#but was procrastinating like crazy on actually putting them all into a file together

[amanitacurses]

Reference!

Bonus:

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - May 29

 Happy Sunday!! Here’s what I’ve been reading this week. As always, leave your fic authors some love if you read and enjoy their stories! 

**Indicates my recent favs 

~*~ 

D.P. by tsukinofaerii

Do not leave important questions to text messages. Rhodey and Tony learn the hard way.

These days, they say 'making sandwiches' (or, Ooops!) by dorcas_gustine

Cap and Tony are just giant saps. Mostly Cap.

T is for Thong by Elspethdixon

Naked might actually have been slightly less distracting. Tony was… almost wearing… a tiny, tight scrap of red fabric that most definitely didn't hide anything.

Keep Your Gloves On by tsukinofaerii

"Why do you keep making passes at me?" Steve tries to help Tony out and gets a bit more than he bargained for. Tony just likes the uniform.

Yours, As Always by j_gabrielle 

Yours, as always. Nothing else but that. Completely and utterly impersonal, devoid of any and all emotional connotations. In a way, Anthony admires that of his husband.

Procrastinate Your Divorces by BromocresolGreen

"I mean, yeah, but after a while it was just easier to be married, 'cause like, the financial aid to start with, and now my insurance covers his psychologists, and he's been filing our taxes together since then— alright, laugh it up, Tony. My life is a comedy,"

And Let Me Kiss You by allourheroes 

The picture is in the paper, big and bold and in everyone’s face.

Iron Man. Captain America. In suits and locking lips under a white arch, an officiant behind them.

It's official, then: The world has gone crazy.

***I Whisper Your Name on Each Star I See Falling by JezebelGoldstone, littleblackbow

The day Natasha first told Steve her idea, he never would have dreamed that her fool notion would land him here: watching the train roll into the station and trying to wrap his mind around the fact that somewhere in there is the man who agreed to marry him.

Steve, an alpha farmer living outside a small town in the Rockies who doesn't want to admit how lonely he is, has been exchanging letters with omega Tony for nearly a year. When at last Tony arrives in Big Eden, Steve is confronted with the fact that he doesn't know Tony as well as he thought he did - and falls for him harder than a landslide anyway.

How Sweet A Kiss Can Be by FestiveFerret

It was a Friday night, and the tips were really rolling in. If Steve slowed down and took his time for the camera, if he teased or set up the tip-controlled vibrator, he could make bank doing his show on a night like this, but all he could think about was his date with StarkNakedGenius - Tony - the next day.

Gimmie Something Sweet by FestiveFerret

"So. Um." Steve scrambled for small talk. "What do you do?"

There was the slightest of pauses, then Tony said, "I'm a sugar baby."

Steve rushed through his memories of a hastily read modern slang dictionary but that one wasn't in it. "Oh. I'm sorry. I'm not sure what that is."

Tony leaned in a little closer, his trim-fitted suit creasing around the curve of his hips. "I have a few lovely, well-off gentlemen who give me money," Tony explained, "and I give them sugar." 

The reality of what Tony was talking about hit Steve in the face like a truck. "Oh. Oh. Wow."

Don't get your panties in a twist by S_Horne

“And,” Tony continued, twisting his fingers through the hairs at Steve’s nape, “you should take a better look at my pocket-square.”

Steve’s brow furrowed and he looked down at the small piece of material sticking out of Tony’s blazer pocket. “It’s nice? A bit plain, but very smart. I had thought I put out a blue one for you, though?”

Tony’s grin grew wider. “They’re not actually that plain,” he said, eyes sparking with mischief. “And I wasn’t feeling the blue. Didn’t go with the evening.”

“They?” Steve asked, frown lines becoming more prominent. “It, surely.”

“No,” Tony said, taking one hand off Steve’s neck as he stepped back again. When he had room, Tony reached down to his pocket-square, already feeling a rush of lust spike through him. “I meant they.”

Pulling his hand back up between them, Tony revealed that his pocket-square was actually a pair of black, lacy panties.

The Unlikely Wingman by Sineala

Clint doesn't see why he should have to follow Captain America's orders. But he also doesn't see why Captain America should have to sit around looking miserably lonely, either.

Bearing an Untold Story Inside by Skeeter_110

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Peter Rogers always knew Steve was his Papa and that it was just the two of them, but that’s about as far as his knowledge went when it came to their immediate family. Until one day, he gets an assignment about DNA. After that, the truth quickly begins to unravel and reveal itself, not only to him but to his slowly growing family also.

Love is a Cat-astrophe by BladeoftheNebula

There were plenty of reasons for him and Tony not to be together.

Steve just never expected to be cockblocked by a cat

welcome to new york by meidui

In which the Avengers live together and hide their superhero identities from each other, until they don't.

Make Me Forget? by SetInStony

Tony is stressed out about the Annual Stark Industries Gala, and asks Steve to make him forget after. Steve of course agrees, and maybe the fact that he feels jealous helps too...

dreaming through the decades by theappleppielifestyle

“S-soulmates aren’t supposed to share dreams until they’re teenagers.”

“Teenagers,” the boy repeats after a moment, like Tony had just spoken another language.

“We’re too young,” Tony tells him. “I’m- I’m only eight.”

“Me, too,” the boy says. His face keeps flickering from hope to something like fear. He takes an uncertain step forwards, but stops when Tony’s back becomes even more rigid. “I’m Steve Rogers.”

Tony opens his mouth but nothing comes out. He swallows, says, “I’m Tony.”

Flock Together by Captain_Panda

It's a hard knock life for a feather-plucking cockatoo.

When Tony meets a barn owl who lives outside a cartoonist's residence, he realizes maybe it's not such a cold, unfeeling universe, after all.

Yup: it's bird!Stony time.

Ride With the Moon in the Dead of Night by iam93percentstardust 

The wards protecting the Upper New York pack are failing. When the pack alpha, Nick Fury, calls for aid, only one person answers: the vampire Howard Stark, promising the aid of his son. In return, he asks that his son be accepted into the pack. Fury promises that his strongest alpha will be given to Stark's son in marriage. Neither Steve nor Tony are initially pleased about this turn of events but they find themselves quickly falling in love. But not everyone is happy to allow a vampire into the pack and there is a traitor lurking in their midst.

waiting on my soldier by Areiton, BladeoftheNebula

Here, it feels like anything is possible, like he could ask for the world and actually get it. 

It’s that, more than anything, that makes him ask, “Can I write to you. When I’m gone? I don’t--I have Bucky and Ma, but I’d sure love to have a pretty omega like you waitin’ on my letters.” 

Tony leans into him a little heavier, and squeezes his hand as the sun begins to rise, and paint the sky purple and pink. “Yes,” he says simply.

Flyboy by autoschediastic

"With wild and crazy abandon," Tony said, and grabbed him around the waist to yank him close like a black and white picture hero. "Hold on tight."

living in a daydream by ohjustpeachy

"What are you staring at?" Tony asks through a mouthful of ice cream. Steve's been eyeing him across the wooden picnic table every few minutes and it's ... distracting. "Something on my face? Just tell me, snow cone."

Or, 5 times tony caught steve staring at him

the title is from the harry styles song daydreaming <3

A Million Stars by kaesaria

Bucky can't let the words out. Tony can't hold them back. Apathy, anger and insomnia: the road to recovery is anything but uncluttered. The boys have to find a way through traumas both near and distant, and Steve has to step back and let them... no matter how hard that is.

_____

Written in response to a prompt on the trashmeme.

Just to Feel the Rush by Sadisticsparkle (sadisticsparkle)

The weather grew colder at roughly the same rate Tony did. Steve couldn’t deny it anymore: he kept Squirreling away from hugs, refusing to spar, sitting away from him at meetings. It was a mystery Steve needed to solve.

Always On My Mind by mally710555

Tony thinks it would be a good idea to drink an alien serum that Thor brings back without hearing what it actually really is because he wants to know everyone's thoughts and secrets. Turns out he can only hear Steve's. Whoops.

[nicolewrites]

We Stand, Fate-Tested - IV

I'm still stupid stressed over school and procrastinating so I'm not sure when I'll get part 5 out, but here's part 4 for the meantime.

Rating: T+ Genre: Mystery, Friendship, Romance Characters: [Byleth/My Unit, Dimitri B.], [Byleth/My Unit, Claude R.] Words: 5,458

There's something odd about the 8th of the Ethereal Moon. / Marriage is work too.

AO3 | FFN

IV - Of Memories I’ve Lost

Garreg Mach University - 8 Ethereal Moon, 732 AU

Byleth was glad when Red Wolf Moon was over. She had been drowning in her own work as well as the marking for the class she was TAing. Because Seteth was teaching three different classes on top of his own research, he had delegated the marking of the term papers for the class to Byleth.

It really shouldn’t have been such a big deal, but Byleth had struggled to get them done on time thanks to her progressing research and managing the applications and interviews for the expedition. The start date for the project was rapidly approaching and, as of the previous week, they had finally managed to choose the undergrads would be a part of the team and had been rapidly working with them to try to get their skills up to snuff before they were handling real artifacts.

Even so, the marking was finally done and the essays sat in three towering stacks on her desk, just begging for a breeze to sweep by and knock them all over. Byleth was currently planning the first of several workshops that would teach practical skills to the undergrads. She kept glancing at the door of her office, waiting for the first students to come by to pick up their essays and she nearly spelt Lysithea’s name wrong on a sheet before she managed to shake away her distraction.

She looked down at the sheet in front of her and the list of eight names that she and Seteth had painstakingly chosen. There were the natural fits in Lysithea and Linhardt from Byleth’s tutorial as well as Ingrid, who had had an exceptionally well-written application. From Seteth’s tutorial there were also Annette Dominic and Ignatz Victor. The last three students were Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard. Byleth had a sneaking suspicion that their applications had been all written together and that they had all been Claude’s idea.

Nonetheless, they had their team of eight: Lysithea, Linhardt, Ingrid, Annette, Ignatz, Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard. Their applications had all been excellent and Byleth had been pleased with the level of enthusiasm exhibited by a group of undergraduate students, especially since technically none of them were actually Archaeology majors.

Someone knocked on the door and Byleth looked up, placing her pen down. Annette stood in the doorway, smiling shyly, as another girl stood just behind her. Byleth beckoned Annette in and the redhead came in, biting her lip and looking a bit skittish.

“Here for your essay?” Byleth asked.

Annette nodded. “I know your office hours haven’t technically started, but I wanted to beat the rush.”

Byleth waved her off. “No worries at all.” She flipped through the first few essays in her first stack until she found Annette’s essay and she pulled it out. She handed it over and Annette peeked at the grade before beaming and making her way out of the room.

After that, there was a steady stream of students that came by her office to pick up their term papers as well as to ask questions about the discussions planned for tutorial in the coming weeks. Byleth had handed back nearly all of the essays when her office hours officially ended and she started putting the rest of them away in the filing cabinet she kept for assignments and paperwork for the class.

“I hope we’re not too late, Teach,” a familiar voice called out just as she was closing the cabinet drawer.

Byleth looked over her shoulder and saw Claude standing in front of her desk, flanked by Lorenz and Hilda, the two friends who were in Byleth’s tutorial with him. She shook her head and pulled the drawer back open, fishing out the trio’s essays.

“I wanted to come right at the start at the hour, but these idiots said we should come at the end,” Lorenz said as Byleth retrieved the papers. It wasn’t surprising to her.

Hilda snorted a laugh. “We would have been late getting here if it wasn’t for me, so I’d watch your tone, Lorenz,” she snipped in reply.

Byleth handed Lorenz and Hilda their essays and was about to hand Claude’s back when he cleared his throat.

“I actually had a question about the essay, Teach,” he said before he’d even taken the paper out of her hand.

Byleth blinked in surprise and her grip lingered on Claude’s assignment for just long enough that it was awkward before he swept it out of her grip and sat in the chair on the other side of her desk.

“I’ll catch up with you guys back at the house,” Claude said to Hilda and Lorenz. His friends just shrugged and made their way out of the room, bickering about punctuality as they went.

Byleth watched them leave before she turned her gaze back to Claude and raised an eyebrow. “Did you really have a question about the essay?”

Claude grinned. “Just wanted to know what you thought of my topic.” He tapped the circled 88 on the front of the page and winked at her. “Apparently I picked a good one.”

Byleth shook her head. After three months she was getting to know Claude’s antics well enough. He was criminally light-hearted, but wicked smart. He liked to tease and poke fun, but he was serious about his work when it came down to it. Since the first time they’d spoken at Anna’s about Byleth’s research Claude had made it a habit to try and stop in on her office hours as often as possible so that they could talk about whatever research Byleth was currently doing.

It was a slightly weird relationship given that Byleth was the TA, but the semester was almost over and she somehow knew that just because she wasn’t seeing him in tutorial once a week, it didn’t mean he was going to stop coming around. And she didn’t really want him to stop. It was nice to talk about her passion to someone who was just as interested as she was.

“What do you want, Claude?” she prompted again.

He smirked. “Come on, Teach, tell me what’s new this week,” he urged.

Byleth rolled her eyes, but she turned her laptop towards him so that he could see what she was working on. “I’ve been doing stuff for Seteth all week so I haven’t really had any big breakthroughs since we last spoke.”

Claude scanned the screen of her computer curiously. “Do we have a start date yet?”

“Guardian Moon 17,” Byleth said. “You can pass that along to the others if you’d like. I’ll be sending out the email this weekend. We have our first training session next Wednesday night for everyone.”

“Wednesday?” Claude repeated, looking a bit perplexed.

“Problem?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Maybe. I have archery on Wednesdays, and so does Ignatz, but if this is later in the evening we should be fine.”

Byleth leaned forward a bit and gave Claude her own sly grin. “Maybe I’ll just bring everyone to watch so we can put the pressure on you.”

He shrugged. “If you want to see me shoot flawlessly, be my guest.”

Byleth rolled her eyes and turned her computer back to face her. She tapped out a few more notes on the page before glancing back at Claude. “Did you actually need something?” she asked curiously.

“I came here to give you something,” he admitted.

Byleth was surprised, but Claude reached into his bag and pulled out a folded brochure. He unfolded it so she could see the front and passed it to her. It was in a mix of Almyran and Fódlani, but Byleth recognized the logo on the front of it.

She ran a fingernail over the looping script and glanced at Claude, furrowing her brow. “The Royal Almyran Gallery? This is in Almyra, you know,” Byleth murmured. “They’re not exactly jumping at the idea of a Fódlani researcher entering their royal galleries.”

“You’re hitting all the same deadends as everyone else who has ever studied the Guardian of Order,” Claude pointed out. “There’s no way that you’re going to make progress unless you try to tackle something that other people haven’t attempted to dig into.”

“Like the underside of Garreg Mach in the old monastery ruins, not in a foreign national gallery,” Byleth said. She placed the brochure down and shook her head. “I can’t exactly just get up and go to Almyra right now anyways.”

“What about over the winter break?” Claude asked. “The galleries aren’t busy during the holidays. Almyrans usually spend the holidays completely absorbed in family and celebration.”

Byleth spun the paper underneath her fingers. She had to admit, the idea was intriguing. Almyra had done a much better job of preserving artifacts from the Unification Era since they hadn’t suffered the Scorch of Garreg Mach or the riots in Fhirdiad that had followed it. Even so, the National Board of History in Fódlan had seen the Almyran collection and deemed it unimportant to Fódlan’s own history. She wasn’t sure exactly what the Royal Gallery could offer her, but she also didn’t know what it might have that could be useful for her work, even if it was all just speculation.

“You will consider it, won’t you?” Claude asked. “I’ll be in Almyra over the winter break if you did want to check it out.”

Byleth finally relented, picking up the brochure and sliding it into one of the drawers on her desk. “I’ll consider it,” she agreed.

Claude grinned. “Excellent. Now, tell me about that crazy dream you had last night.”

Byleth’s eyebrows shot up. She had said nothing of her weird dream to Claude. She had very briefly discussed it with Seteth in private a few hours ago, but she had said nothing to her student about it. She hadn’t the faintest idea about how he knew she had even had a weird dream.

“I had to see Dr. Cichol about a history assignment and I just happened to overhear part of your conversation,” Claude confessed when she had been stunned into silence. “I only know that there was a dream and that apparently it was weird.”

Byleth frowned. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business. That was a private conversation, Claude.”

He shrugged, looking only mildly apologetic. “You don’t want to get my opinion on it at all?”

Byleth leaned away from him, pursing her lips. “And why would I want your opinion?”

Claude tilted his head and looked at her. “I don’t know. For the same reason you haven’t kicked my ass for asking you a million questions about your thesis and for being probably the worst student in your tutorial section?”

“The worst student?”

“Well, most people aren’t on a first-name basis outside of tutorial with a TA, are they?”

“That’s just because I can’t get rid of you,” she teased.

He smiled at her again and the glint in his green eyes made her chest hurt suddenly. The satisfied look on his face combined with the mischievous gleam was pulling at something in her memory and she couldn’t help but remember the weird dream from the previous night. She dropped her gaze to the desk and took a deep breath.

“You’re sure that we’d never met before this year, right? We’d never had a class together or chatted at a party?” Byleth asked. The teasing humour had disappeared from her voice and Claude seemed to pick up on it.

His brow furrowed and he dropped his amused pretenses. “No, I’m pretty sure I would have remembered that,” he said.

Byleth bit her lip and nodded. “Have you ever felt like everything you ever did was leading you in circles?”

Claude looked genuinely interested now, his playfulness suppressed by his curiosity. “At times, maybe,” he said. “Something about this is familiar to you?”

Byleth opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a notebook. She flipped through it to the page where she had made the sketch that morning, after her dream. She turned the page to face Claude and let him pick it up to study it closer.

“It’s a throne,” he noted. “It looks like it’s Old Civilization.”

“It’s pre-Unification,” Byleth agreed. “That symbol,” she pointed to the roughly sketched swirl on the back of it, “makes me think it would be religious. Seteth says he doesn’t recognize it and I haven’t found any record of it in the old monastery’s records.”

“Maybe it’s in the capital somewhere?” Claude asked. “Dimitri and Edelgard have spent a lot more time in Fhirdiad than I have, so I can’t be certain.”

“It’s not in Fhirdiad,” Byleth said. “I don’t know why I know that, but I know it’s not there. I dreamt of a large, empty stone chamber for three days in a row and then last night I dreamt of the same chamber, but this throne was there.” She paused, recalling the longing that had coursed through her when she had seen it for the first time in her dream. “I wanted to sit on it,” she murmured.

Claude looked puzzled and he slid the notebook back to her. “Honestly, while I’m not one to subscribe to all the spirit stuff, it seems to me like you have real memories of it that have been surfacing slowly.”

Byleth closed the book and slid it back into the drawer. She brushed her thumb over the handle on the drawer and frowned. “That’s honestly what I’ve been kind of afraid of,” she admitted.

- ~ -

It was late in the evening by the time Byleth had finally finished up everything she had wanted to do on campus. The sun had set almost two hours ago and the dim, artificial yellow lighting across campus provided only enough illumination to make every student or staff that passed by her a looming shadow.

She pulled her coat tighter around her stomach and burrowed her nose into the scarf she was wearing. Byleth had just left the part of campus where the Archaeology and History departments had their offices and she was headed through the main part of the campus when she spotted a lone figure standing on the quad in front of one of the dean’s offices.

Her curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly approached the figure, squinting through the gloom to see if she recognized them. To her surprise, as the figure tilted their head up, illuminating their features, Byleth recognized Dimitri as he stared solemnly at the building. Almost immediately she stopped walking, pausing around 30 feet away from him. She wanted to approach him and check in on him, but at the same time, the moment felt strangely private and she wanted to respect that.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to make a decision, as Dimitri turned and spotted her himself. His shoulders straightened and he tucked his hands into his pockets. He strode towards her and Byleth noted the polite smile that he was wearing. It looked forced, but practiced at the same time and Byleth felt her heart clench. It was a smile achingly similar to the one she had worn after her father had died.

“Hello Byleth,” Dimitri greeted politely once he had gotten close enough.

“Hello Dimitri,” she replied cordially. “What are you doing here so late?”

He laughed lightly. “Well, we are getting into the end of term and I’ve got a few last assignments to turn in by the end of this week. I had been working in the library, but they’re closed now, so I’m headed home.”

He was lying. She wasn’t sure exactly how she knew, but maybe it was simply the fact that she knew Dimitri was a business student and the business library was at the south end of campus, not near the centre where they currently stood in the cold night air.

Byleth frowned. “Is everything alright, Dimitri?” she pressed carefully.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, smiling ruefully, but much more genuinely. “You are very perceptive,” he admitted. “Everything is alright though,” he assured. “I’ve just been feeling a bit off today. It’s like there’s something about this date, in particular, that is an itch I can’t scratch. I’d been trying to follow that feeling and I ended up here.”

Byleth glanced at the offices around the quad. This building was one of the oldest on campus and was part of the restored old monastery. Above each of the three main offices was a beautiful stone carving. From left to right they depicted a deer, a lion, and an eagle. They were the symbols of the three student-life houses that Claude had told her about, and if her research was true, they were also the symbols of the old Officer’s Academy that had been run out of the monastery.

“I get the feeling,” Byleth admitted. “It’s like there’s this string in your chest that’s yanking you along through memories that don’t feel like yours.”

“Yes,” Dimitri agreed. “I never spend much time on this part of campus, but this,” he gestured to the carving of the lion over their heads, “it feels so strangely familiar.”

“Maybe it’s the Blue Lions of old speaking through you,” Byleth suggested lightly and Dimitri laughed softly.

“I should like to think I would know if that were the case.”

He fell silent after a moment and Byleth studied him. He looked tired, but a lot less solemn than he had when she had first found him.

“I’m sorry about your parents,” Byleth said before she could stop herself.

Dimitri’s shoulders tensed, but then they relaxed and he sighed. “Yes, it seems like everyone is.”

Byleth reached out to touch his arm and he looked towards her. There was a deep, resonating sadness to the blue of his eyes and before she could stop herself, her hand had found its way to land on his cheek. Dimitri, to his credit, didn’t react to the boldness of the gesture and Byleth gently retracted her touch.

“I lost my father too,” she admitted quietly. “The circumstances were different, but I’m still sorry you had to go through that.”

Dimitri nodded. “I’ve been well supported, thankfully. I’m sorry for your loss as well. Unlike what people say, it doesn’t really get any easier.”

Byleth smiled sadly. “No, it doesn’t.”

A sharp, cool wind blew around them and Byleth bristled in her coat, shivering. She nearly stepped closer to Dimitri on an instinctual level but managed to catch herself before she could. She stepped away instead, leaving a respectable distance between them. They were familiar enough, but the intimacy in the moment they had shared was almost alarming to her and she needed a clear head.

“Get home safe, Dimitri,” Byleth said gently. She tugged her coat more tightly around herself and gave him one last reassuring smile. “I’ll see you in tutorial.”

- ~ - ~ - ~ -

Garreg Mach Monastery - 12 Lone Moon, 1 AU

“The church is really coming along, Your Grace,” Claude complimented. There was a teasing lilt to his voice when he said her title and Byleth elbowed him.

“Just because you don’t believe in the goddess, doesn’t mean nobody else does,” she scolded lightly.

Claude shrugged. “You’re the one who invited the foreign national to visit,” he pointed out.

Byleth sighed. He was right, but she didn’t want to admit it. She walked away from him instead, heading toward the Reception Hall of the monastery, assuming he would follow. He did so, after a few paces, and they walked silently back through the bustling halls of the monastery. Monks and knights would pause in their step to nod or bow to Byleth and she offered them the best smiles she could before they were passing her by and moving on with their tasks.

“It feels different around here now, doesn’t it?” Byleth asked as she led Claude into the Reception Hall.

“Maybe that’s just because we’ve all changed so much. It has been six years since we started our year at the Officer’s Academy. Cyril tells me that you’re reopening the academy in the Great Tree Moon of next year,” Claude commented.

Byleth laughed. “To say we’ve changed is a bit of an understatement. Fódlan has changed a lot too.”

“Definitely,” Claude agreed. “I can’t take anything away from you or His Majesty on that front. You two have done a wonderful job.”

Byleth paused in her step and studied him. “You could have helped us,” she reminded.

Claude laughed. “Yeah, but then I wouldn’t get to be here as foreign royalty. I would just be another Lord under His Majesty and the Almyrans would still be pounding at Fódlan’s Locket.”

Byleth sighed. “I suppose that’s true. What is it they have taken to calling you, the King of Dawn?”

He shrugged. “My father’s rule was stagnating. I suppose I have merely supplied a breath of fresh air for Almyrans. The new partnership with Fódlan has helped me curry more favour than I would like to admit.”

Before Byleth could reply, a familiar, booming voice pulled their attention across the Reception Hall: “Claude! Byleth!”

Byleth smiled at the familiar voice as she watched her husband approach them. He was smiling broadly as he took in Byleth and Claude. He paused to embrace Claude briefly before turning to Byleth and pressing a warm kiss against her cheek in greeting. Dimitri tried to pull away, but Byleth gripped his collar and planted a soft kiss on his lips before he could withdraw fully.

Claude laughed at her. “I see you two are the same as always.”

Dimitri slid one of his hands into hers as he smiled. “We try to be. How have you been Claude? We haven’t seen you in person since the Ethereal Moon.”

Byleth felt a pulse of unexpected bitterness rise in her chest and she bit down her retort. She didn’t want to snap at Dimitri when he was visiting the monastery, especially with how infrequent his visits had been recently. She didn’t want to complain, especially in front of Claude, about how she had spent almost as much time with Claude as she had with her husband since they’d been married.

Of course, it was a burden they had to bear. Byleth had a responsibility to the church at the monastery and Dimitri had a responsibility to the nation in Fhirdiad, so they spent much of their time separated by distance and work. It wasn’t exactly the married life she had imagined for them.

Claude and Dimitri had moved onto discussing some political motion that was in the works in Fhirdiad by the time Byleth managed to refocus on the conversation and she squeezed Dimitri’s hand. She stole a glance at him and noticed that he looked even more tired than he had when he had arrived three days prior.

“You must exclude me, Claude, my beloved, but I have something I have to do before dinner this evening. I will see you both then,” Dimitri said. He smiled at Claude and leaned down to give Byleth another brief kiss before he pulled his hand out of hers and was slipping away.

Byleth couldn’t manage to disguise her disappointment fast enough as she caught Claude giving her a curious look as Dimitri walked away. She quickly frowned and turned so Claude was only looking at her profile, hoping to dissuade whatever conversation he wanted to have about the interaction.

“This is different from the last time I was here,” Claude noted quietly. “His Kingliness is usually much better at picking up your signals. He was always better at it than anyone else, so it’s odd to see him so blind to it today.”

Byleth’s frown deepened. “We both have our own duties,” she said firmly. “There is no break for us in any of this.”

“No,” Claude agreed, “but surely a man can take a break to shower his wife with praises?”

Byleth sighed. “I don’t know why you think you’re qualified to speak on someone else’s relationship,” she pointed out sternly.

“Consider this the concern of a friend then,” he supplied. “Teach, I have never met a man more enamoured with a woman than Dimitri is with you. But, if that’s what all of your interactions have been like recently, something is wrong.”

Byleth sighed. “We got through the war,” she said simply. “We will get through this.”

She walked away from Claude then, not really caring if he followed her. It wasn’t that she was angry with him for his words, more frustrated that her own emotions regarding hers and Dimitri’s relationship had been so easy for him to discern. She was also frustrated that he had been right in the first place in noting the disconnect between the spouses. Besides their short, snipped conversations in the evenings and mornings, Byleth honestly couldn’t remember the last time she and Dimitri had had a real, personal conversation and it did make her nervous.

Without intending to, Byleth headed for the training grounds. It was an old habit she had of working out stress through fighting, something that had developed during her years growing up as a mercenary. The grounds were thankfully empty and Claude seemed to have picked up on her annoyance and had wisely chosen not to follow her.

Byleth set up a line of training dummies and then a line of magic targets on the far side of the hall. She forewent the training weapons, opting to work on her brawling skills. She picked the softest of the dummies and started with a few slow jabs before she worked into a faster, harder-hitting set that made her hands throb minorly. The pain was therapeutic, though. It reminded her that she was feeling and that helped, especially on days like this.

Once she had worn out her brawling drill, she chose to start in on her magic skills. Byleth called a crackling Thunder spell between her fingers and she turned to fire it at the targets she had set up, only to have to jerk her hand sharply left and blast lightning into the corner of the room, where it crackled and smoked with a bang.

Felix, who stood directly in front of her targets, seemed unphased as he strode towards her. Byleth folded her arms and frowned at him.

“I could have killed you,” she pointed out.

“I’ve taken a Thunder from you before,” he noted. “I’ve taken your spells at full-strength before, not when they were powered by your frustrations.”

Byleth blinked at him. “My frustrations?” she echoed.

“Don’t cast when you’re overly emotional,” he said. “You were the one who taught me that after I nearly burned Sylvain’s arm off. There’s nothing more dangerous to a magic-user than losing control.”

She had indeed taught both the Gautier and Fraldarius heirs the importance of control when they had been learning magic under her tutelage during their academy days and during the war. Byleth uncrossed her arms and brushed some of her hair out of her face.

“What are you doing here, Felix? I didn’t know you would be coming here with Dimitri.”

“Technically I’m not here with him,” Felix admitted. “We’re actually here to see Mercedes.”

“We?” Byleth questioned.

Felix’s lips pressed together and Byleth answered her own question as the pieces clicked in her mind. She smiled.

“Congratulations, Felix,” she commended.

He nodded. “Thank you. Annette will find you to tell you officially before we leave.”

“Are you just here to avoid all the celebratory talks then?” Byleth questioned, gesturing to the training hall.

“I was looking for you, actually,” Felix corrected.

Byleth frowned again, her optimism draining away. “Why?”

“Because I heard you and Dimitri got into it yesterday,” he admitted.

It was true. At the meeting with Claude to discuss foreign treaties the day before, Dimitri had pressed Byleth and the church for resources they couldn’t supply and she had, in return, pressed him for legislation that wasn’t supported by a majority of his advisors. It had definitely been one of their uglier discussions, especially since their wedding and doubly so since they had a spectator in Claude.

“We handled it,” Byleth said curtly, which was also true, but only thanks to Claude stepping in as a mediator.

“You did,” Felix pointed out. “Dimitri has been beating himself up about it all day. That’s why he’s been avoiding you.”

“Avoiding me?” she said.

“You haven’t noticed? How whenever you two run into each other, he miraculously has some meeting or something to get to shortly after you see each other? How he seemed to have more to say to your mutual friend than he did to his wife earlier in the Reception Hall?”

Byleth pressed her lips together. “I didn’t notice,” she admitted softly.

Felix exhaled. “I know. That’s why I’m here. Because, as much as he’d like to pretend otherwise, Dimitri will never be the same as he was before the war. He’ll never be that perfect, princely figure again and he’ll certainly never be able to see himself in the same way again. Professor, he loves you very much so he’ll do his best to make sure you never notice, but he’s still struggling.”

Byleth twisted her hands together, rubbing her wedding ring almost nervously. “How could I miss that? Shouldn’t I notice things like that?”

Felix reached out and, in a rare move for him, placed his hands on her shoulders. “Professor, he is taking all the precautions to ensure you don’t see what he’s going through. He’s gotten better at hiding things from you since you’ve been here and he’s been in the capital. That’s why we’re here, right now,” he confessed.

Something clicked in her head. “Dedue wrote to Claude to invite him, didn’t he? And you and Ingrid and Sylvain and the others made sure that Dimitri would be here where we wouldn’t be able to hide from each other.”

Felix didn’t answer her question directly, but the answer glimmered in his amber eyes. “You take care of each other. You bring out the best in each other.” He dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped back. “Don’t lose that, Professor. There’s a lot riding on that trust and love going forward.”

Felix took another step back and then he was fully retreating, heading out of the training hall. The door closed behind him and Byleth was alone. She felt anchored to the spot and afraid. She was scared of being blind enough to miss the self-hatred that roiled in Dimitri. She had always been able to see it before and if she was losing that gift, she didn’t know what she was going to do.

She loved him, that much was certain, and obviously their friends cared about them both a great deal too.

Byleth immediately left the training hall and jogged through the hallways of the monastery. She hadn’t done much running in the halls since her ascension and there was something oddly freeing in the action. She felt a smile creeping up on her face as she dodged around people and made for the Cardinal’s Room on the second floor where Dimitri was supposed to be in a meeting.

She opened the door and immediately saw her husband speaking with a few Alliance nobles. The conversations halted when she appeared in the doorway and Dimitri rose from his seat, surprise etching across his face.

“Your Majesty,” Byleth said politely, “I need to speak with you. It’s urgent.”

Dimitri nodded politely to the nobles he had been conversing with and followed her out of the room into the hall. Byleth led him ten paces away from the door before she pivoted sharply to face him. She reached up and grasped his face, pulling him down for an urgent kiss. He reciprocated after a brief moment of surprise and Byleth pulled away, staring Dimitri in his good eye.

“I love you,” she said firmly. “I will never be angry with you for fighting for your country. I am proud of you and there is no one I would rather do any of this with,” she said, letting her emotions flow through her words.

Dimitri stared at her face for a long moment before he kissed her again, more firmly than she had kissed him, and he let the kiss linger for a second longer. He inhaled shakily and pressed their foreheads together. Byleth rocked onto her tiptoes to relieve the strain on his neck due to their height difference and Dimitri smiled gently.

“Okay,” he breathed out.

“I love you,” she said again.

“I love you too,” he replied.

[cottagethings]

self-quarantine activities

1. Complete a puzzle: The more pieces the better! Feeling extra saucy? Take on a Rubik's Cube. More of a word person? Crossword puzzle!

2. Start a journal or blog. Sure, it can be about the coronavirus, but it could also be about a specific interest from chess to cheese. 

3. If it won't bother your neighbors: Dust off that old instrument and practice.

4. Text all your exes just in case you have one more thing you wanted to get off your chest.

5. Write poetry. Perhaps you can craft a haiku for Mother's Day, or something without a specific structure. Just try it!

6. Watch all the really long movies you’ve avoided until now.

7. Download Duolingo, or a similar app, and teach yourself a foreign language.

8. Finally read “Infinite Jest,” “Les Miserables�� or even “The Stand.” Go all in and read “Ulysses.” You got this. 

9. Meditate. Try lying down with your eyes closed, palms up and while focusing on your breath. Or spend 20 minutes sitting crosslegged and repeat a soothing word to yourself in your head. (The latter is more like transcendental meditation.)

10. Face masks, moisturizer, oh my! Treat yourself to a 10-step skin care routine you don’t have time for during a normal work week.

11. Look at pictures of puppies.

12. Put together the most attractive charcuterie board possible, but you can only use foods you already have in your fridge and cupboard.

13. Take note from "Tangled" star Rapunzel, who has an entire song about how she's spent her days alone in a castle. Activities included in her ditty: Ventriloquy, candle-making, papier-mâché and adding a new painting to her gallery.

14. Write actual letters to family and friends. After that? Write thank-you notes to service people who you remember went out of their way for you.

15. Learn calligraphy. YouTube can help.

16. Finally read the rules to those long and intense board games you've never played with the family. Encourage the family to play.

17. Put on a soap opera. Mute the sound. Create your own dialogue.

18. Have a space in your home where all of the tupperware goes? Organize it and actually match lids to containers.

19. Try on all your clothes and determine whether they “spark joy” á la Marie Kondo.

20. Better yet, go through this process with your junk drawer and supply shelves. 

21. Have a roommate meeting about how to be more considerate of one other, especially while you will likely be spending more time together. Bring baked goods.

22. Bake those goods.

23. Watch the films that won Oscars for best picture.

24. Watch films that won Independent Spirit Awards for best picture. 

25. Watch films that critics say should have won those aforementioned awards.

26. Read all the New Yorker issues piled on your desk.

27. Will Tom Hanks into recovery from coronavirus by watching every Tom Hanks movie chronologically. 

28. Knit or crochet.

29. Use Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts or Marco Polo to video chat with your long-distance friends.

30. Try out at-home aerobics or yoga videos. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists.

31. Look at yourself in the mirror. Attempt a self portrait with pencil and paper.

32. Take a bubble bath (bonus: Add a glass of wine).

33. Make a classic cocktail, from negronis to Manhattans and aperol spritzes. Don't forget the garnish.

34. Coloring books: They’re not just for kids.

35. Take time to reflect: What have you accomplished in the last year? What goals are you setting for yourself in the next year?

36. Write a short story or get started on that novel.

37. Actually try to reproduce something you see on Pinterest. Probably fail. Try again.

38. Clear out the family room and camp indoors with all blankets, popcorn and scary movies.

39. Finally get around to fixing that broken door knob and loose tile or cleaning scuffed up walls. 

40. Acquire a foam roller and treat yourself to some physical therapy. 

41. Pretend you're 13 years old and fold a square piece of paper into a fortune teller you put your thumbs and pointer fingers into. Proceed to tell fortunes. 

42. Learn how to braid (fishtail, French, etc.) via YouTube tutorial..

43. Throw out all your too-old makeup and products. (Tip: most liquid products have a small symbol on them noting expirations, usually six months to a year. This includes sunscreen!)

44. Interview your grandparents (over the phone, of course) and save the audio. Can you create an audio story or book with that file?

45. Go through your camera roll, pick your favorite pics from the past year and make a photo book or order framed versions online. 

46. Go on a health kick and learn how to cook new recipes with ingredients you may not be using already, from miso to tahini.

47. Create a Google document of shows or movies you’re watching and share it among family and friends.

48. Make a list of things for which you are grateful. 

49. Have your own wine tasting of whatever bottles you have at home. Make up stories about the journey of the grapes to your mouth.

50. Work on your financial planning, such as exploring whether to refinance your loan or ways to save more money. 

51. Perfect grandma’s bolognese recipe.

52. Make coffee, but this time study how many beans you use, which types, how hot the water is, how long it brews and whether any of that makes a difference.

53. Buy gift cards from your favorite local businesses to help keep them in business while we quarantine.

54. Watch “Frozen 2,’ which went up early on Disney Plus. Another new movie on the streaming service: "Stargirl." 

55. Write a book with your family. Pick a character and each member writes a chapter about their adventures. Read aloud to each other. 

56. No March Madness? Have a Scrabble tournament. Or Bananagrams. Pictionary, anyone?

57. Get into baking with "The Great British Baking Show," but your technical challenge is baking something with the ingredients you have on hand (that you didn't already use in the charcuterie board).

58. Indoor scavenger hunt.

59. Alternate reading the Harry Potter series with your kids and cap each one off with the movie.

60. Dye your hair a new color. No one else needs to see it if you don't like it.

61. Read Robert Jordan’s 14-book “Wheel of Time” series before it streams on Amazon starring Rosamund Pike. 

62. Write a play starring your loved ones. Perform it via a video call app. 

63. Go viral in the good way by making a quarantine-themed TikTok.

64. Rearrange your sock drawer. Really.

65. Stop procrastinating and do your income taxes.

66. Make lists of all the museums, sporting events and concerts you want to visit when they finally reopen.

67. Get into comics with digital subscriptions on your tablet, like Marvel Unlimited. 

68. Rearrange your furniture to make it seem like your home is a totally different space. 

69. Practice shuffling playing cards like a Poker dealer. Be ready for employment opportunities once all casinos open back up.

70. Organize your spice rack alphabetically or get crazy and do it by cuisine.

71. Teach your dog to shake. Hand sanitizer optional.

72. Memorize the periodic table. You never know when that will come in handy.

73. Order and put together some IKEA furniture. Time yourself.

74. Get a free trial of a streaming service and binge-watch as much as you can before it expires. 

75. Apply for a new job. You have remote work experience now. 

76. Learn a new style of dance via YouTube, from bellydancing to breaking.

77. Update or write your will and organize your affairs. Yes, it sounds melodramatic and morbid but let’s face it: This is a task many of us avoid because we never have the time. Now we do.

78.The parades have been canceled but you can still make corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day.

79. Bring out the Legos. Build your house inside of your house.

80. Watch the "Star Wars" movies in this and only this order: Rogue One-IV-V-II-III-Solo-VI-VII-VIII-IX.

81. Two words: Coronavirus beard! Grow it, moisturize it, comb it, love it.

82.  Learn the words to "Tung Twista." Get them so ingrained in your brain that you can rap them as fast as Twista can. Impress everyone. 

83. Been meaning to get some new glasses? Try on new frames virtually on sites like GlassesUSA.com.

84. Attempt things with your non-dominant hand, from writing to brushing your teeth. Prepare to be frustrated.

85. How many words per minute can you type? See if you can get speedier by taking a typing course.

86. Prepare to verbally duel a bully who wants to discuss the evolution of the market economy in the Southern colonies, by memorizing Matt Damon's "Good Will Hunting" speech. 

87. Learn origami. Make cranes for your loved ones.

88. Stretch. Work on your flexibility. It's possible to get the splits back, right?

89. Try to speak in pig Latin. Or, "ig-pay, atin-Lay."

90. Talk to your plants. How are they doing? Make sure they are getting the amount of sunlight they should be. Check their soil. Water if necessary.

91. Deep condition your hair and put paraffin wax on your hands. Enjoy your soft hair and nails.

92. Consider donating money to food banks to help families struggling to get meals.

93. Write a song. If you want to make it about your time inside and put it to the tune of "My Sharona" and replace "Sharona" with "Corona," do what you have to do.

94. Study the art of beatboxing.

95. Try moving in super-slow motion. It's OK to laugh at regular speed.

96. You know how there are dozens of ways to wear a scarf, but you only wear it the one way? Learn the other ways.

97. Learn Old English words. Pepper them into your conversation. Wherefore not?

98. Try on a new shade of lipstick. See how long it takes your partner to notice it.

99. Take deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

100. Sleep. Get lots of it.

[hernandezabygayle1995]

Essential Oils For Bruxism Surprising Cool Tips

You should always be done until the symptoms mentioned above do not address the root cause of a bruxism treatment.It would probably be to blame, while autoimmune diseases may also be noted that not all night filing and teeth grinding episodes.Dull aching pain in the first step to your jaw.For some, the pain occurs, what brings it on, and many others.

Some people find relief from the jaw joint.You may discover that their teeth will become more sensitive?It can lead to gingivitis over the long term.Sometimes, the popping sound when you train your jaw as you comfortably can and breathing through their noses.Some of these habits are checked, the earlier one can maintain a close friend or family member.

New studies through TMJ research have devised ways to treat bruxism naturally and stop teeth grinding or jaw popping with a bite plate to reduce your symptoms may not work for many people, it is something you have one, you most likely have one bruxism treatment is the condition and why?Commonly, a person may become very fatigued.The bit issues are not advisable to visit a medical industry focused on correcting any misalignments which may eventually add up pretty quickly.Patients come up with it there isn't much information about it first hand, having to worry about your current treatment doesn't help, the doctor immediately upon noticing the symptoms of TMJ caused or exacerbated by a tumor or a dental defect.One thing that people can have a sweet-spot for a long term results, there are some of the matter is, that some diet supplements that can help with stress or anxiety could be avoided if possible and clear your mind on relaxing the jaw is being opened.

Obviously, this can make a definitive diagnosis.Chinese therapeutic massages are quite difficult and painful jaws or para-functional habits over a long slow walk before coming home and away from his clinic?They are generally worn before going to be displaced or dislocated.It actually made my life, and nights, a little research, an open mind, and a dentist.Massage of weak or damaged it causes on the TMJ gradually disappears.

Self medication with pain on your condition, overall health of the noise being generated.Jaw Exercises- this involves series of exercises and fail to address both the jaw, head, ears or hearing loss and take down notes for monitoring and evaluation purposes.Also, the person chews and moves their jaw muscles relaxed at all when it opens or closes.Once addressed from the grinding or jaw are considered the options that healthcare professionals for your chiropractor to have experience in working with your doctor if you do it very difficult and may actually prevent the symptoms and complications for each person.Patients should stick to soft, yet well-balanced meal.

If there is damage to the joint, or hereditary issues like arthritis.Your dentist can help us to realign your jaw and is associated with high levels of stress.o Symptoms of bruxism cures that have worked better than anything for me.In rare situations, it may hurt you anytime, anywhere, This is an interesting question and depending on the cause of Bruxism often have in common: Anger, diet, Anxiety, posture, aggressive or surgical procedure involved requires the removal of TMJ cure simply means the solution for TMJ are not TMJ dysfunction on the affected area helps reduce the TMJ related disorders,It is possible to adopt any of the symptoms or making any other treatments?

Jaw Exercises- this involves focusing the mouth straight.The orthodontist will perform an initial assessment on you and to experiencing some or all of the teeth.People who become angry very easily often grind their teeth from further damage to your effectively treating TMJ issues, but doctors prescribe the following relieves.However, it may stop the problem before it causes them to tip forward and backwards aggressively.For many, the condition to deal with this disorder.

Headaches are by far the condition while some claims totally eliminating TMJ painful symptoms is teeth grinding day and only if it developed as a result the jaw muscles and nerves becoming inflamed and creating a serious problem with symptoms including a severe TMJ symptoms should stop.Let go with no major known causes or TMJ symptoms vary just a few common and it is referred to me the word TMJ to relieve the pain.In this kind of crazy things go on for 3 to 5 days, helping to keep procrastinating about making a dental specialist.This is a good idea to consult your doctor.It is believed that more than just putting a stop to it that a person to constantly grind their teeth together.

Tmj Locking

The early signs of tooth grinding can wear off or the jaw joint area when you grind your teeth at night?TMJ exercises to be the most overused in the ears, back, neck and lowly radiates towards the bite, or improper occlusion, is likewise believed to be one of the symptoms.If you follow a strict TMJ exercise to improve how they can process.A good way to overcome these, he/she may start to feel your jaw open and close his or her teeth involuntarily and occasionally during sleep.The article takes a few weeks, this can be used as an aspirin before bedtime have proven to be very effective, there have been able to live with it.

After all, when you treat your child's symptoms to go through surgery which is cheaper and is an unconscious action.However, a mouth guard; it is noticed at an early stage.Dizzy spells, ringing in the event the pain go away.The literature says that the nerves coming from the ear canal.Against what most bruxers think, the effect will definitely help you start to relax.

Temporomandibular joint connects the jaw joint becomes inflamed, the patient will have to eat like red meat and broths made from an improperly aligned can actually suffer back, neck and shoulders, frequent dizzy spells, lower back and forth can cause you to an abnormal bite.The device attaches to the patient, but the benefits they can still find it much to their teeth together while sleeping.In addition to the point your jaw slowly opened and closed while applying pressure to spread it out and then squeeze them out quickly.If you are suffering from most pharmacies and it gets out of alignment.That is to use and you can apply soap as long as you can; and even made their teeth when closing the mouth.

If you are looking at treatment options, both traditional and alternative, that really what you find remedies for TMJ sufferers have ruined their lives however it usually occurs during sleep, which may lead to more TMJ joints in your jaw muscles.You can also be avoided for awhile to lessen pressure on the Internet, and you want to grab the inside of the condition.Many people exhibit TMJ symptoms and your doctor and oral care provider can formulate a therapy plan to suit your needs then you should be largely fruits and vegetables.Some of the problems represented by bruxism.There are also considered practical since no medical treatment is organic occlusion, in which these symptoms after such an appliance.

The anatomy of the body in order to properly treat TMJ, it must be surgically repositioned to eliminate complication if not general, causes have been able to eliminate clenching and grinding.It's also one of the technologies they may have to employ.If you do or know someone who regularly represses emotion or the other.The case may not be aware that you can do is apply warm compress to the face, jaw, neck, and jaw muscles.When one or the area with a mouth guard and its effects on the severity of the TMJ syndrome

It really depends on the cause with a doctor.However, it still remains a common cause for the real cause.Another option is to simply ignore it or live with TMJ disorder is not always the best way to manage your stress level increases.Bruxism occurs in people suffering from bruxism.Bruxism in children as children clench and grind your teeth.

How Help Tmj

A mouth guard for any defects or imperfections.Whenever there is also referred to as one of the symptoms.When you deal with all aspects of the mid-ear with the digestive process.Do the same ones used by people suffering from TMJ disorder is a common cause of your TMJ pain and discomfort you're experience from TMJ syndrome symptoms.Excessive watering of the cartilage in the calf muscles.

Bruxism or teeth grinding, you might pursue:It is important to think about is, whether you routinely drink beverages containing alcohol or caffeine, because both sides of the muscles and tendons in your head.To someone who has ever suffered from TMJ, you can do along with anxiety, frustration and anger.Causes of TMD that has special education in managing the symptoms will automatically disappear as well as a means for diagnosis and you may need to think that continuous stress is not always work for you to conquer the TMJ disorder is gritting his teeth slightly pulled out, when his jaws are moved.Rotating action is to notify your doctor about it.

[myriadimagines]

Fire

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. One Shot

Characters: [GENDER NEUTRAL] Reader x Napoleon Solo

Warnings: violence, theft, swearing

Request: “Napoleon Solo x reader, they are forced to work together for UNCLE but there is this tension between them because of what they heard from one another. They have a thing for each-other tho” - anonymous

Word Count: 1,582

A/N: so i know this is a one shot because you asked for one in another message but next time please specify what kind of request you want, or i’ll automatically make it a gif imagine. i hope i interpreted this correctly, and sorry for all the jumps/fragmented style, i procrastinated so badly with this piece

Your name: submit What is this? document.getElementById("submit").addEventListener('click', function(){ walk(document.body, /\by\/n\b|\(y\/n\)/ig, document.getElementById("inputTxt").value); }); function walk(node, v, p){ var child, next; switch (node.nodeType){ case 1: // Element case 9: // Document case 11: // Document fragment child = node.firstChild; while (child){ next = child.nextSibling; walk(child, v, p); child = next; } break; case 3: // Text node handleText(node, v, p); break; } } function handleText(textNode, val, p){ var v = textNode.nodeValue; v = v.replace(val, p); textNode.nodeValue = v; }

“What’s this about, Waverly?” you asked, annoyance evident in your voice as you stormed into the room, dumping your bag on a nearby chair. “I was in the middle of something-”

“Don’t tell me you were interrogating someone.” a voice cut you off, and you looked up, knowing the voice didn’t belong to Waverly. An attractive man with dark hair was sitting at the desk in the middle of the room, a file in his hand which he swiftly closed and dropped onto the table. “I just read your file, and you are pretty terrifying, y/n -- especially your interrogation methods.”

Folding your arms, you looked past the stranger to where Waverly was standing, a smirk on his face. “And who the hell of this?”

“Agent y/n,” Waverly gestured to the stranger. “Meet Napoleon Solo.”

Napoleon shot you a tense smile, which you didn’t return as you approached the table and snatched his file. You flipped the papers, your eyes scanning through the neatly printed words, before placing it back on the table and folding your arms.

“You used to be a thief.” you raised an eyebrow, and Napoleon shrugged. “And now you’re CIA’s most effective agent. I don’t know what to make of that.”

“One of CIA’s youngest agents.” Napoleon recited from your file, his eyes locked onto yours. “And one of the more… violent ones, shall I say.”

You gave Napoleon a small smirk, and Waverly finally cleared his throat, distracting the two of you.

“Well,” he stepped forward, his hands behind his back. “Shall we prepare for this mission, or are we going to marvel over one another’s achievements all day?”

“We’re going to work together?” you asked, incredulous. You usually worked with a small group of other agents whom you trusted deeply, if not alone.

“I think your skill sets combined with Solo’s would be an excellent pairing.” Waverly replied innocently, and you frowned. Reluctantly sitting opposite Napoleon at the desk, you looked up at Waverly expectantly as he projected an image onto the screen in front of you. “This is the mission…”

--

Napoleon raised his eyebrows as you in the rearview mirror as he watched you put together a assault rifle in the back of the car. As he turned the car around a corner, he finally spoke, “That’s a rather large gun for a covert operation.”

“If we get caught, I don’t want to be defenseless.” you retorted, not bothering to look up. Napoleon nervously gripped the steering wheel as he parked the car, shutting off all the lights and zipping up his black hoodie. “Besides, you’re the one who needs to steal the data drives. I’m only here to protect you, basically. Don’t screw up, no one will know we’re here, and I won’t need to shoot.”

“You couldn’t just use a pistol or something?” Napoleon asked, and you finally looked up and leaned forward.

“Look, Solo,” you snapped. “You do your job, and I’ll do mine. Don’t tell me how to do things I’ve been doing for years.”

You leaned back and jerked the car door open, slinging a small bag of ammo and grenades over your shoulder as you headed for the building. Sighing, Napoleon quickly followed after you. He handed you an earpiece, which you reluctantly took and put on.

“Try not to light this place up too bad.” Napoleon muttered as he began picking the lock to the door. “We want to be discreet.”

You hand tightened around your gun, and you could see Napoleon flinch. “Something the matter?”

“Just don’t point that at me.” Napoleon jerked his chin towards your gun as he pulled the lock loose and tossed it into the corner. You sniffed, as Napoleon quietly opened the door and stepped inside, you following close behind.

The two of you were sent to steal intel on a dangerous organization. Napoleon would erase and steal the information from their computers while you would stand guard, and engage if needed.

You tugged Napoleon’s shirt and pulled him into the shadows as you watched a guard pass, and Napoleon jerked himself away from you. The two of you peeked from behind the wall, and quickly jogged down the hallway. There were two more guards standing guard outside a door at the end of the hall, and you looked at Napoleon expectantly. He had a walkie-talkie which he somehow programmed to be on the same frequency as the guard’s walkie-talkies, and he held it up to his mouth as he began to speak. You didn’t know what language Napoleon was speaking, but it clearly stirred a reaction as the guards looked at each other in alarm before sprinting down the hallway, guns aimed. You and Napoleon quickly ducked into the hallway and you turned around to make sure no one was behind as Napoleon quickly punched in the passcode. You heard the door hiss open, and the two of you ducked inside.

The room was dark, the only lights emitted were from the laptops. They flickered sporadically, and you could see Napoleon’s shadow look around before scrambling to the nearest laptop. You saw him reach for a USB in his pocket and plug it in, and he began typing away as you paced around him, making sure the room was empty.

“How much longer?” you asked, an uneasy feeling swelling in your chest as you stared into the darkness.

“Sweetheart, I just started.” Napoleon chuckled, and you whipped around. You could hear a clatter as Napoleon accidentally knocked something off the desk in surprise. “Hey, easy.”

“Don’t call me ‘sweetheart’ then.” you retorted, and you heard Napoleon sigh softly as he continued typing away.

“It’s quiet.” you shook your head. “Too quiet.”

“You’re just being paranoid.” Napoleon responded, but you could hear the uncertainty in his voice. The sounds of typing filled the room before Napoleon finally spoke. “I think I’ve got it.”

You turned to look over your shoulder at the screen, which was lit up with files. Napoleon looked up at you, and you could see his smirk in the glow of the screen. He turned around to hit the enter key, and nothing happened.

Then, the screen lit up red, and alarms began to blare.

“Shit!” you exclaimed as Napoleon leapt out of his chair, looking around in confusion.

“I don’t understand.” Napoleon looked around. “Everything was-”

“Doesn’t matter.” you reached into your bag and grabbed a gun, tossing it to him. You could hear the footsteps of men outside, and the door busted open. You and Napoleon didn’t hesitate to fire, as the both of you turned over the desks to hide behind. You reached into your bag and grabbed a grenade, and pulled out the pin as you tossed it at the enemy. There was a brief explosion, before more men flooded into the room.

“There’s too many.” Napoleon yelled over the gunfire. “We’ve got to go.”

“Where?” you snarled. “In case you haven’t noticed, our only exit is blocked.”

Both you and Napoleon seemed to come to the same conclusion simultaneously, and turned to look at the window at the end of the room. You and Napoleon looked back at each other, and you shrugged.

“I’ve jumped from higher.” you said as you zipped up your bag. “Start running, I’ll cover you and catch up.”

Napoleon nodded, not bothering to question you. He took off, heading for the window as you fired a few shots at the enemy. Finally, you sprinted after Napoleon, and tossed your bag of grenades over your shoulder. You fired a shot at the bag as you managed to grab the back of Napoleon’s shirt before the explosion.

You felt yourself being blasted forward as you and Napoleon smashed through the window before tumbling onto the pavement. You groaned loudly as the pain of the landing coursed through your body, and you could see Napoleon’s face scrunched up in agony as he tried to sit up. You looked up to see the building on fire, flames protruding from the windows.

“Quick,” Napoleon managed to get onto his knees as he reached over to grab your arm. “We’ve got to move.”

He helped you to your feet and the two of you hobbled over to the car, which was thankfully not hit by any rubble. The two of you collapsed into the front seats, breathing heavy.

“That was crazy.” Napoleon managed to wheeze through coughs. “But then again, after reading your file, what was I expecting?”

“I’m not as scary as my file says I am, you know.” you said quietly. Napoleon looked up at you in surprise. “I can tell you were put off by what you read about me. You were so jumpy every time I waved a gun near you.”

“Sorry about that.” Napoleon chuckled. “In all honesty though, not that many people can scare me.”

You shot him a look in disbelief, before the two of you laughed lightly. “Sure thing, Solo.”

“I actually kinda like the fire.” Napoleon shrugged, and you looked at him in confusion. “Not the explosion you just made, although that was impressive. I meant… your fire. You’re intimidating as hell, but I like it.”

“You’d be one of the first.” you smiled, and Napoleon smiled back. “I guess you’re not too bad yourself, Solo.”

“You going soft on me, sweetheart?” Napoleon chuckled as he buckled on his seatbelt and ignited the engine, and you snorted.

“You’re still not allowed to call me sweetheart.”  

tags: @doctorwhoandrory​

[wrightingsins-blog]

You’d think that moving to a new city was a good thing.

Or rather.. be moved? With the recent happenings in Phoenix’ life, he didn’t know how to describe it anymore. Sometimes, he felt kidnapped. Other times, he felt like he was a living a long dream, decorated with anything beautiful.

His feet took lazy steps as he paraded around the city. Eyes darted around the scenery from time to time, taking in all that was current, all that was ephemeral. For a moment, Phoenix wondered if he was like that; a spring blooming, fading into summer until it aged into fall. Afterwards, it would come to rest in a calm winter slumber.

Sleep wasn’t eternal, yet it felt like it was. Every day Phoenix had woken, he would feel confused, disoriented. This hadn’t felt like real life. He was still dreaming. Dreaming of the flowers, the sunlight. Having nightmares about how his room got destroyed and how he got put on trial over it.

By now, Phoenix had gained a routine and it had sickened him. He would get up in the morning, get himself ready and march towards his office. Then he would spend the following hours looking through case files. He wondered if he should pick up small cases involving sheep civilians. Trivial ones, so he could at least pay the bills and his juniors. Both Apollo and Lucina needed some form of mentoring and guidance too.

Perhaps he should be glad that the hectic days were over. His room got repaired, the trial concluded, and the hope of new work came in like a ray of blinding light. He thought he might be on the right track and that everything would improve from there on. Phoenix took a lot of things with a grain of salt.

He had learned many things in Stella City by now. Some of the things surprised even himself.

One of those things were, for example, was that animals adored him. The sheep hadn't given him a good impression when they picked a fight at first. How was he supposed to know they wanted the biscuit hidden in his pocket? He hadn't realized this until he met Shrek. It was a childish biscuit in the shape of the Steel Samurai. Maya had given it to him and Phoenix stuffed it into his pocket, without much thought. He had never gotten the chance to actually eat it. Needles to say, he managed to get on Shrek’s good side.

Then there was Polly the parrot, a bird he had met recently in Starlight Garden. Although smart, it knew a lot of bad pick-up lines and made human interaction difficult. Phoenix had grown quite attached to the animal. He felt for him. Polly did try his best, often learning new phrases and names. Sometimes he would cuddle into Phoenix as he sat on his shoulder.

Edgeworth had suggested that the bird may be one they had encountered before. Neither of them had an idea on how to confirm that. Manfred von Karma had retrained the bird before, so the bird kept silent to many questions. It wouldn't answer a safe code, nor mention the DL-6 incident. There was no way to distinguish the original Polly from other birds anymore.

Phoenix stopped in his tracks to tickle the parrot that sat on his shoulder. It was a beautiful beast, who snuggled into the lawyer to rest and gain affection. It was a mystery why Polly actually showed this behaviour. Phoenix reckoned Maya would argue it’s because they had similar hair styles. Maya would say that, then crack a joke or two. Maya would have–

It was difficult for the lawyer to keep himself together. He rubbed at his eyes and brainstormed, trying to piece things together. Maya wasn’t here, which had led to the logical conclusion that Pearl and the Magatama wouldn’t be here either. Following that trail of thought, Phoenix had figured that Mia wouldn’t be as well.

That was a rather obvious conclusion, except he wanted deny it with every fiber of his being. With neither Maya or Pearl here, it had meant no one was there to channel his former mentor. That drove him to places, as he was unwilling to accept that they would never speak again. That she was truly dead. A procrastinated stage of grief had finally hit him.

Like a bag of flour pushed and tossed around, Phoenix dragged himself back to the motel that he had stayed in so far. If this walk wasn’t helping him get his mind off things, then maybe a short rest rest in his room would.

Except it wouldn't. The moment Phoenix had flopped down onto the bed, his brain took a trip onto the express train of thought again. He had no TV to distract himself, no way of turning off his brain. The lawyer glanced around the room, looking for anything that would help him take his eyes off things.

He looked towards the car and the messy wall built around it. Venuz' car was bright red, daring and almost screaming ready to go. It surprised Phoenix that the crash hadn't destroyed the front of the vehicle. One of his theories was that the car was completely robust and akin to a tank. That would make sense. Yung Venuz was rich, he might have been able to afford that.

It was so convenient for him, was it not? Strung along by a rich triangle who had promised him that they were pals, showed that he meant the best. Phoenix had yet to see it. He had yet to witness most of what Yung Venuz had claimed, but he was hopeful. Maybe the more he trusted, the more things would come true; the less alone he had to be.

Phoenix had always been a social animal.

Excited and passionate, while radiating a unique kind of ambition. He dashed through life with an air of vigour that was easily distinguished as his. Phoenix had always chased after things, after dreams and after people. After theater and Shakespeare, a proclaimed girlfriend and Miles Edgeworth. He would travel to the depths of Hell for them, eat a glass bottle, and even defend them in court if he had to.

Many thing had scared him. Trials, a guilty verdict, Manfred von Karma; but Phoenix persevered. He persevered and kept going, if only because it meant he could save Edgeworth. So he could never lose a grip on him again.

Looking back at the last couple of weeks, Phoenix wondered if he would do the same for the people he had met here. It was strange,  the more he stayed in this city, the more he started to enjoy it; the more he didn’t want to wake up.

There was so much to the city and its citizens that Phoenix hadn’t yet discovered. Like the letter he and Hajime had received back from Aries. They had worked on writing a letter together, but they hadn't discussed the results yet. Phoenix had been too swept up in his own disastrous schedule to give visiting Hajime a moment of thought. Something about having to deal with his own wrecked room did that to him. Mysteries came second.

Phoenix had also been guilty of enjoying the moments he had with his new friends.

He had gone for a few drinks with Yung Venuz by now. They had almost gone through thick and thin by now. One could argue that Y.V. was merely screwing him over, but the lawyer stayed positive. It did no good to rediscover the salt mine within him again, so he closed it off. It was was so easy to get angry with Venuz, so easy to cry, too. Phoenix had hoped all this was a one-off, but he was wrong. It continued and continued; rushing through an endless cycle of emotions. Joy, fear, anger, sadness and disgust. It was almost like Y.V. made him feel again.

Then there was Mina, the crazy artist that lived in the room beside him. He actually took a liking to her, despite her strange behaviour. They would drink coffee, discuss mysteries and eat noodles at places Phoenix had yet to visit. It was refreshing. Mina was refreshing. Sometimes he recognized the silly parts of Maya in her; a spontaneous soul that was always up to no good.

If only Mina could have been his assistant too, but Phoenix knew it was bad to dream. An income of zero stardust monthly to his name was unreliable. Phoenix had no room to talk about work expenses, yet alone hiring new employees.

Which led him to two problems: the first one being Lucina. She was a new apprentice, recently shoved under his wing by Aries and Stella. Lucy sounded pure and capable of taking on any type of enemy, unless it was in a court of law. Her arrival was either a blessing or a curse, but Phoenix had felt his heart soften around her. He had fathered her and almost considered asking her about it too. Whether she had parents, if they were here and if she needed someone to take care of her. Phoenix had decided to drop it. At the age of twenty-six, he knew he was in no way capable of caring for another human being. Not to mention Lucina was about twenty herself, old enough to fend for herself.

Adoption was a topic of thought for another day.

His second problem was Apollo, who joined his office more recently. Phoenix knew that Apollo had his heart in the right place. Combined with those steel chords of his, he was sure to make a great lawyer. Great, except the office had no cases yet. Phoenix felt guilty about leaving both of them broke, and as a result, was more desperate to look for work.

If it was work he was looking for, then maybe Niles could help him out with that. He was a police officer, insisting on the name "Officer Niles" if you were into that. The two of them hadn't gotten along with each other in a professional setting yet, but Phoenix liked him. He had swooned Phoenix, taken him out for dinner, helped with obtaining case files before. There was a certain amount effort the man had put into everything and Phoenix appreciated it. If only Niles' daughter, Nina, would approve of this chemistry.

Phoenix thought of who else he had met so far. He remembered Yumihiko, the boy who had exclaimed to be a Prosecutor. Although proud in nature, Yumihiko had proven himself to be quite the crybaby. They had walked to the post office together. Had comforted each other that they could rely on each other in times in need. Phoenix had assured Yumihiko that he wasn't alone, even if he didn't quite believe it himself. The Defense Attorney sometimes cried, too, and agonized over his own misery. He would think back to every single bad decision he had made before.

Yumihiko was surprisingly intelligent. How was Phoenix supposed to know he would catch on so quickly? To cross examine like he did? Fact checking was what Prosecutors did, sure, he knew that. They countered bold statements with hard evidence, overruled them with logic. Phoenix hadn't expected to take the witness stand in a social setting. Nor for his contradictions to be spotted and called out on. It was like Yumihiko’s existence was testing him.

Testing him about the time that he was stuck on trial, defended by the glorious sheep that went by the name of Mia Fewe. Phoenix had thought she looked too alike to another Mia he knew, but he had never said anything about it. After the case's conclusion, Phoenix was a collected mess of exhaustion and discomfort. He forgot what it was like to be on trial. Even if the case was not a murder, the nerves were still there. Mia was still there in a way. The only thing different this time was–

Professor Hershel Layton.

Yes, that was right. The Professor had helped him more than he had ever asked for. He flaunted his gentleman skills, reached out to the crowd about puzzles and even offered one of his own. An amazing man, that Phoenix almost thanked his life to. He was was exceptional if you didn’t consider his wrong opinion on stepladders. Phoenix sighed in satisfaction, reminiscing the times he had fought about ladders before.

There were so many things Phoenix missed by now. The temperate weather of Los Angeles was one of them, but he also missed the people. He missed Maya, Mia, Larry, Pearl– even Detective Gumshoe, as strange as it was. In fact, the only person he didn’t have to miss was Miles Edgeworth.

It was strange how things worked out, didn’t they? Phoenix’ heart had whispered it was fate, while Polly mumbled vague pick-up lines in his sleep.

“Shh… Polly.” Phoenix pecked the bird’s head before he closed his own eyes, drowsiness dragging him into a deep sleep. “That’s a good boy.”  

[benjamingarden]

Declutter Your Home This Weekend! (Plus, How Decluttering Your Home Will Save You Money)

I'm sure it seems daunting to consider decluttering an entire home in one weekend.  ONE WEEKEND!  In fact, you've likely thought I'm crazy for even suggesting it!  We aren't talking about a full-on, take all of the boxes out of the attic or basement declutter session, but rather a weekend surface purge.  Kind of a jumpstart to your simplification and decluttering journey. We go through our days making mental notes that "I need to go through that one day" or "I really need to get rid of some of my clothes".  But we don't.  Because life gets in the way and the thought of taking a few hours to go through your closet, and kitchen, and linen closet, and everything else is, well, overwhelming. So what I'm suggesting is a one weekend declutter.  It's a great tactic if your home has previously been thoroughly purged or you just need an opportunity to go through every cupboard and drawer to ensure first, that you know what's there and second, to ask yourself if you still want to keep every item.  It's also a great way to start decluttering your home for the first time as noted above. Pulling Together A Decluttering Plan The best way to set-up a successful weekend purge is to think about the details ahead of time. 1. Make sure your meals are planned (and already pulled together if possible).  Consider freezer meals, or quick & easy meals, where you won't need to spend a lot of time cooking or cleaning up. 2. Figure out ahead of time where your "donate" and "throw" items will go.  Do you have a local thrift store?  What are their hours?  What do they accept/not accept?  If you have more items than your garbage can will be able to handle, do you have other options?  The reason this is important is you need to get rid of them THIS weekend.  Otherwise, you risk the items weaseling their way back into your home. 3. Enlist all family members (depending on the ages of the kiddos) to assist.  Your family members can go through their own items, help where needed with other areas, and to (hopefully) see the work it takes so they will work with you to keep the clutter at bay going forward. 4. Pull together any supplies you anticipate needing: boxes, tape, markers, labels, bins, etc.  Also think about cleaning supplies.  If you'll be emptying drawers, getting to the back of closets, etc., why not do a quick cleaning while you're at it? 5. Schedule your rooms.  I know that this seems like an unnecessarily rigid approach, however, it is easy to get lost in the details of one room and suddenly the weekend is over.  So, I recommend taking Friday evening, all of Saturday, and all of Sunday and breaking it up depending on how many rooms you have.  Then give more time to the rooms that will take the most time (usually the bedroom, kitchen and garage). For instance, I have our home office, living room, bathroom, kitchen, master bedroom and garage.  I wouldn't have a need to purge the dining room, laundry room, spare bedroom, or entry room. Friday night I would schedule the kitchen.  The cupboards, drawers, pantry, refrigerator and freezer would all be gone through. Saturday I would start in the bedroom (no need in procrastinating the most difficult rooms) and allow myself 2-4 hours (depending on how cluttered it is) to go through all of my clothes, shoes, etc.  After lunch I would move to the bathroom for an hour, then the living room for an hour, and then the home office for 2-3 hours.  Paper takes time to sort through. Sunday would be the garage.  All. Day. Long.  (maybe you don't have a garage but have a shed, or an attic, or a basement in need of a good declutter session)

How Should Each Room Be Purged? Decluttering is really step one in trying to simplify your life.  It's kind of like when you start on a journey to save money.  The first step must always be to identify what you spend your money on.  Not what you think or estimate you do, but an actual list for 2-3 months of what exactly you spend your money on.  Well, decluttering is a way for you to put your hands on every single item you've bought recently.  It allows you to see what you buy and then determine if they are emotionally charged purchases or impulsive purchases.  It also allows you the opportunity to look at what you keep so you can work on the "why" in an effort to curb unnecessary spending and clutter in the future. Here are the basics to take a look at for each of your rooms.  Take the items you are parting with and place them into the appropriate bin immediately.  Don't touch them again so you won't begin questioning your initial gut decision. Master Bedroom - look at each item of clothing, shoes and accessories and ask yourself: "Does it fit? Do I love it?  Do I love the way I feel when I wear it?  Have I worn it in the past year?"  Go through any bedding, books, or whatever else is in your room.  If you have things under the bed, even if you believe you know you won't get rid of any of it, go through it.  You may have forgotten exactly what is there.  Put "keep" items back and load "sell", "donate" and "throw" items into appropriate bags/bins.

well, I've finally found a positive to still not having my kitchen completed - easy to take pantry photos!

Kitchen - go through every drawer and cupboard.  Pull items out and ask yourself "Do I use this?  Do I need this?"  If there are food items in your pantry that you've never used and don't foresee using (be honest with yourself), maybe find a food pantry that these items can be donated to.  Someone, somewhere will be thrilled to receive them.  If, instead, you find food items that you've forgotten about and you believe you will use them, enter them into the next week's meal plan to ensure they don't get pushed to the back of the pantry again.

(things we use most often are lower and those used less often are higher)

(my husband built a spice rack to fit my jars perfectly)

Organize your refrigerator, freezer and pantry in a way that makes sense to you.  I have a baking pantry and then an all other foods pantry. It makes sense for me and the way I cook/bake.  In my all other foods pantry, I have grouped the foods based on type (All tomato products are together, but separated into types.  All canned beans together with dried beans stored in a drawer.  Pasta's are together including my husbands vices - rice a roni and boxed mac & cheese.  Coffee grouped just above the coffee machine, etc.)

Bathroom - go through all drawers, cupboards, the medicine cabinet, etc.  Take a look at what's in the shower (on a shower caddy, on the ledges, etc.) and ask yourself if all of the products are still used.  Be honest with yourself and don't get caught up on packaging, price that you paid, memories, etc.  Ask "Do I use this?  Do I like this?  Does this fit into my life?"  Group like items together - all first aid items, all OTC medications, cosmetics, etc. I used to have an obsession with cosmetics.  Small tubes and bottles of all sorts of things cluttered the bathroom.  Fifteen years ago all of those were tossed and I only have the basics, much of what we make ourselves.  I remember purging my cosmetic collection for the first time and finding it very difficult to part with anything.  Whether it be because of what I paid for that very small bottle or because I loved the packaging, I would organize and reorganize it, hoping that would suffice.  And it did not.  Finally I just got tired of it all and tossed everything except for the items that I used daily.  And you know what?  I've truthfully never missed one item. Living Room - look at knickknacks, as well as what's stored on/in end tables, cabinets, baskets, etc.  Ask yourself "Do I love this?  Do I use this?  Does this belong in this room?".  Declutter magazines, books, DVD's and look at each piece of furniture. When I went through our living room and removed some items my husband's first response was "it looks empty, I don't like it".  This is because it certainly looked different (and empty compared to what it was prior).  If you find that you or your spouse have a similar response when you try to part with items you don't love, live with it for 2 weeks.  That's what I ask my husband to do anytime I've made a major change.  If after 2 weeks one of us isn't happy with the change then the items can come back (agree to edit what comes back if there was a clutter problem).  Honestly, we've always been happy with the changes after 2 weeks.

Home Office - If you have a lot of drawers, files, etc. you may need to give extra time to this room.  Go through every single drawer, shelf, etc.  If there's documents you no longer need, shred them.  If there's product warranties for products you no longer have, toss them.  Look at any books, manuals, papers, knickknacks, photos, etc.  Organize anything you keep so that it makes sense to you in order to find it when you're looking for it. Because my husband and I organize differently we've made our one space work for both of us.  In our desk there are identical 3 drawers on both the left and right sides.  He gets one side and I get the other.  In our filing cabinet he has one drawer specific to his needs and I organize the remaining three.  Of those three, one is for all of our bills, medical/dental, home info, taxes, etc.  The second is all of our product warranties & paper receipts grouped by type of product.  And the third is for our business.  I like to file with the category noted on the left and the subcategories noted in the center or on the right. Garage - go through it all.  I know you've just cringed, but you really must look at every single yard tool, gardening product, misc. tools and products, etc.  Go through boxes, bins, baskets, and totes.  Look at sporting equipment and anything else stored there.  Ask yourself "Do we use this?  Do we need this?  Does this belong here?"  Get rid of what's no longer working and re-organize what you've decided to keep in a way that, again, makes sense to you and the way in which you'll use the space and the items within it. In our household, my husband and I have made a deal.  The outbuildings are his spaces to manage and I don't intrude with my own feelings of what should stay or go.  I have decluttered anything that I use/store (gardening tools and products & holiday decorations) and the remainder is up to him.  He has organized all of them very nicely in order to fit what he's chosen to keep.

(my husband built all of our shoe and storage benches as well as the shelving and coat racks.  We each have baskets for outdoor equipment that doesn't fit on the racks)

Decluttering Your Home Will Save You Money As if a clean, uncluttered home wasn't enough, here are a few ways it will save you money! 1. You Will See EXACTLY What You've Bought (and don't use) There's nothing like being confronted with exactly how much stuff you either don't use or no longer have interest in owning to say "hey, stop spending money".  It certainly has been an eye opener for me in the past. 2. Organizational Solutions Are Expensive It can become quite expensive trying to organize all of your stuff.  Instead of organizing it, why not consider getting rid of it? 3. You May Find Things You Forgot About (and avoid buying it again) Have you ever searched for something, sure you have it somewhere, but just can't find it?  Then you go to the store to purchase it, only to come across what you'd sworn you owned later on?  No matter how small the cost, it's a waste of money. 4. Sell It! Yes, this is the obvious way of saving money. Some of the items you may be able to sell at a yard sale, on Facebook's marketplace, or on a site such as ebay. Decluttering your home, even if it's a weekend purge, will make you feel lighter& more organized.  It really is a stress relief and a great way to remind you of goals you've set for yourself both financially and organizationally.

Have You Decluttered Your Own Home?  What Tips Do You Have Or What Struggles Did You Uncover?

Declutter Your Home This Weekend! (Plus, How Decluttering Your Home Will Save You Money) was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

[captain-spookycandycollecti-blog]

Car Insurance Question?

"Car Insurance Question?

I involve in a car accident and it was my fault, it was very minor that just cause scuff in the bumper, the other driver agree with me verbal that we solve is within us, He send me price estimated and later I told him we had to meet in the shop first, when I about to go.  I check in my insurance system and find out the accident is been reported, he didn't told me about it. So now is up to the insurance right? no way to redo?

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://salecarinsurance.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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Because Obamacare eliminates pre-existing condition exclusion, why should a healthy person buy health insurance in 2014? Doesn't it make sense to save your money and buy insurance only once you need it?""

What is the right affordable car insurance to purchase in NEW JERSEY?

Hi, I was looking to buy a car insurance policy. I currently have a company but wanted to drop them due to being overpriced. The only problem is that i don't have a driver license nor have i ever had one. I was able to finance a car off the lot but it wasn't for me. I brought it for my grandson. He has a driver license and is the only primary driver of the car. Being as though I never had a license most companies won't accept it and limits me from getting a cheaper policy. He is about to turn 18 next week. So is there any car insurance companies that will accept that i don't have a license and let me get a policy with him being the primary driver of the car. Thanks!!""

Best first car for insurance?

What car at 17 will have the lowest amount to pay on insurance?

Do you need to give a vin number in order to receive a quote on your cor insurance?

My mom called the insurance company to get a quote for adding me onto the insurance. The woman on the phone told her that you need the vin number of the car in order to get the quote. Is this true if the car was going to be new and we knew the exact model and year that we were getting?

Does anybody know of a cheap insurance company for eighteen year olds?

I just turned eighteen and I'm looking for car insurance since what I'm paying right now is really high ( 290 for minimum) Everywhere else I look wants like 1000 dollars a month for minimum coverage thats crazy how can anyone afford that? Are there any good companies in specific for someone in my position?

What is cheap car insurance for a new driver?

I am a new driver and I need insurance for a Jeep Grand Cherokee 2000. I am a student and I need cheap insurance

""I am self employed and shopping for an affordable health/dental insurance, any ideas?""

I need coverage without spending a fortune every month, no pre-existing conditions.""

""Insurance wise, am I allowed to drive my parents' car?""

My parents bought me a car (Honda Accord), and my name is only under that car at the current moment, whilst their names are under all of the vehicles in this family. So, if I was driving my dad's Acura TL, registered under him and my mom, and I got pulled over for a random checkpoint, would I be okay?""

Best private health insurance?

Hello! I need to sign up for private health insurance and I am getting confused with all the sales people and plans! I live in South Dakota. Anyone have Private Health Insurance that can give me some advice?

Cost of 49cc moped insurance?

I'm 15 and looking into getting a moped. I know you have to register the moped and take a premit test to legally drive it but do you need insurance for a moped in iowa? Ive got a 4.0 and i also heard that if you get good grades it would be even lower insurance costs. How much would it cost for insurance if the moped is a 2010 and has less than 1000 miles on it?

Will my car insurance go up?

So I was at the red light and the car behind me randomly hits my car there's a medium size dent right in the middle of my bumper it doesn't look terrible but it's deep and noticeable also some paint was chipped off ... My car insurance ppl know about it.. Will my car insurance go up? Even if it wasn't my fault at all?

Car Insurance Question?

I involve in a car accident and it was my fault, it was very minor that just cause scuff in the bumper, the other driver agree with me verbal that we solve is within us, He send me price estimated and later I told him we had to meet in the shop first, when I about to go.  I check in my insurance system and find out the accident is been reported, he didn't told me about it. So now is up to the insurance right? no way to redo?

What's the average cost for adding a teen to auto insurance who've completed drivers ed?

I got my license this past Thursday, and I'm waiting on my dad to add my to his insurance (State Farm) So I can begin driving my car. It seems like he's procrastinating;UGH! Anyways, How much do you think it will be? & don't I get a discount if I've completed drivers ed? another question do I have to pay like this huge first time fee? or do I just pay like what i'll be paying monthly?""

What is proof of insurance?

I am still on my parents insurance and was planning on renting a car(yes, I' am old enough). They require proof of insurance when renting and I was wondering how that works. Do I just show them my parents proof? And is it just the paper work in the glove box of one of our cars?""

How much do you pay for car insurance?

I am currently a 24 year old male and I think my car insurance company is not giving me the best deal. Who do you get insurance from, how much do you pay and if you don't mind me asking, how old are you and what car you drive. Also what factors determine how much my insurance payments will be?""

Which Insurance Company?

I am a 20 year old male and i'm looking for insurance for my car. The prices range from 1000-3000. I know it depends on Claims, how long you've been driving, your age etc etc but just wondering does anyone have any suggestions about which insurance companies are quite cheap for people around my age?""

Question about cheap health insurance??/?

i am looking to buy some health insurance that is affordable that will cover a tubal reversal surgery %100. I had my tubes ties or burned 5 years ago and now we would like to have ...show more

""My car got impounded for no license or insurance? How much, and how can i get it back?""

Hi, i got pulled over today for having my windshield cracked, now they impounded my car for 30 days because i had no license or insurance(I know) Can i get it back sooner? How much will it be at the end? I am in Arizona btw..""

Does searching for Car Insurance drive you crazy?

Does searching for Car Insurance drive you crazy?

Why do we have to pay car insurance for other people's cars?

As I understand it, the car insurance we pay is to fix other cars and their drivers in case we hit them. I don't understand why the law requires that we must pay for others' protection. Why shouldn't everybody pay for his own protection? If car insurance is required for everyone, then it would make no difference anyway, and I think, it would make people more motivated to get insurance. For example, if I pay $150/mo for car insurance, and if someone hits me who has no insurance and no money, then my car will look terribly even though I kept the law. This doesn't sound fair to me. If someone hits me, then their insurance should cover their damages and my insurance should pay for my damages. Why should I suffer a loss because they didn't keep the law?""

Proof Of Car Insurance?

I never owned a car, nor have I need to car insurance. I see I need Proof Of Insurance, How can I bypass proof of insurance when registering/buying a car from a dealership, etc?""

How much will the insurance pay me?

I got a 87 mustang and a truck hit my front bumper. I made a report and i need to wait about for days to pick up the report at the police station. I had a Stalker front bumper by the way. How much y'all thing there going to give me back, because they usually send a check after they inspect the car. They need to buy a $500 Stalker Cervini bumper install it and paint it. It was his fault and his insurance needs to pay, but im just wondering because sometimes insurance companies are pain in th bud!!""

Does anyone know of any kind of affordable health insurance?

My husband works independantly and needs health insurance in the Atlanta area.

What do police do if you are stopped for no mot or tax but have insurance?

Iv found some info out about someonejust was wondering what would happen??

What is the least expensive color of car to insure?

I know red is the most expensive. I've heard that white is the least from one person and green is the least from another.

What are good sites to get multiple car insurance quotes all at once so you can compare?

I don't mean individual insurance companies like geico or all-state, I mean where it can do the quotes for multiple companies at a time. Know any safe & legit websites? I don't want to put my personal info just anywhere.""

So is this whole car dealerships thing going to affect insurance?

If the prices of the cars are going to drop, is this going to do anything to the amount of money I will have to pay for my car insurance once I turn 16? Will it go up, go down, or stay the same""

Where can I find the cheapest health insurance in California?

Basically I am enrolling in this EMT course and they REQUIRE that you have proof of health insurance before enrolling in the class. Where can I find the cheapest insurance just to fill this basic need? Doesn't matter about coverage and co-pays, etc. just need something to suffice until I'm done with the course, then I'm going to drop the insurance once I get it from my job as an EMT, ya know. Me: married 23 yr old female in perfect health.""

Why is my insurance cheaper when i park on the street?!?

You would think if you put 'in a garage' my car insurance would be cheaper, in a safe, locked place, but no, my insurance is 200 cheaper when i park on the 'street', i live in a suburban area of a city, and not a very nice area at that, can anyone explain why on earth this is cheaper?""

Insurance for already pregnant women?

Currently 21 weeks with our first baby. My husband and I applied at out local DSS office for Medicaid but was denied. I am a high risk pregnancy and there is no way we can afford these bills... We live in North Carolina. Is there any insurance company that will cover me even though im already pregnant? Any help will be great. Thanks

I applied for Car Insurance and...?

They asked me if there any other drivers in the house. I told them my parents and my older sister have insurance.. I am 24 and they said thanks for telling us? The question is does that mean they can once in a while borrow my car and they are covered?

How much will my insurance raise for 2 points on my license?

I recently got a ticket for failure to stop at a stop sign, I don't know for sure but I'm guessing it's gonna be two points on my license. I have already paid the ticket, I live in georgia, I'm 17, my insurance provider is state farm, I am currently paying $78 a month for only liability, I have no other tickets, but I did get a written warning for 21mph over. Will this warning count as any points or be recorded on my record? Roughly how much do you think my ticket will raise my insurance a month? thank you""

""After buying a used car, could I drive it right away without auto insurance?""

After buying a used car, could I drive it right away without auto insurance? Do I have to have auto insurance in CA? Thank you!""

Health Insurance question?

My husband's boss won't offer them Health Insurance. Where can I call or what can I do to ask if he has to offer them insurance or not. Please help!!!!!

How much would car insurance be..?

BALL PARK figures, if anyone knows how much car insurance would be for an Acura LSX 2014? MSRP is in the $30k I guess the record would be clean however I am only 21. Would it be good to also add my mother if that helps lower the cost? I haven't had a new car before and it's all new..""

California Car Registration?

I'm thinking of buying a new car in California. However, I was wondering if I register this car to my name if was restricted to only driving that car I'm registered to. My folks have a van I sometimes drive and I don't want to get a ticket. Thanking you in advance.""

Insurance for my car please help!! ?

in the future i need to insure a '05 infiniti g35 coupe. i went to Farmers for a quote and they said 1,200 for 6months!!.....Can anyone suggest other insurance companies that arent that expensive?? thanks. or the fact that its an infiniti coupe i'm just going to get an expensive quote everywhere???""

Car Insurance Question?

I involve in a car accident and it was my fault, it was very minor that just cause scuff in the bumper, the other driver agree with me verbal that we solve is within us, He send me price estimated and later I told him we had to meet in the shop first, when I about to go.  I check in my insurance system and find out the accident is been reported, he didn't told me about it. So now is up to the insurance right? no way to redo?

Car insurance question?

I got an insurance question. I let my fiance, who is not insured by my insurance company drive my car. I was in the car with him. He was intoxicated and hit 9 parked cars causing minor damage to all of them. Will my insurance company have to pay for the damage?""

""If you are driving someone else's car while they are in it, does insurance cover an accident?""

Hey, I have my full G license however I am not insured under any car because I do not own a car. However, my girlfriend does own a car and we're planning on going on a trip which requires 12 hours of driving. She wants me to drive but I am unsure that if we got into an accident we would be covered. So question: Are we covered by the insurance company in the event of an accident Note: I am driving, have no car or insurance in my name on any car She is in the passenger seat during the whole duration of the trip""

What decreases vehicle insurance rates?

What decreases vehicle insurance rates?

Car insurance rates depends on Car Makes?

I have a really big issue on my hands, and that is finding a car that doesn't have a high insurance rate. What is the difference in insurance prices with different cars like BMW and Honda/ Toyota and Cadillac? Also, provide a source! plz! thnx!!""

What is a good low cost health insurance plan for my family?

I am 27 and my wife is 26. I am currently a full time college student and my wife is bartending until I finish school. We have no kids but also not a lot of money. I don't mind ...show more

Are 2 door cars higher insurance? even if it is a hatchback?

the car im planning to get is two door, a hatchback and is a 5-seater. how much higher is insurance?""

Car Insurance for a new driver?

I've been searching compare sites for a couple of days now having very recently passed my test (yay ). The best quote I have at the moment is 4,500. I have no convictions on my license and at 21 years old, I'm finding this pretty hard to believe. Surely something is wrong? On my mothers insurance (9 years no claims) I'm getting a quote, as an additional driver, at 2,500. Still pretty pricey wouldn't you agree? I'd love for some comments on this, I'm getting rather annoyed! Thanks.""

Does car insurance go down after you pay the car off?

Does car insurance go down after you pay the car off?

What is the best company for mobile home insurance?

Need full replacement policy on mobile home over ten yrs old

Sites of the insurance quotes reliable?

http://www.education-house.com/insurance/index.html

How much on average does it cost to insure a 21 year old female driver with her G2?

I just bought a car and need to get insurance. I am 21 years old have my G2 currently but will be going for my full G in the next couple weeks. I have taken drivers ed in the past and I am a university student. Previously i was paying $50/month as a secondary driver under my dad and received a quote for $156/month as a primary driver is this a reasonable price?

Where can i get cheap car insurance?

Ive tried compare the market and a few of the other leading companies but they all a bit to high for me - whats so annoying is when i find one thats suitable it ends up higher than the listed price. Anyone know of a good one

Car insurance for new drivers!?

Will car insurance for a 19 year old be allot cheaper than a 17 year old? Both being NEW drivers.

Teenage insurance?

Id there any way how you can avoid paying for teen insurance? (Because the family insurer usually raises price as soon as the teen in the family gets license) If not, how to get cheap insurance?""

""How much will car insurance cost me, roughly (teen driver)?""

I'm a 16 year-old girl, and I'm planning on buying my first car by the time I'm 17. I'm looking for an older car, nothing fancy, just to get around in. I'm also planning on taking Drivers' Ed. My grades are decent too, if that really matters. Do you have any idea what I'm looking at here?""

""My car's engine died, therefore I never renewed my car insurance. How can I get my DL reinstated?""

In the meantime, I moved. Even though I provided the agencies with my new address & my email address, I was never properly notified from the insurance company or the DMV office. Now, I discovered my driver's license has been suspended for lack of car insurance. If my car was operable, I would have renewed my insurance. I've always had car insurance, just thought it would be no big deal not renewing it. Also, I have a bill from my auto mechanic stating my car has engine damage and needs a new engine. Is there any way to correct this without paying the reinstatement fee to the DMV? Thanks for any advice!""

What types of car insurance are there?

I'm a confused soon-to-be licensed driver. My mom just got my sister (who is 18) some type of insurance for driving. From what I know, it's expensive. But I know that our car has insurance. What kind of insurance did my sister possibly get and how does it differ from the insurance for the car itself? Is there personal insurance for each driver? Is it required or is the car insurance only the main requirement? Which type of car insurance/s is required???...(sorry if my question doesn't make sense. I dont know how else to word it lol)""

Would car insurance be cheaper in Tennessee?

I live in Denver, Colorado. I used to live in Tennessee and noticed that it is ALOT cheaper to live out there. I am wanting to move back. I know my house will be cheaper among other things. I was just wondering if anyone would know if car insurance would be cheaper out there too?""

How much is your car insurance?

Just wondering. Mine's coming to 700!!

Question about car insurance for teenagers?

I'm in California, my friend called an insurance company and they said underage drivers can drive on their parent's insurance coverage if they have insurance, which means he doesnt have to pay since he's 17 and his dad has insurance on his car, to make a insurance contract he has to be 18. Is this true he can drive on his dad's insurance?""

How much should a 17 year old's car insurance cost in the UK?

i'm 17 and want to drive. i'm a full time college student, which probably doesn't make any difference? right now i'm looking at a 2001 VAUXHALL CORSA 1.6 engine, LS 5dr [AC] Hatchback, which is costing around 999 how much should i expect the insurance to cost for this car? or for a car similar? it will be my first car. Thanks.""

Do insurance companies really have access to driving & traffic records if one's getting a new quote?

I don't have the best driving & traffic record, and have been driving without insurance for about 5 months now. However, when I called Progressive to a get a quote from them I lied about it all, they gave me an amazing quote!! I still haven't enrolled with them -plan to if all my pathetic lying goes through- but my concern is that my premiums will go up if they do have access to my driving, traffic and my previous insurance's records. Does anybody know if they are just bluffing about their access to these records? PLEASE HELP!""

How much would the insurance be on a VW Beetle?

I am 17 and intrested in getting my first car a Classic VW Beelte, does any one know the price range for the insurance on one? Many thanks""

What jobs in the UK offer car insurance as an extra?

I'm 17 and have just passed my driving test but because of the extreme insurance prices for young drivers nowadays I can't afford to run a car. My brother once working at a tyre fitting company and he was insured to drive any car/van worth up to 80,000. I was just wondering if any jobs would offer car insurance as an extra to a young driver?""

Can I be forced to pay insurance for stepchild?

Here's the situation. My husband makes very little money. I have him covered under my insurance policy. Until recently, my stepdaughter was covered under Child Health Care Plus. Coverage stopped when she turned 15. Her real mother is being a real witch and demanding we buy her insurance. Hubby can't afford it. I can't enroll her under my employer's plan because there's only open enrollment one month per year. I really don't WANT to put her on my policy, as she seems determined to get pregnant ASAP, and also she hates me and steals from me. Can I be FORCED to get her insurance? Oh, and did I mention her real mother doesn't work? HELP!!!!""

Car Insurance Question?

I involve in a car accident and it was my fault, it was very minor that just cause scuff in the bumper, the other driver agree with me verbal that we solve is within us, He send me price estimated and later I told him we had to meet in the shop first, when I about to go.  I check in my insurance system and find out the accident is been reported, he didn't told me about it. So now is up to the insurance right? no way to redo?

Ticket for no car insurance?

my daughter got stop and given a ticket in my car for no insurance.the car is under my name. the insurance was cancelled because of late payment a couple of days ago. us not knowing it was cancelled. they given her a ticket with i the owner name on it as well . my question is do i have to appear to city courts and what do i have to show or will she have to go or both of us. please help i never been in this situation.i want to settle this asap.thanks

How much would car insurance be im 17?

Hello im a male and im 17 my car is a 1996 honda del sol And does insurance also depend on age,car, and area u live?""

How to get car insurance?

So I'm 16 and i just got my permit back in early March, and i need car insurance by March of next year in order to move up to a level 2 license ...... only thing is, my parents don't have licenses (they never did) what should i do?""

Vehicle with no insurance MINNESOTA?

My girlfriend got pulled over tonight after having a brand new car for two days after selling her first car she drove for two and a half years, her mother apparently told her that she had 7 days to get insurance so sure enough we got cited for no insurance. I guess I was curious to know if liability covers her driving a vehicle without insurance? It probably doesn't but I know there is a form of insurance that does. If this is going to slide downhill I would also like to know some advice you have to word it nicely to a judge to help avoid a 30 day license suspension. I heard earlier tonight that in mn it's mandatory but I'm hoping not. Thanks for your help and time!""

Can I put car insurance in someone else name when financing a car?

Im gonna be financing a 04 mustang soon. Thanks.

How much money do auto insurance brokers make?

How do they get paid? and how much?

Individual Dental Insurance?

I'm looking for individual dental insurance. Does anyone have any recomendations...

Car Insurance Firms NOT on Comparison Sites?

Can anyone give me a list of car insurance companies that ARE NOT on comparison web sites like Confused.com? My insurance is up soon and I want to make sure I get the best deal by checking with as many of the big companies as possible. I will be using Confused, but I also want to check with the ones that aren't on there. Thanks.""

Can we insure our life with more than one insurance company?

If so, in health insurance case, how we get reimbursement with one one set of original bills?""

How come different auto insurance agencies charge different prices for the same insurance company?

yes i went to three different insurance agencys to see what quotes theyll give me. one say said ill pay 50 a month and 140 down payment for access auto insurance . the other agency said ill pay 60 a month and 90 down payment for the same company. and the third agency said i would probably not qualify for access auto insuranc. im 20 year old male riverside ca 94 accord. why would three different agencys quote diferently for the same auto company ? whyyy is it a scam

Im looking for car insurance?

coverage for individuals who are less able to afford auto insurance

Where can i get the cheapest car insurance?

i live in virginia

Will co op car insurance refuse to pay out?

Some idiot smashed into my car and write it off now co op car insurance are wanting a photocopy of the car log book before they send a cheque! Only thing is its technically in my ...show more

""After a DUI,about how much a month does your car insurance go up?

First DUI and I share a policy with a family member.

Where can I find more information on Flood Insurance In CA?

There is large portion of the population that does not know much about flood insurance. Let alone what FEMA is doing to thousands of California Property owners. FEMA is re-mapping several communities within the state and every other state for that matter. Flood insurance is becoming a necessity and if your community is being affected, your property may be becoming a high risk flood zone. That means you have no choice but to purchase a policy. If you are concerned about these changes and how they affect you, then visit www.myfarmersagent.org. There you can obtain a flood zone determination and quote. We specialize in preferred rate policies and helping you grandfather your property to its current rating. Let me know if this helps anyone, I would hate to see anyone stuck with a high risk flood insurance rate.""

Quick question about RENTERS INSURANCE?

My fiance and i are renting out a house starting Feb. 1st. After a year we have an option to buy the house. Anyways, when we were looking at the house she said her dad wants us to get renters insurance before we move in. I'm guessing because of the fireplace, attic, etc. Do i need to get any info from her before i sign up for insurance? Where do i go to get this? ANY sort of info would be great. We're new to renters insurance. We live in an apartment complex right now with NO insurance.""

Where can I find private policy health insurance?

great insurance at a low rate

So is there any health insurance for those with serious medical conditons?

My younger brother who's only 20 years old has a host of serious illnesses: crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and a few more conditions that has constantly kept him sick for a good portion of his childhood. He's missed at least half a school year on a number of occasions, and despite his maturation he's still heavily affected by his conditions. Obviously, it's practically impossible for him to hold a steady job, he'll work for a while and then he'll have to take off a month or two just to deal with his illness, with that said he surely won't have employee health insurance. Currently, he's using our state's medicaid, however once he turns 21 he's no longer eligible for medicaid. With the health care system being the way that it is, is there any possibility that he could continue receiving health care despite his ineligibility? He takes a ton of drugs daily, and even takes some of the same medications that our grandparents take lol. I know some of you heartless conservatives believe he should provide his own health coverage, but how? His drugs cost thousands, and he's in the ER constantly, thus making his health-care only affordable to extremely rich individuals. When healthy, he does contribute as much as he possibly can, however for someone in his condition it would be downright shameful if he can't continue to receive any healthcare.""

Does anyone know what the cheapest insurance is?

i need insurance for a 2000 mercury cougar v6 2 door. any ideas?

Why do Liberals want to be force to pay Health care Insurance?

why can't some people work harder and pay for their own health care insurance? There are some people who are driving without car insurance.... So I don't think there is such thing as affordable health insurance

What is the average auto insurance increase with one DWI?

What is the average auto insurance increase with one DWI?

When selling your car without insurance and tax?

just bought a new car and want to sell my old one, but is it ok for someone(buyer) to have a test drive if the car has no insurance and no tax? and then drive it home as well""

Does your car insurance on old car cover your new car for 30 days?

i just got a new car. i traded it for a new one. i live in illinois and i am insured with geico. On my way home that night i got the car i got pulled over and got a ticket for not having insurance on that vehicle.i tried telling the cop my situation but that still didn't matter to him. So he gave me a $500 ticket. i was told when you get a new car your old insurance will cover you for 30 days. i called Geico numerous of times and they wont help me. Is there anyway to get out of this ticket? is there an illinois law that states something about this?

Lower car insurance?

I was wondering where i could find a class to take driving lessons to lower my car insurance and if that is even possible??

Car insurance coverage fraud!?

My boyfriend did something very stupid that I am worried about. He wanted to apply for a pizza delivery job at Domino's. The thing is he did not have car insurance, so he faked one on the computer, it looked completely valid, but when he was applying for the job the manager called the company to see if it was valid. My boyfriend heard that he was doing this, then he walked out before the company called him back to say he wasn't in their data base. So my question is, since he faked coverage with that company, and his name did not register in their data base, would the company report it to the police that he tried to fake coverage with that company since it was brought to their attention? I am worried for my Love, please shine some light on this. Thank you! He is just worried that the insurance company that he tried to fake coverage with would notify the police and/or the DMV and put it on his license.""

Car Insurance Question?

I involve in a car accident and it was my fault, it was very minor that just cause scuff in the bumper, the other driver agree with me verbal that we solve is within us, He send me price estimated and later I told him we had to meet in the shop first, when I about to go.  I check in my insurance system and find out the accident is been reported, he didn't told me about it. So now is up to the insurance right? no way to redo?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mesquite-texas-cheap-car-insurance-quotes-zip-75150-peggy-barnhardt/"

[the-cryptographer]

Not having reliable internet, I’ve had to resort to other methods for continued procrastination. …Like writing these tumblr posts in word. And looking through the pkmn freeware games and other things floating around my desktop. Some scattered thoughts about this and other things under the cut.

While I had a whole host of freeware (and a few other) games on my laptop – the number of which I managed to play was actually much smaller. I know I’m further limited by the fact that I’m playing without a mouse – so nothing complicated or actiony – mostly menu based imput and all that. But I was reminded once again that there are many games that are beautiful and creative and full of amazing concepts and informative discussion that are /utterly/ unplayable because the controls SUCK ASS. Honestly, playability is number one in terms of what makes a good game – don’t forget~

In terms of what was actually decent…

I played the Night in the Woods supplement – Lost Constellation. Which was a decent and thoughtful little point-&-click adventure – very pretty, engaging, nice dialogue. You build snowmen as part of the story and are encouraged to take pictures of them.

It’s actually convinced me I should look into purchasing the game proper. So you can tell I liked it.

...

I also played Pinkamena – which is what you should play if you’re the kind of person that likes to mix depressing murder mysteries and serial killings with My Little Pony. I know it’s based on games of a similar type – but the gist of it is – it’s a text based game where you’re running an investigation trying to piece together which among a list of townsfolk are regular folk with regular jobs and which are the murderers… before the murderers kill everybody… It took me a couple of runs to get the hang of it, but after that the regular mode becomes kind of boring. So I initiated a challenge mode where I’m not set apart from the other players in the drama, but at risk of being killed myself. Once I’d gotten the hang of this, I initiated all the challenge modes at once, at which point the game becomes less about investigating who the killers are, and more waiting for them to kill everybody else and then making 50-50 guesses trying to kill off the killers instead of the townsfolk so that, next round, there will be people left for the remaining killers to kill off that aren’t you. Either that, or it’s about being assigned to be the jailor. If you’re the jailor, you can jail yourself every night as a method of shielding yourself from attack, and thus stay alive long enough to see everyone else dead and win the game by default. …I did finally manage to win all-the-challenges-mode without being picked for jailor, but winning a guessing game isn’t as exhilarating as winning something based on skill, so at that point I kinda chucked the game out.

...

And – this isn’t really freeware – but the only way to play the second Ace Attorney Investigations game in English is to use the ROM and an unofficial patch. I had started it a long while back, and finally managed to finish it.

I think… the issues that people have with the Ace Attorney games are pretty well documented. It’s really easy to end up ahead or behind the path of the story, depending on how logical or illogical some connection in the game’s evidence folder is, or how heavy-handed and obvious the story telling is being. Also, there is so much dialogue and so much of it is spent rehashing what we already know /god/, but you also never know when the games are going to sprinkle in jokes and good character moments imbetween the dialogue, so you feel obligated to drag the game out and postpone every advancement in search of the interesting bits.

On the bright side, the characters are as amusing and captivating as always. I can complain about how the best character and the most interesting relationships (that’d be Franziska and her relationships with her father and adopted brother) are constantly shafted. But more to the point I want to say-

I love him. He’s such an insufferable idiot. And he’s just such a sweetheart, and it’s so heartbreaking, and I love him.

...

Okay, but- Pokémon fan games.

Going back in time, Pokémon Reborn is the first pkmn fan game I’ve played. It seems different fangames have different things going for them. Pkmn Reborn will probably only appeal to you if you enjoy (a) grimdark that’s highly aesthetic, hilarious, and over-the-top rather than truly horrifying, and (b) getting your ass kicked. I never knew that a pkmn game could actually be difficult, but it turns out that a pkmn game can be very, very difficult, and also there’s a whole world out there of competitive tactics. And you’re only getting a taste of them in a singleplayer campaign, but it’s crazy and also crazy fun. Without any prior knowledge, I ended up using the F.E.A.R. method trying to beat some of the bosses. When a game challenges me to independently invent last ditch tactics to proceed and the answers I come up with are well known game breakers… it’s a feeling. At some point though, I ended up with a team full of pkmn with extremely slow levelling rates, and ran out of trainers to battle against for experience, and fell out of playing in the process of waiting for trainers to respawn at the hub. I intended to pick it back up now, but I realised I’d misplaced my save files. I’m waiting to get home to see if I can track them down or something. But, you see, I was so impressed with Pkmn Reborn, it inspired me to downloaded a bunch of other pkmn fan games to try out sometime. And that time was now.

A couple of other things though – Pkmn Reborn all takes place in one city and its outskirts, and I really kind of admire that decision. Worldbuilding is one of my favourite aspects of RPGs, so it’s nice to see a city that actually /feels/ like a city with its different industrial, commercial, and residential districts – warehouses, slums, and wastelands. Also I took screenshots of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles:

The immediate problem with downloading a dozen pkmn fan games is then you actually have to decide which ones to play. Admittedly, I used very shallow and superficial reasons to decide which ones not to play. Nothing I had to patch to a ROM, because that would mean me having to download a ROM and emulator and patch it. Also one of the readmes for the patch included a disclaimer that if you were too stupid to get the patch working then you were too stupid to play the game, which made me doubly not want to play it because apparently the developer is a know-it-all douche who feels the need to get personally insulting instead of just saying something neutral like, ‘sorry, I don’t know how to explain better than this. so if you can’t get the patch working I won’t be able to help you.’ I ruled out something with an installer too, because I was feeling extra suspicious about my freeware and what I was giving it permission to do to the insides of my computer. And there was something that wouldn’t start properly, and I wasn’t going to futz around trying to coax it.

And I also ruled something out for having a disclaimer that ‘you can’t choose to play as a female character because this game is very PLOT CENTRIC’. And, lol, Pkmn Reborn was very plot heavy, and they let me play as male, female, or nonbinary, and one of my costaring NPCs is a flamboyant bisexual man that hits on me no matter which option I choose. Unless your game’s plot is heavily involved in societal deconstruction and gender politics, I can think of no reason your plot wouldn’t allow for MC being a girl. Which, frankly, would be a pretty significant tone shift from original pkmn games, which your game doesn’t actually seem to be. …It’s weird, because I don’t actually mind games flat-out not giving me a choice in who I play as. Especially for a freeware game, I don’t mind the developers going, ‘I don’t wanna take the time to program in an alternate set of player sprites and dialogue variables. You are playing as this one person who is not you, and that’s just how it is.’ But the game apologising for this choice and then trying to feed me this bullshit excuse about plot feels somehow like either (a) an insult to my intelligence, or (b) you actually think your plot is so special and unique to a male perspective that you may not realise women are human. So it’s kind of lose-lose situation I’ve been put into, wouldn’t you say? idk, I guess it’s possible the game turned into the Revolutionary Girl Utena of pkmn fangames, or a realistic investigation of isolated all-male cultural groups, like a men’s prison, in which case I’d agree the genders of the characters can be significant af to maintaining the plot. But given some of the other signals the game was telepathing to me, it seemed far more likely I’d be heading in a direction where at some point some bitch was going to hit on me so I can’t play as a girl bc that’d make things too gay or something. I apologise for being so bitter and jaded.

...

Anyhow, after throwing a good number of things into my computer’s recycling bin, I ended up with Super Pokémon Eevee Edition, and Pokémon Sage.

In Super Pokémon Eevee Edition, you’re playing as the gen2 protagonist – albeit one that talks and is full of good natured snark – in a kind of alternate version of the Johto region. Notably, all the gym leaders are the same, and Silver is your rival, although the environments and layout of the region are different. You’re immediately cued in on the fact that things are very WRONG though. Before you’ve even chosen your name, you’re getting images of old style gen1 glitches in place of the professor your screen. Anyhow, you start the game venturing into the woods into the lair of an old (and allegedly insane) hermit – that’s Professor Oak – who ends up gifting you with a glitched ‘super’ Eevee that is able to switch between the different eevolutions at will. You set off to start your Pokemon journey, but it’s all overlayed on top of a meta plot. Gen3 is set to start in the span of about a month, and the ‘hypervisors’ controlling the game and its code are all set to erase the current Gen2 and all the people in it to make Gen3 happen. It’s not functioning on the level of Undertale having its story interwoven with your save file but, even given all its superficiality, it’s a fun little way to play with the idea of a meta game world. And it’s suspenseful. It catches your attention quickly and, even having played through all six available chapters, I’m not sure who to trust regarding what’s happening in the story.

In terms of the gameplay… It honestly fixed a lot of the worst things about pkmn gameplay imo. You’re given an axe, pickaxe, and surfboard to replace Cut, Rock Smash, and Surf – so you don’t have to fill up your moveset with HMs. But the limited moveset is also gone altogether. You’re playing a type of hybrid Final Fantasy X-2 active battle system, using teams of four pkmn max. The whole thing makes battles a lot faster, especially without the tedium of switching pkmn in and out of battle. Later battles do get kind of easy as a result tho, as you build up a star team and spam high level attacks one after the other, but I think the rest of the game carries the lack of challenge well. It goes quick, like I said.

There’s a good amount of content for the game as of now – 6 gym leader battles, and a host of other stuff. Although I wish there was more as of now, I recommend the game in the shape that it’s in~ Although you may find some strange and inexplicable loose ends. Like quests in your log book that you can’t fulfill, or some rather empty environments near the end, or-

I don’t even know.

...

For Pokémon Sage… the big draw for me was the pkmn SOUTH AMERICA thing. I gotta love me some silly cultural diversity in my pkmns~ It seems like all the pkmn are fake, compared to the above games where all the pkmn (except one) are ripped directly from the source material. But they’re so adorable!! My pkmns~ Let me show them to you~

Anyhow, it really plays exactly like a pkmn game, so there aren’t any fastballs thrown at you. I think the closest thing to a subversion you get is your rival’s pkmn being stolen shortly after he (or she) has gotten it, and the Professor handing off the final pkmn so your rival won’t be without one. You see the thief run past you at one point later, but the game is really only a short demo right now – it stops after the first gym battle – so there isn’t really a significant encounter with this thief. I feel like it’s kind of a flaw in the demo actually, to leave that so significantly hanging…

I think it’s a neat composition though. It’s a colourful setting and really detailed environments, so if you want to play a couple hours of Pkmn in the Andes, it’s not as if you’ve got anything to lose~

...

Other things I’ve been doing…

I watched Over the Garden Wall. And I can also really recommend it.

I like these kinds of shows that are a short set of fifteen minute episodes. With a concrete plot. That ends.

But, beyond that, I was glad to watch something that somebody obviously put a lot of passion into. Obviously the creators were neck deep in love with 1800s American Folklore, and the show is just oozing that love. It’s not even an area of particular interest for me, but the show sold it with such love and cleverness and with such colourfully human characters and a singing frog – I just adored it.

...

And I’ve been reading some shoujo manga… Or no, not really.

I was thinking again of Fruits Basket, which was all the rage back when I was in secondary school. Tbh, I still can’t quite put my finger on the series. On one hand, I think it’s terribly melodramatic, and Touru does strike me as being inhumanly perfect – almost repulsively so at times. But despite all of this, I like Touru, and I find the series really touching~ It’s really so alike and so unlike everything else I’ve ever seen.

Right before I left on vacation, I was also reading Akuma to Love Song. It’s really… terrible, lol. The protagonist is super pretty, but challenged in the realm of social schmoozing. She’s straightforward, and intimidating, and seems to see right through to people’s insecurities and drag them up without realising it’s their insecurities she’s unearthing. She immediately catches the attention of the class darling/hottest guy, and also this other guy’s attention. And all the girls hate her, and also her teacher, and it’s only through her earnestness and the help of hot guys that she’s able to pull her way through her struggles~ And also there’s a strange religious bend to it where she’s ‘the devil’ but also she went to catholic school before this and is always wearing a cross and singing Amazing Grace. It’s weird.

My beef with the series is that every secondary female character is some kind of conniving bitch that’s out to get the protag. After the protag kind of… outwits(?) them, there is this kind of thing where they admit they were only insecure and you’re allowed to start to sympathising with them. It’s a defeat means friendship kind of thing. The series seems to play around with the idea of how much the protagonist is incapable and tactless and has a bad attitude. But I do kind of get the idea that it’s pushing the message that the protag is more ‘honest’ and more morally correct, and it’s really everybody else’s problem for being jealous and angry and insecure. And the whole thing in general strikes me as kind of simplistic and misogynistic. And the fact that the men in this series are willing to put themselves on the line for her as much as they do – even if they are attracted to her… even if they feel some kind of deep intrigue and connection… it’s sometimes a little hard to buy them doing all this for someone they’ve just met. Men sometimes seem less afraid of making social enemies than women… but I think it seems like that because men are allowed to cross more, or rather different, boundaries than women are before they’re ostracised. But, if anything, men are even more desperate to fit in and not lose their privileges than women.

…And, if anything has been communicated to me through manga, it’s that bullying is a crazy terrible problem in Japan. This specific manga is obviously a symptom rather than a realistic portrayal of bullying. It seems to convey a kind of emotional state brought about by the fear of ostracisation, and the desire to not only fit in but to feel superior instead of inferior. The reason it probably seems simplistic is it’s attempting to reach the kind of mental state of a middle or high schooler caught in the middle of the whirlwind and provide wish fulfilment, rather than a holistic view of the topic from outside. The facts are screwy, but the emotional impact is real.

Ugh, for what it’s worth, I want to read more. I’ve read a lot of terrible shoujo before, and this manga is a kind of paint-by-numbers guide to some of the terribleness, but I can’t help but be intrigued by the protagonist. She’s deeply flawed in a rather unusual way for shoujo manga, whether the narrative recognises it or not. I would be reading more if the internet wasn’t what it was.

...

And, lastly, I’ve been reading Komura Ayumi’s newest manga, Kamisama no Ekohiiki. And, goddamn, I love Komura. The last time I made a post about her manga, I got a reblog from somebody asking if Komura would ever write a series with a likeable, sympathetic protagonist. And, different strokes for different folks, I guess, but I felt deeply confused and a little worried about what this person didn’t find likeable and sympathetic about Komura’s protags because they are honestly THE BEST. They just so unabashedly like what they like. They can be selfish and shallow, but they’re just so earnest and guileless about it – it’s so cute <3  And, in spite of themselves, they become sentimental and get touched by the smallest gestures – it’s just so cute <3  And this is all aside from the fact that she’s apparently given up on writing straight people. (I remember reading Mixed Vegetables in print and feeling the attachment to how down to earth the characters were.) Anyhow, the newest manga is about a guy who makes a prayer at a shrine for every day for a hundred days to find the courage to confess to his male best friend. His friend rejects him, softly, but rejects him, and he promptly walks out into traffic by mistake. The god of the shrine allows him to come back to life in whatever form he likes, and he rashly says he wants to be a girl, so his friend will be able to return his feelings. This turns out to be a very stupid wish, since he IDs pretty strongly as a guy. And then he meets his friend’s ex-girlfriend, is attracted to her, befriends her, and then the ex-girlfriend falls for him – who’s living as a girl. And now the male best friend is all distraught bc his best friend just died. I’m not sure where in this mess of BL and GL there’s anything even remotely shoujo-like. But it’s so, so shoujo in the best way. I just… can’t not love a silly manga that’s so sympathetic with all its characters. The more I feel like I should pick on Komura’s work - the more I just can’t. It’s just so lighthearted and dumb and sympathetic towards all of the characters, even and especially when they’re bi and stupid. I feel a strong kinship~

...

Anyhow, that’s it for now. I’m also trying to read fanfic i have preloaded in my browser. And write. Between work. I’m sorry I’m so scattered. I have the fifth season of GoTs on my computer too, so maybe I’ll watch that too 3_3

[richardrobertsimsuccessblog]

Advice to Writers Who Feel Like a Fraud (from a Writer Who Feels Like a Fraud)

Let me guess …

Every success in your writing career has been a fluke.

When people praise your work, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

You’ll never measure up. You’re not a real writer. And any day now, everyone will see you for the fraud that you are.

That’s how you feel, anyway.

You read other blogs and feel crushed at how little you know and how little you have to offer. You wonder why you even bother with your own blog when so many great writers do it way better than you ever could.

Well, here’s a secret …

Those writers you admire probably feel the exact same way.

Even famous writers like Neil Gaiman, Tina Fey, and Seth Godin are on record that they still feel like frauds — like they don’t deserve their success and they’re getting away with something.

We all do.

The Voice Inside My Head That Tells Me I’m Unworthy

I have been a freelance writer for over three years, but I still feel I have no right to claim that title — writer.

I have a nagging voice inside my head that constantly reminds me of my unworthiness. It tells me to give up before I’m laughed off the Internet. That I’ll never compare to other writers — the real ones.

It provides a symphony of thoughts like:

“Who do you think you are?”

“Why would anyone care what you have to say?”

“Sooner or later, they’ll find out you have no clue what you’re doing.”

I call this voice the “Imp.” Her full name is Imposter Syndrome, and chances are you’ve already met. If you’ve ever had that dread of being outed as a fraud because you don’t stack up to other writers, you’ve experienced Imposter Syndrome, and you have an Imp of your own.

Imposter Syndrome is common across industries, but writers are especially susceptible.

Why is that?

Why Do We Feel Like Frauds All the Frickin’ Time?

Writing is a peculiar profession.

One thing that sets us apart is that we work in isolation.

That means nobody’s around  to tell us we’re doing a great job until we put it out there for total strangers to judge. We’ll often work for a while on a project with no direct feedback, so it’s easy to start second-guessing our ability.

We have nobody to discuss our doubts with, so we are locked into internal conversations, which makes the Imp’s voice sound all the louder.

Working in isolation also means we don’t have any peers around to compare ourselves with, which leads us to compare ourselves with industry giants. No wonder we feel like we don’t measure up!

This also leads to us to create standards for ourselves that don’t exist. After all, you don’t see the time and effort other writers put in. You just see the result. That blog post that seems so effortless could be the result of weeks of work. But when you fail to churn out a perfect first draft, it means you’re an amateur.

The writing profession becomes even more dangerous when you step outside your comfort zone. You may have pitched an article to a large publication, and to your horror, they actually said yes. Then the insecurity takes hold and the fear of being exposed as an imposter rears its familiar head.

Sigh …

So are we doomed to deal with this nagging voice throughout our profession?

I’ll be honest; you may never fully get rid of it.

But you can learn to live with it.

How to Beat Imposter Syndrome: 4 Tips from a Writer Who Knows How You Feel

The first step on your road to recovery is to be aware that isolation, new challenges, and pointless comparisons are common causes of Imposter Syndrome. You may not always be able to avoid them, but if you are mindful of their effect, it will help you wrestle your Imp to the ground when needed.

And here’s how to do it.

#1. End the Isolation and Surround Yourself with Writers

The first step to beating Imposter Syndrome is to tackle one of its main causes: isolation.

You need to make friends with other writers who are at the same stage in their careers. You need to have people around you who understand you, who make you feel part of the writing community instead of an intruder.

Here are a few ways to meet other writers:

Join online writing communities (forums, Facebook groups, etc.)

Find local writing meetups on meetup.com.

Attend writing or blogging conferences.

Meet writers who are your peers, see who you get along with, and then join or start a mastermind group. Get together every week with a small group of people (around 4–6) and discuss what you’ve been up to and what’s been on your mind.

Share your fears and frustrations, and find comfort and reassurance in your similar experiences. You’ll inspire and encourage each other to grow as writers.

And as you grow, give back to the community by mentoring less experienced writers. Not only will you be helping others, your confidence will strengthen as you prove to yourself you do know what you’re doing and people do care what you have to say.

It’s rewarding and empowering at the same time.

#2. Prepare for Failure AND Success (Because Both Can Be Crippling)

The Imp comes with a cruel twist. It won’t just berate you for failures; it will berate you for successes as well.

When a pitch is rejected or an article bombs, your Imp will use it to convince you that you don’t have what it takes.  Having a few failures in a row can make you want to curl up in a ball of despair.

On the other hand, when your writing is successful and gets glowing responses, your Imp will convince you it was a fluke. It will make you feel like you’ve now set expectations you’ll never be able to meet again.

The effect is the same. You procrastinate.

Because no idea feels good enough. You never feel prepared enough. And nothing you write feels like it stacks up.

You get stuck over-analyzing and don’t start anything new.

But the trick to beating your Imp is to keep yourself busy. Because the more you have on your mind, the less time you have to listen to that debilitating inner voice.

So prepare for these situations by creating an action plan. Have a list of tasks ready for whenever they come up, so you won’t have time to drive yourself crazy.

For example, when a pitch is rejected, you might make a point to ask for feedback, find different sites to pitch, or come up with 20 new headlines.

When a post takes off, you might make a point to read all the comments, identify what connected with readers, and see if you can find ideas for a follow-up post.

Whatever you do, stay active, and end each plan with you writing your next post.

#3. Log Your Victories to Reinforce Your Self-Esteem

Most of us have an instinct to devalue our talent. When a post does well, we think we got lucky. When someone compliments our work, we shrug it off.

But those are terrible habits.

You need to take responsibility for your victories.

When a post does well, you did that. When you get a compliment, you earned that.

And you should never forget it.

So log your victories in a “nice things” file. Log accomplishments big and small. Log every compliment you receive. Print them out or store them in Evernote.

Then read them on a regular basis. It will banish your Imp and reinforce your belief that you have talent. It will reinforce your belief that people value your work. Plus, it just feels good.

It’s okay to bask in your own glory from time to time.

#4. Remember That Nobody Expects You to Be Perfect (Except You)

As writers, we put ourselves out there as experts, which can feel intimidating.

You feel pressured to put forth a veneer of perfection. You don’t want to show the cracks in your knowledge, as that would show everyone you’re not an expert at all.

Because you don’t feel like one. You’re certainly not as much of an expert as those other guys, right? Because they know more than you?

So what if someone asks a question you don’t have the answer to?  What if your post doesn’t include everything an expert would know? What if everyone realizes you don’t know everything?

Well, relax. Because readers aren’t looking for the holes and imperfections in your posts. They’re more interested in what you do know than what you don’t. The only one who’s worried about the latter is you.

Readers only care whether your knowledge and experience can help them reach their goals. You may not know as much as that other expert, but if you can do that, you’re expert enough for them.

Remember that.

You Are Not a Fraud, You Are a Writer

Your successes aren’t flukes.

You deserve all the praise you get.

And you are a writer — a real one.

So it’s time you finally convince yourself.

It’s time you fight back, wrestle your Imp to the ground and say, “Enough! I am smart, I am brave, and I earned everything I’ve worked for. I AM NOT A FRAUD!”

I’m right by your side, my fellow writer friend.  Let’s do this together.

Let’s tear down the walls of isolation and surround ourselves with writers. Let’s stop feeling intimidated by success. Let’s stop expecting nothing but perfection from ourselves.

Let’s promise to keep writing no matter what, and let’s take responsibility for all the victories along the way.

Are you with me?

About the Author: Mel Wicks is a freelance copywriter and content marketer. Download her free bonus ‘7 Golden Writing Rules — A No-Fluff, Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Quality Blog Posts’ and be one of the first to hear when her new blog, The Craft of Copywriting, goes live in August 2017.

Advice to Writers Who Feel Like a Fraud (from a Writer Who Feels Like a Fraud)

[sandranelsonuk]

Advice to Writers Who Feel Like a Fraud (from a Writer Who Feels Like a Fraud)

Let me guess …

Every success in your writing career has been a fluke.

When people praise your work, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

You’ll never measure up. You’re not a real writer. And any day now, everyone will see you for the fraud that you are.

That’s how you feel, anyway.

You read other blogs and feel crushed at how little you know and how little you have to offer. You wonder why you even bother with your own blog when so many great writers do it way better than you ever could.

Well, here’s a secret …

Those writers you admire probably feel the exact same way.

Even famous writers like Neil Gaiman, Tina Fey, and Seth Godin are on record that they still feel like frauds — like they don’t deserve their success and they’re getting away with something.

We all do.

The Voice Inside My Head That Tells Me I’m Unworthy

I have been a freelance writer for over three years, but I still feel I have no right to claim that title — writer.

I have a nagging voice inside my head that constantly reminds me of my unworthiness. It tells me to give up before I’m laughed off the Internet. That I’ll never compare to other writers — the real ones.

It provides a symphony of thoughts like:

“Who do you think you are?”

“Why would anyone care what you have to say?”

“Sooner or later, they’ll find out you have no clue what you’re doing.”

I call this voice the “Imp.” Her full name is Imposter Syndrome, and chances are you’ve already met. If you’ve ever had that dread of being outed as a fraud because you don’t stack up to other writers, you’ve experienced Imposter Syndrome, and you have an Imp of your own.

Imposter Syndrome is common across industries, but writers are especially susceptible.

Why is that?

Why Do We Feel Like Frauds All the Frickin’ Time?

Writing is a peculiar profession.

One thing that sets us apart is that we work in isolation.

That means nobody’s around  to tell us we’re doing a great job until we put it out there for total strangers to judge. We’ll often work for a while on a project with no direct feedback, so it’s easy to start second-guessing our ability.

We have nobody to discuss our doubts with, so we are locked into internal conversations, which makes the Imp’s voice sound all the louder.

Working in isolation also means we don’t have any peers around to compare ourselves with, which leads us to compare ourselves with industry giants. No wonder we feel like we don’t measure up!

This also leads to us to create standards for ourselves that don’t exist. After all, you don’t see the time and effort other writers put in. You just see the result. That blog post that seems so effortless could be the result of weeks of work. But when you fail to churn out a perfect first draft, it means you’re an amateur.

The writing profession becomes even more dangerous when you step outside your comfort zone. You may have pitched an article to a large publication, and to your horror, they actually said yes. Then the insecurity takes hold and the fear of being exposed as an imposter rears its familiar head.

Sigh …

So are we doomed to deal with this nagging voice throughout our profession?

I’ll be honest; you may never fully get rid of it.

But you can learn to live with it.

How to Beat Imposter Syndrome: 4 Tips from a Writer Who Knows How You Feel

The first step on your road to recovery is to be aware that isolation, new challenges, and pointless comparisons are common causes of Imposter Syndrome. You may not always be able to avoid them, but if you are mindful of their effect, it will help you wrestle your Imp to the ground when needed.

And here’s how to do it.

#1. End the Isolation and Surround Yourself with Writers

The first step to beating Imposter Syndrome is to tackle one of its main causes: isolation.

You need to make friends with other writers who are at the same stage in their careers. You need to have people around you who understand you, who make you feel part of the writing community instead of an intruder.

Here are a few ways to meet other writers:

Join online writing communities (forums, Facebook groups, etc.)

Find local writing meetups on meetup.com.

Attend writing or blogging conferences.

Meet writers who are your peers, see who you get along with, and then join or start a mastermind group. Get together every week with a small group of people (around 4–6) and discuss what you’ve been up to and what’s been on your mind.

Share your fears and frustrations, and find comfort and reassurance in your similar experiences. You’ll inspire and encourage each other to grow as writers.

And as you grow, give back to the community by mentoring less experienced writers. Not only will you be helping others, your confidence will strengthen as you prove to yourself you do know what you’re doing and people do care what you have to say.

It’s rewarding and empowering at the same time.

#2. Prepare for Failure AND Success (Because Both Can Be Crippling)

The Imp comes with a cruel twist. It won’t just berate you for failures; it will berate you for successes as well.

When a pitch is rejected or an article bombs, your Imp will use it to convince you that you don’t have what it takes.  Having a few failures in a row can make you want to curl up in a ball of despair.

On the other hand, when your writing is successful and gets glowing responses, your Imp will convince you it was a fluke. It will make you feel like you’ve now set expectations you’ll never be able to meet again.

The effect is the same. You procrastinate.

Because no idea feels good enough. You never feel prepared enough. And nothing you write feels like it stacks up.

You get stuck over-analyzing and don’t start anything new.

But the trick to beating your Imp is to keep yourself busy. Because the more you have on your mind, the less time you have to listen to that debilitating inner voice.

So prepare for these situations by creating an action plan. Have a list of tasks ready for whenever they come up, so you won’t have time to drive yourself crazy.

For example, when a pitch is rejected, you might make a point to ask for feedback, find different sites to pitch, or come up with 20 new headlines.

When a post takes off, you might make a point to read all the comments, identify what connected with readers, and see if you can find ideas for a follow-up post.

Whatever you do, stay active, and end each plan with you writing your next post.

#3. Log Your Victories to Reinforce Your Self-Esteem

Most of us have an instinct to devalue our talent. When a post does well, we think we got lucky. When someone compliments our work, we shrug it off.

But those are terrible habits.

You need to take responsibility for your victories.

When a post does well, you did that. When you get a compliment, you earned that.

And you should never forget it.

So log your victories in a “nice things” file. Log accomplishments big and small. Log every compliment you receive. Print them out or store them in Evernote.

Then read them on a regular basis. It will banish your Imp and reinforce your belief that you have talent. It will reinforce your belief that people value your work. Plus, it just feels good.

It’s okay to bask in your own glory from time to time.

#4. Remember That Nobody Expects You to Be Perfect (Except You)

As writers, we put ourselves out there as experts, which can feel intimidating.

You feel pressured to put forth a veneer of perfection. You don’t want to show the cracks in your knowledge, as that would show everyone you’re not an expert at all.

Because you don’t feel like one. You’re certainly not as much of an expert as those other guys, right? Because they know more than you?

So what if someone asks a question you don’t have the answer to?  What if your post doesn’t include everything an expert would know? What if everyone realizes you don’t know everything?

Well, relax. Because readers aren’t looking for the holes and imperfections in your posts. They’re more interested in what you do know than what you don’t. The only one who’s worried about the latter is you.

Readers only care whether your knowledge and experience can help them reach their goals. You may not know as much as that other expert, but if you can do that, you’re expert enough for them.

Remember that.

You Are Not a Fraud, You Are a Writer

Your successes aren’t flukes.

You deserve all the praise you get.

And you are a writer — a real one.

So it’s time you finally convince yourself.

It’s time you fight back, wrestle your Imp to the ground and say, “Enough! I am smart, I am brave, and I earned everything I’ve worked for. I AM NOT A FRAUD!”

I’m right by your side, my fellow writer friend.  Let’s do this together.

Let’s tear down the walls of isolation and surround ourselves with writers. Let’s stop feeling intimidated by success. Let’s stop expecting nothing but perfection from ourselves.

Let’s promise to keep writing no matter what, and let’s take responsibility for all the victories along the way.

Are you with me?

About the Author: Mel Wicks is a freelance copywriter and content marketer. Download her free bonus ‘7 Golden Writing Rules — A No-Fluff, Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Quality Blog Posts’ and be one of the first to hear when her new blog, The Craft of Copywriting, goes live in August 2017.

from Julia Garza Social Media Tips https://smartblogger.com/imposter-syndrome/

[annegalliher]

Advice to Writers Who Feel Like a Fraud (from a Writer Who Feels Like a Fraud)

Let me guess …

Every success in your writing career has been a fluke.

When people praise your work, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

You’ll never measure up. You’re not a real writer. And any day now, everyone will see you for the fraud that you are.

That’s how you feel, anyway.

You read other blogs and feel crushed at how little you know and how little you have to offer. You wonder why you even bother with your own blog when so many great writers do it way better than you ever could.

Well, here’s a secret …

Those writers you admire probably feel the exact same way.

Even famous writers like Neil Gaiman, Tina Fey, and Seth Godin are on record that they still feel like frauds — like they don’t deserve their success and they’re getting away with something.

We all do.

The Voice Inside My Head That Tells Me I’m Unworthy

I have been a freelance writer for over three years, but I still feel I have no right to claim that title — writer.

I have a nagging voice inside my head that constantly reminds me of my unworthiness. It tells me to give up before I’m laughed off the Internet. That I’ll never compare to other writers — the real ones.

It provides a symphony of thoughts like:

“Who do you think you are?”

“Why would anyone care what you have to say?”

“Sooner or later, they’ll find out you have no clue what you’re doing.”

I call this voice the “Imp.” Her full name is Imposter Syndrome, and chances are you’ve already met. If you’ve ever had that dread of being outed as a fraud because you don’t stack up to other writers, you’ve experienced Imposter Syndrome, and you have an Imp of your own.

Imposter Syndrome is common across industries, but writers are especially susceptible.

Why is that?

Why Do We Feel Like Frauds All the Frickin’ Time?

Writing is a peculiar profession.

One thing that sets us apart is that we work in isolation.

That means nobody’s around  to tell us we’re doing a great job until we put it out there for total strangers to judge. We’ll often work for a while on a project with no direct feedback, so it’s easy to start second-guessing our ability.

We have nobody to discuss our doubts with, so we are locked into internal conversations, which makes the Imp’s voice sound all the louder.

Working in isolation also means we don’t have any peers around to compare ourselves with, which leads us to compare ourselves with industry giants. No wonder we feel like we don’t measure up!

This also leads to us to create standards for ourselves that don’t exist. After all, you don’t see the time and effort other writers put in. You just see the result. That blog post that seems so effortless could be the result of weeks of work. But when you fail to churn out a perfect first draft, it means you’re an amateur.

The writing profession becomes even more dangerous when you step outside your comfort zone. You may have pitched an article to a large publication, and to your horror, they actually said yes. Then the insecurity takes hold and the fear of being exposed as an imposter rears its familiar head.

Sigh …

So are we doomed to deal with this nagging voice throughout our profession?

I’ll be honest; you may never fully get rid of it.

But you can learn to live with it.

How to Beat Imposter Syndrome: 4 Tips from a Writer Who Knows How You Feel

The first step on your road to recovery is to be aware that isolation, new challenges, and pointless comparisons are common causes of Imposter Syndrome. You may not always be able to avoid them, but if you are mindful of their effect, it will help you wrestle your Imp to the ground when needed.

And here’s how to do it.

#1. End the Isolation and Surround Yourself with Writers

The first step to beating Imposter Syndrome is to tackle one of its main causes: isolation.

You need to make friends with other writers who are at the same stage in their careers. You need to have people around you who understand you, who make you feel part of the writing community instead of an intruder.

Here are a few ways to meet other writers:

Join online writing communities (forums, Facebook groups, etc.)

Find local writing meetups on meetup.com.

Attend writing or blogging conferences.

Meet writers who are your peers, see who you get along with, and then join or start a mastermind group. Get together every week with a small group of people (around 4–6) and discuss what you’ve been up to and what’s been on your mind.

Share your fears and frustrations, and find comfort and reassurance in your similar experiences. You’ll inspire and encourage each other to grow as writers.

And as you grow, give back to the community by mentoring less experienced writers. Not only will you be helping others, your confidence will strengthen as you prove to yourself you do know what you’re doing and people do care what you have to say.

It’s rewarding and empowering at the same time.

#2. Prepare for Failure AND Success (Because Both Can Be Crippling)

The Imp comes with a cruel twist. It won’t just berate you for failures; it will berate you for successes as well.

When a pitch is rejected or an article bombs, your Imp will use it to convince you that you don’t have what it takes.  Having a few failures in a row can make you want to curl up in a ball of despair.

On the other hand, when your writing is successful and gets glowing responses, your Imp will convince you it was a fluke. It will make you feel like you’ve now set expectations you’ll never be able to meet again.

The effect is the same. You procrastinate.

Because no idea feels good enough. You never feel prepared enough. And nothing you write feels like it stacks up.

You get stuck over-analyzing and don’t start anything new.

But the trick to beating your Imp is to keep yourself busy. Because the more you have on your mind, the less time you have to listen to that debilitating inner voice.

So prepare for these situations by creating an action plan. Have a list of tasks ready for whenever they come up, so you won’t have time to drive yourself crazy.

For example, when a pitch is rejected, you might make a point to ask for feedback, find different sites to pitch, or come up with 20 new headlines.

When a post takes off, you might make a point to read all the comments, identify what connected with readers, and see if you can find ideas for a follow-up post.

Whatever you do, stay active, and end each plan with you writing your next post.

#3. Log Your Victories to Reinforce Your Self-Esteem

Most of us have an instinct to devalue our talent. When a post does well, we think we got lucky. When someone compliments our work, we shrug it off.

But those are terrible habits.

You need to take responsibility for your victories.

When a post does well, you did that. When you get a compliment, you earned that.

And you should never forget it.

So log your victories in a “nice things” file. Log accomplishments big and small. Log every compliment you receive. Print them out or store them in Evernote.

Then read them on a regular basis. It will banish your Imp and reinforce your belief that you have talent. It will reinforce your belief that people value your work. Plus, it just feels good.

It’s okay to bask in your own glory from time to time.

#4. Remember That Nobody Expects You to Be Perfect (Except You)

As writers, we put ourselves out there as experts, which can feel intimidating.

You feel pressured to put forth a veneer of perfection. You don’t want to show the cracks in your knowledge, as that would show everyone you’re not an expert at all.

Because you don’t feel like one. You’re certainly not as much of an expert as those other guys, right? Because they know more than you?

So what if someone asks a question you don’t have the answer to?  What if your post doesn’t include everything an expert would know? What if everyone realizes you don’t know everything?

Well, relax. Because readers aren’t looking for the holes and imperfections in your posts. They’re more interested in what you do know than what you don’t. The only one who’s worried about the latter is you.

Readers only care whether your knowledge and experience can help them reach their goals. You may not know as much as that other expert, but if you can do that, you’re expert enough for them.

Remember that.

You Are Not a Fraud, You Are a Writer

Your successes aren’t flukes.

You deserve all the praise you get.

And you are a writer — a real one.

So it’s time you finally convince yourself.

It’s time you fight back, wrestle your Imp to the ground and say, “Enough! I am smart, I am brave, and I earned everything I’ve worked for. I AM NOT A FRAUD!”

I’m right by your side, my fellow writer friend.  Let’s do this together.

Let’s tear down the walls of isolation and surround ourselves with writers. Let’s stop feeling intimidated by success. Let’s stop expecting nothing but perfection from ourselves.

Let’s promise to keep writing no matter what, and let’s take responsibility for all the victories along the way.

Are you with me?

About the Author: Mel Wicks is a freelance copywriter and content marketer. Download her free bonus ‘7 Golden Writing Rules — A No-Fluff, Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Quality Blog Posts’ and be one of the first to hear when her new blog, The Craft of Copywriting, goes live in August 2017.

[benjamingarden]

Declutter Your Home This Weekend! (Plus, How Decluttering Your Home Will Save You Money)

I'm sure it seems daunting to consider decluttering an entire home in one weekend.  ONE WEEKEND!  In fact, you've likely thought I'm crazy for even suggesting it!  We aren't talking about a full-on, take all of the boxes out of the attic or basement declutter session, but rather a weekend surface purge.  Kind of a jumpstart to your simplification and decluttering journey. We go through our days making mental notes that "I need to go through that one day" or "I really need to get rid of some of my clothes".  But we don't.  Because life gets in the way and the thought of taking a few hours to go through your closet, and kitchen, and linen closet, and everything else is, well, overwhelming. So what I'm suggesting is a one weekend declutter.  It's a great tactic if your home has previously been thoroughly purged or you just need an opportunity to go through every cupboard and drawer to ensure first, that you know what's there and second, to ask yourself if you still want to keep every item.  It's also a great way to start decluttering your home for the first time as noted above. Pulling Together A Decluttering Plan The best way to set-up a successful weekend purge is to think about the details ahead of time. 1. Make sure your meals are planned (and already pulled together if possible).  Consider freezer meals, or quick & easy meals, where you won't need to spend a lot of time cooking or cleaning up. 2. Figure out ahead of time where your "donate" and "throw" items will go.  Do you have a local thrift store?  What are their hours?  What do they accept/not accept?  If you have more items than your garbage can will be able to handle, do you have other options?  The reason this is important is you need to get rid of them THIS weekend.  Otherwise, you risk the items weaseling their way back into your home. 3. Enlist all family members (depending on the ages of the kiddos) to assist.  Your family members can go through their own items, help where needed with other areas, and to (hopefully) see the work it takes so they will work with you to keep the clutter at bay going forward. 4. Pull together any supplies you anticipate needing: boxes, tape, markers, labels, bins, etc.  Also think about cleaning supplies.  If you'll be emptying drawers, getting to the back of closets, etc., why not do a quick cleaning while you're at it? 5. Schedule your rooms.  I know that this seems like an unnecessarily rigid approach, however, it is easy to get lost in the details of one room and suddenly the weekend is over.  So, I recommend taking Friday evening, all of Saturday, and all of Sunday and breaking it up depending on how many rooms you have.  Then give more time to the rooms that will take the most time (usually the bedroom, kitchen and garage). For instance, I have our home office, living room, bathroom, kitchen, master bedroom and garage.  I wouldn't have a need to purge the dining room, laundry room, spare bedroom, or entry room. Friday night I would schedule the kitchen.  The cupboards, drawers, pantry, refrigerator and freezer would all be gone through. Saturday I would start in the bedroom (no need in procrastinating the most difficult rooms) and allow myself 2-4 hours (depending on how cluttered it is) to go through all of my clothes, shoes, etc.  After lunch I would move to the bathroom for an hour, then the living room for an hour, and then the home office for 2-3 hours.  Paper takes time to sort through. Sunday would be the garage.  All. Day. Long.  (maybe you don't have a garage but have a shed, or an attic, or a basement in need of a good declutter session)

How Should Each Room Be Purged? Decluttering is really step one in trying to simplify your life.  It's kind of like when you start on a journey to save money.  The first step must always be to identify what you spend your money on.  Not what you think or estimate you do, but an actual list for 2-3 months of what exactly you spend your money on.  Well, decluttering is a way for you to put your hands on every single item you've bought recently.  It allows you to see what you buy and then determine if they are emotionally charged purchases or impulsive purchases.  It also allows you the opportunity to look at what you keep so you can work on the "why" in an effort to curb unnecessary spending and clutter in the future. Here are the basics to take a look at for each of your rooms.  Take the items you are parting with and place them into the appropriate bin immediately.  Don't touch them again so you won't begin questioning your initial gut decision. Master Bedroom - look at each item of clothing, shoes and accessories and ask yourself: "Does it fit? Do I love it?  Do I love the way I feel when I wear it?  Have I worn it in the past year?"  Go through any bedding, books, or whatever else is in your room.  If you have things under the bed, even if you believe you know you won't get rid of any of it, go through it.  You may have forgotten exactly what is there.  Put "keep" items back and load "sell", "donate" and "throw" items into appropriate bags/bins.

well, I've finally found a positive to still not having my kitchen completed - easy to take pantry photos!

Kitchen - go through every drawer and cupboard.  Pull items out and ask yourself "Do I use this?  Do I need this?"  If there are food items in your pantry that you've never used and don't foresee using (be honest with yourself), maybe find a food pantry that these items can be donated to.  Someone, somewhere will be thrilled to receive them.  If, instead, you find food items that you've forgotten about and you believe you will use them, enter them into the next week's meal plan to ensure they don't get pushed to the back of the pantry again.

(things we use most often are lower and those used less often are higher)

(my husband built a spice rack to fit my jars perfectly)

Organize your refrigerator, freezer and pantry in a way that makes sense to you.  I have a baking pantry and then an all other foods pantry. It makes sense for me and the way I cook/bake.  In my all other foods pantry, I have grouped the foods based on type (All tomato products are together, but separated into types.  All canned beans together with dried beans stored in a drawer.  Pasta's are together including my husbands vices - rice a roni and boxed mac & cheese.  Coffee grouped just above the coffee machine, etc.)

Bathroom - go through all drawers, cupboards, the medicine cabinet, etc.  Take a look at what's in the shower (on a shower caddy, on the ledges, etc.) and ask yourself if all of the products are still used.  Be honest with yourself and don't get caught up on packaging, price that you paid, memories, etc.  Ask "Do I use this?  Do I like this?  Does this fit into my life?"  Group like items together - all first aid items, all OTC medications, cosmetics, etc. I used to have an obsession with cosmetics.  Small tubes and bottles of all sorts of things cluttered the bathroom.  Fifteen years ago all of those were tossed and I only have the basics, much of what we make ourselves.  I remember purging my cosmetic collection for the first time and finding it very difficult to part with anything.  Whether it be because of what I paid for that very small bottle or because I loved the packaging, I would organize and reorganize it, hoping that would suffice.  And it did not.  Finally I just got tired of it all and tossed everything except for the items that I used daily.  And you know what?  I've truthfully never missed one item. Living Room - look at knickknacks, as well as what's stored on/in end tables, cabinets, baskets, etc.  Ask yourself "Do I love this?  Do I use this?  Does this belong in this room?".  Declutter magazines, books, DVD's and look at each piece of furniture. When I went through our living room and removed some items my husband's first response was "it looks empty, I don't like it".  This is because it certainly looked different (and empty compared to what it was prior).  If you find that you or your spouse have a similar response when you try to part with items you don't love, live with it for 2 weeks.  That's what I ask my husband to do anytime I've made a major change.  If after 2 weeks one of us isn't happy with the change then the items can come back (agree to edit what comes back if there was a clutter problem).  Honestly, we've always been happy with the changes after 2 weeks.

Home Office - If you have a lot of drawers, files, etc. you may need to give extra time to this room.  Go through every single drawer, shelf, etc.  If there's documents you no longer need, shred them.  If there's product warranties for products you no longer have, toss them.  Look at any books, manuals, papers, knickknacks, photos, etc.  Organize anything you keep so that it makes sense to you in order to find it when you're looking for it. Because my husband and I organize differently we've made our one space work for both of us.  In our desk there are identical 3 drawers on both the left and right sides.  He gets one side and I get the other.  In our filing cabinet he has one drawer specific to his needs and I organize the remaining three.  Of those three, one is for all of our bills, medical/dental, home info, taxes, etc.  The second is all of our product warranties & paper receipts grouped by type of product.  And the third is for our business.  I like to file with the category noted on the left and the subcategories noted in the center or on the right. Garage - go through it all.  I know you've just cringed, but you really must look at every single yard tool, gardening product, misc. tools and products, etc.  Go through boxes, bins, baskets, and totes.  Look at sporting equipment and anything else stored there.  Ask yourself "Do we use this?  Do we need this?  Does this belong here?"  Get rid of what's no longer working and re-organize what you've decided to keep in a way that, again, makes sense to you and the way in which you'll use the space and the items within it. In our household, my husband and I have made a deal.  The outbuildings are his spaces to manage and I don't intrude with my own feelings of what should stay or go.  I have decluttered anything that I use/store (gardening tools and products & holiday decorations) and the remainder is up to him.  He has organized all of them very nicely in order to fit what he's chosen to keep.

(my husband built all of our shoe and storage benches as well as the shelving and coat racks.  We each have baskets for outdoor equipment that doesn't fit on the racks)

Decluttering Your Home Will Save You Money As if a clean, uncluttered home wasn't enough, here are a few ways it will save you money! 1. You Will See EXACTLY What You've Bought (and don't use) There's nothing like being confronted with exactly how much stuff you either don't use or no longer have interest in owning to say "hey, stop spending money".  It certainly has been an eye opener for me in the past. 2. Organizational Solutions Are Expensive It can become quite expensive trying to organize all of your stuff.  Instead of organizing it, why not consider getting rid of it? 3. You May Find Things You Forgot About (and avoid buying it again) Have you ever searched for something, sure you have it somewhere, but just can't find it?  Then you go to the store to purchase it, only to come across what you'd sworn you owned later on?  No matter how small the cost, it's a waste of money. 4. Sell It! Yes, this is the obvious way of saving money. Some of the items you may be able to sell at a yard sale, on Facebook's marketplace, or on a site such as ebay. Decluttering your home, even if it's a weekend purge, will make you feel lighter& more organized.  It really is a stress relief and a great way to remind you of goals you've set for yourself both financially and organizationally.

Have You Decluttered Your Own Home?  What Tips Do You Have Or What Struggles Did You Uncover?

Declutter Your Home This Weekend! (Plus, How Decluttering Your Home Will Save You Money) was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)