#frugal freelancer

[sararimble]

Guest Blogger - A Visit from Michelle Paris

Today, I have the pleasure of sharing my virtual space with a fellow author and incredible storyteller, Michelle Paris. I connected with Michelle through Lola’s Blog Tours. I’m participating in a blog tour through Lola’s Blog Tours for Michelle’s new book release, Eat Dessert First. I reviewed Eat Dessert First on my other site, Frugal Freelancer. Be sure you go there to check it out and see…

[battleangel]

Trumpian Individualism & The Myth of Capitalism

Reject the lie of the axiomatic individual that our capitalist society constantly endlessly pushes.

That youre only worth something if you can support yourself.

Collectivism is for pussies.

Get yours.

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

Its every man for himself.

Survival of the fittest.

Dog eat dog.

Baptism by fire.

Stand on your head.

Put the fire hose in their mouth and turn it on all the way.

All the other cliched, heartless tripe fucked down our throats our entire lives endlessly reinforced by K-12 school system, the feeder system for corporate that is college, the hallowed halls of the corporate America 9 to 5 machine, the coveted Fortune 500, the prestigious Fortune 100, the elite Fortune 25, the "you've made it" immediate clout of big tech, the "dream job" at Disney, Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, PwC, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Merril Lynch. Wall Street, investment banking, financial services, big tech, big banks. Silicon Valley, Paypal, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Jamie Dimon.

All bullshit, all toxic, all untrue, all empire building, all to prop up capitalist America, all Trumpian, all Michael Douglas in Wall Street, all Jordan Belfort, all Wolf of Wall Street, all Art of the Deal, all my way or the highway, all I got mine, all double or nothing, all lets make a deal, all get a job, all shes nothing but a welfare queen, all they dont want to work, all you are the weakest link goodbye, all you're fired!, all soy boy pajama boy, all thats your ass, all quit your whining and quit your complaining, all be all that you can be, all Dow Jones Index, all we're number 1, all profit, all revenue, all derivatives, all gains, all investments, all stocks, all portfolios, all property flipping, all Robert Kiyosaki, all Rich Dad Poor Dad.

All the drizzling absolute motherfucking shits.

Reject the societal conditioning, endless brainwashing, non stop reinforcing and grooming.

Reject individualism and embrace collectivisim:

🤲🏽Consider living in a co-op (cooperative housing) instead of an apartment, condominium or house. In a housing co-op, the residents collectively own the building or land in which they live, not the independent units. Instead of paying rent to a middleman, or having individual mortgages and condo fees, co-op monthly payments contribute to the collective property expenses. Co-ops operate on an at-cost basis, often making them more affordable and typically more financially stable.

🤲🏽Consider coliving. Coliving is a modern form of shared housing. Essentially, residents live in a communal space that’s often pre-furnished and shared with a number of other individuals. Coliving communities can accommodate anywhere from 15-100 individuals at a time.

🤲🏽Start your own mini-socialism experimental group where all participants (friends, relatives, significant others, co-workers, neighbors, classmates) pool their money together into a combined account to be used for unexpected layoffs, firings, medical emergencies, unexpected financial burdens, loss of income, disability, severe health issues, etc. within the group.

🤲🏽Reject the endlessly pushed notion of one salaried or hourly job providing all of your income.

🤲🏽Look to diversify your income through multiple income streams:

🤑W-2/1040 (traditional 9 to 5 - consider working part-time)

🤑1099 (freelance/entrepreneur/consulting)

🤑W-9 (business owner paid by client as a vendor vs an individual employee), etc.

🤲🏽Consider decoupling health insurance from what you do to generate income aka "your job".

🤲🏽Consider catastrophic coverage (not for individuals with pre-existing conditions, on maintenance medication or those who are parents) like CYA.com (coveryourass.com). Its about $25 a month for catastrophic coverage that will pay out up to $100k for a catastrophic illness, accident or hospitalization.

🤲🏽This could possibly free you up to pursue non-traditional employment options while not bankrupting yourself if you are freelancing or own your own business and are uninsured if you get into a serious accident, have a heart attack, etc.

🤲🏽Limit purchases. Use a want vs need decision matrix. Pause all wants and wait either for a holiday or special occasion or dont buy and have a cash limit ($50 to $100 per item). For wants, come up with alternatives to spending cash (borrow, rent, make it yourself, challenge consumerist mindset of mindless overconsumption). Write down needs and budget accordingly.

🤲🏽Dont go on annual vacations. It makes no sense to spend thousands on a week or two. Instead of "annual summer vacations for one or two weeks", consider staycations, local amusement parks, laser tag, arcades, state parks, hiking, nature trails, day camping, local road trips, state fairs, museums, carnivals, rollerskating rinks, farms, sip n paint, pottery class, candle making, salsa classes, hula hooping, etc.

🤲🏽Never buy a new car as they depreciate 28% in value the moment you purchase it and drive it off the lot. Buy used cars only if you absolutely need a car. Alternatives to owning a used car are riding the bus and/or train, ridesharing (Uber & Lyft), carpooling with a licensed driver with a car, owning or renting a bike or scooter, rollerblading, walking.

🤲🏽Attempt to live as frugally, ecoconsciously and minimalistically as feasibly possible. Do not own a credit card or take out loans. Dont buy a house and avoid personal debt as much as possible. Dont buy a car if you can avoid it, if you cant, buy a used car 10 to 15 years old for $3k or less. Live in a cheap 1 bedroom apartment (~$1k or less) if at all possible.

🤲🏽Avoid paying in installments for online purchases (Klarna, AfterPay, etc.) as it breaks purchases into smaller payments which encourages mindless spending and pushes you to spend more since its spread out over time.

🤲🏽Do not order delivery or takeout (doordash, grubhub, ubereats) more than a few times a year. Avoid eating at sit-down restaurants. Eating out, delivery and takeout, especially adding delivery fees and taxes, literally wastes thousands of dollars a year. Buy a slowcooker and/or airfryer and make simple meals yourself.

🤲🏽Eat vegetarian 80% of the time (5 days a week). Make homemade salads and salad dressing and homemade fruit & vegetable smoothies. Make cooked quinoa with hot sauce and you can also add avocado and/or veggies. Eliminate all processed and prepackaged snacks (Oreos, Lays, Pringles, Pop Tarts, Chips Ahoy, Doritos, Cheetos, Ritz, etc.) and replace with nuts, yogurt, fruits and veggies. Eliminate boxed cereals and replace with oatmeal with flaxseeds. Reduce or eliminate alcohol, juice, soda & coffee and replace with water and herbal tea. Take a break on the weekend and eat and drink whatever. This way you are eating healthy in a way that nourishes your body the majority of the team. This will eliminate bloating, reduce your weight, leave you slimmer and toned as you are removing most processed foods, caffeine, sugar, additives, chemicals, toxins, preservatives, fat, sodium, gluten and artificial flavors from the majority of your diet. Your digestion and health will improve and you will feel lighter, less sluggish, less heavy, have more energy and avoid sugar highs and rushes as well as caffeine jitters and crashes. Fresh vegetables & fruit are also much cheaper than meat so you will alsp save money eating vegetarian 80% of the time.

🤲🏽Avoid buying new clothes.

🤲🏽Repurpose outfits (mix & match, layering, accessorize).

🤲🏽Buy clothes from online thrift shops (depop, Poshmark, etc.), in-person thrift shops, consignment stores & individual Etsy shops.

🤲🏽Avoid buying clothes from fast fashion apps (SHEIN, Fashion Nova, etc.), malls (Forever 21, H&M, Macys, etc.) and big box retail (Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kohls, etc.).

🤲🏽Most of my daily outfits are from my high school years (25 years ago) -- check my TikTok (@y2kbadbhabie), they still look brand new. Say no to constant clothes consumption. Stop filling landfills with your clothing deals.

🤲🏽Avoid four year colleges and universities as they are a debt trap.

🤲🏽Consider alternatives to traditional college:

🤲🏽Online coding academies

🤲🏽Rwo year community colleges

🤲🏽Trade and vocational schools

🤲🏽Paid apprenticeships

🤲🏽Online content creation

🤲🏽Starting a business

🤲🏽Coaching

🤲🏽Consulting

🤲🏽Sales

🤲🏽Consider creative careers:

🤲🏽Singing

🤲🏽Dancing

🤲🏽Acting

🤲🏽Writing

🤲🏽Playing instruments

🤲🏽Modelling

🤲🏽Painting

🤲🏽Drawing

🤲🏽Directing

🤲🏽Producing

🤲🏽Visual effects

🤲🏽Game design

🤲🏽Videogame coding

🤲🏽Theater

🤲🏽Comic book artists & writers

🤲🏽Cartoon artists & writers

🤲🏽Screenplay & scriptwriters

🤲🏽Tattoo artists

🤲🏽Body piercers

🤲🏽Aerialists

🤲🏽Pole dancing

🤲🏽Magicians

🤲🏽Burlesque dancing

🤲🏽Trapeze artists

🤲🏽Firebreathing

🤲🏽Makeup artistry

🤲🏽Hair stylist

🤲🏽Masseuse

🤲🏽Aesthetician

🤲🏽Nail technician

🤲🏽Vlogger

🤲🏽Streamer

🤲🏽Influencer

🤲🏽ASMRtist

🤲🏽Mukbang creator

🤲🏽Stand up comedian

🤲🏽Online comedian

🤲🏽Consider freelancing online:

🤲🏽Data entry

🤲🏽Virtual assistant

🤲🏽Online business manager

🤲🏽Transcriptionist

🤲🏽Content writer

🤲🏽Technical writer

🤲🏽Copywriter

🤲🏽Ghostwriter

🤲🏽Appointment setter

🤲🏽Cold calling

🤲🏽Lead generation

🤲🏽Technical support

🤲🏽Online researcher

🤲🏽Graphic design

🤲🏽Web design

🤲🏽Creative writing

🤲🏽Editing

🤲🏽Community management

🤲🏽Social media marketing

🤲🏽Social media management

🤲🏽Online tutoring

🤲🏽Translation

🤲🏽Best online freelance websites are Upwork, PeoplePerHour, Fiverr, Freelancer.com.

🤲🏽Consider in-person freelancing:

🤲🏽TaskRabbit.com (dry cleaning, moving, etc.)

🤲🏽Gigworker.com (rideshares, deliveries, caretaking, etc.)

🤲🏽Ridesharing (Uber & Lyft)

🤲🏽Delivery driving (Doordash, Grubhub, Ubereats, Postmates & Instacart)

🤲🏽Consider entrepreneurial businesses:

🤲🏽Wigs

🤲🏽Faux eyelashes

🤲🏽Acrylic nail designs

🤲🏽Makeup

🤲🏽Baked goods

🤲🏽Catering

🤲🏽Clothes designer

🤲🏽Tshirt printing

🤲🏽Drinks

🤲🏽Herbalist

🤲🏽Cannabis

🤲🏽CBD

🤲🏽Shoes

🤲🏽Bathing suits

🤲🏽Lingerie

🤲🏽Sex toys

🤲🏽Candles

🤲🏽Coffee

🤲🏽Tea

🤲🏽Hot chocolate

🤲🏽Beer

🤲🏽Candy

🤲🏽Jewelry

🤲🏽Cosplay & costumes

🤲🏽Decorating

🤲🏽Party planning

🤲🏽Nightclub owner

🤲🏽Party business

🤲🏽Photography

🤲🏽Trip planning

🤲🏽Real estate agent

🤲🏽Real estate investments

🤲🏽Resume writing

🤲🏽Virtual assistant

🤲🏽Recruiting

🤲🏽Consider coaching:

🤲🏽Twerking

🤲🏽Sensuality

🤲🏽Intimacy

🤲🏽Sex

🤲🏽Life

🤲🏽Dating

🤲🏽Relationship

🤲🏽Confidence

🤲🏽Public speaking

🤲🏽Image & style

🤲🏽Fitness

🤲🏽Nutrition

🤲🏽Spirituality

🤲🏽Wellness

🤲🏽Finance

🤲🏽Budgeting

🤲🏽Careers

🤲🏽Writing & publishing

🤲🏽Cooking

🤲🏽Business (entrepreneurs)

🤲🏽Social media & content creation

🤲🏽Parenting

🤲🏽Music

🤲🏽Singing

🤲🏽Vocal

🤲🏽Dancing

🤲🏽Cheerleading

🤲🏽Wrestling

🤲🏽Beauty pageants

🤲🏽Modelling

🤲🏽Acting

🤲🏽Stripping

🤲🏽Pole dancing

🤲🏽Aerialism

🤲🏽Hula hooping

🤲🏽Belly dancing

🤲🏽Yoga

🤲🏽Pilates

🤲🏽Tarot cards

🤲🏽Astrology

🤲🏽Reiki

🤲🏽Shadow work

🤲🏽Somatic work

🤲🏽Solo travel

🤲🏽Sabbaticals

🤲🏽Divination

🤲🏽Palmistry

🤲🏽Psychic readings

🤲🏽Consider side hustles:

🤲🏽Carvertise or Wrapify (use your car as a billboard by wrapping ad around it

🤲🏽Create a video course & sell it on Udemy, Coursera, Teachable)

🤲🏽Create an e-book & sell it on Gumroad & Kindle

🤲🏽Self-publish a book & sell it on Amazon 🤲🏽Become a paid public speaker on Badassery

🤲🏽Sell handmade items & sell online on Etsy

🤲🏽Design & sell t-shirts on Redbubble rent your car out to people on Getaround.

[bitchesgetriches]

{ MASTERPOST } Everything You Need to Know about Self-Care

Take care of your body

Why You Should Take a Break: The Importance of Rest and Relaxation

I Think I Need to Go the Emergency Room?

Run With Me if You Want to Save: How Exercising Will Save You Money

Your Yearly Free Medical Care Checklist

Ask the Bitches: Ugh, How Do I Build the Habit of Taking Meds?

Blood Money: Menstrual Products for Surviving Your Period While Poor

On Pulling Weeds and Fighting Back: How (and Why) to Protect Abortion Rights

Ask the Bitches: How Can I Survive in an Apartment with No Heat?

The Expensive Difference Between Recreation and Recovery 

Take care of your mind

Our Master List of 100% Free Mental Health Self-Care Tactics

How Mental Health Affects Your Finances

Ask the Bitches: “How Do I Protect My Own Mental Health While Still Helping Others?”

Kurt Vonnegut’s Galapagos and Your Big Brain

Everything Is Stressful and I’m Dying: How to Survive a Panic Attack

Stop Recommending Therapy Like It’s a Magic Bean That’ll Grow Me a Beanstalk to Neurotypicaltown

Making Decisions Under Stress: The Siren Song of Chocolate Cake

Ask the Bitches: I Know How to Struggle and Fight, but I Don’t Know How to Succeed

Update: I Know How to Struggle and Fight, but I Don’t Know How to Succeed

Ask the Bitches: How Can I Absolve Myself of Financial Guilt Over My Pricey PS4?

The Frugal Introvert’s Guide to the Weekend

Take care of your time

Stop Measuring Your Time in Beyoncé Hours

Help! I’m Procrastinating and I Can’t Get Up!

You Won’t Regret Your Frugal 20s

Actually, Fuck Big Goals

How to Insulate Yourself From Advertisements

I’ve Succeeded at Every New Year’s Resolution I’ve Ever Made. Here’s How.

Romanticizing the Side Hustle: When 1 Job Isn’t Enough

8 Free Time Management Systems To Try in the New Year

My 25 Secrets to Successfully Working from Home with ADHD 

I Am So Over Productivity Porn 

Take care of your career

High School Students Have No Way of Knowing What Career to Choose. Why Do We Make Them Do It Anyway?

The Actually Helpful, Nuanced, Non-Bullshit Way to Choose a Future Career

Woke at Work: How to Inject Your Values into Your Boring, Lame-Ass Job

Are You Working on the Next Fyre Festival?: Identifying a Toxic Workplace

My Secret Weapon for Preparing for Awkward Boss Confrontations

Freelancer, Protect Thyself… With a Fair Contract

I Hate My Job and I Don’t Know How To Leave It: A Confession

A New Job, a New Day, a New Life, and I’m Feeling Good

Season 1, Episode 9: “I’ve Given up on My Dream Career. Where Do I Go From Here?”

How Abusive Workplaces Mirror Abusive Relationships 

Take care of your space

How to Successfully Work from Home Without Losing Your Goddamn Mind (Or Your Job)

Leaving Home before 18: A Practical Guide for Cast-Offs, Runaways, and Everybody in Between

Ask the Bitches: I Want to Move Out, but I Can’t Afford It. How Bad Would It Be to Take out Student Loans to Cover It?

How To Maintain Your Car When You’re Barely Driving It

Take care of your people

How Dafuq Do Couples Share Their Money?

Ask the Bitches: “How Do I Protect My Own Mental Health While Still Helping Others?”

How Can I Tame My Family’s Crazy Gift-Giving Expectations?

Ask the Bitches: I Was Guilted Into Caring for a Sick, Abusive Parent. Now What?

Love in the Time of Coronavirus: How to Protect Your Community and Your Soul from COVID-19

Be Somebody’s Eliza with a Simple Yet Life-Changing Act of Kindness 

The Ultimate Guide to Helping a Sick Friend 

Learning To Reverse the Golden Rule

I Have Become the Rich Relative I Always Wanted  

Take care of your financial well-being

Ask the Bitches: How Can I Make Myself Financially Secure Before Age 30?

How to Save for Retirement When You Make Less Than $30,000 a Year

Ask the Bitches: Is It Too Late to Get My Financial Shit Together?

Slay Your Financial Vampires

Should Artists Ever Work for Free?

Don’t Spend Money on Shit You Don’t Like, Fool

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Financial Math

Share My Horror at the World’s Worst Debt Visualization

Stop Undervaluing Your Freelance Work, You Darling Fool

A (Somewhat) Comprehensive List of Fun Job Perks that Won’t Pay Your Rent

We will periodically update this list with newer articles. And by “periodically” I mean “when we remember that it’s something we forgot to do for four months.”

Bitches Get Riches: setting realistic expectations since 2017!

Join the Bitches on Patreon

[galoogamelady]

What was it like first getting into freelance art as a career? Do you have any tips/tricks/advice for people who are looking to pursue this particular field in the near future (aka me...................)?

This might be depressing to hear but my personal and short advice is: don't expect to live off of it. Certainly not in the US. I moved to this country because my husband lived here and thankfully he is able to support both of us with his (not art related) full time job. If it wasn't for him, I don't think I could stay afloat in the US from my current freelancing. I could make due back in Hungary where I'm originally from, but I'm not quite sure how people over here do this all on their own without any sort of support or at least a 50-50 with a partner, friend or family. Again, I'm sorry if this is disappointing but I also don't want to lie and make it look like I'm some bigshot bringing in mad cashmoney by doing whatever I want. Most of the things we have are possible because my husband is a hard worker and we're fairly frugal and conservative with our spending.

I assume those who live off of freelance by themselves work way harder than I do and sacrifice a lot of their personal lives and health to being able to do so. I think it would be smart to ask people who have a more focused path, like animating for indie series, live off of their comic work or mainly illustrate books and covers. They probably have a much more solid advice and plan to follow.

[srarlight]

Just a little status update that mentions some medical stuff under the cut.

This gauntlet of sick dad and emergencies expenses is still ongoing since last year, but I’m happy to say the house is almost sold so they can have that money vs the bank taking it. Now they can settle into a RV or the likes. That’s a small blessing as my dad goes into his surgery today. Probably not going to have a foot when he comes out the other end but I really hope this signals the uptick in healing and not him just perpetually hurt and in the ER off and on forever. Been a wild one! Just felt like checking in again with this space since a lot of the folks who reached out to help by buying art came from tumblr. I’m nearing the end of the commission Que I took on to help off set the costs of the emergency but it all got done at a much slower rate then I liked but it’s been an interesting balancing act of making sure I take the time for thing important to me in this haze of- least you lose the ability to do so forever- vibe. And then also truth be told got a lot of grieving done in there for my folks and their situation which made focusing on art hard.

But I feel like in my bones they might finally catch a break even if they have to live without a proper home to get it. They’ll have shelter and it’ll be a frugal situation but it’s not one where my dad is forced to keep working while severely hurt just because if he stopped they’d immediately get steam rolled by debt and bills. He just got full disability which means he can finally drop 2 out of his three jobs. He’ll probably still do small time freelance stuff but I really just wanted him to not be an absurdly on point metaphor for the working class being grinded to dust despite doing everything right outside of not being born rich, having a human body, and having family with medical needs. It’s crazy how if I had my dads job as a young person with no kids and limited bills I’d be doing phenomenally well, but despite my dad grinding his way into a union electrician job- by the time he got it the family had already dealt with one to many surgeries and near death medical bills for it to help. It’s wild and I hate it. You do everything right and break your body for the companies and your still left with a missing foot and a life where your gonna move in with your elderly mom with your family until you can secure a RV. Bah I could go on forever upset about it but the long and short of it is that I want my parents to get the means to just sit on a porch of some kind and REST. Get a dang break. Maybe that’ll happen soon. Dad says they’ll visit me immediately once he’s better and the thought makes me very weepy in a good way. 🥹

At any rate I’m going to do my darnedest to finish my commission que and then get RGs update out the door which I’ve been chipping away at anyways for a for me mental break. Got like 20 pages sketched and postable if in the end I decide to not color them at all. We shall see I’m still excited for that project so I want to do some lighting at the very least but in the end if I need to post just to get the story out I will!

[brookston]

Holidays 3.14

Holidays

Celebrate Scientists Day

Cotton Gin Day

Crowdfunding Day

Day of Solidarity (Lebanon)

The Day That Krabs Fries (SpongeBob Squarepants)

Dietician’s Day (Canada)

Dita e Veres (Summer Day; Albania)

Dribble to Work Day

Emakeelepäev (Estonian Native Language Day; Estonia)

Equal Pay Day 2025 ( website ) 

Genius Day

Gold Record Day

Gyalpyo (a.k.a. Gyallo Loshar (Nepal)

Heroes Day (Saint Vincent and Grenadines)

Immortal Barzani Day (Iraq)

India Giving Day

International Ask A Question Day

International Day of Action for Rivers

International Day of Mathematics

International Social Prescribing Day

Legal Assistance Day

Legal Assistants Day

Logistics Innovation Day

Medicine Day (Turkey)

Mother Tongue Day (Estonia)

My Freedom Day

Nanakshahi New Year (Sikhism)

National Brotox Cosmetic Day

National Children's Craft Day

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence (Australia)

National Heroes Day (Saint Vincent and Grenadines)

National Landscape Day (Italy)

National Write Your Story Day

Native Language Day (Estonia)

Organize Your Home Office Day

Orthodox Book Day (Russia)

Pi Day

Professional Speakers Celebration Day

Prosecutor’s Office Employees Day (Tajikistan)

Science Education Day

Steak and BJ Day [ website ]

Ten Most Wanted Day

314 Day

University Mental Health Day (UK)

Vinterfestuka begins (Narvik Sun Pageant; Norway)

Volunteer Day (Ukraine)

White Day (China, Japan, Korea)

World Book Day

World Day of Endometriosis

World Imagination Day

World Sikh Environment Day

World Sleep Day

Zeppelin Day [also 7.1]

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bake a Pie Day (a.k.a. Bake a Pie in Solidarity Day)

National Potato Chip Day

National Reuben Sandwich Day

Nature Celebrations

Almond Day (Hopes and Desires; Korean Birth Flowers)

Bird Sanctuary Day

Daisy Day (French Republic)

Dog Theft Awareness Day (UK)

Learn About Butterflies Day

Moth-Er Day

National Dog Theft Awareness Day (UK)

Save a Spider Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Aebmark (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Constitution Day (Andorra)

Kingdom of Wellmoore (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Ghanian New Year’s celebration begins [thru 3.26]

2nd Friday in March

Arbor Day (New Mexico) [2nd Friday]

Comfort Food Friday [Every Friday]

Cookie Beer Day [2nd Friday]

Fish & Chips Friday [2nd Friday of Each Month]

Five For Friday [Every Friday]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Follow Friday [2nd Friday of Each Month]

Friday Finds [Every Friday]

Frugal Friday [2nd Friday of Each Month]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

International Grant Professionals Day [2nd Friday]

Middle Name Pride Day [Friday of Name Week]

National Freelancers Day [2nd Friday]

National Preschooler’s Day [2nd Friday]

National Pyjama Day (Belgium) [2nd Friday]

Solar Appreciation Day [2nd Friday]

SXSW Day (South by Southwest begins) [2nd Friday]

TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) [Every Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning March 14 (2nd Week of March)

National Money Collectors Week (thru 3.16)

Festivals On or Beginning March 14, 2025

Brew-Ha-Ha (Baraboo, Wisconsin)

Clewiston Sugar Festival (Clewiston, Florida) [thru 3.15]

Finnmarksløpet Sled Dog Race (Alta, Norway) [Begins Today]

Mortagne-au-Perche Boudin Festival (Normandy, France) [thru 3.16]

Open Season Sportsman’s Expo (Columbus, Ohio) [thru 3.16]

Ostrich Festival (Chandler, Arizona) [thru 3.16 & 3.21-23]

Rattlesnake Roundup (Sweetwater, Texas) [thru 3.16]

River Days & Craft Brew Hullabalo (Sebastian, Florida) [thru 3.16]

Starkbierzeit [Strong Beer Festival] (Munich, Germany) [thru 4.6]

St Urho Days (Menahga, Minnesota) [thru 3.15]

Winefest (Seattle, Washington)

WOMAD (New Plymouth, New Zealand) [thru 3.16]

Feast Days

Acepsimas, Bishop of Assyria (Christian; Saint)

Archimedes Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Boniface, Bishop of Ross, in Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Charlene the Chicken (Muppetism)

Day of Ua Kit (Ancient Egypt Serpent Goddess; Everyday Wicca)

The Diasia (Festival to Ward Off Poverty; Ancient Greece)

Equirria (Ancient Roman Chariot and Horse Race; 2nd of 2 / 1st one Feb. 27)

Eutychius (a.k.a. Eustathius; Christian; Martyr)

Feast of Hyperborea

Festival of Osiris, God of the Afterlife (Ancient Egypt; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Festival of Veturius Mamurius (Armor Makers; Ancient Rome)

Joseph and Aithilahas (Christian; Martyrs)

Leobinus (Christian; Saint)

Matilda of Ringelheim, Queen of Germany (a.k.a. Maud; Christian; Saint)

Media Hiems IV (Pagan)

Ogronios (The Time of Ice; Celtic Book of Days)

Pi Day (Pastafarian)

Summer Day (Pagan Albania)

Zeno (Positivist; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 2 (Ji-Mao), Day 15 (Ren-Wu)

Day Pillar: Water Horse

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Balance Day (平 Ping) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Diane Arbus (Photography)

Simone Biles (Sports)

Frank Borman (Science)

Les Brown (Music)

Michael Caine (Entertainment)

Gene Cernan (Science)

Pierre-Louis Couperin (Music)

Billy Crystal (Entertainment)

Stephen Curry (Sports)

Georges de La Tour (Art)

Albert Einstein (Science)

Meagan Follows (Entertainment)

Horton Foote (Literature)

Adolph Gottlieb (Art)

Peter Graves (Entertainment)

Ludwig Emil Grimm (Art)

Ferdinand Hodler (Art)

Casey Jones (Railroading)

Quincy Jones (Music)

Hank Ketcham (Art)

Thomas Malory (Literature)

Reginald Marsh (Art)

Norval Morrisseau (Art)

Walter Parazaider (Music)

Frederic Shields (Art)

Max Shulman (Literature)

Johann Strauss (Music)

George Telemann (Music)

Tad Williams (Literature)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Prime Number Day: 73 [21 of 72]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [13 of 37]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 12 of 60)

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [11 of 30]

Premieres

Allegiant (Film; 2016)

Bad Words (Film; 2014)

The Barn Dance (Ub Iwerks Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Bend it Like Beckham (Film; 2003)

Bird of Paradise (Film; 1951)

Body and Soul by Joe Jackson (Album; 1984)

The Bone of Contention (Paramount Magazine Cartoon; 1920)

A Boy Named Goo, by The Goo Goo Dolls (Album; 1995)

Bury the Dead, by Irwin Shaw (Broadway Play; 1936)

Cat-Tastrophy (Columbia Favorites Cartoon; 1957)

Chicken Hearted Wolf (Loopy De Loop Cartoon; 1963)

Col. Heeza Liar, Shipwrecked (Colonel Heeza Liar Cartoon; 1914)

Cops and Robbers (Barney Bear MGM Cartoon; 1953)

Country Mouse (Blue Ribbon Hit Parade; 1953)

The Cow’s Husband (Fleischer Talkartoon; 1931)

Doc Yak, Cartoonist (Old Doc Yak Cartoon; 1914)

Feed the Kitty (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1938)

The First Swallow (MGM Cartoons; 1942)

Freudy Cat (WB LT Cartoon; 1964)

Frighty Cat (Herman & Katnip Cartoon; 1958)

Get Ready, by Rare Earth (Song; 1970)

Gung Ho (Film; 1986)

Hair (Film; 1979)

Horton Hears.a Who! (Animated Film; 2008)

Hurry Doctor (Texaco Commercial Fleischer Cartoon; 1931)

It Happened to Crusoe (Fable Cartoon; 1941)

Joy to the World, by Three Dog Night (Song; 1971)

Jungle Bike Riders (Aesop’s Fit Fable Cartoon; 1925)

Laughing Gas (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog MGM Cartoon; 1931)

The Legend of Rockabye Point (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1955)

Lower the Boom (Sing and Be Happy / Cartoon Melodies; 1951)

Lunch with a Punch (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1952)

Mexican Baseball (Gandy Goose Terrytoons Cartoon; 1947)

The Mikado, by Gilbert & Sullivan (Comic Opera; 1879)

The New English Bible New Testament (Bible; 1961)

The Pacific (TV Mini-Series; 2010)

The Prisoner of Second Avenue (Film; 1975)

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (Film; 1958)

Sketchbook of Philadelphia (Vernon Howe Bailey’s Sketchbook Cartoon; 1916)

Stomach Trouble (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1927)

3 Feet High and Rising, by De La Soul (Album; 1989)

Tommy (Film; 1975)

A Trip to the Moon (Vincent Whitman Cartoon; 1914)

Twinkletoes Gets the Bird (Fleischer Animated Antics Cartoon; 1941)

Twist and Shout, by The Beatles (Song; 1964)

Under the Skin (Film; 2014)

Upswept Hare (WB MM Cartoon; 1953)

Veronica Mars (Film; 2014)

Waldorf Hotel (NYC Hotel; 1893)

What a Knight (Krazy Kat Cartoon; 1932)

Wins Out (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Witch Crafty (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1955)

Today’s Name Days

Eva, Evelyn, Mathilde (Austria)

Borislava, Borka, Matilda, Miljana (Croatia)

Matylda, Rút (Czech Republic)

Eutychius (Denmark)

Malde, Maldi, Matilde, Meta, Milda, Milde, Tilde (Estonia)

Malla, Matilda, Mette, Tilda (Finland)

Mathilde (France)

Eva, Evelyn, Mathilde (Germany)

Benedict, Efrasios, Mathilde (Greece)

Matild (Hungary)

Matilde, Valeriano (Italy)

Matilde, Tilda, Ulrika (Latvia)

Darmantas, Karigailė, Matilda (Lithuania)

Mathilde, Mette (Norway)

Bożeciecha, Jakub, Leon, Matylda, Mechtylda, Michał (Poland)

Benedict (Romania)

Antonina (Russia)

Matilda (Slovakia)

Matilde (Spain)

Matilda, Maud (Sweden)

Benedict, Rostyslav, Slavko (Ukrainę)

Adalbert, Albert, Alberto, Dalbert, Delbert, Elbert, Mathilda, Matilda, Maude, Tilda (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Johann Day

National Quincy Day

National Valerie Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 73 of 2025; 292 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 5 of Week 11 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 17 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ji-Mao), Day 15 (Ren-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 5 Baramhat 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Lime (Mar 11-20) [Day 4 of 10]

Hebrew: 14 Adar 5785

Islamic: 14 Ramadan 1446

Julian: 1 March 2025

Moon: 99%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 17 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Zeno]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 84 of 90)

SUn Calendar: 13 Green; Sixthday [13 of 30]

Week: 2nd Week of March

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 24 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aquarius (Day 30 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 21 of 27)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 3 of 38)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 3 of 38)

Calendar Changes

March (a.k.a. Martius; Julian Calendar) [Month 3 of 12]

[youredreamingofroo]

List 5 facts about a favorite sim of yours, and send this to simblrs whose sims you adore (we need more crumbs of roo frfr)

AAA FLO!!! thank youuu 😭😭🫶🫶

For you, I'll do my precious boy, Roo

1. Since Roo is Swedish in blood, and is slowly but surely learning Swedish as a language, He's wanted to implement it into (almost) everyday speech, so one of the most common ways he'll say "hello," is "Hej!" "Hej Hej!" and "Hallå!"

2. I may have mentioned this before, but I'll say it again; Roo sleeps like a corpse, it's strange and he's had studies done for this, however the results usually lead to He's fine and is just how he sleeps- For example, the human heart is supposed to lower to around 40-50 BPM when sleeping, his heart will go down to 20-30, and in rare cases (at least in what's been recorded) 15~ BPM- He also just goes completely limp when sleeping, which is, obviously, INCREDIBLY shocking to others who don't really know him well LMAO

3. So before I began really dwelling on who Roo was and was just kind of throwing ideas out there for his personality and hobbies/job, I made him sarcastic, incredibly observant, slightly unempathetic, and somehow very dense (despite being observant-), his hobby was fashion design and he did fashion designing as a freelance/part-time job

4. Contrary to popular belief (ig?), Roo takes VERY cold showers, whether morning or night, it's cold- That's not to say he won't take warm showers, cause he will, but he's just gotten accustomed to the chill of a cold shower, which may be a nod to his homelife as a child 👀 However, during winter he WILL take warmer showers (lukewarm btw not even warm warm)- He has no reason to take super cold showers, I suppose he's kind of frugal in that nature, it's also just habit and not being able to handle warmer temperatures well

5. Like most men, Roo can grow body/facial hair, but ALSO like most men, Roo does not like growing out body/facial hair, more specifically his facial hair. Has there ever been a point where he DID grow out his facial hair...? Yes... would you be surprised if I told you it was when he was trying to "normalize" himself (aka when he was 18)? Well he did try and succeed at growing his facial hair at 18, but of course, with the era of being 19 around the corner, the facial hair did NOT last long. Nowadays, Roo absolutely DESPISES facial hair (on himself) and will shave til his skin peels off to guarantee it doesn't come back

[annahesmondhalgh]

SIMS 4 ALPHABET CHALLENGE

Hello! This is the first challenge I have ever made, and yeah, it’s a lot. Basically it is every single trait, along with every single skill and aspiration and world etc etc etc, turned into a challenge based on the letter it starts with.I included every expansion pack, game pack and so forth, but of course you can just limit it to what packs you own yourself, even I don’t have them all so I’ve been playing it slightly different to how it is presented here.

Basically, the first two letters, A and B, are partners and then they have four kids, any of those four kids can be picked as the leader of the next generation, therefore having four kids of their own. So on and so forth until the last child who is simply an amalgamation of all the last letters. 

For this challenge, one must complete every aspiration (child, teen and adult) associated with their letter. They must complete all the aspirations, all the skills, all the careers, and buy the corresponding reward traits. As well as this, if they have a character value trait then they must have that by the time they are an adult. Also, all of the worlds corresponding with their letters must be lived in for at least some period of time throughout their life.

I know this must look super overwhelming, especially for some letters like M or S, but don’t be too harsh on yourself and just have heaps of fun! Tag me if you end up doing this, I would love love love to see xxoxoxoxoxoox

First Gen Host: A

Teen Aspiration: Admired Icon

Child Aspiration: Artistic Prodigy

Aspirations to Complete: Academic, Archaeology Scholar, Angling Ace

Traits: Active, Art Lover, Adventurous

Toddler Trait: Angelic

Character Value Trait: Argumentative

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Always Welcome, Antiseptic

Skills to Master: Acting, Archaeology

Careers to Master: Astronaut, Athlete, Actor

First Gen Partner: B

World: Britechester/Brindleton Bay

Aspirations to Complete: Bodybuilder, Bestselling Author, Big Happy Family, Beach Life

Traits: Bookworm, Bro, Any

Skills to Master: Baking, Bowling

Character Value Trait: Bad Manners

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Brave, Beguiling

Careers to Master: Business

Part Time Jobs: Babysitter, Barista

Second Gen Child 1: C

World: Copperdale

Child Aspiration: Creative Genius

Aspirations to Complete: Chief of Mischief, Computer Whiz, City Native, Country Caretaker, Cure Seeker

Traits: Cheerful, Creative, Cat Lover

Infant Trait: Cautious/Calm

Toddler Trait: Charmer/Clingy

Character Value Trait: Compassionate

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Cold Acclimation, Creative Visionary, Carefree, Connections, 

Skills to Master: Charisma, Comedy, Cooking, Cross stitch 

Careers to Master: Criminal, Culinary, Critic, Conservationist, Civil Designer

Second Gen Child 2: D

World: Del Sol Valley

Teen Aspiration: Drama Llama

Aspirations to Complete: Any

Traits: Dance Machine, Dog Lover, Any

Skills to Master: Dancing, DJ Mixing

Careers to Master: Detective, Doctor

Part Time Job: Diver

Extra: Drama Club as a Child

Second Gen Child 3: E

World: Evergreen Harbour

Aspirations to Complete: Extreme Sports Enthusiast, Eco Innovator, Enforcer of Order, Emissary of the Collective

Traits: Erratic, Evil, Any

Character Value Trait: Emotional Control

Skills to Master: None

Satisfaction Reward Trait: Entrepreneurial

Careers to Master: Entertainer, Education, Engineer

Extra: E-Sports Competitor in University

Second Gen Child 4: F

World: Forgotten Hollow

Aspirations to Complete: Friend of the Animals, Fabulously Wealthy, Freelance Botanist, Friend of the World, Fabulously Filthy

Traits: Foodie, Freegan, Family Oriented

Toddler Trait: Fussy

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Free Services, Frugal, Fertile, Forever Fresh, Forever Full, 

Skills to Master: Fabrication, Fishing, Fitness, Flower Arranging

Career: Freelancer

Part Time Job: Fast Food Employee, Fisherman

Generation 3 Child 1: G

World: Granite Falls/Glimmerbrook

Teen Aspiration: Goal Oriented

Aspirations to Complete: Good Vampire, Galactic Privateer

Traits: Genius, Gloomy, Goofball

Character Value Trait: Good Manners

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Great Storyteller, Gym Rat, Great Kisser

Skills to Master: Gardening, Guitar, Gourmet Cooking

Careers: Gardener

Generation 3 Child 2: H

World: Henford On Bagley

Aspirations to Complete: Hope vs Order 

Traits: High Maintenance, Hot-Headed, Hates Children

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Heat Acclimation, Heatproof, Hardly Hungry

Skills to Master: Handiness, Herbalism

Career: None

Generation 3 Child 3: I

Aspirations to Complete: Inner Peace 

Traits: Insider, Any, Any

Infant Trait: Intense

Toddler Trait: Independant/Inquisitive

Character Value Trait: Irresponsible, Insensitive

Satisfaction Reward Trait: Ice Proof, Incredibly Friendly, Independent, Inspired Explorer

Skills to Master: None

Career: Interior Designer 

Generation 3 Child 4: J

Aspirations: Joke Star, Jungle Explorer

Traits: Jealous, Any, Any

Skills: Juice Fizzing 

Career: None

Generation 4 Child 1: K

Aspirations: Any

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Any, Any

Skills: Knitting 

Career: None

Generation 4 Child 2: L 

Teen Aspiration: Live Fast

Aspirations: Leader of the Pack, Lord/Lady of the Knits, Lone Wolf

Traits: Lazy, Loves Outdoors, Lactose Intolerant

Skills: Logic

Career: Law

Part Time Job: Lifeguard

Generation 4 Child 3: M

World: Magnolia Promenade/Moonwood Mill/Mt. Komorebi

Child Aspiration: Mind and Body

Aspirations: Musical Genius, Master Actor/Actress, Master Mixologist, Mansion Baron, Mt Komorebi Sightseer, Master Maker, Master Chef, Master Vampire

Traits: Maker, Music Lover, Materialistic

Character Value Trait: Mediator

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Mentor, Morning Sim, Marketable

Skills: Media Production, Medium, Mischief, Mixology

Career: Military

Part Time Jobs: Manual Labourer

Generation 4 Child 4: N

World: Newcrest

Aspirations: Nerd Brain, Neighbourhood Confidante 

Traits: Neat, Noncommittal, Any

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Never Weary, Needs No One, Night Owl

Skills: None

Career: None

Generation 5 Child 1: O

World: Oasis Springs

Aspirations: Outdoor Enthusiast

Traits: Outgoing, Overachiever, Any

Satisfaction Reward Trait: Observant

Skills: None

Career: None

Generation 5 Child 2: P

Child Aspiration: Playtime Captain

Aspirations: Painter Extraordinaire, Public Enemy, Perfectly Pristine, Purveyor of Potions, Paragon of Hope

Traits: Perfectionist, Paranoid, Proper

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Professional Slacker, Paranormal Investigator

Skills: Painting, Parenting, Pet Training, Photography, Piano, Pipe Organ, Programming

Career: Painter, Politician

Miss Q

Generation 5 Child 3: R

Child Aspiration: Rambunctious Scamp

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Traits: Romantic, Recycle Disciple, Any

Character Value Trait: Responsible

Skills: Research and Debate, Robotics, Rocket Science, Rock Climbing 

Career: None

Part Time Job: Retail Employee

Generation 5 Child 4: S

World: Strangerville/Selvadorada/San Myshuno/San Sequoia/Sulani

Child Aspirations: Social Butterfly, Slumber Party Animal

Aspiration: Soulmate, Serial Romantic, Successful Lineage, Super Parent, Spellcraft and Sorcery, Strangerville Mystery, Self Care Specialist 

Traits: Self-Assured, Slob, Squeamish 

Infant Trait: Sensitive/Sunny

Toddler Trait: Silly

Satisfaction Reward Traits: Super Green Thumb, Seldom Sleepy, Savant, Steel Bladder, Shameless, Stoves and Grills Master, Storm Chaser, Speed Reader, Speed Cleaner

Skills: Selvadoradian Culture, Singing, Skiing, Snowboarding 

Careers: Scientist, Secret Agent, Social Media, Style Influencer, Salaryperson

Part Time Job: Scouting Career Scout, Simfluencer

Extra: Soccer Team Player in University

Generation 6 Child One and Only: Left Over Letters

World: Tartosa/Willow Creek/Windenburg

Child Aspiration: Whiz Kid

Aspirations: The Curator, World Famous Celebrity, Villainous Valentine, Vampire Family, Zen Guru, Werewolf Initiate, Wildfang Renegade

Traits: Unflirty, Vegetarian, Any

Infant Trait: Wiggly

Toddler Trait: Wild

Character Value Trait: Uncontrolled Emotions

Satisfaction Reward Trait: Waterproof

Skills: Vampiric Law, Veterinarian, Video Gaming, Violin, Wellness, Writing

Careers: Tech Guru, Writer

Part Time Job: Video Game Streamer

[turkeyinnovember]

recreyo god au

Curt Richy – God of the Insignificant 

this is mostly based on how he’s always able to get himself into places. He’s a teacher at multiple anime academies, an b-class in the scp foundation, a government member in the mandala catalog, etc. 

the abnormalities i headcanoned for him are also more unnoticeable, only showing when he lose emotional stability (?)

Ivan Animated –  Deity of Reason

his god form is kinda just.. um.. empty matter? he basically just evaporates into nothing and expands his presence to sense things. im not sure why he’s the deity of reason, perhaps because he’s pretty reasonable at times and i wanna have it connect to cause-and-effect and stuff

Cypher Den – God of Chaos 

she inherited her godhood by defeating and consuming the previous chaos god, so she's not... unkillable. You just need someone strong enough to defeat and consume her... Unlikely. 

while she has full control over her tentacles and can wield them to her hearts content, she actually prefers physical combat like she would before godhood. so, what to do with her "extra-limbs" while she's stabbing people? that's where the "stolen souls" come into play. 

the previous chaos god was notorious for stealing souls to extend his own life. when he was defeated, den absorbed what was left of him. the souls now resided in her mind, forming a community and… somethings of political parties? den speaks to them, more often accidently rather than on purpose, her hyperattentive brain broadcasting her thoughts to the stolen souls, supplying topics for the parties to debate about. they are currently discussing whether water is wet or not as we speak. 

amongst the abnormalities that signaled her godhood, a large yin-yang symbol was found on her back, rotated sideways so the two dots are on one horizontal line, where her tentacles would sprout. the souls on the two sides of the argument each take a side, diverging and splitting into more tentacles as their opinions and reasonings differ. this way, the souls with the most similar ideas would be controlling the same tentacle collectively, without much conflict. in addition, if under any case, den would required usage of her tentacles, she has full abilities to override the souls and take over. 

Chilly Panda – God of Reptiles 

a descendant of ancient beast tamers, a small group under the title of the kimono clan (ivan wtf). her mother has been absent throughout her life (mummy episode reference lmao), she was raised by dad (recreyo’s dad in the death note episode) with to no clue about her powers, other than the lizards that tend to pause and stare as she passed by. 

until a trip to a luxury resort island with her friends. accidents occurred and she found herself suffering the loss of a right forearm and an extra impractical eye on her forehead. 

when the raptors bowed down to her, they submitted themselves as her followers, awakening her powers. had the incident not ascend her to a demi-god state, perhaps she would have lived and died as a mortal. almost like a certificate for her abilities, her third eye allowed her to summon raptor companions, sadly only along with a ritual pattern. 

first time she called them to her aid, it was regarding the issue of her severed arm. chilly requested them to source her a limb as replacement, but perhaps she wasn’t clear enough, they watched as one of them ripped off it’s arm and offered it to the demigod. shrugging, chilly handed it to ivan, who was forced by den’s knife to complete the process of sewing the raptor claw onto chilly. it was his fault after everything. 

Frugal Aesthetic – Deity of flame

he didn’t know how it happened. one day he was doing his job of a freelance therapist, and another day passed and he was hearing people whisper their troubles. actually no. that was a joke, the first sentence. the last one in his spot retired, and suppose they found he the most worthy in the blood line. 

now he’s gotta listen to random people’s troubles. at least he’s immortal now, wielding fire is also pretty lit. 

(this is basically connected dr.ake with the fact that a lot of people whisper their troubles to candles before blowing them out to symbolize blowing their troubles away

prolly didn’t make sense but i can’t think of anything. he’s pretty much just a minor god that listen to people vent and can wield fire)

Kristine Fel – God of Deceit

you’d think being a god of deceit would make her good at lying. or maybe she is. although, how was she to know when the lies overflow and come back to confuse the liar? the world is constructed on lies. so hard to find honesty woven in between everything. 

(as god of deceit, kristine can shapeshift into anything. her true form- or is it another lie she tole? is a twig of two sakura flowers)

[valleysdew]

hello there! my name is saff, and i am very excited to meet you all and your wonderful muses! i write harley mahdavi, a tall, kind of ridiculous, but ultimately loveable mess! there's some more information about her below the cut. :)

harley is trans genderfluid, and uses all pronouns, depending on the day! your characters' safest bet is using she & her though!

harley moved to stardew valley exactly four years ago, and has been living at the bus stop ever since. she has a little makeshift tent/box out of which she simultaneously lives and works!

speaking of work! harley is a freelance clothing designer. her stuff is really niche and kind of funky and bright, although desperate times call for desperate measures so she also does commissions + hair & makeup!!

personality wise, harley's a bit reactive and deadpan due to being very sensitive and much of an overthinker, but makes up for thriving in witty banter exchanges and living quite sustainably and frugally.

she comes from a big family that she's mostly estranged from. no hard feelings or anything, but their lifestyles don't exactly agree with each other and they grew apart as she got older.

wants, more than anything, to have a family on a farm. knows next to nothing about actual farming and what it entails, but living the farm life seems fun, so why not?

she has that attitude about a lot of things, like moving to stardew valley, and that turned out pretty good since she's been here for four years! with no intention of going elsewhere.

has done a lot of work on herself over the past few years. when she moved, she was very modern-minded and restless and constantly stressed, but life has slowed down here. her mental health is (mostly) under control, as she still has her moments like we all do.

[ninja-muse]

So, June was a month! Felt like several, but apparently still just the one. Usually I measure the length of a month in books read—more books equals a “faster” month, fewer books equals a “slower” one—but that doesn’t work this time. I read nine books, so about my average. I think the number of “this was fine” books skewed things, as did The Hands of the Emperor which was excellent, but also very long.

And yes, I’ve finally read The Hands of the Emperor! It was everything I expected it to be and more, and just lovely and charming and cozy and all of things. I am bummed that my library doesn’t have the sequel, not that I’d be launching into it right off anyway. It’s the principle of the thing. The only reason it didn’t get my Review of the Month is because it’s hard to take photos of ebook covers….

On the opposite end of the spectrum, my TBR shelf book this month was a last-minute scramble and I opted for something short as a result. (And a classic, because I hadn’t read one of those in a while.) Tortilla Flat really hasn’t aged well, folks. Let’s all hope my next classic is better.

The other last-minute addition to this post is DIGGER IS HERE! I got the notice that it shipped late last week but didn’t think it would be coming to my door quite so soon. It has bookmarks, plural, you guys! I would be jumping into it next except that I’ve barely finished Shubeik Lubeik and I need to put space between excellent graphic novels.

Next up, though? One of the ARCs I hauled this month is The Frugal Wizard’s Guide to Surviving Medieval England. I’m going to be starting it today.

(Episode Thirteen is my other hauled book this month. I’d forgotten I’d requested a copy from a book rep.)

Other life events? I finally saw The Importance of Being Earnest performed! Another last-minute thing, that. I heard about it near the end of May and dithered about getting a ticket because the theatre was a bit of a trek, and then went, well, when else am I going to see it… Worth it, and that’s one thing off my bucket list.

Hopefully July has a lot of good books to make up for the kind of average reading month I’ve just had. Wish me luck!

And now without further ado, in order of enjoyment…

The Hands of the Emperor - Victoria Goddard Cliopher, Secretary to His Radiancy, the Last Emperor of Astandalas, invites his lord on a beach vacation. He has no idea how this will change the world—or his life.

8.5/10

Pacific Islander-coded protagonist, cast contains a range of ethnicities and skin tones, 🇨🇦

Shubeik Lubeik - Deena Mohamed A Cairo kiosk owner tries to sell off three wishes. It doesn’t quite go as planned.

9/10

Egyptian cast, largely Muslim cast, Egyptian author, #ownvoices for Egyptian

warning: depression, suicidal ideation, death of a child

Shadowlands - Matthew Green Short histories of lost settlements from across the UK.

7/10

The Golem of Brooklyn - Adam Mansbach Len creates a golem while stoned. This is only his first poor decision of the week. Road trip, anyone? Out in September

7/10

largely Jewish cast, 🏳️‍🌈 (lesbian) secondary character, Jewish author, #ownvoices for Jewishness

warning: anti-Semites, white supremacists, homophobes

The Helios Syndrome - Vivian Shaw A freelance necromancer must help determine why an airplane crashed, while being haunted by a pilot.

7.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 (gay) protagonist, 🏳️‍🌈 (gay/bi) secondary character, 🏳️‍🌈 author

The Dress Diary of Mrs. Anne Sykes - Kate Strasdin A history of Victorian fashion through the lens of a fabric scrapbook.

7/10

The Gifts - Liz Hyder In 1840s England, a woman grows wings, a storyteller comes to London, a wife grows unsatisfied, and a doctor gets ambitious.

7/10

Black British POV character, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (gay)

warning: racism, misogyny, animal death, medical content

The Road to Roswell - Connie Willis Francie travels to Roswell to save her college roommate from a misguided marriage, and promptly finds herself on an involuntary road trip with an alien.

6.5/10

Tortilla Flat - John Steinbeck A group of friends ramble around old-time Monterey.

3.5/10

multiracial protagonists, largely BIPOC cast

warning: racism, misogyny, alcohol, racial slurs

The Gay Best Friend - Nicolas DiDomizio Dom’s best friends are getting married! Which is great, except he’s having to keep secrets for both of them and maybe he needs to think a bit about expectations and authenticity.

5/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 author, #ownvoices

Currently reading:

Nothing! I start July with a clean slate.

Stats

Monthly total: 10 Yearly total: 62/140 Queer books: 2 Authors of colour: 1 Books by women: 6 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 1 Off the TBR shelves: 1 Books hauled: 2 ARCs acquired: 5 ARCs unhauled: 4 DNFs: 0

January February March April May

[battleangel]

THE PLANET WILL DIE BY 2100!

THE PLANET IS DYING!

THE EARTH WILL DIE IN 100 YEARS!

100+ STUDIES PREDICT EARTH WILL BE UNINHABITABLE BY 2100!

Extreme weather never seen before — droughts, heat waves, back to back fire warnings than freeze warnings, 40+ degree temperature changes in one day, earthquakes & tornadoes in areas that never previously had them — signal the literal destruction of planet earth.

The sky is ACTUALLY falling!

•Do not have any children.

•Do not buy a house — live in a 1 bedroom apartment.

•Stop using air conditioning — use electric ceiling or box fan & open window.

•Keep thermostat for heat between 62 degrees & 68 degrees during winter.

•Work remotely if you can — W-2, contract, temp, part-time, freelance, fractional, start your own business — avoid working on-site & in an office that would require a daily commute.

•Only drive when absolutely necessary — walk, take the bus or stay home — should only be purchasing gas for car a few times a year at most.

•Do NOT buy an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle & do not use air taxis. •Cobalt is only available in Congo & is causing a genocide as local warlords kill each other & local civilians over the mineral that Apple, Tesla, Google, Samsung, etc. pays outrageous amounts for — men, women & children work in the Congolese mines for 12 to 16+ hours a day with no protective gear & cobalt is an extremely toxic mineral.

•Stop buying new cell phones — buy refurbished or used cell phones every 3 to 5+ years — cobalt is used for the batteries for all cell phones & is currently causing a genocide in Congo.

•Stop buying new electronic devices — laptops, tablets, TVs, smart watches.

•Cobalt is used for the batteries for all cell phones & is currently causing a genocide in Congo.

•Stop taking vacations — do staycations instead.

•Do staycations — local county & state fairs, carnivals, farms, parks, gardens, movie marathons or sleepovers at home, nature trails, hiking, local museums.

•Stop flying in airplanes.

•Do not fly anywhere unless absolutely unavoidable.

•Do not go on cruises.

•Do not stay in hotels.

•Stay in motels, economic lodging, airbnb, vrbo or couch surf with locals.

•Minimize meat intake — stop eating meat Monday through Friday.

•No plastic water bottles.

•Buy water filter + use stainless steel water thermos.

•No showering or bathing.

•Wash at sink with face cloth & soap.

•Do not live in an apartment with a washing machine & dryer.

•Only do laundry at laundromat every 30 to 90+ days.

•Do not live in an apartment with a dishwasher — wash dishes by hands.

•Only do laundry at laundromat every 30 to 90+ days.

•Reduce single use plastic whenever possible.

•Six R’s: Refuse, repair, reduce, reuse, recycle.

•Delete Prime & Amazon account.

•Do not buy from Amazon.

• Borrow books from local library or purchase from local book stores or independent book stores online.

•Stop using fast fashion apps — Shein, Zaful, Romwe, Fashion Nova.

•Stop buying clothes at the mall, department stores & chains.

•Do not buy new clothes.

•Buy used clothes from online & in-person thrift shops — Depop, Mercari, Etsy, Poshmark, Goodwill & consignment stores.

•Reuse current outfits until they are unwearable — 25+ years.

•Only buy new shoes when current pair breaks down — every 10+ years.

•Stop using plastic sanitary pads & plastic tampon applicators — wear period underwear + biodegradable tampons without applicators or period cups or menstrual discs.

•Shave your head yourself with a razor at home every 1 to 3 months — stop going to hair salons & barbershops — do not use any hair products (shampoo, conditioner, oil, gel, spray, etc.) — do not dye hair — do not color gray hairs.

•Wear wigs for 3 to 5+ years before replacing.

•Be frugal & minimize consumerism.

•Do not purchase anything online more than 1 to 3 times a year.

•Do not buy gifts for anyone.

•Advocate for antinatalism — the belief that procreation is immoral & unjust.

•Advocate for the voluntary extinction of the human race both online & in-person.

•Minimize fast food, delivery, takeout & sit down restaurants to a few times a year.

•Do not use KCups & minimize buying coffee at Dunkin Donuts, QuickChek, Wawa, Starbucks or any chain.

•Brew coffee at home with reusable pod.

•Avoid big box retail & chains.

•Shop local grocers, food markets & mom & pop small businesses.

Make these changes because of climate change.

Make the change to save our dying planet!

Make that change!

[marshmallow-bg3]

Past Life Dark Urge Asks - 1st Edition

by @daemon-in-my-head

Do they miss their adoptive family? Why or why not? Roux had many of those and he missed the last of them - the kind and loving family of Lathandrians - after Sceleritas took him away. Till he convinced himself they would have never accepted him for what he truly was, and therefore their love wasn't real. It was partially shame, and partially attempt to protect them from the Urge. He never went back to murder any of them so seems like it worked.

Did they keep anything from their old family and home? A memento or a skill perhaps? Roux's entire class and identity as a Bard is a gift from his foster family. They saw his talent and helped realize his musical potential. He took a few items when he was leaving, but as he was trying to forget the family they ended up in some far drawer in the Temple.

When Sceleritas fetched them from their comfortable home, what did they do on their journeys? Did they take on any jobs? They did murder. Just a lot of freelance murdering to hone the skills. Stealth, stabbing, cutting, vivisecting - all the fun stuff. That's where I put the events of Blood in Baldur's Gate.

Do they speak casually or do they try to adorn their speech with frills? Do they maybe even dare to curse? Roux curses a normal amount. His speech is full of quotes from songs and poems and common idioms. So it's sort of frilly but not eloquently so, it's full of repeat patterns.

What was their relationship with Sceleritas like? Did they like their ever-adoring butler or did they try to run from the most wretched mother hen? Answered here but I'm gonna reiterate that Sceleritas' honeyed threats and warnings strongly reminds me of the way media often portrays those crazy captors who keep their victims locked in the basement and clam it's done for their own good and safety. I just can't unsee/unhear it in the butler's speech. And while Roux was not technically locked in the Temple, that threatening component - "We wouldn't want anything bad happen to the Master if he disobeys, would we?" - is ever present and doing its job.

Bhaal loves money; did your Durge inherit that trait? Do they enjoy luxuries or try to live a frugal life, giving their all for their temple? Not money per se, but Roux loves pretty things. He often stole pretty items even if he had no use for them personally - a carved tobacco box, a gilded pocket mirror, wrought silver fork. Like a child he wouldn't put it down for hours and then completely lose interest, throw it in the box with other pretty things and never look at it again. He's always had a more consistent love for beautiful fabrics - texture, patterns, embroidery. When he had an opportunity to dress up he would go all out with it.

Did they have any connections or companions outside of the local underworld? If so, what were those connections like and if not, why? No long term connections or companions or allies until Gortash. Sceleritas made sure to cut off any possible support system. When Sceleritas failed, the Urge didn't. After a while Roux stopped trying to connect and let people close.

What was their relationship with Orin like? Did it change at some point? Answered here.

What would a typical meeting of the chosen have looked like when your Durge attended? Oh, not as fun and sexy as most people portray it. Mostly Roux was bored out of his mind, while Ketheric and Gortash bickered. Actually this post by @wi1dshxpe describes it perfectly, headcanon accepted!

Gortash seemed to have admired Durge, what did they do to deserve this admiration? Did they have any notable personality traits or did they impress him in some other way? Short version here Long version here

The other cultists. How did your Durge view them? Did they enjoy their following or did they dread being idolised? Roux is vain, he enjoyed the adoration and the worship, at least at the beginning. Eventually their blind impersonal devotion only made him feel more isolated and lonely.

Durge gave a gold coin to a beggar once; why did they do it? Did this occur regularly? It was back at the time when he was testing just how much normal human living and interactions he was allowed not to push the Urge over the edge. When he was still trying to reconcile his duty with his own needs and wants as a living, social, romantic, allosexual and soft-hearted person.

Orin has her faithful group of changelings. Did your Durge have a similar 'personal guard' or task force at their back and call? Not really a guard but close to a task force. Roux had a group of loyalists who preferred his methods and quirks to Orin's. He favored them for different qualities and skills and often where used on missions where teamwork was necessary. They bonded through cannibalistic feasts. After Orin taking over the Temple those who didn't accept her rule were sacrificed to Bhaal. Win-win to everyone, even Roux in the long run.

Durge famously acted as an assassin in the last decade or so. What was that like? Did they plan everything out meticulously, or did they act spontaneously and on whims? Answered here

Bhaal handcrafted Durge. Do they enjoy and worship their appearance, or did they have a rebellious phase, trying their best to change their Lord Father's grand design? Oh he would love to be tall and buff and handsome and menacing. Roux likes himself well enough, but questions his Father's choices sometimes. Especially when someone grabs and yeets him in combat.

[creativelifebynherie]

I've been living on a frugal, low income for a long time. Additionally, I am a nontraditional income earner with a mix of roles that are considered more freelance. Here's how I've been able to track and showcase this income for the purpose of meeting my income proof over the years.

[hustler-786]

How to Become a Millionaire in Your 20s: Unlocking the Path to Financial Success!

Introduction:

Achieving millionaire status in your 20s may sound like an audacious goal, but it's not an impossible feat. With careful planning, smart financial choices, and determination, you can set yourself on the path to financial independence and potentially reach millionaire status early in life. In this article, we'll explore actionable steps that can help you achieve this milestone and build a solid foundation for a prosperous future.

1. Set Clear Goals: The journey to becoming a millionaire starts with setting clear and specific financial goals. Define how much money you want to accumulate and by what age. Having a well-defined vision will serve as a powerful motivator and help you stay focused on your objectives.

2. Embrace Frugality: Living below your means and adopting a frugal lifestyle can significantly impact your ability to accumulate wealth. Be mindful of your spending habits, avoid unnecessary expenses, and save as much as possible. Every dollar saved is a dollar that can be invested to grow your wealth further.

3. Invest Wisely: Investing is one of the most effective ways to build wealth over time. Take the time to educate yourself about different investment options, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and mutual funds. Understand the principles of risk and return, and create a diversified investment portfolio that aligns with your risk tolerance and financial goals.

4. Build Multiple Streams of Income: Relying solely on a single income stream might not be sufficient to achieve millionaire status. Consider exploring side hustles, freelancing, or starting a small business to supplement your primary income. Diversifying your income sources can provide financial stability and increase your earning potential.

5. Harness the Power of Compounding: The earlier you start investing, the more you can benefit from the power of compounding. Compounding allows your investments to generate returns, and those returns, in turn, generate their own returns. Over time, this snowball effect can lead to significant wealth accumulation.

6. Focus on Personal Development: Investing in yourself is as crucial as investing in financial assets. Constantly upgrade your skills, knowledge, and education. The more valuable you become in the job market or as an entrepreneur, the higher your income potential. Attend workshops, read books, and seek mentorship to improve your personal and professional capabilities.

7. Surround Yourself with Success: The people you surround yourself with can significantly influence your mindset and drive your success. Network with like-minded individuals who inspire and challenge you. Engage with mentors or join mastermind groups to gain insights from experienced individuals who can help you navigate your path to success.

8. Avoid Debt Traps: While some debt may be necessary, such as student loans for education or a mortgage for a home, it's crucial to minimize high-interest debts. High-interest debts can quickly become a burden, hindering your ability to invest and grow your wealth. Prioritize paying off debts strategically to free up more resources for investments.

9. Be Patient and Persistent: Building wealth takes time and consistent effort. Be prepared for setbacks and challenges along the way. Stay committed to your goals, and don't let temporary obstacles deter you from your long-term vision. Embrace the journey, learn from your experiences, and keep pushing forward.

10. Seek Professional Advice: If you feel overwhelmed or uncertain about your financial decisions, don't hesitate to seek guidance from financial advisors or experts. A professional can help you create a personalized financial plan, offer valuable insights, and keep you on track to achieve your millionaire goals.

Conclusion:

Becoming a millionaire in your 20s is an ambitious but achievable objective with the right mindset, financial discipline, and perseverance. It requires a strong commitment to setting clear goals, making smart financial choices, and continuously investing in your personal and financial growth.Remember, the path to financial success is unique for each individual. It's essential to craft a plan that aligns with your values, passions, and long-term aspirations. By implementing these strategies and staying focused on your objectives, you can set yourself up for financial independence and a prosperous future. Start today, and embrace the exciting journey to becoming a millionaire!

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[sibyl-of-space]

Job huuuuuunt / career feelings

I'm basically facing the inevitability that I really cannot afford to try and go full-time freelancing right now. Even if I miraculously made all the connections I need at PAX and other conventions (which is unrealistic, it takes time to build up that kind of network), having an irregular income would make it almost impossible to figure out a loan repayment system that makes sense for my student loans, and those things are gonna be hanging over my head forever at that rate because I went to an expensive art school, which makes a lot of things difficult down the line. Trying to swing this would be the most short-sighted approach, which to date is basically how I've lived my life (and frankly I have no regrets about any of it) but I'm thinking now might be the time to think a little farther ahead.

I am serious about starting my own game studio in like ~5-10 years (or however long it takes). I am serious about finishing an episode of Amadeus every year for the next 5 years so that in 5 years I will have shipped a whole and complete game all by myself. No matter what the fuck else is on my plate, I am dead serious about those two things.

HOWEVER, if I want to start my own game studio in like ~5-10 years, that is going to be basically impossible if I'm still paying off my student loans. How am I supposed to deal with paying other people and figuring out business expenses if I'm still in a shitload of debt because I've been kind of pretending it doesn't exist and paying the minimum for as long as I can get away with? So I figure... shit, maybe it actually makes sense to go back to IT, and while I'm still living with my mom and saving a shitload on rent, basically live as frugally as possible and try to pay off the loans as fast as possible. I just applied to a county job where I live, and I could actually pay off my kind of massive loans in like... 2 years if I spend like I'm unemployed and work full-time.

This wasn't my favorite option but I'm warming up to it. One reason I wanted to avoid it is that I've grown SO MUCH as an artist the past 2 years because I've been working full-time ON ART; whereas if I'm working full-time doing literally anything else, such as in IT, I'm afraid I'll lose the skills I've been working so hard on (and uhh paid out the ass for). But on the other hand... shit, if I were to get a full-time job at an indie game studio, wouldn't that kind of be the same shit? Sure it would be a creative job, but it would still be working 40 hours a week on someone else's project. I still would have to develop Amadeus exclusively in my spare time/off hours. Also, frankly, the game audio job market is absolute ass, and I'm jaded to fuck and back after 2 months of trying to land something despite being - if I may be honest - insanely fucking qualified.

This is only going to work, though, if I am REALLY REALLY DISCIPLINED about working on Amadeus in my spare time. I cannot have it be a "ohhh if I have energy for it today" thing or it will never get finished. I'm making a calendar of monthly benchmarks for the game to ship episode 1 next summer, and even if I am working full-time in an IT role, I need to make sure I meet those benchmarks. Because if I ONLY pay off my loans but DON'T WORK ON THIS GAME TOO, that will be a waste of my education. I need to keep this up, no matter what.

I actually think that I can, though. Like I think this is something I can do. I have the ability to see things through when I am really, really serious about them; and I am really, really serious about this. Like I can see myself calling in to work and staying home to work on Amadeus if I have a deadline I'm not on track for.

So basically.... I might be committing to working really hard for 2 years for the payoff of a) no student debt and b) 2/5 shipped episodes of Amadeus. That puts me in a way better position 2 years out to decide what I want to do. If I can stick it out for closer to 3 years, then on top of paying off my loans, I can start building savings... and then "someday starting a game studio" starts to look more and more like a possibility.

Amadeus is my passion project, something that means the entire world to me, something I need to finish for my own personal happiness. But I also think that if, by the time I've finished it, I also am completely debt free and perhaps even have savings.... then maybe it can also be my gateway to launch that studio.

I don't know. I'm really not good at planning for the future. A 5-year plan is brand new for me and the only reason I'm considering it is because I'm serious about this visual novel I'm making. But... I think I finally came to terms with the fact that, you know, it's okay if maybe my composition skills slide a little bit while I'm working IT full-time. Because: they can, and will, come back.

I'm currently in the best cello shape I have been in my entire life, after like 8 years of neglecting cello completely. All it took was regular practicing and now it's back and better than ever. The same will be true for composition. I'm sure if I work IT full-time I will lose it a little, even if I offset that loss by working on Amadeus (which will obviously need music). But once I've paid my loans, when I'm ready to dedicate myself to it again, it WILL come back. I took meticulous notes in grad school and saved all of my most valuable homework assignments. I can re-learn it. I'm only 30 and my life is only beginning.

It's okay if I lose it a little bit, so long as I make sure to get it back.