Welcome to Life with Alegria, where I savour the joy in the journey AND the destination.
Join me for travel stories written from a soulful perspective and my exploration of the magical moments of life. Ones that inspire us to connect with nature, humanity, and ourselves so we can live life with alegria (joy).
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As you probably already know, exercise is a fantastic mood booster. As we exercise, even moderately, three times a week, our brain produces a variety of feel-good chemicals. One of them is Endorphins, the hormone that kickstarts that happy feeling. This week I challenge you to some light exercise so that you can experience that…
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If it’s spring in your part of the world you may see some beautiful blossoming trees. There’s really something magical about trees that flower to beat fruit later in the season. It speaks of hope and abundance. This week’s Happiness Project is all about noticing and appreciating that abundance, while acknowledging your own blossoming. If…
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We often hear the phrase BE FEARLESS. It is shouted out at us across the divide, echoing in the canyon as you stand on the precipice about to take the leap. As business leaders, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone trying to achieve their goals in life, we keep coming across the phrase BE FEARLESS. But should…
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Welcome or welcome back to the Happiness Project, where each week we live mindfully so that we can let joy and happiness into our lives. How many hugs did you give last week? This week’s prompt asks you to stop and notice something that is available to all of us. Then feel the feelings and…
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This week’s happiness prompt is simple (aren’t they all). And that’s exactly the point. It’s about the simple little things. The simple pleasures that inject a little happiness and bring us joy everyday. I hope you enjoyed last week’s prompt, all about the beach, and were able to use it to encourage more of the…
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It was a rainy spring day, the kind tailor-made for an unrushed cozyafternoon tea. And Abigail’s Tea House in St. George, Ontario was the perfectspot to indulge in some hygge and cozy relaxation over High Tea. The welcoming green door on the corner of Main St. in the quaint littletown of St. George is impossible…
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Remember days spent at the beach? These are usually lounge-worthy days, full of sunshine and blissful relaxation. Reading a good book, building sand castles, going for a long romantic walk, cold drinks and juicy fruit, whatever your flavour, beaches are evocative of happy memories. Can you hear the sound of waves, children laughing, dogs barking?…
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Sometimes it’s easier to do for others and love them than it is to love ourselves and give ourselves time. This week’s Happiness prompt is all about you. I hope you enjoyed last week’s prompt and were able to use it to encourage more of the simple joys to enter your life. If you missed…
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Spring has sprung in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere lightening the air and lengthening the days. Oh what joy. I hope you enjoyed last week’s prompt and were able to use it to encourage more of the simple joys to enter your life. If you missed week 1, see it linked below along with…
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There’s something about Port Colborne that I really like. It has a quaintness to it that isn’t imbued in perfection. It’s rough edges similar to the coarse brown-sugar Lake Erie sand found on Nickel Beach. There’s something very human and personal about this little Niagara town and I have lots of happy memories of summer…
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Today is the first day of Spring, a time of renewal, rebirth, and rejuvenation. As we emerge into this new season I do so with gratitude and joy as much as I can. So today I am beginning the Happiness Project. It is my way of sprinkling happiness like fairy dust everywhere I go. We…
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There is something divine and decadent in the ritual of afternoon tea. Experiencing it in the lavish Drawing Room at the historic Prince of Wales Hotel in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake certainly elevates the affair of afternoon tea, especially in the company of good friends. Afternoon tea was something I grew up with. Not as resplendent as…
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I’ve had a fascination with and a long distance love affair with Prince Edward Island ever since I read Lucy Maud Montgomery’s books as a young girl. Her descriptions of the island and its many natural spaces have held my interest for decades. As fortune would have it I was able to visit this beautiful…
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The song from my parents’ record player wafted through the house with Karen Carpenter’s voice. One line stuck in my memory, “rainy days and Sundays always get me down.” Rainy days certainly do not have that affect on me. I love rainy days. They offer an opportunity to slow down, get things done indoors, and…
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With the sweet taste of Amapola still lingering on my tongue, I threw myself onto the day bed in the front verandah of my childhood home. As I often did on summer afternoons while others siestad, I pulled a classic from my father’s collection. What I didn’t realize at the time was the indelible impression…
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There’s something about grand old houses that rouses the storyteller and the curious cat in me. So, when I serendipitously came across The Carter House in Port Colborne Ontario I was smitten. A little bit of Googling produced the results. The house was built in 1867 for the Carter family and remained in the family…
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Magnolia Alley in Niagara Falls is a feast for the senses. A nature lovers delight. And don’t say I didn’t warn you about falling in love here. I can’t gush enough about this place and I feel blessed to live so close by. I have visited in every season and every season has its wonders,…
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It’s been particularly cool this spring in Niagara, Canada. Cherry Blossoms have barely budded and the lilacs are still tiny pods waiting to burst forth. As I wander around my garden, I can’t help but crave the colour and beauty of flowers. What do you do when you are craving flowers and it has been…
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