Finding Balance with the most AMAZING Women!

I’ve been reading a lot on “wellness” lately and one of the things that comes up time and again…is the NEED for friendship. The fact that packing up the car and heading for a “girl’s weekend”, meeting a few girlfriends at a local coffee shop or curling up on the couch with your bestie, can make all the difference in the world to your mental health.

This year, the topic of “wellness” will be coming up time and again as I seek to not only get my physical health in order…but my mental health as well.

Myself and my ECM Media business partner, Laura from My Life in the Sun, got together a few months ago to pound out some workshops we wanted to sponsor in 2019…and one on wellness and balancing our busy lives was definitely on the top of the list. It was a no-brainer when Mudwraps to Manicures stepped in to host the workshop with us…the absolute perfect venue for a girl’s night out!

Our #BeautyandBalance workshop began with a dozen local bloggers gathering in the beautiful spa on the Bedford Highway and changing into PJs that were gifted to us from Take it Outside. I’ve had a few chats through the years with Sue Stanfield, owner of Take it Outside, and as a busy entrepreneur and mom…she’s all too aware of how important it is to find balance in this busy world.

Side Note: Take it Outside is currently running a campaign in their stores called Health + Kindness, where the proceeds from the sales of T-shirts are donated to Pediatric Mental Health at the IWK Children’s Centre. Please visit their website for more information on the campaign. 

Once changed into pyjamas…it was time to pour some wine and enjoy the snacks provided by Chef Dennis from Fid Kitchen and OH MY GOODNESS were they ever appreciated. For our #BeautyandBalance Jammie Party, Dennis put together a table full of snacks including Gougere (an airy French cheese puff that tasted like cheese clouds), Curried Popcorn, Rice Chips (flavoured with shiitake and vinegar) and Steam Bao Buns with smoked salmon, spinach, green onions and a miso mayonaise.

If you’re planning an event or looking to do something special at home with friends…make sure to give Fid Kitchen a call as everything Dennis makes is delicious!!!

The night continued with lots of laughter and a chat about our busy lives as entrepreneurs…how tough it is to “turn it off” when our phones are always glued to our hands and the need for some “you time”. We met with Nutrition and Fitness Coach, Anna Townsend, who talked with us about breathing techniques and then took us through the most amazing mediation session! Each of us…eyes closed…completely disconnecting from everything else going on in our lives for a full and glorious five minutes. Anna’s voice talked us into the most peaceful place, then brought us back to the room again where the air and the feeling of relaxation was almost palpable.

Relaxed and refreshed, we moved the party into one of the treatment rooms where the group of us learned about skin care while applying facials. We tried out the Yonka products as Lisa Belanger, a true skin care guru, answered every question there was about keeping your skin looking it’s absolute best and while I admit, as Lisa’s low-maintenance friend, it’s rare that more than a makeup wipe or a bit of moisturizer sees my face…I absolutely loved the feeling of the facial and will definitely add it to my nightly routine as I strive to feel my best this year!

In all…our evening was lovely. So lovely in fact that no one seemed to want to leave as the night wore on and everyone kept chatting in groups and taking photos (as we do.)

A very, very special thanks to Lisa at Mudwraps to Manicures for hosting us for the evening. I’ve been going to Mudwraps for years and am never disappointed…their monthly specials can be viewed on the right side of my blog and are truly spectacular! Lisa and all of the staff out-do themselves with excellent service in their beautiful spa (that’s also a lovely store and spectacular shoe shop!) As I said from the beginning, time with girlfriends is ESSENTIAL to your health and well-being…give your bestie a call and head into Mudwraps for facials, manicures, pedicures, and more!

THANK YOU to Take it Outside, Fid Kitchen and Anna Townsend for being part of #BeautyandBalance workshop. We were so happy to learn more about each of you…and hope you enjoyed getting to know each of the influencers who came out to the workshop.

ECM Media connects Bloggers and Brands in Atlantic Canada. If you’re a business that would like to find out more about working with us, please make sure to reach out! We’d love to chat. We truly are lucky to work with some of the very best…folks we’ve come to know as friends.  * * * * * * *

The following are links to other workshops we’ve held:
Flower and Photography Workshop at Dean’s Flowers
A Day at the Seashore with Oceanstone
Container Garden’s with President’s Choice
Getting Creative with FAT Paints

To learn more about our sponsors, make sure to follow them on Instagram:
Mudwraps to Manicures
FIDKitchen
Take it Outside
Anna Townsend
ECM Media