10 Days of Yoga to Calm the Mind, Relax the Body, and Warm the Heart

If you’ve been following my social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest) then you may have noticed the pictures I posted doing yoga poses all over the Maritimes and northern Ontario this fall. With fall in full swing, I’m preparing for the winter to come. My 10 days of yoga challenge helped me to calm the mind, relax the body, and warm the heart in preparation for the coming winter season.  From flying as far north to the Hudson Bay or walking along the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia, my fall season brought me to incredible places in eastern Canada and in Ontario’s northern region. What are your favourite fall memories?

Beloved Engagement Photos with Alyssa Martin Photography

My fiancé and I were blessed to have Alyssa Martin Photography do our engagement photos this past April. After being engaged for a mere few months, we decided that we wanted to do a mini engagement photo session to get a few images prior to our upcoming wedding which would be 4 months later. With so many excellent photographers in my area, I knew it would be difficult to pick one (let alone the right one for us). After viewing Alyssa Martin’s website and finding out how much she loves doing engagement sessions, I knew that she would be right for the job. When I met Alyssa for the first time it was as if I had been reunited with a long lost childhood friend. We hugged upon meeting and chatted over tea as if we had been friends for a lifetime. We also came to realize that we had so much in common and mutual friends. What a small world! She’d be perfect! Her excitement to shoot our love story made me confident that we had picked the perfect photographer for us. We really only wanted and needed a few good ones. Initially, our hopes were to get a handful of good edited photos that we could frame in our home. Alyssa Martin gave us far more than we bargained for…

A Sneak Peek at our Engagement Photo Session with Alyssa Martin

With 105 finished & edited engagement photos to choose from, I had a hard time picking which pictures I would share with you as a sneak peek! Alyssa Martin Photography did such an amazing job capturing our essence that my fiancé and I want to frame all of them. Here are 8 of my favorites! I can’t wait to share the rest with you.

You Know it’s a Canadian Winter When…

After the east coast of Canada just got hammered with yet again another winter blizzard, I couldn’t be dreaming more of summer than I am now. It’s storms like this that make me long for warm temperatures, sunny skies, hot sand between my toes, and a turquoise beach. Naturally, I’m a summer baby. That’s just the way it is. I can handle winter to an extent (not 6 months of it), but this winter is just giving me the blues. It’s one winter storm after another this year. Apparently, last year was worse, but I was lucky enough to be in Australia at that time. If only I could transport myself there now. I can say that this winter is the worst I’ve ever experienced since moving to New Brunswick. I wasn’t made for winters–just beaches! However, with that being said, I believe in living life the fullest. So I am living in the moment and embracing the snow as best I can. Snow banks and all. If I can’t climb mountains, I’ll just climb snow banks instead.

Bueteaful: Natural Earth Friendly Products

Bueteaful is a New Brunswick based company that produces premium tea and natural products ranging from essential oils, room sprays, to body products, and beyond. Bueteaful believes in using the highest quality tea blends and ingredients, including organic ingredients grown right in Sari’s (the owner’s) own home garden. A majority of her products (which are all handmade with love) are 100% natural and organic. Bueteaful customizes in one of a kind lovable teas, teaware, aromatherapy sprays, healing salves & balms, and lip balms. Who wouldn’t want to buy good for the earth natural products, while supporting a local artisan at the same time? Bueteaful makes it easy for me to get through the harsh Canadian winter (not to mention cold and flu season) and to support my yoga practice with their natural body products and tea. Luckily for me, I can find Bueteaful at my local Farmers Market.

A Seaside Christmas is the Kind of Christmas for Me

@Shy Giraffe- Modern Artisan Jewellery

Going with the theme The Christmas Song (one of my favorite Christmas songs) by Nat King Cole, commonly known as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, I can’t help but think a seaside Christmas is the kind of Christmas for me. Although I love chestnuts roasting by an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at my nose, turkey, and mistletoe, the thing I love most is a seaside themed Christmas. Most of my house and Christmas Tree decorations are turquoise and beach themed. Last year, I was able to spend the week before Christmas in Puerto Rico. Now that’s the perfect place to celebrate a seaside Christmas. Well, I found my Atlantic Canadian seaside Christmas, not by the sea, but at Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum. Everywhere I looked I found sea inspired Christmas decorations. This Christmas extravaganza made me feel right at home. Although I won’t be on a tropical beach this Christmas, at least I know that I can surround myself with ocean inspired decorations, not to mention the fact that I’m conveniently located 20 minutes from the beach.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Turquoise Christmas

@Revamped Living- Bringing furniture back to life

After spending this past weekend at Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum, I have come to realize that it’s beginning to look a lot like a turquoise Christmas (can you hear me singing?). I’m thinking that this is how Christmas should look–purely turquoise and festive. I had fun exploring the rows and rows of vendors in the coliseum, while trying to spot turquoise treasures. It wasn’t difficult to find turquoise all around, because it seems that every booth had at least one item in the colour of turquoise, if not an array of totally turquoise gifts.

10 Reasons to Make Christmas at the Coliseum Part of your Routine

@Whirled Beet Farm wreaths

Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum is an annual holiday arts-crafts-food-and-antiques show presented by Show Associates Inc. at the Moncton, New Brunswick Coliseum Complex. This holiday event is one of the largest annual events east of Montreal.  

Christmas at the Coliseum: Yuletide Festival not to be Missed

Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum

Want to win two tickets to this upcoming event? Well, it’s your lucky day! I’m giving away 4 tickets to this great Holiday event. If you live in Moncton, New Brunswick or are planning a vacation to Moncton, why not sign up to win today! It’s simple! Check out Turquoise Compass’ Facebook Page for details!

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J.R.’s Kettle Corn

There is no better way to kick off the holiday season then by attending Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum presented by Show Associates Inc. at the Moncton, New Brunswick Coliseum Complex. The annual Christmas event in Moncton celebrated its 26th anniversary last year. The arts-crafts-food-and-antiques show definitely puts me in the holiday spirit. Greg and Claudette Turner produce the show in Moncton and each year they go over the top to produce an even bigger and better show than the previous year. With this year’s show coming up on November 21-23, 2014, Greg and Claudette are ready to put on the best Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum. I can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves!

Magic Hands Festival: Holiday Show & Sale

Want to win two VIP tickets to this upcoming event? Well, it’s your lucky day! I’m giving away 4 tickets to this great Holiday event. If you live in Moncton, New Brunswick or are planning a vacation to Moncton, why not sign up to win today! It’s simple! Check out Turquoise Compass’ Facebook Page for details! VIP passes include weekend passes, free parking, and complimentary coat check.

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Wood & Pottery / Jewellery, Metal, & Glass / Textiles & Weaving / Lotions, Soaps, & Scents / Gourmet Food & Drink / Photo, Art, and Paint

There is no better way to kick off the holiday season then by attending the 4th annual 2014 Magic Hands Festival: Turner’s Holiday Show & Sale  at Casino New Brunswick Entertainment Center. This show is sanctioned by the New Brunswick Crafts Council and features the finest one-of-a-kind artisans from across eastern Canada . Hours are: Friday ( 5-9) ; Saturday ( 10-9 ) and Sunday ( 10-5 ). It features pottery, jewellery, woodworking, metalworks, and textiles . The arts-crafts-food-and-handmade extravaganza definitely puts me in the holiday spirit. With this year’s show coming up on November 14-16, 2014, I’m already waiting in anticipation!