Sometimes Happiness Comes in a Bowl of Ice Cream 🍦❤️
What a tub of award-winning Canadian ice cream reminded me about wellness, small pleasures and making room for joy.
I have a confession.
I recently bought a container of Chapman’s Pecan Butter Tart Premium Ice Cream.
And I was going to take a lovely photograph of a bowl of it to share with you.
Except it didn’t last long enough for a photograph! 😂
Now, in my defence, this wasn’t just any ice cream.
Chapman’s Pecan Butter Tart Premium Ice Cream won the Best Ice Cream award at the 2026 International Ice Cream Consortium conference in Argentina.
A Canadian ice cream winning international recognition? Naturally, I felt obliged to investigate!
And what a wonderfully Canadian combination.
Butter tart flavour, hints of maple, praline pecans and little pieces of buttery sugar cookie, all made with 100% Canadian dairy.
What’s not to love?
But the story gets even better.
🍁 What Happens When You Put Butter Tart Ice Cream on an Actual Butter Tart?
After I shared my discovery on Threads, someone offered a suggestion I hadn’t considered.
Put a scoop of Chapman’s Pecan Butter Tart ice cream on top of a warm butter tart.
Well!
Imagine a warm, gooey butter tart with its flaky pastry shell, topped with cold, creamy ice cream that tastes like — you guessed it — butter tarts.
The ice cream slowly melting into the filling.
A little crunch from the pecans.
And a double helping of one of Canada’s most beloved desserts.
I haven’t actually tried this combination yet.
But I think some further research may be necessary.
Purely in the interests of wellness, of course! 😂
And that got me thinking.
❤️ Can a Little Indulgence Be Part of Wellness?
I believe it can.
We hear so much about what we’re supposed to do to look after ourselves.
Get more exercise. Eat healthier. Sleep better. Manage stress. Practise mindfulness.
All worthwhile.
But sometimes wellness starts to sound like another job.
Another list of things to accomplish.
Another set of rules we’re supposed to follow.
And I wonder whether, in all our efforts to live healthier lives, we sometimes forget something important.
Enjoyment is part of living well, too.
That doesn’t mean eating ice cream for breakfast every morning or ignoring the importance of good nutrition.
It means recognizing that a balanced life can include the occasional treat, enjoyed without turning it into a moral dilemma.
A favourite dessert.
A leisurely Sunday breakfast.
A really good cup of coffee.
A glass of wine with friends.
Or a bowl of Canadian ice cream that makes you smile.
Not every pleasure needs to be earned.
And not every moment needs to be productive.
Sometimes it’s enough to simply enjoy it.
🌍 What Has Travel Taught Me About Savouring Life?
One of the things I love about travelling is how it encourages us to slow down and appreciate experiences we might rush past at home.
Think about enjoying gelato while wandering through an Italian village.
Or lingering over lunch overlooking the Mediterranean.
Perhaps it’s a beautiful pastry in Paris, a glass of Grüner Veltliner in Austria or a dessert served aboard a river cruise.
These moments aren’t necessarily the most expensive or elaborate parts of a journey.
But they’re often the ones we remember.
Sometimes it’s the setting.
Sometimes it’s the company.
And sometimes it’s simply that we’ve given ourselves permission to sit a little longer, enjoy another conversation and savour what’s in front of us.
After 16 river cruises and journeys to destinations around the world, I’ve come to appreciate that the little pleasures are often as memorable as the famous landmarks.
And here’s something else I’ve learned.
We shouldn’t have to travel halfway around the world to enjoy them.
☕ Why Do We Save the Good Things for Special Occasions?
I’ve been thinking about how differently we sometimes behave when we’re on holiday.
We linger over breakfast.
We try unfamiliar foods.
We order dessert.
We spend time sitting in cafés, watching the world go by.
Then we come home and return to our routines.
The good dishes go back into the cupboard.
We rush through lunch.
We tell ourselves we’ll catch up with friends when things aren’t so busy.
And we save the little indulgences for birthdays, holidays or some other special occasion.
But why?
Why not invite a friend over for dessert on a Wednesday?
Why not visit that bakery you’ve been meaning to try?
Why not use the beautiful dishes on an ordinary evening?
And why not enjoy a scoop of really good ice cream just because you feel like it?
Especially in November, when the bright colours of October have faded, the days are getting shorter and a little extra joy can be particularly welcome.
❤️ What Does Ice Cream Have to Do With Return on Life?
Quite a lot, actually.
Before becoming a travel advisor, I spent more than 20 years working as an actuary.
I understand Return on Investment.
But these days, I think much more about Return on Life™.
To me, that means making the most of our time, our experiences and the opportunities we have to enjoy being alive.
Sometimes that return comes from an extraordinary journey to Antarctica or the Galápagos Islands.
Sometimes it’s watching the sunset from a river cruise ship.
Sometimes it’s spending time with family or sharing a meal with good friends.
And sometimes it’s sitting at home with a bowl of award-winning Canadian ice cream.
There is room for all of it.
Wellness isn’t about indulging in everything, all the time. It’s about finding a balance that leaves room for health, connection, enjoyment and the occasional delicious treat.
Because a life well lived shouldn’t be measured only by how many healthy habits we’ve mastered.
It should also include moments that make us smile.
Sometimes happiness really does come in a bowl of ice cream.
And perhaps with a warm butter tart underneath it! 🍦❤️
💬 What’s Your Favourite Little Indulgence?
Is there a dessert, snack or special treat that always makes you happy?
Maybe it’s something you discovered while travelling, or a Canadian favourite you grew up enjoying.
I’d love to hear.
And if anyone has actually tried Chapman’s Pecan Butter Tart ice cream on a warm butter tart, please report back.
I’m seriously considering conducting my own very important research! 😂
Sheila Gallant-Halloran
Founder, Lush Life Travel
Live Life. Love Travel. Return on Life.™