#do ask about the weekly planner they have. i want to make one like that once i move out

[gullemoji]

midday coffee- no wait, strawberry and orange sorbet break

[pinkacademiaprincess]

Hi! I’m about to start uni in October (law)

Can you give me a list of to-dos to mentally and physically prepare for this new journey? Like, things to bring, items to buy, notebooks etc 🥹💘

Operation Straight-A Student: A Comprehensive Guide to Prepping for a Successful Uni Experience 🎀📚💗✏️

ty for the ask! i'm not a law student, so this is gonna be more general uni advice that i hope can apply for you. best of luck in your journey, you're gonna do amazing things!!

step no. 1: plan, plan, plan!

for me, being organized & prepping ahead of time has been so helpful. even if things get a bit hectic or tough, having a routine to fall back on is key. here's how i do it!

google calendar

as soon as i have my class schedule, i input all my class meeting times on google calendar. then, based on whatever free space is left over, i allocate time for schoolwork and studying. here's the schedule i designed for this upcoming term:

make sure your study/ classwork time accounts for whatever online courses you're taking too. you should also include blocks for work, club meetings, etc. if they're recurring. i have google calendar linked to my phone so i get notifs for each time block.

planner

i recommend having a good planner. whether this is online or physical, depending on your preference, a weekly planner of your own is helpful for staying on top of work & having peace of mind.

the planner i use is the moleskine weekly planner. here is what it looks like inside:

on the left side i write all the tasks i have on each weekday (similar to the google calendar). on the right side, i list all the tasks i have to complete during that given week - i open the syllabi for all my classes and input whatever hw, assignments, projects, etc. are upcoming. i write them down in a checklist along with the date they're due. then, during my study blocks, i can check this page & decide what to work on!

note-taking & classwork

you should also have supplies for note-taking. some ppl prefer to take digital notes, so this means using your laptop or a tablet & stylus. personally, i like to take handwritten notes, so i bring loose-leaf lined paper & pencils to my lectures. i write the class name & date as the header for each page. when i'm done taking notes, i write the key topics in the top left-hand corner of the pager (in "no-man's land") so i can easily find the notes on specific topics when i'm flipping through them.

in terms of classwork, i recommend having a folder for each of your classes where you can store notes, assignments, tests, etc. i know some people use one big binder for all classes, but if you have a separate folder for each, you don't have to carry them all around on days when you only have two or three classes. i like the brand five star bc the folders are very durable and i've had the same ones all throughout uni!

for me, i've never been a huge notebook person b/c i like to keep my subjects separate so i rarely fill up an entire notebook. you can buy one to start with, and see once school starts if you think you need more!

other supplies

in terms of supplies, i'm honestly pretty minimalistic. the necessities for me are my planner, a folder & loose-leaf paper, and a pencil pouch with plenty of pens & pencils. i also bring my laptop & charger with me to school bc i use that for my online classes.

i do enjoy having cute supplies! i have a cute pink pencil pouch, glittery mechanical pencils, and fun pens. i also put stickers all over my laptop to give it a personal touch. i did a bit of embroidery on my backpack as well. you don't need to spend tons of money on aesthetic supplies, especially if it's something you won't have for long. but, finding simple ways to add a personal touch to your items can be fun & motivating!

step no. 2: make an action plan

i feel like it's easy to tell yourself you wanna do certain things or be a certain person during school. for example, i always want to be super studious, outgoing, & involved, but i used to struggle sm to actually do that. instead of only thinking of how you want to be, create actual steps/ tasks for yourself. here are my action items for inspo:

sit in the front row of every class - this can be daunting, but in my uni experience, wherever you sit in the first week becomes your (un)official assigned seat. get to class early, take a deep breath, and sit yourself down at the front! you'll be forcing yourself to stay at the front, but i promise it's fine! i really prefer this b/c if you & the prof get to class early you can chat a bit. also, when i wanna participate, i can speak at my regular volume & they'll hear me (rather than if i'm in the back row and had to scream). if nothing else, you'll become a familiar face!

attend office hours for each class at least once - i sometimes felt nervous/ anxious to go to office hours and talk to the professors & ta. but when you do it once, you realize they truly just want to help! getting to know the ppl who grade your assignments can be super useful. they might give you advice or info you don't get in lectures. plus, they are super knowledgeable!

raise your hand once per week - this forces you to be engaged with the content. i used to have such horrible social anxiety & the thought of speaking up in class & getting an answer wrong was my worst nightmare. and when i set this rule & began forcing myself to participate, i did make mistakes. but guess what... everyone moves on immediately. you might feel like the world is ending. it haunted me for weeks after 😢 but no one else cares! in the end, ppl will only remember that you were confident enough to raise your hand & speak up, not what you said. pls don't let your education suffer just b/c you're afraid some classmates might judge you! if raising your hand to answer problems is too daunting, start with asking clarifying questions & slowly build up to whatever you're able to do.

start a conversation with a classmate - having classmates that you're friendly with is so important. if you miss a lecture, need help on a concept, etc. you'll have someone you can turn to. and that's the least of it - you can end up making long-lasting friends! yes, it's scary to talk to a stranger. so, force yourself to do it as early as possible in the semester. an easy one - if you see someone sitting by an empty seat, ask if that seat is taken. if not, yay! it's go time 😊 sit by them and find something else to talk about - give them a (genuine & non-creepy) compliment, ask them if they've seen the syllabus, ask if they know the prof, etc. just something to get the convo started!! figure out their name, major, and other stuff too. once you've talked with them long enough to feel like you're getting along (whether that's after one class or multiple) ask for their number/ discord/ whatever so you can keep in touch! if they share your major, you should keep in contact with them b/c you might have other classes together in the future. but, again, in the best-case scenario, you have a new friend!

wear a cute outfit once per week - sometimes i would get a bit embarrassed or self-conscious to dress up for class. i forced myself to do it once per week, starting the first week of class, to set a precedent for myself. slowly i eased my way into wearing cute, fun outfits every day! no one is judging you as much as you are judging yourself, so have fun & be true to you.

step no. 3: study smarter, not harder

attending class is one thing, but you've got to put in the effort to study if you truly want to succeed. but, not all study methods will work for every single person. figure out how to study so you don't waste time with methods that don't work for you.

determine your learning style(s)

there are a few widely accepted learning styles. you've probably tried all of them throughout your time at school, so think back on which learning experiences have been most and least successful for you. then, connect them back to these learning styles to figure out ways you can most effectively study.

visual:  if you learn by seeing info visually, such as with maps, graphs, diagrams, charts, etc.

auditory: if you learn by getting info in auditory form, aka when it's heard or spoken

kinesthetic: aka hands-on, if you learn by doing & applying

reading/writing: if you learn info best when it’s in words, aka by writing it down or reading it

you might find that multiple of these learning styles are effective for you, maybe there's one that sticks out as the most similar to your style of learning, or maybe one that just doesn't work for you. now, you don't need to assign yourself one and forego the rest, but you can adjust the time you spend on various study methods based on how well they work for you.

for me, i've realized over time that i am NOT a reading learner. in high school i would diligently read all the textbook assignments, spending hours getting through the chapters, only to retain none of it & do poorly on assignments & tests.

on the other hand, i respond really well to kinesthetic learning - when applying concepts hands-on, such as with practice problems, i have a much better understanding of concepts & retention.

fast forward to college - i spend very little time on assigned readings. in fact, sometimes i skip them all together 🫢 b/c if i spend an hour reading the textbook but retain none of it, that's an hour wasted. especially if the content from the textbook is going to line up with the lecture, i'm much better off paying attention & taking good notes in class, and then spending my study time doing practice problems. if i really do need to read the textbook, i have to make it interactive for myself - i answer the questions at the end of the chapter, take notes, quiz myself, etc.

now, my advice here isn't to skip textbook readings!! that's not something i recommend b/c for so many people, it IS effective and helpful! when it comes to studying, play on your strengths. don't try to force yourself to learn in a way that doesn't work for your brain. make modifications & prioritize your learning! here is an awesome guide to different methods that work for the various learning styles.

find your ideal study environment

you can also maximize the effectiveness of your studying based on the environment you're in. if you can decide what factors help or hinder your studying abilities, it will help you decide where you should make your go-to study spot!

at home or in public? sometimes, studying in a public place can be unproductive. it might make you feel more stressed (like the sensation of having your teacher look over your shoulder during a test 🫣) or distracted. for me, studying in public is actually useful b/c i'm less likely to get disctracted. if i'm in my room i might get tempted to open up tumblr or pinterest, but in public i feel like ppl might see me get off topic which deters me LOL. however, studying at home is nice b/c you're in the comfort of your own personal space - you can change into pjs, cuddle your pet, grab a snack, etc. i do a mix of studying in public & at home b/c i feel like they both have their benefits

quiet or noisy? do you study better in a silent environment, or do you like some sound/ white noise? personally, i cannot deal with ANY noise when i'm trying to study, it totally breaks my focus 😭but some people like the ambient/ white noise of a coffee shop

music or silence? similar to the last one, does having music help you stay focused, or distract you? i know ppl will swear by different things - classical music, upbeat music, songs in different languages, etc. again, i personally cannot handle any sounds 😅 but if music keeps you alert, plan accordingly - have earbuds or go to a coffee shop that has a playlist going

nature or indoors? maybe you find it stuffy to be indoors all day & studying out in the open air helps you stay grounded and calm. on the flipside, being exposed to the elements might just make you more distracted. if you like studying outdoors, try public parks with benches, and also see if your campus has outdoor seating areas. some libraries do too. for a happy medium, you can study someplace with large windows/ nice view.

independent or collaborative? do you study better on your own or in groups? you can join a study group or go to office hours to get a sense of studying in a group setting vs. alone. group studying can help hold you accountable, make it more interactive, and keep you focused. that being said, i def prefer studying independently. i like to go at my own pace, and tbh i get easily distracted w/ others and will begin to just chit chat

based on how you answer those questions, you can decide what your ideal study environment is & pick a go-to place! for me, based on my preferences, my most effective study environment going to the library alone or studying in my room.

that's all for this post! i feel it got very long but i had so many tips to share. there's no "one size fits all" guide to navigating uni life. but i think everyone can benefit from prepping in advance & being mentally prepared. knowing your own strengths + having a plan of attack will guide you in stressful/ uncertain times!

overall, take the time to get to know yourself & figure out how you can be at your very best. apply whichever bits of advice resonate, and ignore anything that's not gonna serve you. this is YOUR journey!

and remember, even with all the planning in the world, things can go unexpectedly. you are more than equipped to deal with whatever life throws your way! when you are faced with unexpected things - pause & think, assess the situation, & determine your best course of action. above all, YOU'VE GOT THIS! 💗

[totowlff]

chapter forty— how to tie a knot

➝ no one said that celebrating love was easy

➝ word count: 2,3k

➝ warnings: none

➝ author’s note: this is the first update of two on this week. hope you enjoy it!

DECEMBER, 2017

— Elisabeth, this is the fifth time you’ve changed where that cushion is sitting — Toto murmured, without looking up from the iPad screen, where an article from the Financial Times was open.

— I know — she replied, snorting — It just looks out of place here…

— It's always been there, since long before you came to live here. I don't understand the problem with it now.

Placing her hands on her hips, Elisabeth continued to stare at the sofa. Something was bothering her, even though a few hours ago, she had no issue with the arrangement of any of the decorative cushions. Pursing her lips, she took a few steps to the side, as if she was analyzing it, trying to figure out what was bothering her. Suddenly, she thought of something.

— What are you doing now?

— Taking this blanket off — Elisabeth replied, pulling the colorful throw that was on the back of the sofa — It's the problem.

Toto chuckled in disbelief.

— Maybe the problem is your anxiety, my love.

She stood up with the blanket in her hand, pressing her lips into a thin line.

— You think?

— Well, considering that you've already changed the order of the picture frames on the fireplace, organized the tea plate twice, and are uncomfortable with the sofa cushions, I'm sure you're anxious, even though there’s no reason to be.

Elisabeth let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand over her face.

— We're going to welcome someone home, Toto, how can I not be anxious?

He put down his iPad and shot her a direct look.

— Elisabeth, she’s just a wedding planner…

— She's not just a wedding planner, she's our wedding planner — she countered, dropping the blanket back on the sofa, a little irritated — I don’t want her to think we don’t know what we’re doing.

— You think she is going to take the state of our decorative pillows into account while planning our wedding? — Toto asked.

— I want to make a good impression…

— My love, she’s the one who has to make a good impression, not us. We are the couple who need help organizing the perfect day because they don't have the time or patience for it.

Elisabeth huffed, sitting down on the couch. She wanted to be more calm about this process, but she couldn’t help but feel restless about all of it. It was as if the moment Toto had placed the engagement ring on her finger he had triggered all the anxiety it was possible for a person to feel.

The day after the proposal, she started doing research and designing an action plan for the big day, trying to fit the organization of the ceremony with the race calendar and their own personal commitments. It didn't take long for her to realize that the best time would be during the summer break, as the pleasant weather would allow them to hold the event the way they had imagined and the only time everyone they wanted to attend would be able to, especially Benedict and Rosa.

When she told them about the news during one of their weekly visits, both of them seemed incredibly happy, hugging her and Toto with big smiles. Their affection was what Elisabeth needed to be sure that she had made the right choice in joining that beautiful family that Toto had built, so she made sure they were by their side when they said “I do”. 

The doorbell snapped Elisabeth out of her thoughts, and she looked at Toto. He had already set the iPad on the armchair he had been sitting in, looking like the portrait of serenity as he walked toward the apartment’s front door. “Why can't I be like that?”, she asked herself quietly as she stood up, still holding on to the colorful throw.

— Yes, parking around here is terrible — Toto said. He was talking to the brunette woman next to him, who had a round face and wore square-rimmed glasses, before looking at her — Liesl, why are you still holding that throw?

She blinked, feeling her face heat up.

— I was organizing the sofa — Elisabeth replied, forcing a smile.

— Again?

— Again — she replied, dropping the blanket haphazardly on the sofa before going to the woman next to him — Nice to meet you, I'm Elisabeth.

— Raphaela, the pleasure is all mine. I talked to you on the phone, right?

— That's right.  By the way, thank you for agreeing to come here. I know it's not the usual...

— I imagine. I completely understand your desire to keep this event as private as possible and, let's face it, visiting a wedding planner's office is not the best way to keep it that way.

— Yes — Elisabeth laughed, before inviting Raphaela to sit. After refusing a cup of tea and commenting on Vienna's traffic, the woman removed a notebook and a pen from her black leather bag.

— Well, we're here to talk about a wedding, so let's focus on that. To begin with, I wanted to understand you better. If you could tell me how you met, and how your relationship progressed to the point of deciding to get married?

Elisabeth shot Toto a sidelong glance, realizing that a shy smile had come over his face.

— Do you want to tell her?

— I'll leave it to you — she replied.

— Well, we met in 2012 through her father, we became friends, but that ended up evolving. We started dating in 2014 and we've been together ever since — he summarized — I asked Liesl to marry me this summer, after we returned from Ibiza, where her parents have a house.

— And was it romantic?

— It was definitely very meaningful for us — Elisabeth said, smiling.

— That's very good — Raphaela said, writing something down in her notebook — And do you have any ideas in mind? Any specific place, any concept, anything?

Elisabeth and Toto exchanged a long look.

— I think we agree that it will be a ceremony in the summer, between August and September — she replied — Small, just for our families and a few friends.

— Here in Austria or elsewhere?

— I thought about Italy — Toto said — We really like the south, with the sun and the sea. I think it would be really beautiful to have a wedding there, right?

— Yes, it would be beautiful — Elisabeth replied.

Raphaela continued to write down notes in her notebook.

— A very good destination for weddings in recent times is Sicily. There are several beautiful locations with stunning views, perfect for outdoor weddings, as well as adorable chapels. Oh, by the way, is it going to be a religious ceremony? You will want to officiate in a church or…

— No, not a church — Toto said — Her father said he only enters a church if he is inside a coffin, so I think it's better to avoid them.

The wedding planner laughed.

— So, if we are not going for a church wedding, I am guessing that you would like a civil ceremony?? — she asked, and Elisabeth nodded — Right. And regarding guests, you said family and friends, right? Do you know how many people you had in mind?

— Well, we have both families, right? — Elisabeth replied — We have my parents, my brothers, Claire and the children, uncle Florian, uncle Tillman, aunt Renate, their children...

— Liesl, we had talked about something small — Toto said.

—But they are part of my family, they are my uncles…

— I wasn't thinking about calling my uncles — he said softly.

— No? Like, I understand not inviting the Bednarczyks, but not even Ivar?

— I wanted it to be something more private…

— But you were going to call Lawrence and Fred, weren't you?

— We see Lawrence and Fred all the time, and they're my friends...

— Ivar is your uncle, Toto, it's different — Elisabeth argued, before looking at Raphaela, who seemed a little embarrassed to be witnessing that discussion. That made her stop for a few seconds before giving a small smile — But that can be discussed at another time, right?

— True, we don't need to make the guest list today — she replied, continuing to write in her notebook— And about the event schedule, did you think of anything? Generally, weddings in other places have a program of several days, receptions, cocktails, the ceremony itself, but the format is up to the couple.

— I think a dinner the day before and the ceremony itself would be excellent, don't you think? — Toto said. Elisabeth nodded  — We don't want anything too grand, but rather a moment in which we can share our love with our families.

— And what would be the best time for the ceremony?

— Late afternoon, perhaps? I like the sunset, I think it could be beautiful — Elisabeth said.

— And after the ceremony, do you have plans to have a dinner, a party, or a cocktail?

— A cocktail — Elisabeth said, looking at Toto, who was shaking his head.

— Dinner is better, Liesl.

— Why would it be better? Something more relaxed would allow us to talk to everyone and it wouldn't be so formal...

— At dinner, things are more organized, there’s no confusion…

— Do you really think Ellison and Lennon are going to sit for hours at a dinner?

— The dinner wouldn’t last hours…

— You know it would, since it would have a starter, main course and dessert. Besides, we're already offering dinner before the wedding, why have one afterwards?

Toto snorted.

— Dinners are always better, Elisabeth.

— Is that your argument? — she asked — Cocktails are more relaxed, calm. What's more, we'll be able to have a dance floor...

— At Valtteri's wedding there was a dance floor and a dinner — he murmured.

Elisabeth rolled her eyes.

— Okay, if you want dinner so much, you make it for your guests and I make my cocktail for mine, what do you think?

Passing a hand over his face, Toto looked at Raphaela, who looked a little bit uncomfortable. 

—We’ll have a cocktail party — he said to the woman, who nodded positively before making a note — And with all the guests, okay?

Elisabeth nodded,  the shadow of a smile on her face.

— Right. And what about your dress, makeup, and hair, Elisabeth? Do you have any ideas about what you want? I have some recommendations for places that make beautiful wedding dresses here in Vienna, unless you are thinking of using something from your family or something designer.

— No, nothing designer, but I don’t have anything in mind, so I welcome suggestions.

— Great, and regarding suits…

— I already have my supplier, so to speak — Toto replied, smiling.

— I figured, Mr. Wolff — Raphaela replied — Will you have best men or bridesmaids?

Toto and Elisabeth looked at each other.

— Well, I would like to have a best man, Fred — he said — What about you, Liesl?

— One bridesmaid is enough for me, I thought about asking Claire — she replied, and Toto nodded.

— And what about pages and flower girls?

— We have Eloise, Lennon and Ellison, who are our nephews — Elisabeth said, smiling — I believe they can participate in the ceremony in this way.

— Are you sure you want your nephews to hold our rings? — Toto asked, delicately.

— Why do you ask?

— Elisabeth, they are not exactly… Calm children…

— That doesn't mean they won't behave.

— And do you think Eloise would?

— Probably — Toto said, earning a frustrated glance from Elisabeth — What, are you going to say they are well-behaved?

— They are normal children!

— They are your brother's children, and your brother, coincidentally, would rather see me dead than dating you.

— Torger! — Elisabeth snapped.

— That’s the truth!

— But they have nothing to do with Mathias. In fact, Claire has always supported us and the boys like you a lot.

— That doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't trust them with our rings.

Elisabeth was about to scold him when Raphaela cleared her throat, interrupting them.

— I believe that details like this can be discussed later, when we have a concrete list of guests. And, for that, we need to decide other things beforehand, such as the location, even to understand how many people we will be able to invite.

They looked at each other before nodding.

— Well, I believe I have everything I need to start planning the ceremony. In fact, would you like to leave everything to me or would you like to be informed of the details as well?

— We only want to make the big decisions, we leave the details in your hands — Toto said.

— Great.

After leading the wedding planner to the exit and making a comment about the debates between him and Elisabeth, Toto returned to the living room, where his companion was. Still sitting on the sofa, she had her eyes fixed on the untouched tea tray.

— Liesl? — he asked, as he sat next to her — Is everything okay?

Turning her face towards him, Elisabeth had an expression of discomfort.

— Do you think it's the best thing to do?

— What are you talking about?

— The ceremony, the party, all of that. It seems like so much for something so...

— So?

— Small.

Toto raised an eyebrow.

— Do you think our love is small?

— No, not our love, but — Elisabeth hesitated — I wish I could do it all today, you know? No cameras, no guests, none of the fuss. Just you and me.

— Are you asking me to run away with you?

— Well, more like going to the registry office and signing the papers right away.

He smiled, moving close enough to put his arm around her shoulders.

— Do you want to be Mrs. Wolff so much?

— Lauda-Wolff, we already talked about this — she said — But yes, I want to. I have never wanted anything more in life than to be yours.

— But you're already mine, Liesl.

— Not officially.

— Do you care about the papers so much?

— If they are the guarantee that I will be yours forever, yes, I care.

Toto smiled, before giving Elisabeth a quick peck on the lips. Moving his face away slightly, he spent a few seconds looking at her, as if contemplating her.

— And you will be, my love. My wife, for the rest of my life.

[being-addie]

Quick tour of my Notion 🤍

So you've probably heard of Notion as a notetaking/productivity app and if I know anything about, its that it can get very daunting. Notion has a lot of hidden features, and the ones that are presented to you, are huge in number. So it's hard to find a pretty, yet functional Notion page to use.

I got a comment a few days ago asking how I organized my life through Notion, so I thought about giving you a tour.

Enjoy.

🦋🦋🦋

My home page. I wanted to go for a light, summery vibe. Make sure that when you look at it, you feel happy and energised. Whatever you like, coquette, dark academia, coffee shop theme, it doesn't matter. Make sure YOU love it.

🤍🤍🤍

Add some countdowns to important dates (exams, festivals, etc), pictures and playlists to personalise your page.

Don't forget the daily to-do list. I also have this thing I do, called 'What did I do today?' and then I list out all the studying/errands I did today. Great for accountability and motivation.

🤍🤍🤍

My planner for my weekly events and deadlines, and my goals to accomplish.

🤍🤍🤍

Some other pages of my notion. I left out a few for privacy, but you get it.

There is no perfect way to be productive. Everyone has different things that work for them. Search for yours. Inspiration is everywhere. Now shoo, get off your bed, drink some coffee, and get to work. I know you can do it. Xoxo

[pariskylar]

Part 3: Rude

Monday: August 30, 2021

Beatrice, bitch please. you know who I be nothin' else, none other the number one stunner.

she pulled up to The Thrombey Mansion for her second week of work.

working for Harlan has been very uneventful, borderline boring. all she did for the past two weeks was take calls, email business people back and proof reading. proofing was the only part of the job she actually enjoyed.

she entered the house and went straight to Mr. Thrombey’s Office.

“good morning.” she signed her time sheet.

“good morning.” Marta greeted.

and as usual Harlan said nothing.

ignoring that she pulled out her iPad, where she had transferred the planner and began briefing him about his schedule today.

“today you have a doctors appointment at 8:30 AM, a meeting with Mr. Walt Thrombey at the publishing company at 11:30 AM and and dogs have a vet appointment at 1:00 PM.” she read off.

“Marta is taking me to my doctors appointment.” he said while stacking three different piles of papers “these need to be proofed.” he handed them over to her.

she nodded waiting to see of he had anything else to say, but of course he didn’t. she took her assignment out to the front porch. she sat tailored style on the bench pulling out her sticky tabs, red pen, post-its and the matching highlighters .

and began her reading. this is the shit she loved. well introduced characters, well thought out details. this is why she wanted to be an editor.

forty five minutes later she proofed seventy percent of the first chapter and Harlan and Marta came out the house.

“we’re off to the doctor.” Marta said helping Harlan down the steps.

“ok, well be safe.” she said automatically.

pulling out her phone she saw the time read 7:56 AM. she’d been out there for nearly an hour and her bones and joints felt it. she stood from her seat stretching and loosen up her joint.

standing up straight she grabbed all of her supplies and moved to the steps.

after two hours she was finishing up the second chapter when she heard the revving of a car engine. she looked up to see an old school BMW flying up the driveway. she put a tab where she just finished reading sitting up properly, ready to greet whoever the guest was.

when the car door opened out stepped a white man with brunette hair sporting slacks, a striped shirt and sunglasses. he slowly made his way to the house.

“hi, how may i help you?” she asked as he made his way up the steps.

he totally ignored her and went inside. she grabbed her keys that had her mace on them. she sat the papers aside and grabbed the iPad, rushing in after him.

“um, excuse me? sir?” she followed him into Mr. Thombey’s empty office. “um, sir.”

“what?” he turned to her finally acknowledging her existence.

his presence was a bit intimidating, causing her to take a few steps back. he rolled his eyes making an exit from the office.

she switched the latch on the mace.

“um, do you have an meeting set with Mr. Thrombey?” she followed him.

“a meeting?” he asked seemingly confused heading for the stairs

“yeah, like an appointment.” he turned from the second step with the same confused look “you know when you set a time to talk to someone.”

“i know what a meeting is, i’m just confused on why i’d need one. i’m his grandson.”

that’s Ransom?

“oh, the one with the bi-weekly visits.” she closed the mace.

“yeah.” he said with faux enthusiasm

“well Mr. Thrombey had a doctor’s appointment today, but he’ll be back any minute now. you can wait for him in his office.”

he didn’t say anything just going back to his office, slamming the door behind him.

she huffed, snarling. there’s alot of thing she can take, and has, but one thing she can’t stand is an unnecessarily rude person.

there was no reason for him to come in that aggressive and to be that harsh.

she made her way back to the front porch to try and finish up her assignment

her alarm that was set 10:45 went off, but Harlan and Marta wasn't back yet. she didn't have Marta's number so she had no choice but to wait this out. she re-scheduled the meetings and vet appointment, while waiting. she was chewing on her pencil eraser nervous. she was 99 percent sure she was gonna lose her job.

after the most daunting 42 minutes Marta and Harlan finally pulled up.

she stood up from her seat grabbing her bag and rushed to the car. once the car came to a full stop she opened the door and help Harlan out.

“Mr. Thrombey, we’re late for your meeting with Mr. Walt.” she closed the door and walked to her car as fast as she could without dragging him. “i called and rescheduled the meeting for 12:00 and push the vet appointment for 1:30, i just need to get the dogs in the car and we can go.” she tossed her bag in her backseat, before taking off to the backyard.

whistling at them she gained their attention.

“come.” she squatted down waved them over.

they ran up to her.

she stood up straight and began jogging to her car with them her following. when they got there Mr. Thrombey wasn’t in the car.

“what the hell?” she said under her breath.

“i took him to the meeting with Walt.” Marta said from the side of her.

“oh, well thanks.” Jaz nodded "um, can i get you number." her social anxiety began to kick in.

"just so when you take Harlan places i'll know, y'know" she over explained.

"no, yeah, i get it." Marta pulled out her phone handing it over.

"personal or work?" she asked pulling each from her pockets.

"both?"

Jaz nodded handing them both over.

Jazlyn (Personal): (504)-xxx-xxxx she entered her personal number first then her work number Jazlyn (Work): (857)-xxx-xxxx.

they exchanged phones back.

she looked at the new contact in her phone, Marta :) (857)-xxx-xxxx.

"um, thanks."

"no problem." Marta nodded.

they walked back towards the porch. she took a seat on the bench and Marta went back into the house.

she set a new alarm for 12:30.

the dogs ran up to her, tails wagging.

“hi, babies.” she giggled at them scratching behind each of their ears.

one tried giving her a kiss but she dodged it.

“no kisses, just rubs and hugs.”

she spent the next 50 minutes cuddling the dogs and trying to calm herself down from mini freakout she had.

what the heck bro. that was so rude and inconsiderate. he could've told me that he was going to have Marta take him to the meeting. and why the hell did the receptionist let me change times if he was already there?

while in the midst of another freakout her alarm went off. she sighed getting up from her seat, heading back to the home.

they tried following her in the house.

"sit." she commanded "stay." they obeyed.

she knocked on the office door.

“come in.” he called from the other side of the door.

walking in she saw Harlan and Ransom sitting across from each other.

“um, i’m taking the dogs to their vet appointment.”

Ransom scoffed at her turning back to his granddad.

rude

“ok.” Harlan nodded

“is there anything you need while i’m out?”

“no.”

she nodded leaving the room. she grabbed the leashes from the hooks on the foyer.

-

after taking the dogs to the vet and a long day of doing nothing she went back to her townhouse.

"hey, baby." Tia greeted her from the couch.

"hi." she kicked off her shoes at the door.

she sighed flopping next to her, handing over a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

"lemme guess, boring day today?" she grabbed a spoon from the bowl on the coffee table.

for the past week she had been complaining non-stop about how freaking boring it was to work for Harlan.

"no, stressful." Jaz shook her head unbuckled her belt.

"how?"

"he had a doctors appointment and Marta took him. i was supposed to take him to his meeting at his publishing company, but he had Marta take him." she began to explain taking her pants off. "but he ain't tell me shit, so i'm running around thinking i'm finna get fired. i rescheduled the meeting. they come back talking bout 'i took him.' then his grandson came there almost giving me a heart attack."

"his grandson?" T asked around a bite of ice cream

"yeah, Ransom. he fine, but he rude as hell."

"how fine? you know my fine and your fine are two different fines." Tia pointed the spoon at Jaz.

"as fine as you can get for a white boy." she shrugged pulling her hair back. "i'm finna shower and take this makeup off, then we gon talk about them crazy ass people you work for." she stood up.

"good because bitch i got some shit to tell you."

[blushcoloreddreams]

Good tidings! I'd like to ask about how you maintain time for prayer/worship while being a med student and likely very busy--it's so impressive you're doing everything at once and I've love some advice if you're willing! Thank you~ ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

Hi! Thanks you so much for the kind words! I’d like to start this by saying that my routine is far from perfect, it’s not every day that I can accomplish everything I planned on and I have my bad days as well. Remember that what you see on the internet is only the portion of people’s lives they choose to share so please don’t compare yourself but here’s a list of things that help:

1. Consistency over perfection

In the modern world we have a lot going on, and sometimes we are not going to be able to do everything and that’s ok! I know that sometimes we see Christian influencers going to church multiple times a week, doing over and hour long bible studies and having this elaborate prayer routine and even if that is truly beautiful it’s not achievable for all of us. A little heartfelt prayer before bed or just an “Our Father” when you wake up is better than nothing at all. Also don’t let these days that you can’t do it feel like you are less worthy of God’s love or that you should just stray away from religion because you were not able to dedicate as much time as you wanted to. To quote St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love

2. Have a routine

Routines are the best way to build habits, open a space in your routine to pray. As stated before it doesn’t need to be something huge, as a kid I’d start my mornings with the triad of « Our Father », « Hail Mary » and the Guardian Angel’s prayer followed by a more personal prayer with the things I was thankful for and my intentions/ wishes for the day, and when I grew up I also added the Apostles creed. Its not as long as it seems and it’s enough to set the day. I like to do it in an morning because it’s a moment i have for myself without the rush of studying and my routine has started. Take your holy day seriously, if you are Catholic really go to church on Sundays, if you are Protestant it might be Saturdays, but this weekly moments with God will make a difference. When you have extra time longer prayers like praying the rosary and taking some time reading the Bible is great. You can find a lot of yearly bible reads planners, dividing it in 365 chunks makes it feel way more feasible than trying to speed run it, and already moving to the next top if you compromise to do it with someone it will also be easier and more fun.

3. Have Christian friends

One of the things that really helps me is one of my best friends, she’s not only very knowledgeable about theology but she introduced me to a other young people and also from other ages that shared the same faith as me. It’s great to have someone you can be with in your religious journey. I love going to mass, praying the rosary and doing bible studies with them or even just sharing silly Catholic memes, books (Catholic or not) and experiences. Having people around you that you can talk about more spiritual things and be with you when you are drifting away is one of the things that will really lighten that path for you. It in your personal life (school, work etc etc) you don’t have a lot of friends like that church groups are a way you can meet new people like you

[productiveandfree]

Bullet Journal Beginner Setup and Productivity Tips

Productivity systems is always an interesting subject. 

The reason for this is there is actually no perfect system out there, though many people might still try to convince you of otherwise. 

The best system, however, is the one that aligns with your goals, your priorities, and your lifestyle. 

And so, this is precisely the reason why I was drawn to bullet journaling in the first place. This method is completely customizable to fit anyone’s needs — it’s both fast and flexible. 

According to Ryder Carroll, the inventor of the bullet journal system, this is an analog way to track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future. 

Free Spacing Guide for A5-sized Planner

If you count spaces in your planner way too often, then this guide is for you!

Simply select "actual size" when printing and place the guide behind your planner page. You'll be able to see the markers through the page and choose which to trace. 

No sign up or purchase necessary. 

Here are five things to do to get started with bullet journaling:

Get a pen and a notebook.

Assign an index page where you can list down anything you write on whichever page of your notebook.

Number your notebook pages (if they aren't numbered yet).

Use bullets and signifiers to classify and easily recognize everything you write on your notebook (examples are provided in the video but feel free to use your own).

Remember to always go back to your index page to keep track of what you write down.

And just like that, you already have your own basic productivity system. 

How?

By writing things down and keeping tabs on them, you're clearing your mind to facilitate a higher level of thinking. This is when you're able to reach a level of focus that permits you to do deep and meaningful, high-value work. 

Now that we've covered the essentials of bullet journaling, let's talk about what actually goes in those pages. According to the bullet journal website, a section of anything you write on your notebook is called a collection. 

Here are the four core collections of bullet journaling:

Index

Future Log

Monthly Log

Daily Log

Again, the Index is where you jot down the page numbers and the corresponding description of whatever you write on whichever page of your notebook. 

The future log is where you list events, holidays, birthdays, appointments, meetings, to-dos, and more. This gives you a bird's eye view of what's to come and what to expect. 

The monthly log is where you gather all your tasks and assign them to specific days. This ensures that everything gets scheduled and prioritized in their own time. 

The daily log is where you can rapid log all your tasks, notes, ideas, etc. on a particular day. Don't forget to classify them with bullets and signifiers. Also, if you plan to migrate a task, write it down on a future date or if you schedule it, make sure to jot it down in your future log. 

As I mentioned early on, whatever you do with your bullet journal is completely up to you. So aside from these four core collections, here are other examples of what you can put in your notebook:

Weekly log

Habit tracker

Reading list

Gratitude log

Mood tracker

Brain Dump / Ideas section

Client list

Project list

Content calendar

Blog/Vlog stats

House chores

Expenses list

Grocery list

Meal planner

Favorite recipes

Fitness log

Quotes page

TV show or movie list

Travel list/places you want to visit

Word for the day

Student calendar

Study/Homework progress

and many more.

There is a new term introduced over in the bullet journal blog called a Stack. A Stack is simply a group of collections. For example, if you were to ask me what my stack is, it's the following:

Future Log

Monthly Log

Weekly Log

Monthly Trackers

Keystone Habits

Gratitude Log

Reading List

Blog Mapping and Stats

Expenses List

Ideas Section

Adventures List

Once you get the hang of bullet journaling, you'll find that it's actually a really effective productivity system. Aside from writing things down as I mentioned earlier, here are seven tips on how to increase your productivity using this system. 

01. Write down your goals

It's no secret that having goals is crucial to being productive. This is how you know you're spending your valuable time, energy, and attention on things that really matter. But do you know what's even more powerful than having goals?

It's having goals that are written down. 

Since your bullet journal is something you already write on on a regular basis, it's only logical to map out your goals in there as well. 

> You can list your goals according to what, why, how, and by when. 

> You can have a wish list and match each task to a particular reward. 

> You can have a checklist to see if your goal aligns with goal-setting strategies such as SMART, Stretch, BSQ, or OKR. 

> Or, you can simply have a statement of what you want to achieve each month, day, or week.

02. Identify your ideal productive day and compare it with your actual day

Since we all have 24 hours in a day, the simplest way to do this in your bullet journal is to create a time map and visualize what your ideal productive day looks like — what are things you should be working on and what are activities you should not be doing. 

Then choose a regular day and log everything you do in each hour or half-hour. Afterwards, compare the two lists and evaluate where you need to improve on. 

Are you spending too much time checking emails? On social media? In meetings? Watching tv? You might be surprised how much of your day is actually spent on distractions and multi-tasking instead of deep work. 

03. Track your habits and activities

This is a favorite among many bullet journalists since we already know the habits we should be developing and the activities we should be doing on a regular basis. 

Simply search 'bullet journal tracker' in Google or in Pinterest and you'll find beautiful and inspiring layouts from others. 

Some things you can track are your keystone habits, your fitness, your meals, your projects, your blog/vlog stats, finances/expenses, your morning routine, and your evening routine. 

When it comes to habits, I highly suggest identifying the habit loop. According to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, a habit consists of three steps: the cue, the routine, and the reward. By establishing what triggers a habit and what reward we associate with it, we'd get better at developing or reshaping our habits. 

04. Identify your SMITN

SMITN is just a catchy acronym I came up as a thought trigger to remind myself whenever I wasn’t prioritizing. It stands for:

Single Most Important Task Now

As I mentioned earlier, a huge portion of our day is usually wasted on distractions and multi-tasking. But if we always highlight our single most important task now, then we can more effectively act on things that actually move the needle. 

This is related to concepts found in Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy, The One Thing by Gary Keller, even Essentialism by Greg McKeown. 

So, in your bullet journal, it’s as simple as marking your top priority, high-value task with a star or an asterisk and making sure you work on it before your other activities. 

05. Schedule a regular review period

It can be as simple as listing what you need to do 'more' of and 'less' of. Or your can review different areas of your life and rate them using a scale of 1 to 10.

This is what some bullet journalists call the level 10 life or wheel of assessment, which was taken from The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.

You can even make a simple “stop doing” list to recognize which activities hinder your self-development and are essentially time-wasters.

The concept is that since we will always have areas of our lives that we can improve on, why not check in with yourself on a regular basis — yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily if you’re up for it. 

06. Make a "go over later" list

Again, it’s really difficult to be productive when you’re constantly bombarded with distractions all day long. 

But what if that distraction is a brilliant idea that just popped into your head? How do you turn that off when you’re trying to focus and get things done? 

Well, one simple but effective way is to acknowledge the idea and write it down in a “do later,” “brain dump,” or “go over later” list. 

This way, you’ll have a record of the idea and still be able to choose to work on it later when you’re ready to devote 100% of your time, energy, and attention to it.

07. Have a gratitude list

When it comes to productivity, sometimes it’s NOT about achieving more, being everywhere, and doing everything. 

A lot of it is saying NO to things that don’t really matter and instead, being content with who you are, where you are, and what you have. 

I love the question posed by Tim Ferriss in his latest book, Tools of Titans, where he asks, 

Could it be that everything is fine and complete as is?

He was talking about how our obsession with being productive can sometimes make us more anxious, stressed, and lose sight of what’s really important. 

This is related to what Productive and Free is all about. Our aim in being productive is NOT to simply do more work, but so we can be free to pursue the things we love. 

And so in your bullet journal, my last suggestion is to list down and contemplate on things you should be grateful for or simply, to recognize and celebrate your small wins on a regular basis. 

Over to You

Now as I mentioned many times before, what you do with your bullet journal is entirely up to you. And so, the same goes with these seven suggestions —

If something is unnecessary, eliminate it. If something isn’t entirely applicable, improve it. And if something works, use it. 

[morally-gray101]

AFTG Headcannons!

i'm currently rereading the books and i thinking about the foxes and i just need some fluff in my life.

· First Andrew and his Arms TM. How much he lifts in the gym is notable enough for Neil to point it out. He could out-lift anyone on the foxes and anyone on his new team post graduation. Which is incredibly funny to think about because he's literally 5 foot. Horribly unbalanced. Neil wants to lick his biceps.

· Every one of the foxes has seen andriel making out on the roof. Aaron is scarred for life. Kevin wishes they would spend that time on the court. Nicky has to be restrained so he doesn't take a picture to send to Allison. Wymack heaves a long suffering sigh. Why did the universe set him up with these idiots?

· Neil thinks of half his comebacks in advance. the other half is adapted from his pre-existing list. He talks so much shit in his head he just starts writing it down. Neil is a planner. Andrew also knows about this list. Sometimes Neil writes them down for him to give his critiques.

· Andrew and Aaron learn to fight like normal brothers eventually. Imagining those boys bickering like siblings breaks me in half.

· Aaron has a stage where he dyes his hair brown for like a couple months. He didn't ask for twin, did he? Him and Andrew don't talk much during this little rebellion.

· The foxes actually call drunk Kevin "Kevin Night". I saw a post about Kevin Night being all about destroying his liver and safe to say that is the funniest thing i have ever seen in this fandom. It's a running gag among the foxes and you'll Never Guess who started it. (nicky)

· When Andrew and Neil both eventually quit smoking, Neil takes to drawing all over Andrew's hand to curb his cravings, and somehow it spirals into him sketching on his arms, legs and torso and months later, under his armbands. But it all comes to a head years later when Andrew wakes up with a fox paw on his ass. Neil can't show his neck in public for months.

· One morning after a particularly bad nightmare, instead of Andrew hitting out, it was Neil. Andrew has a bloody nose by the end of it and Neil has never felt worse. More proof that he's nothing, that he's not worthy of the foxes, that all he can do is hurt, because oh god He Hurt Andrew- Andrew puts a stop to it as soon as he isn't dripping blood all over the carpet. Healing isn't linear, junkie.

· Once Andrew gets to the stage where he's ok with hickeys, Neil suddenly can't leave enough of them. If the foxes didn't know better, they would tease the hell out of him but sometimes their self preservation instincts get the better of them. Often, much the Aaron's disgust, the place bets on how many bruises will be on his neck the morning after. Renee refuses to bet on principle.

· Allison teaching Neil to dress himself and taking him on their weekly shopping dates. I just love the idea of it so much. The freshmen thinking they're dating because of it. Allison dressing Neil to kill, for Andrew's sake. Almost all the clothes she buys him end up on the floor afterwards. Allison teaching Neil to do eyeliner. Neil with getting a matching helix piercing with Allison. Everyone dies a little once they see it. Matt drools a little.

· As Neil becomes more up to date with his flirting skills, he realises that "Doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you" is literally the most insane this to say during a conversation. He teases Andrew mercilessly and Andrew does that thing where he blushes with his ears and snogs the life out of Neil. He doesn't believe in regret but even he isn't immune to Neil's particular brand of wind-up.

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

Hi, I have hard executive dysfunctions but had some (temporary) results using to-do apps and stuff. For everything, brushing teeth, eating, etc. But it always end (very quickly) by me adding 30+ to dos for a day and working 10 hours to get them done until I break down. I can't not do it. Once I think about it, there is sooo much to do, so much I neglected.

So I saw this nice bullet journal in a shop today and took it with me and need some ideas how to make it, to not end like the others:

I thought about a symptom part, how good did I sleep, what mental health issues do I have, etc pp.

I am completely unsure if I should ad any "chore to-dos" or only self care/mental health ones. But even those feel like chores so...

And my energy level varies strongly so I thought about keeping it vague like idk "do one relaxing thing"-like maybe. So I could decide on that day, what I think I will get done. But that's pretty unsatifying.

Ah and, as much as I love such book and diaries etc, writing it down feels like a chore too so... It sounds worse than it is, I had some results but everything in this world sounds like a chore so I am unsure how to make this fun and manageable and neither go to the extreme nor give up.

Give me all your ideas and examples and plans.

Hi anon,

As soon as I saw your ask I just knew I wanted to answer it ~ I have ADHD, but because of other chronic health issues - I cannot take stimulant medications for it and rely on my adaptations to manage symptoms (and yup, some of my mental energy does get used up doing it this way - but it is possible for some of us!). I wanted to start by sharing some resource links and articles first:

The Best Work Schedule for ADHD Brains: Flexible or Rigid? (with resources at the end, and lots of reflections from a variety of folks who benefit from both - great starting point to see which style resonates with you)

Adults With Executive Function Disorder (scroll about halfway down for tips and resources)

Tips and Tricks for Executive Function Disorder (geared towards the caretaker of a child with it, but still impactful suggestions, including movement breaks and reward systems)

Executive Function Disorder: Bullet Journal (one person’s personal bullet journal and how an adaptable reward system - shaped like a bingo card - really helped them) 

But also wanted to share what I use/tell myself throughout the day/week to help: (under the cut to help avoid the post getting super long)

I personally use an adapted planner for the overall schedule, it’s got enough blank spaces where if I want to “change it up” I can do that week to week, but in general this is the place where I store my overall monthly calendar and every Sunday night write out my week ahead of “big things” (apps, time sensitive errands, etc).  

I take a picture of my monthly calendar, as well as my weekly so even if I’m out and about I can quickly refer to it if someone asks about a date - versus saying “I’ll check my calendar later and get back to you” . . . and then - never doing it, whoops!

People in my life are used to it by now, but essentially if someone tells me something like “next weekend is so and so’s birthday” - I’ll take a moment to set an alarm reminder to add it to my calendar when I’m home, and or make a text message note on my phone, and set an alarm that essentially reads “don’t forget to add your text notes to the calendar” (some days I can have like fifteen alarms going off throughout the day, but this way I also manage to add the information I need to, versus feeling like I’m constantly forgetting something, or worse, expending limited mental energy constantly cycling through a “don’t forget don’t forget don’t forget” concentration).

I timeblock my day every morning before everyone else is awake, for example: 7 to 8 - studies, 9 to 10 - social, and so on.  By doing it every day, I can refer back to it throughout the day and adjust as needed but also not plan too far ahead with no adaptability to changing circumstances.  I also ensure that for a chunk of “serious chores” I also schedule in what I like to call “serotonin boosts” - whether that’s some friends time, or creative time, whatever sparks joy for you.  There have definitely been days where I felt like I could not do one more email - and then reminded myself that as soon as I got through the five I scheduled myself for, then I could draw for an hour (a basic ‘this, then that’ reward system).  Suddenly, I manage to push through it, and often quicker than I had originally thought it would take - allowing me to have even more time with something that brings joy.

If I have to be somewhere at a certain time, I set several alarms, almost like a countdown 

I like to use fun color pens, or even pens with like fuzzy balls, or some other sort of stimming part to it as I work - it allows me a moment to stim if I need it, even when I’m tackling the “boring brain dump” stuff.

No amount of telling my brain “just do it” for twenty minutes is going to magically create the dopamine/serotonin it needs to do the thing.  So if a reward isn’t working, I get up and move with a timer to get it going that way, and then try again.

I’m sure there’s plenty more ideas/tips/tricks - anyone stumbling on this, please feel free to comment, reblog, and add to it, but I hope it’s a helpful start for you and anyone else out there looking for adaptions. - Mod Kat

[the---hermit]

Hello! I just want to let you know I love your blog! As a university student I find it really motivating especially when it comes to productivity and self care 💗.

I wanted to ask how do you manage your time effectively when it comes to university work and relaxation time?

Hello! Thank you so much!! <33

It's a pretty challenging thing, and I will be honest with you I am still learning how to balance studying and taking time for myself. Especially now that I have started to commute to uni again to go to class, it's proving to be a constant challenge, because I have to change my routines way more often than I'd like. In general I am pretty aware of the moments of the day in which I am more energetic so I try to make to most out of them. I am much more active in the mornings, I don't mind waking up a little earlier it that means I will get more done in the morning and I will be able to stop studying a little earlier. Of course if I have classes I have to work around that, but in general what I try to do is to concentrate more studying hours whan I know I will be more productive. I also plan tasks that will take more mental effort and energy in those hours, and leave the easier tasks for when I know for a fact I will be a little more tired. I also have a no studying after meals rule. For me eating means taking a break, so after lunch I usually take one hour or one hour an a half just for myself, I'll either read or do anything I feel like to relax and just rest. And at night after eating my dinner I refuse to study. I have had this thing ever since I was in high school, after dinner it's my rest time of the day, I go to bed pretty early and I want to enjoy doing nothing before that. Some people study very well at night and I am not one of those people.

Another thing that helps me a lot with managing my time is to set very clear goals. My brain works much better on a weekly scale so it's what I mostly focus on, but I also try to have at least a general idea of my monthly goals. The way I do this is to have a specific monthly page on my bullet journal in which I write down all the studying materials I have to work on (let's say I have to read a book, I write down the page count of the book and the pages of each chapter so that I have a general view of how much I actually have to do). Each week I try to figure out what my priority of the week are and then I focus on that alone. I divide it up in the days according to what I don't have other things to do, and to when I know I will be more focused for a specific task. Generally I do a mid-week check in, in case I have studied more/less than planned. Focusing on one thing at the time has been helping me mentally because I feel less overwhelmed by everything I have to do. (there's a lot I could say about my planning method for uni and I might write a specific post if that's of any interest, I also have this pretty old post on some planning tips in case that can be helpful).

I cannot stress enough how important it is to schedule your rest/relax time in your planning system. I for example decided that I will not be studying on Sundays anymore, and that on Saturdays I am allowed to take more time in the morning whether I want to sleep a bit more or simply take more time to get ready and all. I genuinely write this stuff down in my planner. I have slots of time planned for not studying and not working. My body needs rest and I need time to do other stuff that is not studying and working, and as any other task I make an effort to fit it in my schedule. I know we are pushed into thinking that we should always be working, at the cost of our resting time, but in my self care journay I am learning to give space to what I need to do for myself without feeling guilty about. I know a certain period will be stressful? Well after that I treat myself with one day off, or an activity that I enjoy. During the day as I said I have specific moments in which I just do not study, and it's now become part of my routine to rest.

So to conclude this the most important things for me are:

a clear plan that includes goals and breaks/ time off to rest

figuring out how you work (when you are more focused and energetic and when you feel like you can take breaks and rest)

fequents check-ins to see how much work I have done/how much is left to do (pro tip: if by the end of the week you have already accomplished your weekly goals, instead of pushing yourself to do more consider rewarding yourself with more time off. Treat yourself and do not burn yourself out)

Okay I gave you a super long answer that I am not even sure is super clear (I have not reread it after writing so I apologize if I sound insane). Again if you need anything else my inbox is always open, I am always happy to help even if it's just sharing how I plan my studying and so on. Good luck with your studies and I hope you'll find a good balance between studying and taking time for yourself.

[mercerislandbooks]

50 Years of Island Books: Laurie Frankel

Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of four novels. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Publisher’s Weekly, People Magazine, Lit Hub, The Sydney Morning Herald, and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and been optioned for film and TV. A former college professor, she now writes full-time in Seattle, Washington where she lives with her family and makes good soup.

Miriam: Let's start with your first visit to Island Books. Where were you in your career then, and what stood out about the store?

Laurie: Which is also the answer to your question, I’m afraid. I can’t remember my first visit to IB which I actually think speaks to what a great bookstore it is: it feels like it’s always been there and always been a part of my world. Island Books is my favorite kind of bookstore which is to say big enough to have a wide selection, small enough that good, smart readers have culled and curated, with booksellers (said good, smart readers) who are warm and welcoming but also give you space to browse and get lost looking for what you want to read next, plus the children’s section of my (and my kid’s) dreams. I also adore a neighborhood bookstore, and IB is the best kind (since your neighborhood is an island). MI is the perfect size — big enough to have everything you need, close enough to get anywhere you need to go, but small enough to be a community — and it seems to me that Island Books mirrors that exactly.

Miriam: I agree with that description! That's nice that IB feels like it has always been a part of your world. Many of us feel that way. Let's get a little more personal now. Your Instagram is visual ecstasy for a soup lover. If you were making a soup to bring to one of Island Books' Cookbook Club meetings, what would it be? Are we comforting like chicken noodle soup? Good for your health like a carrot lentil? We accept recipes on this blog, fyi, in case you feel like sharing...

Laurie: I mean the good thing about carrot lentil soup is it’s also vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free…really whatever dietary restrictions your group has, lentil soup probably works around them. Also it’s super good for you. Mine has, in addition to lentils and carrots, piles and piles of kale. It’s my most-made soup by a mile, probably every other week at least in winter. All that said, it’s not very fancy, is it? So if I wanted to show off a little, I might do gumbo in the winter, gazpacho for summer.

And alas, I cook like I write: very by-the-seat-of-my-pants, no outlines, no recipes, lots of revisions/adding and adjusting till it sounds/tastes right.

Miriam: So you're a pantser. Well, what's that saying, "The way you do one thing is the way you do everything?" I'm thinking about your books now, mainly This is How it Always Is, which is a particular favorite of mine. Did you know how it would end when you began writing, or did that evolve as you wrote deeper into the story and the characters? That book felt well-structured, so I'm curious if you reverse-engineered it. How does a person become a good cook, anyway? (Asking for a friend, of course.)

Laurie: So first off, thank you much for your kind words about the books. They mean the world, truly.

Secondly, I think I’m not a pantser in all aspects of my life. I’m a planner when I travel, for example. I like to plan when I can. But I can’t when I’m writing (and, I suppose, needn’t when I’m cooking). If I could make an outline, I surely would. It would save a lot of time and lost words. I cut 250,000 words from This Is How It Always Is. If there had been a way to not write them in the first place, that definitely would have been the cheaper way.

All of which is to say, yes I reverse-engineered that book (and all my books). Or maybe less reverse-engineered and more looped. I wrote from the beginning to the end of that book a few hundred times, each time tweaking and improving by teeny bits then going back and fixing what those teeny tweaks broke, again and again and again until it worked. So it gets well structured by cutting away everything that’s not working and going back and planting what’s missing and then connecting up what’s left. I love it, but it’s not a process I would describe as linear.

Miriam: That's fascinating and an excellent process to think about in this space, as we explore how an indie bookstore comes to be, evolves, and endures. The entire literary community is constantly tweaking and improving little by little, all of us in our individual and communal ways. The bookstore is just an amplification of all the minds like yours contributing to the discourse.

Speaking of contributing, I understand you have a new novel coming in 2024. Would you tell us about it before signing off?

Laurie: Yes! Thank you for asking. The new book is called Family Family. Out 1/23/24. It’s about adoption—many different kinds of adoption, in fact—and Broadway and Hollywood and a movie star and a bunch of totally unrelated but actually sort of related kids and how a dream job is still a job and how large, strange, sprawling, non-traditional families are also after all just families. I hope everyone in the whole world will love it!

Miriam: It sounds wonderful and we are looking forward to sharing it with the world. Thanks so much for your time and thoughtfulness, Laurie. Come visit us soon!

To our store community, the next edition of 50 Years of Island Books is a double dose! I'll have Rachel Linden (Recipe for a Charmed Life is coming in 2024) share a special recipe that I've unofficially named "Rachel-Linden's-Take-a-Trip-to-Island-Books-Luscious-Lemon-Bars," and Martha Brockenbrough (her next nonfiction book for teens, Future Tense, will also hit shelves in 2024). As a Bellevue native, Martha says she has no memories of life without Island Books.

—Miriam

[peachyteabuck]

please explain your planner system!!! i’m in desperate need of getting my college life together

i would be HONORED to explain my planner system

a disclaimer: this is what works for me. there are tons of other options out there, but this is what i've found is the easiest to keep up with. admitting what doesn't work is more important than forcing something to work.

the ~planner system~:

google calendar: this is the most important one, and is what i treat as my "bible" for what i need to be doing and when. pd? in the gcal. meeting up with friends? in the gcal. due date? in the gcal. the key thing is, everything in my life has its own calendar that has its own specific color.

so job A has a specific color, my tutoring job has a specific color, my competitions have a specific color, etc. not only does this make seeing what my day/week looks like super easy, but it makes it easier to assign things certain colors when they're added.

for example, i'm part of a union which gives me access to professional development sessions. when i RSVP'd, i immediately put them into my calendar and assigned them to my union calendar.

my partner and i also share our respective master calendars, which makes it easy to know where they are, when they'll be home, etc. so i can plan dates ahead of time and merely propose going on the date, instead of asking them what days they're free.

daily planner: i technically have two, one that i use for bujo spreads and one i use for daily to do lists that are less aesthetic-y. this is usually where i plan my day the night before and break it up based on what needs to be done and where (e.g. i cannot prep my lunch for the next day while at school, i have to be home). it's also where i put anything that needs to be done, and i mean EVERYTHING. even if it's asking someone a question or just sending an email.

this is also helpful if i'm coworking with a friend that day, so im not doing things somewhere else that could be done at a different time. i try not to treat myself like a capitalist, but i do want to make sure i'm doing things efficiently enough that i'm not overwhelmed at the end of the day.

weekly planner: where i sketch out more in depth what needs to be done on what week, such as due dates, teaching, following up on emails, packages, etc. my weekly planner also has a habit tracker, so i add on 6 additional, week-specific goals that are different from my monthly habit tracker.

monthly habit tracker: the man, the myth, the legend. has about 20 habits i want to do every day, habits i want to do weekly, and monthly goals. i fill in the dots of what i do in one color, and the days i don't do those habits in black. especially helpful for my bad, sad brain that likes to beat me up if i feel like i'm not doing "enough" of the things i want to do. the habits range from meds i take every day (or every other day), to things i do do relax, to my study habits, to cleaning.

there's more to my strategy but this is the planner aspect!!

[d0ll-partz]

Final Reflection

I had a really hard time deciding which song I wanted to sing for this assignment, but I ultimately settled on Celebrity Skin by Hole because I think it plays to quite a few of my strengths. It allowed me the freedom to experiment with the performance aspect and add some of my own flair to the track. It also sits in quite a comfortable place in my vocal range, it’s on the lower end with Courtney Love also being an alto. It also has some moments that have a real grit and raspiness to them that I really love. I was responsible for planning the rehearsals and booking the rehearsal spaces, which I think I was pretty successful at as there were only one or two mix-ups with times. I sang the vocals and mixed/edited the studio recording with some guidance from the lovely Stu Brewer in one of the mac suite sessions and from my fellow waterbear student/boyfriend because I really struggled with the production aspect of the project. I also helped out my fellow waterbear student/boyfriend with his project that I sang lead vocals and wrote the lyrics for. We originally wrote it in college a few years ago and haven’t really touched it since. We changed it around a little after having a very productive writing session with Kieron Pepper. He helped me figure out why the existing chorus didn’t sound right in my head and it was due to the phrasing of the lyrics. We also decided to add a new section to act as a chorus as the existing one sounded too much like a pre-chorus.

I think my live performance went really well and I always really enjoy the performance aspect of projects, it's where my passion for music really lies. I think I conveyed the exact amount of instability and anger that I wanted to in my facial expressions and the way I moved my body, as it was written as a very angry song, poking fun at the Hollywood sphere that Courtney Love had been thrust into. Ideally I would’ve had a little more space to move/thrash around but that’s just me being picky. I incorporated some hand movements that I’ve watched Courtney Love do in the live versions of the song that I found, like the way she places her hands under her chin when she sings the line “oh look at my face,” as I thought it was very camp and cute. I didn’t take much else from her aside from fashion/makeup inspiration as her range of movement is limited by her guitar, a problem I do not have, so I mostly just followed my own interpretation of how I think it should be performed. 

One thing I need to improve is my planning throughout. It definitely could’ve been better as my organizational skills are severely lacking and I need to be more consistent with how when I get things done, instead of doing nothing and then lots and lots of work in one big burst, I need to start actually sticking to the times I set aside to get things done, i made a weekly planner but I never ended up following the schedule that I made for myself. I am aware of this fact about myself so I always start out with the best intentions and make a game plan but usually around the second week I start to forget things and fall behind, so I need to start setting actual alarms/reminders for when it’s time to get on with a task and hold myself accountable when I fail to do so. I also think my knowledge about production has come a long way, I now understand how to use corrective EQ, how different microphones can be used for different things, and how to add reverb, but it isn’t even nearly as extensive as what it should be by now because I become increasingly nervous around things that I don’t understand and instead of asking for help I like to make myself suffer in silence! I think this is because of some unresolved stuff left over from going to a grammar school. I genuinely need to sit down over the break and rewatch all the content and write down the parts I didn’t really understand and take it to one of the production tutors to help me fill in the gaps in my knowledge. I also ran out of time to record the bass line so the mix sounds quite empty, Stu helped me and explained how to use a spreader to make the sound wider but the lack of bass really sticks out and annoys me, if I could do it again I’d make sure I had allocated enough time to get Rei or Toby in to record the bass line for me. I showed a few of my peers my final mix and the video of my live performance and they all gave me pretty positive feedback, only one person noticed the lack of bass in the studio recording and I got quite a few compliments on my stylistic choices. Overall I think this project went pretty well, I would definitely improve my organisation in every aspect and spend some more time understanding production but I’m pretty happy with the end results.

[ciaossu-imagines]

First of all, I would like to say how sorry I am about the fire. No one deserves to experience the fear and other emotions that you undoubtedly went through on hearing about it and I’m happy to hear that you’re family is safe. I hope everything turns out alright in the end and that you can still see them at some point.

If you’re not in the mood for hearing another vent, I’m sorry and you can ignore it until you’re doing better. I just returned from an appointment with the therapist and we talked about all kinds of stuff, including the fact that I’ll be going on holiday won’t be seeing my brother. Afterwards, when my mum came to pick me up my therapist said something along the lines of “Enjoy your trip” and my mum thanked her. Outside, my mum asked me whether I had told her about the trip and I was like “Yeah. And the lack of [my brother’s name].” And you want to know what my mum’s response was? Because I wish I hadn’t said anything with how absolutely rude it was. She just said, “Cheek,” like he was doing something absolutely wrong. I said that he was busy and she said, “Yeah. Hopefully that and that he’s not choosing not to come see us.” I’m definitely paraphrasing that sentence but my terrible memory and feelings are making it difficult to remember her exact words but honestly I wouldn’t blame him if he was. He’s always so considerate and is up for the weekly calls even though my parents sometimes nag him about all kinds of things. Sometimes it is justified because he’s not always the best planner but I also know that he is someone to think about things properly so he needs more time than others for certain things. He deserves so much better and I wish I could stand up for him more and that my parents saw him for who he is and wouldn’t complain about him as often as they do.

First off, thank you for your concern. My family is doing okay. There was some property damage but nothing they can't recup from, thank God!! I've been doing a lot of face calls with them, just trying to see them that way.

Secondly, you, and any of my lovely other readers, can always pop into my ask box with vents!!! It never bothers me. I am so, so sorry to hear you went through that and I can see how your mother's comment would bother you so much. I love how protective of your brother you are and I know how much you tried to stand up for him, despite disliking conflict, and bravo to you for doing that. It's a scary thing to do and took bravery.

On one hand, I definitely disagree with how your mother handled this, as she definitely put it off onto you and I really disagree with parents putting their children in the middle of any conflicts or hard feelings.

On the other, I do have to wonder if your mother wasn't simply talking out of a place of both anger and her own fear that maybe your brother didn't want to see them or have anything to do with them. It sounds strange, but it is a common feeling that some parents have when their children leave home and they find themselves having to adjust to their children having lives outside of the parents' home. It's quite possible your mother is just badly coping with that, especially if she's someone who doesn't know how to express her emotions well, but again, that does not excuse her dumping it on you by any means.

[biographygen]

How to grow Flipboard followers in 2024

Discover effective strategies how to grow Flipboard followers in 2024 enhance your content and engagement to build a thriving community on the platform.

Everyone desires more followers. How can I get more people to see my Flipboard Magazines? is a frequently asked question. In actuality, there are numerous answers rather than just one. And one of them is making sure that people find your magazines on search engines, a process known as "search engine optimization, or "SEO. Yes, search engines index your Flipboard Magazines, just like they do with nearly all online content. Do the following to reach as many people as possible with your magazines:

6 Tips How to grow Flipboard followers in 2024:

1. Follow People

Although it may seem somewhat obvious, Janette suggests following people as the first step in increasing your Flipboard following. Janette specifically searches for users who have at least two magazines in their account and a complete bio with a photo. Try to stick to a weekly target, but start out slowly. By searching for #MagsWeLove or #FlipboardFriday on Twitter, or by observing who is flipping intriguing items in the topics you follow, you can find interesting people. Make sure to spend some time flipping through or liking some of the photos or articles shared by your new connection. In addition to being kind, it's a smart way to let them know you might be someone they'd like to connect with in turn. 2. Choose a catchy name for your magazine.

What does a name mean? Many, at least in terms of SEO. Since a magazine's title is its most noticeable keyword, make sure it speaks to your theme without being overly general. For example, consider "Best American Travel Guides" instead of "Travel." While the second one is a little generic and will have to contend with innumerable other magazines of the same name, the first one is specific, increases discoverability, and still uses the word travel. Use one of several tools, such as Wordstream or Google Keyword Planner, to find a good focus keyword related to your topic. 3. Explain your magazine. Having an excellent description is another way to make your magazine discoverable. Use your description to more clearly explain what your magazine is specifically about if your title is too general. For example, if your magazine is titled Film Photography, use the description to help make it more specific. Is it about film development, medium format, or 35mm photography? Readers are intrigued by your title; pique their interest even more with a compelling description. The title of your magazine is a crucial keyword, so don't forget to include it in the description. This lets search engines know that your magazine is authentic. 4. Create a magazine that people want to read. Curating an original, motivational magazine is something you're (ideally) already doing. The likelihood that your magazine will rank highly in search engine results increases with the amount of high-quality content you flip each day. You may want to add pertinent articles from other professionals in your field to your own work if you are also a blogger or other content creator. By doing this, you can avoid coming across as overly self-promotional while also expanding your knowledge and offering your readers something of value. 5. Write a blog post about your magazine. Take ownership of your subject. By discussing your magazines on your blog, you're raising the possibility that people will view you as a reliable, worthwhile source of information about your chosen subject. By showcasing your magazines on your blog, you provide readers with context in addition to additional content to read. 6. Accept the Remarks If you’ve got something to say, don’t hesitate to comment (within reason) by leaving comments in magazines or articles that appear in your Cover Stories, you’re effectively promoting traffic to your own magazine, all of which helps for SEO. Naturally, avoid spam and make sure your comments are intelligent and helpful. A magazine is your window into the world make it visible and memorable. Read the full article

[saamnangg]

Week 7: Midterm reflection and project plan

I proposed a study into understanding third places, to find and extract the values and tenants that make a well-functioning, thriving third place. Then, with the aforementioned values attempt to cultivate them in an underutilized third place such as Ryder 320 through a series of experiments, surveys/interviews, and participatory design/codesigning. 

Colleagues responded with intrigue, a lot of thoughtful and useful commentary/advice, and insights into potential areas of study for precedent cases or value extraction. From the critique, I learned that it’s better to just hear out everyone’s ideas instead of attempting to explain every point that I didn’t get to discuss in my short seven minute presentation. Additionally, there will always be people out there that don’t understand the direction of where I’m going with my project and that it’s okay to listen to them and then proceed with the project anyways. Although, I will admit, with the questions asked that seem irrelevant, they help to further my confidence in what I want to and further narrow down the scope and intent of my work/project. 

Next steps are to continue to clearly define the project so anything in terms of audience, research questions, etc. are easily answerable and clear-cut. Moving ahead with projects and experiments as of this week. No longer dragging my feet on starting projects because I was feeling lost and not confident about the direction of my project. 

Specific objectives that will be achieved this semester will include: implementation of a weekly coffee, tea, snack session during lunch hours (11:30AM-1:30PM), surveying population to determine the “ground truth” usage and frequency of usage of 320, and interviews with students and faculty from XD/IDDV about 320. 

Schedule

10/28 - Creation of poster and first run of coffee event, creation of survey, rollout of surveys to determine “ground truth”, brainstorming other events (MFA days, bars, game nights), create proposal to submit for funding to A+D department, weekly visits to precedent cases chosen for study, BPL, Trident, etc. 

11/4 - Creation of another event, run it during same week, codesign with tape and hypothetical scenarios of usage for 320, submission of proposal for funding to A+D department, continuing precedent cases studies

11/11 - Informal interviews with people about how they use 320, how often, what they dislike about 320, and how they envision future usage of 320, or what they would like implemented into 320, continuing precedent case studies, Continuing with another weekly event asides from coffee

11/18 - Introduce some sleeping cots and extract data from the people that use it , analysis of collected data so far, another one-off weekly event

11/25 - Another weekly event, undetermined 

12/2 undetermined

Will need funding in order to arrange for purchase of tea, coffee, snacks for weekly coffee events in the graduate studio. Funding attempt through applying for A+D proposal, and using my own funds if necessary. Time will be a huge resource that I’ll need to manage as a lot of my time will be used to go into the field and do observational studies, make time for interviews, be on top of survey outreach and form stuff. Will need support from those in charge of XD and IDDV programs to gather data about the number of students in XD and IDDV, potentially contact alumni. Will be managed by reaching out to heads of XD/IDDV Kristian and Sheila, and contacting Rian the graduate coordinator. 

Potential obstacles to realizing the project is lack of time management. If I don’t manage my time correctly especially knowing that I have ADHD and struggle with structured timelines, etc. the project will potentially go sideways. Working with my doctor and therapist to stay grounded and have mechanisms to keep myself balanced with time. Also heavily relying on my planner to keep things aligned on the time table. Another obstacle could be the lack of engagement or answers from the community I intend to work with. However, since I am a part of the community that I’m also working with I can just find the people easily and ask them to do x, y, or z when they have the time. Friendly reminders. I have the ability to constantly engage with other people that are in my study’s population.