Tuesday, March 15, 2011
UGGHHH!!!! :(
Ever have one of those weeks that just slowly wears you down until by Friday, all you want to do is curl up and hide from the world for a little while? Well, that's what this week is shaping up to be so far. I have four midterms (two of which I've already writen), and one project due this week. And on top of all the school work, I left my binder in my music classroom. I'm just REALLY hoping it's still there when I go look for it tomorrow, and I'm sure it will be. I mean, who would WANT a binder full of some random person's notes, anyway?!? Well, that and the fact that I once left my laptop in the same classroom, noticed it was missing, frantically came back for it two hours later only to find that it was exactly where I had left it. But it was just the last straw for me today. I totally flipped out. It turns out indiscriminately throwing old papers out of your desk drawers is a good way to release pent up rage. The good news was that this calmed me down enough that I was able to focus on said project and get it finished today, although I probably looked like a complete psycho to my brothers and my mom felt so bad for me that she baked me cookies. I've been pining for this adorable sundress at the new Target in South Common, and I've decided that if I make it through the rest of this week, I'll go ahead and make a reward splurge on it...so much for my aforementioned ten dollar streak. This week totally sucks. But hey. At least I'll look super cute by the end of it. :)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Who'da Thunk it?
At the beginning of this year, I (with considerable help from my parents) invested in all the usual first year college student stuff. You know, textbooks (LOTS of textbooks), tuition, a locker, a new, less relient on hoodies and t-shirts wardrobe. It turns out, though, that a relatively small purchase has turned out to be, by far, the most useful of everything I spent money on last fall.
This little something was a day planner. It cost me about $20 at Indigo, and it was truly worth every penny I spent on it. There were cheaper ones available, but I bought the Pierre Belvedere Green Pixie Agenda, and I must say, it was totally worth the splurge. Not only is is beautiful, but it's got each day subdivided into time slots (which is surprisingly rare, considering how useful a feature it is), and it has an address book section, and even a section for notes (which is really useful when my laptop runs out of batteries unexpectedly).
I later found out that my school gives away agendas as freebies on orientation day, but because I spent the money to buy a pretty agenda, I was more motivated to use it than I otherwise would have been.
What really surprised me, though, was how highlighting the assignments in my agenda as I completed them became in itself a reward for me. In high school, I used to find this practise kind of overkill on the organization, but now I realise why a lot of people do it. Being able to cross something off of your list is a rewarding experience. It's almost like congratulating yourself on a task well done. There were literally times when I would say to myself "just one more page and I'll be able to highlight this chapter in my agenda".
It's pretty common wisdom that it's good to reward yourself for getting stuff done in order to keep motivated in college, but I really think that in the long run, I saved myself a fortune by buying this agenda. Instead of buying rewards as I went, I would just highlight stuff. And I was shocked at how well that alone did the trick. Last semester, I spent $10 on some expensive creamery ice cream during exam week, but that was the only time I actually had to spend money rewarding myself. I really think that number would have been higher had I not used an agenda. Who would have thought that a little green book could be such a great investment?
This little something was a day planner. It cost me about $20 at Indigo, and it was truly worth every penny I spent on it. There were cheaper ones available, but I bought the Pierre Belvedere Green Pixie Agenda, and I must say, it was totally worth the splurge. Not only is is beautiful, but it's got each day subdivided into time slots (which is surprisingly rare, considering how useful a feature it is), and it has an address book section, and even a section for notes (which is really useful when my laptop runs out of batteries unexpectedly).
I later found out that my school gives away agendas as freebies on orientation day, but because I spent the money to buy a pretty agenda, I was more motivated to use it than I otherwise would have been.
What really surprised me, though, was how highlighting the assignments in my agenda as I completed them became in itself a reward for me. In high school, I used to find this practise kind of overkill on the organization, but now I realise why a lot of people do it. Being able to cross something off of your list is a rewarding experience. It's almost like congratulating yourself on a task well done. There were literally times when I would say to myself "just one more page and I'll be able to highlight this chapter in my agenda".
It's pretty common wisdom that it's good to reward yourself for getting stuff done in order to keep motivated in college, but I really think that in the long run, I saved myself a fortune by buying this agenda. Instead of buying rewards as I went, I would just highlight stuff. And I was shocked at how well that alone did the trick. Last semester, I spent $10 on some expensive creamery ice cream during exam week, but that was the only time I actually had to spend money rewarding myself. I really think that number would have been higher had I not used an agenda. Who would have thought that a little green book could be such a great investment?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
A Single Song
A friend of mine posts songs on her blog every week, and although it's pretty sweet, I don't want to make a regular feature of it on this blog because my taste in music is, for the most part, quite acquired. ;) However, I'd like to share one (mainstream) song that has always really inspired me.
It's a little odd that the notion that nobody leads an easy life could make living my own life feel more do-able, but somehow it does make things feel more possible and less unfair (misery loves company, I suppose). Anyway, the youtube video is embedded below, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And so, without further ado: Hard Road by Sam Roberts. :)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
28 Sights I Love
More Simple things that just make my day:
1) Fireworks2) the way the sky looks just after the sun has set
3) the ocean
4) my cat, peacefully sleeping
5) old, hardcover books
6) sun reflecting off of snow at sunset
7) spring grass (in May, when it's that goregeous, lush, green)
8) neon and marquis lights at twilight
9) the North Saskatchewan river valley in late September, when the leaves have all changed colors
10) really old buildingslittle
11) pretty much any page in this book
12) clouds from an airplane
13) the Rocky Mountains (it's amazing how small you feel standing next to them)15) St. John's row houses (so colorful)
16) sunrise as I drive to school on Friday mornings (it's like a reward for getting up early, which, is something I tend to avoid at all costs)
17) afternoon sun shining in through the dining room windows (bonus: it makes a nice, warm place to sit)
18) flocks of geese migrating (change is in the air right with them!)
19) the tulips blooming- spring has arrived!
20) palm trees :)22) cumulus clouds roling in before a thunderstorm
23) the San Antonio Riverwalk
24) waterfalls!25) cotton candy machines as they spin cotton candy
26) flowers growing through cracks in the sidewalk
27) Double Rainbows! (so intense!)
28) when the sun filters through the clouds
Monday, February 14, 2011
Single's Awareness Day
Like many other poor, unfortunate souls, I'm still searching for some one to buy chocolates, heart shaped pizzas, and cheesy hallmark greeting cards for. For the 18th year in a row. What I fail to understand, however, is why single people always get so bummed out around Valentine's day. I mean, sure it's kind of lonely flying solo on a day meant for couples, but there are some things about it that single people can still enjoy. For instance:
-it's an excuse to wear colors that would normally be considered unfashionable together at the same time (fuchsia, light pink, and red all at once? hello!)
-when else can you watch 5 chick flicks back to back without it being completely lame?
-sitcom specials (call me crazy, but this is something I look forward to)
-next week, all the chocolates that couples paid $10 to buy for their significant others this week will be on sale for $2. Five times the chocolate for the same price? Yes, Please!
And anyway, the longer I spend becoming a unique person on my own, the cooler Valentine's day will be because I'll meet someone who will love me for all the quirks I've developed over the years. I'd rather wait for the write person, than rush into anything just to be paired up on Valentine's day.
And, hey, there's always next year for all that couple-y stuff. ;)
-it's an excuse to wear colors that would normally be considered unfashionable together at the same time (fuchsia, light pink, and red all at once? hello!)
-when else can you watch 5 chick flicks back to back without it being completely lame?
-sitcom specials (call me crazy, but this is something I look forward to)
-next week, all the chocolates that couples paid $10 to buy for their significant others this week will be on sale for $2. Five times the chocolate for the same price? Yes, Please!
And anyway, the longer I spend becoming a unique person on my own, the cooler Valentine's day will be because I'll meet someone who will love me for all the quirks I've developed over the years. I'd rather wait for the write person, than rush into anything just to be paired up on Valentine's day.
And, hey, there's always next year for all that couple-y stuff. ;)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
28 Smells I love
28 More things worth noticing:
1) Cookies baking
2) Ozone just before it starts raining really hard
3) Vanilla
4) Towels just out of the dryer
5) Chlorine at the pool
6) Christmas dinner
7) Coffee (even though I hate the taste of it)
8) Salty air near the ocean
9) Baby's breath (the flower)
10) Lemons
11) Soap
12) The smell inside of a grreenhouse (it's a hard scent to exlpain, but it's a really lovely mixture of freshness and flowers)
13) Homemade bread
14) Play-dough fresh out of it's container (it smells like childhood)
15) Baby powder
16) Wet grass
17) Roses
18) The Cinnabon in the mall food court
19) The inside of Tim Horton's (come on: coffee + baked goods = win!...bonus points if you're there because you rolled up the rim and won a donut)
20) Campfires (until the next morning when you realise the smell is still on your clothes)
21) A fresh box of crayons (you can just smell the creativity)
22) New car smell
23) My car smell (whoever owned it before me must have had an awesome air freshener in it, because the inside still smells delicious)
24) Pine trees (real ones, not the cardboard air fresheners)
25) Febreeze (ah, chemicals...)
26) Pomegranates
27) The inside of Marble Slab creamery (freshly baked waffles + ice cream)
28) Chocolate
1) Cookies baking
2) Ozone just before it starts raining really hard
3) Vanilla
4) Towels just out of the dryer
5) Chlorine at the pool
6) Christmas dinner
7) Coffee (even though I hate the taste of it)
8) Salty air near the ocean
9) Baby's breath (the flower)
10) Lemons
11) Soap
12) The smell inside of a grreenhouse (it's a hard scent to exlpain, but it's a really lovely mixture of freshness and flowers)
13) Homemade bread
14) Play-dough fresh out of it's container (it smells like childhood)
15) Baby powder
16) Wet grass
17) Roses
18) The Cinnabon in the mall food court
19) The inside of Tim Horton's (come on: coffee + baked goods = win!...bonus points if you're there because you rolled up the rim and won a donut)
20) Campfires (until the next morning when you realise the smell is still on your clothes)
21) A fresh box of crayons (you can just smell the creativity)
22) New car smell
23) My car smell (whoever owned it before me must have had an awesome air freshener in it, because the inside still smells delicious)
24) Pine trees (real ones, not the cardboard air fresheners)
25) Febreeze (ah, chemicals...)
26) Pomegranates
27) The inside of Marble Slab creamery (freshly baked waffles + ice cream)
28) Chocolate
Saturday, February 5, 2011
28 Sounds I Love
I really dig the idea of enjoying the simpler things in life. And it's not always easy. Sometimes you're too depressed, sometimes you're too stressed out, and other times life just gets in the way of being able to see the forest for the trees, so to speak. This week it has been the stress that's been holding me back from my goal. So, I decided to write a list of some little sounds that I love to hear. In the spirit of helping anyone else who might be sharing my stressed frame of mind right now, I'd like to share what I've come up with. So, without further ado, 26 sounds (and 2 non-sounds) I love, in no particular order.
1) the clicking of a keyboard when you're typing
2) the pssshht of a can of soda being opened
3) the cracking of ice cubes as you pour that soda into a glass
4) the fwoosh of a campfire starting
5) the subsequent crackling of burning logs
6) the crunch of fresh leaves being stepped on
7) a chickadee's bird call early in the morning (chic-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee)
8) the sound that melting snow makes as it runs down the gutter
9) the swish of the wind blowing through aspen leaves on a summer day
10) my cat's "I'm happy to see you" meow (he has one, I swear!)
11) the sizzle of the first raindrops hitting the pavement on a really hot day
12) rain falling on the roof of our old tent trailer (it kind of makes me sad that I'll never hear this one again...)
13) the little chime melody the clock in our den makes every hour
14) that plodding sound when you step in a puddle
15) ocean waves crashing into the shore (I'm so fortunate that I got a chance to hear this one a few times, living in a landlocked place- I recommend that everyone try to hear it at least once in their life)
16) wind and rain against the windows during a thunderstorm
17) the sound of my car starting
18) the electrified silence in the air just before a big thunderstorm
19) the fwoosh of my cat fluffing up his fur
20) the crunch of lettuce when you rip it up to make a salad
21) the sound a camera makes when you take a picture
22) two words: sizzling bacon. yum.
23) the sound of a barbecue firing up
24) popcorn popping (you can tell I'm starting to get hungry)
25) that perfectly calm silence you can only hear on a snowy winter's day
26) the rhythmic ticking of a clock
27) the popping of bubbles in a bubble bath
28) echos... echos... echoes
1) the clicking of a keyboard when you're typing
2) the pssshht of a can of soda being opened
3) the cracking of ice cubes as you pour that soda into a glass
4) the fwoosh of a campfire starting
5) the subsequent crackling of burning logs
6) the crunch of fresh leaves being stepped on
7) a chickadee's bird call early in the morning (chic-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee)
8) the sound that melting snow makes as it runs down the gutter
9) the swish of the wind blowing through aspen leaves on a summer day
10) my cat's "I'm happy to see you" meow (he has one, I swear!)
11) the sizzle of the first raindrops hitting the pavement on a really hot day
12) rain falling on the roof of our old tent trailer (it kind of makes me sad that I'll never hear this one again...)
13) the little chime melody the clock in our den makes every hour
14) that plodding sound when you step in a puddle
15) ocean waves crashing into the shore (I'm so fortunate that I got a chance to hear this one a few times, living in a landlocked place- I recommend that everyone try to hear it at least once in their life)
16) wind and rain against the windows during a thunderstorm
17) the sound of my car starting
18) the electrified silence in the air just before a big thunderstorm
19) the fwoosh of my cat fluffing up his fur
20) the crunch of lettuce when you rip it up to make a salad
21) the sound a camera makes when you take a picture
22) two words: sizzling bacon. yum.
23) the sound of a barbecue firing up
24) popcorn popping (you can tell I'm starting to get hungry)
25) that perfectly calm silence you can only hear on a snowy winter's day
26) the rhythmic ticking of a clock
27) the popping of bubbles in a bubble bath
28) echos... echos... echoes
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