work better now…and keep on walking.

I’m wishing you a weekend full of rest and unexpected happiness.

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

Today, try subtraction...

Hello friends, and new friends. It’s mid-Jan, and I’m finally starting to get into my plans for the new year. But this year, I’m trying something different.

Subtraction.

Instead of adding in resolutions of things to do, I’m taking away a few things — not in a New Year’s Resolution sort of way, but in a ‘I don’t need that anymore’ way.

I’m not sure what your list would be, but here’s what I’m subtracting. I’ll start with the small and obvious things, but there’s a big one at the end. Ready?

  • Shoes that don’t fit. You know the ones — the ones that pinch, or are really too high, or don’t feel like they should and are a mistake.

  • Half the junk in the junk drawer. Old rubber bands, unused kitchen tools, nearly empty rolls of tape, etc, etc, etc.

  • Cloth napkins I don’t love and stained dish towels.

  • Workout clothes I never wear, old and saggy t-shirts, tired pyjamas.

  • And on it goes, all through our home…

But there’s one huge thing I’m subtracting, and it’s insidious and tough to do because we’ve been so socialised as women to criticise ourselves. I was inspired by a podcaster I listened to this week.

She decided to stop saying anything mean about her own body. Ever.

No condemning the usual (tummy, face, wrinkles) or the sneaky thoughts we have (arthritic shoulders, an old running injury, feet that hurt).

Can you imagine your life if you subtracted all the negative thoughts you had about your own body, the body that’s trying so hard to serve you?

Here’s a useful re-direct. When a negative thought comes up, tell yourself this:

Then keep going. In time, it gets easier to redirect our thoughts to something more useful.

For me, making peace with all the parts of myself is important, and 2023 is the year I’m going to start with the body that’s done so well in serving me and getting me where I need to go.

Enjoy your beautiful weekend, everyone. I hope something lovely happens to you today.

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

Simple tips to make your home a little nicer

Hi everyone. 2023 is off to a racing start around here — so today I’m sharing random ways I like to zshoosh up my home a little.

If we think of our personal spaces as a nest we create, we usually have the two resources we need to make them a little lovelier:

  • A tiny touch of creativity

  • A dollop of care and attention

Our homes are so important.

The ancient poet Rumi reminds us of this truth about ourselves and our homes:

No matter how simple or grand, our homes often impact how well we feel.

We are all imperfect, with imperfect nests, but there are small ways to make ourselves a little happier at home…

  1. Remember that real people live here. This means your home doesn’t need to feel like a magazine…it needs to feel like YOU. But does it reflect what you love? For me, that’s books, too many family photos, poetry, cozy blankets, a garage gym.

  2. Turn on lights for the people you love (and you!). If I know someone’s coming home at dusk or dropping by during the day, I race to the front door and turn on the hall lights, light a scented candle, and put on some peaceful music. I’ve always done this, especially for our sons coming home from school or work. I don’t know if it matters to anyone, but it matters to me; I want people to walk in and feel welcomed with light, warmth, peace, music. Not a dark entryway.

  3. Use The 10 Minute Fix—the main idea from my best-loved book. So many tiny, irritating jobs can be done in just 10 minutes. It’s true. Set your timer and organise a drawer. Sweep your entryway. Tidy a cupboard. Do the thing you’ve been avoiding. Show your home a little love.

  4. Say thank you. We have a place to call home when so many people on the planet have fear and distress.

  5. Invite someone in. Nobody expects perfection. All we ever want is love.

Enjoy your weekend! I hope you find some time today to feather your nest to make it more uniquely yours.

Catherine x

PS. The Fun Stuff!

  • Did you know you can reflex roses? See the lovely roses above, a gorgeous gift from my friend Claire at New Year’s Eve? The arrangement was huge, and a week later it needed some TLC. The older roses look beautiful when they’re reflexed. It’s so easy to do!

  • Do you need a knife sharpener in your kitchen? I use a simple one, and look—it’s not fancy and who knows it this is the “proper” way to do things BUT when I can’t cut a tomato, I’m so irritated. I pull out this one for two secs and bam. My knife is always sharp.

  • Have you separated your plastic lids from the containers? I store my lids like this attached to the inside of my cupboard door with a 3M hook or try a holder for the cupboard.

Rest and reset for 2023!

Hello, friends. Happy New Year from sunny Sydney. This beautiful artwork is from New Happy Co (and you can find them here!)

In case I got into the new year before you, let me say this: it’s already wonderful, and I really hope you love it.

I hope you find what you’re looking for.

I hope you seek out every good moment and savour it in 2023.

I hope love and good fortune knock on your front door, and walk right in.

Look at all those days in front of us—those empty circles waiting for us to fill with the choices we get to make.

A fresh start.

New possibilities.

We have no idea what will happen.

Let’s choose to make it good.

And finally, there’s this: instead of rehashing everything we didn’t do in 2022, let’s take a minute to think about what we’re proud of.

Here’s what I’m asking myself:

  • Did I love all the people I’ve been given to love?

  • Did I find joy in simple things?

  • Did I read, dance, walk outside, sing sometimes, laugh as much as possible? Did I look for beauty and find it? Did I try and keep trying? Was I a good friend? Was I a good friend to myself, also?

Here’s to more of that in 2023.

We have a fresh start, all these days in front of us to fill with contentment and joy.

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

I'm Dreaming of a White (Sandy Beach) Christmas

Happy holidays, friends.

I hope the season is filled with peace, good cheer and some quiet time to reflect on all you’ve attempted this year.

Growth.

Joy.

Faith.

Resolve.

In the whirlwind of the end of the year, I try to remember that our attempts are worth as much as our successes. That joy prevails, even in the darkness. That the time to be happy is now.

Best wishes from our Aussie home to yours, wherever you are in this beautiful world.

May 2023 be merry and bright.

Love, Catherine x

Everyone will love you for this...

Hi friends. We’re in the lead-up to Christmas, and yesterday I made the most delicious treats. They’re perfect for gifting or for snacking on with family, and I always make them once a year.

Fleur de Sel (Salted) Caramels.

Here’s what you’ll need to find…the rest will be in your pantry.

Fleur de Sel Caramels take a while to make, but they’re very worth the effort. The only thing you need to do that takes some time is wait until the temperature of the mixture is hot enough, and for that you’ll need a candy thermometer (or a digital thermometer).

I took a quick photo of the bubbly mixture for you…smells divine!

The method is quite simple, and the result is so worth it…

Happy Sunday, everyone. I hope your lead-up to the holidays is sweet!

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

Want a holiday FUN list?

Happy Sunday, everyone. It’s Catherine Greer - dropping in with the list of holiday fun I promised last week. I’m starting with a photo of me so you know who’s writing to you…hi to all the new people this week! Thanks for joining us.

Now that our sons are 22 and 18, our holiday traditions needed an upgrade, so I decided to become the CFO (Chief FUN Officer) of Christmas this year.

Fun rarely happens unless someone makes an effort, so I’ve taken on the job. Ready to join me?

Let’s start with the Littles.

Fun for Little People

  • Christmas Camp Out on December 23. Anticipation is all the joy, right? Every year I find matching Christmas PJs and wrap them up for a “camp out” under the Christmas tree. When the boys were little, they’d set up sleeping bags and camp out overnight with Dad on the floor of the living room. Christmas Camp Out! The kids went wild about a simple sleepover under the tree. We read the same two stories every year — the Jolly Christmas Postman and Christmas Every Day (link to the pdf…published over a hundred years ago, but you’d think it was written yesterday. Smart and hilarious!). Now that the boys are young men, we still do pjs, the stories for old time’s sake, a delicious dinner and a Christmas movie. Here’s the PJ package label for you. Little kids LOVE Christmas Camp Out. Best of all, it doesn’t have to cost a thing.

Fun for Everyone

  • Christmas Ninjas. I came up with this idea because we’re here in Australia without extended family. Every Christmas Eve when it gets dark, we make an incognito Christmas cookie run to a few houses — but here’s the catch. We wear hilarious outfits, and the boys do the drop off as if it’s “Ring and Run.” This tradition started when they were little—lots of thrills and spills and cunning plans—while the adults drive the “getaway car.” The key is that the outfits / costumes have to be funny. High effort, but so many laughs…

  • Games Night with a prize. The prize is the important part, to get the competition rolling. This year, we plan to do Monopoly or poker with either a cash prize or (because we have boys) a voucher for their favourite takeaway.

  • Christmas Cocktail or Mocktail competition. See who makes the best cocktail or mocktail…again, with a prize. New for us this year.

  • Christmas Ball Game. I hope you don’t find this one borderline inappropriate but it could be funny. You can buy it here or easily make your own with plastic Christmas baubles and cups.

  • Family Olympics. I’m dreading this one, but I’ve got sporty men in my life. We’ll do actual exercises like plank, pushups and sit ups (ugh) but you could do fun events. Send condolences: I’ve already lost.

  • Here’s a crazy one from podcaster Mel Robbins’ family…an “anything but clothes” dinner. What’s the catch? Everyone has to dress for dinner in anything but clothes. Hand all attendees a roll of packing tape and see what they create to wear.

  • Good old Reindeer Antler Toss or Beverage Pong.

  • Christmas coffee morning for friends. Set out the goodies and make the coffee. I always love making the Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Tree.

  • Make your own beautiful Gingerbread House. My sister’s recipe is here (a long time ago, I wrote a full blog post with pictures to help you make your own…)

  • A few fun gift-giving ideas, compliments of Marlene, an upbeat, vivacious reader in Canada:

    • Every gift you give has to start with the initial of your name. So I’d be giving candy, clothes, cotton tea towels, and cash! You get the idea…

    • Every gift has to be a colour that’s been designated by the organiser: Catherine gives everyone gifts that are pink, Marlene gives everyone something blue, etc…

    • Budget-friendly: you all agree to “shop” at garage sales. This could be hilarious.

How’s that for holiday fun?

I hope I’ve been a little help to you, if you’ve decided to be the Chief Fun Officer in your home. Have a beautiful Sunday…and next week, let’s talk about rest and relaxation.

Love Catherine x

PS. More fun stuff!

I love this question for the holidays...

Hi everyone, and hello if you’re new or haven’t seen me in a while. A quick intro — I’m Catherine Greer, author of a bunch of books (The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect are best-loved). I live in Sydney with my Canadian husband and two young adults sons.

Last night we went to a fabulous party with a lot of fun people and dancing…and all I snapped was this car selfie.

Do you mind if I tell you a quick little story about my dress?

A couple of weeks before the party, a friend who was also invited leaned in and said, “I’m going sparkly.”

Well, that was enough encouragement for me. I said, “I’m going sparkly, too.”

She showed up looking gorgeous, so sparkly and twirly and fun in red. So did many others. The dance floor made me think of my favourite question, the question that truly is the heartbeat of my life.

It’s confronting, though — at least for me. Here it is:

Sometimes I am worried-tired-cranky-self-focused and not that much fun.

Sometimes I want the WORLD to be fun (good things to happen, people to make my life fun) and I forget that BEING fun is more important than HAVING fun.

But mostly I try to remember that fun begins with me.

I want to do more of this during the holidays. I’m going to try out some new, fun traditions because so many of my existing traditions—Christmas Camp Out, Christmas Ninjas—are traditions I created when our boys were little, and now they’re grown young adults and need some fresh holiday fun.

So I decided I’m going to be the CFO of the family, a beautiful idea from Mel Robbins, podcaster and American author.

CFO = Chief Fun Officer.

I’m going to drive up in the metaphorical “fun bus.”

I’m going to plan a few things to bring the fun.

Next week, I’ll share some of my ideas…you’re so welcome to borrow them if anything resonates. And in the meantime, I hope you bring some fun into your weekend…

Thanks for being here. I appreciate that you are!

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • Oh my goodness, the beauty of my beloved Canada—you have to see this.

  • If you were at the party with me and you asked — here are my pink boots and very affordable dress. Feel free to get your own. I wouldn’t mind at all…

  • For all the new people today…my books, written with so much love. If you need a girlfriend gift, women often get multiple copies and my books post as a letter for around $4.50 postage. The 10 Minute Fix is on sale now in Australia for $12.

  • Ohhhhh, frost flowers. Absolute magic — have you ever seen one?

  • Email me if you have any fun Christmas traditions!

Ask me how I know...

Hi there friends and new friends! It’s Catherine Greer, popping into your weekend to say hello. So many new faces this week—welcome. Wish you were here having coffee with me and listening to early morning birdsong in Sydney. ❤️

Would you mind if I tell you a quick story?

I ran into a little girl when I was shopping at Target yesterday. She was sitting in the women’s shoe aisle knee-deep in shoes while she waited for her mother in the cosmetics department beside us. She must’ve been nine years old, and she reminded me so much of little Catherine.

She put on high heels over her socks and clomped around, set them back properly and tried on another pair. I watched her HUG the same gold pair I’m wearing in the photo above.

I couldn’t help myself; I leaned down, and I told her this:

“You know, one day you’re going to be a grown woman who works, and you’ll be able to buy all the shoes you want.”

She looked up at me and grinned. We both went back to trying on our heels.

I felt like I’d reached back into my own childhood and whispered a message to ME.

Isn’t it magic? We can do so many things that we couldn’t when we were girls.

  • Make decisions for ourselves.

  • Love who we love.

  • Love WHAT we love.

  • Sneak away for a little break: put your feet up, look at something beautiful (hoar frost, your Christmas tree, a candle you’ve lit, a pretty cup of tea), spritz on some perfume, eat a little chocolate, listen to your favourite song.

I so badly wanted to buy that little girl the gold shoes…but of course, I couldn’t. She was nine and her mother wouldn’t have approved!

But I did buy them for me: shoes from Target, as a beautiful symbol. We’ve all come such a long, long way. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the control we DO have over our rocky and random lives: that we are grown women, and we can treat ourselves a little.

There are infinite ways to do this, and yes, you can.

Enjoy your Sunday. Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

  • What if you showed up with THIS BRIE as a hostess gift during the holidays? Wow.

  • My cousin, Jean McCarthy, just released a new book based on Recovery and her podcast The Bubble Hour. Beautiful reading whatever you might be recovering from…it’s called Take Good Care.

  • The perfect Christmas “girlfriend gift” and SUCH a great sale price today in Australia — my most popular book, The 10 Minute Fix (just $11 today! wow!) followed by Small Steps Are Perfect. Tooting my own horn, but women often buy multiple copies to gift to friends…it’s a little winner.

  • Of course, the gold shoes from Target. More comfortable than you’d think. Perfect for holiday parties, Aussies!

What are your best-loved traditions?

Hi everyone, and hello to all the new people this week! Thank you for being here, and sharing your time with me. ❤️

Can I tell you a little story about why we’re enjoying Christmas early this year?

In this blurry photo, my husband caught me standing beside our treasured Christmas tree…a tree with decorations we’ve collected over the past 25 years of marriage. Isn’t it beautiful?

When I was a little girl, my mum made Christmas magical. We didn’t have a lot, but we had a love for tradition. Out in the country in the middle of the Canadian prairies in the frigid winter, Dad would put up the blue lights on the house, and we always decorated the most fragrant live Christmas tree. I’m the youngest of six, so there were presents and chocolates and delicious baking…games nights and little grandchildren and Christmas music on the stereo on repeat. It was magic. Everything sparkled.

I repeatedly stole baby Jesus from the nativity and carried him around in my pocket until I was outed by my siblings—ha! But he was a baby, and so cute, and removable… I can still hear an indignant sister yelling, “STOP stealing Jesus!” Makes me laugh every time I think of it. 🤣

I loved beauty (still do!), so Christmas — with it’s lights and dazzle, hoar frost and snowy skies — truly delivered.

Today we live in sunny Sydney, and Christmas is summertime, with swimming and beaches…but I still carry the traditions of my family in my heart. Christmas music on repeat. Starting early. Getting out all the sparkle because I love it.

That’s me.

I remember the moment when my eldest son realised how to bring magic to the holidays. He was 20, and it was two Christmases ago. He sat beside me one night while I was gazing at the tree and said this.

I believe this is true.

In almost every situation in life, we have the choice to be the joy. We can be the ones to bring it, in tiny ways.

  • When someone is talking, we can say “Tell me more…”

  • Light a candle in the entryway, so the house smells beautiful when our people come home.

  • Use the cloth napkins and the dress hanging in the closet. Set out the good dishes for afternoon tea.

  • Do what we love (whatever that is). Share our unique loves with the world. For me, it’s making life as beautiful as I can with what I already have. For you, it might be giving other people a sense of peace when they’re with you, or being FUN, or listening, or…

I love the idea that we can all use what we have in our own two hands.

It may be that we can give a lot.

It may seem like a little.

But it matters that we share who we are and what we love.

Today, I’m wishing you the chance to share yourself. To bring the joy. Be the fun. As I wrote at the end of my book, Small Steps Are Perfect, “we need you here. Shining.”

Love Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!

I find this quick tip helpful...

Happy Sunday, and hello!

For all the new people this week, I’m Catherine Greer, author, mother of young adult sons and wife living in beautiful Sydney, Australia. I love to capture photos of tiny, usual things — little moments of beauty like this rainy carpark with cloudy skies.

Today let’s talk about worry.

We all do it, right?

Whenever I feel worried, overwhelmed, tired, dispirited — I whisper some words, written more than six hundred years ago.

They were written by Julian of Norwich (1343-1416). It’s important for women to know about Julian (sometimes called Juliana) because she was the author of the earliest known English language writings by a woman.

Isn’t it incredible that a woman was allowed to write at that time?

Isn’t it amazing that her writing survived and can still reach us today?

The repetition (called anaphora, in case you love writing and language like I do!) is what makes Julian’s words so beautiful and memorable.

Whispering “all shall be well” is so much more helpful than diving into worry or fear. If you’re keen, try it now and see how you feel…but use the anaphora, okay?

Say it like Julian wrote it — three times.

It’s simple, but it works.

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

(Not some, but all. All manner of things…kids and work and finances and health and life and death and sorrow and joy and uncertainty and pain…)

In the end, all of it shall be well.

Wishing you a beautiful Sunday filled with unexpected, tiny joys.

Love, Catherine x

PS. The fun stuff!