A new scratching post for the cat, dogsitting, the zoo, visits to the puppies, and more!
Music:
Tossing Copper – Still Small Voice (Noisetrade)
Just a little update on my service dog puppy situation… or a “pupdate”, if you will. 😉
The last update I wrote was about the birth of the puppies. Since then, we’ve visited several times and it’s been great to be able to see my puppy growing up from the beginning, even if I don’t yet know which of the little ones will be mine. I’ll find out on December 5th, when all the puppies will be tested on personality and temperament. A few days later, on December 9th, I will be taking her home with me!
According to TIME, Instagram is the worst social media for our mental health. (Source) It is associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying, and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.”
I think this can easily be avoided by just not following people who make you feel inadequate or unhappy. (That may not solve the FOMO, though.) Most of the accounts I follow on Instagram are cats and golden retrievers, and I’m doing great! Although I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, I do my best to make sure things like this don’t trigger it.
In which I do a puzzle, try out cargo bikes, go on a boat tour of Amsterdam, and make pizza.
Music:
Jeff Pianki – If I Had My Way (Bandcamp)
Here is the truth: you don’t need more than a notebook and a pen to keep a bullet journal. You really don’t. However, some tools can still be really useful for making your bullet journal more personal and most importantly, to boost your productivity — the whole goal of keeping a bullet journal in the first place.
When the inside of my bullet journal is just a sea of black text on white paper, I get lost. I’m a visual thinker, which means I process things more quickly if they’re made visual. I color-code so I can see at a glance what area of my life a task or event relates to, and I use colored markers to fill in habit trackers and highlight important information.
I’m always up for a good scare! I grew up reading Goosebumps, spooky things are a special interest of mine, and I’ve been watching horror movies since I became a teenager. I never quite got into horror books, though. Most of the scary books I’ve read have been Young Adult fiction, but I’ve recently been branching out and picking up more adult fiction and non-fiction. True crime seems interesting too.
For now, here are seven creepy books to read while hiding under your blanket:
This post includes affiliate links.
This book was given to me for review. In no way does this affect my opinion of the books or the content of my review.
The Bullet Journal Method
by Ryder Carroll
Age Group/Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Publication date: October 23rd, 2018
Publisher: 4th Estate
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Add to Goodreads | Buy from The Book Depository
Synopsis
Like many of us, Ryder Carroll tried everything to get organized — countless apps, systems, planners, you name it. Nothing really worked. Then he invented his own simple system that required only pen and paper, which he found both effective and calming. He shared his method with a few friends, and before long he had a worldwide viral movement. Hundreds of thousands of Bullet Journal fans now spread the word and read Ryder’s blog and newsletter.
The system combines elements of a wishlist, a to-do list, and a diary. It makes it easy to get thoughts out of your head (an unreliable witness) and onto paper, to see them clearly and decide what to do about them. It helps you identify what matters, and set goals accordingly. By breaking long-term goals into small actionable steps, users map out an approachable path towards continual improvement, allowing them to stay focused despite the crush of incoming demands.
But this is much more than a time management book. It’s also a manifesto for what Ryder calls “intentional living”: making sure that your beliefs and actions align. Even if you already use a Bullet Journal®, this book gives you new exercises to become more calm and focused, new insights on how to prioritize well, and a new awareness of the power of analog tools in a digital world.
With Halloween coming up, I thought it’d be fun to share a list of some of my favorite horror movies. I started watching horror when I was around twelve years old, and it quickly became one of my favorite genres.
My taste in a nutshell
I prefer more recent releases, as the older ones seem too fake to me and have never scared me much. (I have no time for movie snobs, so if you’re here to tell me I’m not a ‘real horror fan’, get out.) I like when a movie does something different, which is why there are a few movies on this lists that have that unique aspect to them. Gore is not my thing at all, but I can tolerate it in some movies. I prefer psychological & supernatural over slashers & sci-fi, and jump scares are fine with me as long as they don’t happen too often and the movie doesn’t completely rely on them.
Some horror flicks that are still on my watchlist: It Follows (2014), Ringu (1998), Creep (2014), and Unsane (2018).
Just a short update in case you haven’t seen it yet: my future service dog’s mom gave birth to 10 beautiful pups! 6 females and 4 males, which gives me a good chance of getting a suitable female.
I really feel like this is the start of something really, really good.
Welcome to the world, little nuggets.
