Tuesday, January 24, 2017

CURRENTLY



listening // Now that we are past the holiday season, I haven't been listening to too much. I did discover a new love for Spotify within the past three months or so, which has caused me to listen to a much wider variety. I love going to the "Discover" tab and looking at the recommendations that are automatically generated.

watching // Right now I'm sucked into the world of Gossip Girl. There are some things about that show that downright frustrate me, but I just can't turn it off. Season five just started, so I'll be moving onto a new show soon. When Crown premiered a couple of months ago, I watched the first episode to see if I would like it; that will probably be my next binge session.

reading // Around the Christmas holiday I decided I really wanted to get back into reading, so I downloaded several free books onto my iBook app. There was one holiday themed story I liked pretty well called  A Yorkshire Christmas by Kate Hewitt. It was a very easy read so I breezed through it in a few hours. Now I'm reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen because somehow I've never read it. Next on my list is The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

planning // Much like the last several January's, the youth basketball league that KJB and I run has kicked off and we find ourselves busier than ever. Even though we are only three weeks into the season, I'm working on arrangements for the end-of-season celebration. We hire an entertainer, give out some gifts, and recognize each of the players.

wearing // The weather just can't seem to be consistent in the Midwest this year. Last Friday we had an ice storm. Today is in the mid-forties and overcast. Saturday is calling for 60 and partly cloudy. Needless to say, I have no idea how to dress for this weather, so I'm counting on layers, ankle boots, and my new Stella & Dot jewels (haul video posted soon!)

feeling // Positive. Although the days are currently packed with work, sports practices, teaching, and all the other day-to-day things, I've managed to find some little pockets of things that lift my spirits from feeling run over. Things like squeezing in 20 minutes of cardio first thing in the AM, having lunch with old friends, and spending some time in the evening doing a devotional, has me feeling fairly refreshed.

looking forward to // That being said, our vacation this spring has me wishing time would move a little faster. Sun, sand, and spending extra time exploring new places with my huz sounds pretty good to me.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Goal Setting, II

If there's one thing I learned about myself in 2016 is that paper organization is the way to go. All creatives know that it's easy to bounce from project to project or get caught up in the latest trends. So when I purchased my Plum Paper Planner in the fall of 2015, I honestly wasn't sure if paper planning was just my latest project, or if it would truly stick around as my main method of organization. Within a few months, I was swept up in the world of planner stickers, binders, stamps, etc. I purchased a lovely raspberry colored Filofax to house my planner; it would also allow me to add or take things away as needed. For 2017, I'm keeping with the planner train - but downsizing slightly. The A5 size planner was a little large to carry with me, so I'm swapping it out with a personal size. Since I loved the vertical layout of the PPP, the Erin Condren, and the Happy Planner, and I wanted to be able to use all those stickers I've purchased, the SewMuchCrafting planner inserts were the no-brainer choice. Little did I know the paper was butter smooth and the ink doesn't bleed through to the other side. Now, with a few other accessories, both for fun and function, I'm all set to tackle this year in a super organized way.




1 Personal sized planner from Recollections at Michaels // 2 Planner tassel used as bookmark // 3 Planner pockets for stashing stickers and post-its // 4 SewMuchCrafting inserts