It's that time of month again when I send you a few tips to help you relax at home. I hope you DO take the time to relax at least once a day, even if it's just for 5 minutes of deep breathing or writing down what you are grateful for.

Spring is here and I'm grateful for its presence, but along with it can come more stressful occasions.

• If you've put on weight during the winter, it's time to lose it if you want to wear your favourite bathing suit this summer.


• For many, the birth of a new child is a wonderful new addition to the family, but a stressful one that takes away even more "me time". If you already have children, this also applies to you as children grow and their needs change every year.

This is why I want to address these two particular stressful issues and offer some helpful advice.

Lose weight without stressing out

I've tried many diets in my lifetime and I'm sure many of you also have. It would be nice if a single diet could solve everyone's weight problems but we all know it isn't the case.

I would like to recommend a particular informational book that you can get from your local library and that should help you learn more about which diet you would best be suited for. For example, I personally enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, and I know that picking a diet that completely forbids me from drinking alcohol would simply be a recipe for failure. This book provides a sample diet (for one week) and offers a graphical representation of various aspects (family-friendliness, cost, science behind it, etc.) so you can easily compare various diets all at once.

You'll see this book entitled "Diet Selector" as my non-fiction recommendation here:

Juggling between family and stress

I find that families require a lot of give and take. If you have children and if you are lucky enough to have family members living near you (or close friends), you may consider doing each other a favor.

If your friends also have children, why not babysit for each other on different occasions. For example, your sister can look after your kids for the weekend while you take some "me time" or "romantic time" with your partner. You can reciprocate later. Depending on the age of your kids, it could be a lot of fun for all involved! And the other adults can enjoy the peace and relaxation they deserve for at least a few hours or a few days!

Easter Ideas

And here's a cute idea that you may want to consider this year for Easter instead of the regular "chocolate bunnies". Why not trade the empty calories for some Easter relaxation?

LUSH offers some limited-time bath goodies that are not only gorgeous, but also effective in helping you relax at home. Check them out for yourself!

This inexpensive yellow chick smells like grapefruit and is in fact a "bath bomb" that will allow you to relax and be re-energized.

Hippy Chick bath bomb

These cute eggs come in yellow or pink and include two additional goodies inside of them.

The Yellow One - Easter Gift

The Pink One - Easter Gift

Book of the Month

Don't forget to check out my my two book of the month recommendations.

Remember to Relax