7 ways I’m romanticizing my life this Spring season

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

If you are in the GTA / Southern Ontario area, you are probably thinking what I’m thinking… aka waiting for Spring to actually spring!

Cold days mixed with wet snow precipitation do make it harder to get into spring spirit but I did welcome spring by celebrating Holi with my family, setting intentions for the new season and sending my friends Nowruz and Ramadan wishes.

And I also got to thinking about things I wanted to change as I entered the new season. So sharing below 7 ways I’m romanticizing my life this Spring!

Why would I want to romanticizing my life?

For me, I think it’s important to remember that this is a journey and I must always remember to enjoy the journey and find the magic in the process. I’ve recently read about the term “toxic positivity” which this isn’t. Romanticizing ones life is about working through and appreciating all types of experiences. But it’s also about ensuring your habits and routines allow you to be present and grateful. I’m a big proponent of the art of leisure and dreaming big – which I think folds well into romanticizing my life.

Drinking more Herbal Teas: I love me a double (or triple) oat milk cappuccinos! But I know I should be balancing them with lighter options. What better time than spring to infuse my days, evenings & body with orange blossom, chamomile and tumeric-ginger. Just writing it out sounds beautiful 💖
Wearing lighter & brighter colours: I wear many shades of black and this winter I think I to it to another level. Costco had these kirkland brand oversized sweaters with pockets and I LIVED in those and black leggings. I’m not proud but I was comfy. That said, I need to step out of those threads and take pictures of myself fun/light/bright clothes that make me shine.
Finish art projects abandoned in the dark cold of winter: For someone like me, creating art for the sake of it means that you’ll want to abandon some projects that are too difficult or feel overwhelming. But I also think it’s okay to put yourself in comfortable for the sake of growth.
Deep dive into my HDC and Enneagram: A refreshed self-awareness, just in time for the change of season just feels right. Although I’ve dived into my HDC, I’ve yet to figure out my Enneagram. The potential in knowing these things about yourself can support your journey as well as broaden your horizons!
Volunteer in place of donating money to charity: With the weather warming I think it’s a great opportunity to connect with people through common interest and shared community efforts.
Start a Joy-Jar: I love this analog way of documenting your days. Instead of recording videos or taking pictures, take this opportunity to write down happy memories and store them in a jar. At the end of the month you’ll have handful positive reminders 🥰
Create for me: Kind of like this blog, I want to CREARE & SHARE my art for nothing but me. Something between a persona scrapbook on a digital platform. So I’ll be sharing more of the art gallery trips, WIP art projects and street art. They unique way I see joy in every day beauty needs to be shared with the world (for me…)!

New York in 4 Days (Day 1)

Posted on March 25, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

About a week ago

On a whim, we decided to do a road trip to NY for March Break.

Going to NYC is a ALWAYS a good idea (well that’s at least how I felt before coming a mom) ha!

But I’m happy to confirm, it’s still a good idea with kiddos tagging along.

Since it was the first time our girls had been, we knew that we had to hit up some of the touristy spots. But we also wanted to try things we had never done before. And although the post says 4 days, it was actually 6 (because the travel days there and back were 10-11 hours each way! – which surprisingly also wasn’t as bad as it reads lol!

We decided the first full day post travel that we’d take it SUPER easy! We were staying in Weehawken and decided to take the kids to the Nickelodeon Universe Indoor Amusement Park. But not before hitting up Target!

In all honesty, this was the 1st of 3 trips to Target. This first trip was all about the clothes and accessories – spoiler alert I didn’t find much! TikTok made me think I’d be making OOTDs in my shopping cart 😆

The Nickelodeon Universe is located inside the American Dream mall. It’s a MASSIVE mall with every store, specialty restaurant + food court and every community amenity under the sun (ice rink, ski hill and waterpark!).

We spent some time exploring the Secret Garden. It’s a specifically designed garden made of moss, gnomes & crystals.

Then we spent about 3 hours at the amusement park. With height appropriate rides (both joy and thrill) the girls really enjoyed themselves – even going on their 1st rollercoaster!

Next up? Checking out the tourist sites in Manhattan!

Current listings on my Etsy Shop – Part 1

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I’ve realized recently that I need to do a better job of sharing more about my shop (my Etsy Shop that is)!

I guess some history to start. In 2016, I participated in the Vaughan of a Kind show #VOAK. I applied as an artisan vendor, with my photography as my art. The application process was pretty involved (application, your story and samples of your work) but overall do-able.

The entire process of applying and being accepted to the fair made me and my photography feel part of something. I felt supported – like making my art and sharing it with the world was safe to do.

With all that said, I wasn’t anticipating how much work it would be to prepare for the show. Although it might have felt like more work as I was a new-ish mom (about 2 years in) so finding time to prepare was a challenge.

I did have a positive experience as a seller at the show, and immediate decided that I wanted to continue selling my photography art. I turned to e-commerce and Etsy was up and coming at the time so I went that route.

And again, I had a rude awakening as Etsy was harder to maintain than I expected, especially as I shortly there after became a mom to two. During those first few years, I did make a couple (read: 2 lol) sales and I shipped off physical products to my customers!

So I let my listings expire… until a few months ago when I decided to switch from a physical product to a digital product.

And now here I am, starting again with a beginner’s mindset who has a little more experience and better time management practices. I’ve been using youtube to learn more about Etsy and leaning into my Digital Marketing education to help me make the most of the online advantage. I’m trying new things which makes me feel good. So without further ado, my current Etsy shop listings!

Bhangra Life PNG/SVG

This a new product type for me but something I’ve wanted to put out there. I have so many ideas in this area, just working on some designs and colours. PNG/SVGs can be used for any personalized products and home printing (like cricut). I love the idea of gifting this to a Bhangra dancer or my husband 😆

Surfer Digital Print

I took this photo during a family trip to San Diego. My kiddo was sleeping as we were driving towards La Jolla, when I realized the sun was setting across the water. While the fam waited in the car, I ran to the shoreline to grab some pics. It was so dreamy that a surfer was there so I had to capture the moment. I love this piece for because with the muted warmth of the ocean and mountain vista it will compliment any space.

Las Vegas Sign Digital Print

Taken again on another family trip! It’s pretty tricky to get a shot at this sign since there is always a long line of people. But thankfully this shot does really well on an angle. Even the power lines don’t look intrusive. This pice will always have a special place in my heart – it was my first Etsy sale!

Dessert Mountain Vista

Also taken on the same trip as mentioned above. We were driving to the Grand Canyon and this camper van was positioned perfectly. Desert shots can be tricky because the brightness can cause over exposure. So I’ve had to post process this a few times and decided on the warmer unsaturated tones. I love this for traveller in your life!

Blogmas | Happy Winter Solstice!

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Truth be told, I have a SEVERAL drafts posted, images and vlogs edited – ready to post…but this topic takes precedence.

The 10 year anniversary of the end of the Mayan calendar falls on December 21 2022 (if you remember – nothing significant happened), which also happens to be the Winter Solstice of this year. I don’t fully understand what that all means, but I understand the idea of coincidence is important.

So what is Winter Solstice? From a scientific standpoint, it when the Earth’s axis reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun. This means, December 21 marks the longest night of the year (ie: the day with the least amount of sun light).

So if you are like me, you look for connections and patterns, especially when science meets anything.

What to do during the Winter Solstice:

Meditate, Journal & Walk in Nature
Light candles after sunset
Make donations (anything: monetary, gifts or food)
Sage your space
Create a crystal grid (or at least hold your clear quartz crystal)
Balanced intention (release and welcome)

Wishing you a Happy Winter Solstice!

Blogmas | Christmas lights in the city

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

We just got back from a little family adventure downtown to check out some of the free festive set ups! We started with an early dinner (our first choice was Spaghetti Factory, but the wait was wayyyy too long) at a long time favourite with the kids Jack Astors. Unfortunately didn’t get any shots of enjoying the time there, but we had a corner booth and the food was just amazing!

We immediately headed out to see the Fairmount Hotel windows – which were surprisingly cute!

While we made our way to Yorkville, S needed to drop off some of her meal bags (she’s working on a badge for girl guides) so we drove around in circles but could only find 1 person to drop them off at (we ended up leaving them in front of a church).

At Yorkville the kids were more amused by the big mountain 😆 which left me tons of time to enjoy the light display!

Want more? Follow my Blogmas 2022 journey here!

Blogmas | Las Vegas

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

We recently went to Las Vegas! This is actually my 5th trip to sincity (and 3rd trip with at least 1 kiddo!)

We tried to do some new things this time. So sharing some of what we got up to! All activities are family friendly (aka dooable for the kidos and the grandparents!

Hike in Zion National Park

After our Banff Trip, we knew our kids enjoyed hiking in nature. So we weren’t going to let a 3hr drive stop us from experience that is Zion National Park. There is a variety of hikes for all level of hikers but of course we stuck to the easy paved hikes. I would have loved to spend another day or two there but doing the lower Emrald pools hike was a great taste of Zion. The views are breath taking. And going in November meant you weren’t dealing with the desert heat.

Venice Gondola Ride

This quick copy cat ride of the famous gondola experience in Venice is a great activity for any age. This is my 3rd ride, but my youngest one did this for the first time when she was 5 months old!
Although the ride is super quick (under 15 min) there is an opportunity to learn about vegas, hear a beautiful serenade and enjoy some time in a boat on the water (always relaxing)!

Flamingo Habitat

This place is a vibe! In the middle of the Las Vegas strip is a gorgeous outdoor setting with palm, trees, waterfalls and cute animals! This completely free activity is like a trip to a mini zoo. Kids of all ages will love the animals and watching the fishes (which are mesmerizing to watch on the bridge).

Seven Magic Mountains

7MM is an outdoor art display of stacked colourful boulders. It’s a great place to do an IG transition and they are even safe enough to climb (carefully ofcourse! for the perfect shot)
I did read if you got at 9am, you’ll beat the crowds, but we went mid afternoon to get the most sunshine!

Cereal Killersz

The Cereal Killerz Kitchen is actually a Cereal Bar. They have every cereal ever made + some rare ones that were only available for a short time and then of course some you haven’t head of! The best part was that they have alternative milk options! You can a classic cereal and milk bowl, or a millkshake. I would definite go back here next time!

Want more? Continue reading my Blogmas 2022 adventure here!