About How Sweet It Is

I started blogging in July, 2012, chronicling my quest to lose weight. I shared clean eating recipes, and mused on everyday life. It was a great outlet, I loved the support and positive remarks I received from friends and family, and I lost over 20 pounds in the process!

Writing has been a passion since I was I little, when I would write short stories about young heroines in faraway lands. As I grew older, I filled diaries with teenage angst and waxed poetic on young heartbreak. I followed the dream to journalism school, then I got busy living halfway around the world. Life got in the way, and I let this love of writing fall by the wayside. I rediscovered it to help overcome some difficult times:  while in my mid 20s, teaching English and living with friends in Japan as I had always dreamed of doing, but away from the support of family, I became bulimic. For over five years, the struggle to overcome this eating disorder dominated my daily life, it got in the way of relationships, and side tracked my career path. It took a lot from me. But it also made me who I am:  a more compassionate person and stronger woman who appreciates the good in life, after battling the bad. I can’t say unhealthy habits didn’t return on and off over the years that followed, but for the most part, I have been successful in my recovery. So to deal with the desire to lose weight in a healthy way, and to vent on struggles of life and love, I started A Lighter, Brighter Life. If ever you want to read about Bree before all this, check out:

http://alighterbrighterlife.wordpress.com/

Even after I stopped writing that blog, I continued eating well, lost more weight, and tried to get active (I still struggle with this one!). But since I last wrote, a lot has changed:  I met my match, Jon, and I made the move to live with him in Estevan. I immediately started a new job, and got pregnant;) And then we bought our first house! I welcomed these new changes:  taking a leap for love was the best decision I ever made! With a new journey looming ahead, both exciting and scary, I thought it was about time I started writing again. I wrote about my pregnancy, the good and the bad, then the joys and struggles of first-time motherhood and our life with our lovely little girl, Lily Rose.

Then life changed once again:  we moved our family of three to Regina, and I went back to work after maternity leave. Being a working mom was a difficult transition, but after some time I found my groove. Then we got pregnant again, only to miscarry early on. This was a hard time for me, but it also brought us to our amazing rainbow baby, Oliver. Right after Oliver arrived we bought a new home and began to settle in. Then more loss came when Jon’s father passed after a battle with cancer. Our family of four has been through some sad times, but we are stronger and more set on living this life of ours to the fullest, savouring the sweet parts with those we love most.

And I am now back at work, trying to figure out how to rock this working-momma-of-two thing, make time to write and also cultivate my other passion:  baking. I started baking cupcakes and cakes years ago, which my friends and family have dubbed “Breecakes.” Now I am trying to create a spot in my life for this creative outlet and side hustle. You can follow my adventures in baking as BreeCakes on Facebook and @breecakesplease  on Instagram.

I hope you enjoy reading my musings on life:  whether it be the trials and triumphs of raising little ones, the constant struggle to find body and self acceptance, or the quest to perfect a sweet treat.

XO Bree