Daily Planner and Journal: 24.10.17 – Happy Anniversary to my Blog, Birthday Recap and “to-do lists” update

Good morning everyone,

First of all, I must wish a Happy Anniversary to my dear blog, Pink For Days. It’s been 9 whole months. Have I ever thought I would be blogging for so long. Never. But I’m so glad I started this blog and very happy for everything it has given me.

Happy 9-Month Anniversary to Pink For Days!

9 Months mean:

• 444 posts;

• 2 219 followers;

• 67 997 views;

• 20 518 visitors;

• 31 268 likes;

• 15 608 comments;

I couldn’t be happier or more proud of this blog and what it means to me. Thank you for your support. My readers are my motivation and joy. 

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Moving on, let’s talk about my birthday.

As you know, I turned 26 yesterday. I have mentioned I’m not so happy about my birthday this year, which is very unusual for me. My birthday used to be my favorite day of the year and, yesterday, I just wasn’t feeling it. It turned out to be a good day anyway, spent with Rui, followed by dinner with my family.

I got very nice gifts:

• 2 bags, black and brown. I was in desperate need of new bags for this season.
• A pair of beautiful black boots.
• A Fujitsu Instax Mini 9:

This Polaroid taking beauty! 

• A beautiful purple Chrysanthemum (I love getting plants).
• An earring stand, to organize my earrings.
• A makeup organizer for my vanity table.

I’m so grateful for all my gifts and I thank my dear family for them. They certainly know me well and do whatever they have to do to make me happy. Thank you, guys!!

My actual party is on Saturday and it has become much bigger than I was expected. It’s a barbecue party, in our Patio, on Saturday at 5 p.m.

My guest list:

1. Rui
2. Myself
3. My sister
4. My mother
5. My stepfather
6. My aunt
7. My aunt’s boyfriend
8. My brother-in-law (Rui’s brother)
9. My friend Alison
10. Her boyfriend
11. My friend Catarina
12. Her boyfriend
13. My friend Patricia
14. Her boyfriend
15. My best friend Ricardo (He can’t come)
16. My friend Déborah (I’m not sure she can come)
17. My friend Joana (she’s actually more of my friend’s friend than mine, but I like her so much and would like to become closer to her) (I hope she’s coming)
18. Her boyfriend (He’s invited but I’m not sure he’s coming)
19. My friend and former student Ery (has family over)
20. My friend and former student Raphael (will be out of the country)
21. Our friends Marlene and César (our favorite couple) (will be away for the weekend)

I have also invited a couple of Rui’s friends, but I have no idea if they’ll be able to come. My parents-in-law are obviously invited but won’t be able to come because they live 2 hours away and my father-in- law works Saturdays.

I’m not sure about the number of guests yet but I’m guessing it will be fun. I wish some people were still in my life so I could invite them but such is life.

Rui and I will make the cake ourselves. I also need to take a cake to work tomorrow because it’s tradition to take one when there’s a birthday. It’s supposed to be a homemade cake as well, so Rui and I will bake it tonight.

Enough about my birthday.

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Over the past few months, I have made countless to-do lists. I’ve realized I have never updated most of them. I know some of you are as obsessed with lists as I am, so I thought I might give you (and myself) a little update. Prepare yourself for a few big lists.

These tasks were supposed to get done before I began working again, but I think most of them have been ignored. Let’s check.

Color code:

1. No longer applies
2. Changes/justification
3. Need to get done
4. Done. Might need to be done again when it comes to housework

 

MY AFTER VACATION TO-DO LIST – AUGUST 16TH TO AUGUST 31ST (PART I)

 

SCHOOL AND WORK

• Study for the 3 exams I need to take in September to finish my degree in Languages, Literature and Cultures with a Major in North American Studies and a Minor in English. Sadly, I’m not able to take the 4 exams I need to take my second minor in History. The exams will be between September 5th and 7th and they are: Business English (I can do this one with my eyes closed, two broken arms and in a coma), Italian A 2 (I might be able to do this one with just one good eye and two broken arms, while juggling glasses) and North American Cinema (for this one I need to study my ass of because I have about 200, 475, 973 pages to read). I need to remember the sign up date which is from August 28th to August 31st. 
•  – Didn’t happen. No longer applies as I decided I was not healthy enough to take the exams. My memory and focus are still nonexistent and my stress levels need to be kept low, so I can manage my anxiety.
• Do some revisions and prepare material for my 8th and 9th grade kids. I haven’t taught Portuguese grammar since last year and I always need some revision. Sadly (or proudly) I know every single English grammar rule by heart but I can’t say the same about my own language. – There was no need. Apparently, I know more than I thought I did.
• Get the works of fiction and poetry they kids will be studying (Hello, Camões) because I don’t have all of them. I may need to borrow some from my sister and find others online.  – No need. There’s plenty of material at work.
• Make a list on all the books I have lent to old students and ask them to return them to me. There’s a bunch of people out there with my books.
• Return all of the ficking books I have from about 4 ficking libraries. I’m late and the old librarians will kick my butt.
• Buy a pencil-case!! (exciting) – Found a good one at home.
• Maybe wash my work bag? Maybe. 
• Get Rui to format my PC and then organize it.
• Take care of some social security/tax documents.
• I should probably get a school year planner instead of my yearly one. – Got one for 16 months.

 

MY AFTER VACATION TO-DO LIST – AUGUST 16TH TO AUGUST 31ST (PART II)

 

PERSONAL AND HEALTH

• I need to get on a sleep schedule. Right now my sleep is all over the place. I might sleep for 12 hours, if no one is there to wake me up. What are alarms for? Well, they’re useless if I can’t hear them at all and sleep through them. I need my sleep, I’m not one of those people who is happy and satisfied with 6-7 hours. I’ve done that and I can’t function properly. I need to be in bed with enough time to sleep 8-9 hours. I know that is too much for an adult, but it’s what I need. I might not sleep the 8 or 9 hours, but I need to be in bed for that long. I need to talk to my doctor and find a way to fall asleep faster, when I get to bed. I takes me 3 hours, sometimes. Other times, I need to get up and take an extra pill (prescribed by her, of course) or I can’t sleep at all. Problem is, the emergency pill is powerful. I take it at about 4 a.m if I’m not asleep by then, and then I sleep till 2 p.m, which is very bad. My doctor and I need to find a good balance and cocktail of pills so I can get in a good, healthy sleep routine. 
• Schedule a dental appointment. I haven’t been to the dentist for about 3 years? Shame on me, I know.
• You know that gynecology appointment I’ve been talking about since I’ve started the blog? It hasn’t happen yet. I REALLY need to take care of that as soon as possible.
• I need to go and do my blood tests and then schedule and appointment to show the results to my doctor. 
• Schedule an appointment to check on my back.
• Find a meal plan that works for me. I need to eat every meal at the same time.
• Make sure my clothes and shoes are ready and in good condition for work. Also, make sure they’re in the right place and organized. Look at my fall wardrobe (Although it only starts on September 21st) and see what’s good and what I need to buy. Go to a thrift store for whatever I need. They’re great for sweaters and cardigans. 
• Let my nails look half-decent. Which means stop biting them. Very hard.
• Create a beauty routine schedule, example: Monday – hair mask; Saturday – shave legs;
• Finish the two books I’m reading now and create and TBR list for the next few months.
• Go and spend one afternoon with my grandmother.
• Take my sister to the beach.  – Didn’t happen but she went with friends!
• Maybe get my eyes checked.
• Choose a back pain yoga video to alternate with my yoga for relaxation video.

 

MY AFTER VACATION TO-DO LIST – AUGUST 16TH TO AUGUST 31ST (PART III)

 

BLOG, SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE WORK

• Update my about page. I have written it 6 months ago when I started this blog and haven’t looked at it since. It’s been half a year so I’m changed, my life has changed, so I need to update it.
• I feel like I want to change some things about my blog. About its appearance, theme, maybe some features and widgets, categories, etc. It needs a bit of attention and organization. And nope, I’m not going self-hosted. It’s a personal choice that I still maintain.
• Take a look at my contact list on my phone. I’m sure there are people there I haven’t spoken to in about 20 years and will not speak again this century. Same for Skype.
• I do some work as a virtual assistant and I have about 2 deadlines to meet and expect to get more work this month.
• I need to pay some more attention to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin and Pinterest.
• I’m now part of a Portuguese bloggers Facebook group and I want to be active there. – Didn’t like it. No longer a part of.
• I’m also part of a Portuguese bloggers website and I need to explore it. – Above.
• I need to come up with a good, solid, blog schedule. 
• I need to film my “Anxiety and depression” related videos.
• I need to go back to publishing more than once a day. My views used to be between 400 and 600 and now can barely reach 200 daily. No way I’m okay with that.
• I’m currently at 1,853 followers, so I think I can expect to be at 2000 by the end of August?Maybe.
• I need to read about a month’s worth of blog posts from my favorite blogs. – Never happened, unfortunately. I’m always pretty late.
• I have about a million comments to answer too. 
• I have a bunch of links left by readers that I definitely want to check.
• I have about 30 awards posts to do. Not sure how I’ll go about them. – Gave up on them. I’m way behind.
• I’ll continue to work with my fellow blogger friends on our magazine. – Not published yet.
• I want to update my Goodreads account.
• I have to publish my H&M haul. – Never happened.

 

MY AFTER VACATION TO-DO LIST – AUGUST 16TH TO AUGUST 31ST (PART IV)

 

HOUSE CLEANING AND ORGANIZATION

• Clean kitchen appliances (microwave, fridge, freezer, oven, stove top, coffee machines, dishwasher, washing machine, iron), including behind and under;
• Deep clean surfaces in the bathroom – scrub bathtub, wash shower curtain, etc.
• Disinfect toilet, taps, rearrange bathroom shelves;
• Organize and deep clean office;
• Clean windows inside and outside;
• Clean and dust details – mirrors, pictures, knickknacks, door knobs, outlets, light switches;
• Clean medicine cabinet – throw away everything empty or expired, make a list to buy what’s needed;
• Organize closets, drawers, throw away everything that is not needed and in no condition to be sold or donated;
• Clean behind and under furniture;
• Wash sofa and seat covers, cushions, curtains, bedroom rug, pillows, mattress cover;
•  Clean and organize “pantry” – wipe down, throw away expired things, organize, make a list to stock up on things (food storage);
• Clean the kitchen sink and under the sink – get rid of empty bottles, etc.
• Clean TV and other electronic devices;
• Clean your vacuum cleaner;
• Clean doors and door frames, especially your front entry;
• Clean or patio, take out all trash;
• Dust ceiling lamps and cobweb the house;
• Empty all trash cans and clean them
• Sweep and de-clutter the outside storage unit;
• Clean inside kitchen cabinets and drawers;
• Get rid of old Tupperware containers;
• Organize papers;

 

I hope you guys like this huge post. It has definitely helped me remember a few things I need to get done. I’ve also realized I got more done than I thought, which is great.

As always, thank you for coming by.

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