Where I’m At #17

BooBoo loves this AI altered photo of her hehe

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life.

  • planner : Iโ€™m pretty excited, actually ๐Ÿซ  Iโ€™m hoping to get back into planning parties this year, starting with our annual Crockpot & Retro Video Games party this month. I think itโ€™ll be fun. Homeschool planning & meal planning are done for the month, soโ€ฆyippie. And we gotta pick a day to go bowling!
  • self : Doingโ€ฆpretty good, lol. Winter has my whole body, especially my sinuses, pretty cranky – no humidifier is powerful enough for this shit! But Iโ€™m been maintaining my mindful diet (for the most part) & my exercise routines (which I altered to allow for daily yoga, tai chi, & meditation). Iโ€™m not really losing much weight, but Iโ€™m not gaining any either! So thatโ€™s good. And despite occasional brain fog (cuz I sleep like absolute shit), Iโ€™m getting a bit more clear headed. I think. And Iโ€™ve been making more time for creative pursuits, which is pretty fulfilling.
  • marriage : Doing pretty good. Weโ€™re always trying to find ways to adjust & keep ourselves (& each other) entertained, hehe
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good. Again, no injuries to report, soโ€ฆyay ๐Ÿ˜… Theyโ€™re both having a lot of fun with the kidโ€™s makeup kit I got Bubby for her birthday. Oh, we went to Rainforest Cafe for Bubbyโ€™s bday, per her request. She loves that place!
I can’t believe my Bubby’s 5!!! ๐Ÿ˜ญ
  • homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : Schoolโ€™s going well. Bubbyโ€™s really enjoying the โ€œPlaying Preschoolโ€ curriculum, & sheโ€™s learning a lot, but she does miss doing computer work heh. BooBoo loves math (she even wrote up some math facts for Bubby on her birthday card, to โ€œhelp her out for next yearโ€ lol!), and she also loves learning to play the โ€œpianoโ€ (the keyboard we got for Xmas), especially the YouTube tutorials for K Pop Demon Hunters songs ๐Ÿคช
  • zenBLITZ : Doing pretty good here. Iโ€™m ahead enough on my blog posts, and I created a โ€œquote boardโ€ to post favorite quotes on my Facebook page. No progress on my novella, though – I havenโ€™t had much time (or urge) to work on it lately, but thatโ€™s fine. Iโ€™ve been doing quite a bit of leather crafting & crochet, when I have time.
She’s more enthused than she looks, I swear ๐Ÿ˜‚
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Yeah. Whatever. LOL. So help me god, we will being taking a trip this year!!!
  • witch : Daily yoga & meditation has been plenty fulfilling for me lately, hehe

Currently

eating – Soup. I love me some soup. ๐Ÿ˜‹

drinking – Tea, wine, Skrewball peanut butter whiskey in my coffee sometimes

watching – The Traitors, Doom Patrol, leathercraft videos on YouTube

reading – Tao Te Ching, The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, & I just finished Show Your Work by Austin Kleon. I also finished “The Last Time They Met” by Anita Shreve, don’t know if I mentioned that – holy fuck what a slap in the face!

playing – Coin Master, Roblox

buying – Stuff I might need next month because I need a โ€œno buyโ€ month ๐Ÿ˜…

listening to – Saviors (album) by Green Day – Goodnight Adeline ๐Ÿ’š

celebrating – Valentineโ€™s Day? Candlemas! (Being halfway through this very wintery winter is definitely worth celebrating!)

pinning – self care, leatherworking, cigar box alterations, sewing tips, & travelerโ€™s notebooks

planning – To try to have some fun next month!

feeling – Excited about journaling & leatherworking ๐Ÿ˜Š

Do Nothing, Stay Sane: Simple Retreats You Can Take Anytime

Legit, this is hanging in my kitchen

Last year, I shared a post about the idea of a โ€œDo Nothing Dayโ€, & it seemed like quite a few people found the concept pretty interesting. So, I thought Iโ€™d reintroduce it with a couple of tweaks!

What is a โ€œDo Nothing Dayโ€?

Itโ€™s a date you make with yourself where you do nothing. Almost literally.

For example, I spend all week homeschooling, running kids to extracurriculars, writing, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and on and onโ€ฆ

On โ€œDo Nothing Dayโ€, Iโ€™m not having any of that nonsense!

The dishes & laundry can wait. The kids can entertain & educate themselves a bit. And thereโ€™s enough food in the freezer, pantry, & leftovers in the fridge that I shouldnโ€™t have to cook, and nobodyโ€™s gonna starve.

I clean my house every day, and still have to clean my house every day. Except โ€œDo Nothing Dayโ€. Cuzโ€ฆfuck that shit.

Itโ€™s perfectly reasonable to take time for your own sanity before you run yourself into burnout city. โ€œYou canโ€™t fill othersโ€™ from an empty cupโ€ they say; and you canโ€™t run a car on fumes for very long before it causes you even more problems. Iโ€™ve โ€œpowered throughโ€ so much crap in my life, I know how it can sneak up on you.

When to โ€œDo Nothingโ€

I prefer to take Sundays as my โ€œDo Nothing Dayโ€. Not for religious reasons; I just figure most people donโ€™t like to do things on Sundays, so there arenโ€™t usually any parties or events to interrupt my plans.

Whatever day works best for you is up to you!

How to โ€œDo Nothingโ€

Honestly, these days I call it my โ€œFuck All Dayโ€; for my kids, itโ€™s โ€œWhatever Dayโ€.

I only try to do things that bring me peace. If that includes doing laundry, so be it. If it includes writing in my journal all day, thatโ€™s perfectly fine too.

My diet & exercise routines go out the window. I still do some yoga & tai chi, but I also eat all the carbs. My usually pitch black coffee is infused with pumpkin spice creamer (the only pumpkin spice I like!) and Trader Vicโ€™s Macadamia Nut Liqueur; my breakfast is my ultimate comfort food- Chicken Flavor Maruchan Instant Lunch. ๐Ÿ˜‹ And if thereโ€™s leftover chicken wings or pasta salad in the fridge, bet your ass Iโ€™m shoveling it in my face!

I reflect on the past week in my journal, and decorate the pages with washi tape, stickers, & photos.

Hubby usually throws something crazy together for dinner (or he just makes steak – what an angel! ๐Ÿ˜Š), and he does the dishes. Or he doesnโ€™t; I donโ€™t really care either way.

And as I said, itโ€™s โ€œWhatever Dayโ€ for the kids. I always make them drink some water and eat fruit & protein for breakfast – if they finish that & want more, then they can have cereal or Toaster Strudel or whatever. On โ€œWhatever Dayโ€, they can have pizza & juice for breakfast for all I care.

I usually limit their screen time quite a bit too. But not on โ€œWhatever Dayโ€! Wanna watch videos of adults with too much time on their hands play Minecraft all day? Whatever! (Why?!? Why do people enjoy watching other people play video games, instead of playing the games themselves?!? Iโ€™m just too old to understandโ€ฆ)

Solo Retreats & Staycations

You could always take it to the next level if you wanted to (or if you donโ€™t have time to carve out weekly) – schedule a โ€œsolo retreatโ€ or โ€œstaycationโ€!

I actually read a little book about โ€œSolo Retreatsโ€ that was published during the pandemic, which was cute. The book suggested bringing as many of the elements of a โ€œretreatโ€ to your home! I guess it depends on what kind of โ€œretreatโ€ youโ€™re looking for, but it could include a schedule with meditation, yoga, journaling, indulging in hobbies, a fulfilling menu, maybe some fun drinks, candles, a bath, a bonfireโ€ฆ What would you do on a retreat?

Same with โ€œstaycationsโ€. What would you do on a vacation that you could do in your own neighborhood? Odds are good that you wouldnโ€™t have to drive far to find historic spots, museums, new boutiques, or restaurants youโ€™ve never tried. Companies make Capri Sun-esque pouches of wine & margaritas that you could take to a lakeshore beach, yโ€™know?


So schedule some time for sanity maintenance – whether a weekly โ€œDo Nothing Dayโ€, a monthly โ€œSolo Retreatโ€, or an occasional โ€œStaycationโ€ – a little break from routine can go a long way!!

๐Ÿ‘‰ If this gave you ideas, try scheduling your own Do Nothing Day this week. Then come back and tell me how it went!

Rock on!

Where Iโ€™m at #12

I love skee ball hehe

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life.

  • planner : Blah! Well, Iโ€™m looking forward to planning the usual autumn activities with the kids – apple picking, pumpkin farms, that sort of thing. And itโ€™s about time to stop dying my hair teal so it can fade a little before I start dying it purple for autumn & winter! Oh, we went on a surprise camping trip with our skoolie for the first time! It was a lot of fun despite hubby blowing a brake line & almost killing us all in the mountains ๐Ÿ˜ญ At least my hair looked cool with my cowgirl hat lol
  • self : Doing great with my diet & exercise still! Iโ€™m losing about a pound a week, which is reasonable. My appetite is definitely kicking up with the cooler temperatures though ๐Ÿ˜ฌ just gotta stay mindful! Allergy season is definitely upon me, as it is every year – Whole body tingling & almost vibrating, fish bowl for a head (sinus pressure), perpetually exhausted, sneezing, dripping nose, itching everywhere – Like having a cold for a month & a half. Ugh.
  • marriage : Doing pretty good. We really enjoyed the Kansas concert – he might have enjoyed it a little too much LOL! We really like shopping for Halloween stuff, & that time is almost nigh, soโ€ฆyay! Iโ€™ll have to figure out a better date though. Maybe a little wine tour or something.
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The lil monsters are good. Bubbyโ€™s super proud of how well she does in gymnastics! And BooBoo just got her Jr Orange & Yellow Belt in karate – Iโ€™m impressed with how seriously she takes what she learns!
  • homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : Moving along. I need to get Bubby into doing a little more – I still donโ€™t know if sheโ€™s dyslexic (I have to contact the school), but sheโ€™s picking up on letter sounds better than letter identification still. So, sheโ€™s progressing, but sheโ€™s obviously still struggling to some degree.
  • zenBLITZ : I actually started writing a novella! Or novel? I donโ€™t know yet, weโ€™ll see where it takes itself. Iโ€™ve been reading a fiction book called โ€œOne Italian Summerโ€ by Rebecca Serle, & itโ€™s not too bad. I havenโ€™t read any fiction in a lot of years, so itโ€™s inspired me to add my own story to the world. I havenโ€™t written fiction since short stories in 4th grade, but itโ€™s been quite a bit of fun so far!
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Yeah. Selective apathy. Heh. Nothingโ€™s falling apart, soโ€ฆfuck it. ๐Ÿซ 
  • witch : Havenโ€™t really been doing anything here, but Iโ€™ve added some yoga & tai chi to my daily exercise routine, which definitely have spiritual elements to them. I have a couple of simple kundalini yoga videos in my rotation too, which areโ€ฆpretty interesting ๐Ÿ˜œ

Currently

eating – I’M EXCITED FOR SOUP SEASON!!! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‹

drinking – Barefoot White Zinfandel (in moderation, lol) ๐Ÿท

watching – Peacemaker has been surprisingly entertaining lol. Same with Twisted Metal.

reading – Still working on One Italian Summer, but still enjoying it

playing – Wishing I had time to try Roblox, cuz my kids are obsessed (and I’m sure I would be too lol)

buying – Halloween decor that I definitely don’t need ๐Ÿ˜‚ Pair Eyewear tops (I’m obsessed!!)

listening to – Chasing Rainbows by RHH & Dilemma by Green Day are still favorites

celebrating – apple cider season hehe

pinning – planners, self care, free spirit, & tattoos

planning – on not losing my mind lol

feeling – overwhelmed, & apathetic, but hopeful

Where Iโ€™m at #11

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just random updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life at any random time, based on the areas / roles in my life.

  • planner : Honestly, I’ve been pretty burned out on planning stuff. I left it up to hubby for most of the summer so far. This has been a mistake ๐Ÿ˜‚ So I gotta plan some shit for next month – a bonfire, dates, & adventures!
  • self : I’ve been doing really well with my diet & exercise routines (expect a post about all that next week!) ๐Ÿ’ช My brain is still a hot mess though lol ๐Ÿ˜ญ
  • marriage : We just celebrated our 6 year anniversaryโ€ฆwith the kids. It was fun though. Next month, we’ll be seeing Kansas in concert (without the kids lol) cuz hubby insists they’ll be entertaining
  • mom : The girls are good ๐Ÿ˜Š Booboo likes climbing the door frame to the kitchen (which I also loved doing when I was her age hehehe), and Bubby’s imagination has been beautifully wild lately (I can’t wait til she can start writing stories!!!)
  • homeschool teacher : Still panicking about the school year ahead. Don’t even know why. It is what it is lol. I’m trying to figure out how to find time for more preschool for Bubby this year – we’ll be finishing โ€œEasy Peasyโ€ soon, and I hope she’ll be ready for โ€œPlaying Preschool year 2โ€. ๐Ÿคž
  • zenBLITZ : Finding my groove more – I’ve enjoyed writing what I’ve been writing, and I’m starting to get a bit of a clue with social media ๐Ÿคช
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Fuck it. LOL. Allโ€™s well enough. Soโ€ฆfuck it. ๐Ÿ˜œ

Currently

eating : salads

drinking : lime water

watching : โ€œYouโ€, on Netflix (I hated this show when it first came out. Now weโ€™re into season 3 & I love it!)

reading : One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

playing : nothing really

buying : shorts! I have too many colorful & patterned items in my closet. I feel like a rainbow with legs LOL

listening to : โ€œOut All Nightโ€ by the Pietasters is on right now

celebrating : lazy days of summer

pinning : empowering images, self care, pretty pics for Notion covers, yoga, travel

planning : family dates, maybe a party (cuz I desperately need to get drunk & burn shit LOL)

feeling : not too shabby!

Rock on!

Where I’m At #10

I prefer Rolling Rock… lol

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just random updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life at any random time, based on the areas / roles in my life.

  • planner : Well, I was planning on hosting a baby shower for my step daughter, but she hasnโ€™t talked to anyone (myself, her father, her aunt) in like 3 weeks so weโ€™re assuming her mom is setting something up for her. Which is unfortunate, but we canโ€™t let it bother us. So, I donโ€™t know what Iโ€™m planning right now lol. Hubby & I have our 6th wedding anniversary coming up, so weโ€™ll have to figure something out for that.
  • self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Iโ€™ve lost 10 pounds so far!!! Iโ€™ll share a separate post on that sometime soon, to share what Iโ€™ve been doing. My mind is clearing up a bit after that concert, but I still donโ€™t have enough time to do all the things I want to do lol (such is the human condition, eh?) And Iโ€™m tempted to go back to college & get my RN certification (more on that in a future post tooโ€ฆprobably).
  • marriage : 6 year anniversary coming up! Weโ€™ve been doing a little better each day since we respectfully aired some grievances, soโ€ฆyay!
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good. BooBoo has been obsessed with toads – she even put a teeny tiny one in her unicorn makeup bag & tried to make a pet out of it lol! And Bubby is in love with the concepts of โ€œqueensโ€ & โ€œprincessesโ€, and being very elegant & wearing beautiful dresses hehe!
  • homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : Freaking out as usual. Lol. I have my letter of intent submitted; so now I have to compile an IHIP. BooBoo finished Easy Peasyโ€™s Phonics class & has started Sight Words – the placement test suggested sheโ€™s not ready for 1st grade reading, but Sight Words seems too easy for her (maybe Iโ€™ll skip a few lessons?) (I could probably use to skip some math lessons too lol). I want to start a different PK2 curricula for Bubby soon too, because I donโ€™t think sheโ€™s catching on as much as Iโ€™m comfortable with Easy Peasyโ€™s PK.
  • zenBLITZ : I NEED TO MAKE MORE TIME TO WRITE!!! Let alone create digital products & whatnot. ๐Ÿ˜ญ
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : All is pretty well. Lots of focus on cleaning up the yard.

Currently

eating : Mulberries, blueberries, & wild blackberries – picked fresh daily! ๐Ÿ˜‹

drinking : Lime water, coffee, wine

watching : Music videos

reading : I gave up on โ€œEverything is Fuckedโ€ for now. Thinking about picking up โ€œHow to Win Friends & Influence Peopleโ€ (a classic) or โ€œThe Whole Brain Child. Not sure yet. (Any suggestions?!? ๐Ÿ˜‰)

playing : Dolls with my kids

buying : Cheap plants from a local greenhouse

listening to : 90โ€™s punk & ska, hehe

celebrating : 6 years of marriage, 8 years of dating!

pinning : journaling, self care, pretty colorful pics

planning : anniversary

feeling : ok

Where are you at? Let me know in the comments!

Rock on!!

Where Iโ€™m at #9

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just random updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life at any random time, based on the areas / roles in my life.

  • planner : Hm. Iโ€™m not much of a planner anymore, heh. Normally Iโ€™d be all about adventures this time of year, but we donโ€™t have much time to work with because of homeschool & kidsโ€™ extracurricular activities. Next party weโ€™re due for is Tie Dye, but only one of my invited guests is gonna be able to make itโ€ฆI think (which is fine cuz SiLโ€™s my fave lol) – Iโ€™m looking forward to dying some onesies for my step granddaughter hehe. Then BooBooโ€™s bestieโ€™s bday party is gonna be at some bumper car thing, so that should be fun. And Iโ€™m hoping to go to a concert by myself later in the month (cuz OMFG I need some โ€œmeโ€ time!!! And I need to see if my old friend is still aroundโ€ฆcuz I miss him too muchโ€ฆ)
  • self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Hmmmโ€ฆ Iโ€™m hanging in there. Iโ€™ve been on a pretty strict but enjoyable diet & exercise routine, and Iโ€™ve lost about 5 lbs the past month! More importantly – I feel pretty great (except my scoliosis is pretty mad at me, but whatever heh). My mindโ€™s been a bit chaotic though, to be honest. Lots swirling around my mind – been trying to get it to go somewhere, but itโ€™s still fighting with me. (Shouldnโ€™t force it, I know. Meditate & be patient, I know.)
  • marriage : Doing pretty well! Trying. Heโ€™s been doing pretty good, & Iโ€™ve been trying to support that. Iโ€™m just glad things are finally settling down after the chaos weโ€™ve been navigating together the past couple years.
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls areโ€ฆkids. LOL. Small children are terrorists, I swear (is my blog being flagged for using that word?!? LOL) Everyone has their cycles – theyโ€™re in a particularly challenging time right now lol
  • teacher (K & PK) : Oh boy. Among thoughts swirling & not going anywhere productive is homeschool. Iโ€™ve got so much to do, & I want to do so much more, but I have to find time to do it, andโ€ฆAAAGH! Plus, Iโ€™ve gotta get all the legal stuff situated for BooBoo to go into first grade – yippie skippie hehe. Theyโ€™re doing good, though. BooBoo can read like a champ at this point, & sheโ€™s been really enjoying working on math more. Bubbyโ€™s starting to identify more letters & numbers, so I guess patience is key with dyslexia (though weโ€™re not completely sure if sheโ€™s dyslexic or just stubborn heh). Both girls are enjoying the KiwiBox Tinker Crate, where they have to assemble their toys & understand how they work before they use them (yay STEM! lol)
  • zB : Ugggggh. (Sorry for all the frustration LOL!) Iโ€™m sick of writing SEO optimized, audience focused, butter & sugar bullshit content. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve written, butโ€ฆ While algorithms & Google trends love articles like โ€œ26 ways to be more vibrant than Blippiโ€, I’m kinda making myself nauseous lol. I’d like to maintain the edgy self help bend, but not exclusively. Entertainment, communityโ€ฆand whatever’s truly on my mind at the time – that’s where I’d like zenBLITZ to head from here on.
  • homemaker : Fuck all that. Like, all of it. LOL. Noโ€ฆfinances are fine, cleaning isnโ€™t as important as other things, yardwork is my jam when itโ€™s not fucking raining, and thatโ€™s it. I refuse to make travel plans until the skoolie is ready to go, & itโ€™s very much not, so…

Currently

eating : Lots of fucking salads! LOL

drinking : Water, wine, & coffee

watching : Poker Face is pretty good. And Twisted Metal. Younger, of course.

reading : Still working on โ€œEverything is Fuckedโ€ by Mark Manson, but Iโ€™m struggling to find time for it lately

playing : with the kiddos

buying : stuff to tie dye

listening to : All kinds of stuff I forgot I liked!

celebrating : Summer!!!

pinning : Green Day, homeschool, exercise

planning : Tie Dye party, baby shower

feeling : Unsureโ€ฆ

Where Iโ€™m At #8

โ€œAll I want for Easter is my 2 front teethโ€ ๐Ÿ˜‚

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just regular updates about whatโ€™s going on, based on the areas / roles in my life. Any particular goals Iโ€™m working on will be highlighted, so you can easily see what Iโ€™m actively working on improving. Leave a comment & give me ideas for things youโ€™d like to see me write individual posts about!

  • planner : I SOO want to do a BuJo again, & it just doesnโ€™t make any sense lol! I use my blog BuJo, but I miss setting up daily pages for my life – adding stickers & washi, & just having a linear notebook. Itโ€™s such a waste of time & money though. Notion has been rocking my world for like a year now lol. Anyway, Iโ€™m planning for BooBooโ€™s 6th birthday – I hope she has fun!! Our little tea party this past month was cute & fun (& I found out Iโ€™m gonna be a step grandma! Omfg!! ๐Ÿ˜ญ) And I really need to plan a concert or 2 this summer – itโ€™s been too long (last show I went to was Flogging Molly in 2019 ๐Ÿ˜ญ)!
  • self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Well, Iโ€™ve been on a pretty interesting DIY diet & doing more intentional exercise, & itโ€™s all been going pretty well (as far as I can tell) – I feel better, overall. (Stay tuned for my next post to see why Iโ€™m going crazy with it now, heh.) I set up a class that Iโ€™ve been taking with ChatGPT on various topics within Stoicism, Buddhism, & psychology, & Iโ€™ve been loving every second of it!
  • marriage (relationship & libido) : Allโ€™s pretty good hehe. Weโ€™re both working on being more intentional with our time together. I got my wedding rings resized, & so Iโ€™m super excited to be able to wear them all the time again!!!
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good! Both are super excited to get outside more!
  • teacher (K & PK) : Schoolโ€™s been chugging along. They both love science & art. Bubbyโ€™s doctor agrees that sheโ€™s probably dyslexic, so I need to have her tested with the school soon – Hubbyโ€™s dyslexic, so heโ€™s been working with her to identify letters more โค๏ธ
  • zB : Iโ€™m loving writing this blog! ๐Ÿฅฐ I started a weekly newsletter (sign up here!), & Iโ€™m hoping to expand it a bit in the future, but Iโ€™m glad Iโ€™ve got it started hehe. Iโ€™m working on my social media strategy this month, but Iโ€™m a bit behind because I needed to write an extra post for the month heh. Thatโ€™s ok though – โ€œThrow the timeline out the window, itโ€™ll take what it takes!โ€
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Uhโ€ฆ Allโ€™s pretty good! Lots of cleaning to do, but at least Iโ€™m keeping up with maintenance fairly well heh. Iโ€™ve decided to say fuck it to the garden this year; hubby can do what he wants, if he wants. Same with travel – Iโ€™ll wait til our bus is ready to camp in before I bother to start making plans.

Currently

eating : Vegetables LOL

drinking : black coffee โ˜•

watching : Echoes seems pretty interesting. Younger is still a favorite! Alpha Males has been pretty funny!

reading : Everything is Fucked by Mark Manson

playing : Nothing, really

buying : Birthday gifts for BooBoo, & Pair Eyewear (Iโ€™m excited – hopefully theyโ€™re not too dorky hehe)

listening to : โ€œWish I Knew Youโ€ by The Revivalists, โ€œRevolution Radioโ€ by Green Day, & โ€œBurritosโ€ by Sublime are current favorites

celebrating : BooBoo!!

pinning : Green Day, exercise, fashion, & food

planning : BooBooโ€™s bday

feeling : Ok. My backโ€™s been bothering me a lot though ๐Ÿ˜•

Where I’m At #6

“Cakey” xD

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just random updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life at any random time, based on the areas / roles in my life. Any particular goals Iโ€™m working on will be highlighted, so you can easily see what Iโ€™m actively working on improving. Leave a comment & give me ideas for things youโ€™d like to see me write individual posts about!

  • planner : Looking forward to spring! Even though itโ€™s still like 3 weeks away lol!! I have to plan the family party for the month – Februaryโ€™s crockpot potluck was lovely, so I want to do a simple fondue dinner thing for March, but hubby wants to do a murder mystery party. Weโ€™ll see! I also want to plan an overnight hotel stay so the girls can go in a pool at some point lol
  • self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Feeling a little more comfortable in my โ€œmom bodโ€, but Iโ€™m still working on improving my diet with more produce & protein, and Iโ€™d like to take more time for exercise because Iโ€™m tired all the time heh. Otherwise, Iโ€™m doing pretty well. A little frazzled because I want to do too many things, of course, but I just keep stepping back & focusing on my priorities!
  • marriage (relationship & libido) : Doing pretty well here. Iโ€™m learning the art of being a โ€œsmart wifeโ€ lol. Weโ€™re finding more moments to steal for intimacy now that the girls are getting bigger, so thatโ€™s pretty awesome LOL
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are doing pretty great! Theyโ€™ve been obsessed with this YouTube Roblox video of โ€œCutieโ€ playing the walking heads event, & itโ€™s creepy as all hell, butโ€ฆotherwise theyโ€™re good LOL
Why?! Why is this even a thing?!?

  • teacher (K & PK) : School is moving along fine. BooBooโ€™s getting better & better at reading, and weโ€™re focusing more on Bubbyโ€™s letter & number recognition. BooBoo loves science; we did a โ€œsnowโ€ experiment with conditioner & baking soda that they both thought was pretty cool. I canโ€™t wait til itโ€™s warm enough to go outside & explore with them! Weโ€™re still debating on whether weโ€™re going to keep BooBoo in karate after she gets her yellow belt, but so help me god, Iโ€™m definitely getting Bubby in gymnastics starting in March (sheโ€™s so excited, & Iโ€™m so excited for her!)
  • zB : Omg, Iโ€™m having so much fun writing posts & creating digital products! Iโ€™m super behind this month, partially because of it being a short month, butโ€ฆat least Iโ€™m enjoying it! And it seems to be gaining a bit of traction, so thatโ€™s pretty awesome hehehe (HI!!)
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Doing alright here. I donโ€™t have much time for household projects because of homeschooling, but thatโ€™s ok. Priorities! Havenโ€™t had a chance to work on gardening ideas yet either, but I do know that Iโ€™m not going to listen to Hubby & Iโ€™m putting it where I want this year lol. We also need to plan our trips, & I need to nag Hubby to get the bus ready. sigh
  • witch : I started working on this stuff online more, which has been enjoyable so far! Iโ€™m still doing my usual hearthcraft though, of course!
  • reseller : Yeah. No. lol. Iโ€™m SO over itโ€ฆor am I? I would like to do it a little bit, I just donโ€™t have the time, space, or passion for it right now.

Currently

eating – soup

drinking – spiced wine

watching – Younger, Beast Games, & Sisters Feud mostly

reading – Nothing right now

playing – Sims Freeplay lol. A little bit. I used to be obsessed with it.

buying – Spring dresses on Temu lol

listening to – Green Day & Reverend Horton Heat

celebrating – Spring!

pinning – Green Day, journaling, exercise, home design inspo

planning – a party & a hotel stay, tattoos

feeling – frazzled, excited

Where are you at? Let’s chat in the comments!!

Rock on!

Where I’m At #5

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just random updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life at any random time, based on the areas / roles in my life. Any particular goals Iโ€™m working on will be highlighted, so you can easily see what Iโ€™m actively working on improving. Leave a comment & give me ideas for things youโ€™d like to see me write individual posts about!

  • planner : I have a lot of projects planned for February! Iโ€™m finishing up my digital audit as Iโ€™m writing this, which is always quite a relief – I must have deleted a zillion things I didnโ€™t even know I had! I still have to audit 10 years of Google Photos, but thatโ€™s another project all its own. (ETA : I realized I should add auditing my PKM to the list too, because the chaos Iโ€™ve created there is stressing me out – โ€œactionability โ€ฆ only save things that contribute to current projects & areas โ€ฆ itโ€™s not a museum of knowledge if you donโ€™t absorb or utilize the information!โ€) Next monthโ€™s projects include a โ€œWhat a Crock-Potluck Revival Partyโ€ (we havenโ€™t had a crockpot party in a while, so I thought weโ€™d get back on that wagon), I want to make an โ€œOh Shit!โ€ notebook (in case I get hit by a dump truck & my husband needs to know things he doesnโ€™t normally care about), as well as planning for fun stuff in warmer weather (travel, tattoos, concerts, etc)
  • self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Forever working on my eating habits – I’ve been focusing on eating more consistently throughout the day because I have a bad habit of barely eating until dinnertime, and then going a little too crazy (cuz I love my dinner recipes! ๐Ÿ˜‹) I’ve been sleeping kind of crappy because I really like my quiet time in the mornings, and I should probably get back to my exercise routine, butโ€ฆnot right now ๐Ÿ˜† My brain’s been doing pretty good lol – Lots of fun ideas abound, feeling pretty chill (albeit a little cabin fever), and learning all kinds of interesting things about blogging!
  • marriage (relationship & libido) : Not doing too bad here, actually! Humor keeps things interesting lol
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are doing pretty good, though I’m sure they can’t wait til it’s warm enough to go outside every day! They’ve been keeping busy drawing, painting, & playing with their dolls mostly. And enjoying a little bit of Legs Marvel Superheroes on Xbox hehe
  • teacher (K & PK) : They’ve been doing really well with school, though it was hard getting back into the rhythm after the holidays. BooBoo surprises us (& herself!) every day with how well she can read already, and Bubby is getting really good at tracing lines
  • zB : Having a lot of fun (& driving myself absolutely crazy!) trying to choose which direction to go with everything related to the blog & products to create & everything. I know I’m overcomplicating everything though lol! I’ve been learning a lot about SEO, optimization tools (like Buffer for automating social media posts), and everything in between. (My brain hurts. ๐Ÿคช)
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Everything’s fine & dandy here! I need to rebalance our general finances, which I keep putting off. Been maintaining the cleaning, but not really making any progress (no time!) And I’m looking forward to travel & garden planning soon!

Currently

eating : crockpot dinners

drinking : hot lime water, & hot grapefruit water (way better than lemon water!)

watching : Hubby keeps trying to make me watch movies. I don’t generally have the attention span for movies. Blink Twice was pretty good. Back to Action was pretty terrible. The show Younger hasn’t been too bad. And surprisingly, the series Maxton Hall has been pretty interesting. And Ripley, omg, that was actually pretty good lol!

reading – Nothing. I haven’t really had much interest in any particular books lately. But I’ve kept up with my Daily Stoic Journal every day!

playing : Board games with the girls, especially Candy Land hehe โ˜บ๏ธ

buying : Not much. Went a little crazy on Temu because I really needed a new winter coat. I also ended up with a couple gifts for hubby, gloves, some new eyebrow rings, and a bunch of other things I’ll be surprised to see when they come ๐Ÿ˜…

listening to : My โ€œTunesโ€ playlist on YouTube – lots of Green Day & Foxboro Hot Tubs, Reverend Horton Heat, & โ€œWish I Knew Youโ€ by the Revivalists (me & hubby’s dating anthem hehe)

celebrating : Midwinter & Valentine’s Day

pinning : wallpapers, self care, Green Day

planning – projects, a party, goals

feeling – generally good, but a bit restless!

Where are you at? Let me know in the comments below!! ๐Ÿ˜€

Where I’m At #4

โ€œWhere Iโ€™m atโ€ posts are just random updates about whatโ€™s going on in my life at any random time, based on the areas / roles in my life. Any particular goals Iโ€™m working on will be highlighted, so you can easily see what Iโ€™m actively working on improving (and see that I do try to practice what I preach). Leave a comment & give me ideas for things youโ€™d like to see me write individual posts about!

Hi everyone! Itโ€™s been a rough month for my family – we all got COVID mid-November, & apparently weโ€™re all still dealing with the aftermath. Yeah, seriously. My kidsโ€™ pediatrician told me I was probably misdiagnosed with a sinus infection because she said theyโ€™ve regularly seen some COVID symptoms lasting up to 15 weeks. So thereโ€™s that.

On a better note, our holidays were lovely, & I hope yours was as well!

Letโ€™s get into how December went for meโ€ฆ

  • planner : I actually just switched up my Notion setup a little bit! My main dashboard is now a gallery view of the PARA method, with โ€œProjectsโ€ being the equivalent of my planner. โ€œAreasโ€ are the equivalent of the roles you see here, with each area having a separate page & each relevant page having a section for tasks & notes. I like it a lot so far! Also, Iโ€™m really excited to move into a new journal! Iโ€™ve made an entire year fit into an A5 Stalogy for the second year in a row, & that poor notebook is about to explode!
  • self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Iโ€™ve really been struggling with my diet & exercise ever since I first got sick; thatโ€™s a real challenge for me – picking back up after illness. (Something for me to work on!) Iโ€™ve really been enjoying journaling & writing my blog posts; havenโ€™t been terribly interested in reading any books lately (I keep trying to read Tim Ferrissโ€™ 4 Hour Workweek because I like his writing style & some of his ideas, but I just canโ€™t stay interested.) Emotionally, Iโ€™ve been pretty up & down because of being sick. Bleh.
  • marriage : Weโ€™ve been rediscovering old ways to have adventures, considering the weather. Itโ€™s been fun going โ€œwindow shoppingโ€ & spontaneous restaurants for dinner!
  • mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls have been great, despite having a very persistent cough. Their favorite Xmas gifts included some Magna Tiles, Miraculous Dolls, & Furblets lol
  • teacher (K & PK) : Weโ€™ve been taking it easy this month, to prep for & enjoy the holidays. Weโ€™ve worked through the curriculum a little bit when they felt like it, but most of this monthโ€™s education centered around the science of the changing seasons, measuring ingredients for homemade treats, playing games, & doing holiday worksheets.
  • zB : Had to move some things around because I was really struggling to maintain focus this month, & I wasnโ€™t sure if Iโ€™d have enough posts ready for the month, but I somehow managed to pull everything together & Iโ€™m excited to share those with you!!!
  • homemaker (finance, cleaning, travel) : I donโ€™t even wanna talk about the finances this month LOL – I just keep telling myself โ€œtis the season!โ€ Iโ€™ve gotten a lot more cleaning done with us not focusing so much on school, so thatโ€™s good. And Iโ€™ve been trying to plan some interesting adventures for these cold & snowy months – Weโ€™ll see what happens!
  • witch – Nothing going on here; I really should try to find some time to at least meditate more regularly, though I do a little bit every night.
  • reseller – Absolutely nothing going on here, besides a couple of sales. Iโ€™m still very much in limbo about how I want to go about my whole resale business right now & in the future. Itโ€™s just not a priority.

Currently

eating – Lots of soup!

drinking – Hot lime water ๐Ÿ˜‹

watching – Beast Games, Xmas movies, Lincoln Lawyer, & finished Royal Pains just in time for it to leave Netflix!

reading – Blog posts

playing – โ€œBeat the Parents โ€œ & โ€œWould You Rather?โ€ (card games from the Dollar Tree that I got the kids hehe)

buying – All kinds of stuff we donโ€™t need, just cuz itโ€™s discounted post-holiday (we really need to put the brakes on! LOL)

listening to – Rain!

celebrating – My youngest is turning 4! ๐Ÿฅณ

pinning – self care, journaling, homeschool stuff, & Green Day lol

planning – Kiddoโ€™s bday, goals

feeling – Excited for a new year!

How was your December, & what are you looking forward to in January? Let me know in the comments below!!

And if youโ€™d like, feel free to use this free desktop background I made on Canva for whatever youโ€™d like (I was just screwing around while I was sick, hehe) ๐Ÿ˜˜

See you next week!!