‘Be Well’
Why ‘Be Well’? Part blog, part safe community space where we can be 100% truthful, open and honest with you. A place where we can share real life stories and experiences – the honest reality of all the highs, lows and in-betweens we face on a daily basis. We will share our reviews and recommendations of products/services and all the ‘Things We Love’; tools and resources that you can use to live a mindful and intentional lifestyle, health and wellness tips, our travels in our 1975 orange westy…. and so much more.
Note: Please keep in mind that we are not paid to sell/promote any products or services mentioned here. As the title suggests, these are things we love; things we use in our daily lives and have encountered personal benefits. It is important to be clear that we are not doctors, nutritionists nor medical professionals. We’re simply here to share our stories, experiences and perspectives with you.
Transforming Our Business & Taking Chances Through Troubled Times
We’re inching closer and closer to the 1-year anniversary of the start of the global pandemic (things kicked into high gear in mid-March here in Atlantic Canada). Like most entrepreneurs, we’re feeling ALL the feels. An entire year of worrying, navigating...
30 Ways To Make The Holidays More Magical!
The countdown to Christmas is still going strong at our house. Of course, we're celebrating a bit differently this year. Even without some of our favourite activities like: The Santa Claus Parade, visits with our close relatives and loved ones, festive holiday parties...
Grateful For The Gracious Nature Of The Gluten-Free Community
Last month on the blog, we opened up about September representing new beginnings for us. Both as a family, and as a business. It always feels like the right time for change, evolution, growth, and - in general - everything just gets a whole lot busier. With the...
Starting Fresh In September
September has always represented new beginnings. We are adamant about starting Fresh in September, even more so than the start of a new year on January 1st. During the last week of August, I start getting that urge to make lists, clean out the closets and cupboards,...
Just Add Water
I find myself thinking lately about when my kids were toddlers, I would use a simple tool to calm myself down before I would respond or move forward. Every time I felt my anxiety, sadness or frustration with them starting to build; I would stop and drink a glass of...
Navigating Anxiety and Uncertainty
Let's talk about the idea of navigating anxiety and uncertainty. We're almost to the end of July, swiftly moving through the summer months. While many of us had hoped that the pandemic would be behind us by now, unfortunately - it’s still very much a part of our...
Brownies Bringing Us Together, Even When We’re Apart
A guest post by Elisabeth, a friendly face many of you will recognize from your weekly visits to the market. She misses you all a lot, and she has been doing her best to stay connected to the community in a truly unique and inspiring way. --- Last week, as I watched...
FAQs: How is COVID-19 affecting/changing the way Schoolhouse operates?
COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES:What additional safety measures are we putting into place as a result of COVID-19? We wash our hands, change our gloves and clean/sanitize all surfaces after every single task. We have had these practices in place from the very beginning as an...
Is this our new normal? Hanging on by a thread in uncertain times.
We opened up the other day about what treading this uncharted territory feels like. It's terrifying, honestly. The uncertainty leaves us feeling lost, unsure of what the future of our business will look like. This is an unprecedented, scary time in our history;...
COVID-19 Update: Where to find us & ways to get the products that you need!
SUDDEN SEAPORT MARKET CLOSURE & OUR SOLUTIONS:First and foremost, we want to start off by letting you know that we are here for you. Having food at home is essential, especially when we're dealing with the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 virus. As many of you know,...
Things We Love: Vitamin D, Omega-3’s & NutraSea!
It’s the end of February and you’re off and running with 2020! The plans/goals you set out at the beginning of the year are humming along - possibly with a few ups and downs along the way. It is life, after all. That being said, it's now at the point of fine-tuning...
Things We Love: Self-Love, Self-Care & SENSEA!
Love is in the air. Looking to show someone you care about how special they are to you? Or maybe a little treat for yourself? How about a little something in your own Nova Scotian backyard that feels a little out-of-this-world? Let me explain... It was a bright, sunny...
Things We Love: Feeling Beautiful Inside & Out with Bend Beauty
If you’ve been following my entries here on our 'Be Well' blog over the past year, you will have noticed that I have been trying to pay more attention to the needs of my body by prioritizing self-care. Slowly, but surely slowly; I have started to emerge from the fog...
20/20 Vision & Thoughts on Mindfulness: A New Path for the Coming Year
Now that 2019 is behind us and 2020 is here, I have some thoughts on mindfulness. The word is thrown around all over the place - an overused buzzword littered across magazine covers, flippantly mentioned in interviews and conversations; arguably a ‘new craze’. There...
Finding Joy & Wonder in the Holiday Season—Without Focusing on the Overwhelm!
I’ve always been into the magical spirit of the holiday season. That being said, after running a busy bakery for 10 years during the peak season; I'm left feeling tired and deflated trying to meet all of the holiday expectations - both personally and from a business...
Things We Love: Prioritizing Self-Care & Asking For Help (feat. Kim’s Inspired Life)
Here we are, halfway through fall already. It has been a whirlwind. Beyond that, we've been trying to adjust to what has proven to be at times a seriously crazy, rigid schedule. We're still getting used to 'big kid' school life and have been limiting ourselves to...
#SchoolhouseTurns10 Interview, Part 2: Running A Business While Raising Twins & Revealing New Product Ideas!
Back in September, Andrew sat down with Jen and Aidan to talk about how it feels to look back on 10 years of Schoolhouse. Here's part two of that interview, where the dynamic duo talk about raising their twin daughters Sadie and Asha; and how they manage to keep...
Things We Love: Meal Prep Made Easy + Natural, Healthy & Delicious Meals with our friends at Side Door Nutrition!
Hello folks! How is fall meal prep going for everyone out there? It's a busy time of year, that's for sure, so I was curious to hear more about what some of your biggest road blocks are. Is it finding time to plan and come up with new recipe ideas? Finding easy, quick...
Is September The New January? Balancing Life & Back-To-School Routines
Is September the new January? As a mother of two girls going off to big school for the first time – it sure feels that way.For the first time ever my family was going to have to be legitimately on time five days a week. That scared me (and still does). We have never...
#SchoolhouseTurns10: Interview with Jen & Aidan, Looking Back on 10 Years in Business + Humble Beginnings (Part 1)
10 years, friends. We can't believe we're saying this... Schoolhouse is 10 years old! The big day falls on a Saturday, this Saturday in fact, and the Schoolhouse team will be at the Seaport Market to serve you as always. This weekend will be quite special, as we'll...
Things We Love: Local Businesses Serving & Supporting Their Surrounding Communities (Vol. 1)
On this week's 'Be Well' blog, we decided to switch things up by passing the mic to a few of our lovely retail partners—Selby's Bunker Coffee & Gifts in Cole Harbour and Honey & Ginger (Dartmouth and Bedford). We recently had the opportunity to interview them;...
Things We Love: Women Supporting Women; Saying Yes to Unexpected Opportunities & Creative Collaboration
You know when life gets so busy that we barely have time to breathe? When there's so much on the schedule that you have no choice but to say 'no'; to turn down any opportunities that come your way? While it's important to know our limits, to never feel bad for saying...
Learning to Listen to Your Body: Andrew’s Intolerance & Sensitivity Journey
Andrew here, back with another ‘Be Well’ blog entry. This one is a bit more personal, and I'm hoping that opening up will allow the story to resonate with some of you; possibly helping you along on your personal journey. For as long as I can remember, I've struggled...
Things We Love: Package-Free Living, Buying In Bulk & Learning To Take Better Care Of Our Planet
Hey folks! Andrew here with a new ‘Be Well’ blog entry, focusing on a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about lately; something I felt could make a great topic of discussion for this week’s post.Let me ask you something (no judgement, I promise): when you pack up and...
Things We Love: bandha bars
Gluten-free living lends itself to a lot of challenges. Nothing unmanageable, but it certainly requires extra planning and forethought. Sometimes, I have to admit—I can’t always get it together. The planning or lunch packing. There are moments when as much as I would...
Celiac Fair in New Brunswick: We’re coming to you on June 1st!
To all the New Brunswickers out there... guess what?! We're heading your way in just a few short weeks! We will be attending the annual Celiac Fair on Saturday, June 1st @ Coverdale Centre in Riverview from 10am-3pm. Are you excited to come out to see us while we're...
Things We Love: Laughing Whale + The Perfect Cup Of Coffee
When I was 33, I realized what makes the world go round. Not money or love. The other one. Caffeine! I had my first cup of coffee. Everything changed from that moment forward.And it’s not that I felt I had been missing something previously. I felt pretty righteous...
Things We Love: The Cultured Coconut & How It Was Instrumental In Helping Jen (& Her Daughter Sadie) Heal Their Gut Health After Lyme Disease Treatment
This is a tough story to tell, folks, but it’s one that I feel ready to share. When we see everything through the social media lens, it could appear as if most people around us don’t experience a ton of stress, grief or pain… because we rarely show the worst sides of...
Hiring Someone To Help: Expanding Your Business & Finding The Right Fit
To all the entrepreneurs/business owners out there—do you ever see others in the same position and ask "how on earth do they do it all?". It takes a lot of working sunrise to sunset, day in and day out, and it's entirely possible to do. Is it sustainable? Not in the...
Things We Love: The Peoni Regimen & How It Helped Jen Learn To Love Her Skin Again
For as long as I can remember, my skin has always been problematic for me. I’ve struggled with acne, redness, dryness, uneven skin tone, blotchiness—you name it, I’ve got it. I always felt the need to rely on those harsh, alcohol-based acne skincare systems which kept...
Things We Love: Thank You Cards
Every year, I try to put together a family card that celebrates the past year and looks forward to the new memories that the upcoming year will bring.Why a card to signify this? I love sending and receiving mail.I love that there is something tangible that I can hold...
Things We Love: How Magnesium Cream Helped Jen Through Her Postpartum Depression
Aidan and I had a long journey to having children. They grew in our hearts for many, many years before they grew inside my body. When our healthy twin girls were born, they were our little miracles. It was a lifelong dream, at long last coming to fruition. 5 months...
Parenting & Running A Business: How On Earth Do You Do It?
SO many people ask us about our experience being new parents to twins while running a business at the same time. A parentrepeneur… is that a thing? The answer… well, it depends on the day. I mean, I believe this is the answer for any working parent. However, here are...
Things We Love: Chaga Mushrooms
Chaga mushrooms are powerful adaptogens that grow slowly on birch trees; obtaining nutrients from the trees themselves to become a highly beneficial superfood. If you’re looking to add just one superfood to your diet regularly this year — this is it. Hands down, the...
We survived the roadtrips! Happy to be home (and so thankful for family).
Nine years ago when we started this business, we had no idea how much of a role our friends and family would play in supporting us in their many ways. We are truly a ‘family-business’, as our parents help out with childcare during the holiday seasons or when we’re in...
Toronto. Gluten Free Garage Trade Show. Here we come!
We have been invited to Canada’s one and only gluten free trade show held in Toronto, the brainchild and labour of love by Ronnilyn Pustil. Gluten Free Garage is the city’s ‘original pop-up gluten-free marketplace’, held Sunday, May 27, 2018 at Artscape Wychwood Barns...
Welcome! And Nice to Meet You.
I’m so happy you’ve stopped in and I am SO excited (and a little anxious) to kick open the door on this blog. This has been a long time coming and I actually can’t believe that I’m just starting this now. It seems so behind-the-times, however better late than never at...
