My writing process and an announcement

Hello!!!!

Today's post will be a little bit of everything and nothing specific... probably because of the snowstorm we are having here in Montréal...  the wind is scattering my mind and I want to talk about everything and nothing! 

I try to write on this blog Monday, Wednesday and Friday... and on Vegan finder on Tuesdays...
I also wrote a book (Life Happens) and published it recently....
I also have to write for my day job as I am a training program development specialist so I have to come up with courses on a regular basis!

Now this take some organization...  I just recently started as a guest blogger on Vegan Finder (and committed to a post every Tuesday) and committed to myself to write 3 times a week on Savvy Happy Living (this blog)...  Now I have to come up with ideas for all this writing... In order to do so, I need to spend some alone time... preferably walking to organize my thought and come up with ideas.  This works really well for me... then when I get back to where ever I should be, I note those ideas on a "notepad" on my iPhone. When I am ready to write a post, I take the iPhone and pick up an idea if I cannot come with something on the spot!!!

I also want to mention that I do not sensor myself... what comes out is what you guys read...  I do not reread my posts over and over again... I do a spell check and that is it!  No edits...  maybe I should...  to be politically correct... but then I would feel like I am not authentic!!!  I truly take this post as a diary...  so you are really getting to know me!!! 

Over the next 3 Fridays (maybe more we'll see...), I will be discussing stress management.... I wrote a course on it for work and I really want to share my material with my readers... stress management is one of my specialties...  so if you want any specific question to be addressed on one of the 3 posts on stress management please ask now so that I can plan this ahead of time...

As a heads up, topics covered will be:

Food, Exercise and Sleep
Alter/Avoid/Accept technique
Music, Laughing, Personal space
Physical relaxation technique such as breathing, meditation and yoga

Also, I wanted to announce that as of March 1st, I will go vegan (again) for a period of 3 months...  it should not make a big difference from my current diet which already is 90% vegan but the 10% will not be easy to cut down.... I tried it before.... last year... from end of March to end of June... then went back to being vegetarian! I will try again in the hope of remaining vegan afterwards... 

Here's the animal products I already do not consume:

Meat
Poultry
Fish
Seafood
Yogurt
Milk
Leather and suede
Feather
Silk
Wool

Here are the animal products I consume very slightly:

Honey
Cheese
Sour cream
Ice cream
Eggs
Gelatin

Now the challenging part, as per my last year experience was cheese...  so hard to part with... because it tastes so good... is almost everywhere in our north american cuisine... and is addictive!!!  But I did it for 3 months before... I can do it again!

The other challenge is to reads the ingredients of everything I buy... of course I do not buy many package food... but a good example are crackers...  they may have milk substitute, egg powder or whatever is derived from milk and/or eggs... I will have to watch for that!!!  THAT was the most challenging part...

I will keep you guys posted on how it is going... and will be posting more on that challenge I am giving myself for the next 3 months!  I will share with you my tips and tricks to make being vegan  and eat more from home easy and not too time consuming!

If any vegan are reading this, am I forgetting any animal product I should watch out for???

And for the non vegan, would anyone be interested in joining me into this challenge and share their experience?

let me know who you are...  trying it as a team will be easier... and more fun!!!

love and peace,
nath
xox