December Has Arrived!!

Holy crap! I am sooo sorry I've been absent for a while!  Things have been crazy hectic for me lately, and I'm just now working on finding time to get things up and running.  I will be having regular blog posts 3 times a week and hopefully weekly vlogs/daily vlogs (if I actually manage to keep up with Vlogmas).  Either way, there might be daily blogs and I will do blogmas instead of Vlogmas LOL (yeah, I'm trying to be funny). 

So, couple of big things have happened in the last few months: I have finally managed to get a part timer trained and working well with the flow of things here in the store.  I am thrilled about that, because it means I can actually start having a life again or at least a couple of days off.  Geoff and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary in July, and things have been wonderful, and I'm hoping that I can manage to actually get my shit together and hit my major goals in a few months (provided certain things don't majorly begin to suck and derail my savings goals).  I am currently filming again, and managed to get two videos up today on my channel, which makes me happy.  I need to find my tripod again, and I'm hoping to get this month's TBR post/video up in a day or so because I've literally had to reduce my goodreads goal TWICE in the past 5 months, which does not make me a happy girl. 

Other than that, things have just been kinda rocky as far as stretching my energy beyond what I really should, and I'm working on carefully walking that tightrope and finding the proper balance that I need once more.  I am also looking into maybe starting up with BetterHelp or a similar service (especially since I will have my Stylo 4 back and not be using the crappy loaner phone I have right now), in the new year because trying to find a therapist in my local area that is actually accepting new patients is proving to be more of a headache than it really should be.  Beyond that, I have been going to my Dr. regularly, and there may be a tweak of my meds in the coming months after bloodwork in January, so we will see what comes from that when I go back to my Dr in the beginning of February.  I've got my appointments set up already, and I have them added to my future log in my 2019 bullet journal set up.

As I'm writing this I am sitting at work, watching the rain fall and listening to one of my favorite playlists this time of year, and I'll have that right below. 

Dominoel Indie Christmas  <--this is my favorite Indie Christmas playlist!

Anyway, I've gotta get some photos edited for my next post that will be going up tomorrow and I am a dummy because I forgot my camera which makes me a derpy mcderp pants.  Which means I'll probably get those photos later today or tomorrow and edit them and get the post up....and probably a late start to Vlogmas...but ya know, I at least got up 2 videos anyway!

Until next time! <3

Review: Emerald Green

Title: Emerald Green
Author: Lindsay Marie Miller
Format: Kindle
Pages: 416
Rating: 4 stars

Emerald Green is the first book in the Murder in Savannah series, and it is also the first book by Lindsay Marie Miller that I've read.  I can honestly say that I am in no way disappointed by the story that she has created.  This book is honestly a satisfying read. It intrigued me from the very beginning.  The dream that Addie had, the boy suddenly showing up at her school.  It was a unique and interesting experience, and something that I hope travels through the rest of this series.

I originally wasn't certain what to make of Addie at first, but as the story went on I quickly fell in love with her.  She is absolutely one of my favorite characters, and one of the first that I've been introduced to by Lindsay Marie Miller. 

Miller's descriptions are absolutely fantastic, stunning and easily draw you into the story she has crafted.  Her characters are relatable, easily pictured in your mind while you read.  She transports you into the world of Addie and Tom and the drama and intrigue that surrounds them in Savannah, Georgia and Maple Creek High.

The murder mystery is definitely a good draw for this particular story, and the reveals are not what the reader would expect, and when they come they are rather large twists.  The twists and turns are enough to keep the reader entertained and further draw them into this fantastic story.

Honestly, I wasn't certain how fast I would read this book, but the fact that I'd finished it in two days or maybe it was less, I don't honestly remember.  It was that good, and rapid page turning (which at first confused my poor Kindle Fire) had me simply forgetting the world around me and living for the story that Lindsay Marie Miller crafted in this novel.  

Done with January

This month.  Seriously, I have no idea what I was thinking attempting to be productive this month.  Between being sick and spending most of it freezing my behind off...I'm just yeah.  No, it just wasn't happening.  I did manage a couple of videos and a couple of blog posts.  So, that's at least a little productive.  However, I'm currently working on my plan for February.  The topics might change for the days of the week, but I've not yet decided yet, and you and I won't know until it happens! 

So, for now I will be hopping into my planning cave and fleshing out a few things because I need to, for my own sanity and ultimately your enjoyment. 

Meal Prep Monday #2

There has never been another time when Jennifer Lawrence was my spirit animal more than the time she asked this question!  Seriously, I am all about the foods, and all about my meal prep now.  

My meal preps are usually done on Sunday mornings, and I am getting into the groove of making my meals for the week.  This is easier for me because I get my schedule for the week on Saturday.  I will be working on making some breakfasts and things, right now, I am waiting to get paid (this week is pay week) and I am going to be working on some new meal preps for next week.  This week's meal prep was super simple, and gave me about 6-7 meals worth, because I do about half a cup to a cup of the meal that I made for each meal.  This will provide me with plenty of meals for a good portion of my week since most of my days start at 930a and go until about 730pm when I finally get home and can have dinner. 

This week I've got a couple of meals that will be my quinoa, chicken and corn paired with some mandarin oranges, I also have 1 meal that will be paired with some pineapple.  I've also been snacking on some almonds and pistachios, and my little indulgence for the week is some red and green M&Ms that were on sale from overstocked Christmas candies. I also have a few containers of Yoplait! yogurt my two favorite flavors are the Whips chocolate and vanilla.  I've also tried some of their mix-ins which are really good as well and definitely have that crunch factor. 

Okay, here is the basics of what I'd done for my meal prep for this week:

Things You'll Need

1. 2.5 cups white qunioa
2. 1 14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth
3. 14.5 oz water (I filled the can from the chicken broth)
4. Salt and pepper to taste
5. 2 small cans of chicken
6. 1 can of corn
7. Fajita seasoning, chili powder, cumin, paprika

The Cooking Process

1. Add chicken broth, water and rinsed quinoa to a sauce pan, season with pinch of salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 15-18 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. 
2. In a saute pan combine two cans of chicken, can of corn, and the remainder of the spices.  Cook until corn and chicken are warm, and slightly charred.  
3. Add to the pan containing the quinoa, stir to combine.  
4. Portion 1/2-cup to 1-cup servings into meal prep containers.  Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Sunday: TBR Pile Update

Welcome to another year!  Which means more reading challenges and more pushing myself to expand my reading horizons, and this year is no exception! At the time of completing this post, and the accompanying video I have already finished my first 2 books of the year, and I loved them both.  The first was The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer and the second was One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake ---which is the 2nd book in a series, and now I'm waiting for the first book to come in! 

The rest of the books I am going to be reading so far this month include: 
1. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
2. The King's Peace by Kevin Hammond
3. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
4. All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
5. The Book of Dust, Volume 1 by Phillip Pullman

Some of these are digital, others are physical.  This will round out almost my first full 10 books of the year.  My first 2 reviews of the year should be going live in the next couple of days (probably Tuesday or as late as Friday), because I'm intending on reviewing at least at some small length all of the books that I read this year.  

Alright, that's all I've got for now, time to get the video up for this blog post! Lots of love and until next week, what's on your TBR Pile?

-Caedy

Breaking the Silence

I know I had a few posts go live on the 1st of the year, and since then I've not had anything go live.  That is for a couple of reasons, the biggest of which is that I am currently still in shock over the callousness of the Logan Paul video (thankfully, it has been removed) which depicted a body...specifically a suicide victim in the forest known as the "Suicide Forest" in Japan.  The man had hung himself, even though most of the man was blurred out, it was still used in the thumbnail and it was still shown within the content of the video.  This is not something that should be done, the stats on that video, before it had been taken down was something like 6 million views and so many likes.  

I suffer from depression, I have had suicidal thoughts, I have considered ending my life many, many times.  It is the reason I have my semi-colon tattoo, that I got it for my birthday last year.  It is why I will always have my door open to anyone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts, depression, or just need someone to talk to.  I may not have my own issues situated, but I am always willing to be an ear, a shoulder, a presence in someone else's life if it is needed.  I cannot say it enough, I cannot express it enough.  Suicide should never be an option when there is ALWAYS someone who is willing to listen, always willing to help in at least some small way.  Please do not think that suicide is the only option that you have. 

Mental health is something that should not carry the stigma that it does in today's society, it should be treated just like any other illness not negated or diminished just because the symptoms are not always physically manifested.  This is a topic that is near to my heart and the callousness that was shown by Logan Paul and his team, further solidified my decision that he is not a creator that I have the desire to watch, now or ever.  

Please, if you are having suicidal thoughts, or just need someone to talk to leave a comment here, send me an email, DM me on Instagram or Twitter, just don't close yourself off when you have someone who is willing to listen, willing to help, and more importantly willing to keep you here where you can make the most difference. You are loved.  You are cherished.  You matter. 

I am also including links as well as contact information for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline...

https://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
1-800-273-8255

2018 Reading Goals

Hello Lovelies!

So, every January I set goals for myself as far as my reading goes.  This year, is no exception.  I will be setting my goal on Goodreads for minimum 80 books throughout this year, I will also be participating in several reading challenges to broaden my reading habits as well as sampling new authors and hopefully finding new things that I like.  I will also be attempting to tackle some of my TBR list backlog.  I will also be attempting to try and review all the books that I've read this year, either an in depth review, or at least making note of something that stood out for me positive or negative. 

I will be updating weekly with books that I intend on tackling for that week or even for the month as a whole, pulled from my Kindle, Libby (the awesome app from Overdrive), from my local library, or from my personal library.  I will be migrating books that I do not finish to the following week, and my goal is to complete all the books set out through that month within the month.  To meet my Goodreads goal of 80 books for the year minimum, I will need to read about 7 books a month, which is something that I know I am capable of doing and should be able to do.

Some of the challenges that I will be doing as far as my reading goes are, Book Riot's Read Harder challenge, A to Z challenge, 2018 Badass Book Challenge, 2018 Newberry Challenge, PopSugar reading challenge, Pages Read Challenge, and the 2018 Review Writing Challenge.  I will include links to as many of the challenges as I can.  I will also be updating my reading log template with the challenges, books and other information, which I will be sharing in a future post.

The initial template is one that was shared last year or the year before through Book Riot, with my own personal additions to it.  That is the best part of the template, because it is customizable to the user's needs and that is something that drew me to it. 

For the Newberry Reading Challenge and the Pages Read Challenge there are different levels, and my level goals are as follows:

-Newberry: Lowry which is the 60-74 point range for reading Newberry and Caldecott Honor and Medal books.
-Pages Read: Douglas Fir level which is 72,000 pages read in the year. 

Those are my goals for those two challenges along with the total of 80 books and hopefully 80 reviews minimum throughout the coming year.  As for the PopSugar challenge, I've not yet decided if I'm going to attempt the advanced level of the challenge yet or not.

Challenge Links

2018 Badass Book Challenge

Book Riot's 2018 Read Harder Challenge

2018 Newberry Reading Challenge

PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge

2018 Book Dragon's Pages Read Challenge

2018 Review Writing Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meal Prep Monday #1

Alright, so this is by far one of the newest things for me.  I've not done a meal prep anything since July of last year when I'd done some quesadillas for while I was housesitting at my parents.  This year, as part of my personal health and wellness goals, I am intending on eating out less, eating more balanced meals and snacks while I am at work and at home.  Since most of my days begin at 0430am and I don't get home until after 1900, I need things that will keep my energy levels up and ensure that I am eating enough of a balanced meal to meet caloric intake as well as nutritional intake. 

This week I am prepping for 5 days minimum, since that is how many days I am usually out of the house.  I am attempting to ensure that I have enough healthy snacks as well as meals throughout the day.  I will be purchasing some meal prep containers to use throughout the week, that provide sections for balanced meals, I will be including links to my favorite recipes as well as items that I've purchased to further aid me on this healthier journey including vitamins and things of that nature.

For the coming week, I will be alternating with two different meals - a small portion of spaghetti with either a simple red sauce or a bit of olive oil and minced garlic tossed with some chicken, sautéed green beans, and a lemon herb quinoa with chicken and sautéed sweet corn. 

This will be four days, and the fifth day will be something simple, or probably leftovers from the night before.  This will round out the five days that I need a major meal for at work, since most of my days are exceptionally long.  I will also be ensuring that I have some snacks and fruits as well as my meals. There is a very good chance that I will probably be start making some overnight oats as well so I have something hearty in the morning that will provide me with an adequate amount of energy throughout the day.  There may or may not also be some smoothie bowls added to the mix as well...when I can use the blender without fear of waking everyone in the house up.

I will be tracking some of my meals and things in my bullet journal, and depending on various things, I will either end up making my meal prep ideas their own spread or continue to have them listed on my weekly spreads.  It all depends on how things go, and what best suits my organizational needs.

There will also be a video accompanying this topic over on my youtube channel, so look for that on Mondays.  I will also be including the recipes for certain things here on the blog and probably in the description box when I upload the videos.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments please feel free to leave them below!

Until next time!

Welcome to 2018!

Welcome to 2018!

I could start this blog post off with promises and resolutions and things like that, but I’m trying very hard to not be the blogger with all the cliches.  So, I will simply start off with the hope that your year will be filled with productivity and blessings.  Things will be picking up again here, and I do hope to actually keep the momentum going throughout the year, instead of having the heavy periods of drop off throughout due to various reasons (health, etc).  

I have several things in the works for this year, including picking back up my reviewing, because that is a habit that I’ve fallen out of.  I am also going to be doing more videos on my youtube channel and attempting to further build my presence and brand throughout the communities that I am a part of.  I will be revamping several things over the course of the coming days, many of the reworks done behind the scenes and will becoming online in the beginnings of the year.   I am also in the process of getting a website up and running, which will hopefully provide a bit more of a home for all of my ramblings and such.

I’ve several posts planned, and lots of topics that will be covered between books, bullet journalling, and even things that are a lot more personal than I’ve gotten here on the blog before.  I am however, over the last few months, become more comfortable with who I am, what I am doing, and the relationship that I am building within the polyamorous community.  I actually see a future, a chance for growth, and with the way things have turned upward for me at the end of last year, I am hoping that this upward trend continues - in fact I have every intention of ensuring that this upward trend continues. Alright, with that, I think I will start breaking down the upcoming schedule for things to come here at Caedy’s Closet of Curiosities.

Sunday: TBR for the Week

Monday: Meal Prep Monday

Tuesday: Author Spotlight

Wednesday: Wishlist Wednesday
Thursday: Polyamory and Me

Friday: Friday Favorites

Saturday: Bullet Journal PWM & Favorites

This is is just an outline, possible topics for the week.  I have not yet fully determined what will be done or if I will be posting 7 days a week.  However, I know some of these topics will tie in with videos that will be going live on my Youtube channel, as well as updates on my Instagram and Snapchat.  Since, I tend to post and share on various platforms.  

I do hope that this new year is fruitful for you all and I will see you soon!  

Lots of Love,

Caedy