The Best Berry Shortbread Cookies

What’s better than family and holidays and cookies?

Yum.

You’ll definitely want to make these Raspberry Almond Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle. Last year I made them for my publisher and carried them on the train. On that commute, strangers gazed at my cookies longingly. I made a blog-friend, shared the recipe with everyone, and became the most celebrated author in the city — ha ha!

Now you can, too.

And it’s quick and easy!

Whip up the dough in your mixer, thumbprint the cookies and fill with raspberry jam.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, cool and drizzle with white chocolate. The secret is to fill a ziplock bag with melted chocolate and snip off the end. It’ll give you more control as you decorate.

The recipe is here, from last year!

Enjoy — these cookies are perfect for Christmas and as giveaways that everyone loves. It will take you less than an hour to whip up a batch.

You are so welcome!

Love Catherine x

PS.

• In Sydney it’s Jacaranda Snow-ing — purple snow everywhere! I finished my book launches for JACARANDA SNOW this week. Thank you for supporting this beautiful project. (Books available here and in good bookshops in Australia).

• And for anyone who’s ever asked me about writing a picture book, I pulled together all the information you’ll need in this quick, comprehensive How To e-book, available now! You can find it here. It’s a clear, quick, no-nonsense guide.

Book Signing & Delicious Tomato Soup!

Hello!

Lots of this has been going on! I’ve been signing copies of JACARANDA SNOW all week. It’s available in select bookshops in Australia and online here. If you’ve pre-ordered, thank you so much; on Tuesday I’m posting books to you with love from Sydney. Here I was at Beachside Bookshop in Avalon…you guys, what a privilege to sign books! I was grinning.

It was a busy week, so for Saturday lunch I threw together my favourite "I Have Not Been Shopping and The Fridge is Bare and the Teenagers Are Staring at Me” tomato soup. It’s always delicious on a rainy day, so I thought I’d share it with you. It works surprisingly well as the first course for a dinner party. But shhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone how easy it is. (You can make yours without sherry, but increase the sugar a little or substitute with apple juice. That’s what Dr Google recommends!)

Then I made some scones with cheddar. But will someone PLEASE send me a better recipe? These scones were like Canadian hockey pucks, except white. And brown.

The soup was amazing!! I thought the scone situation was going well. They look so promising, right??? But I need your help. The scones were okay, but kind of heavy and dumpy and meh, so what’s the secret?

The soup, however, is worth it.

Sending love (& hoping for scone recipes in return!) Please comment here or email them through.

Catherine xx

PS.

• My little book signing workshop…thank you for supporting JACARANDA SNOW!

• Like my dragonfly top? There’s a beautiful story behind it.

• Try my sister’s Lemon Chicken Soup … so delicious!

"You Beauty!!"

Last night, zooming around Sydney with a fun friend in her sporty car, I was reminded of one of my favourite Aussie phrases.

“You Beauty!”

“You Beauty!” is what Australians call out when they’re pleased or excited, or when something really good (or mildly pleasurable) has happened.

Love it.

Yet so many people are uncomfortable thinking of themselves as beautiful, or calling themselves beautiful. I’ve never understood this because — honestly — I see beauty in people all the time.

Not perfection. Beauty!

I know many of you in real life or on Instagram, and you ARE (in fact) beautiful. I see your beauty. Faces, eyes, hands, talents, hearts. The way you influence, or care for, or create, or paint or write or sing or conduct or draw…the way you rock a child, or make banana bread, or give away cookies. The way your face looks. The way you organise a garage sale. The emails you write. Your mannerisms. Your smile. Your lanky body or cuddly body.

The way that YOU are you: I see this as your beauty.

We all have our days (weeks, months?) of feeling less than pretty. But this morning, I want to tell you: you are lovely. I know you are. One of my special gifts is that I’m good at seeing beauty.

If I were sitting with you, a coffee in hand, I could look at you and tell you fifteen ways that you’re beautiful, outside and in. The world needs to see more of you, not less.

We need to see you shine.

Last week I asked you a big question: If you could be the woman of your dreams, who would you be?

Today I want to say this: you are more beautiful than you know.

You are wise, loving, hard-working. You are trying your heart out to help or heal or grow or be or do or earn or love.

Well done, beautiful person. I’m glad you’re here, and that we’re all shining together.

Enjoy your Sunday, and be fun to live with!

Love Catherine x

PS

• Jacaranda Snow, my debut picture book, is out now…I’m posting copies far and wide this week. Watch Helene paint the cover here! Get your copy here. Available in retail shops in October in Australia.

• I’m going to buy Austin Kleon’s new book on creativity! Love his Steal Like An Artist Ted Talk.

• This baby of mine turned 18 in September. I love remembering myself as a young mum. Here’s to Catherine Greer at 34. Babies are beautiful!

3 (Realistic) Beauty Tricks

Ahhhh, beauty tricks! Today I’m sharing my top three favourites.

#1 Put chapstick on blisters

You’re out, you’re in new shoes and suddenly you have a blister and another eight blocks to walk? Grab the chapstick from your handbag and rub it over your blister. No, it’s not perfect and won’t work as well as a bandaid or changing shoes BUT it offers immediate relief. Reducing friction is the key. Also: yes, lipstick works and we all have that in our handbags. (Lotion doesn’t work as well.) You’re welcome! Feel free to share with all the young women in your life…

#2 Wear one colour

Not sure what to wear? Feeling insecure about your outfit or the fact that you don’t have anything new? I’ve been there, friends! I’ve found that if I wear all one colour — my go-to is all black or all white — I look pulled together, and I feel more fashionable, too.

#3 Slick on more face cream

Just my opinion, but my skin always looks better when I put on more face cream. I struggle with foundation so I don’t wear it. On me, I think it looks cake-y in my wrinkles and I just don’t like the way it feels. But face cream? Love it. This year I heard that L’Oreal and Lancome are made by the same parent company, and L’Oreal is so much more affordable. Want to try it? Step right this way for my favourite one. And if you’re wondering about my one beauty regret? I wish I’d been more careful in the sun.

#4 Bonus tip

You might be expecting something cheesy like “Smile!” Instead, let me say this: everything on your inside really does show on your outside. So when you’re worried or sad, take a deep breath and do this. Then relax your shoulders. You’ve made it this far, through every single one of your days. You’re going to be okay. Let your light shine in the world.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! Sending you big hugs from Sydney in springtime. Thanks, as always, for reading … and hi to our new people this week. I appreciate you!

Love, Catherine x

PS.

More news on JACARANDA SNOW, my debut picture book — sorting out postal options now so I can post your pre-orders! Last night, I celebrated with Alexander Lau, the 18 year old who composed the companion piano quintet (piano score printed in the book)!

Here is the recording “Jacaranda Snow.” You’re listening to Alexander Lau (composer / violin), Yilan Yu (violin), Erik Rong (piano), Luke Poier (cello)…my son! Press play to listen. (Alex is 18. You’ll say ‘you knew him when…’)

The Cure For Everything

Do you ever feel rocky?

Slightly off-kilter, like this gorgeous but slightly crooked photo I took of St Mary's Cathedral?

That's been me lately. And I read something really helpful this week that I want to share with you. (I hope you won't be put off because there's swearing, but bear with me. This works.)

This is the cure for everything:

Feeling worried? Take a deep breath ... and remember who you are.

Feeling sad? Take a deep breath ... and remember who you are.

Insecure? Take a deep breath ... and remember who you are.

Feeling too old? Too unskilled? Too late? Too judged? Too much for people? Too weak? Too sick? Too different? Too marginalised? Too unheard? Too afraid?

Take a deep breath ... and remember who you are.

And I will do the same. 

If we believe in our own authenticity, and relate heart to heart, we are never too ANYTHING. We're actually everything we need.

We've got this. (No matter what it is.)

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! Have some fun, and be fun to live with!

Love Catherine

PS.

• Welcome, new people! I appreciate you for signing up. More happiness for us all!

• One of my writing students is working on a project that could be as big as the next Stephanie Meyer Twilight series (but no vampires!). She's a total beginner with a hot idea. If you're a beginner and want to WRITE YOUR BOOK THIS YEAR, learn more here. I can teach you how.

• If you're new and don't know what I look like, here's me wanting to be crazy on some steps at Circular Quay in Sydney. You guys, I seriously wanted to run up and down, and possibly try a dance routine from Chicago. (Just letting you see the real me. And no, I can't dance. Yet...)

On Losing Someone You Love...

Two months ago, I lost my brother. I shared my story with a sweet friend who also lost hers, and she pulled up the sleeve of her sweater to show me a delicate tattoo. It was a dragonfly she got when her brother died. 

"I wanted to carry him," she said, and traced it with her finger.

Her words made me want to cry because -- truly -- I wasn't that strong or noble. I wanted my big brother to carry me. We were fourteen years apart in age, and what I wanted more than anything was the feeling of a brother who protected. Who took care of, like in the movies. Someone to watch over me and be a champion...but my brother was mostly gone by the time I was old enough to know him. Now he's truly gone.

Losing him makes me think of all the opportunities we give up to reconnect with people we love. Whether it's age or geography, differences of opinion, lack of time, or personalities that just don't fit, there really is so little point in staying disconnected.

This life is fleeting. Dragonflies barely weigh as much as a dime.

We all need to carry each other....and be gentle with each other's gossamer wings and fragile hearts.

If I know anything, it's this: we're all breakable, delicate, and sometimes tired. Every single one of us.

You.

Also me.

Sending love to all of you today, all around the world. Let's take care of each other while we can.

Catherine x

PS.

• A favourite song of our late brother, sung by Cat Stevens...beautiful. Rest in peace, James Greer. Your siblings honour you, from youngest to now-oldest.
• Also this: rest in peace, Aretha Franklin. Your work in this world was bigger than huge. Thank you.

An Unexpected Truth...

Hi friends! 

This week, I sat in my closet on a pile of towels and talked to a fabulous podcaster from America, Colleen Kavanaugh at The After Life.

Why my closet? There are no barking dogs in there.

Anyway, I learned something surprising about myself: I'm not scared of being older. And I don't think we have to worry about it, as if it's some kind of problem. In fact, Classic Age can be the very best time of our lives.

Colleen and I talk about the juicy stuff:

• why we feel pressure to appear younger than we are
• big mistakes we've made
• learning to age well
• going grey
• why NOW is your time

You can listen here for some weekend inspiration...

I'd love to hear your thoughts on becoming fully yourself at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80+. Email me! Or comment on my website.

Happy weekend! Have some fun, and be fun to live with.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Adventure Gum Game -- mamas of Littles, this is April Hoss's idea (via this lovely photographer on Instagram): give your child a list of items to find AND a piece of Adventure Gum when they set off. Apparently the Adventure Gum makes it off-the-charts exciting! I'm thinking...can I have my own version of the Adventure Gum game? Writing Gum? Laundry Gum? I-Have-To-Go-To-Fitness-Gum? Love it!
• Overseas friends: want to see an Aussie sheep station? A boarding student at my son's school made this video of his family property. Oh so sad; there's a drought in NSW. Watch here.
• Happiness every weekend? Yes, sign up here!

3 Fun Things

Happy weekend, everyone, and hello to all the new people!

I've had a week of feeling overwhelmed, so today I'm bringing you a blog post with ONLY Fun Things. (The lifestyle blog Cup of Jo does this so well!)

First up, I love wearing beautiful rings. My philosophy is this: why wait until I can afford to buy a real Elizabeth Taylor-sized pink Argyle Diamond when I can have all the fun NOW for $12? And so can you! Available here.

Next: mint tea. I ordered this tea at Stanley Street cafe but you could DIY it at home. Look at all that mint! It was enormous. And delicious. Here's me on Instagram, pouring water on that mint and making the best tea ever. 

Finally, If I were Oprah, I'd be posting you ALL a package with these 3 sweet things that I love, love, love:

•  Youth Code by L'Oreal. I think it's better than Clarins and Dermalogica. My cheeks feel 23.
• Essie nail varnish in Matter of Fiction...perfect for a writer and I love the twisty bottle. 
• My beloved Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils.

I'm curious about what you'd Oprah-give me back...what a fun thought!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Sending you love from warm winter Sydney.

Catherine x

PS.

• Thanks for reading! If you like my Happiness emails and you want to share the love, please tell your friends.
• If you're seeing this weekend email for the first time, you can subscribe here.
• It's winter in Australia -- here's my sister's Lemon Chicken soup recipe! Perfect for Sunday lunch.

Why I Went Grey at 49

Of all the questions I get asked, this one's the most common: why did you let your hair go grey?

Let me start with a HUGE disclaimer: please understand, this is about me and my life and my choices. It's not a value judgement or a sneaky way of implying that you should do this, too! 

Here's why I stopped colouring my hair and embraced my ageing.

Except for my friend, Pam, and my sister-in-law Christine, I'm the only woman I know who has gone grey by 50. Keep in mind that I know hundreds of women my age in Australia, America and Canada -- relatives, acquaintances and friends. I'm grey. They're not. I'm pretty much the only one!

When I decided to grow out my blonde hair, quite a few friends (lovingly, thoughtfully...) warned me, "Don't do it! It will age you!" And honestly, I think they're right. I think I do look older than my friends who colour their hair. But I also look good.

Older. But good.

Here's me before. (It's a weird photo because I'm hiding my braces! Yes, I got adult braces AND let my hair go grey all at the same time. Brave, right?)

And here's me After. (I'm three years older in this After photo...). It was taken about a month ago.

So why did I do it?

Authenticity.

I wanted to see what my (honest) 49 looked like. I also wanted to be free from dumping chemicals on my head every four weeks, free of the cost of hair colour, and free to reclaim the hours I spent covering up my grey roots. You know what I'm talking about. (Because, yes, the grey roots always show.)

I wanted to get my ageing over with.

I say this with relief: I'm done. I've aged. I'm grey. Now I get to head gracefully into the rest of my life.

So what's it like being grey? For me, it's this. (And please remember, I'm not judging anyone's hair choice!)

1. Surprisingly, I get more positive comments about my appearance than I've had since I was thirty. (I'm shy about this but it's true: strangers often stop me now and tell me I look beautiful. What a gift in the middle of my life! It makes me feel so good.)

2. A lot of compliments come from men and I never expected that. Being grey brings this strange freedom; now men of all ages 'read' me right. From young guys to those who are 50 and 70 and beyond, men treat me with respect. Young men know who I am: a 'classic age' woman secure in her own skin. I am 50+. I look 50+. I'm not trying to appear 35; I have the grey hair to prove it. 

3. Women ALL tell me the same thing. I've heard this literally hundreds of times: "But your hair is a beautiful colour. Mine would be awful." This one makes me smile...because every woman says this to me (and I'm pretty sure that, statistically, all these women would not have an 'awful' colour of grey hair! Who knows? Maybe yours is beautiful).

4. People think I colour my hair! There's irony for you: people ask me if I dye my hair silver. The answer is nope. This is me, naturally. (My Mum has beautiful pure white hair, so who knows? That might be me one day.)

5. Young women love that I've gone grey. They tell me I'm a role model, ageing authentically, and they hope they will do the same.

Here's me, three months in...growing out my grey!

Do I judge everyone who keeps colouring? No.

Do I think I'm smarter or more enlightened? No.

Does it make me look a little older? Probably yes.

Every person chooses his or her own path. For me, going grey was the best possible decision. I think I look better (and maybe a little older!) I've saved tons of money and time. 

If you're sitting on the fence about whether to go grey, i have lots of advice about how i did it (the short answer is that I did it slowly, without help from my hair stylist. I just grew out my roots over 18 months and enjoyed the authentic reveal of the Real Me. I wanted time to get used to myself.)

Whatever you decide to do, know this: you might be pleasantly surprised by who you are underneath your hair colour. Maybe. But that choice is 100% up to you.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Be fun to live with...grey, not grey, or somewhere in between!

Catherine x

PS.

• Hello, new readers! So happy you're here. (Please share my Happiness Blog with anyone who might enjoy it! Thank you!)
• My instagram photos are pretty! Check out the Canadian barn dance wedding. My new niece, Kaitlyn, was so beautiful!
• I'm deep into writing my next novel. If you're ready to write your book this year, I have a few spots left in my online course, How To Write Your Book This Year, kicking off 1 August. More info here!

The Secret to a Happy Marriage

When I arrived back home in Sydney from three weeks in Canada, this guy greeted me!

I feel so lucky.

Truth is, Luther and I have a really good marriage. There are things we do wrong in careers, parenting and life, definitely things we haven't achieved and OF COURSE we've made our share of mistakes, but at being married -- we're experts. We've always been really really good at it. 

Here are our secrets:

1. Pick the right person. (And yes, sometimes this takes a few tries!! Our top parenting advice is this: tell your kids how important it is to choose the right partner. It makes or breaks your life.)

2. Talk (& talk & talk & talk). It's our favourite shared activity. Twenty-two years on, we still have so much to say to each other. 

3. Tell everyone -- and yourself -- how lucky you are to have the partner you have. Appreciate each other.

4. Be kind.

And here's the surprise Secret to a Happy Marriage:

5. Be fun to live with. (Because...who wants to live with boring? And being fun starts with you.)

That's it. Choose well. Be kind. Do you what you love, together. Appreciate each other. Be fun to live with. I think the world needs a kindness revolution, and it's good to start with the people we love.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. I'm so happy to be home with my guy.

Catherine x

PS. 

• Got 99 cents to encourage 17 year old Aussie composer Alexander Lau? I bought this romantic piece and it's so pretty. (You'll scroll down & click on "Single" to buy. The song will go into your Download folder.) You can find Alexander here. (he's studying for Year 12 exams right now, and I'm sure he'd love the encouragement!!)
• Want to make mussels for dinner? Delicious and inexpensive!
• Ready to Write Your Book This Year? Join me in my online class for five weeks in August. More info here!

Behind-the-scenes of A Picture Book

JACARANDA SNOW, my debut picture book with award-winning illustrator, Helene Magisson, will hit the shelves in Australia in September! It's about a little Aussie girl who longs to see snow -- and finds a way to make her own dream come true.

Right now, Wombat Books is pitching JACARANDA SNOW to three Canadian publishers, so I'm hoping that it will be on shelves in 'my home & native land' of Canada, too!

In the meantime, if you want a copy, you can get yours here!

Did you know...

• Jacarandas are native to Brazil and were introduced in Australia. In spring, their beautiful purple blossoms fall like 'snow.'

• There are jacarandas all over Australia and some in California, too.

• When an author's manuscript has been accepted for publication, the publisher chooses an illustrator for the book. (But from the start, I dreamed of being paired with Helene...and it happened!)

• It's challenging to write an engaging story in under 400 words! And it can take months/years and many revisions to make a "simple" idea work. And it's really tricky to get a book deal!

• Picture books are a labour of love! Illustrators and authors make 5% of the book sale price (usually less than $1 per book) and an initial print run is 2,000 copies.

• Illustrators paint (draw, collage etc) more than 16 paintings/ illustrations for a single book. You can see Helene's award-winning art here and buy gorgeous prints in her shop.

What's extra-special about JACARANDA SNOW?

Alexander Lau, a 17 year old award-winning Australian composer, agreed to compose a piano quintet for two violins, a cello and piano called "Jacaranda Snow." We hope to feature the debut performance at a Sydney book launch In November.

Alexander's piano score will be reprinted inside JACARANDA SNOW for parents, teachers and pianists to enjoy. There's never been a picture book like this one!

JACARANDA SNOW teaches Growth Mindset / Flow with help from Educalme! Kailey and Josianne, founders of Educalme -- a Canadian company that equips parents and teachers to create a calm, productive and positive classroom or family -- have created a FREE Education Resource Toolkit for JACARANDA SNOW. (coupon code inside every book!)  

Now every child who reads JACARANDA SNOW can learn about Growth Mindset and make their own dreams come true.

Educalme has a weekly podcast, The Balanced Educator, and offers amazing free resources and workshops, as well as useful resources for families AND classroom teachers. As a bonus, everything is in English and French. (Yay, Canada!!) Take a look at Educalme here!

<I'm holding the proof of our book! It will be a hardcover, A4 size.>

It's hard to believe that all this started with a story that came straight from my heart. I'm so proud, honoured and excited to share JACARANDA SNOW with the world.

Thank you Helene, Alexander, Kailey and Josianne and Wombat Books. We've ALL done our best to make JACARANDA SNOW a modern Australian classic. You're welcome to buy a copy for kids you love, or pick up a copy in a bookshop in September.

I'll post your book/s to you mid-September.

Love Catherine

PS.

• Teachers and parents -- check out Educalme! I wish I'd had this resource for my kids.

• So fun to watch Helene painting another illustration from JACARANDA SNOW!

• You can listen to Alexander Lau's music here. Seventeen! So talented!

Some Unexpected News...

Hello friends. (Welcome, new friends.)

I'm in Canberra at a book promotion conference for Jacaranda Snow. A sweet woman in the hotel snapped this photo of Luther and me last night, before we had dinner. And then, in the middle of the night I got a call from my sister and my Mum letting me know that my brother had passed on, unexpectedly.

We were six -- Jim was top and I am tail -- and now we're five.

So now: on a plane soon, and in my heart I'm already winging my way home to Canada and all the people I love.

Thanks in advance for your kindness. For you, this Sunday, a favourite poem:

Love, Catherine x

Hilarious, But True...

Welcome to everyone new this week!

I'm dying to show you my favourite photo of my (now) teenage son. He walked up to me, age two, and said, "DO YOU LIKE MY BAND-AID?"

Can you see it in his hair?

I laughed until I cried but also ... ouch!

I keep this photo on my office wall to remind myself of so many things. That kids are unafraid. That they love what they love. That they live in the moment and are just not fussed about whether something is a good idea or not.

They go for what they want.

Freedom.

Dreams.

(Sneaky band-aids! Applied everywhere!)

But we're adults and we get so caught up in all the shouldn'ts, don't we? We live ahead of ourselves or -- maybe more often -- we live behind. And we forget that all our joy is in the now.

So today, for you, here's an invitation...can we live with a little more YES and a little less SHOULD? A little more abandon? A little more chasing of what we love?

Please say you will.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone, and -- as always -- be fun to live with!

Love Catherine x

Fleur de Sel Caramels and a Sweet Bookshop

My friends, I'm spilling all my best secrets on my blog. Like this one: the most amazing homemade Fleur de Sel Caramels. Honestly, if you learn how to make them and share with friends, you'll get regular requests. I hear this a LOT: "Will you make me your salted caramels as my birthday present?"

It's the perfect balance of sweet, salty, creamy. One pan of these caramels and you'll be hooked.

But first: something even sweeter...Libby Armstrong's beautiful bookshop in Avalon, Beachside Bookshop. My Aussie friends, have you been there? I dropped in recently to tell Libby about my new picture book, Jacaranda Snow. Libby has curated the greatest selection of novels for adults, children's books, beautiful new releases, young adult novels and more.

The shop smells like hyacinths and looks so good. In winter, it's warm and toasty inside. In the summer, it's close enough to Avalon and Newport to drop in and grab a good book for the beach. 

Best of all, Beachside Bookshop has this incredible old-fashioned vibe. You walk in and feel loved. It's Libby and her team. She told me this:

One last pic of the window seat... I have always wanted one! When I was there, the cutest little girl was curled up with her Mum reading. (For all you Mums out there, Happy Mother's Day!)

Now...on to the caramel-making!

Fleur de Sel is a little hard to find, so you'll need all this below, plus butter, cream and white sugar. And yes, you do need the candy thermometer. You won't get the right consistency without it.

Have a sweet weekend, my friends.

Love Catherine x

PS.

If a friend sent you this email, you can sign up for your own weekly dose of happiness here, on my author's website! All welcome!

And just for fun...potentially my favourite photo of my mum, the original Catherine Greer (I'm Catherine Greer Version 2.0). She rode a camel in Australia at age 85. I plan to be just as awesome. Happy Mother's Day, Mum.

How To Have The Best Birthday

Another trip around the sun for me!

I celebrated my birthday this week and, for the first time ever, I shared it with everyone. My sweet friend, Victoria Buda at Being Me Movement podcast has this incredible tradition. Every year during her birthday month, she tells people My birthday is going to be awesome. So I did the same and it was. I mean, look at me! Dog and cake. Friends. Family. It doesn't get better.

Will you try it? Are you willing to let people show you how much they love you this year? 

Then I gave myself the best $7 gift: No Lights No Lycra.

I love to dance (kitchen dance!) and I've been meaning to try this for ages. Two Aussie women started No Lights No Lycra as a community dance movement and it's completely amazing, of course. The heart of the movement is the belief that everyone can dance. I went for the first time in Manly the night before my birthday. Imagine it -- one hour of incredible music in this gorgeous old community hall with dozens of women and all the lights off, everyone doing her own thing. No heels. All ages. High vibe. Complete freedom.

Magic! 

Want to see if there's one near you? If it's not in your city yet, anyone can be an ambassador. It would be a fun weekly side hustle / easy business AND it provides an awesome benefit to your community. Learn how to start one up!

And one last bit of goodness! I can't wait to show you Jacaranda Snow, my growth mindset / flow hardcover picture book published by Wombat Books. Jacaranda Snow hits the shelves in September. I wish I could share Helene's brilliant illustrations, but not yet. Let me just say that the book is so pretty I cried! If you want to pre-order, you can buy it here. Sneak peek of a detail:

And most important of all, for all the new people this week, welcome! I appreciate you! Thank you, truly, for joining us. If a friend sent you this email, you can get your own here. A weekly dose of happiness from Sydney!

Enjoy your weekend. And, as always, have some fun...and be fun to live with!

Catherine x

Mussels and Muscles

Welcome to everyone new this week! I seriously love that you're here! 

Every weekend I try to give you something you can use. Happiness hacks. Things to try. Hugs and love from Sydney.

Lately, a lot of people have asked me, "What's the name of your blog, Catherine?" And I tell them I'm an author (traditionally published, not self-published) and my blog is part of my author's website. I say I blog to give something back to the world... instead of engaging in endless self-promotion. So that's me, in a nutshell. Every weekend you'll get something useful. And yes, you'll hear about my books, and I promise never to bombard you.

My Happiness Blog is for you. 

So this weekend, I'm giving you mussels. And muscles.

Mussels are not everyone's favourite, I know, but if you were like us... walking around drizzly Point Grey in Vancouver in winter (thank you so much, Glenn & Adele, for the beautiful guest rooms!) and you hurry into the coziest, cutest cafe called Burgoo, and you order a steaming bowl of their Mussels Cocotte, you might just think you're in heaven.

Mussels are surprisingly easy to make, and go on high rotation as a starter at my dinner parties. A pan of mussels and a baguette produce that 'Dig in, let's start a fun conversation' vibe. 

I believe in celebrating all the good things in life, like Sundays, and better-than-expected test results, and family, and ordinary days where everything is okay. (How amazing -- we're all okay today! It's an ordinary day! Time to celebrate!)

That's me.

I am the person who takes photos of a teenage basketball player who doesn't want his photo taken while we sit in a traffic jam because... hey, hello, ordinary life! Ordinary is good. I want to remember it!

Mussels Cocotte from Burgoo

• Saute 6 strips of bacon (chopped) and one diced onion in a frying pan (you'll need a pan with a lid).

• Add 1/3 of a bottle white wine (or alcohol-free cooking wine). Increase heat to high and reduce liquid (4-5 minutes).

• Add 1 cup of cream and cook for 4 minutes.

• Stir in 1 cup of chopped Continental parsley and 1 tablespoon dijon mustard.

• Add 1 kg fresh mussels. (I buy mine in a bag from the fish market; they're already cleaned and de-bearded). 

• Put the lid on the pan and steam for 8 minutes. Discard unopened mussels! 

Serve immediately to mussel-lovers who will also love you.

You are so welcome!

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone. Be fun to live with!

Love Catherine x

PS.

If a girlfriend forwarded you this email, you can get your own every weekend by signing up here! Yay! Love to have you!

Secrets

Hello from the South Coast of Australia, where the seasons are crazy this year and it feels like summer one month into autumn. This weekend, we’re loving our favourite Aussie beach getaway. We’ve got lots of laughing, beach walks, late nights and family poker games going on.

Heaven!

So while I indulge in a family weekend away with two hilarious teenagers and my favourite man, I’m going to introduce you to my Canadian cousin, Jean. She’s smart, humble, relatable, successful and seriously pretty, but my favourite thing about Jean is her beautiful spirit. You can find her here, at her blog Unpickled.

Please let me say that I realise this post may not be for everyone – so if you’re not interested, that’s okay. Big hugs and I’ll see you next week!

Jean’s family to me – I love her! – and she’s also a fabulous human being. Recently she did an amazing interview about the secrets we carry.

I don’t carry the same secret as Jean did, but I’m pretty sure we all carry something.

Approval addiction. People pleasing. Anxiety or excessive worry. Shame. Trauma, pain, or difficult childhood experiences.

Jean’s secret life was like the secret life of a lot of people. Quietly, every day and with a surprising amount of control, she would over-drink in the middle of her hugely successful, stable and happy life. And then she found a way – online, in her own home, in her way – to stop. She’s lived alcohol-free for seven years now, and this is her story. (Click on the image or here!)

Why am I telling you?

Because I didn’t know about the sobriety movement that’s happening online. And since secret drinking is not my struggle, I had no idea there was support and help that was private, non-judgemental and didn’t involve public meetings or labels.

There’s a whole world of support inside our computers that doesn't mean standing up in an AA meeting in the local community hall. And it can work.

Jean’s story is so heartfelt, authentic and humble. She breaks down barriers and shows us how to support secret-keepers. It’s good to up-skill and learn what's out there. It’s good to be available for the people we love. And for ourselves.

Thank you for listening to my sweet cousin! And thank you for opening your heart and mind to all the crazy-beautiful things I share with you, every single week. I blog because I care.

Happy weekend, everyone. You're awesome, whether I know you or not.

Love Catherine x

PS. If a friend forwarded you this email, you can get your own weekly happiness post here. Lots of goodness, once a week.

Waratahs! How can Australia be so beautiful? 

Again, Jean's here at Unpickled (with a world of resources for people you love) and her story is here.

Classic 1960s Lemon Bread

I know food isn't love.

But let me say this: some nights, when your teenage rower is so tired after training, when he still has hours of Latin to study for his Half-Yearly exam, when you tell him to go to bed for 30 minutes and you promise to wake him up to do homework, sometimes then, food becomes love.

Tonight, love was Lemon Bread in the guise of a deliciously old-fashioned recipe from the 1960s.

As I whipped the butter with the sugar, squeezed two lemons, folded in a cup of flour, I remembered this son at four, not seventeen.

He used to love my Lemon Bread fresh from the oven after preschool.

Now he's in Year Twelve.

Soon he'll be gone, grown into a man.

Every mother knows the old cliche: the days are long but the years are short. It's been around forever and it's true.

Classic 1960's Lemon Bread

You can mix one gorgeously light, fluffy lemon loaf in a few quick minutes, and when it's done baking, you can serve up love to tired hearts.

You'll need two lemons (or lemon juice!) and butter and eggs, flour and sugar, baking powder and milk. You likely have all this right now.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan forced. (350 F in North America). 

• Cream 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup white sugar

• Add 2 eggs

• Gently mix in 1 1/4 cup plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup lemon juice.

• Put batter in a loaf tin, greased or lined with baking paper.

• Bake for 45 mins (fan forced) to 1 hour. Check with a skewer...your oven may bake faster or slower.

Spread your love.

Enjoy your weekend!

Catherine x

P.S.

Hi to everyone new! If a girlfriend sent you this email, you can get your own weekly email here! One fun happiness note every Saturday night or Sunday morning. (I'd fit you ALL at my kitchen table for Lemon Bread if I could.)

What I learned in America

I've been in America for about ten days and it's been wonderful. I stayed with my crazy-fun sisters in Phoenix, so there were late nights and lots of talks. Now I've moved on to Palm Springs with girlfriends before I head back to Sydney.

Family. I love it so much! And whenever I'm with my family I realise I still have a lot of growing to do.

Ram Dass says it best:

Again -- as always -- I learned so much from my sisters. For starters, they reminded me that I need to think more about when to say yes and when to say no.

I think we all walk the delicate balance between being agreeable and being authentic. We all do the dance of Honesty, Wisdom, and Letting Go.

For some people, yes and no are easier. They have a visceral reaction: I am this, I believe this, I say what I think. For some of us, it's far more murky: will I hurt you? Am I being childish? Does this matter? Am I being fair?

I wish I had an easy answer to share this evening, as I sit in a beautiful Mad Men-esque house in Palm Springs, gazing at a gorgeous pool, writing to you. 

But I don't.

All I have are questions . . . and questions are really really good.

Questions make us see the world in a different way.

Questions activate our brains, wake them up, and help us reveal our own truth.

Wherever you are right now -- Canada, America, Australia, all around this gorgeous world -- thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet. And if you're new this week, hello and welcome! 

Sending you love from America.

Catherine x

Hello, from Phoenix!

Does your heart ever feel like this?

Like a 3,000 pound saguaro cactus, propped up by three tiny sticks??

The truth is, we all do.

Not just me.

Not just you.

I know this quote has been around so long that it's become cliche, but the thing about cliches is that they're true. We don't know what other people are facing. Sometimes we don't even think to ask.

Everyone around us is fighting a battle.

The real question is this: are we big enough to respond to people with love?

Happy weekend, everybody -- whether it's prickly or perfect. (If your heart's feeling a little sore today, remember how much you matter and what's in your control.)

Love Catherine x

P.S. I'm writing to you live from Phoenix, Arizona...where I'm bright eyed and bushy tailed at 3am with jet lag!

And here's a crazy story for you: at breakfast, my sister said, "Oh look! There's a COYOTE." As in, there are coyotes walking around the city streets, you guys. So I ran out the door on a wild coyote chase. I was hoping to get a shot of this:

But I'm too slow for city coyotes, apparently. Mine jumped over this wall into a back garden. Seriously. Can you imagine??? You're at the barbie and Hello, there's A COYOTE. 

Crazy, right? America really is land of the free :)