Journaling

Top 10 Lists To Put In Your New Bujo

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Who doesn’t love a bullet journal? I have may basic layout finally figured out.  I’m always looking for more ideas for lists.  I think lists sometimes clear your head or make you think about future plans.  I find that lists tell me what I’ve done and where is currently going on in a way that pictures and writing entries do not.

In my bullet journal some of my mainstay lists are remodeling to do, purchases to make (major ones), ideas for my future possible book that I might write, monthly blog articles that I need to write, places to visit in the state or city, future hobbies I may want to try, self care ideas, follower lists, birthdays, my son’s diagnosis, bucket list, podcast list, travel bucket list, addresses, clothing capsule wardrobe, to do list, contacts, medication lists, future blog article ideas, weight, You tube to watch, and websites I want to keep track of.

Want some ideas? Here are ten lists you can include in your bullet journal:

1. Reading list, books to read, books to buy.

2. Savings/spending tracker.

3. Work achievements for your annual review.

4. Meal planning.

5. Donations to charity.  It can be physical items donated to monetary.

6. Large outstanding debt payment plan.

7. Subscription Services.  A really great reminder for all those apps or studios you belong  to.

8. Restaurants to try (by location if possible).

9. Collectables to acquire.  Use this for what you or family collect.  Need one figurine to complete your ceramic mouse collection?  Need comic book #231?  This is a great place to keep reminders when you are out and about.

10. Food vs symptoms.  I have had several friends who have had to track food to see if it affected their health significantly.  Your bujo is great to see a correlation if you track it.

11. Okay, I said 10 lists.  Here is an eleventh one in case one of the ten isn’t to your liking.  Track your families after school and sports schedules.  If you can do a month at a glance that would be great.  You don’t want to schedule your volunteering at your daughters elementary school the day before you need 22 dozen cookies for you son’s football bake sale.

What lists do you keep?  I would love to hear from you.  Especially uncommon ones. Please comment below.

 

 

 

Uncategorized

5 Instagram’s to Follow Today

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Instagram is one of my favorite social medias.  I love to look at an image more than the written word.  Every so often, on my blog, I will post five Instagramers that I follow.  Check them out!  Then tell me one of your favorites below in the comments.

  1. @create.andlove, this account is run by Alexandra from Germany.  In her account she demonstrates all types of creative goodness in her Traveler’s Notebook.  Love to journal?  Get some great ideas at this site.
  2. @velvetmeadow, Velvet Meadow is an instagramer with a etsy shop.  She hails from Lithuania and does amazing embroidery.  Much of her embroidery is nature based.  I personally love her dandelion ones.  Check them out.  They are so beautiful.
  3. @Moira_fine_jewellery, Moira Fine Jewellery hails from the city of London.  They specialize in antique jewelry and custom work.  I love looking at all their jewels.  My personal favorite jewel piece is their target Art Deco rings.  Check out all their beautiful pieces!
  4. @paperprettyink, Confessions of a paper addict is an instagramer and etsy shop owner who specialty is the junk journal. Check out her amazingly stocked desk!  Using both vintage and modern paper to create an awesome journal. Her following is 55.2 followers.  Definitely one to check out.
  5. @vintage_egyptologist, the personal instagram of Dr. Colleen Darnell, who is an Egyptologist and vintage fashion lover. Her unique fashion is worth following alone, but add in her tutorials on Ancient Egypt and you’ve got a unique and fun account that has something for everyone.

Enjoy scrolling. Do you have any great Instagram accounts you follow?  Let me know in the comments below.

I  have another question.  Is it Instagramer or Instagrammer?  Do you know?  Let me know too!

Home

5 Things to Clean

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Every month I post a short list of five things to clean.  I’m not writing about washing your floor or making your bed.  I’m talking about those little things, that you almost never clean.  Things like your remote control, you phone and so on.  I hope my list will make you say “Oh, that’s gross.  I need to clean that!” Yeah, I know.  I’m the sole blogger on this planet that wants you to exclaim “gross” over a suggestion from them.  What can I say? I’m an odd duck.  So here it is, happy cleaning!

1. lamp shades and bases: Rarely cleaned, cobwebs and dust abound.  Give it a quick swish.  Depending on the material what you use can be different.  Choose the best cleaning option for you.

2. Windowsills:  All that goop from rain and winter snow has accumulated in the sash.  Clean it! I use bleach wipes.  Quick and easy!

3. Filters in your air purifier:  It’s allergy season.  Anyone else suffering?  I am.  I rely on several air purifiers. When was the last time you cleaned them.  Some can be simply wiped out, others need a new filter.  Do it now!  Give that machine a once over so it can work optimally.

4. Water Bottles:  We all have those reusable mugs and bottles. You can run some of them through the dishwasher.  You can also use an infant bottle brush to scrub the inside if you prefer to hand wash.

5. Banister and Slats:  Ever washed your banister and the slats? You will be surprised at the amount of dirt and grime that comes up.  If you have real wood don’t forget to treat it with special cleaning products.

How is this list?  Do you have something you would like me to include in the next month’s post? Let me know in the comments below.

Clothing

Fashion Terms for May

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Agile Manufacturing: Technology that uses modular production rather than the normal piece goods method.

Colorway: The variety of two to four choices of color in the same season, for the same print or solid, in each style.

Sourcing: The decision process of determining who, what and where of your textile and apparel products manufacture, or where each individual piece is made.

Zoot Suit: An avant guard style of the 1940’s for men which used high-waisted, pleated pants that narrow at the ankle.  Worn with a long coat shoulder pads and large lapels, a wide brimmed hat, and a key chain or watch chain coming out of the side pants pocket.

Turnip Pants: For bicycling, pants that could be turned down to make full length pants.  Popular in the 1890’s.

Teddybear Coat: Large coat of alpaca fabric worn by men, women and children in the 1920’s.  Today some large, synthetic coats that appear like sheep wool has also been referred to as a teddybear coat.

Cowl-neck: On a pullover garment with extra large rolled collar which forms a cowl neck.

Ankle socks: A short sock that only reaches the ankle. It can be turned down to the ankle too.  First used in the 1920’s in the US for sport matches for women.

Bell Sleeve: A sleeve that is narrow against the arm near the shoulder and upper arm, then flaring out to the wrist or elbow. To be in the shape of a bell.

Tuxedo Pump Shoe: A low heel pump shoe with a rounded toe made of patent leather for the most part.  It can also have grosgrain trim around the top of the shoe or in a decorative bow at the toes.

 

Journaling

May Journal Prompts

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Find this months journaling prompts below.

1. Has Spring started where you live?  If not what season is it.

2.Write what you know in your area that marks the start of Spring.  Is it a bird returning? A flower blooming? A festival?

3. What is your favorite room in your home?

4. What is your favorite item of clothing?

5. If time and money are no object, what vacation would you take?

6. What are your pet peeves?

7. Do you have a favorite comfort food?

8. Your favorite city on the planet is?.

9. What were the news headlines for this week?

10.  The old saying of “April showers bring May flowers” applies to this time of year.  What are your favorite flowers?  Why?

 

Clothing · Uncategorized

My Capsule Wardrobe, The Start

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So I went through my closet this past weekend.  I picked out a capsule wardrobe.  I combined all seasons together.  So I have long sleeves and sweaters but once I paired down they will be put away for the season.

Once I got my separate capsule wardrobe out from my regular clothes I realized not everything went together. I put this up to my weight gain of four dress sizes when I went on medication for my chronic migraines.  I needed clothes.  I needed anything that fit.  I needed anything that would cover my stomach.

I went from store to store in search of clothing that fit, that I liked and didn’t make me look like a grandma.  I remember my paternal grandmother.  When she was in her late 60’s she wore plus size clothing.  Frankly, it was awful.  She would wear these red and orange medallion pants with a stripped top.  Not because she was colorblind but she had difficultly finding clothing that fit and went together.  While the clothing industry has changed slightly, it is still difficult to find things.  Much of the plus size clothing I find is for office work.  I like to dress up, but don’t need a whole wardrobe of suits.  Much of the casual stuff is limited to tshirts and blue jeans.

Then take into consideration the time of year.  You have more choices in Fall and Winter than you do in Spring and Summer. Then where to shop, the type of stores.  When I mean the type of store I don’t mean plus size vs Misses size.  I mean teenager vs older woman vs career woman vs a little bit of everything.  Then take into account the sizes and the price point and you see there is really slim pickings.  Perhaps, the capsule wardrobe will help me with that.  I won’t feel like I have nothing to put on.

What do I wear now?  I buy things from LLBean Catalog, Eddie Bauer Catalog, Landsend Catalog, JJill, Chicos, Christopher and Banks, Dress Barn, Lane Bryant, Maurice’s and sometimes New York and Company.

Here is what I have chosen for my capsule wardrobe:

Blue Jeans (navy)

A button down shirt (Navy) short sleeve

Jean jacket ( Blue)

T-shirts short slv (Navy) (Black) (Grey) (Teal) (Green)

Cardigan (Navy) (Black) (Grey) (Teal) (Green)

Long Sleeve Tshirt (Navy)*(Grey)*

Blazer (Black)**

Dress Pants (Black)

V-neck light knit sweater (Black)*

Black Lace Shirt (Black)**

Casual Pants (Grey)

Tweed Skirt (Black)*

Spring Summer Dress (Green)

Leather Jacket (Brown)* **

Button down shirt (white)

Print shirt (Navy)

Print Skirt (Black)

*Winter item

**Need to purchase item

What do you think? Do you have a capsule wardrobe?  What is in it? Have you gotten rid of the other clothes or keeping them for a bit.  I’m keeping mine to see if I like this.  Let me know your story in the comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Self

Update

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It’s been awhile since I have updated everyone on my life.  Honestly, it still feels out of control.  It’s like I almost don’t have my footing.

As I wrote before, I have just gotten over a severe case of pneumonia over two months ago.  It was horrible.  I still don’t feel as if I have recovered from it.  In the past two months I have gotten a lot of stomach bugs and one regular cold.  Ah Winter, the season that keeps on giving. I just haven’t felt right since. I was pretty rundown before the pneumonia.  However,  this feels different.  I think since I am still under a lot of stress my body just can’t take it.

I have had to miss so many appointments and cancel out on people in the last few months. I really hate doing that.  Appointments are so hard to come by. I tried to avoid  same day cancellations.  I try to at least get the provider their tip so they don’t lose out on money.  Fortunately, I only had one or two that I had to do that way.

I am trying very hard to get back to feeling better.  More water, eating better and trying to get out of the house.  I have also spent more time doing self care.  Going to bed early, getting a massage and other things. I still have a long way to go.

My son is still at the same point as he was at the last update.  He can only manage about 15 minutes in one normal class.  I have no idea what to do next. His therapist and I are challenging him to do one extra minute a day. So far he hasn’t done it. If he can do one extra minute a day, he will be up to an hour at the end of the year.

In addition to his mental health therapy I have started to take him to an eating disorder clinic.  It was the same one he went through last year. So I returned with him on an outpatient basis.  He goes to a dietician at night and family therapy in the afternoon. So far I’ve gotten him to eat a banana but not much else new.  Apple no, Tater Tots no, and other things?? At least he is crazy about Ramen.  He eats about 4 bowls a day.  The only problem is he eats noodles.  What I need help with is fruits and veggies of which he eats none.  I’m not 100% certain of the diagnosis of ARFID, as an eating disorder.  The also want me to start seeing and OT again.  They are going to try and get referrals for me for my son.  Another provider to visit?  I don’t know.  He saw an OT for over a year a few years ago. It didn’t do any good.  Would a different OT do anything?

He’s seeing a tutor twice a week on the weekends.  He isn’t in math class long enough to understand the teaching.  However, everything he turns in is late because we have to wait for the tutor. I have purchased a Life Science and History textbook to help him understand what he missed in the school year this summer.

I see my son getting left behind. I don’t know what to do.  He gets upset and goes through crying spells and anger at this anxiety. I don’t know what else to do.

I have gotten to go somewhere for fun twice in the last six months.  I went to a flower show which was cute.  Then I also saw a decorator home open for charity.  I think I need to get out more!