I Moved My Blog To My Website!

Hello everyone! 

I'm now making blog posts on my official website: www.r100red.com

All future posts will be there :)

 

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Week 3 & Reflection

Monday, May 25, 2020

It's Memorial Day, so my boyfriend had the day off from work. I made sure to post a red, white, and blue Pura Vida Bracelets picture on my instagram. Always gotta represent.
Today was day one of the 7 Day Thigh Challenge from Blogilates. It felt easier to do than the past few weeks' challenges have been, but I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow. It's good though.
I feel like I really haven't gotten much done recently. I started playing a game and tried to record, but you can hear my controller clicking the entire time. So I'm probably going to scrap that recording and try again when I have a better microphone to use. My boyfriend ordered one for me that should come in soon as long as Amazon isn't super slow. It's been taking over a month for things to arrive to us, even though other people we've talked to have had no issues with Amazon taking longer. Prime really is not worth the money.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Wow, it really doesn't feel like a Tuesday. Even though I've been constantly home for a long time now, this Tuesday has real Monday vibes. I'm in a weird place where I feel super motivated to do something, but have nothing really to do? Like, I have lots of plans for videos and projects like that but some things I have to wait for or just don't feel like I can do right this second so am waiting. But I should just pick something and do it. I did my workout and am drinking my water, but I haven't felt great today.

I found out some really sad news today that a boy I used to babysit from my hometown was in a bad accident, already has had 2 surgeries, but has to have more. I feel so bad for him and his family. It has been a big distraction today and my dad called me twice to talk about it, so I think he's feeling bad too. The boy's dad is his friend and they live really close to my parents. I just feel bad, it's so close to home and with COVID-19 his family isn't even allowed to go see him. Such a difficult situation for everyone involved.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

I am getting very tired of being stuck in the apartment constantly. I'm really looking forward to my class starting up again because I'm so tired of not having anything that I really need to do. At least a class keeps me accountable for something. That was the point of this in the mean time. To have something, but honestly I just really don't feel motivated today.

My mom and I took an online drawing class and that was kind of fun, but frustrating trying to get her set up on it. My drawing came out pretty good though. I guess the surgery went well for the boy who had the accident and he was breathing on his own without a ventilator which is good news. Still feel so bad for him and his family. 

It's 8:40 and I still haven't done my workout and we had dinner so late and I'm just upset and don't even feel like bothering. But I have to.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

I never did my workout yesterday and have had a migraine all day which I think is related to the fact that I didn't workout, among other things. I am someone with a chronic illness related to migraines and as I have gotten older, I have gotten more migraines. I had a headache almost every day as a teenager, and it got better once I was put on a medication for the chronic illness. But I still get headaches far more than the average person and I noticed that working out helped with that dramatically. I have been headache free since I started working out daily and now today is proof to me that even one day messes that up for me. I'm also disappointed in myself, even though it is important to take rest days. I had not taken a rest day for over 3 weeks and while it was fantastic for my muscles and body in that way, the change upset my body in other ways. I'm going to have to try to find better balance. So now I am a day behind in the 7 day leg challenge, but I still did the day 4 workout today. I'm not sure if I'll just skip the day completely so I can start with Chloe Ting on June first or if I should start that a day later, or if I should just add the last video I'll have to do to my day 1 of Chloe Ting. I might do that.

I need to not be too disappointed in myself because rest days are good, it's just that she didn't build any in and I was trying to follow her callender.

I finished editing my bullet journal setup for June and got that posted on YouTube. I'm so happy with it. I kind of copied a lot of other things I saw, but I'm in love with how it turned out. I did a 70s theme and did that not rainbow color rainbow style. Lots of orange, yellow, and blue. I drew a lava lamp and some flower doodles. My favorite bit is one of the weekly spreads where I did the rainbow and then drew sunflowers over it with white gel pen. I just think it looks so pretty!

My boyfriend made me a bath for after I worked out. It was so nice, especially after doing the full 30 minute workout. He added epsum salt to it and a lush bath bomb I have been waiting to use for a while called black rose. It made the water a dark purple/black color. I want more bath bombs. I might need to make a lush order soon.

Friday, May 29, 2020

Today I literally spent most of my time playing Animal Crossing. I decided to redo my entire Museum area. I am so happy with how it is looking, but made at myself for not doing anything else. Well, we did go grocery shopping and I did a load of laundry. But I didn't do anything actually productive other than that. I'm hoping to do my tie dye tomorrow and film that.

I've been trying to spend less time on my phone so I've downloaded that Forest app where you plant trees for the amount of time you don't want to be on your phone for and if you leave the app, you plant dies. I think I like it, but I forget to set it a lot so far. Only had it for yesterday and today, so I need to get it to be part of my routine. I like that I can set colors for different things I'm doing, like workouts, schoolwork, or entertainment and it will show me a pie chart based on what I planted. I also added a self care one and I'm really excited to be using it.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

It doesn't feel right to speak about myself today. I feel so bad for all those who are being hurt by the recent death of George Floyd. I saw the video and it really hurts to watch. It is so sad that in the year 2020 that discrimination and violence due to race still occurs. I cannot do much, but I will speak out when I can. I will educate myself. I will vote in November. I will read more books by black authors and more own voices stories by black authors. I will share the posts I see. I will also be donating my commissions from people who are using my Pura Vida Bracelets code REBECCABRAND20 over the next few weeks. It is not much, but I will do what I can.

Sunday, May 31, 2020: Reflecting back on the past 3 weeks

Today is the last day of my 3 week journey. I feel like the past 3 weeks have flown by. I really felt like I wouldn't know what to do with myself during this time. But for the most part, I feel like I have kept busy. I am ready to get back to having school work to do. But I am also a little sad because I have been enjoying this freedom and am aware that this may have been the only time I will have this much free time.

So let's see how many of my goals I actually accomplished during this time.

Continuing my workout challenges

YES! I only missed 1 day and considering I went from not working out at all to working out 20-30 minutes a day for nearly 4 weeks straight makes me very proud. Working out has improved my mental health as well as my physical health and I plan to continue working out, just not necessarily every single day. I will be starting June 1st with Chloe Ting's 2 Week shred and I am very excited!

Drink 32oz of water per day

Yes, looking back on my bullet journal there was also only 1 day when I did not complete this goal. I also expanded this by allowing green tea with no sugar to count as water as well. I would like to continue drinking more water and finding creative ways like the tea to incorporate more water into my day.

Make art

Yes and no. I did make some art during this time, but I would have liked to have done more.

Record lots of things for youtube

Again, yes and no. I feel I have prepared video ahead of time much better than usual and I have put out a few extra videos than I normally would have, but I do not feel like I am ahead of things as much as I would like to have been.

Read

Yes. I read Clockwork Princess and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes during this time. I would have liked to have finished more, but I do not have time for everything. And by reading these I am on track for my Goodreads goal of reading 52 books, one for each week of the year.

Have a self care day once per week

Yes, but this was not necessarily a full day. More like doing something I would not usually do such as take a bath or trying a new face mask. I would like to keep this up.

Blog about it all!

Yes! I am proud of myself for keeping up with nearly everything I wanted to do. I will be setting myself some goals for June as well, but for now I am glad I took this time to focus on myself and doing better. This will continue on even though my 3 week journey is over. 

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Week 2

Monday, May 18, 2020

I've decided to combine days into one post so this will be week 2. It's mostly just for me to look back on anyway so I don't think it matters much how I split it up. And I don't feel like I'll have as much to say this week since last week was me getting into a routine. So for today I did my workout and was mostly bored and didn't know what to do with myself. I did my workout early though, which made me feel a lot better because I felt like I had accomplished something earlier in the day and didn't have to do it later on. I'm excited to be able to vlog reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes tomorrow because it will give me something to do. I worked on my flipbook off and on but get tired of doing the same thing for too long. I have to keep busy though. Or entertained. We went grocery shopping which was good. Got us out of the apartment for the first time in a week.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

My book, the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes arrived in the mail so I mostly read that all day. I'm vloging my thoughts which as been fun. The video will go up once I finish and can edit. I finished part 1 and am enjoying it, but finding it difficult to grasp that it's following president snow as a teenager. So different from what we know he becomes. I did my workout in the morning before my arms started to hurt from yesterday's workout. My boyfriend and I ended up getting dinner from Wendy's so I didn't finish my water for the day because I had a giant lemonade from there. But I drank a lot of green tea earlier in the day, so I don't feel too bad about it. The goal isn't to be restrictive, it's to add in healthier things. So the fact that I'm drinking any water and more tea is much better than drinking soda or something like that.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Today I basically just read my book all day and I still only got to part 2. I didn't realize how slow of a reader I am now. I used to be able to read about a page per minute. Now I'm at like half that speed. I blame it on listening to more audiobooks instead of reading things physically.
I am not looking forward to adding the second workout video to my routine tomorrow. I still feel like I'm struggling with the first one. And my boyfriend tried the second video today because it's shorter, and it definitely looked like a struggle.

Thursday,  May 21, 2020

My boyfriend got the day off of work today because he got called to do something for work at 3am and it took an hour to do. So I didn't do much reading like I had planned, but we did go on a hike. So not only did I do the blogilates, but I also got some extra cardio in! We walked for almost a mile. It was so nice out too, 75 degrees. I wish we had a yard so I could just sit outside, but instead we are stuck in our apartment.

Friday, May 22, 2020

I finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was enjoyable, but very strange to read. And the constant references to the original trilogy were too much for me.
And OMG my legs are so sore from the hike yesterday! I thought my legs were in pretty good shape, but clearly I was WRONG. It's my calves. It was a struggle to get through my arm workout because of it. But I'm pushing through. It's fine. Now I'm not really sure what to do with myself. What did I do before this? lol. I feel like I've been reading and vlogging every day that it really became routine and kept my mind occupied. I was hoping we could go out this weekend, but it's a holiday weekend and I do not want to be anywhere near a crowd of people. It's bad enough that things are opening up, it's going to get people killed.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Got my vlog of reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes up. I'm retty happy with it, but it is 40 minutes long so I'm not sure if anybody is actually going to bother watching. Other than that I really didn't do much today and definitely didn't even start drinking my water until nearly 7pm. I also didn't exercise until like 9pm again and that really threw me off.
And my legs hurt so bad still! I'm thinking about taking an epsum salt bath tonight because I know that will really help. Did you know that epsum salt helps sore muscles because magnesium is a mineral that can absorb through your skin? And that's what is actually helping. Weird right?

Sunday, May 24, 2020

I keep wanting to type March even though it's May now. Feels like it's still March though, let's be honest. I feel like this week I have really been slacking on writing every day, but I also vlogged so I feel like I reflected on my day in that way instead.
Today was the last day of the 7 day arm challenge from Blogilates and I definitely see and feel a difference. I am so excited for leg week next week, but I'm also a little disappointed that my arms won't be getting as much attention. I think out of everything my arms would be the one thing I'm most insecure about. I don't mind having thicker legs or a little bit of a belly, but my arms make me feel pudgy. I guess everyone has something like that right? Not only do I feel stronger, but these challenges are doing wonders for my mental health as well as my confidence. I think I said it before, but I'm really glad I decided to do this. It's been so good for me truly.
I have also been keeping up with my 32oz of water per day. I think I could maybe add more. Really just having the water bottle full and with me has made the difference in that department. That and the fact that we haven't bought any soda in a while. I have been drinking a lot of tea also. And I don't like sugar in my tea so that's been good. I did get a starbucks drink today though. The drive thru is open near us now and I really wanted to get my free birthday drink before June when it expired. So I got it, and I don't think people should feel guilty for something like that every once in a while. Is it healthy to drink a chia frappachino every day? Heck no, but as a treat once in a while I think it's fine. People shouldn't feel guilty for self care things unless it becomes self-indulgence and a constant thing.

So how do I feel after week 2?

I really am kind of disappointed that I only have one week left before my class starts up again. I'm nervous because it is part one of my Capstone and I have no idea what to do besides build off of what I've done in the past already. I suppose the professors will help us, but I feel so much less connected with online school. Like, my undergrad professors still talk to me and I've been to one's 4th of July and New Years parties in the past. With this, I don't feel comfortable asking one of my professors to look over something I do wince I feel like they don't know me.
I really want these new habits to stick, and I'm pretty hopeful that they will. Supposedly it takes anywhere from 21 days to 3 months to form a habit. This will be 21 days and I'm hoping to stick to it. I think in June I want to do Chloe Ting's 2 Week Shred challenge. I've watched a few result videos and some of her videos and it looks like a fun thing to try. I think I will have built up enough strength through the blogilates challenges to be able to push myself a bit further, even if I do have to do the modified moves and work my way up to the full moves. That's what I've been doing with the weekly challenges and by the end of the week I can almost do everything without the modifications. Very proud of how far I've come in only two weeks, so would be interesting to try a different fitness influenser's video for a change. I always do blogilates when I feel like working out, so it'll be good.
As for the water drinking, I think I need to find a way to make it taste like something. Like, green tea is much more appealing to me than plain water. Especially when the water just gets warm and almost stale tasting. I've never been a water lover.
As for self care, I definitely need to be better about other ways of self care. This next week I really want to focus on skincare. I tend to only wash my face once per day and sometimes that one time is only with water and not an actual cleanser. This is also self care and I need to treat my skin better if I want it to look and feel better.
I didn't complete all the goals/tasks I set for last week, so... let's set some more in addition to the ones I didn't finish!

Goals for Week 3:

• Do a skincare routine morning and night
• Continue working out daily with the blogilates 7 day thigh challenge
• Finish Blood For Blood - seriously, you've been reading this book for like a year! You just finished a different book in a week! You like these characters, just do it!
• Make tie dye lounge wear
• Post my June Bullet Journal setup video
• Try to make drinking 32oz of water per day more interesting - maybe add fruit or include sugarless teas as a part of my water consumption.
• Take a bath
• Finish Wolf drawing I started 
• Make larger versions of video game sketch

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Day 7 & Week 2 Goals

Sunday, May 17, 2020

It's the end of week one of my 3 week journey to a better self! It feels like this week has both gone by extremely slow and extremely fast. Like, during the week it seemed to drag on but now I'm feeling like how could this first week be over already?

Today has been a bit of a lazy Sunday. I haven't done any reading the past few days even though I would like to. Maybe I will listen to Clockwork Princess tonight. I only have 2 hours left to listen to and that is totally doable. But I also want to read Blood for Blood... I think the problem is that I have too many options for what to do and instead of doing any of them, I end up doing nothing or jumping from from thing to another. I spent most of the morning playing Animal Crossing and I totally could have listened to a book then, but I didn't think to do that. And then I tried recording some but had no luck with what I wanted to do. Seems to be a theme lately. But I will not give up. Tomorrow in the game starts museum day and I am hoping to film that and upload it to my gaming channel tomorrow.I also worked on my flipbook for a bit today. I'm hoping to have that ready for my Thursday main channel upload. And that was most of my day. The boyfriend cleaned the kitchen while making lunch and I am so grateful. I just couldn't deal with it.

I just completed day 7 of the 7 day glute challenge and showered the sweat off before writing this, and I am feeling like I am getting so much stronger by doing this. I still struggle through every workout, but today I was super motivated knowing that it was the last day of glutes and that tomorrow starts arm week. My arms definitely need help with building up strength so I'm excited but also very intimidated based on the moves. I hope I'll be able to do them all. Or at least modified versions. Got to remember that it's okay to do modification and build your strength up! I'm super proud of myself for working out every single day for 2 weeks straight so far. Cassey didn't build any rest days in between these challenges and I feel like if I were to take one now I would definitely lose my momentum. And 20-30 minutes of working out per day isn't that much that it's unhealthy, especially when the rest of the day I'm just sitting around the apartment. It's good for me and the goal is to get stronger, not to worry about weight. I don't see a point to trying to take measurements or track pounds lost. Numbers will not help me to be stronger.

After today's workout I jumped in the shower and made time to shave. I've been putting it off mostly because I have nowhere to go but the apartment, but today I shaved for ME. Because it makes ME happy. It makes ME feel good. And I like that smooth feeling after shaving. I think my life needs more of doing things for me and not worrying about other people or feeling like I'll be judged if I do or do not do something. I have to focus on me and everything else comes second. Look at that, only one week in and we're already getting into life lessons.

Overall this first week has been good for me. I feel so good working out every day, I've been able to be creative with art, and I've also had the time to play the games that I love and read. I think I do need to give myself some more concrete goals to follow for the week 2 though, or more like deadlines for things. Like the flipbook for example, I know I want it done before Thursday so I have time to edit and upload my footage. So I've been working on it every day. So here's some goals for week 2:

•  Actually list the rest of my Animal Crossing Cards on ebay - this and my Pura Vida Bracelets commissions are my one source of income at the moment, so I really need to do this
• Finish my flipbook - edit footage, upload as Thursday video unless book video is ready instead
• Read and vlog reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - My book is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday so if I mange to read it in 2 days I would like that vlog up before my flipbook
• Continue working out every day with the 7 day arm challenge from blogilates
• Finish Wolf drawing I started 
• Make larger versions of video game sketch
• Make the effort to clean 1 thing every day - Could be dishes, laundry, a room of the apartment
• Read more - you can listen to audiobooks while playing games like Bloons TD 6, just put them on!
• Continue drinking 32oz of water or more 

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Days 5 & 6

Friday, May 15, 2020

OMG. I spent the entire morning and early afternoon trying to upload my video of my Animal Crossing New Horizons 5 star island tour to youtube. It was so frustrating. It took 15 minutes to upload and then another 15 to process and then didn't work so I had to start over. Then 30 minutes later, I had the whole description typed out and everything uploaded and it didn't upload the HD version. I don't know why it didn't because my mp4 file was high quality and when I tried the 3rd time without doing anything differently, it worked perfectly fine.
I also tried to record Bloons TD 6 but my video corrupted somehow and I just gave up and decided I'd start over. Which sucks, because that was another hour wasted basically.
After that I really didn't do anything productive. I did my daily workout so late and my boyfriend and I stayed up late watching Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix while he played Bloons TD 6.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

I surprisingly didn't wake up late today considering I didn't go to bed until like 1:30 in the morning. I tried recording Bloons TD 6 again today and the video capture didn't work right. It came out flashing and lagging so I gave up. I recorded an hour and 3o minutes worth of the game and it was all lost. AND that was the second time I had gone through the tutorial. AND I didn't realize until I tried to edit it after my boyfriend and I had done the co-op and I had progressed like 11 levels. I'm so frustrated. I feel like I shouldn't have started a gaming channel. This was supposed to just be for fun, but now what should be fun and easy became frustrating. So we'll see. I'll probably just stick to Switch games until I can sort out my computer issues. At least I know the capture software for that actually works.

Didn't do anything besides that. I haven't done my workout yet, but don't worry. I will get it done. I'm thinking of taking a bath tonight. The world is too stressful lately and I need to remember why I am doing this. For self care and becoming a better version of myself while I have the extra time to. No need to stress over things that should be fun.

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Day 4

Thursday, May 14, 2020

It is day 4 of my personal journey. I worked on my flipbook a bit this morning, and then again this afternoon, but it still has a long way to go. I keep asking my boyfriend to look at it to see how it is, but he says "there's no story progression" even though I'm not asking about that. I just wanted him to see how the color looks. I'm pretty happy with it considering I'm no professional and this is my first flip book ever. I never would have had the patience for it without the kit from Andymation. I give that man props for being able to make all the flipbooks, stop motions, and animations he does. He's brilliant! I wish I could make things that looked that good, but for now I've got my light bulb project.

I also made matcha sugar cookies because I made royal icing the other day instead of buttercream and didn't want it to go to waste. We ran out of vanilla so I had to leave that out of the recipe, but I don't think you can tell. I think I'm on a green tea and matcha kick lately, and I'm cool with that. I think people either love it or hate it. The cookies are so sweet though because of the frosting. But so delicious!

I definitely had to do the second video of my workout after that. Cassey really kicked my butt into gear with this one. The first video was a bit easier to handle, but the second one burned so bad! Definitely had to take a few breaks, but that's okay. I'm getting stronger and taking it at my own pace. And I'm feeling great about it and about myself!

I decided to make a playlist of songs I've been listening to during quarantine. I did it on Spotify and just just called it "Quarantine." Spotify had some interesting suggestions as you can see from the picture. I'm tempted to make a new playlist just for these songs lol. 

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Day 3

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Already starting to lose track of the days. It hasn't been that long yet, is this how other people have felt this whole time? Anyways, today was the first day where I really didn't feel like working out and really had to push myself to do it. I honestly almost stopped after round 2, but I kept going because I made a commitment to myself to do this to better myself. And I know that I feel better when I do workout. I really wish I had a fitbit or a smart watch that could track things like heartrate and steps for me. I'd be really curious and it would help a lot just in general. I'd also be curious about sleep. I feel like I either toss and turn all night or barely move at all, no in-between! I'm finishing up my last few oz of water as I'm writing this. I drank a lot of green tea today, so I wouldn't have been too mad at myself for not drinking the full 32oz of water, but I'm still glad I'm doing it. It's good for me.

I listened to more of Clockwork Princess today. Things are really starting to happen now! I'm 73% through and I still don't want it to end! I never thought I'd say that about a Cassandra Clare book! Next I want to finish Blood for Blood finally and then maybe start World War Z. I really am interested in reading something Pandemic related. I think looking at parallels are interesting. I know that some people get anxiety from it, but I am a researcher and I need to know things.

Today I also started using my Andymation flipbook kit for the first time! Filming a video of it. I'm enjoying the process, but you need a lot of patience for it! That is something I'm only good at in moderation. I tend to want to get things done really quickly, but art lets me take a step back and slow down! I think it's starting to look really cool, so hopefully it'll be fun in the end.

On an unrelated note, I had a birthday discount coupon to use at American Eagle, so I made an order of a pair of sweatpants, a bralette, and a new bathing suit because I've gained weight and my old bathing suits do not fit. It's a bummer, but they were ridiculously old anyways and I don't even know if I'll get to use it for sure or not with the state of the world right now. I got it cheap so fingers crossed it fits and maybe I'll be able to at least wear it once. The sweatpants I anticipate wearing a lot and the bralette I just hope fits. I really have to guess my sizes. I'm really excited for them though. I really need to slowly update my wardrobe. This is what happens when you have a chronic illness that can make your weight drastically fluctuate. I don't even care about the weight gain or loss, I just want clothes that fit if that makes any sense?

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Day 2

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

I am starting to look forward to my daily workouts because it gives me not only something to do, but also makes me feel like I've accomplished something. Being able to check off a workout every day also is making me feel better about myself. I post the graphic from blogilates on my Instagram stories daily but I am also checking off workouts in my bullet journal. This is helping a lot. I'm only a little sore after yesterday's workout which means I am definitely getting stronger by doing these. Although, I feel like leg/butt exercises have always been the easiest for me. Once we hit arm week, that's when I'm really going to struggle. I did struggle a little bit to do today's workout just because I already hurt from yesterday. But that happened last week with the ab challenge as well. I know it's going to get easier from here. Plus after my workout I showed and exfoliated my body, which is usually something I only do if I'm shaving, but was a nice self care moment.

I also painted my nails today while I listened to Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. I'm over halfway through the book, and I'm really glad that I'll have Chain of Gold to look forward to because I love these characters and don't want their story to end. For my nails I decided to do a gradient starting with black on my thumbs and going through various shades of purple and then pink on my pinkie nails. I also added the Aurora Unicorn Skin topper from Holo Taco on top and it looks amazing.

And just a random thing about today is that my dad found this instant coffee yesterday while looking for something in a cabinet that doesn't get used much. He told me he didn't remember buying instant coffee ever and it must be older than me. When he dumped it out today, he found a coupon that expired in 1992! That coffee is at least 4 years older than me. We find entertainment in the littlest of places these days. 

3 Week Journey To A Better Self: Day 1

Hello all,
As I am writing this, it is May 11th and it starts the first week of my 3 week break before my next grad school class begins. During this time I was hopeful that I would have a job, but given the current situation that hasn't been possible. Instead, I will be using this time to better myself and forming good habits. This might be the only time in my life that I won't have work or school to worry about for this long of a time, so I have a plan.
So what does that mean?
Well, I have started getting back into working out. I just completed the Blogilates 7 day ab challenge and I plan to continue with her 7 day challenges over the next few weeks. Today began glute week and I am so excited! I already feel such a difference in myself after the week of abs and these workouts really are challenging without being so hard that I feel like giving up. lol. They have also made such a difference in my ability to fall asleep at night and for that I am so grateful! I just did today's workout and I feel like it was so much easier because I have built up the strength over the past week to be able to do the exercises. I am really proud of myself.
I am also trying to drink at least 32oz of water per day and I have been healthier with my snacking. I've swapped things like chips and pretzels for fruit or carrots and hummus. We've been making homemade hummus, yogurt, and kombucha. So good!
I hope to not only work out during this time but also to take part in other forms of self care as well.
This not only means having a self care day including a face mask and painting my nails, but also creative outlets and reading as well. I am so hyped to have this time to be creative and do things that make me happy.  

Things I plan on doing during this time include:

• Continuing my workout challenges
• Drink 32oz of water per day
• Make art
• Record lots of things for youtube
• Read
• Have a self care day once per week
• Blog about it all!

How To Stay Possitive When You Feel Like Everything Is Falling Apart Around You: Self Care in Quarantine

The world is in a weird place right now, and I think everyone is struggling at least a little bit with adjusting to the "new normal." You might be doing work or school at home full time for the first time ever. Or you might be a senior who is rightfully upset that they can't complete the year with their classmates. You might just be someone struggling with job loss or with the illness itself. Here are some tips that have helped me lately to get back on track and feel a little less down.

1. Get into a routine: I feel way less productive if all I do is roll out of bed and spend the day in my PJs until it's time to go to bed again and change into new PJs. Making a routine will allow you to feel some sense of normalcy each day even if all you are doing is watching Netflix. I just finished my class and have 3 weeks before my next one starts. I do not currently have a job because we just moved in February and I was planning on looking during this time that has turned into quarantine. I know that without a routine I am going to go stir crazy, so I am being extremely mindful of this. I always make sure to get up, make the bed, have my coffee, take my medications, get dressed, eat breakfast and start my day off right.
2. Journal: This might seem lame or unhelpful, but journaling can help free up space in your mind and allow you to get out your emotions in a healthy way. I am someone that has a hard time sleeping being my brain goes into overdrive. I cannot get the racing thoughts to stop sometimes without getting them out on paper and telling myself to let go. This will also be something to look back on to share with your children or grandchildren when they ask you about the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020 for their history class. If you have kids, get them into it too. You could even go a step further and make a time capsule. Add drawings, photos of the price of gas, journal entries, a letter to your future self.
3. Make your bed: This is such a simple task, but doing it first thing in the morning really gives you a sense of accomplishment and can inspire you to do more. I always feel better when the space around me is clean. And I love being able to crawl into a made bed at night rather than a mess of sheets, blankets, and pillows.
4. Don't forget to shower!: Something as simple as a shower can make you feel refreshed and ready to take on the world. If this is something you've been struggling with, remember to take it slow. You don't need to do a full routine, just wash your hair, body, and get out. Save shaving for another day. Or if you feel like doing a full routine, maybe use a deep conditioner or a DIY  body scrub. Whether you do a quick wash or a full on spa day routine, just make the effort and you will feel better for it.
5. Drink more water: Again, something that seems so simple. I am the kind of person that loves my coffee, tea, and soda and doesn't really like the taste of plain old boring water. I have been challenging myself to drink 32oz of water per day lately in addition to my other preferred beverages. I add lemon to it or other fruit that we can find easily at the grocery store, and this makes it way easier to drink the water because it actually tastes like something.
6. Exercise!: Now, if you are like me, this is the last thing you want to do right now. So start slow and do something you like! Walk your dog, walk around your neighborhood, do a stretching routine, follow a youtube video... the possibilities are endless. For the month of May, I am following the7 day challenges that blogilates is releasing every week. This first week has been abs, but honestly it is really much more of a total body workout. I am so sore! But it feels so good to check off that box every day! Doing something like this that I can follow along with and check off really makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something every day rather than UGH I need to workout. I have also been sleeping way better and my anxiety has been helped so much by this. And these are things I know happen when I exercise, it's just finding that initial motivation to do it!
7. Read: I enjoy reading but it can be difficult for me to allow myself to take a moment to slow down and pick up a book. I feel like I don't deserve the time to relax when there are so many other things I should be doing. But this is a bad mindset to have and I am trying to get past that during this time. But, I have found audiobooks really helpful because I can do other things at the same time. I use scribd and Libby for my audiobooks and this also prevents me from spending money on books if they are available to me on these apps. 

I hope you find some of these tips helpful... hopefully it's not just a repeat of what everyone is saying. These are genuinely things that have helped me feel better during this time.

Feeling Down Lately... They Called Me With No Job Offer

Sometimes I can't help but get down on myself and wonder if I picked the wrong field to study. I got my BA in Environmental Studies and am currently working on my Master's of Science with no jobs in sight. Especially no jobs in sight now with COVID-19. Don't get me wrong, I am glad I am safe at home and that other people can be safe at home. But I also had high hopes of being able to find a job in the field that I have been dreaming of being a part of for so long and have worked hard to become a part of. I am scheduled to graduate in December of this year, but where I stand now financially, I am not sure that I will even be able to achieve that.

Recently, I was contacted by a place I had sent an application to and they asked me for a phone call. I was so excited. I thought for sure I was at least being consider for a position. Why else would a business ask for a phone call? So I scheduled my phone call and waited anxiously for it. I did my research, learned about the specific Environmental Management System they used, prepared the skills I had that could relate to their specific business. I had all my ducks in a row. I barely slept the night before out of nerves. I waited for the clock to hit 11:30 and for the phone to ring.

Then my phone call happened. One of the first words the man said to me was that there were no job openings currently available. My heart dropped. I thought, why are we speaking over the phone now then? Why are you wasting my time? Everything I had planned immediately went out the window. It was supposed to be a 30 minute phone call which ended up being 45 minutes, with me talking for less than 5 minutes total and him going on about the water treatment facility and how a position MIGHT open up in the future and how I could "literally get my feet wet" starting working at the company. I tried to ask specifics about the job and he couldn't give me any and deflected by offering me a tour. I originally said yes, but later emailed saying no. I said I have no experience with that, as in actual NO EXPERIENCE, but that didn't matter. My skills would be useless and all he could describe was sludge removal from lagoons and how it could be a "resume builder", why did you call my resume impressive then?

This whole situation was extremely embarrassing for me. Here I was putting myself out there, then thinking I had a shot, then being offered a position that, not only did not exist, but was also so low a skill level that other companies look for people with high school degrees or equivalent to do the job. I was so embarrassed and felt humiliated. Here I was with a big list of skills on what they called an "impressive" resume, and this was my offer? A non-existent job, with no salary offer, no day to day responsibilities to state, and not utilizing a single thing I put on my resume? For something that might not even happen. My mind could not wrap my head around what happened.

I suppose I was one of those people who had high hopes of being able to save the world in one way or another. I thought that I would find a job that made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile and important. That my reason for existing was to help ensure the planet continued to exist. And when things look as grim as things are right now... I can't help but feel I made some mistakes in my life. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I do. When something like this comes along and hits you in your ego it makes you question if you are in fact better than that or if all you are ever going to be worth is a body to move sludge.

But maybe that is also just a feeling my generation has in general. Sure, some Millennials were lucky to find jobs and be able to support themselves and start families. But how many of us are doing what we actually want to be doing? Maybe that is something I will have to accept. Maybe all the studying wasn't worth it. Maybe I just know a lot of information that will never get me anywhere besides behind a cash register or worse. And Maybe I just need to learn how to accept that. I really hope this isn't true. But for now, I've just been feeling down lately... and I think it's okay sometimes to just let yourself feel what you feel in order to move past it. I'll get there eventually, but for now I just want to curl up in my blanket and forget the rest of the world for a while.

Overtone Rose Gold For Brown Hair Review: With Before & After PIc! Plus discount link!

I recently decided to try Overtone the color depositing conditioner. I wanted to get the rose gold color for blond hair, but they were out of stock so I picked up the rose gold for brown hair. My hair is dark blond and lightens when I go out into the sun. The ends are more of a highlighted blond while my roots are closer to a light brown. I knew that because my hair was lighter it would be more of a bright pink than a rose gold and I was fine with that. Keep your hair color in mind while ordering if you plan on doing so.

I ended up ordering the set that included the color depositing deep conditioner, a regular size bottle of their everyday color depositing conditioner, and a travel size bottle of the everyday conditioner.

It arrived very quickly, it took less than a week, but I did order the express shipping because I was worried about it taking too long in the current situation. It was packaged nicely and I found it funny that the box said they would put a mirror there but I already know how good I look. We like a company with humor. 

 I was a little intimidated by just how neon the color in the container was! But I followed the directions and I really loved the bright pink results I ended up with! And it smells super strongly of cinnamon which was amazing. But if you are sensitive to smell, might be something to consider. The everyday conditioner has the same smell, but not as strong.
The deep conditioner left my hair feeling soft but definitely like there was something in it. It almost felt slightly chalky, but this did not last long. It did not feel damaging at all, which I liked because I am still trying to grow my hair out.






 

Here's a little Before and After photo:

For me, the bright color lasted about a week and a half before fading to what would be considered more of a rose gold look. I was not using a color safe shampoo, but I did continue to use their everyday conditioner. My roots faded significantly faster because I do not put conditioner there. I think the color would completely fade after maybe a month and a half. I ended up re-dying my hair after the one month mark because I had used about half the container for my first color and wanted to use the rest. Came out just as good the second time.
I highly recommend if you want to try a non-permanent hair color. If you want something that will last a long time though, this might not be for you.

If you are interested in trying Overtone, check them out at this link to get $10 off your first purchase!

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING A Book Review

This Changes Everything: Capitalism VS the Climate by Naomi Klein offers a look at how capitalism is fueling environmental destruction. This book offers real life examples of this as well as offers solutions. The book is split into 3 parts.

Part 1 takes an in depth look at the issues related to capitalism and environmental disasters such as super storm sandy. It mostly comes down to greed in the oil/coal industry has lead to people being willing to overlook glaring evidence of climate change. Who would be willing to support something that would cause their own business to cease to exist? Politicians are not willing to support scientific evidence when their reelection depends on these business succeeding enough to donate to their campaign.

Part two takes a look at what has happened in the past when business that destroy the environment claim to donate to environmental efforts. The reality is that after a company is done paying their employees as well as themselves there is not much left for environmental issues. She takes a look at at The Virgin Earth Challenge that offered a large amount of money for whoever could find a way to remove carbon dioxide from the air and discussed the problems related to geoengineering in general. Geoengineering is generally trying to find a way to removed carbon from the air, and this is not always as drastic as large fans sucking carbon out of the air but also includes re-forestry. However, the method discussed is one that mimics volcanic eruptions by spraying sulfur into the air in order to minimize the amount of sunlight making it down to earth. The issues with trying to diffuse sunlight is that it will effect precipitation and could cause further warming to occur if we were to stop once started. It would essentially be creating a greenhouse.

Part three looks at why we should still strive to make a difference when things seem to be pointing towards disaster. This section focuses a lot on environmental justice type issues.;' We look at examples of communities fighting against companies like Chevron that are polluting their areas. Anti tar sands has had a large movement behind it that speaks out about the destruction it causes. These activists speak about how these situations are effecting their communities and this is gaining support.
We look at the "war on science" and how experts are being silenced in order for governments to spread misinformation about everything being fine.

If you are interested in any of these ideas, I highly recommend you check out this book. Naomi Klien does a fabulous job of presenting scientific fact in an easy to digest and relatable way, even stating at one point that she herself was a climate change denier.

The Reading Rush Quarantine Edition!

I am very excited for this! I know I am currently doing the O.W.L.s this month, but I think this will really get me through that! I am going to try to make the books for these prompts also fit for those prompts so I can multitask.

 

Some things to address: These were the original prompts that were stated by the hosts of this readathon on their Twitter and Instagram accounts. There were a number of people who were upset by the bonus challenge and by the desert island book challenge. So Ariel and Raeleen decided to change the prompts. I do not think this was the correct decision to make and this is why: 

 1. The prompts for these readathons are always optional and people do not need to follow them if they do not want to/feel uncomfortable/do not like them. 

2. The prompt about reading about a pandemic or isolation book was the bonus prompt, meaning that it was not a requirement.

3. These two prompts were the most creative and the ones I was most excited about following. In order to meet the needs of others, they shut out those who were joining in specifically because of those prompts in particular. I know I am not the only one. 

Here are the new prompts. As you can see the desert island book and bonus prompt have been removed. And instead, read a book that will make you smile has been added. This is so upsetting to me and honestly feels like a cop out to try to make everyone happy. By trying to make everyone happy, they have upset a different group of people instead. I don't think that is fair either.

I will be using the books I picked for the original prompts for the new "make you smile challenge" even though I preffered the old prompts.

A book with a house on the cover: There's Somebody Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Read a book in the same room the whole time: This one will most likely be Iron to Iron by Ryan Graudin because it is the shortest book. Although, I am in a fairly small apartment, so the likelihood of reading a book in the same room the entire time is pretty high anyway!

Read a book set somewhere you wish you could go: For this one I am going to use Clockwork Prince and/or Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. These books are set in London which is somewhere I definitely want to see.

Read a book that will make you smile: World War Z by Max Brooks

***

I will be posting daily updates here:

April 16, 2020:
I listened to the remaining 127 pages of Melissa Explains It All by Melissa Joan Hart that I had left to read. I know this wasn't part of my TBR for this specifically but I was already reading it as part of the O.W.L.s and wanted to finish. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I've been really enjoying celebrity memoirs this year for some reason.
My TBR is completely out the window at this point and it's only day one hahaha. I read about 50 pages of You Are An Artist by Sarah Urist Green. I wasn't originally planning on reading this but I just got it the day it came out and was too excited to check it out to wait. It looks at art complexly and offers prompts to get your creativity going as well.

April 17, 2020:
I started listening to Clockwork Prince which is actually a book on my TBR! Yay! This is kind of a long one so fingers crossed I can get through it int he next 2 days. Can I also count this as my book with a house on the cover? That might be a bit of a stretch.
I also finally started Iron to Iron and read 29 pages of that. It's really good. I didn't realize it was going to take place before the first book, for some reason I had it in my head that it took place between the first and second books.
Also listened to about 75 pages of Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson that my Boyfriend and I started listening to together a while ago. We ended up visiting my boyfriend's mom for a while and listened on the way there. 


April 18, 2020:
Listened to Hello Neighbor 1: Missing Pieces. I can only recommend for middle grade readers. Didn't enjoy this that much, but wanted something quick for the book with a house on it read rather than my original choice.

April 19, 2020:
I managed to complete all the challenges by finishing Clockwork Prince! I'm totally double counting things, but that's allowed with this readathon so it's all good! Can't wait to add the badges to my Reading Rush Profile once I can! I ordered the limited edition book marks and I'm so excited! I've been around since the very first Booktubeathon and I am always so thrilled to see how far this readathon has come!

Spending by Birthday in Quarentine

Today was my 24th birthday and what a way to spend it. I've been finding blogging to be a lot of fun again lately with all the craziness of the world and I'm treating this a little bit like a diary entry. It'll be interesting to look back on later in life.

My day started in the normal way it would. I made coffee and scrolled through my social medias for a bit. I also enjoyed some tea. My boyfriend and I found this green tea kombucha flavor from Yogi the last time we did a big grocery trip. I think it tastes good, but I'm not sure how they can claim that there's kombucha in it. Isn't kombucha just fermented tea? Maybe I'm wrong. This tea tastes different than normal green tea though and the message today was "May this day bring you peace, tranquility and harmony," all of which was welcomed today.

I decided that today I would not do any school work, which has felt strange. Doing an online program means that there are no weekend breaks, I have things due every Sunday and am usually doing at least part of an assignment every single day of the week. It's not so crazy busy that one day will be hard to make up though, so I decided to give myself a day off in this strange time of being constantly at home.

I decided I was going to go full on spa day routine to treat myself at home. I touched up the dye in my hair, exfoliated, shaved, and plan on doing a face mask tonight. I find that for the most part I don't feel like anything is wrong until I go out and see what the world is really like, then you see the one way signs in the grocery store and people wearing masks everywhere. That's when my anxiety kicks in a little bit and starts screaming, this isn't normal!

I decided to make myself some cookies this afternoon following Liz Mace's recipe that she posted on Instagram. It was really easy and didn't use any flour! Just 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 tsp baking powder, some salt, 1 large egg, and 1/2 a cup chocolate chips (but I added extra in mine). Then just bake at 350 for about 10 minutes depending on size. Mine had to be in a few minutes longer. They are delicious! And since flour is hard to find, this might be a good one to try if you have the stuff for it.

I was able to play my Animal Crossing New Horizons game where Billy the goat, Hans the gorilla, and Apple the hamster threw me a surprise party complete with a pinata! They K.K. Slider did a special Birthday performance for me with messages that the animal villagers and friends who had visited my Island had written for me. Honestly made my day. This was a nice way to celebrate without being able to see friends in real life. And I love this game so much. Animal Crossing has been a favorite of mine since 5th grade when my friend bought me Wild World as a birthday present.

My boyfriend went to the store to pick up some groceries and when he came back told me to look out the window because he had gotten me another present (he gave me a Germanikure nail kit earlier in the day, which I am super excited to use!). It was toilet paper! I caught the clip on camera but won't be sharing due to the fact that it would give away exactly where I live, but I'm glad I have that to look back on too! He made me a great steak dinner with broccoli and mashed potatoes. He also got me an Oreo ice cream cake.

I finished my day by trying out a face mask from Patchology. This was one of their hydrating ones. I really liked it and will have to keep my eye out for when this company is having sales. Overall it was a good day. Being in quarantine wasn't so bad. I even ordered myself a commemorative T-shirt: My 24th Birthday The One Where I Was Quarantined 2020.

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this time.
<3 Rebecca

Dear Pop, I Can't Believe it's Been 10 Years

Dear Pop,

It's been 10 years since you passed away. I almost forgot as I was going about my day today the significance of this date. Back then, I didn't think I could ever do that. I didn't think I would go through a single day without thinking about you. It was the day before my 14th birthday and I will never forget those who told me "Happy birthday, sorry to hear about Pop." I thought I would never be the same, and in some ways that is true and in others it is not.

I still think about you often and especially every time I go to Meme's house. She's doing okay without you there, she's brave about staying home alone but enjoys everyone's company. We all miss you. Today was Easter and the world is in a dark place. There is a virus that has everyone in quarantine and I wish you were here to talk to. We all spent Easter separate which I don't think you would like to have seen, but we were all able to video chat yesterday which was nice. I would love to hear some stories about when you were growing up. Meme says in her 85 years she's never seen anything like this before. That scares me a little. I'll be 24 tomorrow and I feel like I've seen so much sadness in the world.

I wish I could share with you everything I've accomplished. I'm almost 24 now. I graduated high school and college without you there. But it snowed my college graduation, so maybe it was better that way. I was really sick for a while, and that is something I'm glad you didn't have to see. I went to Costa Rica, I am working on my Master's of Science, and I have an amazing boyfriend who I really wish you could meet. I wish I could talk to you about how discouraged I've been lately with school and the lack of job opportunities. You would encourage me to try my best and keep going. You always said I would make something of myself and I really need to for you.

I used to think that it wasn't fair that Jessica had 10 more years with you than I got. Now I understand better that it doesn't matter how much time, it's the quality of that time that is most important. I'm lucky I got that with you.

Rest in peace Pop, we all love you.

Quarantine Routine

I think it's important, especially in this time of uncertainty, to make sure we have some sense of normality going on. Here is my ideal routine I would like to be following during this time starting with a few goals I've been trying to do.

Daily goals:
Drink 1 32oz water bottle per day
Workout/Stretches
Get 1 Chore Done (dishes, laundry, etc...)
Read
Check my Animal Crossing town

8:00AM-9:00AM:
Wake up
Make Coffee
Take Pills
Get Dressed

9:00AM-12:00PM:
Eat Breakfast
Fill up water bottle for the day
Sign in to school
FOCUS

12:00PM-2:00PM:
Lunch
Chore for the day
Any other necessary chores (Pay bills, finish assignments I didn't do this morning, etc...)
Relax

2:00PM-5:00PM:
Workout
Shower
Put PJs on
Relaxation time (Read, Animal Crossing, etc...)

5:00PM-6:00PM
Start making dinner

6:00PM-til I fall asleep
Dinner
Relaxation time

O.W.L.s Magical Readathon TBR

It is once again time for the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon! This is a readathon that takes place every year and is based on the exams that are taken at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. This year I am going to attempt to read a book for all of the challenges. However, the main career I will be aiming for is Herbologist. This career requires you to complete the prompts for Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and Potions. Then later on in the year when it is time for N.E.W.T.s I will be required to get and O in Herbology, E in Potions, and A in Care of Magical Creatures. So here are the books I plan to read for the O.W.L.s

Ancient Runes: The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
Arithmancy: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Astronomy: Death Note Vol 4
*Care of Magical Creatures: Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
Charms: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
Defence Against the Dark Arts: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
Divination: The Hand of the Devil by Vincent Carter
*Herbology: Melissa Explains it All by Melissa Joan Hart
History of Magic: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (might swap with Transfiguration)
Muggle Studies: A book by Sarah Dessen probably
*Potions: Iron to Iron by Ryan Graudin
Transfiguration: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (might swap with History of Magic)

*= Classes required for Herbology

Other things I want to read:

Finish Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
Finish Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Finish This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

I do not expect to read all of these books, I just wanted to have my options readily available to me. I am hoping I will be at least able to do the 3 requirements for Herbology.
Let me know if you are participating and what you are planning on reading.

Book Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This book is about a girl named Tessa who has gone to London to find her brother after her aunt had passed away. Tessa is a shape shifter and has gotten mixed up in the world of shadow hunters, vampires, demons, and an army of clockwork creatures.

4/5 Stars 

I enjoyed this book way more than I was expecting to! I had previously read the first 3 books in the Mortal Instruments series and really didn't enjoy them all that much. Everyone said that if you read her books in publication order they get progressively better. So I reluctantly decided to continue with the Infernal Devices since Cassandra Clare recently released another new book and the Shadowhunter world was being plastered everywhere online again. They were right about the books getting better with this one! It felt like someone completely different had written this one compared to the first 3 I read. The characters were much more likeable and it felt like there was never a dull moment throughout the book. It also reminded me a bit of Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, which I loved.

50 Things To Do While In Self Quarantine

1. Read that book you've had on your shelf for years
2. Play the video game you haven't had time for
3. Clean your room/apartment/house
4. Catch up on a TV show/series
5. Learn a new language through apps like Duolingo and Memrise
6. Practice meditation
7. Have a DIY Spa day/pamper session
8. Draw something
9. Exercise
10. Paint your nails
11. Start an Instagram for your pet
12. Rearrange your bookshelf
13. Try a new recipe
14. Watch your favorite movie
15. Swatch your entire nail polish collection
16. Learn to play an instrument
17. Spend time with your pet
18. Look up photos of cute cats on the internet
19. Bake cookies
20. Try embroidery
21. Discover a new favorite Youtuber
22. Swatch your art supplies
23. Update all your account passwords
24. Play a board game
25. Journal
26. Clear out your computer files
27. Take a personality quiz
28. Take a bath
29. Find a new favorite song
30. Learn a Tik Tok dance
31. Plan your wedding on Pinterest
32. Follow through on your new year's resoulutions
33. Clean out your purse/bag
34. Take some pictures for Instagram
35. Play Animal Crossing New Horizons
36. Start a bullet journal
37. Dye your hair
38. Have a movie marathon - Harry Potter, Disney, Lord of the Rings, whatever you like
39. Decorate your laptop with stickers
40. Do a face mask
41. Get caught up on schoolwork
42. Grow a plant from seeds
43. Go through your closet and make a donate pile
44. Try sewing something
45. Learn origami
46. Listen to a podcast
47. Write a letter and mail it to a friend
48. Watch Anime
49. Make a fancy drink/mocktail
50. Write a novel

Tips For Online Schooling From Someone Who Has Been Taking Online Classes For The Past Year

For Students:

1. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're confused. Having directions typed out is not always as straight forward as when someone is standing in front of you explaining a concept. 
2. If your class does not have a set time that you have to be logged in, set yourself a time. It's important to have a schedule for yourself and stick to it. This allows for routine and normalcy. 
3. Take notes on everything! I am the kind of person that needs to see something in front of me, and taking notes especially helps when you are trying to answer questions or write up essays.
4. Make sure you can be focused while working. If having the TV on distracts you, turn it off. If your family is talking around you, go to a quiet space to work instead.
5. Take your time to read everything! Look up videos if you are confused. There are so many resources available to you online.
6. Remember that this is for you! You have the privilege to learn and this is an opportunity to try a different way of learning than you are used to!

For Teachers: 

1. If you can, make videos or include videos in your lessons. Some people are visual learners or need to hear the concepts rather than read them! I recommend the Crash Course Videos and Khan Academy as resources for you to utilize during this time.
2. Make your directions as straightforward as possible. Different people will interpret your words differently.
3. Consider giving students or parents your phone number. College professors frequently do this and sometimes it's easier to call than to send an email for a simple question.
4. Consider apps as a tool for at home learning. If you teach a foreign language, consider asking students to use Duolingo or Memrise for extra practice while at home.
5. Remember that everyone's situation is different right now and school may not be top priority for all of your students.

Animal Crossing Readathon: The Last Few Days

Day 10: March 18th

I can't believe the readathon is almost over and New Horizons is almost here!
I preordered my game from Target and I'm hoping it'll ship early instead of arriving Monday-Thursday of next week like it's predicting right now. I might end up purchasing the digital version and letting my boyfriend have the physical copy once it comes in...
Today I set out with the same schedule as I had yesterday. I worked on school assignments until 2pm and then put away some laundry and read 2 more chapters of Clockwork Angel. I really hope I can finish this book before the readathon is over. I also need to read the Tea Dragon Society and then I will have completed the hosts challenges for the readathon, which is not something I expected to do. I have also achieved some of my personal goals as well which is amazing! I am currently 1 book ahead on my Goodreads goal and I want to keep this momentum going! This readathon has really helped me get out of my reading slump. If nothing else good comes out of 2020, at least it will be the year I finally reach my goal of reading 52 books.

The day before New Horizons comes out! March 19th

 This will likely be my last day reading  because New Horizons will be out and I think I will be getting the digital download while waiting for my physical copy. Today I decided not to worry about school since all I have to do is respond to the class discussions, which can wait until tomorrow and over the weekend to do. So I spent the day finishing Clockwork Angel and it was so good! I give it 4 out of 5 stars! I will definitely be continuing on with the series asap!
I had previously read the first 3 books in the Mortal Instruments series and really didn't enjoy them all that much. Everyone said that if you read her books in publication order they get progressively better. So I reluctantly decided to continue with the Infernal Devices since Cassandra Clare recently released another new book and the Shadowhunter world was being plastered everywhere online again. They were right about the books getting better with this one! It felt like someone completely different had written this one compared to the first 3 I read. The characters were much more likeable and it felt like there was never a dull moment throughout the book. It also reminded me a bit of Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, which I loved.
Really glad that I was inspired to pick this up after watching Clockwork Reader's Chain of Gold reading vlog.

Total Pages Read: 1573 
Challenges completed: 5/5
Did not do the bonus challenge or twitter challenges.

Overall, I am very proud of the amount I have read during this readathon and I am definitely excited to keep this reading momentum going! 

Animal Crossing Readathon Days 7-9: Corona Crisis?

Day 7: March 15

Did not read at all today. But my boyfriend and I got a new shelf for our living room. Now all of our books officially have a home! We went to Target to pick up the shelf and while the parking lot didn't seem any more crowded than normal, people were scrambling to buy food. All the chicken noodle soup was gone, canned tuna was gone, pasta was gone, but there was a surprising overabundance of mac and cheese. Why doesn't anybody want the mac the cheese? They are limiting toilet paper to one per customer and I am starting to worry that when we do run out there will be none left anywhere. I am planning to stay home unless I need groceries or need to pick up prescriptions.

Day 8: March 16

Woke up with a pretty bad migraine for my first day of school for the semester. Yay! Don't worry, I do not have the virus. I get migraines at least once per month due to a chronic illness. I'm fine, I keep up with my medication, just  Luckily, my program is completely online to begin with. Just about every school is now moved to online or closed completely due to the virus. I hope people stay safe. I did my introduction for class and some of the readings in the "Mastering Strategic Management" textbook. But I do not think I will count those pages as part of the readathon. They textbook even removed the author's name which I found strange. I'm hopeful that this class will be better than my last one, which felt like we did not go in depth enough on the ethics involved with environmental science.

I have been catching up on laundry today as much as possible. I managed to read a chapter of Clockwork Angel while putting some of that away.

Day 9: March 17

As soon as I got up I starting prepping dinner in the crock pot. We got a corned beef for Saint Patrick's day and I wanted to make sure I put it in early enough for it to be in there 10 hours and be ready at a reasonable time for dinner.
I also made myself some kind of a schedule to stick to. School work in the morning and then reading or whatever else the rest of the day. I got a lot done and was a lot more productive by having the idea that once the clock hit twelve I could eat lunch and relax for the day.
Managed to finish what I needed to for school and finish Icing on the Lake as well. It was a cute winter read. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. I also read a bit more in Clockwork Angel, which seems to be a theme for each day. Must read at least one chapter!
My new phone case also came in today. It's a Pela case and it is 100% compostable! I had one on my old phone and I never had any problem with it. My Pura Vida Bracelets order came in too. I got my monthly pack featuring Saint Patrick's day themed bracelets and I also ordered myself the bee charm bracelet and the sloth charm bracelet. I ordered an extra sloth charm bracelet for my Aunt too since she loves sloths. I'm going to save it for her birthday in August. 
Dinner turned out delicious! I added cabbage to the crock pop about 2 hours before it was finished and I also roasted some potatoes and carrots in the oven. Yum!

Animal Crossing Readathon Days 3-6

Day 3: March 11

I woke up with some bad news about jobs I had applied for and decided that if I really care about environmental issues as much as I claim to, then I should be talking more about the issues I care about on the platforms that I have available to me. As a result, I decided to start reading This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein in preparation to review and discuss it in depth. This book covers the issues with capitalism and climate change amazingly and I cannot wait to discuss it with you all.

I also got my Animal Crossing Amiibo Series 4 Card Album in the mail! I am very excited to continue my collection! I also have a number of the series 1 cards up for sale on Ebay right now, so check those out if you are interested.

Tonight I made my take on the Mediterranean couscous from Hello Fresh. I roasted some asparagus and tomatoes in the oven with olive oil, Italian seasoning, pepper, and garlic salt. I also put some chick peas in the oven to roast with olive oil, paprika, pepper, and garlic salt. While these were in the oven I melted some butter and added some garlic and green onions to the pot. I tossed the couscous in this mixture and let it brown slightly before adding my chicken broth. Once the couscous was cooked, I added my vegetables and chick peas. Top with some feta cheese and you're done! It was so good!

Day 4: March 12

I continued with This Changes Everything a bit but had a lot of errands to do today. I did manage to listen to Opal by Maggie Steifvater which is a story set after the events that take place in the Raven Cycle Series.
My Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Controller with KK Slider on it arrived a day early!
Also, Pocket Camp updated to promote New Horizons! How cute is that?


Day 5: March 13

I was able to pick up my special edition Animal Crossing New Horizons Nintendo Switch! I was mostly distracted by this and our brand new washing machine today, but did manage to read a bit of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Claire. I decided to give the Shaddowhunters universe a second change and am glad I did! I picked up Clockwork Angel with low expectations, but ended up liking the characters way better than in the mortal instruments and being interested in the story as well.

Day 6: March 14

Only read about 2 chapters of Clockwork Angel today. Still enjoying it a lot, definitely want to read all of Cassandra's books now. Finally starting to understand what all the hype has been about. We had to go out to buy groceries and boy are the stores crazy busy and those shelves are empty! Hope everyone calms down and stays safe through all the virus craziness!
I also decided to paint my nails to match the colors of the joycons for my switch. 

Total Pages Read so far: 1089

Animal Crossing Readathon! TBR, & Days 1 & 2

Hello everyone! It is no secret that I have a bit of an obsession with the Animal Crossing games. I am so excited for New Horizons to come out in just 10 days! Hopefully on Friday I will have my Special Edition Animal Crossing New Horizons Nintendo Switch in my hands! I am so excited. I waited to get a switch specifically hoping that a special edition would come out along with a new Animal Crossing game!
Anyways, the point of this post is to talk about a readathon that is Animal Crossing themed! How cool is that? This readathon started March 9th and will continue through the 20th when the new game comes out!
There are 5 prompts based on characters from the game and a bonus prompt which is to read one of the Hosts choices.

I do not have a truly set TBR for this readathon, but I did have a few books/goals in mind for myself.

• Finish The Raven King 
• Finish Icing on the Lake
• Finish Blood for Blood
• Finish Truly Devious
• Read a book from my TBR or Trash list
• Read With the Fire on High
• Continue the Cassandra Clare books? 
• Read the Tea Dragon Society for the host choice book
• Get ahead on my Goodreads challenge before school and life hits HARD!

Day 1:

I woke up really not feeling great. I think part of it has been the time change that happened. I have been exhausted lately! Took the morning to finish The Raven King which I gave 5 out of 5 stars to! It was fantastic! I was originally thinking that maybe I would just start rereading the Raven Cycle series right away, but I had other plans already and didn't want to just be stuck on this world. I do feel like I need to reread this series though. There is just so much that happened and I think there are things I definitely missed the first read through, especially since I was listening to the audio books. Would love to get physical copies next time!

Instead of finishing books I already had started, I decided to pick up With the Fire on High in order to complete the Able Sisters challenge of reading a book with a strong family theme. This book is about a teen mom who is struggling to balance school, her child, and her goal to become a chef. She decides to take a culinary class at school that involves a trip to Spain and follows her struggles not only with school, but with relationships and what she wants to do in life.

Today we also got our new futon frame delivered and put that together. So glad to have a couch to sit on again! After we moved in February, it hasn't felt like much of a home here. I feel like we are finally starting to get life together!


Day 2:

Today I also woke up feeling exhausted, but this morning finished With the Fire on High and it was so GOOD! I give it 4/5 stars. Because I liked this book so much, I decided to start The Poet X which is also by the same author. So far, I'm about halfway through and am not enjoying it as much as With the Fire on High, but appreciate the own voices aspect as well as the writing style. I'm going to use this one for the KK Slider challenge of listening to an audio book.

I also read a bit more of Icing on the Lake. I'm about halfway through it as well. I started it in either December or January, and I just haven't gotten around to finish it. It is such a cute rom-com type story and the characters are really fun. I don't know which guy to root for in the love triangle going on, they both are so different.

I'm waiting for a bookshelf to come in and can't wait for my books to have a place to call home instead of being stacked on the floor! Will update tomorrow!