#love love love the weekly progress photos!

[kk1smet]

Reblogging with the dust jacket & endpaper artworks for this ficbind collab ♡

Phoenix, this has been a cotton-candy dream. Thank you for banging on my door so I could do my first ficbind collab with you. Brainstorming on discord and over our mood board is one thing but seeing it in completion is another level of sparkling-eye emojis.

This is me returning to the comment section and hitting a thousand kudos/screaming all my bookmarked excerpts back at you, @garagepaperback.

PS. @phoenixortheflame bts process, yes!! incoherent feels over the fic and ‘hmm, okay draco’s hair has a part as a spoiler alert.

Bound: isn't a kingdom by @garagepaperback

Dust jacket and end paper art by: @kk1smet Typeset and bound by: me, @phoenixortheflame.

“Pride must suffer pain.” - Hans Christian Andersen A fairytale retelling featuring: barnacles, pine trees and coarse beaches in Maine, a heart-attack, hair-pulling, fireworks, and loving someone whether or not it's enough, whether or not there's a real chance to.

When I first read isn't a kingdom, it was still anon as part of this year's HD Hurt/Comfort Fest, but I knew - I just knew - it was the work of Silly Goose Supreme @garagepaperback, and the next thing I knew I was banging on her front door (DMs) to scream about the puddle - ney, salty tide pool - she hath reduced me to.

At the same time, I was banging on @kk1smet's door, because while I had already decided I was going to bind the fic, getting an artist to collab with me on the project would be not only a super fun way to spend my time, but also be the thing to make garage fully lose her mind.

Two months later, and garage has finally received her copy of the bound fic (!!!!!!!).

A few details on the bind:

This was my first time doing a lot of things, like using colour in the typeset, gold foiling, and hand-sewing the end bands (shout out to @maleekamolscreates for holding my hand through the latter).

I'm really happy with the final bind - and how everything came together so beautifully. I might share a bit of the BTS of the collaborative process between @kk1smet and me, if that's something y'all would be interested in. It was really fun and energizing to jam on this with someone, and I could not have asked for a better collaborator. Thank you, K!

“Praise for” quotes from: @mintawasalreadytaken @vukovich @ghaniblue @kamaela @mallstars

[seongsgirl]

— your girl.

; no smut in this, but my blog is nsfw, so please, mdni.

— I dedicate this work to @starryjake <3 me and jake love you so much.

You laid flat on your bed, eyes fixated on the tiny glow in the dark stars that you insisted that Jake help you stick to your ceiling. They glew dimly in the dark, not getting enough sunlight during the day to make the glow to their full capacity; it didn’t help that you had the curtains drawn closed all day. 

The room was dark, not feeling like getting up to turn the light on and opting to sit in the dark, the only light coming from the sticky stars and the little sliver of light peeking through the crack in your doorframe that shone from the hallway. 

You sighed softly and turned to your side, eyes landing on the framed picture of you and Jake on your desk. He was slightly crouched and your chin rested on top of his head, both of you adorning the cheesiest smiles you have ever wore. Jake’s glasses were slightly crooked and his cheeks were tinted red, much like yours. 

The photo was taken during some event that was happening on campus a little under six months ago. It was one of the happiest moments of your life and you silently thank Jungwon daily for capturing that moment perfectly. 

Then again, any moment you spent with Jake was a happy one. He knew just what to say every time you needed reassurance, knew the perfect remedies for a broken heart when Heeseung left you with one. He knew things about you that you didn’t even know about yourself, he knew everything and more. 

Jake was essentially everything you have ever dreamed about, the person you always dreamed of being with. And you were with him, but not in the way you truly wanted. He was just your best friend and roommate, nothing more, nothing less.

And that made falling in love with him even harder to deal with.

You sighed again and rolled over to your back again, looking at the stars. They began to dim even more, losing their charge as the night progressed. It reminded you a lot of yourself and your current state. You were so bright, so full of energy and ready to show the world what you are capable of. But something shifted within the last few months, and your spark was dulling. Nothing quite felt the same anymore, and you didn’t know what was changing, but something was.

Maybe it was the unrequited love and stress of masking it for so long.

You took a deep breath before looking over at your desk again, searching for your desk clock. The digital clock read nine-thirty and you mentally prepared to see Jake any second now. It was a Saturday night, your usual night to spend with Jake in the living room, a movie on the television and snacks and drinks littering the coffee table as you both caught up with each other from the events that occurred over the week. But you really couldn’t be bothered to partake in the weekly ritual tonight. 

Almost like clockwork, you hear a faint knock on your door and a familiar voice saying your name. You didn’t respond.

There was another quiet knock before the door slowly creaked open. The hallway light shone brightly in your bedroom and burned your eyes, groaning as you clamped them shut. 

“Y/n?” Jake says slowly, as if he’s scared. You slowly open your eyes and look at the boy standing in your doorframe, his head tilted like a puppy. 

“Sorry, Jake.” you started, a puzzling look taking over the boy’s face. “I don’t think I’ll do movie night tonight.” you mumbled.

Jake took a couple cautious steps into your room. It wasn’t like you to skip movie night, in fact, you’ve never skipped one in the entire two and a half years that you two lived together. Jake licked his bottom lip before speaking. “Is everything…are you okay?”

You chuckled. “Not really.”

You could practically hear Jake’s heart shatter in his chest. There you were, his best friend in the entire universe, laying in a dark room while blankly staring at the ceiling and he had no idea you weren’t okay. 

You heard Jake take in a breath before shuffling through your room and sitting on the foot of your bed, your head close to his thigh. You looked over at him to see him already looking down at you. His hair was scruffy and he had his glasses on, really bringing together his nerdy boy image. His eyes were full of worry, yours full of nothing. 

And you both sat there, looking into each other’s eyes in silence for a moment before you turned your attention back to the now dim star stickers. 

“What do you do when you love someone, but they don’t love you back?” you said abruptly, breaking the silence.

Jake looked back over at you, eyes slightly wide. “Huh?”

A sad smile crept onto your lips. “You know what I’m talking about, Jake.” you turned back to him, “When you feel like you can’t love someone even more than you already do, but you know that those feelings aren’t reciprocated. How does someone get closure with something like that?”

Jake’s eyes turned glossy, and his lips scrunched to one side of his face. “I-I don’t know…” he said softly. “I wish I did, because I know exactly how you’re feeling.” Jake put a soft hand on yours that rested on your stomach. 

You sighed. “It hurts, knowing that he’s exactly who I always dreamed about but knowing that he’ll never love me the way I do with him.”

“Do I know him?” Jake asked.

Your lips fell into a straight line. “Yeah, you do.”

Jake hums, acknowledging your response. “Well, I hope he finally sees what’s in front of him and stops being stupid.”

You chuckle softly. “I hope your girl realizes that, too.” and silence falls upon you both again. 

Minutes feel like hours and years before you speak again. 

“Jake,” you mumbled, not letting your vision stray from the stars, but you see Jake shift to look at you in your peripheral. “That’s his name.”

You hear Jake’s breath catch in his throat and you feel your eyes glaze with tears, a single one slipping out and falling down your face. 

“Y/n…” Jake whispers, taking his thumb and wiping away the stray tear. “That’s her name.”

And suddenly the ever growing pit in your stomach doesn't feel as big.

You look over at Jake, and he’s still looking at you. You sit up and come face to face with him. Jake’s hands come up to your cheeks, holding your face gently, and you melt into his touch. 

“I’m sorry I never told you…” Jake whispers, your noses brushing and foreheads pressed together. “Me too,” you reply, your lips ghosting over his. 

“I’ve always wanted you to be my girl. From the day I met you, I knew I had to do whatever it took to get you.” his thumb brushed your cheek.

“Jake,” you press your lips to his softly and you feel him immediately melt into the kiss. You broke away and looked at him with a soft smile. 

“I’ve always been your girl.”

[cumikering]

Gym bro Soap x reader 2

3.4k | angst You were perfect for each other, couldn’t you see? (part 1) (part 3)

Johnny didn’t want to admit he started wearing tighter shirts to the gym for you - the ones that underlined the width of his broad chest and stretched over the generous bulge of his biceps.

He, too, found excuses to respectfully lean into you from behind, be it to help you with the pulldown bar or with reracking your weights. He might have imagined you stealing a glance or two at his arms, but he prayed that he was the one making you chew on your lip.

Like then, when he stood a little closer as he held your gaze for more than a few moments. This was working, wasn’t it? Wait until he busted out his compression shirts.

“Are you free Saturday fer dinner? I want to take you to that Italian near the park.”

“Oh, but that’s so expensive!”

“We’ve been consistent with our workouts, and yer making wonderful progress.” He shot you a reassuring smile. “I think we deserve to celebrate.”

“You know we can go to other places, yeah? It doesn’t have to be fancy.”

“Aye, but I want to go there with you. Please, hen?”

You averted your pretty eyes before nodding. He’d never get tired of calling you hen. If he knew he had that effect on you, he’d have started far sooner with the nicknames.

As the butterflies stirred in his belly, he balled his fist as to not reach out to cup your face like he’d wanted to for too long.

Saturday couldn’t have come sooner, but that morning Johnny’s body weighed a ton as he dragged himself out of bed. However, when you smiled when he walked into the gym, he forgot the odd ache of his body for a moment. You both stretched and warmed up before proceeding with each other’s routine.

But when he could barely complete a set, he knew something was up. He reracked his weights with an irritated grunt.

“You alright, Johnny?” you asked, brows furrowed.

“Feelin’ a bit off today.” He reached back to massage his tense shoulder.

“You do look a bit pale actually. Are you going down with something? Are you burning up?”

“No, don’t think so.”

You placed a hand on his forehead, and he would be lying if his stomach didn’t flip from the contact. Could a blush induce a fever?

“You seem fine, but I think you better get back and rest. Don’t want to injure yourself.”

“But… we’re still on fer dinner, yeh?”

“Don’t worry about that! We can go when you feel better.”

He lit up. “Ye know what’s goin’ t’make me feel better? My maw’s stew.”

He could cook and impress you with his mum’s recipe. Your weekly shopping was in order anyway.

Johnny did light cardio as he waited for you to finish your workout. While you cleaned up before going to the supermarket, he made sure nothing embarrassing or incriminating was on the floor or surfaces of his flat.

When he knocked on your door 30 minutes later, you emerged in comfy clothes and damp hair. You looked like you’d give wonderful cuddles, just what he needed when he was under the weather.

“Johnny, I almost forgot. I got you this.” You handed him a papercraft kit. “It’s Edinburg castle. I thought of you when I saw it.”

He gasped, clutching the gift to his chest. You thought of him? “Thank you so much, hen. I love it.”

You gave him one of those smiles again in reply. Well, he definitely had a fever now.

As you strolled through the cereal aisle, Mrs. Mactavish called back.

“Ye alright, Johnny? Ah was just in the garden.”

“No bother, maw. Am feelin’ a bit ill. Wanted tae ask for yer stew recipe.” He picked up another box of cereal to read its nutrition label on the back.

“Ye mean… yer cookin’?”

“Aye.”

There was a pause. “How..?”

His brows furrowed, placing the box back on the shelf. “What d’ye mean how?”

“Johnny,” she said gently, concern in every word. “Don’t ye remember wha’ happened last time?”

You slapped a hand over your mouth to stifle your giggle.

“Maw! I will not leave it this time. Promise! Now, can I get the recipe?”

“Alrite, alrite, I’ll send a photo,” she relented. “But don’t say I didn’t warn ye!”

He grumbled a thanks before his mum hung up.

He turned to you with a grimace. “I promise am no tha’ bad.”

“Well, you know I’m not that good at it either,” you said with a chuckle. “I need to step up my cooking game.”

“Only one partner needs t’be good at it anyway.” He shrugged. “Been told I’m a fast learner.”

You blinked.

“I mean,” he sputtered, cheeks heating up. “Find someone who can cook, if you can’t, ye know.”

Was his game off when he was ill? He grabbed two boxes of his usual cereal and rounded the corner into the next aisle.

You finished up and got the ingredients needed. Back at his flat, you helped him greatly with the recipe (you caught him almost burning the meat, and once more, the onions). Didn’t higher heat mean faster cooking?! No matter what you said, you were still better than him, even that it was a pathetically low bar to begin with.

The incidents didn’t help his morale. Despite the comforting smell of home that wafted in the kitchen, he kept peering nervously into the simmering pot as both of you cleaned up. After the stew had thickened, you both grabbed a spoon for a sample. While you hummed in delight, Johnny’s shoulders sagged. It tasted nothing like his mum’s.

“Please don’t tell ma maw I messed it up,” he pleaded, giving you his best puppy dog eyes. “I promise the recipe isn’t shite,”

“Why would you say that?”

“It’s mediocre at best.”

“No, I think it’s really good! I like it,” you reassured. “I’ll make some garlic bread to go with it.”

A relieved smile teased his lips. You always knew how to make him feel better. “You’ll have to taste the real thing.”

“I’d love to.”

You really should have been extra careful with the things you said, because how could he not imagine taking you back home to meet his parents now?

Unfortunately, Johnny felt worse by the evening.  On the couch with a runny nose, he grumbled to himself about not being able to go out for dinner with you.

“It’s alright, Johnny. We’ll go next weekend, in time for your deployment too.” You placed the steaming mug of tea on the coffee table and pulled the blanket over his shoulders. “Do you want me to get takeout instead? Or I can cook something if you want.”

He should get sick more often.

“Actually, I’d like it if you could cook something, please. But only if ye want tae.”

Johnny wanted to help with dinner, but you insisted he worked on the papercraft at the dining table instead. He chuckled, feeling like a little boy being kept busy with his toys. He didn’t hate the feeling. It was wonderful to be pampered, being fussed over by you, only to be rewarded with some godly carbonara.

“Why’d ye say yer a bad cook?” he asked after his first bite.

You shrugged. “My family don’t usually like my cooking.”

“Missin’ out. They’re all missin’ out. I’ll eat this every day.” He shoved another forkful into his mouth.

He thanked his lucky stars he didn’t have to learn how to cook after all, lest be burnt the kitchen down. He could always compensate by doing the cleaning.

You took care of Johnny over the weekend, bringing him hearty meals to share. You even kept him company as he continued working on the papercraft. Having you at his doing your own thing, lounging around on his couch existing together… It was hard to not imagine that you lived there with him. Like you were a permanence of his life, just taking care of the sick love of your life.

He was, wasn’t he? Oh God, the fever was making him extra delusional.

You sent him little texts at work over the week. While he giggled and kicked his feet as he clutched his phone, he didn’t miss the way Gaz nudged Ghost at the other end of the rec room.

“He’s trying real hard to crawl out of the friendzone,” the sergeant quipped with a laugh.

Johnny gave him the stink eye, but he couldn’t blame Kyle. He was just jealous he had no pretty little thing making sure he was eating and drinking enough, let alone one who would wait for him at home with a warm meal.

You were doing just that, weren’t you? You cooked extra for so he could eat healthier and didn’t have to fuss about dinner. Thanks to your care, he recovered fast; he only had to skip another workout before getting back to his routine.

The following Saturday night, the anticipated dinner finally came. Johnny dressed up in a crisp button down and had gone to the barber the day before and even got his boots polished.

Did you understand how important this was to him? He wasn’t living another night without you knowing his intentions, especially after how selfless you’d been when taking care of him. He was going to make you feel like the only woman in the world.

But when you opened the door of your flat, he froze. You looked gorgeous in your outfit, it made his knees weak. He almost forgot the mission he was on because he needed to bury his face in a pillow and let out a squeal.

He cleared his throat, blinking as he struggled to keep his eyes off yours. “Wow, y- you look lovely, hen.” He didn’t mean to be disrespectful, but how could he not stare?

You didn’t meet his gaze, instead biting down a smile as you locked up.

He swallowed. It took everything to not pull you in for a kiss. He could already imagine how perfectly his hands would fit on your waist.

When he opened the door of his SUV for you, you mumbled a thanks. He wished you acknowledged his attire too, but the way he caught you glancing from the corner of his eye as he drove was enough of a compliment. You were very welcome to ogle. Would it help if he unbuttoned a few buttons?

Sat in a quiet corner, you admired the interior of the restaurant and how polite everyone was. He would never get tired of seeing that enthusiasm in your bright eyes as the conversation flowed.

“You been here before, Johnny?” you started after the waiter had left.

He shook his head as he raised his wine glass. “Was saving it for something special.”

“Which is?” You followed suit.

“You finally hit another lat pulldown PR,” he teased, clinking his glass against yours.

You laughed before taking a sip.

He was used to flirting to be liked and noticed, but with you, he didn’t need to. It was a blessing to be in your presence that his instinct was to admire you and be in the moment. You made him feel like he was enough without having to be anyone else. Was this the reason it was so effortless to be around you?

Unfortunately, the pasta you ordered didn’t turn out to be the best. You didn’t have to tell him - he’d grown familiar with the small tells of your face.

“I think we should order something else. This doesn’t look like enough food.”

“No, no! It’s plenty.”

“Want to have more of mine?” he pushed his plate of risotto closer to you.

“That’s fine, Johnny. It’s your favourite.”

“But you like it more.” He swapped your plate with his. “And we can always come back.”

You gave him a apologetic smile, your shoulders sagging. You didn’t have to feel so bad. The night was all about you anyway, and he was more than happy to ensure you enjoyed your time.

The both of you lingered after dessert. You never seemed uncomfortable with him, but that night the air around you was different, like you were even more open and loose. He could see in the way you leaned in more and held his gaze longer. He scooted his seat closer to the table, his stomach fluttering each time you laughed at his jokes.

Please, please, never stop. It was his favourite sound ever.

With his belly and heart full, you headed home. He wordlessly offered you his arm, but you didn’t seem to notice with the way you averted your gaze when he called you hen or bon. He didn’t mean to! They rolled off his tongue, because he meant every word.

At your door, he grasped your keys from your soft hand and helped you with it.

“Thanks so much for dinner, Johnny. I had such a good time.”

He couldn’t help return the grin. “Pleasure’s all mine, hen. I’m just happy you said yes.”

He didn’t like getting ahead of himself, but this was going fantastically well, wasn’t it? They way you looked at him with those eyes… Did you know what you were doing to him, how fast his heart raced for you?

John Mactavish was just a man.

Maybe he’d get to kiss you soon. Maybe even next week, before his deployment.

However, the optimism didn’t last very long. Because when he stepped in for a hug, you jumped and hurried past your door, closing it behind you with a frantic goodnight.

Johnny blinked. What the fuck just happened? You just said you enjoyed the night. Had he read it all wrong?

He turned on his heels as he blinked fast, hoping it was enough to keep the brimming tears at bay as his chest seized.

Radio silence replaced his joyful days with you.

Johnny tried not to think too much about you, or the fact that you didn’t even text in the following days. He didn’t either – how could he recover from that night? Even the day before he was to ship out, he didn’t allow himself to wonder why you didn’t reach out to arrange something with him like you always did.

But as he lay in bed, with a heavy heart that wouldn’t allow his mind to stop reeling, his phone buzzed with your text.

Wishing you all the best for tomorrow. Take care

He squinted. Did this mean more than what it looked like? Were you brushing this under the rug? He stared and stared at his phone until his head hurt before sighing.

Thanks

It was impossible you didn’t notice the shift – you wouldn’t be this way otherwise, as if keeping him at an arm’s length. It was a hard pill to swallow, but it couldn’t be any more obvious now that you weren’t interested. He just wished it wouldn’t hurt this much, like getting shot in the stomach with a bullet that kept digging and digging.

He was gone for weeks at a time. Did his deployments get in the way of his progress with you, that you had to warm up to him all over again every time he came back? Did he miss his chance? Did the chemistry dwindle over the months? Did you, like most women, not want long-distance? Did you find someone else, someone who treated you better than him?

The longing gazes he could have sworn you shot him had all been in his head. It was clear now you weren’t taking things slow, let alone playing games.

You were simply uninterested.

When Johnny came back weeks later, out of courtesy, he picked up a new gym schedule as to not cross paths with you.

He didn’t text, and you didn’t either. His days with you were gone – the laughter, the quiet afternoons sketching, but the memories remained close to his heart. They pricked more often than not.

Distance was imperative to move on, but he still found it hard to breathe sometimes – his chest heavy with the ache to see your smile. The photos he had of you couldn’t hold a candle to how beautiful you were in real life.

He had no one but himself to blame. As soon as he knew he couldn’t have you, he should have backed away, protected himself, especially when his feelings wouldn’t fizzle after the months. Instead, he was too soft to walk away, settling for any shred of you.

You were perfect for each other, couldn’t you see? You motivated each other, pushing each other to be better. I think I’m in love you, he’d muse to himself as he looked at you. Sometimes the need to say it out loud made him want to cry, like he was choking on the words.

He could have said them outright - maybe he should have, he was a grown man, for fuck’s sake! But he never did, because deep down he knew you’d run. So he carried on, with his feelings buried deep, avoided like a tin of radioactive waste welded shut.

It was undeniable having you out of his life was torture, but it will pass. Eventually. Hopefully. Still, for all the joy you’d brought him, there was not a regretful bone in his body.

What he didn’t expect, though, was how soon this would end.

You, on the other hand, never imagined even a fraction of the depth of Johnny’s feelings towards you.

The radiant Scot didn’t seem like one to be sentimental. He was happy go lucky and… friendly. Attractive men always were, especially when they had such an easy, charming smile. You didn’t want to flatter yourself - and shouldn’t - by thinking this was anything more than platonic. You weren’t his type, and you were smart enough to not fall for someone you could never have.

He was a good man, but not good for your if you caught feelings, so you tried not to. Keyword tried.

It was impossible when he was right there. He was irresistible with that boyish smile you couldn’t help but return. He kept your spirits up with his boisterous laugh and funny stories, and those sky blue eyes… ever grounding on your worst days. Whenever you had an issue, he was the first to offer help. He made the effort to be there for you in any way he could, even when he was away.

It was a slippery slope, and you were losing the battle fast. Before you knew it, his text was the first thing you looked for when you woke, and he was the last thing on your mind before drifting to sleep.

It was the way he called you hen, wasn’t it? There was something in his powerful yet gentle voice, like he meant it just for you as he looked into your eyes.

You played with fire. You chose to be around him knowing you couldn’t have him, and it was your fault you got burnt at the end.

You couldn’t be happier when he invited you out to such a nice place. It meant the world to you that he’d dressed up and was so accommodating about you not liking the dish you ordered. You could almost pretend it was real – that you mattered - even when it didn’t mean a thing to him.

With a smile and a sunny personality like that, he could have anyone, and you were nothing more than his neighbour and gym buddy.

Still, you didn’t mean to dodge his embrace that night, because of course, you’d wanted it. You wanted his gorgeous eyes to bore into yours before kissing you, just like in your daydreams. But in the midst of telling yourself to be realistic and get over your own feelings, him stepping in caught you off guard.

Why did you have to make it weird, you screamed at yourself. It was a friendly embrace; it wouldn’t have worsened your feelings anyway. You wanted to crawl into a hole. You’d ruined your friendship, without so much as the relief of a confession.

But you’d be fine. You’d get over it eventually, like you always did. You just had to put your big girl pants on.

When the wound had healed, maybe you could be friends once more without having to worry about getting your heart broken.

Masterlist Possessive best friend Soap

@tiredmetalenthusiast @astraluminaaa @noicedog @devcica @ray-rook

@loveergirll @marvelssssssss @wannabhere @vmaxis @asbestos-n-asbesties

@teranyaa @sinelity @solemnlyswearss @rip-cod-brainrot @dilf-luvr-4evr

@eve-lie @cloudynoxx @maskfan25 @winnieb00 @wyverns-and-songs

[goddessinnerglow]

Become Your Best Version Before 2025 - Day 24

Setting Up Progress Tracking Systems

Hey Goddesses! After exploring personal style yesterday, let's talk about something that can really amplify our growth journey, tracking our progress. But don't worry, we're not going to turn this into a complicated spreadsheet situation (unless that's your thing!).

That satisfying feeling when you can actually see how far you've come? That's what we're aiming for. Let's create a tracking system that feels natural and motivating, not like another chore on your to-do list.

Think about it, we've covered everything from confidence to personal style in this series, and you've probably made more progress than you realize. That's exactly why tracking matters, it helps us celebrate those wins we might otherwise miss.

Let's explore some simple but effective ways to track your growth:

The "One Line a Day" Method:

Keep a small notebook or digital note where you write just one line about your progress each day. It could be anything – "Spoke up in meeting today" or "Chose outfit that felt truly me." Simple, quick, but powerful when you look back.

Visual Progress Maps:

Create a simple chart or calendar where you mark days you took action toward your goals. Use different colors or symbols for different types of progress. Seeing those marks add up over time is incredibly motivating.

The Weekly Check-in:

Set aside 10 minutes every Sunday (or any day that works for you) to reflect on three things:

What went well this week?

What did I learn?

What do I want to focus on next week?

The Progress Photo Approach:

Not just for fitness goals! Take photos of your workspace as you organize it, screenshot positive feedback you receive, or document other visible signs of growth. Create an album called "Growth Journey 2025" on your phone.

Voice Memos:

Sometimes writing feels like too much. Try recording quick voice notes about your progress. "Hey future me, today I finally..." These can be incredibly powerful to listen back to.

Don't Forget these key principles:

Track what matters to you, not what others measure

Make it easy enough to stick with

Focus on progress, not perfection

Include both tangible and intangible wins

Keep it flexible, adjust your system as needed

Quick tip:

Link your tracking to something you already do daily. Maybe you check your progress while having your morning coffee or before your evening skincare routine (remember our self-care conversation?).

Today's Challenge:

Take 5 minutes to write down where you are now in any area you want to track. This becomes your baseline. In a month, you'll be amazed at the changes you notice.

See you tomorrow for Day 25! Remember, you can't manage what you don't measure, but keep it simple enough to stick with.

♡ ☆:.｡ Keep glowing, babes! ♡ ☆:.｡ With love, Goddess Inner Glow.

[jesuisstay]

Dad! Changbin

Listen my baby fever is so high recently. And @strayflowersstarsandlove is to blame for that (jk their dad!skz smau is just🥰🥰🥰). Please go show them some love on those if you haven’t already!!!

This little guy finally came together so @amyz78 I hope you like it!!

Read my other dad!skz headcannons here: Chan, Minho

Changbin walked in on you, pregnancy test in hand. You felt paralyzed. How could there be the two lines it should only be one? Your eyes struggled to meet his, but the weigh on you lifted when you say the smile blooming across his face.

it wasn’t easy, Changbin wanted to involved in everything. Even if that meant moving you across town to live with him. Buts that’s nothing he couldn’t hire movers to help with as he explained. He also kept explaining he paid for them to pack and move EVERYTHING of yours so baby please don’t stress either of you out with something as silly as this.

Changbin, who in his excitement couldn’t keep the news from his family who are now inviting themselves over for a weekly meeting. But even if his parents might be pushing for how they want their grandchild raised, Bin firmly has your back on what you two have decided.

He would be obsessed with the progress photos and apps. He be analyzing you bump down to the tea to know exactly how his baby is doing. Everyone thought at first it was to see if they are boy or girl (you wanted it secret until you meet them) but man just really needs to know his baby is 100% healthy

Changbin would also buy a portable ultra sound. The typical sound track of whatever mix he was stuck on was now replaced with the swoosh and patter on the little heart inside you. He’s already got their pattern memorized, carefully listening for those little eight notes.

He literally has never missed a birthing/parenting class except for one. He was so distraught with himself for missing the vital information on disposable vs reusable diapers. He might have been at work, but he was listening to everything he could via the speaker phone call he made you start.

He has his own little secret birth plan, but that goes out the window when your water breaks in the middle of the night because the baby is coming NOW. He’s on the phone with a midwife the entire time as he waits for them to get there but with how fast it’s going he has to step in.

Changbin won’t lie, the sight of a person coming out of a person is the freakiest thing he’s ever seen. Until he’s got his daughter in his arms, cleaning out her airways when in the middle of her screaming she opens her big eyes up at him. He thought he loved her unconditionally before but now he knows how much he truly loves her

In the end, little baby seo was delivered in the early hours of the morning and the midwife arrived just as mom and baby were settling down for a feeding.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for suggesting my girlfriend eats less?

(🫠 so i can find it later)

I know immediately it sounds insane but please I need advice. Also sorry it’s so long this is a sensitive topic and I want to treat it as such.

So my (24F) girlfriend (22F) has been trying to lose weight for about 9 months now. I let her offer up what info she wants but never ask because I don’t want to add pressure, and i’ve struggled with an ED and witnessed as my mom has struggled with her weight since I was born so I understand how hard it can be. But my girlfriend is as gorgeous as ever. And I know she’s been as active as possible so Idk why she’s so hard on herself.

My mom eats healthier than anyone I’ve ever known. When I was younger I watched her go through phases with taking on some weird diet that never really worked. She once told me she recognized her real problem is stopping when she’s “full” and not what she eats. She was insecure about that fact because she almost starved as a teenager. I tried to encourage her to accept her body if eating what she wants makes her happy. But she always says she isn’t happy when she’s not eating & only would be if she felt “sexy” again.

I’m starting to see a similar struggle in my love. She asked to go to the gym together, so I bought us a gym membership. We try to get there 3x a week for at least an hour each time. But she’s in her final semester before graduating so we stopped going as much about a month or two ago. She keeps talking about losing weight so her graduation dresses will fit better but I think they fit perfect. I zipped them myself. She never wears dresses or skirts, favoring baggy clothing and streetwear, so I think she’s just not used to the sensation of a form-fitting dress.

She joined a coed soccer team that would meet weekly for a month. I went to her games, she goes hard. She’s also started going for runs twice a week after work with a coworker. They did 3 miles one day! That’s still 3 days a week she’s been working out, plus the occasional day or two every other week we manage to get out to the gym.

She has taken to blaming me for us not going to the gym, not directly but will whine at me with a pointed tone, as if begging me to go to the gym after she told me we couldn’t go. I try to ignore it since I know she’s having a hard time and mostly venting. But if I agree and offer to drive us, she always has too much homework. Even if she’s been sitting on tiktok for an hour.

I do all the cooking for us. After she complained about not making progress I started serving us both smaller portions. Now she gets seconds after meals and will complain about being snackish or wanting a sweet treat less than 30 minutes after we’ve ate. If I stand firm on no treats (which is rare), she pouts. She refuses to get a treat without me, if I tell her she can go get one if she wants she won’t. If I give in, then later I feel guilty like I enabled her. And she’ll guilt trip me for it too. And then she’s unhappy about not losing any weight again and the cycle continues.

She’s got a broad build and a naturally curvy body. When she talks about being her ideal size/shape again, it’s always in photos of her at 14-17. I keep trying to instill in her that she can get muscular and fit but still might not look like that again because she was a child. She dismisses me every time and will compare her body to mine since we’re the same height, but I have different genetics and an overactive metabolism.

She’s active, healthy, muscular, and is maybe 30 lbs over the BMI for her height and age. I don’t believe in the BMI, just stating for reference reasons. Some of that “overweight” is definitely likely muscle since she said she gained weight after we first started going to the gym. She would not believe me when I said you gain muscle before you lose fat, even though she’s learned this in her major. In my eyes to have the kind of toning that she wants— and that athletes her shape have— she probably only needs to lose like 10-15 lbs. You can see the line of musculature on her thighs as she is. She eats way healthier than most college students because she’s a medical major and really cares about body health. I think a lot of her desire to lose weight comes from the athleticism of the PT’s she works with.

She continues to nitpick at her other behaviors (i.e. having a yasso icecream twice a week) that are far less “harmful” to her goals than overeating. But I fear it will cause a rift in our relationship if I try to suggest that to her.

I want to help her on her journey and the way she blames me makes me feel like I need to do more to help, but the only thing I can think to suggest is something I would never recommend on my own, let alone to my girlfriend who I think is beautiful as is. I don’t want her to think by me suggesting smaller portions that I have a problem with her perceived lack of progress. I only have a problem with being treated like it’s my fault she isn’t losing weight. When I tell her she looks amazing as she is she just tells me I’m biased because I love her.

I don’t feel it’s my place but Idk what else to do. So WIBTA if I told her that she should try to eat smaller portions rather than dieting since she’s already physically active and eats healthy?

[adobolover123]

bakusquad when they’re on instagram (headcannons!)

——————————————————————

bakugo’s instagram:

-doesn’t post a lot on instagram, but when he does OHMYGODDDJ

-he would post mirror selfies of him flexing with songs attatched. (maybe it’s just the camera angle but his arms r HUGE ASFFF—)

-does he post bakusquad? tbh rarely. bc of his big ahh ego. but since he’s getting better and warming up to them he’ll repost his friend’s posts if he’s tagged in them (hangouts, workout posts)

-he only posts stories

-his username is probably something corny as hell, like: 

king.explosionmurder , kb_explosionmurder , imbetterthanyou, LMAOO

or something else like that 😭

-omg. and if ur lucky enough to get on his close friends story, (from time to time,) he’ll post himself lip syncing to audios. DONT EVEN GET ME STARYEDDD

-he knows he’s attractive. like literally post more please.

-only thing on his acc is one highlight of himself.

-his pfp? mirror selfie covering his face 🤷‍♀️

kirishima’s instagram:

-omg y’all this cutie and his instagram.

-most-if not ALL of his stories are selfies with his friends, and he most DEFINITELY has a weekly dump of them.

-his selfies with them r mostly him and his friends working out, but he’ll post even the little selfies like them at lunch. 

-he WILL go on a story spam when the baku squad hangs out. 

-he’ll post his workout progress on his story fs 

-let’s be real he’ll post those motivational quotes

-his username would be his hero name or his regular name with his bday numbers 🤷‍♀️ (redriot1016, e.kirishima1016, )

-his main posts are kinda a pattern; himself, then his friends, then himself again.

-when he posts on main posts of his friends he would attach funny ass videos of them, and dumb challenges the bakusquad would do with each other

-his two main highlights r himself and his friends ofc, but he would have a highlight for each hangout to make it extra special ☹️

kaminari’s instagram:

-out of the whole bakusquad, denki and mina are the most active.

-i think we all know how he would be like fr 

-he is definitely that person who reposts EVERYTHING HE SEES ON HIS FEED; REELS, POSTS, MEMES,

— he spams his stories ( he made a gc on insta with the rest of the squad that are MAINLY him spamming them with reels; bakugo kept leaving it but kaminari keeps inviting him back in)

-but waitwaitwait; be careful skipping through his stories bc he WILL post some FINE ass selfies of himself for the hoes

-he also won’t hesitate to post himself lip syncing to songs on his public story

-like kirishima, he posts his friends a lot!

-he’ll post on his story with those add-ons that have to do with friends and he’ll make a mini collage of his squad :)))

-his username?… it’s probably one of those “theyluv___” “theyfw___” type shi 😭

-kaminari. has. a. lot. of. main posts.

-but they come out hella good; he prolly searches up “instagram post ideas” on pinterest

-his pinned post was when he had a whole photoshoot in a parking lot garage which funny story:

(the bakusquad decided to hang out at the mall, and they arrived at the parking lot garage. mina brought up how it was a good place to take pictures here and denki RAN with that. next thing yk;

bakugo was pissed asf waiting for them sitting down on the ground,

jirou was being denki’s photo critic,

sero was helping kirishima get the angles right,

and mina was showing denki what poses he should do. they were there for an hour. )

-he complains how his acc isn’t getting seen but he forgot that he put his acc on private

ashido’s instagram:

-second most active on instagram

-SHE HAS THAT HOT GIRL ACC FR

-she posts a lot, but her three pinned posts are: selfies of herself, a photoshoot of herself, and one of those cool hot photoshoots with the squad

-her highlights are: “💋” (herself) , “🔛🔝” (bakusquad)”, “my loves” (class 1A girls)

-her username is probably “iheart___” or something simple like “minaa_a”

-she posts herself a lot on her story AND EATS IT UP EVERYTIMEEE

-and she posts her friends on her story as equally as she posts herself ♡

-she posts a LOT on her close friends, she posts memes but mainly funny videos and pictures of the squad. including funny gc screenshots

-when her friends post she’ll repost them like 3 times, and spam/hype them up in the comments 🤗

jirou’s instagram:

-this girl got the whole themed instagram acc quickly.

-she only uses instagram to be up to date with music artists so she doesn’t care abt posting

-her username would probably just be her name or something like: “j_kyoka”

-but she does have one main post, and it’s a guitar she got for her birthday 🤗

-she posts reels of her doing all sorts of song covers with different instruments LIKE AHHHH

-her covers get a lot of attention, denki asks her how he could get attention on his acc

-since her acc got a lot of public attention (she’s thinking abt making another one just for song covers) everyone in class 1A is on her close friends so she could post stuff she’d like to keep a little private; like her friends, hangouts

-on her public story she would repost concert tour dates, music artists posts, stuff like that.

-she would post screenshots of songs she’s listening to on her public story

-sadly she doesn’t post herself—unless it’s a selfie of her getting a new instrument or something lol

-there was this one time she posted a cute selfie of herself in her cfs on accident, and denki and mina hyped her up sm fr ☹️

mina:

“YESSS”

“POST MORE 🗣️🗣️”

denki:

“OHMYOGF”

“U POSTED”

“OKAY JIRO I SEE YOUU”

jirou:

“sthu”

-she has a public highlight for covers, and her cf highlights are her friends !

-she doesn’t ask to take that much pictures with them, she usually reposts her friends stories when she’s tagged in them

-but she loves recording denki being stupid lol, she also has a cf highlight of that

sero’s instagram:

-almost like a bakusquad fan acc

-he’s like in the middle of jirou and denki when it comes to posting on his story

-he’ll repost memes, but not as much

-he posts sky pictures just bc 🤗 he has a highlight for them

-he doesn’t post himself ☹️😒 unless it’s a selfie with the squad

-in fact, he has a lot of main posts of JUST him and the bakusquad; he’s also the cameraman

-but he mainly takes pictures and videos a lot with denki, their pictures are funny ASF

-instead of just one highlight of the whole squad, he has a silly highlight for each of them!!

-funny videos, funny pictures, funny screenshots of things they said, you name it

-he also has a highlight for tiktoks the squad do together it’s so funny and cute

-his feed is everywhere tbh; a mix of memes and the squad

-his username is probably a meme quote or something like “notserohanta” 💀

———————————————————————

notes: (i wrote this at like 12am srry if it’s sloppy) those are my head cannons! i rlly don’t know wht to write for a fic anymore lol. i hope you enjoyed though!!

have a good day loves ♡

[delicatelypearl]

Journaling 101:

A guide for all your journaling needs, whether you’re just starting out and don’t know where to start, or if you’re looking for a way to stay more organized, you’re in the right place!

(disclaimer that this does include a lot of my personal experiences, and different things may work better for different people!)

-gratitude journal: keeping a journal including things that you’re grateful for really adds a new, and positive aspect to your life. Start by writing down a list of 3-5 things that happened that day that you’re thankful for, happy about, accomplishments you’ve achieved, or maybe even a special event you’re looking forward to. Doing so really reminds you of all the good things that come to you in life.

-shadow work journal: Shadow work journals are very useful if you deal with trauma. They make you reflect on your past and help you to understand the root of your trauma, leading to helping you heal from it. Shadow work journals ask certain questions that really make you think, helping to uncover your trauma and heal from it. You can’t heal if you don’t fully understand what you’re healing from! They sell certain books that specially come with the questions already inside, or for a cheaper and more easily accessible option, you can look up some shadow work journal prompt ideas online.

-dream journal: A dream journal is a perfect journal idea if you’re someone (like me) who has the most vivid and interesting dreams. I usually just write down everything I remember from my dreams into my notes app, but that can get cluttered easily, so I recommend keeping a notebook next to your bedside for easy access first thing in the morning. After you write down everything you can remember, you can begin to dissect the dream, detail by detail. Dreams have meanings & every single detail is a sign from your subconscious. I have a book called 12,000 Dreams Interpreted by Gustavus Hindman Miller, and it’s very interesting to read about, but sometimes my dreams are super specific and weird that I have to resort to using google!

-scrapbook/junk journal: This is one of my favorite things I’ve started doing! There are so many different ways to do it, but for me personally, every week I collect items (receipts, post cards, wrappers, movie tickets, restaurant menus, business cards, photos, napkins, letters, clothing tags, etc.) from that week and I create a weekly recap spread! It helps me document what I did that week, so in the future, it helps to look back and remember the small details too. Even as I’m scrapbooking at the end of the week, it helps me to reflect and look back on just how progress I had made that week. It doesn’t even have to be big events, but maybe just receipts from a small trip to the grocery store. Think of anything. Get creative! I really do love that you can get really creative with this! I also decorate the pages with some washi tape, stickers, markers, pens, and paper. Another idea I like is to just make some themed collages using stickers, paper, and other supplies. I started by watching some scrapbooking ASMR videos on YouTube and I enjoyed it so much, I just knew I needed to do it myself.

-spirituality journal: I love keeping a spirituality journal!!! This journal is what I write in to manifest, where I take notes about different essential oils, chakras, crystals, meditation techniques, and other spiritual tips! This journal is also where I write down my daily tarot readings, and I do a lot of spiritual growth and daily talks of healing and reflecting here. It’s kind of like a stream of conscious type of thing! I write however I’m feeling or what I’m thinking, usually with no second thoughts, and it does wonders after I put my spiritual thoughts out there onto paper. It helps to solidify however I feel. This has been my most used journal lately, and it really helps!

-sketchbook: A sketchbook is super useful for those who have a more artistic side to them and always need to be using their hands and being creative. I keep a sketchbook myself, and although I haven’t used it in quite some time, I still find them to be very useful. Whether you’re sitting in class and doodling while you listen to the lecture, or you’re trying to capture the beautiful landscape around you in the park, sketching is a very relaxing activity and a great creative outlet. Even if you aren’t very artistic, sketches are supposed to be a rough drawing, so they definitely do not have to be perfect. Plus who knows? Maybe with sketching, you will discover some hidden artistic abilities! I personally feel that it’s best to try my hand at everything, so I never turned down sketching to help myself relax. Plus, it helps to draw out any emotions you’re feeling in that moment.

-daily diary: Of course I have to talk about the classics. A daily, basic, diary. Perfect to just jot all your thoughts down on. It’s perfect to write in first thing in the morning. You can write about your hopes for the day, your current thoughts, and then revisit at night and talk about what occurred that day. Another option is to carry it around with you, like in a purse, and document when needed. This also makes for a good time capsule, and in a few years it will be interesting to look back on how your day-to-day life was at the time. You can also include any personal secrets, drama, and emotional turmoil you feel at the moment as that will also be something to look back on in the future, so you can see how far you’ve come since then. Trust me! Everybody loves the classics.

-shared journal: SUCH a cute idea for you and a group of friends to do! One way I’ve seen this one before, is one friend keeps the journal for a few weeks at a time, and writes down anything they’re thinking, documents whatever they’re doing in life, and just anything they want in general! Then, they send it off to the next friend and it just keeps going around the friend group until the journal is filled 🤍 This idea is great for people who have friends that live far away from them and don’t get a chance to see them all the time, as it gives them a way to still keep in contact other than being over the phone. And I can imagine that it’s very fun to look at what all your friends are up to once it’s your turn with the journal! I’ve seen people who have filled up multiple journals with their friends! I will definitely be starting this with my friend group! It’s like a sisterhood of the traveling journal for sure🥰

-bullet journal: A bullet journal is basically just an everyday journal to keep your notes, to-do lists, and trackers in! You can track your mood, the weather, exercises, how many books you’ve read, and so much more! I’ve seen people take it month by month, and each month they create a beautiful cover page that coincides with that month! I’ve never done a bullet journal before, and I feel like my artistic side is not as well developed to achieve the same looks as some of these bullet journals I’ve seen online! You can start one easily with a dot grid notebook and some pens and highlighters! There are so many ideas for spreads on apps like Pinterest and TikTok if you have trouble getting started Using a dot grid notebook makes it much easier to split the pages into equal sections. This is perfect for those who love to use a calendar and want to have it be physical!

-poetry/fiction writing journal: Basically self explanatory but a journal to keep all your poetry and fiction writing! Poetry writing is a great way to get your feelings down on paper and is also great a form of art! I enjoy fiction writing a lot, and it helps me to stay creative!

♡I hope this helped some of you get a new start in journaling and find what works for you! Feel free to send me any asks if you have any questions!♡

[bitsofshanshine]

Miffy All-in-one Notion template (Ver. 2): Your gateway to peak productivity with an aesthetic Miffy life planner! 🐰🌷

Dive into the delightful universe of Miffy, where organization meets adorable charm in perfect harmony. This template isn't just a tool—it's a playful journey that turns your Notion workspace into a haven of cuteness and productivity.

Miffy-themed elements aren't just for show—they're designed to enhance your productivity with a touch of playfulness. From vision board to workspace, experience the perfect blend of functionality and cuteness, making your work and organization an absolute delight.

✿ What's Inside? ✿

🌷 Vision Board: Yearly Goals, Wishlist, Daily Affirmations, Habits Builder, Gratitude Journal, Countdown

🌷 Academics: Class Timetable, Course Notes, Deadline List, Quick Notes, Important Links, Journals & Essays, Assignments, Upcoming Exam List

🌷 Workspace: Work Progress, Work Files, To-do List, Quick Notes, Important Links, Clients, Meeting, Ideas

🌷 Journal: Monthly Journal, Yearly Journal, Affirmations, Photo Archive

🌷 Financial Planner: Monthly Bills, Monthly Expenses, Monthly Goals, Savings Tracker, Subscriptions, Wishlist, Accounts Balance

🌷 Book Library: Currently Reading, Reading Tracker, Monthly Reading Goals, Book Wishlist, Book Reviews, Notes & Quotes

🌷 Movies Log: Currently Watching, Watch List, Links, Movie Reviews, Movie Recommendations

🌷 Language Learning: Weekly Schedule, Study Notes, Study Goals, Study Materials, Quick Notes, Pomodoro Timer

🌷 Self Care: Morning Routine, Night Routine, Self-care Check, Skincare Routine, Period Tracker, Meditation & Affirmations

Additional Gifts

Free aesthetic Miffy PNG images, banners, and Notion covers that I used on this template (ZIP File)

✿ Get Miffy All-in-one Life Planner Notion Template (Ver. 2) only on Gumroad and Ko-fi! ✿

[glowettee]

can you write an aesthetic exercise and shower post , I love your style of writing

my aesthetic workout + shower routine (that actually changed my life) 🎀

posted by: glowettee

hey angel! thank you for this super sweet ask and being so sweet, i'm so happy you like the style of my writinggggg! let me share my favorite way to make exercise and shower time feel like a luxurious main character moment! ♡

♡ pre-workout aesthetic prep

starting right makes everything better:

outfit coordination:

- match your workout set (i love baby pink + white combinations)

- choose clothes that make you feel confident

- wear matching ankle socks (such a tiny detail but so cute!)

- style your hair in buns or braids

- put on minimal jewelry (tiny earrings make me feel put together)

gym bag essentials:

- mini pink water bottle with crystal infuser

- rose gold airpods for main character vibes

- cute towel (mine has little hearts)

- emergency hair ties and clips

- mini perfume (for post-workout freshness)

- aesthetic workout journal

♡ turning exercise into a romantic date with yourself

working out shouldn't feel like punishment:

cardio but make it dreamy:

- create specific playlists for different exercises (my running playlist is a mixture of twice, red velvet, newjeans, ariana grande, sabrina carpenter and more)

- pretend you're in a music video

- use the stairmaster while imagining you're climbing to your castle

- make up stories while on the treadmill

- treat the gym mirror like a montage moment

- walk on incline while reading your kindle (romantic novels only!)

strength training with intention:

- name your exercises after your goals (i call squats "princess posture")

- count reps in a different language

- imagine each movement sculpting your dream self

- take aesthetic progress photos

- write down your achievements in sparkly pen

- celebrate every tiny improvement

♡ the dreamiest shower prep ever

transform your bathroom into a spa:

setting the mood:

- dim the lights or use fairy lights

- light your favorite candles (i use vanilla + rose)

- put on a shower playlist (mine is called "water fairy")

- lay out fluffy towels in a pretty way

- prepare your skincare lineup aesthetically

- set up your bathrobe like a hotel would

shower cart organization:

- decant products into pretty bottles

- organize by color scheme

- add eucalyptus bundles for spa vibes

- keep dried flowers nearby

- use a cute shower speaker

- have crystal clusters on display

♡ the actual shower routine

make it feel like luxury:

pre-shower ritual:

- dry brush in circular motions (feels so fancy!)

- do a quick stretch sequence

- take down your hair

- remove jewelry

- set intentions for your shower

- spritz favorite scent in the air

shower steps (in order!):

- start with scalp massage (pretend you're at a fancy salon)

- use shower oil before water (game changer!)

- alternate water temperatures (cold rinse for main character energy)

- apply hair mask while doing other steps

- use body scrub in circular motions

- end with a rose water face mist

♡ post-shower glow routine

the magic continues:

immediate after care:

- pat (don't rub!) with fluffy towel

- wrap hair in silk towel

- apply body oil while skin is damp

- do facial massage with rose quartz

- put on silky robe

- sip water with lemon

final touches:

- apply matching scented lotion

- do light stretches

- journal gratitude thoughts

- take a glowy selfie

- put on soft music

- enjoy your self-care high

♡ making it sustainable

consistency is key:

planning tips:

- prep everything the night before

- set specific workout + shower times

- create a weekly schedule

- plan outfits in advance

- maintain your products organized

- keep backup supplies ready

motivation tricks:

- take before/after selfies

- document your routine

- share progress (even privately)

- reward consistency

- create seasonal variations

- switch up scents monthly

working out and showering doesn't have to feel like a chore! it's all about creating moments that make you feel like the main character in your own romantic movie.

i know this might seem extra (because it totally is!), but these little details make such a difference in how you feel about yourself and your routine.

xoxo,

mindy 🎀

[honeytonedhottie]

if u don't mind, could u show us a part of ur journal entries? i wanna know how to make mine look cute and would love to take inspo from u! also, what does "monthly digest" mean?

my monthly digest is just an overview of my month in a weekly fashion. so i set goals for each month and in the monthly digest i'll write like

week 1 : (talk about my week and what i did)

and i'll do that for all four weeks as a way to have everything encapsulated neatly. and then after the four week's i'll write an overview of the month and rate the productivity of the month. i do this to keep track of my progress ✍🏽

this was pulled directly from my journal which is why i blurred it out 🙈 but u can see how i structure my journal and import photos to kind of be aesthetically pleasing but i dont always keep the same structure but this is a good example of what i do. i hope this was the journal u meant cuz i also have the fashion and beauty and loa journal so if u have any more questions im happy to share those too 💗

[slipping-through-my-fingertips]

"A Bump"

Summary: She holds her tee shirt tightly over her stomach where a perfect little bump is forming. Annabeth quickly snaps the photo grinning like she’s just been given a first place prize before yelling for Percy.

A/n: enjoy the ttpd references

Ao3

Part 1 Part 2

Percy insists on taking weekly photos of Annabeth. Full body pictures of her: standing in the kitchen cooking bacon, walking in the front door after work kicking off her heels, or standing in the light of their bathroom before bed. They aren’t particularly good photos. Not in the way he wants them to be. 

They’re mostly blurry because Annabeth is talking with her arms or walking out of frame. Percy never tells her he’s taking them. According to him, he was “trying to get candid images.” 

So, Annabeth documents her pregnancy for him. She takes selfies in their floor length mirror. The same pose each day. Tracking her belly’s progress. 

She doesn’t tell Percy about them. Annabeth keeps the photos in a separate album on her phone with a plan to get them all printed out on glossy paper and put them into a scrapbook. 

There’s no real physical progress in her first trimester. Beyond the morning sickness that lasts well into the night. Annabeth is sick at all times of day. She keeps crackers and breath mints in her purse now. 

Percy often rubs her back as she heaves into the toilet. 

“I wish I could do something.”

She grabs his hand from behind her. “This is something.” 

It’s a nice moment ruined instantly by more vomit. 

Annabeth takes the morning off on a random Tuesday or so her coworkers believe. They have a baby appointment (as Percy has taken to calling them). It’s that morning when Annabeth is taking her daily photo she feels the bump. 

It’s like it grew overnight. She holds her tee shirt tightly over her stomach where a perfect little bump is forming. Annabeth quickly snaps the photo grinning like she’s just been given a first place prize before yelling for Percy. 

“What? Are you hurt? Is baby okay?” 

He’s holding her stomach. When Percy meets her eyes, Annabeth is trying not to tear up, and says, “a bump.”

Their appointment goes smoothly; they get lunch afterwards at this sandwich shop nearby. 

“We should come here again,” Percy says, mid-chew. 

“Close your mouth.” 

He grins at Annabeth. The same trouble maker smirk she’s grown to love. 

“But, I agree,” she tells him, “we should make our way through the menu. The buffalo chicken sandwich sounds really good.” 

“Not gonna be too spicy for you, Chase?” 

Annabeth rolls her eyes. 

“Says the man who won’t touch wasabi with a ten foot pole.”

He glares at her like he wants to hit her. 

“Can’t hit me, I’m pregnant.” 

“Shut up.” 

They’re sitting at a table for four so Percy moves around the table and takes the seat next to Annabeth. He puts his hand on her bare thigh. 

It’s July in New York. She’s wearing Jean shorts and her camp shirt, which thankfully still fits. Annabeth knows with the bump now making itself known she won’t be wearing her beloved orange shirt for much longer. Maybe she can get Chiron to send her a bigger size without raising suspicion. 

Percy squeezes her thigh bringing Annabeth back to the present. He moves his hand upwards, not even bothering to glance around to see if anyone’s watching them. 

No one is. 

Annabeth is hot. She tells herself it’s because the AC in the shop isn’t doing its job. 

Her shorts are baggy enough so that Percy can reach in and rub his fingertips along her underwear. 

“Percy…”

“Keep eating,” he says. 

She takes another bite. 

“Annabeth?” 

Percy removes his hand and lets it sit on her expose thigh again. 

“Hey Aimee!” 

They had graduated together.

Annabeth remembers sitting next to her in their chemistry classes, both of them groaning over how boring their Professor had been. Aimee and her studied for every exam together and always paired up for labs. Together them both managed an A minus in the course. 

“So this must be Percy,” Aimee says, “shame we never met before Annie and I graduated.” 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Annabeth told me how great of a chem partner you were.”

“If I were half as good as her, we would’ve gotten A pluses.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Annabeth tells her. 

“We should catch up sometime,” Aimee replies, “get lunch or a drink. You still have my number?”

“Yeah, I’d love to.” 

“And Percy, you’re welcome to join us unless Annabeth needs an excuse to get away.” The girls chuckle but Percy still smiles fondly at Annabeth. 

“She might want to get away from me,” Percy says. 

“Anyway, I’ll let you get back to it. It was great to see you, Annie.” 

“You too, Aimee. I will text you.” 

“Great!” She starts to walk away but turns at the last second, “by the way, you’re glowing Annie, whatever you’re doing keep it up.” 

Annabeth blushes. She’s not about to tell Aimee the real reason she’s “glowing.” 

“Thank you, Aimee.” 

Percy moves back around to his side of the table. 

“See the bump, it’s making you glow.” 

“Is that why you can’t take your hands off me?” She asks. 

“The bump is sexy, sue me.” 

Annabeth rolls her eyes, watching Percy take his next bite. Gods, she was so down bad for this man it’s ridiculous. 

“Don’t you think it’s crazy that I’m having your baby?”

Percy swallows. “No? I always thought we’d end up here.” 

“Pregnant at 25?” 

“Okay maybe not exactly this scenario—“ he grabs her hand from across the table. Adjusts her engagement ring as Percy tends to do, “—I love this scenario for the record.” 

Annabeth smiles. “I know, me too.”

“I just always saw us…”  

“Together,” she says. 

Because she always did too. 

[tokidokitokyo]

Photo by Atul Vinayak on Unsplash

2024年11月30日

November has ended, the JLPT season will soon be behind us, and the end of year holidays will be in full swing. It's time to review my progress this year, to think of reasonable and attainable goals for next year, and end up overpromising myself anyways.

もう11月が終わって、日本語能力試験の季節もそろそろ終わって、そして年末年始がやっと来ます。これから自分の進歩を調べて、丁寧な目的を考えて、そして結局全然達成できない目的に決めます。

November Progress

This month I spent the most time Writing and Listening (both 21%), and I was shocked at the amount of Writing time I had in there, but then I realized that I had a lot of LINE text exchanges with the other Class Mother (クラスマザー) at the Japanese preschool, and the other moms in the preschool, so I was very careful with my sentences and got my husband to double check some of them (and then I recorded it as studying).

I also had a vacation this month so Vocabulary, Kanji, and Grammar suffered horribly, but I kept on reading and having conversations so those areas didn't suffer too much.

Study Habit Check-In:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

Read daily - read something almost every day 〇

Write sentences 4 times a week - I wrote a lot of sentences to the other mothers via LINE 〇

Review kanji and vocabulary flash cards daily - lol no ✖

Review 1-2 N3 grammar points weekly - lol no ✖

Learn 1-2 N2 grammar points weekly - lol no ✖

Listen to 1 podcast a week - yes! 〇

Continue to work on hiragana with my son - working on both reading and writing; he loves to write his name 〇

December Goals

For December, I will be wrapping up my studies for 2024 and beginning to plan my studies for 2025. I want to take a look back at what my original intentions were in 2024, how they changed over the course of the year, and how I ended up. I'd also like to make some decisions on study plans for at least the beginning of 2025, and set some long term goals.

What to do in December:

Evaluate the study materials I've used this year

Evaluate study materials I haven't used but intended to use

Look through Japanese textbooks available for borrowing on Libby

Decide what I want to achieve overall in 2025

Continue with small daily study habits

Continue with hiragana writing practice with my son

I don't know if anyone else has the problem where you get too ambitious and decide you will do All The Things but then realize that you can't really do that. I try to temper my expectations for myself and be realistic, but I always want to do more, and I always feel like I could be accomplishing more. In December, though, I'll take a step back and try to quantify my achievements to show myself that I really did improve. Wishing everyone a wonderful month!

皆さんも同じ問題があるかどうか分からないけど、いつもたくさんをやろうとしてて、結局やりたい事が多すぎて根本的に無理です。そしてもっと簡単にできる目的を作ろうとしても、結局すべては無理だから、少し落ち込みます。12月にちょっと落ち着いて、今までどれくらい目的達成ができたか調べておきます。皆さんも素敵な12月を過ごせますように。

[templetogavage]

Weekly Weighing (02/18/24 to 02/24/24)

Here are 7 posts I enjoyed from the week of 02/18/24 to 02/24/2024.

1. February 18th, 13:30: https://www.tumblr.com/ilikeverythicc/742686481953472512

@ilikeeverythicc has made a bit of content along these lines, but I find this one particularly charming. Go to the link to watch him jiggle his gut while a fitness trainer sarcastically advises his audience on how to keep and grow love handles.

2. February 19th, 7:37: https://www.tumblr.com/t-thicc/742754902526377984

Obligatory comparison photo. @t-thicc makes the excellent choice in using a salad in the before and a pig in the after to cover the face. I love pig theming when it comes to gaining, personally, and I'm a sucker for contrast- well designed as these go.

3. February 19th, 13:52: https://www.tumblr.com/chubbybear79/742778447650275328

This might be my first time featuring @chubbybear79, but it shouldn't be, if so. He's a fixture of my dash, and seeing these photos, I had to include him. This is what a belly should look like when constrained by buttons.

4. February 20th, 10:58: https://www.tumblr.com/hairy-bradshaw/742857847553114112

Speaking of buttons! Short but sweet button pop from @hairy-bradshaw. Love the way he fills out (and bursts out of) this jacket.

5. February 20th, 11:26: https://www.tumblr.com/reverack/742859855356887040

@reverack is becoming a regular member of the Weekly Weighing, because I just love something about his shape and the way he poses for photos. This kind of progression over time is also really lovely to see. Here's to 300!

6. February 21st, 17:16: https://www.tumblr.com/beefyrog/742972471252238336

@beefyrog may be my personal favorite on gaining Tumblr, and this is the rare before pic from him. Glad to put them right next to each other here for everyone's viewing pleasure.

7. February 23rd, 9:35: https://www.tumblr.com/cultivated-mass/743124696403427329

As @cultivated-mass says in the post, back rolls go unappreciated. Love seeing this angle on a man.

And that's this week's Weekly Weighing!

[chloe-caulfield94]

What are you thoughts on Marshfield?

I think that there's one factor that makes this pairing believable and one factor which makes this pairing unbelievable.

The factor making it believable is that Max is the only person in the whole wide world that cared about Kate when she needed care and support the most. The fact that Kate's mother and aunt not only didn't support her, but actually made her burden much harder by accusing her of wrongdoing (when she was clearly a victim of something horrible) is well known, but I think Kate's friends and the rest of her family should be ashamed of their actions (or inaction) too.

By the time Kate tries to commit suicide, Max has only known her for little more than a month (the game takes place in October, school year almost always starts in September, Max just moved into town to attend Blackwell for her senior year). We know she and Kate had weekly tea parties, but given the short period of time they've known each other they couldn't have had more than a few of those.

Kate does have long-term friends - Stella and Alyssa. They've probably known each other for three years at that point, if not more. Max can find a photo of them with Kate in Kate's room. But they are nowhere to be found during Kate's crisis. Max even comments the find with "I didn't know they were friends", suggesting that as soon as the video started circulating, Stella and Alyssa began avoiding Kate. So Max, who didn't attend Blackwell in the preceding years, didn't even know they were supposed to be Kate’s friends. Max, the new friend, did everything in her power to help. Kate's so called long-term "friends" did nothing.

And Kate's father is a sorry excuse for a parent and for a man.

The video Victoria posted online shows Kate taking a few sips of a drink and immediately starting to behave erratically, before being removed from the party by Nathan. To any rational observer that was a date rape in progress. The victim was roofied and then the perpetrator removed her from the party under the guise of "taking her home".

Kate's father should have immediately removed her from Blackwell and brought her home, because she clearly was at risk of the worst things possible happening to her over there. And then he should have gone to the cops and sought justice for his daughter.

Instead, he sent Kate a letter saying that he forgives her and that he will always love her, no matter what. Forgive her what? Falling victim to a horrible crime? Kate's father's letter strikes me as something not motivated by genuine care for her, but as sanctimonious, phoney, self-serving, holier-than-thou virtue signalling. “Look at me, I forgave my wayward daughter”. The only result it could have had was making Kate feel guilty. And it did precisely that. When Max brings up Kate's father while trying to talk her down from the roof, Kate says that her poor father loves her, even though she disappoints him so much. WTF? He was disappointed in her because she fell victim to a hideous crime? It's clear that her father's "forgiveness" only increased Kate's burden, not lessened it.

In what world does it make sense for a father to learn that his daughter was most likely date raped and to send her an "I forgive you" letter, while doing nothing to protect her or to seek justice for her? And if Kate's parents don't know what roofies or date rape are, then they are clearly not qualified to prepare three daughters for the dangers they might face in the world.

So given the abysmal treatment of Kate by everyone in her family and friend group, with the sole exception of Max, I can easily imagine her developing very strong feelings for Max, her saviour.

But the thing that makes Marshfield not believable are Kate's religious beliefs. Now, Christians do not necessarily hold homophobic beliefs. There are some Christian denominations that even bless same-sex marriages. However, it seems to me that Kate's family belongs to one of the more conservative Christian denominations, which frown upon, if not outright condemn, same-sex pairings. At the roof, Kate clearly has a crisis of faith. She says that God didn't protect her from the horrible abuse she suffered. If that crisis of faith continued even after Max talked her down, she could possibly re-evaluate her beliefs. That could also mean re-evaluating or outright rejecting the belief that a girl romantically pursuing another girl is somehow inherently wrong.

But when Max visits Kate in the hospital, it's clear that her crisis of faith is no more. During her conversation with Max, Kate quite clearly says that she now believes just as strongly as before. That doesn't mean she couldn't re-evaluate her beliefs on homosexual relationships. We don't even know if she had a negative opinion on relationships like that in the first place. But assuming she did, her quick comeback to her previously held beliefs makes any change in that regard less likely.

[hongmingoo]

Untitled,

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x reader

Synopsis: Nothing could have ever prepared Wonwoo for this. Nothing. Those six months of preparation couldn't even help him stand on his feet now. His world has crumbled, shattered– destroyed beyond repair. 

Inspired by: I can't run away | SEVENTEEN HHU, In the stars | Benson Boone

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: MINORS DNI | Major character death, critical ilness, heavy angst, very slight mention of suicide, mental illness, self loathe, hurt. Let me know if i miss anything.

Today is another day of him walking through the day in mute, like a zombie. Wake up, cold shower, coffee, go to work, came home, ate dinner at Joshua's and went home to sleep. Before sleep, he washed up, and sat up at his desk to write a journal. To keep his sanity. His fingers caressed a photo of you, hidden in between the pages. 

Without warning, his tears fall yet again. He doesn't even remember when was the last time he could fully smile. His heart broke at the sight of you, his dearest, in a pale yellow summer dress, smiling so brightly while staring at the sun. Wonwoo wept, with all his heart until he fell asleep on the desk from exhaustion.

…

"Wonwoo-yah. I really appreciate you loving my sister this much. But you being like this broke my heart to pieces. Let her go, Wonwoo. It has been 5 years since she passed. I don't think Y/n would've wanted to see you in pain like this. Please, talk to us," Joshua, his brother-in-law said, his voice cracking a bit.They were in the middle of drinking. It was their weekly routine. 

Wonwoo raised his head to look up at him. He saw that tears were filling the waterline in his eyes. His lips turned up a bit in a sad smile. 

"I can't," the younger man croaked, his clenched fist raised in the air before punching at his chest weakly. Wonwoo choked on his own sobs before he broke down completely, for the nth time. 

His mind brought him back to the memory of 5 years ago.

He was still blissfully resting in your arms. But somehow, you looked restless. There was something on the tip of your tongue, but you couldn't bring yourself to say it. Of course, he noticed this so he asked you what was wrong.

"Do you remember that I said that I was going for a check up at the hospital last week? Because I collapsed the day before," you asked.

"Yeah. What about it?" He replied, looking up at you with loving eyes. You took a deep shuddering breath, and that somehow alerted him that he's going to hear something that he won't like. 

"I was diagnosed with cancer. The same one that killed my mom. And they're already in my backbone…" you uttered and Wonwoo felt like his gut had been punched very strongly. His ears are ringing and his breath hitches. When he doesn't reply, you added,

"The doctors predicted that I'll only have 6-12 months at most due to how fast they're progressing. I- I'm sorry, Won" you broke down, pulling him into your embrace when you see the broken expression plastered across his beautiful face. 

"Why are you sorry? It's not your fault, it's just–" he choked on his tears too, holding onto you so tightly. 

What he said was true, it wasn't your fault. None of these are. But somehow it felt like it was. You never want to make him cry, never want to be the reason for his sadness and misery. But, not telling him about this news just to avoid seeing him sad would be unfair to him. Wonwoo is your husband, your lover. He deserves to know. After all, it takes two sides to make a relationship work. 

"Let's try everything we can okay? Every possible treatment available. Every therapy, and every remedy we can find. You'll be with me all along the way, right?" You assured, trying desperately to lighten up the heavy air between the two of you. 

Your small hands cups his beautiful face, gently wiping away the tears that cascading down his soft skin. 

"I love you, Wonwoo. So so much" 

"I love you too, Y/n. Please don't leave me"

As promised, you guys tried every possible treatment you can, and you stayed strong through it all, no matter how painful it is for you. Wonwoo could see how battered your small body got after every chemo, but you still smiled so sweetly at him. It made him feel guilty at some point to see you hurting like that. But he's a selfish man. He wants you to be with him forever. He doesn't want you to leave him. Even though he painfully knows that you dying would mean you won't be hurting anymore.

It's in the middle of the fourth month that you collapsed again, and this time it takes you 2 attempts at CPR and 24 hours to regain consciousness. The guilt is eating away at Wonwoo, seeing you so weak and fragile– very much in pain. He couldn't bring himself to see you like this. And yet, he didn't say anything but wished you would fight through it all for him. Because you love him. And you wouldn't leave someone you love. 

But fate seems to hate him for thinking so, for being so selfish. 

2 weeks after the 6th month, you breathed your last, in his arms, with tears staining your pale face. Wonwoo hated himself for making you cry even in your last moments, that your last words being you're sorry, instead of saying you love him. 

In that moment, he was sure that you hated him too, for forcing you to go through all those painful chemotherapies, for taking disgusting meds, for not being able to be strong and let you go. You were sick and in pain, but he still clings to you like a child. 

And for that, he refused to forgive himself. He let himself be in the deepest darkness possible, loathes himself so much that no one could save him. He would then go see you and apologize for being so stupid. He believed that he was the reason that you were in so much agony. 

But, so deep in his heart, he desperately wished that you would forgive him. That you'd tell him it's okay, it was normal to be afraid. So that he can be free from his misery. He wished that you'd pet his head and tell him you still love him despite his stupidity, so that he can breathe properly again. 

That night, after 5 long years, you appeared in his dream. Looking so ethereal like a literal goddess. You took him in your loving embrace, kissed his face and hair so gently like he's so fragile. You let him weep in your arms for who knows how long. 

"I love you so much, Wonwoo. Please don't be in pain anymore" 

His eyes shot open, seeing he's passed out at Joshua's couch as usual. The windows are open a bit to let the cool air in. And for the first time in a while, he can breathe properly. The heavy feelings confining his chest have dissipated and he believed that it's your doing. 

"I love you, Y/n. Thank you for staying with me"

And that night, Wonwoo realized that you might not be there with him physically, but you'll always be there in his heart and mind. 

-Fin-