Do you still remember me? I know, I haven’t posted in about half a month.
I’ve been both busy and lazy and those are my reasons.
Since we haven’t talked for so long, I decided an update might be interesting, if you’re like me and like to know what people are up to. Or just so you know I’m not dead.
So, I’ll divide this update into categories, which will be published on different days.
Health:
I’ve been mostly feeling well, when it comes to my mental health. A few things give me anxiety, especially the students, when they are being difficult, but that’s just normal, every day stress.
I got the results for my CT scans and had an appointment with an orthopedist and my back are fine! The doctor I consulted before said it was really bad and that I should schedule an appointment with a neurosurgeon. Crazy woman. I don’t have any significant back problems, just bad posture, sitting for long hours and having weak back muscles. I haven’t had any complains since I began going to my water aerobics classes almost every day.
I’ve been drinking a very healthy amount of water. I get to 2 l on most days and I can drink even more on others. I think this is actually causing 2 issues: 1) My liquid retention is bad. 2) I can’t seem to hold my pee. Oh yeah, I’m mentioning my urinary issues on the internet. Maybe some of you have been there? I suddenly feel a very strong urge to pee and feel like I’m almost peeing my pants, which does happen some times. I mean, I don’t pee my pants, I just let out a few drops. This is new to me and very strange. I’m 26. Isn’t that too young to be incontinent?
My period was 48 days late. No, I’m NOT pregnant. No, I don’t have ANY health issues. It was just on vacation, I guess?
I’ve been eating somewhat right and in small amounts. I write down everything I eat using an app and I don’t even get to 2000 calories most days and always get the “You’re not eating enough” notification. Yet, I’ve gained weight. I’m currently at 93.2 kg. Funny thing is I’ve been walking more than ever (aiming for at least 10.000 steps each day) and I’ve been doing water aerobics and swimming almost every day of the week. It is very strange and discouraging. Maybe it gets worse before it gets better?
I’ve been track every single thing health-wise. I use several apps. Do you have a food or exercise journal? Pedometer? Do you track your calories or sleep?
This app, Flo is just perfect for women. You can track your whole cycle, so you know when your period is coming or if you are ovulating (for those trying to get pregnant. There’s also a “pregnancy mode”), your cervical mucus, symptoms of PMS, you’re sexual activity (again, for those trying to get pregnant or if you just want to know what you’ve been up to), your weight, your sleep, your physical activity (through another app), your steps, your calorie intake (again, through another app), your weight and your water intake. There’s also a community, meaning users can actually comment on different articles and topics and share experiences and problems. It’s just a really good app and I recommend it for sure.
Monday was not a very good day for me. I was still extremely tired from the weekend/birthday party and not feeling so well. It is kind of weird because I was in bed by 1 a.m on Saturday, slept until noon on Sunday, took about 2 naps and was in bed by 10.30. I’m so getting old.
We had done 0 for the party during the week so we had to get everything done on Saturday by 5 p.m. Thankfully, I had Rui and his brother who did most of the work, as I was very tired from a difficult work week and was extremely slow. Whatever they did in 10 minutes, took me 30. They trimmed the outside trees and cleaned the patio, we went shopping, we cleaned kitchen, living room and bathroom (there was no way we would manage to clean the bedroom and office), took the sofa covers to the wash station to be washed and dried, baked the cake (Rui did, I just made some butter cream icing and iced the cake), got the tables set and got everything ready for the party. Rui spent the whole night by the grill, feeding everyone.
By 6 p.m, guests were arriving, I was just out of the shower, trying to fit in the 3 dresses I had picked and not succeeding. I decided I would just throw on some pants and top and call it a day. I was too tired to get my hair done or put on makeup, wishing I had cancelled the party lol
The party was fun but also very stressful. Do you have any crazy, awkward, family members? Well, I sure do. Two family members decided it was very fun to get VERY drunk and spend the whole party in a corner, talking about life and sad things. When they were not being philosophical, they were being annoying and trying to hug me. My anxiety was building up. Thank God my mom and sister were there to handle the situation.
Same guests, plus a third one, decided it would be fun to turn my patio into a graveyard for cigarette butts. We don’t mind at all if our guests smoke outside. Not at all. But we DO mind the cigarette butts all over the floor. Do you know what we also mind? When guests decide it is a lovely idea to smoke a joint at my party in our patio. What the actual fuck? You DON’T smoke that shit at my house without even asking. You don’t smoke that shit at my house at all. I have NOTHING against weed. I don’t mind if people smoke it. Just don’t do it in my house. I have neighbors, my neighbors have kids and we have a neighbor who is a cop.
Imagine if someone complained about the noise (which they wouldn’t because it was a Saturday night and our neighbors are very nice people) and the police got there to find drugs… Not a very good scenario. Funny thing is that we didn’t even notice. My mom told me yesterday and I got extremely mad. Rui is pretty pissed as well. I’m sure some of our guests saw it which is pretty embarrassing.
Anyway, thank God that fucking party is over. Some people will never be invited to our home again. I’m not even sorry.
Well, it was fun anyway, as I got to spend time with very nice people. I got nice presents, which I will show you soon. I’ll do a post showing you all of my birthday gifts.
I’ve been having this stupid issue with sweets and food in general. I could eat sweets all day long. I crave them all the time and I must have something, otherwise I cannot focus on anything else. It’s bothering me because I know how unhealthy it is, because it makes me gain weight and because I HATE when I’m unable to control something. I wake up during the night and eat all kinds of shit and don’t even remember it properly in the morning. What the what? Am I sleep eating?
Steps I am taking to solve this issue:
Talk to my psychiatrist (I’ve texted her to call me and am waiting for her answer). She might be able to tell me if this has something to do with my medication or not and what I need to do in order to solve this issue.
If my psychiatrist cannot help I am scheduling an “eating disorders” appointment at my local clinic.
I might schedule a therapist’s appointment as well.
I am NOT buying any kind of sweets or candy to have at home.
I will start going to the gym.
I’m trying to have this “find a problem – think of how to solve it” approach. I hope this inspires you to do the same and just look at any problems or issues proactively.
I’ve just picked up my blood tests and, apparently, my cholesterol levels are pretty high. Oh shit. It’s the first time I have gotten such results. I really need to do something about it.
I have been buying things on Wish for about a month now. I’m very sad to report that 50% of my purchases come with some kind of issue, usually related to poor quality, damages or wrong number.
How disappointing.
However, I must say that they are very helpful and quick to solve the problem and provide a refund.
Do you shop on Wish?
Have you had any issues?
I am definitely interested in knowing your experience with this store/app.
I began writing a post and then I had to stop and forgot all about it. I’ll show it to you, just because it took me a while to write it and I don’t want to waste a few paragraphs.
I am writing this post at 6.30 p.m. I usually write in the morning but today I started work at 2.30 p.m and my morning just flew by. They just do nowadays.
I am in front of the computer by 9.30 a.m or 10 a.m and don’t have to be at work before 4 p.m or 5.pm. It seems like I have a lot of available time for my other work related tasks (job), blogging and other things I need to do, right?
I do, in theory, but my mornings and early afternoons go by so fast. I have this list of things I want to get done and then I’m unable to actually do them all, because when I look at the clock it’s 3 p.m already.
Does this happen to you?
Then, in the afternoon, the time I spend with the kids, between 2 and 5 hours each day, never seems to be enough for all of the materials I want to work with them. We do homework support and test preparation, organizing notes, picking worksheets and exercises. They never seem to finish them, mostly because they talk too much and get distracted all the time but, for me, the classes feel like minutes instead of hours.
Anyway, this is pretty useless talk lol
I just wanted to share this feeling and ask you if you ever feel the same, like you need more hours in your day.
Yesterday I got home to a few online order deliveries, which makes me very happy because I love getting stuff in the mail.
Some things are for customers but I also received a watch and a ring I had bought from Ebay. I’ll take pictures of them and post here tomorrow.
Damn, I’ve just realized I forgot to order a watch to my friend Lyz, as I had promised her! Shoot, I’ve also just remembered I have yet to order the gift for Amanda, as she won the Best Love Story Giveaway. OH MY!! I remembered I haven’t mailed some postcards for my friends. I mean to send them about 2 weeks ago.
Oh my, 3 things I forgot to do in one paragraph. Need to take care of them ASAP.
What have I done today?
Nothing unusual. I have worked a bit on a few things, managed to watch 2/3 of the latest episode of This is Us. I have also worked 5 and a half hours with the kids. Two hours of overtime.
Okay, so you get the idea.
It is now 10.04 a.m and I’m already at work. I don’t have to work until 5 p.m but I come earlier to catch a ride with Rui and spend my day working online either here or at the library. My boss knows I come so early and that I used to stay and the library and she insisted I was welcome to stay in a classroom of my choice, instead of the public library, and she gave me a set of keys. She’s just the best.
I’m leaving work 30 minutes earlier today because I have 2 CT scans and an x-ray scheduled for 7 p.m and I need to get to the hospital on time, so Rui is picking me up at 6.30 p.m. Have you ever had a CT scan? I’m a bit scared because it looks extremely tight and white and loud and claustrophobic. I may have watched way too many episodes of House, which doesn’t help at all because people would often crash while having one of those scans lol
I have to get it done either way so… yeah.
Oh, my crush…
Things I need to get done today:
Get my scans done.
Work from 5 to 6.30 p.m.
Harass Amazon customer service because they are definitely screwing me over.
Talk to a couple of clients.
Write everyone’s grades on our grade wall.
Organize some papers in our classroom and take a few copies.
Write a list of things Rui and I need to do for my party.
Confirm who’s coming and get a final guest list.
Bake a cake to bring to work tomorrow.
Answer comments.
Does it sound like a lot? I hope I can get everything done.
I’m coming to you a bit later today, for no special reason. I have just been doing other things this morning. Plus, I have already posted my 7th Student Wisdom post a couple of hours ago. Many readers and friends have told me how much they enjoy this series and how it makes them laugh every time. Since the kids and their crazy minds are not going anywhere and because they are very good at providing wise material each they, I will keep these coming for sure. I really love them too. I think of them as a little record of my daily classes as well.
First of all, and because I have forgotten about it several times, I need to tell you about my new dry shampoo. This is not a sponsored post at all because 1. I’m not that famous and 2. I’m unfortunately not getting any free stuff and 3. I’m no beauty blogger at all.
My can says “Britain’s nº1” so many of you probably know this product already but, because I live in Portugal a cage, I had never seen it until now. I found it at the grocery store for 3 something because it was 30% of, I think. Yes, I should know exactly how much it cost and the exact discount and all but, as I’ve mentioned, I’m no beauty blogger. I do have the receipt so I can find out if it comes to that.
Why do I love this product?
Well, when I first heard about dry shampoo I was pretty confused. Dry? I mean, how does it make any foam? Duh…
Anyway, I bought my first can of dry shampoo, after actually realizing what it was and reading about it on several blogs and websites. It was something fairly new here (at least to my knowledge) and I could only find one brand. If I remember it correctly I think it was either Syoss or Tresemmé. It was kind of expensive for the amount of product. I paid about €5, I think and it didn’t even last a month.
I know what you’re thinking: “you should wash your hair more often you dirty pig” and I can say, in my defense, that I was THEN washing my hair every other day and using it only on day 2. Still, it was kind of expensive. I fell in love with it but can’t remember if it got discontinued or if I gave up on it. I have recently been looking for some dry shampoo (because I’m a dirty, dirty pig) and couldn’t find any options so maybe there aren’t that many to be found at grocery stores. I decided I would buy baby talc, since I had read about using it as a cheaper (and cancerous) option. The day after I bought said carcinogen, I found this lovely product.
Finally… (finally) why do I love this product:
It smells amazingly. The scent is “floral and flirty” which describes me perfectly. Not. I have yet to find out what flirty smells like as I can only identify the floral part.
I am on DAY 4 of not washing my hair (because I’m a dirty, dir… you know) and it looks presentable. Bonus points because I didn’t even apply it today. That’s right, I used it yesterday and my hair looks rather clean(ish) today. Of course I must wear it on a ponytail because my hair gets all sorts of wacky if I brush it while dry and you have to brush it in order to get rid of the dry shampoo powder.
It works well (when it comes to wackiness) if I use the dry shampoo before bed, brush it, wet it a little but (NOT close to the roots) and sleep with it on a braid. Next day my hair is clean and cute enough to wear down.
So, how many times a week do I wash my hair with actual water?
I read on someone’s blog (from blogger not WordPress so not one of our million family members) that they only wash their hair once a week. That’s my dream. Less hassle, less time in the shower, less hair damage. I washed my hair on Monday morning so I’m actually dumb and this is not day 4 but 3. I would be very happy if I could wash my hair on Sunday night and never again (for the week, not in life). That would be really awesome. Can it hold that long?
Would you like me to try it and post pictures of my hair each day?
I’m probably try it anyway so I might as well take pictures and let you know, right?
Sorry, for wasting exactly 785 words on hair. Moving on.
I wish I could be as hot/sexy/gracious as this cow
As the title of this post suggests, I decided I would give you a list of the things I have been doing right and the things I have been doing wrong, meaning where I have improved and where I’ve been a bad, bad girl.
I’ve just remembered I never told you about my last Psychiatrist’s appointment which is stupid because I kind of started this blog to talk about my mental health and all that.
My last appointment went really well and my doctor was very happy about my improvements. I do feel SO MUCH BETTER. I have been in a very dark, deep place. More than once. More than twice. Sometimes for months, even years. I now feel better than I have felt in a long time. Sure, I had moments of improvement, excitement and I thought I was cured. Then I had relapses and realized depression (bad, though, deep clinical depression) is not “curable”. If you have it in your genes (I do) and if you have had it more than once and for such a long time, it is probably something you will have to live with for a long time/ever. That and the fact that I have been diagnosed as bipolar type 2, even though we are not 100% sure about it, have made me think of my depression as alcoholism, for example. Once you become an alcoholic, you are always an alcoholic. You need to monitor your addiction and to be very careful about your health and mental space.
That’s what I need to do. Take care of myself, body and mind, identify triggers and stay away from them, take care of small symptoms before they become and actual crisis and manage (as much as I can) stress, emotions, pressure, tiredness and my workaholic tendencies. I also need to make sure I do exactly as I am told, when it comes to medicine, keeping appointments and all of those things that are the foundations of my mental well-being.
So basically I’m doing better than I have in years, my doctor is pretty happy about it, people are starting to notice my improvement and I’m down half a pill a pill each day (it’s something!!).
What I’m doing right:
I’m never late nowadays. (After a very shameful past)
I go to bed early most days (around 11)
I wake up early and without a fuss
I’m taking better care of my skin (just my face but better than nothing)
I’m blogging every day (this week)
I’m more present on social media, posting something every day and trying to keep up with everyone a bit
Packing everything I need for the day (not forgetting my phone or keys or charger)
I’m keeping up with my doctor’s appointments and health checks
My plants are all alive
I haven’t had as many nightmares
I have been reading more
I have listened to music almost every day
I have been learning and telling more jokes
I have been having breakfast every single day
What I’m doing wrong:
I’m not drinking as much water as I was in the Summer. I’m obviously not as thirsty in when the weather is colder but my body needs it just the same.
I’m not exercising or doing my yoga at all.
I haven’t been writing on my planner as I used to, which is not that great since I have the memory of a fish with Alzheimer’s.
My house looks like I have 5 kids and 3 dogs. There are clothes everywhere, papers everywhere, shoes all over, I need to clean ASAP
I haven’t been keeping up with the Kardashians your blogs
I don’t talk to friends and family as much as I would like to
I’m bad at answering: comments, text messages, emails, whatsapp, messenger, calls and carrier pigeons
I bite my nails all the time
To-do list update: (There won’t be one today because it’s already 4 p.m)
TO-DO LIST – 18/10/2017
Tell my sister about the skin care products I no longer use and am passing on to her. I want to get rid of it and they will be good for her skin. There’s an eye cream, a day cream with 20 SPF (her skin is a few tones darker than mine so 20 is enough for her), a night cream which is extremely moisturizing (she has very dry skin), a cleanser and some micellar water. She’s basically winning the lottery lol; – Forgot!!
Show my students how angry I am and be mean for a few days, so they can see how their actions have consequences. The whole class is paying for the bad behavior because, when you are part of a group, everyone’s actions affect the whole group. Maybe they’ll learn something from this; – Oh yes. I was Professor Bitch for the day!
Write a second article for the same client as yesterday; – Not yet.
Answer a few customers (about the things I sell) – I answered to about…1.
Please, please, please let me have the strength to clean my bathroom; – HAHAHA
Read a few blogs and answer comments. Seriously! – I did. About 10? Maybe not.
Decide if I’ll make another dental appointment. If I didn’t like the dentist so much I would never go back there, but she is the best doctor I have ever met (when it comes to dentists); – I’ll go back but I’m being grumpy and waiting to schedule.
Get my umbrella from the garage because it’s raining I might need it; – Still raining. Never thought about the damn umbrella again…
Change our sheets; – …
Work from 2.30 p.m to 6 p.m; – Of course!!
Trim the my hair ends, fix my eyebrows a little, maybe wax? – I did fix my eyebrows a little. Not enough.
I’m already at over 1700 words so I’m just discreetly leaving the room. Goodbye. Love. x
Hello dearest WordPress population and fellow blogging neighbors and friends!!
I’m alive!!
I have been busy as you can probably tell by my absence.
I thought I would take the time to update you on whatever I’m doing these days:
Health:
I have actually missed work today because I’m dealing with a nasty cold since Friday. So far I’ve had to miss a wedding on Saturday, work and a birthday dinner today. Damn you cold. Damn you sinusitis that shows up whenever I have a cold just to torture me even more.
Mental Health:
I’m so much better. Really, I mean it. I haven’t had anxiety or panic attacks in months. I haven’t been feeling any of the usual depression symptoms. I think I’m finally on the right medicine combination. I feel well, I sleep well and I’m generally happy. Being busy might also have a role to play in this. I thrive on being a busy bee and having a task list.
Work:
I’m so happy with my job. The kids are both cute, funny and difficult but I love working with them. My colleagues are so nice. I feel like I’ve won the job lottery. It’s the first time I actually feel 100% fulfilled with a job.
My freelance work is going great as well. No lack of work. There’s always something coming up and I love the work I do and the extra money I get besides my salary. It’s good to be able to have a side income and a pretty good one, thank God.
Home:
Well, we definitely need to do some cleaning. It hasn’t been a priority which I understand and accept but it still bothers me. We have been wearing clothes directly from the laundry basket for way too long.
Reading:
I have been reading more because I’m now used to reading kindle books on my phone. I think I’ve told you I finished After You. Then I began The Substitute by Denise Grover Swank, which is part of the series and the first book I’ve ever read by this author. It was fun to read, I would give it 4 stars, considering the genre and quality of writing. If I think about great classics I would probably give it a 2 but I need to be fair.
Then I read another book in just one day. I was bed-ridden on Saturday and didn’t have internet so reading was my only hope, while everyone else was stuffing themselves at the wedding. I read Golden Chancesby Rebecca Hagan Lee. Another series (period one) and another author I did not know. I would give this book 4 stars as well, despite the fact that I liked it more than the latter. Different genres and I know I favor this one. It’s about 350 pages but I started it and finished it in a few hours.
I then began Diary of a Sex Addict’s Wife: The First Year, which is pretty good so far. It’s exactly what the title says. A woman discovers that her partner of 20 years has been having sex with prostitutes and hiring escort services for the last five. The book is about her thought process in dealing with such discovery and with what her marriage has become. There’s a lot of pain and doubt and loneliness and broken trust.
Watching:
Outlander has come back to me. Rui loves it too after watching the first 2 seasons so we’re enjoying season 3 together. It’s such a good show. Please watch it. I plan on reading the 8 books the series is based on.
American Horror Story season 7 has begun and, as always, I’m not convinced yet. Too weird. Three episodes in and I have no idea what it is all about.
I’m finishing season 4 of The Tudors. I’m going to miss it, actually. It’s been fun watching the life of Henry VIII unfold. They have just executed his 5th wife, Catherine Howard, for adultery. That’s where I’m at.
I have also watched Annabelle: creation expecting it to be the shittiest ever and was surprised to find it was not that bad, at least in my humble opinion. Most people I know that have watched it found it pretty bad but both Rui and I enjoyed it.
I want to watch It as soon as I get the chance.
Well, I guess this is pretty much it for today.
Have you been reading my Student Wisdom posts? My students say the funniest things.
Don’t forget you can pretty much always find me on Instagram and I would really love it if we could be friends on Goodreads so I can snoop on what you’re reading!! (Both bottom of the page)
Is it me or a bunch of people are taking a break from blogging?
Maybe because it’s Summer? Or because everyone is a little tired?
I told you I would come back today with part II of my list of things I need to take care of before September. Yesterday was School and Work (Academics in general too) and today I’ll talk about personal and health related tasks. Some of them I’ve been putting off for a long time, you’ll be surprised to know I haven’t done some things I’ve been talking about for the last six months yet. Welcome to my procrastination side.
My to-do list – From August 16th to August 31st:
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 gynaecology 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.
I should be doing a What’s Up Wednesday post today but I’m lazy and I don’t feel like doing it. It’s a very calm day, I feel well, just a bit tired. I’m spending time with my sister and Rosa. Even if I didn’t want to spend time with Rosa, I would be forced to, as she makes sure she follows me around all day, every day.
I have a TON of laundry to fold and a ton of laundry to do. I’m taking care of the latter, having a load drying and another one in the washer. I’m super lazy recently haha, what can I do? I still have a small to-do list for today:
Call back to know about interview results. It’s been a week.
Answer emails.
I was approved for one of those online projects as a freelance writer and I need to get the details straight and start working on the project. The other is almost settled as well, which is great.
I need to answer comments, I have so, so many.
I also need to read blogs, I’ve been lacking in that department.
I need to unload the dishwasher and then load it again.
I need to cook dinner.
I need to go and buy some medicine I finished yesterday.
I have to water the garden and take care of the plants.
I need to drink enough water and keep up with the healthy snacks.
I will listen to my relaxing music before bed, as I’ve done every day.
I want to read a few chapters of the two books I’m going through.
I’ll watch the last episode of The Handmaids Tale, and I’ll miss it. Have you watched it/read it?
I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow for my back. I’ve had back problems since I was a child, so I need to pay them some attention.
I’ll now show you an updated list of the movies I was supposed to watch this month:
Day 1: The Godfather
Day 2: The Godfather: Part II
Day 3: Casablanca
Day 4: Memento
Day 5: Sunset Boulevard
Day 6: Requiem for a Dream (I’ve started but not finished, a bit weird for me)
Day 7: Before Sunrise
Day 8: Lion
Day 9: Les Miserables
Day 10: Babel
Day 11: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Day 12: Munich
Day 13: The Aviator
Day 14: Pulp Fiction
Day 15: Suicide Squad
Day 16: Inception
Day 17: It
Day 18: It’s a Wonderful Life
Day 19: Selma
Day 20: Apocalypse Now
Day 21: Cinema Paradiso
Day 22: To Kill a Mockingbird
Day 23: Rebecca
Day 24: Winter’s Bone
Day 25: Hotel Ruanda
Day 26: Mystic River
Day 27: Chicago
Day 28: Beauty and the Beast
Day 29: The Zookeeper’s Wife (I need to finish this one. I was watching it and it started to act funny. I need to “buy” another version)
Day 30: The Shack
Extras:
The Truman show
Many documentaries and YouTube videos on various topics
Poldark
Game of Thrones
North and South
The Handmaids Tale
I’m starting Upstairs, Downstairs today. Do you have any TV series suggestions? I’m especially fond of period dramas. That’s my thing as you can probably tell.
I also want to share the albums I’ve been listening to on Spotify, to relax before bed:
I go to “moods” and choose “sleep”.
Then, my favorite albums are:
Peaceful Piano
Jazz for Sleeping
Peaceful Guitar
Night Rain
Sleep Tight
There are several just called “sleep” which are very good as well.
These help me with anxiety and to unwind and feel sleepy. It has become a nightly ritual I look forward to, just being in the dark, earplugs, soft music and relaxation. I highly recommend it.
I’m off now. Which movie, from the list, do you think I should watch tonight?
Good morning everyone. I hope you’re having a lovely Thursday.
Any complaints? I hope not.
Yesterday I ended up fill up the dishwasher, doing my yoga routine (which felt amazing), taking a nice shower and listening to some guided meditation. There was no night snacking, thankfully.
That being said, my main priorities for today are:
Drink 2 l of water;
Eat well – protein, 5 portions of fruits and veggies, avoid sugar and cut carbs to about 1/3 of what you use to eat;
Take your meds on time;
Walk 1112 steps, at least. I’ve downloaded a pedometer and that is the my goal, a higher number than yesterday.
10 minutes of guided meditation;
30 minutes of reading;
30 minutes of adult coloring;
20 minutes of yoga;
20 minutes of listening to music;
Watch a movie;
And my tasks – non priorities, are:
1 and a half hours of gardening + half an hour of yard cleaning.
I need to do a few loads of laundry; And put them away immediately, before they pile up; If it doesn’t rain.
I really need to find a way to trick Rosa into giving her parasite medicine and cleaning her ears and teeth. I bet I won’t, she’s sneaky.
Empty Betty and fill her up again;
Clean all floors;
Read and comment blogs;
Clean kitchen;
Cook dinner;
What else can you expect today?
My Perfect Party Series on Life as Easy as.
2 posts on Instagram;
2 posts on twitter;
1 post on Facebook;
A poll!! I haven last week);e 4 pairs of shows I was thinking on giving away. I’m not so sure now. You guys will help me decide if I keep them or donate them;
First of all I would like to thank you for your kind words regarding my recent diagnosis. It’s really not as bad as you think. I’m fine. I’m not happy that I have to take a pill for the rest of my life but, if that’s what it takes to be healthy and happy, I would take 10 (which I currently do, but it won’t always be like this). I will do a full post to explain more about Bipolar Disorder Type 2 but, until then, and because I noticed that some of you are worried about me (which makes me feel loved and I thank you for that), you could read an article or two, so you can understand that it is not as bad as type 1 and that I could be much worse. I
‘m feeling positive and trying not to let it get to me. I know I’m sick right now and that’s just what I have to deal with, so I will. But I’m fine and happy and being well taken care of. Don’t you worry about me, please.
It broke my heart that my best friend called me from Vienna crying because she was worried about me and wished she was closer.
(Catarina, you’re a true friend and I love you with all my heart and miss you every single day. I know you’re reading this because you always do)
Please feel free to ask me ANY questions, I have no issues in answering them and I’m happy I’m strong enough to talk about this. Maybe I’ll help someone realize that they might need to get checked or that they need help. Maybe I’ll make someone feel less lonely. If I reach one person, I’ll be happy.
I’m sorry if you don’t like to read about mental illness, some people are so scared of it that they even refuse to acknowledge it and others are bothered by the subject, because it tends to be quite negative. But this is my blog and I will mention my struggles and be honest and open.
I would also like to update on the situation in my country and thank you so much for your prayers. We are doing better, thankfully. The number of deceased is now 64. The injured count has come up quite a bit, from 62 yesterday to over 100. The fires are being controlled and I don’t think any villages or homes are in danger at this point.
We are an amazing country and we’ve pulled up our sleeves and began to donate money, food and water (some people have even donated clothes, furniture, construction materials, appliances) and doing everything we can so this people can get back on their feet as soon as possible. We have donated so much that it got to a point where we were told to stop sending supplies, as the fire departments didn’t have enough space to store so much food.
Everyone has come together to help and it makes me so happy. We’ll be fine, although we are mourning those who lost their lives. The suffering their families are going through, we can’t take away, unfortunately.
I’ll update you on my to-do list now:
Take out the recycling; – Oops, I didn’t, it was too hot to go up the street;
Do some gardening. I have two new plants and I need to plant a few more seeds, along with moving and transplanting some plants; – Again, too hot. I did wet my plants a little during the afternoon so they can endure the heat and I’ll water them in a few minutes;
Do some laundry. – Did two loads;
Get Betty to work on some dishes; – She did;
Cook dinner; – I did;
Fold and put away all the laundry; – Not all of it, but yes;
Bathe Rosa and give her the flea medicine. Clean her ears; – Mr.R did this;
Study for Classic Ancient History for at least 3 hours, with as many breaks as I need; – I haven’t touched it. My new medication is making it really hard for me to focus on studying and reading but I’ll try to study later tonight, maybe I’ll be able to get into it.
Drink enough water, 2 l as it is extremely hot; – I did;
Do my yoga; – Haven’t yet;
Read blogs and respond to comments; – Will do so now;
Get my materials ready for tutoring on Tuesday; – I’m actually not doing it, as the lady who was supposed to contact me (my friend’s boss), didn’t;
Read 30 pages of the book I’m trying to finish; – I’ve read a few but I don’t think I’ve read 30 pages;
It didn’t go that bad, considering my doctor has just increased my medication and introduced a new medicine. This change in medication, along with the depressive period in itself, take away my energy and make me really tired, sleepy and week. What I do is alternate my tasks with little naps or laying down for a while.
I’ll finish with a few random photos because I know you like them.
I’m back to my normal life after yesterday’s adventures. Still not knowing what might suddenly kill me if I touch it. I’m exaggerating a bit (Am I?). I’m still staying away from oatmeal and will only try to eat it on Saturday and Sunday, when hubs is at home and can save me if I need rescue from my allergic hell. It was the weirdest situation ever. I’ve never been allergic to a single food or product, I touch detergents, cleaning stuff, plants and weeds and dirt with my bare hands and I’ve never had an issue, aside from the usual rose-bush that decides to stab me. I’ve been known to use hand cream on my face and have no issues. So, I have no idea. It was even weirder because it was all hot (literally) and heavy for about an hour and then vanished, on its own, not becoming life threatening. I thought they were going to draw blood, maybe do an allergy test and so I was thinking “please don’t be gluten” all the time. That would really complicate my life and make my grocery bill very expensive. They didn’t do shit but I have eaten gluten since which makes me think that it isn’t the culprit. Should I pay a very expensive allergy test elsewhere (that some people say it’s useless) because of an isolated event? Still deciding if it’s worth it. Now I’m on some allergy meds that make you fat because they have cortisone. Cortisone makes you retain fluids and bloat. I only have to take it for 4 days so, hopefully, I won’t gain any weight from it.
Do I have a to-do list? Sure. Whatever I was planning on doing yesterday:
I’m going to focus on the kitchen. I haven’t washed any dishes since about Thursday or Friday, so everything is a huge mess. So, in the kitchen I should:
Wash the enormous pile of dishes;
Clean the microwave, wash the microwave plate;
See what has spoiled in the fridge (and then slap me on the face because my goal for 2017 is not to waste food), clean the shelves, above the fridge, behind and under;
Clean the shelves and everything that is on them because it gets dust;
Clean the coffee machines;
See if my bunch of watercress is still possible to save and make a soup;
Take out the trash;
Clean the table;
Clean the counters;
Vacuum and mop the floor;
Make some jello;
Cook dinner;
Maybe bake some cupcakes? I have a new decorating kit!!
Second point of focus in laundry. It was raining so I’m a bit behind but today the weather is good;
I should also change my sheets;
I would like to plant some flower seeds and do some gardening but I’m not sure I’ll have the time because Rui is coming home at 4.30 and we’re going grocery shopping and to a gardening store because I want some more seeds and some rubber gardening gloves (better safe than sorry, right?);
When it comes to blogging, today you can expect “The Perfect Party blogging series”, featuring Elsie. It should have been up by noon but I didn’t have time to prepare it yesterday. I’m usually so organized and like to plan things ahead but, apparently, when it comes to blogging, I’m a bit more spontaneous and do things on the day they’re being published or the day before (very rare). So I’m sorry, but I’m going to publish it later.You can also expect my challenge posts from yesterday and today, which are the final ones! The month is over.
I’ll leave you with a photo dump of pictures that I took yesterday, to show you my garden, my plants and the outside of my home.
Our gate from the inside. If you look closely you can see our garage door on the other side and the gate to our vegetable garden.Just a pretty bush. Have no idea what it’s called. Does anyone know?On my desk 🙂My gigantic succulentNo idea what this plant is, but you can see my little plants growing on both sides!My hydrangeas are finally blooming this year. I think regular watering and the fact that Rosa has stopped messing with them helps.Another little (but growing like a weed) succulent on my bathroom sink. The pot used to be a mason jar.Closer look at hydrangeasJust love this tree that goes above our doorLittle outside table is full of plants. This one is one my vanity, by my bedroom windowTwo little succulents on my vanity tableThe beautiful tree I was talking about
Our second bedroom window and a little outside storageUsed to hate this plant and its flowers. I love it now that I’ve taken care of it
More plants: Thyme, chrysanthemum and daisy Two beautiful trees that meetThe previously hated plant againBetter look at our little outside table: Rose bush (green pot), succulent, bonsai (back there), three plants I have no idea and a vine (bush?)Some bindweed I don’t know what to callMy dressing table succulents once againRosa photobombingI really need to find out what this bush is
Our big pine tree. That’s our kitchen window
Parsley looking gorgeous!Where our trees meet
My bathroom chrysanthemum. He loves it there. Maybe the moisture?
Better lookOur kitchen/front doorRose treeHydrangeasMy little plants growing (I think these are my sunflowers, I’m dumb and forgot what I planted in each bed)Our cute mailboxFront/Kitchen door
Thyme
Our spearmint
These photos were taken with my phone and have no editing. I think they look good and even pretty. I hope you like taking a look at our little yard that we love so much.
See you later.
P.S Plant people, help me with the bush!! (sorry, that sounds bad)
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