I did it! I caught up with this challenge. Do you want to make predictions on how quickly I fall behind? I don’t even want to think about that!
Week eight in The 52 Lists Project by Moorea Seal is a list of your favorite quotes. So, for the sake of this post, and being exhausted, I’m going to be doing my top ten favorite quotes right now.
“Write about hard and clear of what hurts.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.” – Unknown.
“Confidence is not ‘They will like me.’ Confidence is ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t.” – Unknown
“It’s time to start being the person you want to be, not the person you think everyone else wants you to be.” – Molly Ho Stuido
“If you’re not excited about it, it’s not the right path.” – Abraham Hicks
“Make happiness a priority and be gentle with yourself in the process.” – Bronnie Ware
“When you can tell your story and it doesn’t make you cry, that’s when you know you’ve healed.” – Unknown.
“Learn the difference between your tuition guiding you and your trauma misleading you.” – Homebody Club
“Motherhood is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had… and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” – Linda Wooten
It is so important to take the time, in this hectic world, to think about good things. That’s why I love getting creative and doing these sorts of things. I’m a pretty pessimistic person; so trying to teach myself to rewire my brain has been serving to be a challenge.
But, I’m trying my best.
So, I’m going to keep up on these sorts of things; doing some writing prompts, and making an effort to express my creative side. Without further ado – here is my list for week seven of The 52 Lists Project by Moorea Seal.
List all of the people who brighten your day.
Everly
Aubri
Nathan
Arlo (even though he’s a cat)
My parents
Any strangers who smile or strike up a good conversation.
My friends who can reach out.
My readers.
The welcoming side of the blogging community.
Do you want to participate? Tell the story of the last person who brightened your day. 👇
I’m addicted to anything that can boost myself. That’s why I love these (guided) journals that encourages creativity, personal growth, or making lists! Which is probably a good thing because I have been doing a lot of them!
This is what week six of The 52 Lists Project by Moorea Seal is!
List the ways you love to have fun.
Writing a journal entry.
Creating a new blog post.
Losing myself in planning.
Being creative.
Playing video games with my family.
Getting too involved with my Sims.
Reading or watching something inspirational.
Doing a craft with my four-year-old.
Talking to my husband.
Making my baby laugh.
Going swimming.
Listening to music.
Watching a movie.
Going to a theme park.
Having ANY day trip.
The “take action” of this one is just talking about planning on making more time for them. Which is a fantastic idea but I have been doing a good job at doing that.
This is where I managed to get the last time I was working in this journal, but none of it was the same as anything you see now; which is crazy to see just how much changes in a few years . I know that I keep busting these out but I really want to catch up and keep up with doing this! As I said, my journals have been pretty neglected!
In this post I’m going to be doing week five in The 52 Lists Project by Moorea Seal.
List what you would like your life to look like in ten years.
Still happily married.
Maybe one more baby.
Be in our own house.
Both working from home.
Have tried a new lifestyle.
Have less clutter, or eliminate all together.
Being a full-time blogger.
Have checked ten things off my bucket list.
Given back to my parents with a vacation.
Homeschooling my kids.
No more regret.
Feeling proud of who I am .
It’s brief but it’s true!
TAKE ACTION: What are some small steps you can make now to make one of your dreams happen in the future?
I think that a lot of this is based off of simple things, but get better with managing money, healing myself, and developing better communication skills.
We are halfway to catching up to where I’m supposed to be with this challenge and I’d be lying if I said that it’s bothering me; it’s actually been fun!
We are back in this blog post with the fourth week of The 52 Lists Project by Moorea Seal.
List the soundtrack to your life
Perfect by Simple Plan
My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion
Hate Me by Blue October
Lose You To Love Me by Selena Gomez
Glad He’s Gone by Tove Lo
I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz
In My Daughter’s Eyes by Martina McBride
Moral of the Story by Ashe
I Think I’m Okay by Machine Gun Kelley
Love Can Be Chosen by Avia Butler
929 by Halsey
Remember This by NF
To me, the perfect album has 12 songs! I even organized them in an order that tells my story. Enjoy!
TAKE ACTION: Make a playlist of these songs as a memento of the person you are at this very moment. Revisit this list.
I created a Spotify playlist where you can listen to the 12 songs I feel describes my life story (so far) the best! Maybe I’ll share a story, diving into each at another time!
Thanks for reading.
What are some songs that you would include in your soundtrack? Let me know! 👇
Back again for the second week of this journey. I’m a sucker for lists and always will be. I was so excited to get my hands on The 52 Lists Project by Moorea Seal; and it has been living on my bookshelf ever since.
I actually attempted doing this back in 2017, which is crazy! I’m really glad that I’m forcing myself to get started because I will keep making excuses; I don’t want to live that way anymore.
Anyway,
Here is week two of the 52 Lists Project!
List your favorite characters from books, movies, etc.
Hmm. If I’m being honest, I don’t know how to answer this one. Most of the content that I surround myself with are inspirational or realistic. Most of my shows and movies are watched with my husband, so, I haven’t really cared to sit to watch an actual thing besides a couple here and there.
I’ll have to really scratch my brain for this one.
Okay, here we go!
TV SHOWS
Jack Pearson from This Is Us Beth Pearson from This Is Us Garrett from Superstore Dina from Superstore Bay Kennish from Switched At Birth Emmett Bledsoe from Switched At Birth Belle from Once Upon A Time Killian Jones from Once Upon A Time Jessica Day from New Girl Nick Miller from New Girl Winston Schmidt from New Girl Cece from New Girl Winston Bishop from New Girl Bob Belcher from Bob’s Burgers Linda Belcher from Bob’s Burgers Louise Belcher from Bob’s Burgers Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl Lara Jean Covey from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Peter Kavinsky (Movie Version) from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
MOVIES
Wilbur Robinson from Meet The Robinsons Westley from The Princess Bride Belle from Once Upon A Time Killian Jones from Once Upon A Time Eunice from She’s The Man The entire Von Trapp family from The Sound of Music Hallie & Nick Parker and Annie & Elizabeth James from The Parent Trap (Lindsey Lohan version) Chessy & Martin from The Parent Trap Ellison Oswalt from Sinister Danny Zuko from Grease Sandy Olsson from Grease Gerry from P.S I Love You Erin Gruwell from Freedom Writers
BOOKS
John Ambrose McClaren (Book Version) from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han Carl Donovan from Escape From Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith Alex Sawyer from Escape From Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith Zee Hatcher from Escape From Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith Simon Rojo-Flores from Escape From Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith Alfred Furnace from Escape From Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith Rosemary Hathaway from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead Dimitri Belikov from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead Christian Ozera from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead Vasilisa Dragomir from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead Isabella Swan from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Alice, and Renesmee Cullen from Twilight by Stephnie Meyer Rosalie and Jasper Hale from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Honestly, I’m going to stop there or I will be here ALL night!
That’s crazy how much I remembered while writing this and I’m SURE there are a million more. Ones that I know I will be upset with leaving out. Whew, I’m tired!
TAKE ACTION
Find a common personality trait between your favorite characters. What is one favorite character trait that you admire in your favorite characters that you can work towards this week?
They definitely are all protective of the ones they love AND/OR they’re super funny. I can work towards that by making my loved ones laugh and figure out how I can best protect them.
That one was so long!
I’m really proud that I did it because, well, I almost gave up on this one.
What about you? Talk about it in the comments 👇 on some of your favorites, what they have in common, and how you can work towards that trait that you admire so much.
I have been neglecting myself for a long time and I finally get a chance to play around with my book series by Moorea Seal, starting with The 52 Lists Project. I know we are already in the eighth week of 2020, so, I’m going to try to get a bunch of these out!
I’m not sure if I’m going to be doing just this book for the year or do my others, as well. Hmm.
Well, here’s week one!
Lists your goals and dreams for the year
Have five dates with Nathan.
Become a mother who doesn’t yell.
Get off of state assistance.
Get over 100 blog views in a day! (I have gotten close)
Write an updated bucket list.
Launch my new blog.
Improve my photography
Get back into YouTube
Do at least 10 challenges.
Finish Generation 1 of The Sims 4: Parentcy Challenge
Declutter at least 100 items.
Pay off my “normal” debt. (medical & credit card)
Dye my hair a bright color.
Buy new glasses.
Purge old and create a new wardrobe.
Heal from my past.
Unplug completely for one week per month.
Become comfortable with who I really am & no more holding back.
Mend my marriage. (Have a serious talk about our future)
Actually use my planner (improve self-care!)
TAKE ACTION:
What is the first step toward achieving your biggest goal? Pick one thing you can do this week to get started.
Hmm. I honestly can’t figure out which one is my biggest goal! I don’t know if this means which one will take the most work or the one that I feel the most attached to.
All of these goals and dreams are equally important and challenging. But, I’m going to go with become a mother who doesn’t yell.
I dreamed that I would be a gentle mother and, I’m just not at all times. I find that when I’m stressed or angry, I turn into a mother that I’m ashamed of being. This year, I don’t want to let my anxiety get back into my life and impact my parenting. My daughters are absolutely amazing and beautiful and we all deserve a strong, happy relationship because I REFUSE to be a mother who my kids have to recover from.
So, the first step of many is going to start this week – and continue into every future week, and it’s going to be finding a way to manage my stress better, coming down to my four-year-old’s level to talk to her instead of shouting into the other room, and doing more with them.
It’ll be okay!
Thanks for reading and have a good day.
What are your goals and dreams for the year? How can you have a step closer this week? Write it in the comments below. 👇
It took me so much longer than it should have to realize that I deserve to love myself. More often than not, we’re told that other people’s needs and desires must come before our own. If we don’t live this way, we’re criticized and deemed to be “selfish” or “rude”. If we have friends or partners that we put on the side to care for ourselves we’re “toxic” or “fake” and when we are parents, you’re seen as an “unfit” parent for focusing on things that make you happy for a moment.
Whenever I’m asked to pick something out for myself; my go-to is either a notebook or a guided journal. I love self-help books and anything that allows me a space where I can grow.
When you hear about self-care, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Mine was usually a bubble bath with candles, snacks, and a book. But there are SO many different ways that you can practice self-care and the best part? You can pick and choose what YOU love.
Here is a brainstorm on how I would practice self-care in these particular categories! If you find this list helpful, please let me know! If you would add anything (I’m always open to more ideas to try) then leave it in the comments section! 👇
For sure, many of these could fall under multiple categories!
Emotional
Emotional self-care is just what it sounds like, self-care that pertains to your feelings and taking time to explore your emotions.
Write a journal entry.
“Braindump” on your blog, in your planner, or on paper.
Open up about how you’re feeling.
Allow yourself to explore your current feelings.
Teach yourself to acknowledge how you feel, name it, and let it go.
Arrange an appointment with a professional.
Mental
These are activities that stimulate your brain. As a Gemini, I not only love but need to be interested and use my mind to do anything. Here’s the problem for me, I need to enjoy it. So, math problems are OUT!
Do a WordSearch Puzzle
Put together a pretty jigsaw puzzle.
Watch a movie.
Read a book.
Work in a guided journal/workbook.
Color something beautiful.
Draw.
Use your planner.
Play video games
Watch inspirational content.
Learn something new.
Listen to music.
Physical
The best part about this category is it’s the obvious section of self-care and one that you probably do every day. These are self-care activities that take care of your body.
Do a yoga routine.
Have a snack..
Treat yourself to food you have been craving.
Drink water.
Go outside and get some sunshine.
Go for a walk.
Do a physical stimulating activity (such as swimming)
Take a shower/bath
Practical
These are your everyday tasks that you want or need to do. They can range from cleaning to “adulting” duties.
Personally, being social isn’t that important to me as being social drains my energy quickly. Whether this is due to my social anxiety, or I just get too overwhelmed, I can see how being social is a way to practice self-care. So, this is perfect to form relationships or strengthen your existing bonds with friends, family, and your other loved ones.
Call a loved one.
Follow new people on social media.
Text a friend.
Have a date-night.
Visit your parents
Organize a get-together.
Spiritual
The last cateogry is spiritual and this one is definitely going to look different to everyone, depending on what you believe in. I have a blog post about the Universe and how I practice my spirituality.
Check horoscope
Do a Tarot card reading.
Meditate.
Sit in nature.
Try a spell.
Purchase crystals.
Learn something new about astrology or “witchy-ness”
As you can see, there are SO MANY different ways to practice self-care. The important thing is to remember that self-care is not only okay to do, but a necessity!
So, take some time to love and care for YOURSELF. Schedule it in your planner, set a timer on your phone, give yourself permission to take care of your relationship with yourself. Your list will appear different and that’s okay – the purpose is to do something that makes you happy!
Also, Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m personally celebrating with blog work, video chatting with my husband, and watching the second film in the To All The Boys I Loved Before trilogy!
How is this for a starting blog post on my blog launching? I have done these sorts of things many times on my blog; where I share some facts about me that you wouldn’t know. I’m not even sure if my husband knows it all either. So, here are ten shocking things you definitely don’t know about me.
Sorry in advance for anyone who knows me personally.
Please note that this are shocking for a reason. They can be pretty stupid, surprising, or even inappropriate. Reader discretion is advised.
I’m worried I could become an alcoholic.
I love getting drunk. The first time I drank was in high school where a friend at the time brought a whole 2 L of beer in a soda bottle. I drank again in college and ever since actually being old enough, I enjoyed it. I will always prefer drinking to anything else (I’ve never gotten high) and it has been alarming how much I lean towards alcohol when I’m feeling low. I know that if I”m not careful, I could end up an alcoholic.
I lied about who I lost my virginity to.
I claim that I lost my virginity when I was 19 to a guy that was a mutual friend of like, all of my exes, and was my best friend’s ex. (Did I lose you there?) And although it’s true that he was the first person to actually be inside of me and the first guy, I was actually sexual with other people before – two girls, actually. To be honest, I still feel like a virgin and don’t like the idea that I’m “less pure” so – I think I’m going to say that I’m a virgin again. I’m sorry to you all. 😂
I don’t trust science.
Before I really get into this, I understand that we have come a long way in medicine and technology and that it does help sometimes. However, I don’t trust science. Science is all about experimentation but there is always certain variables. However, we are not always told about the errors or side effects. I just have a bad feeling that science does more harm than good: to people, to animals, and to the world around us. People can see how the world is changing and still claims a lot of it is fake (global warming, negative effects of vaccinations, creatures said to not exist) and I just, I don’t like it. I trust my own eyes and soul before I trust words from people proven to lie.
I have no idea what my sexuality is.
I have tried having sex with girls and it wasn’t for me. I have had sex with guys and prefer that. But, I’ve had mini crushes on girls that faded super fast and I’ve been in love with many boys. I’m not confused on if it’s boys or girls – I’m confused on whether I’m straight or asexual. I don’t really like genitals and find them gross, but there have been times that I have experienced arousal. I don’t know, it’s just strange and frustrating for me.
I was addicted to porn.
In addition to this, I had a moment where I watched porn every single day. I don’t know if I was just trying to figure out my sexuality or if I just resorted to it because I couldn’t connect to my husband anymore. I still watch it from time to time, especially with my husband not being home, but I always get bored and frustrated with anything because I’m not super aroused by any of it. Which makes me wonder what’s wrong with me. There is this bullshit thing that girls can’t enjoy sex, masturbation, or porn, but we do!
I truly feel like I can predict the future.
I know that it sounds crazy but there has been so many occasions where I could predict what would happen. Call it intuition or putting vibes into the world, I just get warnings and I can’t ignore it. It’s really frustrating when I knew something would happen, I ignore it, and what I predicted actually happens. It’s not ALWAYS bad things, either. I have predicted good things too. I predict pregnancies of my friends, I predict people reaching out, I predict a lot of things and it’s CRAZY!
Flirting is one of my favorite things to do.
I know that it’s bad to do but I flirt with everyone and have for a long time. In high school, I would go up to the circle of guys and tie their sweatshirt strings into a knot and tell them to keep it all day – THEY DID. Flirting has gotten me out of bad situations, it has lifted my spirits, and it has been fun. Even though I’m married, I still flirt with other people. My husband is aware of this, of course he gets jealous, but it’s just the person I am. None of it means anything and I do make that clear if it progresses too far.
I love it when people check me out.
Call it an ego boost or that I crave attention too much but I love it when I get checked out. I especially love watching my husband become proud of having an attractive wife. According to him, he’s not used to being with someone who gets checked out and he jokingly says he has to “beat everyone off with a stick” and we get to laughing about it. I don’t know, I’m just so insecure that when I’m checked out or complimented, I love it.
I remember that when I showed up to my husband’s job, he checked me out and then realized it was me and got super happy and I didn’t know whether to be jealous or not. 😂
I was actually a bad student but got away with everything.
I would skip class, not do homework, and even got out of the senior project requirement. It’s crazy thinking about how much I lied to teachers about feeling sick and then I would go hang out with friends. I left class early, my teacher caught me, and I shouted that I hope they have a great vacation and my FRIEND got in trouble for not being in class. My senior project was definitely a real thing because I was having a lot of problems at home and my teacher saw me crying and asked me what was going on he excused me from the reading and project.
I used to text and drive.
This one is so fucking stupid that I’m actually angry at myself for it. I used to text and drive on my commute, mostly around red lights and traffic jams. I haven’t for over six years, especially since I got pregnant with my first, and I never will again. My car has voice texting and I don’t even use that – I hate being remotely distracted with anything
A Whimsical Writer 