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A TIFF-themed Pocket of Joy: A life lesson, “daughter points,” found time, 90s nostalgia, and guilt-free tea!

by | Oct 12, 2019 | Blog, Covid Sanity Pack, Growth Mindset.

I am going to be TOTALLY honest — I didn’t really want to go to TIFF (the Toronto Film Festival). I don’t typically love crowds and networking. After a stern Kathleen-to-Kathleen lecture, I decided to “lean in,” and shock of all shocks … the whole “scene” was actually kind of fun!!

At the very least, the future dry-shampoo-using me will have a few moments of free time.  How have I wasted so much life washing my hair or just living with grease? My lack of product knowledge is almost insane. NO MORE! The Bask-It-Style 2019 event introduced me to Monat’s vegan, all-natural product, and I am hooked!!

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Also, on the slightly corny side, I love anything that puts a smile on my mom’s face — and thus gets me “daughter points.” At TIFF, I not only met J.T. Ellison, the New York Times’ best-selling mystery writer, but she was also kind enough to sign one of her books for my mom. Major daughter points!

I might even get a few extra points by gifting my mom a few packets of the Oteas tea I received. I always fully stock my kitchen with various herbal teas — I love the taste and they are a fantastic “stay on your health horse while watching TV” snack. So, I was ecstatic to find a new brand!! Oteas’ flavours are yummy (Strawberry and Cream is my fav), their product contains no extra sugar, AND they have created packaging that is 100% biodegradable. Win-win-win.

Possibly the biggest pocket of TIFF-themed joy was the life lesson it taught me — you all know how much I love growth-mindset moments!! I learned — yet again — that self-talk based in anticipatory exhaustion, dread, tiredness, etc is NOT useful. I have probably learned this lesson like eight hundred times, but I guess it is one of those things that I will have to keep learning …? Leading up to the TIFF parties I kept thinking, “I am going to be too tired to get through this …. I don’t love networking …. I don’t love parties …. I don’t love being up past 10 PM …. I am not going to enjoy myself.” These thoughts were totally not useful self-talk. Who was I, Negative Nelly? I gave myself a strict lecture, something like “FUCK OFF, KATHLEEN …. This is a problem of privilege. You hired a PR person, and she says you should party it up, SO lean in to the experience.” Then — as always — I enjoyed the experience more than I expected to.

The main take-away is that when you are asked to dance, dance: you never know where the dance will take you, what products you might discover, or who you might make smile! Plus, one of the parties was a 90s-themed event. Who doesn’t love an opportunity to wear a Sunnydale High T-shirt — I love a good Buffy The Vampire Slayer reference!!