Three years ago my friend Kristee Lyle Aubin was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  Two of her biggest supporters during this challenging time were her neighbours, Brooke Maslink and her husband Ryan.

This lovely couple left Kristee’s neighbourhood to move somewhere quieter to raise a family.. It was such a loss for Kristee.  She and her husband had never had luck with neighbours in this particular house and they were so happy to have Brooke and Ryan there.

Kristee knew they would always keep in touch but no longer having them as neighbours left a void in her life.

Last month Kristee received the most heartbreaking news about (more…)

Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing Sophia Ruffalo, founder and CEO of femmebought.

After our interview I quickly registered for a membership and joined this incredible woman and her network of powerful female entrepreneurs.

Even before our chat, she totally got me with her clever branding and playful 80’s tagline, “Girls Just Wanna Have Funding”

As Sophia grows this business with a passion to give her time and resources to female entrepreneurs like me, she’s also discovered another way to (more…)

Coming out of hibernation really is quite something.

How is it even possible that in one weekend I went from feeling 100 years old to 10 years old?

Listen, I could go on and on about the aches and pains I’ve had since the Christmas rush and how I’ve promised myself to never work those long hours again.  As my Mom says, pretty much daily, (more…)

Can we please NOT stop talking about International Women’s Day?  Week? Month? Year?

Let’s just recognize that this should be a lifelong conversation.

Celebrations last week were absolutely amazing.  I felt like it was my birthday.  Being celebrated for being a woman is a feeling we need to hang on to and never let go of!

My week started with being asked to speak at (more…)

Happy International Women’s Day!

This year the celebrations feel more emotional for me than ever before.

A year of reflecting on my blessings has made me realize how full of love and support my world actually is.

One year ago today we all had no idea that the year to come would be like no other we have ever known.

When the pandemic came, my fears and anxiety rose as I worried about the things (more…)

Happy Monday everyone and a very happy March the 1^st to you!

I’m excited, this is the month where the seasons start to change.  We might have sunshine and melting snow one day and a storm the next but hey, we are moving in the right direction.

If it was a normal year, my Mom and I would be pulling into the White Sands Inn in Grassy Key FL for a nice dose of sunshine and warmth.  I’d be flooding my Instagram and FB posts with pictures of the sunny south.  Pelicans soaring (more…)

One of the most rewarding things about owning a small business is that you all become like family.  We eat together, we drink together, we enjoy parties together, we talk about life and we hug, a lot.

Then this pandemic happens and even though we can’t be together, nothing breaks the bond.

I was so incredibly grateful this weekend to all of you.  Last week was hard for me.  I was (more…)

Are you feeling grateful for all of this sunshine?  Isn’t it the best?

Okay, I have to admit, I did think my face was going to fall off on my morning walk but like I always say, as long as the sun is shining, I’m good!

There is so much beauty all around us and now more than ever I think it is so important to really take it all in.  Every colour, every sound, anything to keep our senses stimulated.  In my mind these little things are part of the magic formula for happiness.

Last week we had a beautiful Thursday, lots of snow, the sun was shining and it was above zero!  I got in my car to do a grocery run for us and my Mom.  When I got into the car I turned on the radio, Q107 of course!  An oldie but a goodie was on.  “She Ain’t Pretty” by the Northern Pikes.  Who remembers that one?  Anyway, do you ever have those moments where all of a sudden you are so in tune with the radio and every song sounds sooooo good and you just can’t get the songs to play loud enough?  I love when that happens.  I actually think the feeling could be described as a form of meditation.

After dropping off the groceries to my Mom, instead of rushing home, I decided to venture down to Bronte Harbour and take in all of its beauty.  As I pulled up to a parking spot, I got an amazing summer feeling that washed over me and put a huge smile on my face.  That great summer feeling continued as I walked down to the water, passing extraordinary Muskoka Chairs beautifully painted by several artists as part of the “At Home in Bronte” exhibit.  I also walked over to where the yachts are usually parked and imagined my future pink sparkly eco-friendly yacht parked there with all the rest of them, blaring yacht rock (cue “Baby Come Back”) drinking pink champagne and sucking back oysters with all my pals!

I decided to carry on this inspired beautiful feeling throughout the weekend and joined up for a Sunday Night “Paint and Networking” event with my friends at Clio & Fox.  We painted a sweet little chickadee on a branch in the snow and of course I just had to add sparkles to my snow.  It felt great to paint again, it’s been a long time and I did feel a little rusty.  I’m now inspired to return to painting, a practice that will be another great form of mediation.

Speaking of meditation, I must leave you now for some Yoga in my living room, it’s the best way to manifest more magic for the week ahead.

Keep dreaming and creating your own magic, it’s what we do best!

How do you manifest the magic in your life?

Monica XO

If you’re ready to have some creative fun!  I’m going to be launching something very special for my VIP’s in the next month or so.  Make sure you subscribe to our email list below to stay in the “know”.