Chrissy Munder's Blog, page 47
November 11, 2014
Grab your needles and start donating!
Well, if I thought October was a lost month, November is swiftly jumping on the same bandwagon. Yeehaw! But, I'm on time enough to know yesterday was the Marine Corps Birthday (something you memorize your first year w/a Marine) which means today is Veteran's Day and a good time to share a couple of ways we celebrate year round.
First up is Knit Your Bit. I repeatedly post this link because it's a great one. First launched in 2006 by the National WWII Museum, this campaign has grown to have a tremendous reach with over 30,000 scarves donated to veteran centers. Visit their website and grab a couple of free patterns (both knit and crochet) and get going. They even have a Facebook group you can join.
Second is one of my favorite organizations Soldiers' Angels Sewing and Crafting team . If you like to sew more than knit or crochet there's plenty of craft items to make and donate. Including: No-Sew Blankets, Lap Blankets. Beanies, Wheelchair/Walker Totes, Ditty Bags, Trach/Stoma Bibs, Catheter Bag Cover, Cool Scarves, Sand Scarves, and Drawstring Pillowcase Bag. Instructions for each item are available on the team page.
Third is Scarves with a Purpose. What can I say? I'm a crocheting fool. This way I can donate my handiwork to the homeless and not clutter up the house. It's a win/win. More patterns available at the site.
What more excuse do you need to go out and buy yarn year round?
First up is Knit Your Bit. I repeatedly post this link because it's a great one. First launched in 2006 by the National WWII Museum, this campaign has grown to have a tremendous reach with over 30,000 scarves donated to veteran centers. Visit their website and grab a couple of free patterns (both knit and crochet) and get going. They even have a Facebook group you can join.
Second is one of my favorite organizations Soldiers' Angels Sewing and Crafting team . If you like to sew more than knit or crochet there's plenty of craft items to make and donate. Including: No-Sew Blankets, Lap Blankets. Beanies, Wheelchair/Walker Totes, Ditty Bags, Trach/Stoma Bibs, Catheter Bag Cover, Cool Scarves, Sand Scarves, and Drawstring Pillowcase Bag. Instructions for each item are available on the team page.
Third is Scarves with a Purpose. What can I say? I'm a crocheting fool. This way I can donate my handiwork to the homeless and not clutter up the house. It's a win/win. More patterns available at the site.
What more excuse do you need to go out and buy yarn year round?
November 4, 2014
Pssst: a little birdy told me ...
There so much to be thankful for! Including
@Dreamspinners
#TweetAway celebration. They're giving away a free ebook everyday the entire month of November. Want to add to your romance collection? Just follow them on
Twitter
and watch their tweets for the link. Each giveaway link is good for an hour and only happens once a day.
October 31, 2014
Happy Halloween!
Because, really - we're never too old to enjoy playing dress-up. :)
October 10, 2014
chrissymunder @ 2014-10-10T14:48:00
Humph. My 1:00 PM appt was a no-show and rather than wearing my grumpy-pants face I went in search of a smile. Having found it, I am compelled to share. Here's a shot of the Fat Boy and Friend. Enjoy.
October 9, 2014
To NaNo or not to NaNo - as well as time flies, turning blue, and the placebo effect.
It's been far longer than I thought since I hopped on for a quick post. I'll blame the gorgeous fall weather (colored leaves! sunsets! deserted beaches to walk on!), the busy personal life, and of course, the writing and editing that I'm still wading through. I'm going to meet these 2014 goals or turn blue trying. :) We've also been hit with the generally icky funk going around, and while Mr. Munder is far worse off than I, it's not been a picnic.
NaNoWriMo is around the corner and I'm torn - I thought this was the year I was going to give it a try but there's still those goals I set earlier in the year to get through. I want to finish what I started and not get distracted by the shiny and cool. So I may have to pass this year and look forward to the next. I could try to work this into my already set goals, but that will depend of if I get the editing/rewriting portion of things done and can focus on new writing. Yeah, I'm still undecided.
Do you NaNo?
I'm also compelled to share a link I'm currently fascinated by: Binaurural Beats for Cold and Flu Relief. I can't tell you if any success I had was due to placebo effect or not, but I can say I listened to this with headphones on and by the time it was over my nose was unstuffed and I have so far (knock on closest wood surface) avoided any drugs. Since usually the slightest head cold zombies me for three weeks, turns into the infection from Hell, and heads immediately into my chest - I'm all for the placebo effect.
I'd love to hear from anyone who might try this themselves. Do you feel it did you any good? Did you feel remarkably silly? Am I just crazy? (No, please don't feel compelled to answer that). Try it and let me know. :)
Now, back to editing and those 2014 goals!
NaNoWriMo is around the corner and I'm torn - I thought this was the year I was going to give it a try but there's still those goals I set earlier in the year to get through. I want to finish what I started and not get distracted by the shiny and cool. So I may have to pass this year and look forward to the next. I could try to work this into my already set goals, but that will depend of if I get the editing/rewriting portion of things done and can focus on new writing. Yeah, I'm still undecided.
Do you NaNo?
I'm also compelled to share a link I'm currently fascinated by: Binaurural Beats for Cold and Flu Relief. I can't tell you if any success I had was due to placebo effect or not, but I can say I listened to this with headphones on and by the time it was over my nose was unstuffed and I have so far (knock on closest wood surface) avoided any drugs. Since usually the slightest head cold zombies me for three weeks, turns into the infection from Hell, and heads immediately into my chest - I'm all for the placebo effect.
I'd love to hear from anyone who might try this themselves. Do you feel it did you any good? Did you feel remarkably silly? Am I just crazy? (No, please don't feel compelled to answer that). Try it and let me know. :)
Now, back to editing and those 2014 goals!
September 4, 2014
Back in the Saddle Again
Why yes, that is Aerosmith blaring over the speakers right now. The song seems fitting as I sit sideways in front of my computer (have to make room for fat boy and his pillow - sideways is the only way to go), and jump back into the rewrites. It's September!! Notice the dual exclamation points? Fall is my favorite time of the year, and September means crunchy leaves, amazing sunsets, cooler walks, and the joys of back-to-school sales at my favorite office supply store. Let me breathe deep and channel my inner Robert Duvall - yes, I love the smell of Sharpies in the morning - and shiny notebooks, pens, pencils, and calendars! OOOH! I love new calendars!
We planned to finish 3 outdoor projects during our rural vacation, and I'm pleased to say even with the rain we instead conquered 9. Including gutter cleaning, deck painting, garage emptying, bathroom recaulking, more brush clearing, and log cutting and stacking. Nothing like sweating your balls off for hours on end. We had a great time - sore muscles and all. Don't worry, there was plenty of shoreline joy mixed in with the work.
All that fun does mean I'm behind on my goal of finishing this rewrite - so I'm settling down and digging in. Thanks to this timely blog post over at Writing Forward - Seven Ways Your Physical Environment Can Help or Hinder Your Writing I have a new toy ... erhm ... tool to keep me on task. It's called Noisli - a free, online background noise and color generator. While I still favor RainyMoods.com, I like that I can mix and match my background noises (bonfire + leaves + train or wind + seaside), type in a distraction-free space, and then save my work to my PC. So here I go, off to rewrite with Noisli in the background.
What do you think about this time of year? Are you a Spring or Fall lover? If you write, does your physical environment impact your writing and do you have a favorite way to cope?
We planned to finish 3 outdoor projects during our rural vacation, and I'm pleased to say even with the rain we instead conquered 9. Including gutter cleaning, deck painting, garage emptying, bathroom recaulking, more brush clearing, and log cutting and stacking. Nothing like sweating your balls off for hours on end. We had a great time - sore muscles and all. Don't worry, there was plenty of shoreline joy mixed in with the work.
All that fun does mean I'm behind on my goal of finishing this rewrite - so I'm settling down and digging in. Thanks to this timely blog post over at Writing Forward - Seven Ways Your Physical Environment Can Help or Hinder Your Writing I have a new toy ... erhm ... tool to keep me on task. It's called Noisli - a free, online background noise and color generator. While I still favor RainyMoods.com, I like that I can mix and match my background noises (bonfire + leaves + train or wind + seaside), type in a distraction-free space, and then save my work to my PC. So here I go, off to rewrite with Noisli in the background.
What do you think about this time of year? Are you a Spring or Fall lover? If you write, does your physical environment impact your writing and do you have a favorite way to cope?
August 21, 2014
Adventuring we go
Another week is galloping to the end, and I am, once again, woefully behind on completing my to-do list. While the obvious answer is to have a smaller list, some things simply MUST get done. I fuss at mornings such as today which while busier than *insert favorite busy cliché here* can't be considered very productive.
Time for me to buck up and accept I'm not going to reach my goal of having the 3rd Time rewrite completed by the end of August. Mainly because the Munder household is preparing to spend next week in the land of no cell, internet, or (sorry,
clarelondon
,) room service. The high point might be our questionable electrical connection. But there will be plenty of land clearing, deck painting, and other forms of manual labor guaranteed to make us question our sanity. (Seriously, have you ever stood there and held the rope as a xxx foot tall tree slams into the ground barely a foot away while the man w/the saw whoops it up? Definitely questionable sanity.)
Which means this week has been spent gathering together all the goods necessary to sustain me, Mr. Munder, and the fat boy. Hmmm, I honestly think I'm bringing more supplies for him than I am for us. But, packing is proceeding and at least those checklists are getting ticked off. I console myself with the knowledge that were I going to be home next week I would get the rewrite finished.
In the meantime, here are some of this week's fun links that I've not had a chance to do more than look at:
- A nice article courtesy of The Write Practice where Carlos Cooper shares The 9 Things I Did to Become a Full-Time Writer.
- Also via The Write Practice a gem from Joe Bunting who shares how This Writing Exercise Will Get You Unstuck Every Time.
- This one left me feeling modestly pleased as I took care of it a few weeks ago - How to Prioritize Your Writing Ideas
- Ever wanted to own your own lighthouse? I have. Here's link on how this Historic lighthouse near Mackinac Island could be your house. While the price seems quite reasonable, I'd be nervous on the cost of upkeep. But a gal can dream.
- To celebrate our week of storms, check out Slovakian photographer Tomas Hulik - he combined all the lightning bolts within an 81-minute storm into an amazing video and image.
- I love trying new yoga practices, and YogawithAdriene.com offers some great free, full-length videos to enjoy.
Have a great week.
Time for me to buck up and accept I'm not going to reach my goal of having the 3rd Time rewrite completed by the end of August. Mainly because the Munder household is preparing to spend next week in the land of no cell, internet, or (sorry,
clarelondon
,) room service. The high point might be our questionable electrical connection. But there will be plenty of land clearing, deck painting, and other forms of manual labor guaranteed to make us question our sanity. (Seriously, have you ever stood there and held the rope as a xxx foot tall tree slams into the ground barely a foot away while the man w/the saw whoops it up? Definitely questionable sanity.)Which means this week has been spent gathering together all the goods necessary to sustain me, Mr. Munder, and the fat boy. Hmmm, I honestly think I'm bringing more supplies for him than I am for us. But, packing is proceeding and at least those checklists are getting ticked off. I console myself with the knowledge that were I going to be home next week I would get the rewrite finished.
In the meantime, here are some of this week's fun links that I've not had a chance to do more than look at:
- A nice article courtesy of The Write Practice where Carlos Cooper shares The 9 Things I Did to Become a Full-Time Writer.
- Also via The Write Practice a gem from Joe Bunting who shares how This Writing Exercise Will Get You Unstuck Every Time.
- This one left me feeling modestly pleased as I took care of it a few weeks ago - How to Prioritize Your Writing Ideas
- Ever wanted to own your own lighthouse? I have. Here's link on how this Historic lighthouse near Mackinac Island could be your house. While the price seems quite reasonable, I'd be nervous on the cost of upkeep. But a gal can dream.
- To celebrate our week of storms, check out Slovakian photographer Tomas Hulik - he combined all the lightning bolts within an 81-minute storm into an amazing video and image.
- I love trying new yoga practices, and YogawithAdriene.com offers some great free, full-length videos to enjoy.
Have a great week.
August 14, 2014
Inversity Rules!
Does this ever happen to you? The amusing certainty when out shopping that the amount of stuff you'd love to buy is inverse to your available cash? You can also toss the desperate need (dress to wear to a friend's wedding, let's say) with which you need said stuff into the equation for added fun. Happens to me every time. The same can be said about the web. How is it the weeks I'm busiest are also the weeks where there is great stuff on the web I'd love to have time to read?
This is one of those weeks.
Since I've not had time to read through all I'd wish this week, let me share some of the links with you so I can enjoy them vicariously and find them again when I do have time. Yeah, I'm sneaky that way.
- An interesting podcast for us introverts: Four Reasons to Grow Your Personal Brand by Dale Callahan. Any post on personal (or author) branding that starts out "I'm the kind of person who likes to hide" is right up my alley.
- 5Tips for a DIY Writer's Retreat over at Writer's in the Storm. No intro needed for this one, and check out the porch in the picture of that log cabin. I would love to retreat there for a bit.
- Writer's, Find Your Inner Guidance System at Writer's Fun Zone.
- Keeping it Simple - Guidelines for Writing Novellas courtesy of my favorite website, Romance University.
- How about this little gem? Why Writers Need Courage, (& 2 tips on getting It) via Time to Write.
There's a few more on my list, but I'll stop there and save them for next week, when the inversity rule strikes me in the other direction.
This is one of those weeks.
Since I've not had time to read through all I'd wish this week, let me share some of the links with you so I can enjoy them vicariously and find them again when I do have time. Yeah, I'm sneaky that way.
- An interesting podcast for us introverts: Four Reasons to Grow Your Personal Brand by Dale Callahan. Any post on personal (or author) branding that starts out "I'm the kind of person who likes to hide" is right up my alley.
- 5Tips for a DIY Writer's Retreat over at Writer's in the Storm. No intro needed for this one, and check out the porch in the picture of that log cabin. I would love to retreat there for a bit.
- Writer's, Find Your Inner Guidance System at Writer's Fun Zone.
- Keeping it Simple - Guidelines for Writing Novellas courtesy of my favorite website, Romance University.
- How about this little gem? Why Writers Need Courage, (& 2 tips on getting It) via Time to Write.
There's a few more on my list, but I'll stop there and save them for next week, when the inversity rule strikes me in the other direction.
August 7, 2014
July Recap and Reflection
Wheee! Welcome to the first blog post of August 2014. I'm a trifle giddy as I've just sat down and planned out my writing schedule for the rest of the year. *gulp* Maybe delirious is the word I should use?
Before I move forward into the month I want to reflect on what did and didn't work in July. I'm sharing because I didn't have time to cough up a real, more interesting blog post. Sorry about that.
On the plus side for July:
Stuck with my goal of writing a blog post every Thursday
Completed my rewrite of Stormy Weather w/an addition of over 8K words
Made more of an effort to be visible on social media - including Facebook which I find difficult, and have been introduced to some very festive folks and communities via Twitter.
Met my exercise goals for the month
Completed two craft seminars
Laid out my 2015 writing plan & added more detail on the a 5 novella series
Continued working like a stevedore/lumberjack w/Mr. Munder on the weekends. If the power company would get around to trimming the limbs twisted in the lines we could finish taking those trees down.
Weaned the fat boy down to meds once every 5 days and have him using the auto feeder again
On the minus side:
The more social I became via CM media the less real life social I ended up. It would be easier if more of my real-life-friends-I-want-to-keep-in-touch-with were actually on FB or better yet, Twitter. But they aren't, so I need to do a better job here. I always find this interesting. Y'all have smart phones - plug in to the net! :D
Missed a couple of Tues/Thurs postings of my Free Kindle Picks on Twitter
As always, exercise is easy for me - eating in a reasonable fashion is not. Definitely need to plan that better
My time spent reading for pleasure went down - but what do I honestly expect?
For a month that flew by at what seemed the speed of light, I'll count myself rather accomplished.
How did your month go?
Before I move forward into the month I want to reflect on what did and didn't work in July. I'm sharing because I didn't have time to cough up a real, more interesting blog post. Sorry about that.
On the plus side for July:
Stuck with my goal of writing a blog post every Thursday
Completed my rewrite of Stormy Weather w/an addition of over 8K words
Made more of an effort to be visible on social media - including Facebook which I find difficult, and have been introduced to some very festive folks and communities via Twitter.
Met my exercise goals for the month
Completed two craft seminars
Laid out my 2015 writing plan & added more detail on the a 5 novella series
Continued working like a stevedore/lumberjack w/Mr. Munder on the weekends. If the power company would get around to trimming the limbs twisted in the lines we could finish taking those trees down.
Weaned the fat boy down to meds once every 5 days and have him using the auto feeder again
On the minus side:
The more social I became via CM media the less real life social I ended up. It would be easier if more of my real-life-friends-I-want-to-keep-in-touch-with were actually on FB or better yet, Twitter. But they aren't, so I need to do a better job here. I always find this interesting. Y'all have smart phones - plug in to the net! :D
Missed a couple of Tues/Thurs postings of my Free Kindle Picks on Twitter
As always, exercise is easy for me - eating in a reasonable fashion is not. Definitely need to plan that better
My time spent reading for pleasure went down - but what do I honestly expect?
For a month that flew by at what seemed the speed of light, I'll count myself rather accomplished.
How did your month go?
July 31, 2014
Ready to Jump into August?
I am. Even though there is a part of me digging my fingernails into the last day of July and shrieking, "No! No! More than half the year can't be over!". Okay, there's more than a part of me busy shrieking. But if I've learned anything, it's that I may as well get over it and get going.
To help me along I'm planning out my month with the free Monthly Action Planner from Charlie Gilkey over at Productive Flourishing. He offers a wide variety of daily, weekly, and monthly planners (for free! <3), and yearly packages for a modest price. I appreciate the monthly planner because I can lay out my rough expectations for the month without really boxing myself in. Lord knows, I need the flexibility.
I like that I'm able to see my plans quickly and at a glance. This format also helps me keep from the dreaded *over-planning*. A trap I often fall into.
Are you ready for August? Do you have a favorite format for planning your goals out? Do you prefer to wing it? Or have you evolved to the point where you look down and laugh at the silly humans trying to grab some semblance of control over their time?
To help me along I'm planning out my month with the free Monthly Action Planner from Charlie Gilkey over at Productive Flourishing. He offers a wide variety of daily, weekly, and monthly planners (for free! <3), and yearly packages for a modest price. I appreciate the monthly planner because I can lay out my rough expectations for the month without really boxing myself in. Lord knows, I need the flexibility.
I like that I'm able to see my plans quickly and at a glance. This format also helps me keep from the dreaded *over-planning*. A trap I often fall into.
Are you ready for August? Do you have a favorite format for planning your goals out? Do you prefer to wing it? Or have you evolved to the point where you look down and laugh at the silly humans trying to grab some semblance of control over their time?
