#living the high life

[balkanradfem]

Had a revelation about frozen strawberries!

The other day, I really wanted some fruit mixed in my oats, and I thought I'd try and see if defrosted strawberries would work. I expected them to be mushy and flavourless since they've been frozen for so long, but the fiber content still matters! I took them out of the freezer, and left them in a bowl for an hour while I was doing chores.

By the time I was back, they were indeed, mushy, but also they let out a lot of red juice, you know when you leave strawberries coated in sugar for a bit and they let out red syrup? They were swimming in that. I smelled them and was immediately shocked; they not only smelled good, it was more intense than fresh strawberries! In fact I've never felt a strawberry scent so powerful that wasn't artificial, I was stunned they were able to reproduce such a strong fragrance after being frozen.

I added a little spoon of sugar, oats, and a little bit of water in there, mixed it all up, and tried it. It was.. I don't know how else to describe it but heavenly. Maybe it's because it's the dead of winter and I haven't had strawberries in 8 months, but I would swear that it tasted better than fresh strawberries. I cannot explain this, maybe freezing them broke some delicious sugars down in them, or some other science happened, but they were incredibly potent with flavour. I ended up doing the same thing for breakfast 3 days in a row because it is so good! I am shocked I can make something this delicious with just frozen strawberries. I am going to freeze more strawberries this year. This is incredible.

[jacketpotatoo]

hung out at a graveyard in an Orpheus (Hadestown)/ JD (Heathers) costume for Halloween

[porto-rosso]

why shell out for business class when you could just fly out to london heathrow on a tuesday 3 weeks after christmas and have practically no one else on your flight

[jinmukangwrites]

You know you're an adult when a new addition of your favorite game franchise is announced, yet the highlight of your day is buying a vacuum and a blender

[ryebecca]

Lots of people go out on Saturday nights. Me? I'm sitting on my couch customizing an American Girl doll that I'll never buy. And also adding a Molly notebook and stickers to my cart (#teammolly). I know, I know, you're all jealous.

[aleesabella]

IG/ jastookes

[crowinahole]

Playing minecraft, drinking lemonade in my hello kitty cup

[diabeticallyhere]

Are my numbers high, or does this carb-unspecified food have way more carbs than I think it does, or do I just feel stressed and high about it now because I'm worried about it, or do I need to give another 2 units, or will giving those 2 units make me go low in an hour, or--

[chewablepebbles]

There's nothing like a hard, hot stream of water on fieldwork bruises.

[mymangamemes]

If one person isn’t served a steak on a plate on a cutting board while the other person gets an entire charcuterie board to themselves (and a baby sits unaided without any sort of high chair), can you even call it a fancy dinner??

From Childcare Diary With the Villain by EASTZ, Yeoreo, and MEMORY S.S.

[dilact]

WOAH I just understood the appeal of racing games

[batcavescolony]

Katniss is such an unreliable narrator. She says "Then something unexpected happens. At least, I don't expect it because I don't think of District 12 as a place that cares about me" girl you deliver strawberries to the Mayor, you hunt and trade for the district, when you fell at Prim being chosen someone caught you, when you went to Prim people parted for you, when you volunteered EVERYONE stopped. Idk how to tell you but I think you're a pillar of the community.

[ahousethatjackbuilt]

save me low gi bread with peanut butter

low gi bread with peanut butter save me

[becomingthatgirl111]

these are the habits you have to give up before the year is out:

worrying about people and things you can’t control

negative conversations with others

obsessing about what others think

lying for others

expect others to do what you want them to do and get angry if they don't do it

creating expectations on others

gossiping

making excuses for not taking care of your responsibilities

lying to yourself

putting your needs lasts

giving priority to other people's opinions rather than your own

letting the negative opinions of others affect you

limiting yourself

comparing themselves to others and putting them on a pedestal

giving prominence to people who do not deserve it

set boundaries with others but not with yourself

spending too much time on social media

habits you need to implement:

create a daily routine that you feel comfortable with and suits you

calming your mind a few times a day

positive affirmations and healthy thoughts

complimenting others and congratulating their success

letting go of things you can’t control

ending toxic relationships

more time outside

making yourself and your health a priority

self compassion and self forgiveness

taking responsibilities

more self care

beginning with a motivation each day

do what you need for yourself

starting something new (activity, hobby, habit)

not to depend on others and to learn to do things you want to do on your own

focus on the good things and not on the things you don't like

exercise and eat healthy for the sake of your body and not to fit into a beauty canon

getting out of your comfort zone

focus on building healthy relationships rather than being guided by false expectations of how relationships should be

be true to yourself and your values

not to sell or denigrate you for money or lavish gifts

[fazcinatingblog]

I put a few frozen blueberries in my smoothie maker and it actually blended them and only flashed angrily at me a few times

[friendlyneighborhoodshark]

"How to Life" Masterlist

Cleaning and Tidying

Make your bed in the morning. It takes seconds, and it's worth it.

Reset to zero each morning.

Use the UFYH 20/10 system for clearing your shit.

Have a 'drop-zone' box where you dump anything and everything. At the beginning/end of the day, clear it out and put that shit away.

Automate your chores. Have a cleaning schedule and assign 15mins daily to do whatever cleaning tasks are set for that day. Set a timer and do it once the timer is up, finish the task you're on and leave it for the day.

Fold your clothes straight out of the tumble dryer (if you use one), whilst they're still warm. This minimises creases and eliminates the need for ironing.

Clean your footwear regularly and you'll feel like a champ.

Organisation and Productivity

Learn from Eisenhower's Importance/Urgency matrix.

Try out the two-minute rule and the Pomodoro technique.

Use. A. Planner. (Or Google Calendar, if that's more your thing.)

Try bullet journalling.

Keep a notebook/journal/commonplace book to dump your brain contents in on the regular.

Set morning alarms at two-minute intervals rather than five, and stick your alarm on the other side of the room. It's brutal, but it works.

Set three main goals each day, with one of them being your #1 priority. Don't overload your to-do list or you'll hit overload paralysis and procrastinate.

If you're in a slump, however, don't be afraid to put things like "shower" on your to do list - that may be a big enough goal in itself, and that's okay.

Have a physical inbox - a tray, a folder, whatever. If you get a piece of paper, stick it in there and sort through it at the end of the week.

Consider utilising the GTD System, or a variation of it.

Try timeboxing.

Have a morning routine, and guard that quiet time ferociously.

Have a folder for all your important documents and letters, organised by topic (e.g. medical, bank, university, work, identification). At the front of this folder, have a sheet of paper with all the key information written on it, such as your GP's details, your passport details, driving licence details, bank account number, insurance number(s), and so on.

Schedule working time and down time alike, in the balance that works for you.

Money

Have. A. God. Damn. Budget.

Use a money tracker like toshl, mint, or splitwise. Enter all expenses asap! (You will forget, otherwise.)

Have a 'money date' each week, where you sort through your finances from the past seven days and then add it to a spreadsheet. This will help you identify your spending patterns and whether your budget is actually working or not.

Pack your own frickin' lunch like a grown-up and stop buying so many takeaway coffees. Keep snacks in your bag.

Food and Cooking

Know how to cook the basics: a starch, a protein, a vegetable, and a sauce.

Simple, one-pot meals ("a grain, a green, and a bean") are a godsend.

Batch cook and freeze. Make your own 'microwave meals'.

Buy dried goods to save money - rice and beans are a pittance.

Consider Meatless Mondays; it's healthier, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.

Learn which fruits and vegetables are cheapest at your store, and build a standard weekly menu around those. (Also remember that frozen vegetables are cheap and healthy.)

Learn seasoning combinations. Different seasoning, even with the exact same ingredients, can make a dish seem completely new.

Misc

Have a stock email-writing format.

Want to start running, but find it boring? Try Zombies, Run!.

Keep a goddamn first aid kit and learn how to use it.

Update your CV regularly.

Keep a selection of stamps and standard envelopes for unexpected posting needs. (It happens more regularly than you would think!)