Reflections of a Cold Girl

This was me this morning when I woke up and looked at the temperature, simply because I have to leave the house.  I cannot stay in my pajamas all day again (much like yesterday!).  So, I know this is two days late, but I was too damn cold to function and pretty much vegged out watching things on Youtube and writing letters to my pen pals because I'd been neglecting them due to being sick and the holidays.  

I am currently in the process of doing about 6 different things (including getting ready to walk out the door) and all of them will help keep me organized and happy in the coming months...or at least I hope so :) Beyond that, I'm just dealing with life as it is thrown at me.  I'm relaxing when I can, and ultimately attempting to ensure that I am productive as possible.  

Yes, I know this is technically Sunday's blog...it's been cold and I've been achy and typing has not been my friend because of my neuropathy, which tends to settle in my left hand/wrist and make my life difficult.  I haven't even been on social media much in the last couple of days due to the fact that the cold is screwing with my productivity.  

Right now, I'm finishing this, and then working on today's blog post and a series of reviews, and then I need to actually finish setting up my bujo that is devoted to my blog.  I've bought a cheap little dollar store notebook (rather, I found one hiding in some of my stuff) and I'm turning it into my blog bullet journal.  Something a bit minimalist, though that really won't last because honestly, I am too creative to keep anything completely minimalist.  

I am still attempting to change my mindset and actively get moving and productive in this new year, but it is hard.  I know part of my problem and it is at the point where I need to stop messing around and start ensuring that I have the money for doctors appointments that I need, so I can actively start working on taking care of my mental and physical health.  It does not help that I've been feeling more run down than usual (strep throat didn't really help that feeling at all) but I've also been fighting a bit more with my anxiety and depression and those are things that I need to get under control, to the point that I need to probably start adding a symptom/trigger tracker to my bullet journal or start including triggers/symptoms that have caused an issue with my anxiety or depression so I have the notes when I finally make it to a doctors appointment. 

Anywho!  

Time for me to start getting productive, my Spotify playlist is calling my name. 

Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Title: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail

Author: Cheryl Strayed

Format: E-Book (Kindle)

Pages: 338

Date(s) Read:  Jan 9-17, 2016

Rating: 4

Summary: At 22, Cheryl’s life had fallen apart.  Family scattered, her mother’s death, and ultimately the dissolution of her own marriage.   Four years later, with nothing to lose, she makes the most impulsive decision of her life.  No training or experience, she chooses to hike 1000 miles of the Pacific Coast trail from the Mojave Desert, through California, Oregon and into Washington.  

Review:

Okay, so first thing first, I’m usually not one for this particular type of memoir.  I really am not, however, I did actually kind of enjoy this book.  Even though there were more than a thousand times I wanted to pitch my kindle across the room swearing and wondering what kind of idiot Cheryl was to attempt such a thing without at least a small amount of experience - for most people something like this is bordering on suicidal if you don’t have at least the basic idea of survival skills.  Hell, I grew up a Girl Scout and camping with my grandmother, that doesn’t mean that I intend on hiking these massive trails alone without at least some further brushing up on my training first.

Yeah, I get that it was a soul searching, a way for her to face her fears and ultimately find some form of healing in her life.  However, there were perhaps other ways she could have gone about it without putting her own life at risk by attempting to undertake such a venture.  Of course none of them perhaps would have provided the level of intensity and healing that Cheryl required at this point in her life.  In truth, who is anyone to judge the level of extreme that someone must go through to heal themselves when they think that they honestly have nothing left to lose.  The fact that Cheryl did choose something perhaps this crazy is something that does speak to me on a bit of a personal level because to be honest, there were other ways that her life could have gone and none of them end with this being a memoir, but instead being a story of a life no longer lived.  

This journey was essentially Cheryl’s version of what most recently is known as the “semicolon” project.  This was her semicolon.  Her choice to do something completely different rather than succumb to the potential downward spiral of depression.  94 days on the Pacific Coast Trail was Cheryl’s version of climbing her way upward from what at 26 for her, was rock bottom.  

I have not actually seen the movie based off this book, but I will have to see if I can find it and watch it sometime this year.  It did tickle me a bit to see this referenced in Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life, it kinda made me happy.  

2017: Week One in Review

So, if you know anything about me (and you should if you've been following the blog for awhile)...you know that my productivity comes in waves.  There will be months where I'm super-duper productive and get out all the reviews and all the blog posts and then there will be months where it seems like I've fallen off the face of the earth.  I know you've honestly heard what I'm about to say before, but, this time, I seriously, seriously freaking mean it...I am honestly going to actually get my crap together and keep up this level of productivity for all three hundred and sixty five days of this year (Okay, don't judge, and yes I know I've already missed 2 blog posts this week...and I've not posted a single review for this year yet...hush...I'm getting there!), or rather the days that are left.  Especially since I intend on incorporating some youtube videos into the mix of things -- yes I know, I need to fix the link in my last blog post concerning the vid, there were issues, and it got reuploaded and I'll fix the link - after this blog post! 

What can you, honestly, expect from me in 2017 that is different than every other time I've attempted to boost my productivity in the years past?  I am actually 100% setting up a window of about 3-4 hours a day (probably realistically 1-2 on days that I work longer shifts at work) that will be devoted to getting up blog content.  I will be hopefully filming youtube videos which will probably for the most part focus on my bullet journal and maybe some book stuff on Sundays, editing on Monday or Tuesday and uploading on Tuesday or Wednesday, with another upload probably on Saturday.  We will see, as that is still somewhat up in the air as to just how many videos I'm going to post in a week because I do have to share the bandwidth with 4 other people and they tend to get bitchy when things get horribly laggy or some shit.  I am also attempting to work through some backlog when it comes to reviews.  I am currently attempting to pen out a review schedule in a little pocket planner that I have, or I might buy a notebook (because I so need more of those) from the dollar store and turn that into my review tracking bullet journal and customize it for that.  That might, now that I think about it, be the better option for this...yeah, will have to see what I can find at the dollar store that will fit what I want and probably start working on that tomorrow or probably Monday before I have to go to work.  

What can you expect to see in the coming week?

1. Book of the Week (Today)

2. 2 Reviews (Today)

3. Sunday Reflections

4. Tuesday Thoughts

5. Wish List Wednesday 

6. Thankful Thursday

7. 10 reviews (minimum)

8. Book of the Week (Saturdays)

That totals to about 15 blog posts per week - at minimum.  The weekly scheduled plus the addition of the reviews in the mix.  I'm aiming for 10 minimum a week because that will ensure that I can actually start clearing up my 2016 backlog (which is quite a few from the books that I'd read and not yet reviewed) as well as let me start throwing into the mix the books i've started finishing for this year. 

So, without further adieu, it's time for me to get my buns in gear and crank up some tailgating country music and get cracking on things!  

Lots of love!

Caedy

Tuesday's Thoughts

Hello lovelies!!  Welcome to a wonderful Tuesday (wonderful in that I have a day off and it's blissfully gloomy and rainy outside, which means that I've done nothing but nap and read all day!).  I also happened to do a thing.  A little thing, but it gets my youtube channel up and running with my first video!  The quality is not the best, but I'm still working out the kinks and getting familiar with my editing software.  

So, it was a fun thing to do while I was out the other day (filmed before I'd realized that I was suffering from strep throat and not just a cold).  I enjoyed the time out with my niece and I'm considering taking up vlogging in addition to my regular blogging in 2017.  We will see how that goes! 

So I've the video down below for you to check out!  Subscribe and let's get this ball rolling! 

I've already started my first two books of 2017, and I am absolutely loving each of them for different reasons.  I'm currently reading The Unbecoming of Myra Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.  Both of which fall into the Listy A to z challenge, and I am using The Unbecoming of Myra Dyer for my first book in the PopSugar 2017 Reading Challenge.  I am also doing Book Riot's Read Harder challenge.  I've even updated my reading spreadsheet to track all three of these challenges.  It will be interesting to see where my reading takes me this year.

Do you have any book recommendations that could help me fill these challenges? More authors of color that I need to read? LGBTQ+ authors that I need to read? I'm open to any and every suggestion! 

Until next time lovelies, 

Caedy

Hello 2017!

Normally this post would be already pre-written, fashioned to perfection the night before on New Year's Eve, or even a couple of days in advance.  However, this year, I've chosen to do this post on the first day of the year and write it as the thoughts come to me.  

I am glad that 2016 has gone, and that a new set of 365 days are unfolding before us.  I am grateful for the days that have passed, the fact that I survived what the previous year has thrown at me.  I will survive and move forward in this year.  I have ambitious goals for this year, and I am hoping to cross things off my bucket list that have been there for quite some time. 

I have chosen my word of the year and that is productivity.  I intend to be more productive, more active, more creative, more accomplished in the coming year.  Bullet journaling has proven to be a resourceful thing in my life, ensuring that I have a creative outlet, as well as providing me with a visual look at the things that I need to get done during the day, week, month, year.  I am thankful for the discovery of this system and I highly encourage you to check it out if you think it might be something for you. 

As you can see on the sidebar, the weekly schedule has changed and I am working on providing new and unique content for you guys! I will be keeping up with the reviews, and trying to get at least 4-6 reviews out weekly along with the regular blog posts - including random posts when the mood strikes me on any given day (that's what mobile posting is for!).  

Oh, and nothing like starting the year off with strep throat.  Yeah, that's been me, so there was no overindulging last night, no excessive amounts of booze, and to be honest, I was nyquilled up and in bed before Mariah Carey's fail and the ball drop.  Usually I am able to stay up, but this year being sick has taken it's toll on me and I just wanted my bed, my stuffed pooh bear bumble bee, and my blankets.  

I've already got my first few books of the year outlined, and am not sure which one I'm going to start first.  I'm eyeing The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin first because that one's been on my TBR for a little while now.  However, I'm also considering The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski or The Circle by David Eggers - which I want to read before I can see the movie. 

Oh, and if you check the where to find me, you might find a new link.  Yes, I am brushing off my youtube channel and actually getting the courage up to start filming videos for my channel.  We will see how long my confidence lasts, and I know, the quality will not be the best for now, but I will work on getting a better camera and working on the quality of the videos the more invested I become with filming them. 

I think that is all I have for right now, there might be another post later!  For now, I wish you all the love and blessings that this year could possibly hold!  

Namaste, 
Caedy