Post formatting, being a slob, and a bit of WDW news

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Dear Reader,

Hello again! How are you? I’m doing okay. I have a lot of ongoing stressors that I’m struggling with, so my mood has been up and down. At the moment, though, I’m okay and I hope you are too.

Formatting

Yesterday, I came up with what topic I was going to write about today. I brainstormed ideas, selected a topic, and I thought I was all set. I’m trying to adhere to my new schedule for writing blog posts. Unfortunately, this morning I wasn’t inspired to write that post. I contemplated this more as I worked, and finally I decided what I did want to write. I mentioned this idea in my last post...the idea of writing posts with multiple topics. Of course, if I choose this path I’m doubling down even further on not listening to the advice I’ve found online! I’m supposed to choose one narrow niche, and write posts on that topic which are all connected. Umm…oh well. Apparently, I’m just super unfocused because writing a post on a single topic each time sounds boring. So, I’m going to rebel against that idea and write to my readers as I would a penpal. Since I’m not in this for the fame or profit, I think this is okay. I’ll be satisfied with a handful of readers that I get to know.

Confession: I am a slob.

One of my (many) current stressors is that my house is a mess and other stressors are preventing me from having the time I need to handle it. We have guests coming to stay at our house next week, so the scramble is on! Of course, keeping my house organized has always been a struggle for me. I just have more important things to do, you know? I’ve been a mess since I was a kid. Kid with the messiest desk in the class in elementary school- definitely me. In fact, I went through some pretty embarrassing (read: permanently scarring) times as a child due to my inability to keep stuff straight. I got this gift for clutter (and collecting) from my father. My mother is quite the opposite. So in my perpetual attempts to be a good little girl, I’ve tried very hard to keep a nice clean house in my adulthood. It’s only been reasonable because I constantly fight with it. I’m determined, stubborn, and I’m a pretty motivated person- I’m not usually lazy. Well, I’m tired of fighting with it. I want a house that’s always clean without feeling like an epic battle so I can relax night!

Enter a new blog/podcast/book I found: A Slob Comes Clean. While some of my personality traits have kept my slobbiness away from it’s potential maximum, I SO relate to Dana’s experiences. I discovered her website a couple weeks ago, and this past weekend I bought the ebook (I wanted a printed copy but it was not at my local bookstore). I’m a few chapters in and I love it. I recommend it, highly, if you are also a slob. Also, she’s made me feel less ashamed about the mess and I am readily embracing my character trait of “slob”. Her techniques, thus far in my reading, will be easily adapted into my normal (busy) life. Her techniques involve both a self-awareness mindset, as well as practical, small everyday habits. I’m optimistic now about making my clean house dream a reality and I’m sort of even looking forward to the process.

(Update while editing!): I read about “clutter threshold” last night. YES. I’m not skilled at handling the amount of stuff I have. It is as simple as that. It all makes sense now. I need less stuff.

(Yet another update before posting): From very thoughtful and kind family members I was offered a collection of Mickey stuffed animals that someone else was parting with. I said “no”! Despite my immediate gut reaction of “ooo, Mickey!” I brought to mind Dana’s discussion about clutter threshold and did what was best for me.

Anxiety is Making a Comeback

Over the past year or so, I’ve made a lot of progress learning how to keep my anxiety in check. My new normal mood is much more relaxed than it was a couple years ago. However, the past week has been quite challenging and I’ve been feeling overwhelmed often. This morning I had a surge of anxiety. I tried to quiet my brain, but there were too many thoughts. Trying to think about things while working was proving too stressful. Instead, I pulled out my bullet journal and went to the next blank page.

I wrote out everything that I was worried about. Then prioritized the worries in my mind. Next I looked to see what worries were location specific. There is no use worrying about getting my house clean for guests when I’m at work, right? Might as well focus on the work stuff at work and set the house stuff aside. I also told myself several times that the best I can do will be good enough. I don’t have to do all the things perfectly, as long as I try, it’ll be fine. This process helped immensely and I was able to get back on track after in a much better mood and with a clear mind.

(Another editing update): I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night with bouts of anxiety like I used to. My hours of sleep have dropped from 7.5 to about 5 hours. Ugh. I was trying to increase my sleep. Hrmpf. We’ll chat more about sleep soon- maybe next week? I’ve been working a LOT on sleep this year.

Despite how busy I’ve been, I’ve been relieving my stress with a bit of gaming every night before bed. I’m super into Two Point Hospital at the moment! I play it every night. It’s so fun. The lightheardness makes it the perfect game to lift my mood.

Despite how busy I’ve been, I’ve been relieving my stress with a bit of gaming every night before bed. I’m super into Two Point Hospital at the moment! I play it every night. It’s so fun. The lightheardness makes it the perfect game to lift my mood.

Walt Disney World News

And now for something completely different. Here’s a bit of news out of my favorite place on earth and my preferred vacation destination of choice:

  • Epcot’s nighttime show IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is going to be coming to an end! The show has been around for 20 years, so rumors of it’s replacement have been in the wind for awhile. Those rumors have now been confirmed- IllumiNations will be leaving in Summer 2019. I’ll need to make a point of getting a good spot to watch it during my upcoming trip in January.

  • Ziploc has launched a partnership with Disney and it’s resulted in a must-have souvenir for me. My apologies to my two friends and husband who are joining me on my next trip but I will be putting this souvenir as a PRIORITY. They are handing out the most adorable Ziploc bags at Splash Mountain (for your phone, etc… since Splash has no lockers). Go checkout this cuteness here: Disney Food Blog. I need a few of these.

A photo of myself and Brer Rabbit, the star of Splash Mountain!

A photo of myself and Brer Rabbit, the star of Splash Mountain!

Moving Forward

So...what did we think of this meandering ramble about a variety of different things? I’m going to continue trying it out because I had fun writing it, and there’s so many things I want to chat with you all about.

Speaking of that, what are some of the topics that sound most interesting to you?

Write here…