This Battered Suitcase

It's almost that time again... Winnipeg Folk Festival time, that is! I've been to Winnipeg Folk Festival almost every year since moving back to Manitoba, and it's one of my very favourite things to do in the province. If you haven't been, I highly recommend going, even if just for a day!

This year, I'm incredibly excited to see Mavis Staples, Lake Street Dive, Ruby Waters, Waxahatchee, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Duhks, Noeline Hofmann, Begonia, Fred Penner, and so many more.

Tickets are almost sold out, but I hope to see you there. 🥰

I Forgot to Take Photos at Winnipeg Folk Festival (and here's why) - This Battered Suitcase After an amazing time at my very first Winnipeg Folk Fest, I realised I barely took any photos. Here's why, and why I think you should check out Folk Fest, too.

*NEW BLOG POST* Mother’s Day can be a difficult day for some people; since becoming a mom, I’ve often found this day to be filled with a variety of emotions (loneliness being the biggest). But as I prepare to spend my fourth Mother’s Day as a single mom, I wanted to outline some of the ways I’ve turned this day from something I’ve felt sad about to something I can actually celebrate and enjoy. Here’s what I’m up to with my son this Mother’s Day and how I’ve finally worked out how to manage what used to be a stressful day 😌

And to all those who celebrate, and/or those who find today to be a difficult one, I’m sending all my love ❤️

How to Celebrate Mother's Day as a Single Mom - This Battered Suitcase Spending Mother's Day as a single mom? Here are some of my top tips for making the day as happy and relaxed as possible.

A few days (weeks?) late, but…

When I was a kid, I LOVED Christmas. I have so many happy memories of singing carols at the piano, the fireplace crackling; of snow falling down in big white chunks as we tobogganed in the local park; of hot chocolate and Christmas movies that we had seen dozens of times. I remember a sense of togetherness, of family, of being with the people I love. And I used to believe that, one day, I’d have that picture-perfect scene in my own home. You know the one: the husband, the two or three kids, the big extended family of in-laws.

I don’t think many of us anticipate becoming single parents, and when we do, I don’t think we anticipate just how hard the holidays can be. And while I spent lots of lovely time with my family throughout December - a privilege that I am so thankful for - I spent a lot of time alone, too.

“A day is a just a day!” People said to me. Why does it matter if I spent Christmas Eve alone, or if my son wasn’t with me on Christmas morning? I told myself those things again and again, willing them to sink in.

An idea I’ve embraced a lot over the past year is that two things can be true. A day can be just a day, and I can have a wonderful Christmas celebration with my son on December 26th, and I can be overwhelmed with gratitude at the love I have in my life. But I can also be sad that I wasn’t with him on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and mourn the loss of that dream I used to have about the “picture-perfect” family with a partner and our kids.

This holiday season taught me a lot. And when I let that image go - the one I thought holidays were “supposed” to look like - there’s a lot more room for me to embrace what I have right in front of me. I have an amazing group of family and friends, a life I love. And I have my boy, my beautiful, precious boy, whom I did indeed spend December 26th with: singing carols at the piano, drinking hot chocolate, watching Christmas movies, the snow falling down in big white chunks. And that sounds pretty perfect to me ✨

Here’s to everyone whose holiday season looked a little different this year, whether it was spent alone, co-parenting, grieving a loss, or otherwise ❤️