This picture is from a very special evening spent with my two school friends, girls I have known for decades . @ashasinha was visiting Toronto and staying with another friend @tralaaalaaa whom I have been meaning to meet ever since I moved here but it somehow never happened.
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So one fateful morning at work, I saw their IG posts and reached out to meet. They replied within minutes to meet up that very day!The rest of my work day is now a blur because I was so excited about our meet-up! I hopped on TTC after work and soon enough was standing in front of the ladies , literally after decades!
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We were never the bestest of friends back at school or a part of the same circle but it was so easy to reconnect with them as if decades hadn’t passed in between.In many ways we are still the same, in many ways we are so different now. I am so proud of the women they have become, one pursuing her phD and the other a working super mom of a beautiful young boy.
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We went from place to place, licking ice-creams and catching up on each others’ lives. I can easily say that this is one of those evenings I will remember for a very long time. It was something about meeting childhood friends, that too in a different country, something about watching the sunset on a pier and comfortable silences in between (or the fact the we got to see the making of a music 🎶 video ! Swipe left to see a teaser !)
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That evening was mine. I didn’t hear the expectations of society, friends and family ringing in my ears. I wasn’t thinking, planning or stressing.I was in bliss, taking in the beauty of the sunset, the city skyline and the comfort in my company. I think this will be a memory of “my happy place” ❤️for times to come.
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#themakingofaminimalist #minimalistblogger #canadianblogger #simpleliving #mindfulliving #consciousliving #bengaliblogger #browngirlbloggers #torontoblogger #myhappyplace
I have always liked the idea of giving useful gifts to my loved ones. As a practicing minimalist, my desire for that has only gotten stronger. Nowadays it’s easier to give meaningful gifts to others, may it be a consumable one or a gift of experience. However when it comes to children, you have to be tad bit more mindful.
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With two nieces and a nephew Alhamdulliah, I have become very conscious about the kind of gifts I get for children. Of course, candies 🍭 and chocolates 🍫 are easy and bound to make you popular with children. Even clothes too, right ? They are useful . But if you really want to make a meaningful contribution to their growth and development, skill developing toys, books and even experiences like taking them to parks and picnic can go a long way.
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So when I was invited to a friend’s son’s birthday last week, after spending a significant amount of time at @chaptersindigo , I ended up buying books🤭. Take a look at my calligraphy game going strong !💪
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I suppose the reader in me has a weakness for books but I also feel it’s so important to develop the love for books early in a child’s life. My nieces just started school and can’t read well yet but they love seeing the pictures in books and listening to stories! It helps develop their imagination so much!
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Needles to say, I also got a set of little feminist board book set from @mudpuppykids for my nieces. I don’t live near them unfortunately but I can’t wait to give it to them! Also, I will make sure my nephew gives a go at them too!😊
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#themakingofaminimalist #minimalistblogger #canadianblogger #meaningfulgifts #booksforkids #simpleliving #mindfulliving #consciousliving #meaningfulgiftsforchildren #bengaliblogger #browngirlbloggers #torontoblogger
I thought living alone would be tricky- lonely, sad and depressing. I haven’t lived by myself ever, so I really didn’t know what to expect. Maybe craving for company, sulking and streaming Netflix. While there is some truth in that ( yeah Netflix, you got that right !😋), the rest of it has been quite a pleasant surprise.😊
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To begin with, having a full time job and adulting has kept me busy half the time ; for the other half, I made sure to engage in activities that I enjoy.
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Going on walks turned out to be one of them. The picture is from one of those days when a friend and I explored a nearby trail. Walking helps to de-stress and talking to a dear friend about life in general put things in perspective. •
I have been alone but I didn’t feel lonely and that’s saying a lot for a person like me who has a dependent personality. It’s being a pleasant surprise in learning things about myself I didn’t know and I am thoroughly enjoying this process of rediscovering myself.❤️
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#themakingofaminimalist #canada #toronto #immigrantlife #immigration #everydayepiphanies #epiphany #realization #alonenotlonely #lovingmyself #torontosummer #mindfulliving #mindfulness #simpleliving #wonderwomanbd
Once upon a time , there was an instant noodles called Fuji. It was my one true love and I loved it just as it was. No eggs or veggies to take away from it’s authenticity. Then came Maggi Noodles and conquered over all the rest for the longest time: and just when I thought , instant noodles have reached their heights, along came Mama Noodles and set a whole new standard with their spicy versions! After that, there was no turning back 😋!
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I always loved instant noodles in their simplest form. They are great hunger fixes when you are pressed for time and work wonders for midnight spicy cravings. But somehow when we moved here, I didn’t bring my love for instant noodles with me along. I saw them in the grocery aisles trying to entice me but nothing sparked from within.
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Well, until this month. One of my main goals for this time away from hubster was to NOT FUSS about food and cooking. As much as I love cooking, it takes away a huge part of my mind space, space I can use elsewhere (like writing and posting more regularly in IG and my blog 😋). So I looked for food options that would help me spend less time in the kitchen.
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That’s when my one true love came to the rescue; but just as time changes things, it also changed the way I like my instant noodles. It’s not simple-as-it-is anymore.
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These are two of such preps. The first is topped with soft boiled eggs, finely chopped ginger, Thai red chilli and coriander. Obviously I finished it off with ground pepper and chilli flakes.
The other one (swipe left to see) had additional avocado and lemon juice to it .
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#themakingofaminimalist #homecooking #instantnoodles #iphonefoodphotography #comfortfood #simplefood #easyrecipes #quickfood #easymeals
Hubster left on a long weekend and will be returning close to the next one. I knew staying home after seeing him off would leave me in a precarious state. So I made sure the long weekend he left, I was packed with fun-filled activities.
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To begin with, I didn’t return to the empty apartment after I saw him off. I went straight for a walk. I went to the library , visited a nearby food festival and did grocery shopping with a friend in the evening. The idea was to not over think and just go with the flow.
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The next day, I went for a picnic in the park and as mentioned earlier in my last post, my first Kayaking experience. It was a morning till evening activity, spent with a bunch of new people and I ended up thoroughly enjoying the day.
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The long weekend ended with a bang of fireworks- Canada Day special-that I went out to see with my friends in the evening. Everyone outside was in a jolly good mood celebrating, and it was just nice to join the crowd, as much I usually avoid them. Fireworks, street food and good company can’t possibly go wrong !
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Having so much fun felt guilty at times, almost wrong without my partner in crime. But that’s the deal we struck- he got to go see family and I got to be by myself- exploring a rare opportunity. Before he left, I worried how I will spend my days; as strange as it sounds, I really don’t know how to be alone because I was never in such a position before. But I did the first weekend right, keeping my mind open to possibilities ( new people and new experience) and stepping out of my comfort zone (my apartment). Honestly, that set the stage right for my days after.
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#themakingofaminimalist #canada #toronto #immigrantlife #immigration #everydayepiphanies #epiphany #realization #alonenotlonely #lovingmyself #torontosummer #musings #learning #solitude #sololiving #livingalone
It’s feels right out of the movies. A girl living in the big city, working in an industry she is passionate about, returning to her own home (read rented tiny student apartment)for a quiet evening and hoping to meet someone special. Well in my case, that “someone special”, mr. hubster is already in the scene, just away for a month. So for this short while, I get to pretend I am in a typical romantic comedy! 🍿🎥❤️
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Since I just started working, it wasn’t a smart decision for me to visit Dhaka but for him, with his summer semester off, it was almost foolish not to utilise this time off. So we decided, he should visit our family while I would stay back😔.
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Yes, I was heartbroken to say the least. I was doing all the shopping and the packing but I wasn’t the one going. After a few of such days of sulking, random outbursts and secret tears, I consciously made a choice :we both will look at it as a new experience!
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My husband and I have never lived apart for more than two weeks in our Alhamdulliah 6 years of marriage. We always had our time off each other (very important and healthy in a marriage so that you don’t drive each other nuts)but never for a month.In addition, I have also never lived alone,let alone be in a (still) foreign country! So while initially I was borderline freaking out (about ghosts in my apartment 👻! ), I shifted my focus to all the things I could do in the wonderful Toronto summer!
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This picture is from one of those days spent in a park after my first Kayaking experience🚣♀️! The solitude has helped me observe myself like I never had before. In fact, hubster and I both feel, this has given us both some perspective about life in general. I hope to share some of that soon but for now, enjoy the beautiful dazzling sky, the soft breeze but be wary, very wary about the geese! 🦆(disclaimer : significant risk was undertaken to capture this shot😋).
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#themakingofaminimalist #canada #toronto #donmills #immigrantlife #immigration #everydayepiphanies #epiphany #realization #alonenotlonely #lovingmyself #torontosummer #wonderwomanbd
Shakshuka , Huevos Rancheros or Sali Par Eedu- you might know this dish by one of those names or maybe something different altogether. I first came across the Mexican version, Heuvos Rancheros. Then I learnt of the Middle-Eastern style , Shakshuka and most recently the Parsi take, Sali Par Eedu.
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The recipe for this popular breakfast dish varies across different cuisines but the essence remains the same- a veggie base cooked with spices and topped with eggs. Its an absolute fail safe dish, the ultimate weekend breakfast and for me, the definition of comfort food.
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So when I returned home after work, I found myself craving for some comfort food. This led me to making this breakfast dish for dinner !
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#themakingofaminimalist #homecooking #breakfastfordinner #iphonefoodphotography #cookingfromscratch #comfortfood #egg #eggrecipes #shakshuka #heuvosrancheros #salipareedu
While my favourite bloggers and minimalism or conscious living enthusiasts are practicing #slowfashion this summer, I , a practicing minimalist, is doing quite the opposite!
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What you see in the picture is my entire wardrobe; no jokes here ladies and gentleman, that’s all the clothes I have minus the home clothes and lingeries. ( you can swipe up for the pants on the upper shelf)This is all my office wear, casual wear, party wear - pretty much any outing wear! I don’t even have the bare minimum of 33 or 30 items that people choose as their magic number when they practice #slowfashion . And that’s okay. I am not trying to reach a number here; I am still in the process of figuring out my style, what I am comfortable wearing and what works for me.
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Being from Bangladesh, I never wore dresses, skirts, even pants and blouse on a regular basis. So this has been a complete change of wardrobe and style for me. After some initial hyperventilation,I have made peace with the fact that this will take time AND I will mistakes . I will end up buying items I don’t need and waste money sometimes. I am grateful to have made friends who are helping me in figuring this out. Also the online community is a ton of help!
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For now this is working for me. There are items that are missing in my wardrobe like black and grey formals pants (immediate necessity because my office changed its dress code to business casual/formal/no jeans 🤦🏻♀️!); heels 👠 ( I don’t have any , but life is still moving on without them 😋) and some work shoes 🤔(maybe be , still contemplating)
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I am no rush here ❤️
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(P.S.- please note , I have traditional outfits like sarees and kameezes that I brought when I came here , all tugged in a suitcase.However, since these are clothes I hardly wear- lot of emphasis on HARDLY- and considering taking back to give away on my next trip to Dhaka, I have left them out in this post). =•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=
#themakingofaminimalist #minimalism #minimalliving #mindfulliving #simpleliving #consciousliving #lessismore #livingwithintention #minimalisticlifestyle #wardrobe #officewear
