Last Word with Allison Smith

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and love in the air, in a rare few quiet minutes recently, I reflected on how lucky I am: I have a lot of love in my life. The dawn of the new year slipped by without me giving much thought to resolutions, but in reading a piece by a fellow local editor-in-chief, I was inspired by the idea that perhaps the notion of resolutions needs freshening up anyway. For me, that’s where love comes in!

I love where I live; getting outside as often as possible is a must. In this issue we launch our “Out For A … ” column. Every month different local people will share where they go to get out on the Peninsula, whether that be for a run, like Tara MacDonald in this issue (page 39), bike ride, walk or a hike. Hopefully we can share some new “hidden gems” with our readers and inspire you with new spots to get your exercise! 

 I love crafting, and trying DIY projects. As the mom of a four-year-old, I don’t get a lot of time to myself, but working towards bringing back this part of my life will bring me some joy. 

 I love reading, but books took a backseat to motherhood a few years ago. Deborah Rogers’ very successful Seaside Book Club (page 59) was launched just a bit too late for me, as I’d just started my own book club, but I can’t say enough about how instrumental these groups can be in jumpstarting your passion for reading. Making sure my book club ticks along well this year is an obvious item on my list.  

I love opening my closets and drawers and seeing not just well-organized items but space! Thank you to Marie Kondo and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up for helping me with this one! Keeping on top of this, and not forgetting what Marie has taught me, is key. 

And finally, I love my daughter, and being around to watch her grow up is the most important thing on this list. In this issue, we have a focus on Health & Wellness (pages 23-31), with lots of features to help you be in good health, both mentally and physically. 

If you find yourself frustrated by the February slump and your inability to hold on to the resolutions you made so hopefully a month ago, try simplifying things: make a list of what you love and what you need to do to make those things possible, then just let it evolve from there.  

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