CANADA | Why we love it

We have so much to be grateful for in this vast country of ours.

Sure, we have things like Tim Hortons, plaid, hockey, toques, and all the other funny little things that we are associated with abroad. We love those things, but it is the fundamentals of our country that make it fantastic. Openness, respect, compassion.

Our country takes care of us, so that when we are hurt or a family member is sick, we don't have to decide between getting better or going into debt. We have freedom and peace at levels far beyond so many places in the world. Travellers the world over talk of our welcoming and affable nature; we care about each other. 

We haven't always been all cute beavers and friendly smiles. We have our dark past. Our indigenous peoples have suffered greatly at the hands of new settlers not that long ago, and still do. We hope that the work we are doing in our country progresses, and that their hearts soon find peace.

As any country, we have our list of widely known names that have made a splash in their field. We have brought the world the talents of Leonard Cohen, Michael Buble, Ryan Gosling AND Reynolds, Rachel McAdams, Ellen Page, Joni Mitchell, and Sarah Mclachlan to name a few. We have sent astronauts like Chris Hadfield to the moon, we have had nobel prize winners, inventors, athletes, and many more great minds. Not to mention bringing poutine, Caesars, peanut butter, and Nanaimo bars to the table. 

More than anything, we have so much beauty here, so much wildness. Our natural landscapes span an incredible range, from snow capped mountains and rainy forests, to flat prairies and rocky shorelines. We have big skies and great open spaces, lights that dance across the night sky to the heavens, and lakes for miles.

Anyone who has been lucky enough to call this country home knows what we're talking about. We are proud to be among them. Happy 150th Canada!

 

Images by  |  Julie Williams Photography

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/canada-why-we-love-it-here

BALANCE | Work + Life

I have to laugh as I start to write this. The topic is a little ridiculous due to the fact that I have been trying to write this post for four weeks, which just goes to show you how balanced my to do list is at SALT these days.

Finding a good work/life rhythm is a subject that weighs on me heavily, not in a bad or good way. It is just something that I try to be mindful of. Being an entrepreneur for the last 12 years of my life has lead to some high highs alongside low lows. Now in my 29th year as a human, I look back and see those moments as a lesson to take better care of myself. So that is exactly what I plan to do! 

Work/Life Balance is a topic that gets plenty of airplay. Working in the digital age means that things can happen fast, and work is always at your fingertips. So how do we cope when we feel overwhelmed? What can we do to stay grounded?

Since January, I have reserved some mental space for observing myself and my work habits. I believe that balance is different for each and every one of us. It is through being mindful of our personalities that we can learn to understand what helps us to feel empowered and grounded from day to day. In the last six months I have learned a couple of key things about myself that help keep my rhythm flowing.

I truly value my time in nature; it is extremely grounding and calming. It is also a great opportunity to leave my phone behind and just settle into being me. Hiking or beachcombing are my favourite ways to get outdoors.

What I consume is crucial. The food we put into our bodies is fuel for what we need to accomplish in a day. I need a lot of fuel to keep up with my schedule, so I have to commit to eating whole foods that treat my body right!

My To Do list never gets smaller, it just turns over with the next important tasks at hand. It is a good reminder that I am constantly up to great things (and helps me not forget to do them!).

These three realizations are how I manage to maintain a sense of calm in between running my life and my businesses. Being an entrepreneur at heart, you can be sure that SALT is not the only venture I have on the go. I am usually juggling between 3+ different projects at once. It’s pure insanity, but I love it!  

So, how am I doing? Well, by how delayed I was in writing this blog post, some would think not the best! Ha. However, I think it is quite the opposite.  

My biggest factor in maintaining balance is an understanding of my personality first. I honour what drives me and acknowledge that sometimes I have genius ideas at 11pm at night that can’t wait to be written down. But I also set up my life in a way so that after a late night brainstorm, I can wake up slow, with tea and maybe a little yoga or a walk on a nearby trail. It is honouring all aspects of my personality, firey, energetic, calm, quiet, creative, and positive that help me to understand what balance means for me, and how to keep it.   

- XX Jessica

Images by Sweet Heirloom Photography

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/work-life-balance

FATHERS DAY | TO THE DADS!

Father, Dad, Pops, Papa, Daddy, Dada, Old Man - there are a lot of names we could call the guys who gave us half our DNA. No matter what you call him, he's the figure we'd like to pay tribute to this week.

In the past, Dad's were stereotypically supposed to be the tough guys. They were the ones tasked with protecting us and teaching us to be strong. They were meant to be a stern presence in the house that you respected and obeyed. They weren't given a lot of leeway on how they were expected to behave.

There is no less respect for these men in our lives now, there is just a shift in the way we see their roles. There is much less pressure to adhere to the archetypical Father character.  

Men are allowing themselves to be more comfortable talking about their softer sides. You can see them in small gestures if you look closely. The way they learn to braid your hair when Mom isn't around. They way they hold us when we scrape our knees and tell us it's ok to cry. They way they play catch, even though they were never good at baseball. The way they read us stories at bedtime. 

We'd like to think that this side of Dad is becoming a more popular topic. Men operate on an emotional spectrum just as much as women, and we're thankful that they are stepping up to express themselves a little more. It's healthy for them personally, meaning it will be healthier for their families. Cheers to happier households all around!

We've got lots in store that you could pass on to your Pops to let him know you appreciate him. Whether you write him a card, buy him his new favourite shirt, or just spend some quality time together, make sure he knows that he matters.

XX TO DADS! XX

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/fathers-day

MAKERS Q+A | JULIA + HONUBELLE

NAME  |  Julia Barnes

BRAND  |  Honubelle

LOCATION  |  Calgary, AB

Coffee or Tea  |  Coffee with cream

Currently Listening  |  Weird Fishes by Radiohead

Favourite Quote  |  "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." - Mark Twain

In 10 words or less, what do you do?  I design swimwear for women to feel confident and sexy.

What motivated you to start your business?  I've wanted to design and create fashion since I was a little kid. I needed that creative outlet, but I wanted it to be meaningful for me as well. So I combined my desire for creating garments with my passion for living an ocean/surfer lifestyle.

What has been your most rewarding experience since starting your company?  The most rewarding experience was when a customer told me that she has never received a compliment on a beach until she wore the Jericho bottom. Helping women feel confident and beautiful is what keeps me driving forward.

What does a typical day look like for you + your crew?  Here is where I wish I could say that a typical day for me involved 2 hours of kitesurfing to do product testing, haha. Not there just yet. ;) A typical day for me involves balancing being a Mom, a designer/business owner, and a fitness instructor. I start the day early so that I can squeeze in as much as I can.

How did you grow your business from a hobby to a full-time job?  Because it was a hobby, there was passion. That passion is what drove me to make something worthwhile out of it.

Work / Life balance, how do you keep it?  Being a business owner, you always push forward and it's easy to burn out. It's important for me to have downtime on the weekends, when I spend time with my family doing things we love, like going kitesurfing or skiing. But most importantly I strive to achieve balance by being present in everything I do, so I can stay focused and get things done.

What’s the next milestone for your brand?  Growing the distribution channels and getting into more surf shops and boutiques across Canada.

JULIA'S SALT WISHLIST

 

 

 

 

from SALT Shop - Journal https://saltshop.ca/blogs/news/makers-honubelle