Being in the house means more time to read, watch and listen to things (for me anyways) so here is what I have been up to lately
Reading: I have been reading Joy’s Way A Map for the Transformational Journey: An Introduction to the Potentials for Healing with Body Energies by W. Brugh Joy. It talks about healing the body.
Watching: When I was younger I wanted to be a fashion designer so whenever I discover something that has to do with it I make sure to dive right in. Lately we have been watching Next in Fashion and I have been enjoying seeing all the creative takes the designers have on the challenges that they get. The show starts out with designers in teams of two and eventually (after some eliminations) the designers are separated and have to design on their own. This has been a fun season to watch.
Listening: I have been listening to a lot of relaxing/meditative type of music. Singh Kaur Radio on Pandora has been my go-to lately. So relaxing.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
With holiday shopping in full force and online shopping being even more popular right now I thought I would share how I make cash back while I shop during the holidays as well as throughout the year. I use an app called Rakuten (formerly known as eBates).
Rakuten shows you different sales that you may not know about as well as telling you if the websites you shop at offer cash back. Just a simple search in the Rakuten search bar tells you right away. For select stores they even offer in person cash back.
My favorite way to use Rakuten is via their Google Chrome extension. When you arrive at a website to shop at it automatically tells you if that website has a discount and/or cash back offer. It is very convenient.
If you sign up for their emails they will send you special announcements as well as let you know if your favorite stores are offering double cash back – which is even better for you. It is always great to get cash back from shopping through Rakuten.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
My brain is like chrome with 20+ tabs open at any given time. @todoist helps- I add things to it and work on it later. July 16, 2016
In the post How to build a smarter to-do list Part I Merlin mentions that in David Allen’s Getting Things Done there is an idea of taking a task (or project) and breaking it into smaller more manageable ones. I have been doing that a lot with my school work because it is easier to keep track of what I have to do next. For example if I have a paper to write the project might be called “Write Research Paper” and within that the tasks would be: pick topic, collect research,
Even collect research can be broken down into smaller more specific tasks like if there are 4 different resources i want to look at that way I don’t miss one of them.
One thing I love about Todoist is that I can do a brain dump and go back to it later to organize it. I especially like their drag and drop feature.
Due dates – I always use due dates/times whenever possible to really keep you on track. You can also select bulk tasks if you need to reschedule or post pone them.
You can sync your account to the phone app, web version and the Chrome extension.
I also like that I can add an email reminder to the task so if I’m in my email I get reminder – just in case it is something super important and my phone is out of reach.
I absolutely love this timer website and I’ve been using it for years. Open up your laptop, plug in a number of how long you want and it will set up a timer for you. I usually use it when I’m actually on my laptop doing something (usally writing) so that I can stay on track – especially if there is something extremely important that I have to do later and I don’t want to lose track of time.
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is on my laptop and my cell phone and I love that I can sync them from anywhere. You can invite people to events (via their email address) right inside of the event, you can drag and drop/reschedule events in the web version and you can create different calendars (family, personal, business and so on).
Google Calendar offers lots of different customization options and it has always been reliable and there for me when I needed it most. It also has a task option but I don’t use that anymore as I use ToDoIst much more often to keep track of tasks that need to be done.
I love having a paper planner – always have and always will. I haven’t been using mine as much as I used to since I have went mostly digital, however, I do keep one around and input important events such as appointments and birthdays so I can see my month at a glance.
I also prefer handwritten note taking over digital, however, I will sometimes transfer information between them. For me keeping a notepad is something I have been doing for years so I usually carry one in my purse or even around the house with me at times. I like to take notes of things to do – such as add things to my Todoist tasks and other things as well. I also like that it is easier to do a brain dump which I can eventually organize later.
More articles on staying organized
+ How to build a smarter to-do list Part I: My favorite part from this post was about delegating actively. I have a problem sometimes with delegating partially because I can be impatient and also because I am a control freak and like things done “right” the first time around.
Instead of taking over and trying to do something it is much better to simply make my task to follow-up and check-in rather than take over a project or task myself. This keeps me in charge of my part while still keeping them accountable for theirs. This is something I have been working on personally and professionally for years. I am a work in progress.
How do you stay organized? Are there some tools and/or apps that are must-haves for you? Let us know in the comments.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
Children’s laughter: It is something about a child’s laughter that just makes me warm inside. No matter what is happening in my life a little giggle from a kid will make me smile – on the inside and the outside.
Tiramisu: Now I love me a sweet treat but it is something about tiramisu that makes me so happy. A good tiramisu will just melt in your mouth and make your tummy smile. If I was only allowed just one dessert for the rest of my life it would be for sure be tiramisu.
Sunsets: Though I love sunrise and love to see the sun greet us for a new day there is just something special about a beautiful sunset. It closes out your day and I love seeing that last sliver of light go down underneath a beautiful pink or orange sky.
Rainbows: There is something about these colorful arches in the sky that put a smile on my face – especially after a refreshing rain. Sometimes I am blessed to see a double rainbow and that makes me even happier than a single one.
A good book: I love to read. I have always collected books and have a fairly large collection to choose from. A perfect day would be devouring a good book as I sip coffee or hot tea next to a window while it rains. I don’t read as often as I would like but I have been scheduling in time to do so which has equated to me reading a lot more than I used to.
Music: Whenever I am in a rut I know that I can find some good music to vibe too. Whether it is my own curated playlist (I have called Feel Good Music) or just discovering some new music, I can usually find some songs that will lift my mood.
Animals: From the wild animals at the zoo to the animals we have at home, animals can really put a smile on my face. I love to watch monkeys play along with each other just as much as I love playing catch with our dogs at home. Most domesticated animals love you no matter what. They also can often tell when you aren’t feeling well and will snuggle up next to you which for me makes me feel better.
What are somethings that make you happy? Let us know in the comments.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
Since the holidays are right around the corner I decided it would be fun to share some products I would love to get my hands on.
Augustinus Bader Face Cream: This cream sounds like magic in a bottle, however, with its hefty price I only dream that I could afford to add this to my skincare routine.
Foreo Issa Electric Toothbrush: I’ve been lusting after these toothbrushes for awhile but haven’t convinced myself that this is something that I really need – yet. Another toothbrush I heard is worth looking into (and is half the price of the Issa) is the Colgate Hum Smart Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush.
Revision Skincare BodiFirm: Said to lift and sculpt your body I feel like I have a handful of places I could to slather this on.
HALO BEAUTY Kiwi Skin Booster: My sister has this supplement and loves what it did to her skin. I started taking some of hers, but not long enough to see results. I would still like to scoop up a bottle for myself to see what it does in a few weeks to a month.
FabFitFun Box Subscription: This is probably one of the most popular subscription boxes that I have heard of. I have been going back and forth on purchasing a subscription for as long as I have known about it. One of my sisters is subscribed and I have read and watched many great reviews on it. Sounds like it is totally worth the monthly price, however, I am currently subscribed to the SinglesSwag subscription box and I told myself I would try to only do one subscription box at a time. Click here to get $15 off your first order using my referral link.
Allure Beauty Box Subscription: As I mentioned before, I am trying to only do one subscription at a time, but this one is on my wish list as well. For the great price ($15) I hear you get some really fantastic beauty products. This may be the next one that I get, unless of course someone gifts it to me for the holidays.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
Hey there! Thank you for stopping in. I hope that this new month finds you well. Through all the craziness that 2020 has brought upon us please find some time to take care of you. Here are some things you can do from home to take care of you during this time. I also wrote about some things to do when you’re bored at home.
Anywho, welcome to Flashback Friday for this week – these posts are where I write about what has been going on with me during the week. I am hoping to do this series a little more often since I enjoy doing it so much. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
I’m writing a book: I started writing a book many years ago and am still working on it but I’m currently working on a new book and I feel like this one should be complete before the other one. I am starting with an outline and adding to it. My goal is to write a little something at least a few times a week so that things get moving for me. I’ll be sure to update y’all as I go along. I may even drop a sneak peek eventually.
I’ve been writing blog posts: I have been inspired and motivated more lately and this equates to me coming up with more blog post ideas. I have been enjoying writing new posts and I am hoping that my readers enjoy coming back to read them. My plan is to at least publish 1 post a week at the very minimum – preferably on Sundays. So if I stick with Flashback Fridays I will also be posting an additional post on Fridays. Wish me luck!
I’ve been purging and organizing: Lately I have been on a purging kick. I have been not only cleaning my physical space but also my digital. From organizing my room to deleting old photos and documents I am enjoying the feeling of letting things go that no longer serve me.
I’ve been working on my health and well-being: Though I’ve been working on this off and on, I have recently been more diligent in doing so. I have been attempting to watch my carb intake as well as go on walks and/or do yoga most days of the week.
Also, sleep health has been important so I have decided to go to sleep at an earlier time than usual. No late nights thinking and/or on social media – so far this has been a struggle but I’m doing better most nights. I have been feeling so much better and lost a couple pounds along the way.
I have been also working on my mental health along the way. From practicing my daily affirmations to working closely with my therapist (and doing the homework they assign me) so that I can live a healthier lifestyle.
I’ve been reading more often: From online articles and short emails (with useful information) to physical and digital books, I have made the decision to read as often as I can. My goal is to read at least a little something daily and I have been doing fairly well. I have been debating recently on starting my Audible subscription back up so that I can “read” digital books without purchasing the hard copies and adding it to my huge book collection.
Let us know what you have been up to in the comments.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
