Where I’m at #1

Uncategorized, Where I'm At

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

planner : I’m loving Notion. I forgot that I enjoy moving blocks around like I used to when WordPress first started using that system (I think before I even originally started this blog!) So once I realized you have to play with Notion on a computer and not your phone, a whole new world opened up for me lol! Now I pretty much do everything on Notion, and I love every second of it!!!
self (body & mind, emotion & education) : My #1 goals right now is to eat more mindfully & exercise more. So, I’ve been making sure that I eat a lot of protein & produce every day, trying to eat more consistently throughout the day (since I’m the type to graze a little & then go overboard at dinner), and paying attention to my portions. It’s a lot of work, but I’m definitely making progress because I feel a lot better (and that’s the goal!) I’ve implemented a quick 15 minute exercise routine every morning, I do a little exercise with my kids when we do school, and I’ve been doing a few minutes of yoga at night. And I started a habit I like to call Squatty Potty LOL (nothing to do with the Shark Tank idea!) – Every time I go to the bathroom, I do 5 squats lol! I like it actually!! 😆 As for mind, I’ve been trying to write in my A5 Stalogy journal more often, and I’ve been working on a proper PARA PKM setup on Notion (of course).
marriage (relationship & libido) : My second most important goal! Hubby & I have been through a lot over the past couple years, so I’m really trying to focus on improving our marriage right now. I’ve been reading a lot of articles on the topic, and making sure that I am giving all the affection that I want to get. And it’s been working! We’re pretty happy right now, though there’s always improvements to be made. A lot of it has just been a shift in perspective. As for my libido… I’ve always had a low libido. Even though Hubby’s a wonderful lover, I just don’t…I don’t know! I really don’t know. I’m always trying to do too many things, honestly, and I have trouble slowing down to make love I guess! But I’m trying. I’m making sure we don’t go very long without some intimate time, and I try to flirt with him a bit every day. We used to get yelled at in restaurants for making out at our table LOL, but we have kids now, so we don’t even get to go out on dates hardly ever, unfortunately. Which is another thing I’ve been working on correcting. Anyway! I took a course on DailyOm last year which focused on tantra called “Sacred Sexuality: Open the Energy of Intimacy”, which I really enjoyed. I might try another course they have, “Radical Intimacy”, which seems to touch on a lot of similar ideas. We’ll see.
mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : As I’m writing this, Booboo is sick. She’s just got a bit of a cold. I blame the triplets she was hanging out with at the library, even though they didn’t seem sick. Gotta blame someone, right?!? LOL! I always get nervous when she gets sick because she had a fever seizure the one time, & it freaked me right out. But she’s in good spirits. But very snotty lol. Bubby’s doing great! She really loves watching Baby Bus on YouTube, which is actually fairly educational! And she also loves playing with dolls.
teacher (K & PK) : School is going pretty well. I dropped Busy Toddler’s Playing Preschool year 2 for Bubby for now because I felt like it was too advanced for her, and we’re just doing Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool’s Kindergarten & Preschool. They’re really enjoying it! Booboo’s been working through phonics (she had a lot of trouble & irritation with sight words), and she’s doing absolutely awesome with it! She can practically read anything she tries to!
zB : My “Ikigai”! I’m having a lot f fun doing research & making a plan to take zenBLITZ to a whole other level by blogging more and eventually working on more products & services such as workbooks, printable stationery, & eventually private coaching. I’m just too excited!!!
homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Uh, yeah. LOL. I’ve actually been keeping up with housework fairly well. I just audited the fridge, freezer, & pantry, and I found a bunch of stuff in the pantry that we need to get creative with before it ends up in the trash. Hubby used up the French’s fried onions last night in a delicious green bean casserole. Finances are going well. Gonna need to wrap up the garden pretty soon – we’ve still got zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, & herbs producing goodness (when the groundhog lets them!) Ya know, I got one of those motion sensors that are supposed to deter animals, but I don’t think some of them give a crap about it! It emits a high pitched noise when it gets set off, & I’m the only human I know who can actually hear it. And it drives me crazy! Why doesn’t the groundhog care?!? Prepping & travel are on the backburner. We’re usually pretty well prepped for events like snowstorms, power outages, or pandemics lol. We did just get a Jackery portable power station, though, & Hubby’s all excited & wants to get some new solar panels for it. It’s pretty awesome, I’d definitely recommend it! And as for travel… I had plans to go on a nice road trip, but that got derailed by Hubby’s household projects. Especially since he wanted to turn his mini school bus into our camper, & it’s not quite ready yet. Maybe next year.
witch : I’ve been meditating daily, and playing with my Happy Grimoire (I’ll have to share that soon, it’s pretty sweet!) And we did a nice little homeschool lesson designed by ChatGPT for Mabon, which we all really enjoyed : Booboo learned a bit about equinoxes (she’s really into “space”), we read about an orchard, we baked some muffins, and we went on an autumn scavenger hunt. It was really fun. We still gotta get to the local orchard, and make a collage with our scavenger hunt findings though! I’m looking forward to planning for Samhain soon!
reseller : Ugh. I don’t really enjoy reselling anymore. I have a goal to get the shops in full gear for Q4 so I can at least make enough money to pay off my associated credit card, but I have no enthusiasm for it! I think next year I’m just gonna pivot to local sales so Hubby can have something to do cuz that’s really why I got into it in the first place. I’d rather focus my efforts on zenBLITZ!
Other things I’ve been interested in lately :
- Digital Minimalism : Trying not to spend too much time on my phone. Laptop is for morning productivity. But I’m trying not to get too distracted by reading stuff throughout the day. I’m working on being more intentional about the content I consume, I should say.
- Capsule wardrobe / daily uniform : I didn’t realize I already pretty much have a “daily uniform”, but I do have certain items I wear for certain occasions. And I didn’t realize I already pretty much have a capsule wardrobe, but I kinda do! I limit myself to certain numbers of certain items! I review my wardrobe twice a year, when I switch my closet to summer or winter clothes! I do need to pair it down quite a bit now because there’s a lot of things that either don’t fit me or I don’t like, so I’m glad I’ll be switching my closet for cold weather soon lol!
- Meal prepping : I was always really against meal prepping. But I got inspired by Shutterbean’s super lax meal prepping philosophy, and I’ve tried it out the past couple weeks, and I really like it! I don’t prep every single thing, but I prep whatever I feel is manageable to help the week go more smoothly. More on this in a future post!

Currently

eating : protein & produce!

drinking : water, coffee with ID Pumpkin Spice creamer (it’s the only pumpkin spice I really like hehe)

watching : The Mayfair Witches, The Penguin, Resident Alien, Sweet Tooth, Dead Boy Detectives

reading : The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, Good Morning Good Life by Amy Landino, & The Homeschooling Starter Guide by Gina Riley. I read a little bit of whatever strikes me each day.

playing : Russian Roulette with my free time LOL

buying : groceries 🤪

listening to : YouTube planner videos

celebrating : my birthday soon!

pinning : homeschool ideas, recipes, planner spreads

planning : a very busy October!

feeling : tired, optimistic, excited

Refreshed!

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WordPress has certainly come a long way from 20+ years ago! I remember starting my first Blogger blog way back in like 2000, & I eventually moved on to WordPress for its customization options. It seems very much the same, with a hint of Notion lol.

Anyway… All paths lead back to blogging. I tried starting a YouTube channel, but I didn’t like it much. A bunch of fuss, & my niche that I was going for, well… I’m fairly often switching it up & I’m not tech savvy enough to evolve with it on video lol! All paths lead back to blogging. I’ve always been a writer at heart, so why am I not writing more?!? I wrote a couple of small books since the beginning of the year, & I thought I should focus more on that than getting a headache on YouTube (for now at least!)

So welcome to my new blog! Here you’ll find all kinds of different things that interest me, things I’ve been learning & creating, and so on. I’m a stay at home mom of two little girls who I homeschool, I’m a reseller, and I’m a very organized “planner girl”. So you’ll likely find occasional content on those topics here as well.

I hope you enjoy & stick around to see where this project evolves!

Have a great day! ~ Adeline

Meditation on the Go!

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I love the idea of using a set of beads as an abacus for breaths during meditation – I’ve been using different kinds for years! From necklaces, to bracelets, to keychains, let me show you this awesomeness…

To use meditation beads, you simply start somewhere in the row of beads, close your eyes, and focus on long, deep breaths, moving from bead to bead in between. There are typically different shaped beads on the ends of the rows, to let you know when you’ve reached the end. They can be used to count repetitions of mantras, or positive affirmations, or whatever you want! Larger numbers of beads (like on necklaces) are good for longer meditation sessions, while shorter sections (like bracelets & keychains) are good for quick mindfulness breaks.

My latest set of meditation bracelets are extra special – they all include lava beads, which can be used with a drop of essential oil as a form of aromatherapy! Each of these bracelets are unique, including gemstones such as jasper, rose quartz, moonstone, and more. They can be used during meditation, or worn regularly as a reminder to be mindful! Be sure to check them out individually in the “bracelets” section of my shop

Sitting in my car on break at work one night, in desperate need of some peace, I realized I didn’t have anything to help me focus if I tried to meditate. So, I came up with the idea of a meditation chain key ring, for those times when you need a breather before starting your drive or transitioning into the mindset of wherever you’ve gone. You could even use it with your eyes open in slow traffic or at a stoplight – it may help reduce road rage! ;D

I have other meditation beads in my shop, including this lovely half leather necklace with a handmade tassel!

Meditation beads are a great reminder to be mindful!

So, if you meditate at all, be sure to try this technique & let me know how it went in the comments!

And be sure to check out all the awesome stuff in store at zen BLITZ

Rock & Reggae at Spring Lake Winery

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As last-minute weekend plans, Hubby stumbled across a “rock and reggae” concert at Spring Lake Winery in Lockport NY. He was just looking for a wine tasting, but when he mentioned this little festival, I puked rainbows!! 😄

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Everyone was directed in through a dirt road. Which turned into a brutal mud road the night before the event, so I was pretty glad we brought Hubby’s truck. And then, to get from the parking lot to the festival site, you had to walk through their vineyard. Which was really cool except for the gash I got in the side of my foot from a stabby piece of grass.

It was a lot of fun. Food & drink prices weren’t absurd. We had brunch (Chimche? I think it was called) and dinner (Italian Beef) at Ms Judi’s International Food Truck; both were super good, as was (mama) Loose Cannon‘s Hippie Bread (Hubby bought 3 slices!! lol)! The event also included a few lawn games (giant Jenga & Kan Jam being the ones I saw), and the freedom to wander their trail by the lake & through some trees (my back was bothering me too much to adventure off on it, but I really wanted to).

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They also offered hot air balloon rides for a little while. They were a little bit pricey in my opinion, considering they were stationery (only went up & down), but I’m sure I’m just cheap & it really wasn’t a bad price, lol! ($20 / person). Still a super cool thing to see, and quite a few people went up in it too!

Starting with my favorite band of the show…

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Ballyhoo! Before the show even started, we were scoping out their merch stand & chatting with their merch dude (wish I remembered his name!) We ended up buying him drinks cuz he was pretty cool. The band itself was, in my opinion, the best act that night. Fun, ska-punk inspired music, & lots of audience interaction. After their set, Hubby wanted to go meet them, so we did. Apparently the lead singer is also a huge Green Day fan, & they played a song off Insomniac during their set, & I even had my 21CB tote bag with me, & it matched one of his tattoos!! LOL (Sorry, I geeked out a little there!) So… he took that awesome pic of us at the beginning of this post. And it was awesome. I’m sold on Ballyhoo. Rock on, gentlemen! lol

Tropidelic was pretty fun, too. They were my second favorite act.

Badfish comes in third, tying with these last couple of bands. I seen them years ago, & I wasn’t impressed; nothing’s really changed. They cover Sublime’s music really well, but I just never vibe any enthusiasm except for the trombone player, & he has enough to do lol. They were the final act of the evening, of course, & it was nice ending the night singing along to Sublime.

Keith James, a cool local dude who was apparently on The Voice, was really good, despite the tiny audience. He did, like, rock covers of Backstreet Boys & TLC. He’s got a great voice, & I wish more people would’ve seen his set!

Besides Badfish, Handsome Jack was the only band name I recognized before the show. And I have no clue why, except that he’s local. I wasn’t really feelin’ most of their seemingly more rock influenced songs, but they were alright. The chick at their merch stand was cool!

To finish the event, starting at the end of Badfish’s encore, the winery blew off fireworks in a clearing outside the vineyard. It was a perfect end to the evening!

SKA LIVES!!

It was a really awesome day, especially for the $25 ticket price. I love the vibe of ska shows – the people are always super awesome!! Spring Lake Winery was a great host for this type of event, & I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on them from now on, lol!

What concerts have you been to this summer? Let’s chat in the comments!

And don’t forget to check out the new items popping up in my shop!!!

Back From My Siesta…!!

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Hi folks, long time no see! I decided to take a breather on the store front (though I’ve been keeping an eye on it!), so that I could focus on experimenting with different creative media. Check out some of my new items (& questionable experiments! lol)

20180716_160701 My cousin bought foreclosure land out by his campsite, & there were a few sheds full of random things. The previous owners had time to take what they wanted, & so I helped sort through some of the rest. Hubby & I found a whole cart full of cool stuff, including deer antlers, turkey feathers, & sand dollars! We also just acquired a shoebox full of sea findings, from seahorses to oyster shells, at an estate sale! So, I’ll be working with all these awesome & honored natural pieces a bit in the future.

Hubby made me give in to my urges about playing with polymer clay, & it’s been a lot of fun! It’s a LOT harder than it looks! LOL And it’s pretty time consuming, but it’s been fun! My incense holder turned out pretty well- it’s functional, but I like having a large tray for my incense. Since this was just an experiment piece, I tested how it would react to acrylic sealer… & now it’s all sticky. (Lesson learned!) I tried making a jewelry tray & bowl, both which turned out pretty cool! My flower canes look like a Kindergartener’s drawing though, lol! Wanting to test molding with this clay, I made a “goddess doll” (which my young cousin promptly broke, but it turned out surprisingly decent), then a meditating doll (with scraps), & then I tried a mage doll tutorial (which turned out fricken awesome!). So…I’m getting better…LOL.. and this will help open my store up to a lot of product possibilities!!

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I also finally decorated the hiking stick I’ve had in my car trunk since last summer. It’s soo overdone, but not, at the same time. I love it! (I just hope I don’t fuck it up when I try to add the polymer clay piece.) So, that’s still a work in progress, since I’m trying to incorporate all of my crafty skills into this one piece x)

Made a series of new products to add to the store soon, including a wine glass lanyard, meditation bracelets, & meditation keychains. So keep an eye out!!

Normal life has kept me pretty busy too, of course. From housework to parties & craft shows (to scope out ideas, haha!), it’s been a pretty busy summer for me. But it’s been good. I hope yours has been awesome ❤

New items in store soon!!!

Check out my current listings, & watch the shop grow at zen BLITZ

Tell me in the comments : What projects have you finished or are you working on this summer?

What is zen BLITZ all about?

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zen BLITZ is still in its baby phase, & it’s been quite an adventure so far!

I think it’s important to reevaluate everything in your business as you go along, including your brand identity! This post is to share a little more about who I am, my brand’s themes, and the projects I work on.

As for me… I really love that wig; it’s just too cute, lol! I have a history of being a caregiver in my family, for my parents & grandparents; currently for my father. I also have an employment & education history in healthcare. ALS runs heavily in my mother’s family, so I’d like to be able to donate some of the profits from my shop toward treatment & research one day! I’m currently engaged to a super awesome guy whose love has set me free; the only thing really holding me back is myself.

I have a bit of a problem sticking with themes, lol! I’m a Libra, so I have a bitch of a time making decisions in general. Themes varying from vague (fun, spiritual, classy) to more specific (witchcraft, buddhism, steampunk, rave, hippie boho). I know I need to pick specialties & focus on a certain audience, but…that’s not me! That’s not very zen BLITZ. zen BLITZ is calm & crazy, spiritual & steampunk, yin & yang. Right now, I’m just testing what works well, & what doesn’t.

Another problem I have is sticking with any one project. Really, I’m “in too deep” with my jewelry making, especially since that’s what my fiance has been supporting most. However I’ve always been into all kinds of crafts, because my mother was super craftsy. I tend to have a few different types of projects going on at once, but I do also tend to finish one thing before adding another. So far, my shop is mostly jewelry – necklaces, bracelets, rings, & earrings. I also added some wine glass charms. I’m currently working on a set of crochet wine glass and water bottle lanyards, & then I’ll start working on some more jewelry. I just finished a set of ATCs (which were a bit of a ~~flop~~…learning experience), & have been working on woodburning a plaque for my sweet deceased kitty.

Seeing as jewelry is a very saturated market, I figure it wise to venture into other handmade markets wherever my talents lie. The only constant in life is change. It’ll be fun to watch my shop evolve over time!

“It’s important to reevaluate everything as you go along”

That’s advice I carry throughout all areas in my life. It’s always a good time to shed things that weigh you down, & change the things that aren’t working for you. “Every day is a holiday…”

That’s my brand identity!

What are YOU all about? Freewrite some random words, & let’s chat in the comments below!

And be sure to check out all the fun stuff in my Etsy shop at zen BLITZ

Check out these social media faves!!

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The results are in from last month’s analysis, and I’d like to share my top 3 items with you!

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Two of these items were made in response to other items, & one was a successful shot in the dark. I’m pretty proud of their popularity so far! Hopefully someone feels inspired to buy one!! 😉

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Coming in third, I call this super cool steampunk inspired necklace the “Steampunk Reject”. I actually included it in this blog post from back in January, “possible rejects” because it was so popular on Instagram despite its imperfections. Before, the beaded section was wonky, the gear pendant wasn’t what I thought it was gonna be as I was making it, &…I can’t remember what else I didn’t like about it. I just knew it could be better. And voila! I like it a lot; I couldn’t see myself wearing it casually, but I think it’d make a cool costume / festival piece!! With 24 likes on Instagram fixed, & 27 when it was a “reject”, it looks even cooler in person than pictures can show!

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Second most popular was this “Classy Hippie” necklace. Inspired by something similar on Pinterest, I figured I’d give it a shot since I have those pointy-shaped rock beads (lol! what are they called?! Anyone? Help? lol) It didn’t quite turn out as I’d hoped, but it seems to be pretty popular. I like that it looks handmade. It’s definitely unique, & I could see myself wearing it casually. With 11 likes total between Twitter & Etsy, I might be experimenting with this style a bit more!

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Last but certainly not least, here is a fairly basic beaded macrame necklace that I call “Steampunk Love v1.2”. Last summer, I got back into jewelry making so that I would have something to do with my cousins when we were camping. I made my fiance a necklace similar to this one, & he got a lot of positive comments about it, so he insisted I try opening an Etsy shop. And here I am!! ;D Between Instagram, tumblr, & Etsy, this was my most liked item, with a total of 28 interactions! It might even be the most liked item I’ve posted so far, so there will definitely have to be more of these in the future!!

Be sure to check out ALL the awesome stuff available in my shop!!

I’m often adding new listings & trying new things, so keep an eye out!

Let me know what you think of these items in the comments below; I welcome constructive criticism as well as compliments!!

And if you do happen to see something you like in my shop, zen BLITZ, be sure to use code SPREADLOVE for 10% off anything & everything!

Have a great week, everyone!! ❤

May is ALS Awareness Month

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2013-visualize-web-banner-f — learn more & donate here

ALS, aka Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka MND (motor neuron disease), aka Lou Gehrigs Disease, is an increasingly common neurodegenerative disease. Very little is understood about it, & it is inevitably fatal. Continuing research is necessary to put a stop to this awful affliction.

In this week’s article, I’ll tell you a little bit about ALS, point out some famous people affected by this disease, explain why ALS awareness is important to me, and share a special promo in my Etsy shop!

More than 20,000 people in the U.S. alone have ALS at any given time. Only 10% of those cases are due to an inherited genetic mutation, while 90% have no family history of the disease. As a neurodegenerative disorder, ALS kills the motor neurons throughout the body, leaving muscles paralyzed while the mind remains intact. There is no testing for this disease, only ruling out other diseases. Life expectancy is 2-5 years after the onset of symptoms.

220px-stephen_hawking-starchild — Stephen Hawking

Odds are good that you know of at least one famous person who’s had ALS. Lou Gehrig, of course, the famous baseball player whose name became extra infamous for this disease. Stephen Hawking, the super famous physicist, just recently passed away after suffering from ALS for over 50 years! Steve Gleason, as well as many other professional athletes. Wikipedia has a whole list.

ALS actually runs in my family. I think the statistic was 25 people in 3 generations, but 2 or 3 more have been added to the tally, 2 from my generation (the 4th). No one has lived more than a year and a half after the onset of symptoms, so it’s pretty quick, but no less horrific. It’s traumatized many of us who have had to watch this happen to our loved ones. My mother had bulbar onset ALS, was sick for about 11 months, and passed away due to respiratory failure (which she was fully conscious for) 4 days after my 15th birthday. I’ll refrain from whining, but encourage you to learn a little more about my family’s story in this interview on YouTube.

So, to support ALS Awareness, here’s a little gift for you :

ALSA May promo

“Continuing research is necessary to put a stop to this awful affliction”

ALS is a devastating disease that can seemingly strike anyone, especially if you have a family history. Your help in funding research is greatly appreciated – donate directly to the ALS Association, or any foundation of your choice, or buy something from my shop & I’ll gladly pass along the good vibes from my wonderful customers!

Do you have any experience with ALS? (Friends, family members, personal, etc). Let’s chat in the comments below!! ❤

And don’t forget to stop in & check out all the new stuff in my Etsy shop : zen BLITZ

How I Keep Things Organized With My Business Notebook…

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While I love my Bullet Journal (which I’ll have a post for in the future!), I knew I’d need a three ring binder for my business adventure. This way, I can keep things organized by tab, and I can move & remove pages with no problem!

Here I’ll share which tabs I’ve found most useful, & what for…

The first few pages are uncategorized. I keep a daily to do list, which I also use for random notes; I like being able to recycle the page when I’m done with it. Also uncategorized is my monthly business plan (which turns into my analysis page at the end of the month), and breakdowns of my business processes (production, sales, marketing, & bookkeeping).

Current projects : Whatever I’m working on in any of my business processes. Currently that means : info page for the product I’m listing next, notes for this very blog post, instructions & notes for crochet lanyards, and a brainstorm for my next series of products!
Blog / Social media : Mostly brainstorms for things to post on social media, including topics to blog about. Also an index of my posted blogs.
Financial : Cash flow reports, notes on overhead charges, my pricing formula, and a list of the sales & discounts in my store. (Here, have 10% off by using code SPREADLOVE)
Time & Activity Logs
Ideas : Brainstorms, & notes about trends. Also, instructions for ATCs, ideas for my steampunk / renaissance festival outfit, & a list of the creative endeavors my boyfriend & I are working on together.
Accomplished : Finished projects, so they can be rearranged before they’re listed in the store. Also houses my past monthly analyses, which should have their own tab soon.
Listings : The project sheets for each of the listings in my Etsy store, in order.

A paper & pen notebook works best for me in most situations…

…though I do use Evernote quite a bit too (another post for another time.) I actually think my binder is more versatile than even the cloud!

Do you have any notebooks? What for? Let’s chat in the comments below!

And don’t forget to check out all the new stuff in store at zen BLITZ!

The only thing that helps me focus…

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We live in a time when seemingly everyone has trouble focusing on any one thing. Multi-tasking has become a skill most people aim to perfect because we live in a fast paced world. But if we don’t slow ourselves down regularly, we will inevitably “burn out”, so we need to make a point to take care of ourselves regularly.

I love me some Zen Habits – One of the things Leo mentions often is making a habit of taking regular mindfulness breaks throughout the day. So, in this article, I’m going to discuss this, as well as ideas on how to practice. (And remember, it’s practice! 😉)

The habit of regular mindfulness breaks

It’s easy for life to pass us by when we’re running from one thing to another, be it work to dinner to school, or whatever. We’re always on the go. Life is a precious & fleeting thing that we’re blessed to be conscious for, so it’s understandable to want to live it to its fullest. At the same time, are we really living, savoring each experience, as we go?? That’s why I think it’s such a good idea to schedule regular mindfulness breaks, whenever they can fit. Of course, it depends on how much time you can spare, whether you schedule a whole day or evening of pampering yourself, or if you can only sit for a minute or two. Depending on what I’m doing, most days I spend a few minutes every couple hours doing some exercise or meditation. If I’ve been particularly busy & need to recharge, I’ll carve out a few hours. But of course, mindfulness can be practiced anytime, anywhere, whenever you just focus on the present moment. 🕉

Acts of mindfulness

Anytime you immerse yourself in the present moment, you are practicing mindfulness. You could do this for a few seconds, or a few hours; it’s quality over quantity. You could immerse yourself in a walk in a park, or for a few seconds at work. Practice focusing on one thing. I do a lot of yoga, especially prior to meditation, because it helps calm my body; I meditate because it helps calm my mind. Really, anything you focus on is a type of meditation, including yoga, tai chi, & other exercises; I listen to a lot of trance music & usually use one of my many meditation beads , but I sometimes do visualizations or mantras.

Self care is a matter of necessity, not luxury

As a caregiver for my elderly father, I learned the importance of mindfulness the hard way. It’s a tough situation to be in, but it is what it is, and I try to grow where I’m planted by way of appreciating what I have each moment & trying to plan for the future. Burn out snuck up on me a few years ago, and regular mindfulness breaks are the only thing that has helped me get my head straight.

What do you do to take care of yourself? Let’s chat in the comments below!! 😉