You guyyyyysssss! New book, coming soon!! This one's a raw one, a collection of all the poems I've written in the last 9 months while processing my career transition. Preorder up now at www.amylaurens.com and will be up at other retailers soon - ebook by the end of the month, print in mid Feb. 💕💕 - Amy 💖 #authorlife #aussieauthor #authorsofig #writingcommunity #writersofig #booksofinstagram #booklover #booktok #bookaholic https://www.instagram.com/p/CnVjK7lB8dE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

😍 Gorgeous 107-story hardcover, coming NEXT WEEK when @inkprintpress launches the Kickstarter campaign! So excited for this one 😊😊📚 💖 #book #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #booklover #booksbooksbooks #booknerd #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookworm #books #booktok #bookstagram #reading #read #readmorebooks #readmore #reader #readersofinstagram #readers https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjm-xOxLFyE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

So freaking honoured 💕💕💕💕💕 https://www.instagram.com/p/CeGl9AnhQ0w/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

2022 goal: NOT end the year massively burnt out like I usually do. HA. 💖 If you're curious, the main tool I'm using to try to teach myself skills to achieve this - slowing down, doing less but better, focusing on important instead of urgent, practising self-kindness, creating slack/buffer in my calendar, my life and my mental health - is the Elegant Excellence Journal by @HilaryRushford. 💖 Like, I knew I was trying to do too much. I just didn't really know what to do about that apart from trying to say no to anything extra and idk, maybe just feel sad about having to move a bunch of deadlines? The journal has made me feel so much more empowered in my decision making! 💖 I'm not affiliated in any way, I'm just really truly being challenged by it so positively; less than three weeks into the year I can already feel it making a difference. You can also check out Hilary's podcast You're Welcome, free wherever you find your podcasts. 💖 So. That's me. What's getting YOU through so far, this early in this unknown-quantity of a year? https://www.instagram.com/p/CZFjw7IhMIg/?utm_medium=tumblr

A pleasant evening camping at Adaminaby 💖🏕 https://www.instagram.com/p/CY92a5UBTew/?utm_medium=tumblr

Beach days were a great way to end 2021 🥰🏖 It was cold and rainy and the water was SO COLD though 🥶🥶 so y'all have to be extremely proud of me for getting in. Momentous battle between LOVE WATER MUST SWIM and HATE COLD COLD MUST DIE 😂😂💀 https://www.instagram.com/p/CYaei3OBw63/?utm_medium=tumblr

Roses out, Amy out ;) Happy end of 2021 lovely people ❤ https://www.instagram.com/p/CX1wHQsBFLj/?utm_medium=tumblr

In which I am working on a novel again for the first time in two years 🥰💕😍 ...Not either of the ones I'm supposed to be working on, but you take what you get, I guess 😂😂 https://www.instagram.com/p/CXsAh6WB0GD/?utm_medium=tumblr

Inaugural Christmas Cookie Swap! Definitely getting added to our holiday traditions, this was so much fun 🥰🥳🍪 https://www.instagram.com/p/CXo52YIhSIE/?utm_medium=tumblr

Hair's doing its best Hermione impersonation today... 😂 https://www.instagram.com/p/CXhWBnXhq0b/?utm_medium=tumblr

Asbestos removal day yesterday, so I had to spend the day out of the house with the kids. Turned out a gloriously slow-paced and peaceful day, with lots of time and space for looking up 🥰💖 https://www.instagram.com/p/CXcFQSCBIdp/?utm_medium=tumblr

Love it when even the cacti are blooming. Something something bloom through adversity, something something prickly people grow flowers too, something something even when we're feeling prickly we might be doing some good in the world? 😇😇💖💖 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWy47mtBx2E/?utm_medium=tumblr

Look up, look up, the sky is so much vaster than our problems. Rest, just for a moment, in the peace and clarity of a sunset, where the world holds its breath, while fire lights the clouds. Breath it in, the peace, the fire; dare to set your troubles down, just for a night. They'll still be there later. Dare to let them go, just for a sunset. There. Doesn't that feel better? https://www.instagram.com/p/CWWRqBbBenc/?utm_medium=tumblr

No idea what this gorgeous tree is but it looks like a self-decorating Christmas tree right now 😍😍 The diversity of the world is amazing, isn't it? So beautiful. https://www.instagram.com/p/CWOxgiMB0bw/?utm_medium=tumblr

A species of cockatoo I've never seen before, or a particularly muddy juvenile regular cockatoo? Either way, a welcome distraction from my internal litany of complaints this morning 😂😂 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWEgRishNgH/?utm_medium=tumblr

My adorable new batty pin that arrived last week. The paua shininess makes me so happy! 💖 It really is the little things in life that get you through the hard times, the busy times, the stressful times. I've been neglecting the small things a bit the last couple of weeks, but my internet crashed on the weekend, which while it meant a hectic day on Monday catching up, forced me to actually stop and reset over the weekend. Must remember the little things..... https://www.instagram.com/p/CWCHMbuhRc3/?utm_medium=tumblr

A Parade Of Echidnas

So I discovered in writing this post that a group of echidnas is called a parade?

This seems strange to me, because echidnas are quite solitary creatures and definitely would not parade?

Nevertheless, here we are. Echidnas. Parades.

Anyway, I randomly thought it might be fun to share all the echidna photos I’ve collected during the last three months while we did weekend wanders at the local wildlife sanctuary. So, for your viewing pleasure: a parade of echidnas 😛

Read more:

Made-It Monday: Cake The Fifth

Friday Fun: Porcupines Who Don't Like To Share

On Who I Have Been, And Who I Choose To Be

A Parade Of Echidnas was originally published on Amy Laurens