Self-Care Rewards

 In my last post, I discussed the importance of self-care and how to start managing your own self-care in your life.  I encouraged everyone to take an active approach to achieving self-care by making a written contract with yourself which focuses on your goals and how you will reward yourself for earning each of those goals.  

Now for the rewards, my favorite part.  I have compiled a list of rewards that complement the self-care goals that I have set for myself as well as those that I encourage you to do.  They range in price from below $10 to $150 each, but each are well worth the money for the amount of self-care they will help provide.  Only you can decide the amount that you are willing to spend on your own well-being.  Plus, as my mother says, you deserve it.

Below $25

Posh Pocket  Adult Coloring Book 

This pocket coloring book is just what you need for relaxing and meditating after a long day.  I have one similar to this one, and I use it not only at home but also when I travel.  Sometimes adults need an activity when traveling in the car along with the kids.

Replacement Lids for Hydro Flask Water Bottle

I don't know about you, but I like to have a choice when it comes to the mouth of a water bottle.  This combination pack has you covered for all of your drinking needs.  

La Raffine Sleep Eye Mask with Removable Gel Pads

I have never slept with an eye mask to block out the light, but I have used them for migraines.  This sleep mask comes with removable gel pads that can be heated or cooled depending on your needs.  I might just get this one so that I have a beautiful backup.

Yogalicious High-Waisted Leggings

I have several pairs of leggings, but none to the caliber of these soft babies.  These leggings are great for yoga, lounging around the house, or getting through security at the airport.

VegNews Magazine Subscription

VegNews Magazine has to be my all-time favorite food magazine.  However, it is not just about food.  It's articles highlight the plant-based lifestyle from food to cosmetics, travel, and more.  I learn something new every time I pick up this magazine.

Moleskine Classic Expanded Journal

Moleskines were my first papery addiction.  I love writing in them, and they are perfect for journaling and reflection.  However, the paper can be thin, so avoid using a fountain pen in this expanded version of my favorite journal.

Less than $50

Homesick Candle

Nothing goes better with meditation than a wonderful candle.  Homesick candles are scented according to fond memories.  I am anxious to try this one which smells of New Orleans (hopefully Uptown and not the French Quarter), my second home and first love.

Gaiam Reversible Yoga Mat

When it comes to the world of yoga, Gaiam is one of the best brands.  Not only do the beautiful mats make you want to lie in the happy baby pose all day long, but they support you fully as you move from mountain pose to downward dog.  I love my own mat that I purchased during my first attempt at self-care during COVID-19 last year.

Daci Women's Rash Guard Swimsuit

If you are anything like me, you burn to a crisp in the sun.  I am sure it is a combination of medications plus the fact that you can use my legs as a night light at bedtime.  In order to keep me from burning to a crisp during outside swimming, I use a rash guard swimsuit with an SPF of 50+.  This swimsuit from Daci has been on my wishlist since summer.  I just love the colors!

Hydro Flash Water Bottle

I have done a lot of research on water bottles lately, and this one keeps topping everyone's list of vacuum sealed, dual insulated stainless steel water bottles.  I am not sure that I can bring myself to pay this much for a water bottle, but I'm worth it, right?

AKK Tennis Shoes

Women's Health rank these tennis shoes as the best walking shoe with memory foam.  At just over $40, it is a steal!  I wish I had done some research before buying my recent pair of not-so-wonderful Skechers Go Walk shoes.  This one will be purchased before my next big vacation.

Greater than $50

Beats Studio Buds

Who doesn't like to listen to music or audiobooks when they work out?  These noise-cancelling ear buds are just what you need for that morning jog on the treadmill or that 6-hour cross-country commute.  

Audible Subscription

For me, nothing excites the brain more than a good book.  While I do not have an Audible subcription yet, I hope to get one soon.  Then I will be able to listen to Harry Potter while reading Harry Potter (not to mention watching Harry Potter).  Sometimes, a good book is all you need to relax the mind and soothe the soul.   One of my friends swears by audiobooks, so why not go with the best source out there.

I hope that you find all of these self-care rewards useful.  Sometimes, not knowing how to reward yourself can be a stumbling block to achieving a goal.  And remember that all rewards do not have to be tangible.  You can work toward a stay-cation or a trip to the spa, whatever trips your trigger.  Just be sure that you have a whole list of rewards for the next time you achieve a self-care goal.

The Necessity of Self-Care

During these times that try men's souls (COVID-19), I have struggled to take care of my own well-being.  Sure, I go to my doctor appointments and take my medicine, but I realized that staying at home all the time was mentally, physically, and spiritually draining.  Things that I used to do to take care of my mind, body, and soul are no longer readily available.  After struggling with a bit of depression, as I am sure most of us have, I decided that I needed to start caring for my whole self.  This takes a little more effort than going for a pedicure or brunch with the girls, but doesn't everything during a pandemic?  

To begin, I pulled out my trusty Bullet Journal to search for empty spaces in my month that I fill with self-care activities.  I know that I am more likely to do an activity if I assign it a time in my calendar and actually write down the activity in my BuJo.  I discoverd that I have more time in the day than I actually realized.  Some days, I can allot 30 minutes.  Others, several hours.  Next, I created a Self-Care Bingo board for my Bullet Journal.  To do this, I thought about all the ways that I can care for myself in order to rejuvenate.  These activities ranged from painting my nails and reading a magazine to prepping for healthy meals and practicing yoga.  I encourage you to find 25 things that you enjoy or need to do to establish the practice of self-care.  Thirdly, I picked 7 habits that I want to practice during the span of 4 months.  With those 7 habits, I created a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) for each habit and a reward that I would give myself once I accomplished each goal.  Finally, I wrote a contract in my Bullet Journal in order to bind myself to achieving these goals along with the rewards which I would freely give to myself upon completion.  

What started out as a worthy idea quickly became a plan for self-care.  If you do not take care of yourself, then no one will.  You are worth the time and effort that it takes to organize these ideas and carry them out.  You will love and cherish your own well-being and will set a great example for the others in your life.  During this next week, I encourage you to create your own Self-Care BINGO board and Self-Care Contract.  To get you started, I have created Free Bullet Journal Printables of my BINGO board and Self-Care Contract.  Fell free to download these and add them to your BuJo, or better yet, use them as a spring board for your own.  

Self- Care BINGO Board

Self-Care Contract, Goals, and Rewards

I hope that you will use these templates to create your own journey into the world of self-care.  Like always, you can find all of my FREE BuJo printables at the link on the right hand side of this page.  Feel free to download, print, use, or adapt them to suit your own needs.  Stay healthy!

Thankful November

 When I think of November, the first thought that comes into my mind is Thanksgiving.  But not what is the purpose of Thanksgiving except to be thankful for all that you have.  Being mindful of gratitude is a special skill that one has to develop; it doesn't just come naturally for most.   Last year I participated in a group activity called "Thankful November."  Each day, we were given a journal prompt which helped us to explore our lives and the latent gratitude that we have in our lives and for our lives.  Through this daily exercise, I gained a new perspective on life.  I recognized the importance of practicing gratitued daily, even for the small things.  Now, I keep a daily gratitude log in my Bullet Journal Weekly Layout.  I simply write one thing I am grateful for each day, and at the end of the year, I will have a list of 365 items for which I am grateful.  So, I encourage each of you to find time in your day to answer the following prompts in your Thankful November journal so that you, too, can begin to find your own path to gratitude.

Journal Prompts for Thankful November 2021

1. Who is someone special that has taught you about unconditional love?  What did they teach you?  How can you show unconditional love to someone else?  To yourself?

2.  What five personality traits are you most thankful for?

3.  What about your upbringing are you most grateful for?  How has it influenced your life?

4.  Write about the family members you are thankful for?  What makes each one special?

5.  List five things you are currently doing well.

6.  Who or what in your life are you happy to have let go?  Why?  How has your life improved since?

7.  List three good things that have suddenly caught your attention that make your feel grateful.

8.  Whom do you take for granted? How can you show your appreciation for that person?

9.  Name five things that always put a smile on your face.

10.  What possessions do you own that make your life easier?

11.  List three things that you love about your favorite room in your home?  Why are these your favorite?  Do they make life easier or more enjoyable?

12.  Focus on your five senses.  What can you do to make yourself more mindful of each of the senses?

13.  Do you have a special relationship with your pet?  In what ways can you thank your pet for all of the joy and comfort that it brings to you?

14.  What about your career or job are you most thankful for?

15.  Create a list of twenty ways you are fortunate.

16.  What meals/recipes do you enjoy making?  Why do you enjoy it?  What does this meal give you?

17.  Write about a time when someone went out of their way to help you.

18.  Describe your favorite moment of the day.

19.  Has anyone ever performed a random act of kindness for you?  Write about that experience.

20.   Do you have a favorite hobby?  What does that hobby create in you?  

21.  Write about something you did to make someone happy today.

22.  When was a time you were successful?  Write a thank you speech to the people who helped you achieve that success.

23.  Describe something good that you saw in your community.

24.  Where is somewhere that you have been that you are thankful for?

25.  What is someone or something that makes you feel safe?

26.  Which public servic or organization are you most grateful for?

27.  Write about a family tradition that you are thankful for.

28.  Describe the piece of clothing that you are most grateful for.

29.  Explain the role of gratitude in your life.

30.  In what ways can you be more mindful of gratitude?

Happy Thankful November!

Random Acts of Art Kindness

 As I look around me at the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, I see that we are truly missing Kindness in our daily lives.  From hate groups to hate speech, the world is growing dimmer each day,  In order to spread Kindness and cheer, I have decided to engage in Random Acts of Art Kindness (RAAKs). 

 

First of all, what are RAAKs?  Random Acts of Art Kindness is a way to spread the joy of art to those who need a little extra Kindness in their lives.  You can do this by creating little pieces of art (drawings, collage, Artist Trading Cards, etc.) and leaving them randomly around your town or community for others to find.  This is not meant to be a scavenger hunt for all of the art you leave (similar to geocaching).  It is, however, meant to give spontaneous happiness and Kindness to those who happen to find them.

Next, do all RAAKs have to be the same?  Of course not!  Art is as different as each individual person is.  This does not mean that you cannot create the same piece of art to leave at several different locations.  You can put as much effort into creating RAAKs as the joy you will receive by sending them out into the world for others to find.  For example, I have bought a set of small colored envelopes with white cards from Amazon on which I will create artistic notes  to leave in random places throughout my community.  This piece of Art Kindness can be taken by its finder or passed along to another person who needs a little Kindness in their lives.

Thirdly, where do I leave my RAAKs once I have created them?  RAAKs can be left anywhere!  I plan on placing them on random cars at the grocery store, in Little Free Libraries, inside books at Barnes and Noble, on the restaurant table with my tip, and even engaging local business owners to help in the endeavor.  The point is to place them where they can be found by others.  You never know when or by whom the RAAKs will be found.  That is the beauty of randomly placing the places.

Finally, do I have to make my own RAAKs?  Ideally, yes.  But that is not the main purpose in placing RAAKs.  The real reason is to spread Kindness.  If you do not have the time or energy to create your own, then I would like to encourage you to order a free set of Kindness Cards.  Vicky Barone is a North Carolina artist who creates Kindness Cards to be given out in the community.  She is offering a free set of her designer cards to those wishing to do the same.  The only price you pay is for shipping.  When I ordered my set of 30 cards, it only cost $4.04 for 2-day shipping.  Please visit her shop at https://www.vickybarone.com/products/kindness-cards and order your set of cards today.

Whatever your age or stage, it is possible for you to create RAAKs to spread Kindness throughout your community.  The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  You may be able to start of tidal wave of Kindness in our world that will last for generations to come.

When Life Gives You Lemons

 This past year, I turned 40 years old.  Within 4 months of my birthday, I was told that I needed a total left hip replacement.  I was not expecting this news, so it came as a great surprise and was very overwhelming.  I knew that I would have months of recovery ahead of me.  Unfortunately, I did not anticipate the amount of time that I would be sitting in a recliner without anything to take my mind off of the pain after surgery.  So, when Life game me Lemons, I made Lemonade.

First of all, as I prepared for my hospital stay, I packed everything that I use on a daily basis for personal growth and order including my Bullet Journal supplies, my daily journal, and my tablet for reading and watching documentaries.  Mind you, not all of my BuJo supplies were able to transport, so I only took what would fit in my traveling journal case.  It was still more than I thought I would need.  This down-time would be an excuse to catch up on my list of 101 Goals in 1,001 Days (see the Bullet Journal Page for a complete list of my goals).  And, on top of everything, it would be a temporary distraction from the post-operative pain.  I would highly suggest that when packing for surgery (or any long-term trip) you take advice from Coco Chanel. "Take off the last item that you put on."  

Secondly, use your time wisely.  I stick to a "growth agenda" on a daily basis.  Schedule time when you will work on each separate goal.  I allocate one hour a day for reading literature, 1 hour a day for reading Latin (I am a Latin tutor), 30 minutes for journaling, and up to 1 hour for Bullet Journaling.  If I don't use all of the time, that is okay.  I have allocated time for each goal to be completed so that I don't have to rush through anything.  Although perfection is not the key to Bullet Journaling, it never hurts to aim for it.  I suggest that any time not spent in creating your Bullet Journal should be used for reading blogs and searching Pintrest for inspiration.  Do you have a favorite blog site or Instagram page?  These are great ways to gather ideas for your BuJo.  Feel free to list your favorites in the "Comments" section.

Finally, be easy on yourself during recovery.  Down time does not mean that you just sit and watch television or Netflix the entire recovery period.  Unfortunately, we have less energy and less clarity during recovery than we would have on any other given day.  For that reason, I like to create templates on the computer (you can find these under Free Bullet Journal Printables) for each layout that I use in my journal.  The Bullet Journal community is very big on sharing ideas and adapting them for your personal needs.  If you are planning for a long recovery, I suggest printing out (or Pinning) any template you wish to use during this healing period.  I love my Leuchtturm 1917 because I always know exactly how many dots there are per page which helps me to plan accordingly.  Make sure to have a pencil and eraser handy during this process.   Use this time as an opportunity to create layouts that you always wanted to include but did not have the time, plan the month ahead with weekly spreads, and simply explore your creativity.  Make sure you are having a "good time" with more emphasis on GOOD rather than TIME.  

Do you have an upcoming surgery or event that will cause you to have a lot of free time?  What are your "rules" for recovery?  Planning ahead of time will allow you more opportunities for personal growth and creativity.  This is a time to explore your wants and needs with the focus on healing yourself.  May you find both during this period of excessive free time!

Creativity and the Level 10 Life

 Lately, I have been researching how to approach living my best life in 2021 and recording the process in my Bullet Journal.   While searching for answers on blogs and Pinterest, I kept noticing the phrase "Level 10 Life" popping up everywhere.  I decided to delve deeper into the topic.

The phrase "Level 10 Life" was coined by Hal Elrod in a book entitled The Miracle Morning.  Elrod claims that 95% of people never reach their full potential because of a lack of planning, prioritizing, and implementing attainable goals.  According to him, we need to reflect on ten various realms in life to see what we can do to reach a Level 10 Life on our own terms. Those ten realms include the following:  friends and family, personal development, spirituality, health and fitness, finances, physical environment, career, romance, fun and recreation, and giving and contributing.  By dividing each realm into measureable, attainable steps and working to achieve these goals, one can presumably take the necessary steps to living a Level 10 Life.

But I wondered whether all of these realms applied to everyone in their quest to live a Level 10 Life.  I don't have a significant other or a career, so these would not apply to my life.  I also consider charity to be part of spirituality and personal development.  Finally, I asked myself what gives meaning to my life and motivates me toward the ideas of accomplishment and connection with the world around me.  Easily enough,  I decided that CREATIVITY had to be counted in my Level 10 Life in order for it to feel like it belonged to me.

If you are reading this blog, then chances are that CREATIVITY belongs in yours, too.  You will find examples of goals for each realm of life on other blogs, so I will give you samples on creativity.  However,  a Level 10 Life is all about YOU,  so please develop your goals so that you will have no trouble owning your plan of attack.

Needlework 

Create 1 cross-stitch pattern per month for 4 months.

Take 1 class on crochet on www.Craftsy.com

Learn 3 new knitting stitches a month for 3 months.

Embroider two handkerchiefs by March.

Papercraft

Practice Hand-lettering for 2 hours a week for 2 months.

Compile 1 scrapbook page per week for 3 months.

Design 12 holiday cards by December 1st. 

Create 2 Bullet Journal spreads per month for 6 months.

Writing

Complete 30 journal entries in 1 month.

Compose 2 poems a week for 5 weeks.

Write one chapter a month for 12 months.

Join a writer's group on www.meetup.com

Cooking/Baking

Learn 1 new recipe a month for 10 months.

Make homemade jam.

Learn to bake challah.

Take a cake decorating course. 

Fine Arts

Create 1 painting per month for 4 months.

Draw 1 mandala a week for 6 weeks. 

Sketch in the park.

Compose 1 Artist Trading Card each week for 12 weeks.

I hope that this gives you a sense of SMART goals to help you create your own Level 10 Life.  Just remember to leave room for your soul to grow!

~ Melissa

Finding Inspiration

Ever since COVID-19 hit in March, I have been desperately trying to find inspiration to make art of all kinds.  Unfortunately, until the last month or so, I found none.  My journals remained unfilled, my paper remained blank, and my art nook simply housed all of my art supplies.  I could not drag art from my body, not to mention my soul.  Then, I remembered that inspiration happens at the most unexpected times.

Inspiration comes from the Latin word inspiro which simply means "to breathe in."  So what does breathing have to do with inspiration?  I like to think that the creative spark from which we were made allows us to breathe in experiences, ideas, images, etc. that in turn allows us to turn out creative works.  What do you breathe in daily that moves or motivates you?  Think of the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the sight of the first rays of light in the morning, or the sound of a weeping violin on the radio.  Although every living being has the ability to "breathe," only humans are given the ability to inspire and seek inspiration.

One of the creative websites which I follow has recently rebranded itself.  The new www.Craftsy.com has a plethora of classes, ideas, and printables that will bring inspiration to even the bleakest of moments.  Since they are rebranding themselves, Craftsy is offering a year of Premium Membership to all subscribers for $2.49.  What a steal!  Simply click on the price to be taken to the membership deal.  I was really reticent to join, then I saw that I had access to 1500+ online classes in just about any subject you can imagine.  Today, I even spent 90 minutes on a Hand Lettering class and didn't even finish it!  That will be my project for tomorrow.  I am not paid to promote Craftsy, but I am writing about it to encourage you to seek out inspiration...especially when little seems present.  You can find inspiration of Pinterest, Flickr, blogs, and even shopping in craft stores.  Many people believe that true inspiration hits when least expected (in the shower for me), but that is simply not true.  When you are open to the idea of searching for inspiration then you are more likely to find it.

This leads me to my Word of the Year for 2021.  I chose the word "Inspire" to motivate me to find inspiration in even the darkest of times and to allow it to flow forth unencumbered.  The image that comes to my mind of the "spark of creativity" is The Creation of Adam by Michaelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.  It is breath-taking in person!  However, it is also a point of "inspiration", not only for Adam, but for all those who view this masterpiece.

  

I encourage each of you to find your own source of inspiration daily, and use it to bring forth a world of creativity all your own!

~ Melissa