Tag: planner addict

Back on the Bullet Journal Wagon….. Again ;-)

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If you know anything about me at this point after reading this blog, it’s that I LOVE planning! It doesn’t matter that I’m not really that busy of a person, or that it doesn’t really help me be all that more production, but I love to put my weekly tasks and appointments down on paper and decorate it with stickers and washi until it looks like Lisa Frank threw up on the page. Yup, I have a problem.

I love to flit from planner to planner and try ALL THE THINGS, but when it all comes down to it I always end up coming back to where it all started, a bullet journal. Some people like the minimalistic bullet journal, but I love the flexibility it gives me to just let my creativity loose on the page and see what I come up with. I’m not particularly amazing when it comes to artistic skills, but I can draw enough to make myself happy generally. I sure as hell can put some stickers and washi tape down, but the whole point to the process is really no more than getting my tasks and appointments down on paper and keeping them all organized in one place along with whatever thoughts, journaling, and doodles I come up with along the way.

So back to my trusty bullet journal I go this week, but this time I’m approaching it differently. Before my weekly and daily layouts were very routine and I didn’t change it up much. This time I want to challenge myself a little more and more. So…..

Not too bad for a 40 year old wanna-be arteest!

Between today and tomorrow I played with a couple of new daily layouts – I love using my Hourly Washi from Erin Condren, so of course that’s always in there somewhere (nevermind the fact I have zero on the calendar for tomorrow, that’s just icing on the proverbial cake) – I wanted to leave room for my daily journaling, but still be able to place my hourly schedule and tasks on the same page. When I did that, however, it left a blank page before I wanted to start next week’s weekly spread so I decided to go ahead and draw that Lighthouse I have been wanting to draw for a while.

Way back when I first started bullet journaling it would have bothered the heck out of me to put a monthly cover anywhere other than the first of the month before any weekly or daily spreads had been started. Thankfully I’ve evolved to where I don’t care about that anymore….. much. 😉 I had a spare page, and I used it, and I’m happy with it, and that’s all that matters!

Next I decided to work on a weekly spread that was a little different than my usual go-to. I wanted something crisp and clean looking but still fun and pleasing to look at. I looked around on Pinterest to gather some ideas and ended up going with this one – It has the month top left, with the current week highlighted, then beneath that is a weather tracker that I plan on putting little weather illustrations along with the high temp of the day. I drew myself a little plant underneath that because, well, I wanted to. There’s 8 lines beneath each day of the week to allow for plenty of calendar items, and a section for next week’s highlights, finally followed by a notes section on the left-hand side for me to jot down to-dos or things I need to remember.

I’m not going to lie, that drawing of the lighthouse, followed by the weekly spread took me probably 2.5-3 hours, but it felt good to spend some time doodling and doing things just for me for a while. My husband always thinks it’s weird that I can sit in the same place for hours jacking with a paper book, but for me it’s my time to organize my thoughts for the day and decompress – plus I spend a little time each evening journaling about the day’s memories. My hope is that some day when I’m older or gone, myself or my kids can look back on each of these books and remember/learn a little more about how good life has been to me and my family, and enjoy a little peek into the past. I know I love to look back over the memory keeping I’ve done so far for sure! <3

You win some, you lose some…

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Apparently I’m really lame at this whole blogging regularly thing, but I feel like the “Mom Blogger” title still fits me, because when do Moms have the time to do anything, much less actually post a blog regularly. So I am still going to call myself a blogger, even though I suck at it. LOL!

This little monkey had his first ENT visit this morning, which considering he’s almost 4 and his sister had ear tubes by the time she was 18 months old, I consider this a win! He was WIRED FOR SOUND in the waiting room, but once we hit the doctor’s exam room he had settled considerably. He was UBER interested in the buttons on the side of this chair, and kept asking the nurse how to make the chair fly. When she told him he had to “use his imagination” he retorted “Well, I don’t have one of those.” ha! I love things kids say!

I’m still plugging away at the planning and bullet journaling – my current setup includes my beloved B6 Bullet Journal that is my “daily catch-all” for my desk and memory keeping. I generally have my daily tasks and hourly setup on the left side page and do a little journaling about my day on the right hand side. Other than that I carry a Hobonichi A6 Techo in my purse, and there’s a HP Mini sitting on my personal desk for weekly and other crap. 😉

  • Rainy Day Succulent
  • We’re Expecting!!

There’s been some interesting things going on in the garden as of late – the rain has been EPIC and never-ending, so much so that a she turtle from the pond down the street has decided our landscaping is probably the driest place for her to make her nest and lay her eggs. She dug herself a nice muddy hole and has been “populating” her nest all evening. I hope it’s not too wet/muddy for the eggs to survive. We’ll have to be really careful not to disturb the nest or let the kids bother it. It’s been getting super “National Geographic” over here!

The plants are still struggling between recovering from SNOVID (the freak snow/ice/blizzard event back in February, which wiped out my entire succulent collection and I had to start from scratch) and the ridiculous 10+ inches of rain a week we’ve been having for months. Truth be told, it’s getting old out there Mother Nature, so cut us some slack, m’kay?

In other news, I turn 40 on Thursday, FORTY. I feel so freakin’ old. I’ve been going through my mid-life crisis since about November, and apparently it’s been my “thing” to collect tattoos, which I’ve gotten three new ones in that time. (That’s a post for a different day, for sure) I guess at least I haven’t bought a convertible or run off with a dude half my age. Probably a good thing I don’t even care for millenials that much. ha ha ha! Just kidding, my hubby is the best – even if he IS a year older than me. 😉

SNOVID-21

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Well, it officially happened last week…. Hell froze over.

A small lake near my home in Texas, TEXAS y’all, that froze over so thick you could walk on it (not that I’d recommend that, of course.)

The snow started last Sunday evening and it all went to heck in a handbasket from there. SO MANY lost power and water, including my In-laws who finally gave up after three sleepless nights of below 40 degrees in their condo and braved the roads to make it here where we were lucky enough to have not lost power. The lakes froze over so thick people were actually ice skating on them. Stores, if they were open, quickly ran completely out of milk, eggs, water, bread, and meat. Maybe y’all think we’re a bunch of weenies if you live up north but the fact of the matter is Texas is, as a whole, completely unprepared for this kind of disaster. Tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, fires, we have the resources to deal with those. -2 degrees and a snowmaggedon? Nope. It just never happens down here, until now.

Wildly enough, the snow began to melt Friday after over a week of sub-freezing temperatures and by Saturday afternoon is was mostly gone… leaving behind a path of destruction in the form of previously frozen water pipes bursting like balloons. It’s not good…. so many homes and businesses are still without water, or have had to shut it off to minimize the destruction. It’s insane. Also insane? It hit 73 degrees here today.

Can’t go -2 degrees to 73 in one week, you say? Texas says: “Hold my beer.”

In the meantime I entertained myself by working a 60+ hour work week completely in panic mode alongside my team (also in panic mode), arguing with my kids who were batshit crazy from being cooped up, and taking pictures of the cats snuggled up together for warmth.

But today it was positively decent outside, and we started to assess my succulent gardens, which I’m super sad to say did not survive. I’m going to have to completely redo them this year. Honestly though, in the grand scheme of things we’re extremely lucky to have had heat and water the entire week, so there’s no way I’m going to complain.

And now I’m back to planning a normal week full of grocery runs and swim / art lessons and it’s weird, honestly, after the cluster that was last week but here we are, and it’s Texas, and like they always say….

“If you don’t like the weather here, wait 5 minutes…”

New Unboxings!!

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I decided to entertain myself and my 5 year old with some surprise craft boxes from one of my favorite stores, Little Craft Place in Houston (Spring), TX! WOW y’all, were we ever surprised! SO… MUCH… FUN… STUFF! Run, don’t walk, over to that website and get you one – so worth it and so much fun! What a bright spot in our kind of crappy, stuck at home day! She has boxes for adults, and also has boxes made up for girls 4-6yrs, boys 4-6yrs, girls 7&up, and boys 7&up!

First unboxing was Tatum’s. She’s five and LOVES crafts! We didn’t get to open these until later in the evening so she didn’t get to participate in her unboxing video, but she can’t WAIT to start crafting with all this tomorrow, and I even bribed her to go to bed with it. LOL!

And after she went to bed, I unboxed mine! WOW, I swear Eunice must be the world champion at package Tetris because this box is PACKED (I mean, they both were, but wow!) with goodies!

Needless to say, I’ve already jumped on and ordered both of us second boxes. Ha ha ha!! Hope this helps give you some great crafting ideas for both you and your little ones during this social distancing! So happy to see small business thinking **inside** the surprise box, and what a wonderful way to market your business and all the wonderful things you offer once you’re able to safely get out and about! <3

Planners Gonna Plan…

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Planners Unite Party by Washi Tape Warrior

I went to my first “real” planner event this weekend, and I have to tell you I got some weird reactions to that from a bunch of my family and friends. I had asked my hubby for a ticket for my birthday this year and I was super pumped about going. My hubby told me “I don’t know why you’d want to do that, but if it’s what you want then go for it!”

So I was thinking to myself last night, how to explain to the non-planner WHY exactly I love planning. Brace yourself for the shocker, it’s NOT primarily organizational based like you would think. Far from it (though it is a nice side perk!) I enjoy planning because for ME, it is a creative release.

I am not particularly artistic when it comes to drawing/painting/etc. I’ve never had, nor will I probably ever develop that particular skill set. My stick people look like maybe my 4 year old drew them. I’ve always wanted to be super artistic, and I’ve tried and tried to draw/paint/sketch, but the reality is… it’s not going to happen.

When I’m working on a spread or layout for the week in one of my planners, not only am I reminding myself of the things I need to do and appointments I need to keep, but I’m creating a visually appealing way to look at my life the next 7 days. I thoroughly enjoy putting stickers, washi tape, and colorful pens/markers down in a collection of thoughts that speaks to me. It’s soothing, and it’s fun.

That being said, sometimes I am also like a squirrel surrounded by shiny objects when faced with the sheer collection of planner stuff I’ve acquired when trying to plan out my week. When that happens I try to sit back and look around for something that inspires me. I have a lot of stuff hanging around, and generally there’s always something I can create an idea from.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I headed off to this planner event. I consider myself somewhat of an “Introverted Extrovert”. I love people, love meeting new personalities and experiencing moments from their point of view, but I also get nervous and a little anxious at the beginning of a social situation, especially when I don’t really know anyone. I tend to cling to people I DO know like a rat to a sinking ship until I can get comfortable enough to be myself.

I really shouldn’t have worried at all. Planner people have this “You can sit with us” mentality that is truly refreshing in this socially stunted world. Everyone is open and friendly and excited to share. I also THOROUGHLY enjoyed the speaker, Heather Kell, from @kellofaplan on Instagram! She took a fairly mundane, everyday object like a sticker book full of icon stickers and transformed it into a glorious assembly of creative ideas, and her excitement and passion for what she was doing was infectious! I couldn’t WAIT to get home and start creating things using the creativity she had inspired!

So that’s why I plan – it’s a great group of people, and honestly, they’re on to something! I find organizing my thoughts and getting it down onto paper centers me and soothes my anxiety, plus the added bonus of rarely (I’m not saying it never happens) forgetting some thing I’m supposed to do or somewhere I’m supposed to be. =)

That being said…. it’s been a month since I posted here. Maybe I need to start planning out my blogging a bit better!! ha! <3

I can… and I will.

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It’s been a hot minute since I posted here, almost two months in fact. What’s been holding me back, you ask? ME. I’ve been holding me back.

A friend and I were talking at lunch today, and we were discussing motivational issues (mostly mine). She was giving me some tips and tricks on things that helped her stay on task, and it really started to perk me up. “That sounds pretty easy”, I was thinking to myself, but in reality it’s not. Focus and discipline are hard work, but if you put into it what you want to get out of it, then it will become as natural as breathing.

While we were tossing ideas about, we both kind of stumbled on a phrase I found really important, and I think this phrase can apply to ALL creative types, regardless of genre: Creatively Overwhelmed.

I think this is an important phrase to describe where I frequently find myself in life. I have all these great ideas floating around in my head, and I KNOW the things I am good at and COULD be GREAT at if given the chance, but especially as a mother I frequently find myself distracted, straying away from those ideas, or even forgetting them entirely in lieu of something else that popped in at the last minute. Can anyone else relate? It happens to me all the time and it’s really starting to get me down.

I Can… and I Will…

People made a big deal this year about “One Word.” One word that describes your plan for the year. I feel like ONE word for the entire year may be pushing it for me. Maybe smaller goals, some that will push me a little but are otherwise easily achievable, might be MY answer.

So starting August 1st (well, if you want to be technical about it, August 2nd), I’m going to focus on “One Word” a month. One word that showcases or encompasses the goal I have for myself that month. One word for one goal that I CAN, and I WILL achieve. One thing at a time.

This month’s word is “MOTIVATION” – and this weekend will see me writing down and brainstorming answers to the question: “How do I MOTIVATE myself each day to get both the tasks I NEED to get done for both my business and personal life, as well as a couple tasks from my WANT to get done list?”

How do YOU get your MOTIVATION in check? I’m a planner by nature, so my first thought is better scheduling for my “free” time. Even though I don’t have a “real job” per se, I need to schedule myself hourly as if I do. Plan a set amount of time to focus on ONE task and not get sidetracked. Treat both my craft business AND my blog like a “real job” (because I WANT IT TO BE, so why shouldn’t I work for it?) and prioritize my day.

I’d love to know, though, how my readers get it all done! What have you found helpful in scheduling both your personal and professional life? What tricks do you use to MOTIVATE yourself to strive to be your best? Leave them in the comments, and I can’t wait to hear!

Another Planner Nerd Post!

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Scribbles That Matter – My Planner Peace

Here we go with yet another planner post! Sorry you guys that aren’t into it – but ironically enough ever since I became a Stay at Home Mom my schedule has been a lot tougher to organize than it was when I was working! I know that seems odd, but it’s true. AmIRight Mom friends?

I’ve been kind of all over the place on the planners that I use…. I have gone through several different brands but none really had the flexibility on space that I wanted. I tried the bullet journal only and I still really like my BuJos but not necessarily for scheduling/planning because I’m not artistic enough and I enjoy a “clean” looking planner.

Enter the 2019 Scribbles That Matter A5 Bullet Planner. I was skeptical when I saw it but wanted to give it a shot. I’ve been using it for several weeks now and I REALLY LOVE IT. I think I’ve found “Planner Peace”! It has pre-done weekly spreads with a dot grid background that please my “neatness/pretty” side, and a bunch of plain bullet journal dot grid pages at the end of each month and the end of the book that please my need to have more space. I can add stickers or Washi, but still write like a bullet journal. It’s awesome!

It also looks super fabulous in my Chic Sparrow A5 Creme Chocolate folio, and I have a feeling I’ll eventually start using this as my every day carry. Totally loving it!

For my planner followers… Have you found your “Planner Peace”? Be sure to share in the comments or on social media using #MindYourBiscuitsTX! <3

Soon, I’ll add a “real post”…

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Tomorrow I’ll add a “real post”, I promise, but my kids have been killing my mental health this week (I love my kids, but holy cow a sassy 4 year old and a sick 20 month old can be super ridiculously draining sometimes!)

In the meantime, I wanted to share this SUPER AWESOME bullet journal that I found on Amazon – came to my door yesterday for a whopping $9.53 + free prime shipping!! It’s AMAZING quality for the price, and I love the gold foiled accents on the cover. It’s going to look fantastic in my collection. ha ha ha!

If you’re looking to try out a Bullet Journal for the first time, or maybe even just looking for a pretty one to add to your lineup, I’d totally recommend it. A5 Sized, the cover is sturdy and has gold foiling mixed in with some lovely vibrant colors, and the pages have a nice visible dot pattern and are a really nice thickness. Doesn’t look to bleed or ghost too badly according to the reviews! Just thought I’d pass on for anyone interested!!! Click here to go straight there!

***This post contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at NO additional cost to you.

Stuff I Love!!!

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Just updated the Stuff I Love page on the website!  Some really fun new things, so be sure to check them out!

What kind of stuff do YOU love??  I love learning about new STUFF so be sure to comment and let me know!!

STUFF I LOVE!!!!

I’m a pretty pen addict!

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A lot of people have asked what I am using to display my planner pens – I have both the 36″ version and the 24″ version of these awesome ledge shelves! Really easy to install and they hold the pens well boxed. I haven’t tried them unboxed but I’d think they’d do ok considering there’s a ledge at the bottom!
 
Here’s the exact shelves I have on amazon!  I really love the way they look in my “happy space” (aka, my desk LOL)