Fun, Fabulous, and what being Fifty means to me!

What the “F” means to me!!!

For those of you who know me, you know I don’t have a “potty mouth” so when I say What the “F” means to me, you know that no profanity will be used! LOL!

Here are a few (not really🤪) F words to describe what the F means to me: Fit, Funny (I may be my biggest fan but who cares 😁), Fasted, Faithful, Friendly, Fabulous, Fantastic, Fun-Loving, Ferocious (the Scorpion/red head in me!), Flirty, Flourishing, Forgiving, Fortunate, Fulfilled.

I thought a few years ago that turning the big 5..0.. was going to be tough for me; turning 40 was, so I figured turning 50 would be even worse. Well, the past 10 years I have been through many changes and I have become a very different person in many ways. The last 2 years especially have been very eye-opening and I have really learned to love life and appreciate those people and things that mean the most to me. I have really figured a lot of things out about who my friends are, who I love, and who loves me, and most importantly how to love myself.

Life is what you make it! A truer statement there never was! Life is all about choices and attitude. Stuff happens and it is up to us how it affects us.

Entering into this new decade of life brings excitement and joy to me. I find myself reflecting on life lately and realizing that my 50 years on this earth have been nothing short of FABULOUS. Sure, life has had its ups and downs, but choosing to see those as growth moments has helped me to live my best life.

I smiled this morning thinking about what I have accomplished in my 50 years, and I am feeling nothing short of blessed and grateful. I have THE BEST husband in the world! Yes, I am biased, but meeting, marrying him, and creating the life we have together was by far the best decision I have made in my life; HANDS DOWN! I know I tend to go on about how he is the best human being in the world for me and how life with him is how my life needs to be lived, but it’s true! Thank you ,❤️Shawn❤️ for being, well, YOU!

So, besides having Shawn, I have THE BEST children. (& Dog Finley🐶) a mom could ever ask for! I love my girls more and more each day and I know they are who they are in large part because of the life we have given them, but I could not be more proud and thankful for the adults they have become. I feel so blessed to be their Mom every moment of every day. Thank you Megan and Amy for being who you are!

I live in THE BEST HOUSE in THE BEST neighbourhood! Seriously, I do! I love our house! I love the size, the design, the yard, the proximity to the lake, the neighbours, and everything that comes with it! Now, for those who know me well, you all know that, funnily enough, I live on the same street that I grew up on!!!!!!! Funny eh?!?!/Well, Shawn and I moved our family back to the street I grew up on 14 years ago and I am so, so, so, very happy that we made that decision and we will be here for the remainder of our days or as far as I can tell into the future! In other words, we aren’t going anywhere as who could ask for more than living on a street where we are surrounded by incredible neighbours, lots of old, big trees, and live .5 of a km away from a beautifully kept waterfront path where I spend a great deal of time running, walking, and biking! Thank you neighbours, and lake for all that you give us!

I truly love my good friends who are always there for me to listen, talk, and help in any way they can. True friends are hard to find and I definitely have some gems in my life thankfully❤️Thank you to those friends who know to check in on me when I’m quiet, who send a quick text to say “Hi!” and who not only tolerate (lol), but enjoy spending time with me💛☀️🥰

I love my job and work environment at JSOD! Who could have predicted that I would do 5 years of Post-Graduate Studies, work 15 years as a Communicative Disorders Assistant (Speech and Language Therapist) at a clinic with an amazing, caring boss, then move into this current life working part-time as a Receptionist/Office Organizer/Front Desk Manager for the past 6 or so years?!?!? I couldn’t be happier for the choices I’ve made to land me where I am today! I am so happy and feel so blessed to have had all the opportunities to bring me to this happy life at 50! My work at the dance studio fulfills me in a way I didn’t realize I needed until I embraced it and fell in love with the children, the families, and the fellow employees I surround myself with 5 days a week. I love how loved and appreciated I am by the kids, families, and people I work with! Thank you to those of you at JSOD who support, love, appreciate me for who I am and what I bring to the Dance studio life!

I have THE BEST family and extended family a girl could ask for! My parents raised a happy, content girl, who became a thankful, fun-loving happy adult, and they did a great job I believe! I have terrific brothers (including in- laws), sisters (including in- laws) and parents (including in-laws) and I am grateful for being surrounded by such a supportive, caring group of people every day! I have an incredible sister in law that I have always been super close with who I am very thankful for and who deserves a big shout out for being an incredible friend, and the hands-down best aunt to our girls that ever did live! Seriously Emma! You rock!!!

Seriously friends, loyal supporters, and family who reads my blogs, I am so thankful, blessed, happy and tickled pink by the love I feel every day!

I must also mention here that my dream of owning a Yellow VW Beetle came true last year as well! I had always hoped it would happen, and it DID!!! I smile EVERY time I’m in it and TRULY love it more than you can even imagine💛❤️😍🥰

I love life sincerely appreciate the slow-living, non-busy, way that I have chosen to embrace it! Nothing pressing that leads me to rush anymore! I used to feel that I was defined by what I accomplished, by showing how busy I was, and how many things I could multi-task into a day/week/month/year, but not anymore! Now I live life slowly, appreciating my loved ones, loving moments the way I never have before. I have chosen to surround myself with people who I care about, who care about me, and who make me feel good. I concentrate on being happy, content, and taking time for myself. Does this mean I don’t have less than stellar moments/days/weeks?? Absolutely not! I just don’t dwell and expect things to be perfect anymore. Perfection does not exist and I don’t believe in it!

I started this blog saying it, so I will end it the same way:

Life is a series of choices; you can chose to dance in the rain or wallow in your own self pity when things aren’t perfect!

Me? I choose to dance in the rain and run in the snow!

Living my best life at 50!

Your Simply Susan Fabulous, facts about turning Fifty!!!!💛🥰

SQ All-Natural Product Line

Thank you for your interest in my SQ All-Natural product Line. I have put many products and recipes to the test, and have decided on the below items to sell! I have a Facebook page SQ all natural beauty and cleaning products as well as an Instagram account @sq_allnaturalproducts.

My goal with this product line is to create products for use in our homes for cleaning and for use on our bodies that are good for us, all natural, and good for the environment. I also collect jars and containers that were on their way to the recycle bin and re-use these. I thoroughly clean out and reuse jars, plastic containers, fabric, and anything else I can find to sell my products in. For our family I have started making most items that I use to buy in plastic containers: dish soap, cleaning solution, dishwasher detergent,and this is in addition to what I make and sell in my product line!

I have learned that what we put ON our body is absorbed INTO our bodies and therefore since I take the time to make sure I am eating whole, good foods I realized I should also be treating my skin the same.

This goes for cleaning products as well. I believe in helping keep our homes clean using products that are safe, environmentally friendly, and can be used safely around children and pets. My products are non-toxic and eco-friendly.

If you are interested in learning more about my products send me an email at fit2borganized.wordpress@gmail.com

Here are my products❤️❤️

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There you have it! I am very proud of all my products and have recieved a ton of positive feedback from my customers.

Please comment below if you have tried my SQ Products and what you think of them!

Also If anyone has any ideas or suggestions of new items I’m open to hear them😊

Thank you for your support my loyal followers! ❤️❤️

This is Suzy Sunshine 🌞 SQ Product Line Post Update 🌼🤗

IF….. and WHEN…

IF (Intermittent Fasting) has been life changing for me and here is where I tell you some of those details!

First of all, I have never really struggled with my weight until a few years ago when aging hormones took over and I started filling out a bit. Now I’m not very big, so to others this was maybe not noticeable, but my clothes were tight and I just wasn’t feeling as good with my body. So, I wanted to lose a bit of weight; only 10-15 lbs total.

Now, I don’t believe in dieting or cutting out foods if you love them UNLESS you are allergic to them or they simply don’t agree with your body. So, that being said, I was not interested in dieting to lose weight!

Secondly for those of you who know me, you know that I am kind of an exercise fanatic. So, that being said not exercising was not the problem, and more exercise was not going to solve the problem.

I am, as you all know, a big advocate of keeping fit and healthy, but I have also learned that exercise (especially if you already do a lot of it) is not the most efficient way to lose weight! Doing cardio is absolutely fantastic for your body, for your heart, for your mental health and for your spirit, but for me I could not exercise more than I already do. People think that running etc burns SO MANY calories, that they can eat whatever they want as long as they exercise ( I was one of these people who believed this!) but this is NOT the case as exercise actually doesn’t burn as many calories as people believe it does.

I have heard over the years the whole “Calories in/Calories out” rule and that if you want to lose weight burn more than you take in. I have also learned this is not the case as not all calories are created equally! If you believe this, then that means you believe that 100 calories of cotton candy will be the same for your body as 100 calories of broccoli🤣. Now common sense tells us that this is obviously not the case! Our bodies use and store food in different ways and what we put into our bodies is key. How our hormones react to foods is a big factor here!

You cannot out-exercise a bad diet! If you eat the recommended 1200-2000 calories a day but eat processed junk, you are going to put on weight and damage your body in many ways, and most of these you may not visually see but will definitely feel.

So, what did I do since I wasn’t going to exercise more, and I already eat a very healthy diet? (following the 80/20 rule 80% good 20% not so good…..more on this later) I changed WHEN I eat the food I want to eat!

Did this simple change work?????? 100% YES!!!!!!!

That is all for today💛Stay tuned to this blog as my journey continues.

More details next time!!!!
Your Suzy Sunshine tip of the day!!! ☀️🌼🥰

WHEN …..and IF…..

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Welcome back and thank you for taking the time to follow me on my IF journey.

When I first began back in January 2020, I just started by skipping breakfast. At first this was weird as I had been eating breakfast my whole life and really enjoyed eating it! It is……”the most important meal of the day” isn’t it????? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! This was an ad campaign bought to you by one of the biggest cereal companies out there! Yes, that’s true, look it up!!!!

What you also need to know is that eating constantly is just not good for your body. If you’re doing it because your stomach is growling, or you think you’re hungry but you just ate 2 hours ago then you’re not eating the right foods.

Did you know that your body has a satiety (feeling full) hormone that will tell you when you are full? Well we do, and it’s called Leptin!! I have learned that processed foods, fast foods, and frozen prepared meals are mainly filled with “junk” and therefore do not give your body the “full” signal!? Our bodies require nutrients and real, whole foods provide these and therefore when we have had enough we actually feel full!

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Have you ever noticed that when you eat a fast food meal you feel temporarily full, but then are hungry again 1-2 hours later? Ever wonder why? No nutrients! Your body is saying “wait, there was nothing real in that food so give me something else!”

This sadly is one of the causes of the very sad obesity epidemic that is so unfortunately taking over! More than 50%of the population is struggling with obesity and it’s become a worldwide epidemic that is sadly becoming one of the leading causes of preventable death now; more deadly that our recent epidemic not Covid-19!

The problem is, so many people just don’t know how to get themselves out of this “rut” !

Everyone is more busy than ever these days, it seems, so sadly, this leads to us eating on the go. What does this lead us to? Fast food, easy meals, snacks etc.

So, how can we change this?

Planning for one! If you know when you are gojng to eat you can pack whole food meals.

My second tip is to try an “eating window” aka Intermittent Fasting. Start by just skipping breakfast…..even just delaying breakfast. Fasting is one of those things that is hard to wrap your head around! Everyone thinks “there is absolutely NO WAY I could skip meal” You’d be surprised!

Your fast start time is when you finish eating the night before until your first meal of the day. So if you finish eating at 7pm and eat breakfast at 9 am you did a 14 hour fast! Start there!

Before you eat breakfast you can indulge in all the black coffee, black tea, water, sparkling (unflavoured) beverages you like, and these also will help you to extend your fast and help you to feel full. Once you decide to “open your window” try eating a “whole” food; meaning nuts, avocado, berries, a banana; anything that is raw or unprocessed, and has as few ingredients as possible.

Intermittent Fasting is the absolute BEST thing I’ve ever done for my body and my mind! The mental clarity and the focus is so much better when your brain isn’t always focused on your body constantly digesting!

I’m going to leave it at that for now. Try a 14 hour fast today! It may be tough on your first day but it will get easier! Trust me on this! Trust the IF process! It’s totally worth it in the end!

Life changing! I’m not kidding!☀️😊

Life is good!

I am in a very good place in my life right now, so I decided I would spread the joy around.

Realizing and acknowledging the good things in your life helps you so much. So many people are negative about life and live to complain and focus on the bad in everything. Sure, we all have bad stuff going on in our life, but do you know what? It is up to you to change your way of thinking and not dwell on things that bring you down. Thoughts are like magnets; if you think of a few good things in your life they will bring forth more good thoughts and memories. The same goes for bad thoughts. I find I can spiral downward once I have a few things go wrong and end up in a deep, dark place that is quiet a challenge to dig myself out of.

I have a few helpful tips that will make your days happy if you follow them:

Smile at and say “Hi” to a stranger today! Pick your person wisely, but while you are out for your walk or walking to the GO train or whatever, smile and say “Hi!” to someone. It will surprise you how this simple thing can make both yours and someone else’s day!

Take time to give a genuine compliment to someone each day. Making someone feel good about themself will also make you feel happy.

Greet people with a smile and a Hi whenever you can. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by a fabulous family, great friends, and a job working with people I love. I truly believe that greeting people with a big smile and a nice hello can put people at ease and make mostly all situations better!

Someone once told me a long time ago that every night when you are going to bed think of 5 things you are thankful for. This was one of the best tips I have ever received! When you remind yourself right before dozing off to sleep of things you are thankful for, that puts your mind in a good place and helps you fall asleep.

Please give these a try, you’ll be glad you did, trust me!

Remember….You can’t always control what happens, you can ONLY control how you react to what happens.❤️

Your Simply Susan quick and dirty tip of the day! 😊💛

“SQ” Products

Thank you for checking out my SQ product line!!!!!

For our family I am making a ton of products, but I have chosen to start slowly so am  currently selling 4 of them:

Body Butter:  Olive oil, Coconut oil, Shea butter, Beeswax, essential oils (optional) (Can be made scented or scent free upon request)

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Lip Balm: Beeswax, Shea butter, coconut oil, essential oil (optional)

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Reusable Wax sheets (use instead of zip-top bags, and/or plastic wrap) Cotton squares ( various sizes available) with melted oil and beeswax.  These are eco-friendly, re-usable (wiped with soap and/or cold water) anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and can be used to wrap any food (except raw meat) from sandwiches, to cut fruit. Or you can cover your bowls etc. as you would have done with plastic wrap (terrible for the environment!)

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Toilet Bombs: These “bombs” can be used weekly to keep your toilet clean and fresh! Just drop them into the toilet water, allow 5-10 minutes for it to dissolve and then use your toilet brush as usual and then flush away. Septic system safe, and eco-friendly!

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Just an FYI here are some of the other products I have been experimenting with and using regularly in our home:

Liquid Laundry Detergent

All-Purpose cleaner

Foaming Hand Soap

Liquid Dish Soap

Facial and Body Scrubs (different types)

Deodorant

Dry Shampoo (dark and light hair varieties ) wet, and dry applications

Eye Cream

Anti-Bacterial Hand Sprays

SO….as I said, I am REALLY enjoying this and love making and using these products!!! I feel so much better using these and promoting these as what we put ON our body and what we breath in and clean our houses with is extremely important to living a healthy life!

Price List for products currently available:  (These are my initial prices, so they may change)

Body Butter $8/6oz, $4/3 oz

Lip Balm $2/8.5g, $4/25g

Toilet Bombs 10 tabs for $5

Wax covers/squares: small (6×6″ square) $2, medium (10×10″ square) $4, Large (15×10″) $6

Please contact me by email if you would like to order any of the above! My email is fit2borganized.wordpress@gmail.com

Thank you all for your support on this new endeavour!!
SQ🧘💞💛🌞

The Sun🌞continues to Shine😁

It was 1 year ago today, (with the thanks of the “Bell Let’s Talk” initiative) that I openly talked about my struggles with depression. I have to say, I am SO happy I did! The people who reached out to me about their struggles and the compassion toward my struggles have indeed been incredible. I am touched that there are so many kind people in my world that have opened up and confided to me, and offered their shoulder and listening ear if I need it.

What have I learned in the past year?
If you talk about it you can get the help you need. By letting people know the signs to look out for when I am starting to “spiral downward” I get the support and help I need. It doesn’t have to be talking to another person in person though. Just getting your emotions out in any way that works for you is the goal; I often find that I on bad days I am on the verge of tears and absolutely do not want to talk to anyone. But, I will text. Texting with certain people in my life has worked wonders for me in working through my emotions and trying to keep my head above water. Thank you to those people for being there for you, you know who you are!

I have learned that I am not alone, actually FAR from it. It is a way more common health issue than, I am sure, most of you realize. So many people struggle with depression and don’t even know they have it. I know people that I wish would open up to me because I can see they are struggling but they just keep carrying on struggling every step of the way. This makes me so sad as I know that if they at least talked in confidence to their doctor or other confidant about it this would make a difference and get them moving in the right direction.
I have learned that for me medication DOES work, and I NEED it. I tried reducing my dosage when I felt I was in a really good place. I felt good for a couple of weeks, then after about 3 or 4 weeks noticed some things that I chose to ignore. I, once again as I did in the beginning, found excuses for feeling down; PMS, not enough sleep, stress. Well, after about 5 weeks I had gone into a deep, dark spiral and realized I needed to go back to where I was. What I realized was that the medication takes a while to get out of your system, and then to get back in it as well. Sure enough at week 3 my body was reacting to being on less of the serotonin it needs that my body doesn’t produce enough of. Then I just got worse and worse. When I finally accepted that I do need my original dosage and went back up, again it took my body time to adapt and get back on track. Lesson learned. Would I try this again? Maybe yes! I had let those who are close to me know what was going on, and they were helping me and keeping an eye on me, so it was tough, yet my support network was there. Too many people dismiss meds and insist on dealing with depression their own way, but I encourage people to at least try some to see if there is a change. There are so many different ones out there and if one doesn’t work, don’t assume all don’t; there are tons.

One other thing I learned is that I need to be around things and people that make me happy and

avoid those that don’t. I no longer waste my time being with those who bring me down, and am spending more and more time with the people that care about me and that I love to be around. I used to worry about pleasing everyone, but now I know my happiness is in my hands and I surround myself only with those who can provide this! I find, for the first time in my life, that I am putting myself and my well-being first. I have also realized that Finley, our dog, is an absolutely incredible therapy tool and I encourage anyone out there who doesn’t own a dog to consider it! He helps me in ways I can’t even describe! He is a constant, complete joy in my life and I love him as unconditionally as he loves me!

If you d
I am ecstatic that many people have come forward and been able to open up to me, and said it was because of my blog. That truly touched me. My purpose of writing about my troubles with depression was to help people understand what it looks, sounds, and feels like. Many people weren’t able to put a label on theirs until I put it all out there in words and they realized that “Yes! That is exactly what I feel!” If I just affected one person it would have been worth it, but thankfully, I had a ton of responses and people coming to thank me for opening up.

All in all it was totally, completely worth it and I would continue to encourage others to seek the help or the listening ear they need to get through it.

Remember………Suzy Sunshine is ALWAYS here to listen and talk.

Your Suzy Sunshine “ray” of the day!🤣