Laura Roberts's Blog, page 29

It’s the first day of camp!

Today is the first day of July’s Camp NaNoWriMo and I’m pretty pumped. Although I’m focusing on writing a nonfiction project this month, I saw this prompt in the 10 Minute Novelists Facebook group and couldn’t resist…

For more prompts like this, check out TheFakeRedhead.com.

The only rule? 100 words, no more, no less.

So this is what I came up with:

Jenny had some unfinished business at the office. Nevermind the fact that she’d recently been pronounced dead, mourned at a lavish funeral, and buried in the Peaceful Slumbers Cemetery; those TPS reports weren’t going to write themselves. Her alarm went off promptly at 6:15, but getting out of bed proved more difficult than she’d imagined. Clawing her way out of a casket, then through six feet of packed earth was harder than running that marathon last spring. By the time she’d emerged from her eternal rest she was late and desperately needed a shower. “The boss is gonna kill me!”
Your turn!

Quick – write a 100-word story using the same prompt! I double-dog dare you!

Wanna camp together?

If you’d like to follow my Camp progress, I’m buttontapper. Let’s be friends! Tell me what you’re writing this July, or leave a link to your camper profile in the comments below.

The post It’s the first day of camp! appeared first on Buttontapper Press.

Try the “Sit Down and Write” Challenge, June 15-July 15

I haven’t been writing as regularly as I should be, and it’s getting on my nerves.

So, what do I do when I need to get fired up? I join a challenge!

I’ll be participating in the Sit Down and Write Challenge, starting today. The challenge runs from June 15 to July 15, and it’s hosted by Stories Inside.

I’m working on finishing up a new book in a new series that I’ll be publishing under a pseudonym. Since this is supposed to be the first book in a new series, I also want to get the second book started by the time this book launches.

Ready… set… go!

Want to play along?

Tell me what you’re writing in the comments section below!

The post Try the “Sit Down and Write” Challenge, June 15-July 15 appeared first on Buttontapper Press.

30 Days to My Best Me Challenge: Top 10 Takeaways

Today is the last day in the Day Designer “30 Days To Your Best You” Challenge. I’ve been checking in with notes on how I’ve been doing, each week, and now it’s time to explore what I’ve learned.

Here are my Top 10 Takeaways from this challenge!

But first… the full 30 days’ worth of tips:

10 – Water water everywhere

“splash_2” (photo credit: Kurt:S)

Many people seem to be very concerned with their water intake.

Indeed, have used this exact same water image THREE TIMES during this challenge, to emphasize the point.

Personally, water intake is not something I track. But I do carry a water bottle with me most everywhere, particularly when I’m exercising. So… yay me?

9 – Prioritize reading

Me, reading Aprilynne Pike’s Glitter during a 24-hour read-a-thon challenge (I was challenged to post on the subject of “blanket fort”)

My favorite suggestion throughout this challenge was Day 3’s tip: “Read something inspiring.”

As a result of this challenge, I’ve started setting aside morning reading time, where I allow myself to read one chapter from a book I’m currently enjoying. That may not seem like much, but it definitely makes my mornings happier and less stressful.

I’ve also been making more of an effort to record what I’ve been reading each day, in one of my planners. That way I can look back on my year in books and reminisce about the good ones. I also jot down relevant quotes, so I can re-read them later on.

A recent favorite:

“Giving positive reviews requires humility […] A willingness to be pleased requires modesty and even innocence – easy to deride as mawkish and sentimental.” –The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (p. 269)

8 – Little things make a big difference

Dinner of champions: wine and pork rinds! (also from the 24-hour read-a-thon challenge, this time the subject was “meal break”)

One of the other tips from week 1 has also made a big difference in my life: “Prep for dinner.”

I had always noticed the sections of different planners that urge their (female) users to meal plan in a certain space. And it always rubbed me the wrong way. I’m not a homemaker; I have a job, and other shit to do!

But once my husband mentioned that he was having a hard time always having to buy the groceries (we only have one car, and he uses it to get to work), and not enjoying the task of having to meal plan himself, we discussed how to more evenly divide this task between the two of us.

So, although I don’t go to great lengths to meal plan each day, I do take a peek into the refrigerator or freezer to see what’s still there, ponder what might make a good meal, and jot something down in that little square on my planner. If my husband texts me to ask what we need on his way home, I can tell him right away.

It’s a little thing, but it makes a big difference. He’s less stressed, I know what’s actually in the fridge, and we can both enjoy our evenings together.

Tonight we’re having pasta!

7 – Not all tips are created equal

Just as “one size fits all” typically doesn’t, not all of these tips worked for me.

I’m not a home-owner, don’t have any kids, and don’t have certain major appliances that a few of these tips take for granted (i.e. a dishwasher or washer/dryer combo). I’m not a mommy nor a Suzie Homemaker. I’m more focused on how to get my businesses, my finances, and my creative projects in order, rather than scheduling everybody’s soccer practices or haircuts.

So, not all of these tips applied to me. And that’s totally fine. Keep what works, chuck what doesn’t.

6 – Tidying is huge

A space in need of a 10-minute tidy (i.e. my coffee table) + sleepy cats

I’m not the world’s neatest person. Some studies suggest this is an inherent part of the creative process – making messes is, in fact, a form of creativity. So the idea of tidying my house is usually something I avoid.

However, I also don’t want to live in a pigsty.

My husband is awesome about doing a weekly vacuuming of our place. I typically tend to the dishes. He takes out the trash. We both share the most hated chore of scooping the kitty litter.

But tidying up usually doesn’t happen unless we are going to have visitors, which is extremely rare.

So I’ve decided to add some specific tidying times to my weekly calendar, in order to keep things tending towards neatness, even if they don’t always stay that way.

I cleaned up my side of the closet and my “half” of the bedroom. Next up: tackling the living room coffee table, which is currently overflowing with books.

5 – Planning takes time

My previous bloom planner + homemade To Do list + paper word tracker (replaced this month with my Day Designer)

Although I’ve been trying to commit more to actually planning my days ahead of time, rather than being a slave to whatever work gets thrown at me, adjusting to this routine takes time.

I still find myself rushing to complete work, or realizing at the last minute that I forgot to plan for something important (like mailing cards for my mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day, yikes!).

With reminders from this challenge to actually sit down in the morning and evening with my planner, to ponder the day ahead and make sense of the one that’s just ended, I’ve been devoting more time to this kind of mindfulness.

It’s not always easy to stick to a schedule, but I can definitely see the results when I manage to break down my projects into small enough chunks that I can make a little bit of progress on them, daily.

4 – Health and fitness, wtf?

My husband blows fitness some raspberries, whilst chillaxing! (Not really, but it seemed a fitting caption — this was actually taken for the “companions” prompt in the read-a-thon)

I’ve also been trying to schedule in more exercise, and a lot of the time I feel defeated. Even on days when I have blocked out time to go for a walk, I find myself chained to my computer, finishing up work… which then snowballs into MORE work, and never getting a chance to leave the house.

I really, really hate that feeling of being trapped. Those are the times when I need to go for a walk. Yet I can’t!

So, I’ve been experimenting with different strategies, still trying to find what works. I’ve been timing my usual walks, so I can tell myself “Hey, you’ve got 20 minutes. Just walk to the post office and back.”

I’ve also gotten a new cell phone, which means I have more apps that can help keep me motivated, too.

It’s still a struggle, but I’m working on it.

3 – Gratitude is hokey, but it works

A recent “photo of the day” from one of my walks

Something about gratitude journaling still strikes me as cheesy and New Agey, which makes me not want to do it at all. But I know that it works, so I have been prodding myself to do it in my own way.

Instead of writing “#blessed” on my Instagram posts, I’ve been trying to take a photo each day. Making time to find something that makes me happy or intrigued enough to photograph it is my way of expressing gratitude. So if you see the “#photooftheday” hashtag in my feed, that’s what it’s for.

I also have a few other ideas, which I’m keeping to myself, because I find part of the reason I dislike the concept of gratitude journaling is the boastful nature of it. Sharing this stuff on social media isn’t necessary. Some things are meant to be kept private, and others only need to be shared between the relevant parties. It’s not a competition to see who can be the most grateful.

2 – Repetition is important

A great message: DO SOMETHING REMARKABLE! (posted for the “planning supplies” prompt from the #PlanWithMeChallenge)

As I’ve seen in various things I’ve been reading throughout the month, it’s not what you do SOME days, but what you do EVERY day. The most important thing is not will, but habit.

Habits may seem slightly boring, because they require a routine, but that doesn’t mean you need to complete the same routine every single day.

I remember when I first started working out at a gym, and a fitness instructor designed some workouts for me. She made two different routines, which focused on the same types of exercises, but made it easy to switch things up whenever I got bored with one or the other.

I think having different routines is the key to harnessing my own strengths as a Rebel, because although I crave change and excitement, I also need those routines and schedules to keep myself from getting off track.

So repetition, while seemingly mundane, is actually important in conquering any goals. It’s not a matter of doing something once, but doing it every other day, or every day, until you create the habit.

1 – Disconnecting is the new connecting

Paper planning is still my favorite — an image from one of the #PlanWithMeChallenge prompts for May

Cell phones, tablets, laptops, and wifi-enabled whatsits are great. But so is NOT having any of that stuff around, and enjoying the silence.

Several of the tips in this challenge focus on unplugging, and for good reason. Being such a “connected” society, where everyone is accessible all the time, is not terribly healthy. Feeling like Pavlov’s dog, responding to each “ding” or “tweet” or email that arrives your box is allowing technology to rule you, instead of it being a tool that serves you.

Personally, I like being inaccessible. It plays to my introverted nature. So even if I have my phone with me, I may not answer it. I will probably be using it to take a photo, instead.

Part of the reason I enjoy going for walks is because it helps put me into that creative, disconnected space. I’m exercising and thinking at the same time. I’m getting away from my desk, where there are so many distractions, and sometimes I am even in a place with no cell phone service.

Disconnecting is extremely important for writers, so I am trying to do much more of it, little by little, day by day.

Weekly scorecard


New habits to incorporate: 6
New habits to ignore: 2
New habits where “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”: 1
Overall: This “week” is actually 9 days of tips, since I’m including all of week 4 plus the two tips from this week (hence the weird math).

Overall thoughts on the challenge

With 21 out of 30 habits to incorporate into my daily routines, this was a challenge, and will continue to be so in the coming weeks.

I liked most of the tips mentioned, and did actually try to work them into my day.

It’s always fun to try something new, and this got me thinking more about my daily routines (or lack thereof), planning more, and working smarter to keep myself on task.

I would’ve liked a few more tips that related to goal-setting and breaking down bigger projects into more easily manageable chunks, or maybe some tips on how to work exercise into a busy schedule, but overall I thought these were some pretty solid tips. They are already making me feel happier, more relaxed, and generally positive – although part of that I would also credit to reading Gretchen Rubin’s books (Better Than Before and The Happiness Project), and to having a relatively (knock on wood) comfortable existence to begin with.

As we head into June, I’m thinking about all of my different projects and how to devote more time to each of them, in order to wrap each one up on time. Maybe, ultimately, the challenge is to not take on any more challenges, and just focus on the project in front of me?

What about you?

Did you take the Day Designer “30 Days to My Best Me” Challenge? How was your month?

If you didn’t take the challenge, what kinds of habits do you engage in on a daily basis, and how do they help you?

The post 30 Days to My Best Me Challenge: Top 10 Takeaways appeared first on Buttontapper Press.

30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 3

It’s the end of the third week in the Day Designer “30 Days To Your Best You” Challenge, so I’m checking in with more notes on how I’ve been doing.

Day 15: Review your finances

“Financial Independence” (photo credit: InvestmentZen)

This is something I already tend to do on a daily basis, because every penny counts. Being a broke-ass author means I need to know exactly how much money is in my paltry bank account at all times, when the bills are going out (especially those annoying auto-pays!), and when the cash is coming back in.

Somebody’s gotta be responsible up in this joint, so that person is me.

If you don’t review your finances daily, you’re probably rich. For me, it’s a necessity. Something to add to my To Do List? Nope, it’s already there whether I like it or not.

Day 16: Tidy your papers

“Startup, Student, Planning” (photo credit: costculator.com)

Yeah, yeah. These tips are starting to sound like a nagging mother or wife. “Clean up your papers! Check the bank account! Scrub those dishes!”

I do need to tidy up my papers. I actually need a better system of sorting the paper that come into the house daily. Bills, junk mail, other important stuff, things that I’m saving for no real reason. I think I’m going to go up to the dollar store and buy 12 file folders, one for each month of the year, and start sorting the clutter on a monthly basis. At least then I’ll know where everything is stashed, if I haven’t yet sorted it out into the permanent folders in my filing cabinet.

That ought to tidy up a good number of papers around here!

Day 17: Drink plenty of water

“splash_2” (photo credit: Kurt:S)

You know, this whole “drink plenty of water” thing seems like a lot of wasted effort to me. Sure, we could all drink more water. But are you really going to start tracking how much water you drink in a day, or make a commitment to get 8 glasses?

I do have a water bottle that I try to keep on my desk or carry with me when I’m out and about, to make sure that I never get dehydrated (and to avoid having to buy a bottle of water that I’m going to chuck). But I’m also not avidly counting the cups I’m drinking. I simply drink when I’m thirsty, with my meals, and – as per this challenge’s very first suggestion – first thing in the morning, usually to facilitate taking my daily vitamins.

I’ll admit, I am probably not the target audience for this tip. Americans, in general, tend to be addicted to drinking soda and coffee, both of which are notorious diuretics. However, I gave up drinking soda in my 20s (my downfall being Diet Coke, as well as the delicious Dr Pepper), and never regretted the decision. It immediately did great things for my skin, my energy levels, and my overall health. If you haven’t quit drinking soda yet, I’d highly encourage you to do so.

I also only drink one cup of coffee every day. On particularly crazy days where I am feeling extra tired and sluggish (or have gotten up at 4 AM to get to work, and I’m running hugely behind schedule – which more tends to be the case), I have been known to drink TWO cups of coffee.

So, basically, water is already my go-to drink when thirsty.

I can see where this tip might help others, who have not yet gotten the hang of drinking water more regularly. But for me, this is kind of a “Duh!” tip.

Day 18: Get up and move

Good advice! See my commentary on Day 21 for more on this. For now, please enjoy a little dance to Allan Sherman’s “Good Advice.”

Day 19: Plan for tomorrow

Wait… didn’t we already have this tip? I’m confused. This was Day 9’s advice last week.

Day 20: Compliment others

“Thumbs up” (photo credit: Brett Davies)

This is a good tip as well. It even goes so far as to suggest writing down proposed compliments in your planner, so you start giving out at least three compliments a day. That seems a little extreme (can’t we just give compliments on the fly?), but good for those who are perhaps a bit more socially anxious.

Day 21: Plan for health & fitness

Pretty sure this is NOT what I look like when I do this exercise! (“Abril Castillo” photo credit: Jorge Mejía Peralta)

Yes! Another thing I’ve been struggling with, in scheduling my days, is finding time for fitness. My usual method is to head to the gym and do 30 minutes of cardio, followed by about 45 minutes of lifting heavy things. That’s an hour and 15 minutes of actually working out, but since my gym is fairly far away from my house, there’s also an hour’s worth of travel time there and back. So now you’ve got 2 hours and 15 minutes gone from your schedule, along with I’d estimate another 30 minutes to get ready to actually go to the gym, and 30 minutes for a post-workout meal. That’s 3 hours and 15 minutes just to get my exercise in, before I can move on with my day.

Which is why I only make it to the gym once a week, these days.

Since my day job involves sitting at a desk for 8 hours or more, I’ve been trying to work in regular walks around the neighborhood. For my 5K Walk/Run/Write, I plotted out a walk up to the neighborhood Starbucks and back, which hits slightly over the 5K mark. So I’ve been trying to work in 5K walks three times a week. Ideally, I wanted to do this on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, to space out my workouts and not go too hard too fast, which would either result in injury or just plain burnout on this repetitive workout.

Of course, Thursdays are always horrible for me, in terms of scheduling.

I can’t quite figure out what the solution is, but part of the problem here is the fact that my day job tends to give me lots more work later in the week. On Thursdays I typically have some overlapping work deadlines, and since I usually try to get Fridays off (so that I can focus solely on my writing), that means they often give me work that’s due around 9 or 10 AM on Friday to sort of skirt the “no work on Friday” request. So, this week I had stuff due at 11 AM Thursday, and while I was working on that, I received more stuff that was due at 9 AM, Noon, and 3:30 PM on Friday. So much for Friday off – and so much for my intent to go for a walk on Thursday.

Since I can’t seem to get my Thursdays together, kind of like Arthur Dent (“‘This must be Thursday,’ said Arthur to himself, sinking low over his beer. ‘I never could get the hang of Thursdays.’”), I’ve decided to “front-load” my exercise schedule this week. I’ve moved my no-go Thursday walk up to Wednesday, so now my schedule is 5K walks on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. If I have more free time on Thursday or Friday, I will also take a walk then, but since I haven’t seemed able to manage it for the past two weeks, I figure I shouldn’t count on having that time, and just do it on the days when I do have the time. Although it doesn’t seem ideal to work out two days in a row, I know that walking is a pretty low-stress exercise (particularly compared to going to the gym!), and 5K (which is about 3.11 miles) is a pretty reasonable amount of walking to do in a day. It also gets me up to my 10,000 steps a day, so my Fitbit is happy!

Weekly scorecard


New habits to incorporate: 4
Habits that were repeated this week, for some reason: 1
Suggestions where “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”: 2
Overall: Lots of good suggestions, a couple that I already do regularly out of necessity, and one repeated admonishment. Not bad!

Checking in with the new planner

I’ve been using my Day Designer a lot more this week, planning my days the night before and trying to make sure my schedule is pretty well nailed down before I get up the next day. It makes a big difference to have a plan in mind, even if you end up deviating from it a bit throughout the day.

I’ve also pulled out my washi tape and stickers and have been decorating the pages to help break up the monotony of the same designs every day. I put some pink tape on the weekends, to help differentiate the days of the week, and I’ve been giving myself stickers every time I hit 1,000 words a day. (This week has been a little sad in terms of stars, but I’ll be getting back to that particular habit hardcore next week.)

What about you?

Are you taking the Day Designer “30 Days to My Best Me” Challenge? How was your first week? If you’re not taking this challenge, what kinds of habits do you do on a daily basis, and how do they help you?

Related Posts 30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 1 30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 2 Another 30-day challenge?! Why I’m taking the Day Designer May Challenge

The post 30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 3 appeared first on Buttontapper Press.

30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 2

It’s the end of the second week in the Day Designer “30 Days To Your Best You” Challenge, so I’m checking in with more notes on how I’ve been doing.

Day 8: Do a 10-minute tidy

Aha! I’m ahead of the curve today, as I just did a quick tidy-up on the kitchen table yesterday.

I don’t know why, but our kitchen table quickly turns into the catch-all for whatever junk or projects my husband and I are currently looking at. We’ll just start making piles near our usual seats, either because we’ve closed a book we were just reading, or want to remember a new recipe, or just tossed some mail down… and sooner or later, the whole table is covered with stuff.

Yesterday, he decided he wanted to bring an unused set of speakers (which had formerly been boosting the sound from our tiny TV) into the kitchen, so he could instead boost the sound from his iPhone in the mornings or while we’re cooking. This seemed like a good idea, but where would we put the speakers? Naturally, the table was the only logical choice…

And it was covered in books!

So I said, “That’s it, I’m cleaning this up!” and went to work. I started chucking all the useless scraps of paper into the recycling bin (actually, we have a bag that was given to us for this purpose, which is much too small for any normal stuff we recycle, so I used the bag to collect all the papers), putting the necessary receipts into the drawer where I file them, placing the stack of magazines under the coffee table, moving books back to their shelves or into the pile of library books on top of the coffee table, and getting everything cleared off to make a space for the speakers.

Ta-da!

I’d estimate that took me about 10 minutes.

Do I want to do that every day? Probably not. But I am eyeing the clutter on my desk right now, and I think it could use a quick tidy, so let’s go for it!

Of course, the real question is: when do I tidy up my digital files and how?! Now there’s a Herculean (and possibly Sisyphean) task.

Everything in its place (“Planning Business Coffee Cup Hustle” photo credit: informedmag.com)

Day 9: Review your planner before you start your day

Kind of a “duh!” tip, but a reminder that some of us still need. I have been guilty of writing To Do lists and then, for whatever reason, not actually looking at them – much less sorting out the most important tasks and prioritizing which ones to do when. How will you be able to check things off the list if you aren’t actually using the list?!

So yes, I have already made a new commitment to a) plan my days and b) stick to my own schedule as much as possible. (Easier said than done when you’re a Rebel, of course.) My idea is that using the Day Designer page, which separates out scheduled half-hourly blocks of time from your To Do list, will help me block out time to actually do the Big 3 items I list each day, and then see where I’ve got white space for working in the things on my To Do list, one by one.

Here’s today’s planner page:

Day 10: Limit phone time in the morning

Another slightly “duh!” tip, as these emails have been urging us to not check our phones first thing in the morning. But, nonetheless, a reminder many people probably need.

Personally, I don’t use my phone to check emails, apps or anything of that sort. I really only use it as a phone, and to capture photos on my walks. It helps that my phone is an older iPhone model, totally incapable of connecting with most of the apps I’d like to use. But I also have an iPad, and have been drawn into playing time-wasting games or checking Twitter on that device, so I think this is good advice for any screen usage first thing in the morning.

“Homeoffice” (photo credit: Nico Kaiser)

Day 11: Practice saying no

Although this tip is referring to saying no to things that will interfere with your daily habits, it’s also just good advice in general. It can definitely be hard to say no to stuff that is a lot more tempting than the To Do List you’ve got planned, particularly if you’re a Rebel. I’m going to have to figure out how to make this one work for me, since I am more often found saying “no” to the list!

Just say “yes” to writing poolside! (photo credit: Pricenfees)

Day 12: Find something to throw away

Again, I’m ahead of the curve! Just yesterday I decided to go through my side of the closet and throw away all the junk that was cluttering it up. There was also about three years’ worth of dust in there, because I haven’t cleaned it out since we moved in. Ick!

The stuff is my closet is not particularly precious to me, so I simply grabbed a trash bag and threw everything in there. The clothes that were on their way out were not anything that could have been donated, since they were either ripped, worn to death, or permanently scented with body odor from too many workouts. It had to go into the trash. The other stuff that had to go included a bunch of shoe boxes that were simply gathering dust (only two of them actually contained shoes), and a contraption my husband and I had bought, before we had a dresser, to hold socks and underwear. This shelf-like thing was made of flimsy metal mesh, and could barely support any weight, so it was definitely time for it to go.

After tackling the closet, I feel a lot better about the cleanliness of my side of the bedroom (my husband’s side is still littered with tons of books and papers that he may never clean up). I like the idea of just throwing things away, too (or, rather, recycling them – depending on the item in question). Most of the stuff I have a problem with, in terms of throwing away, is paper. I have tons of books and papers, and going through them is always difficult. I’ll eventually get around to clearing off the coffee table – again – but this is one of the more arduous tasks, since I hate to get rid of anything that might be “important.”

Clothing is not really “important” to me, but books are.

“new duck at the marina…” (photo credit: marneejill)

Day 13: Focus on the positive

“Visualize the outcomes you want to experience” sounds a little woo-woo to me, like something my mother-in-law might say, so I am wrestling with this one. I tend to have a rather pessimistic outlook, where I hope for the best but plan for the worst, so “focus on the positive” is never going to come easily to me. However, I am trying to look for the positive side in every situation, just to rebel against my own nature, and so thinking about positive outcomes or ideas or experiences sounds like a good activity. Especially first thing in the morning, when I would otherwise just be staring moodily at my social media feeds, wondering why the world is so horrible.

Hey, why did you think I named my magazine Black Heart? Because I’m all sunshine and lollipops?

“A Bird” (photo credit: Bob M ~)

Day 14: Nurture your relationships

A good reminder to finish up the week, today’s tip is to remember why we’re adding these new habits to our routines. It’s not because we need more stuff to do, but because we want to free up time for what matters most: friends, family, real relationships with the people we care about.

How are my relationships doing? I feel like I haven’t seen my local friends in forever, so it’s about time to schedule some coffee dates. On the other hand, I’ve recently been chatting more with my BFF from high school, and we’ve actually been talking about a lot of the stuff in this challenge, so that’s been interesting.

And it’s Mother’s Day today, which means I need to call my mom!

Ancient photo of my mom, dad, sister and me at the Grand Canyon! I’m the cute one on the right. ;D

Weekly scorecard


New habits to incorporate: 7
New habits to ignore: 0
New habits where “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”: 0
Overall: Hey! This week’s tips have been way better than last week’s, with a winning streak of 7–0-0.

Checking in with the new planner

My new Day Designer planner arrived on Monday afternoon, and I put it to work right away. I transferred over everything from my previous planner, and kept on making my daily To Do lists, while also trying to schedule the day more in the hourly section. I still need to get used to having a planner this size on my desk (I am actually thinking of setting a biblical style lectern next to my desk for it to rest upon, so I can ponder my days two at a time without displacing my computer keyboard), but I really do prefer the larger format, with plenty of space for everything I typically need to think about during the day. No more rustling through a pile of papers!

I’m still printing out a weekly food and exercise log, separate from my planner, which is also helping. In the place where it wants me to track my water intake, I’ve labeled it “Wine” instead, since I’m trying to cut back my intake. My husband has a habit of simply topping off my glass whenever it gets low, which can make it hard to know exactly how many glasses I’ve had (particularly on the weekends), so I’ve mentioned this to him, which has helped considerably. And seeing it all there in black and white on the page is certainly motivating, when it comes to making changes in my eating and drinking habits.

What about you?

Are you taking the Day Designer “30 Days to My Best Me” Challenge? How was your first week? If you’re not taking this challenge, what kinds of habits do you do on a daily basis, and how do they help you?

Related Posts 30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 1 Another 30-day challenge?! Why I’m taking the Day Designer May Challenge Chef’s Table: An interview with debut novelist Lynn Charles

The post 30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 2 appeared first on Buttontapper Press.

30 Days to My Best Me Challenge, week 1

It’s the end of the first week in the Day Designer “30 Days To Your Best You” Challenge, and I thought I’d check in with some notes on how I’ve been doing.

First of all, let me just say that I wasn’t entirely sure what this challenge was going to be about, aside from trying to make some new habits. So I’ve been a little surprised by some of the habits they are encouraging people to take up each day. Some of them are kind of “Duh, why aren’t you already doing this?” while others have given me some food for thought. And, being a Rebel, still others meet with my usual sense of “Why would I ever want to do that?!”

So, here are the first week’s suggested habits, along with my notes about how they struck me on the day the habit was first introduced:

Day 1: Drink water first thing

“splash_2” (photo credit: Kurt:S)

Well, okay. But why? This habit was more given as a command, without any explanation as to what it might do for you, if you adopt it. I guess it’s just one of those things you should do without thinking, and without questioning much. We all need to drink more water, right? So, fine, drink a glass of water. I need to take some pills anyway, why not?

Day 2: Make your bed

“big yawn” (photo credit: Louisa Billeter)

Again, why? If you’ve read Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin points out that this is more of a psychological tool to make yourself feel ready to tackle stuff on your To Do List, because it’s a) an easy task to accomplish quickly and b) clearly divides your time between waking and sleeping. So I’m thinking more about Gretchen’s book now than this particular habit suggestion, which is funny.

I’ll admit that this is not something I normally do, because I really don’t give a damn about whether my bed is made or not. (And, as some of my friends have pointed out, there are some studies that show that not making your bed is actually healthier, since it’s not trapping moisture and mites in your bedding. Ew!) That being said, my husband usually makes the bed most days – provided there isn’t already a cat setting up a nest in the blankets, anyway. It’s something that seems more important to him than it does to me, so he does it and I leave him to it.

But today I did actually make the bed, wondering if my husband would be surprised. (He didn’t notice.)

Day 3: Read something inspirational

“Morning-with-coffee-and-book” (photo credit: Magda K)

Finally, a habit I can support with enthusiasm!

There is nothing I like better than feeling I have “permission” to do lazy things like read and relax in the morning, since that’s how I’d like to start my mornings anyway. Cup of coffee, good book, not feeling rushed… hell, I work from home, so why shouldn’t I be able to start my day off any way that I like?

Reading, in general, is a great habit, and reading first thing in the morning is something I’ve been meaning to shift into. I’d like to get away from reading nonsense on the internet or checking my emails first thing, so I’ll try to incorporate this one into my daily routines.

Day 4: Prep for dinner earlier in the day

“Preparing breakfast” (photo credit: dietertimmerman)

This is actually something that my husband and I have recently discussed. He is the one with the car, so this means he’s usually the one who buys any necessary groceries for dinner. And he hates grocery shopping. So he asked if I could help him out and take a peek in the refrigerator or freezer each day to figure out what we will have, instead of simply assuming he will buy something that we will both enjoy.

Luckily, today’s meal planning was easy, since we’d already discussed it last night, noting that we were missing some key ingredients. If he buys some mushrooms today, we can have turkey burgers tonight!

That being said, I am a little miffed that none of these tips have yet advised EAT BREAKFAST FIRST THING. As my husband points out, if you eat 30 grams of protein within the first 30 minutes of waking up, you will lose weight without any additional effort. I don’t know if the weight-loss thing is true, since I normally just groggily make coffee and start checking my emails, and don’t eat until about 8 or 9, but yeah, you should eat breakfast in the morning. And not sugary starches like donuts or cereal, but something with protein, like eggs. Not that I am telling you what to do, but doesn’t it seem odd that we are talking about prepping for dinner and haven’t even eaten breakfast?

Day 5: Empty the dishwasher and start a load of laundry

“2016 – China – Yangtze River – Shibaozhai – Washday”> (photo credit: Ted McGrath)

Nope! Sorry, Day Designer, but today’s tip is both sexist and classist.

I do not own a dishwasher, nor a washer/dryer. I wash my dishes by hand, and my husband and I have to go to the communal laundry in our apartment complex where we pay per machine, as I suspect many people in the U.S. do. So telling me to “empty the dishwasher and start a load of laundry” is utter BS, not only because it assumes (wrongly) that this is “women’s work,” but also because it assumes that people are both willing and able to wash their clothing on a daily basis.

Not to mention the fact that I almost deleted the email, which came with the subject line “The key to staying on top of the mom mess!” Seriously? Why are you assuming that a) we’re all moms and b) moms are the ones who need to “stay on top of” all of the household chores? What about dad?

That is quite a load of presumptions.

I’m following this challenge for the formation of good daily habits, even if they’re not necessarily things that I want to do, but today’s “tip” is a hot mess of privilege that needs to be checked.

Day 6: Practice smiling

Even this kid is like “Cut it out!” (“KiDS” photo credit: Israel Gutier)

Okay… after yesterday’s tip, I am already feeling more cynical about these “tips,” and this one isn’t helping.

I get that this tip is about feeling personally happier, but it also strikes me as problematic. The full text of the email reads:

“This habit will make you happier. Your emotions involve more than just your brain. Your face plays a large part. A simple smile can trigger positive emotions and change the course of your day. Plus, it will brighten the day for others!”

It’s the “plus” part that is bugging me.

As I posted on Facebook: Although this doesn’t happen to me nearly as frequently, now that I don’t live in NYC or another large metropolis with a reliable public transit system, I still remember all the stupid shit men have done to try to get my attention, including telling me to smile. So today’s tip, “Practice Smiling,” is a little triggering.

It is being presented in the guise of “this will make you happier!” but come on now. If you are feeling upset, angry, depressed (clinically or simply down in the dumps), etc., forcing the smile is not going to make you feel better. In fact, I would wager it’ll actually make you feel worse, because you are masking your true feelings, and then it’ll make you wonder why no one can see through your facade to comment on how you’re really feeling.

I am not down with tips given solely to women (and, let’s face it, this particular brand of planners is aimed at women), even if the advice is being given by other women (the founder of Day Designer is Whitney English). NO ONE has the right to tell me to smile – including my husband, who knows that I will cut a bitch. I will smile because I genuinely feel happy. I don’t need anyone’s advice to “smile more” or “practice smiling,” as if this is a woman’s duty in life, to smile and placate and always be pleasant and eager to please.

Yes, we could all be nicer to one another and, yes, smiling may enter into that picture. But if your advice is only for women, then fuck you.

In short, I feel like this tip is pretty tone deaf, assuming that a) all women should be smiling at all times, and b) smiling is going to actually improve anyone’s day if they are feeling blue.

A better tip? How about listening to music first thing in the morning? My husband has been putting on his favorite classical radio station while getting ready for work, and he says this has made him feel much calmer and confident about where his day is going to go. He doesn’t have a daily planner, but he does have WQXR. (They even have an app, so you can listen from anywhere in the world!)

Practice smiling. Again, NOPE!

Day 7: Prepare for the week

“writing to do list” (photo credit: Informedmag)

After two bad tips in a row, I was prepared for this morning’s suggestion to be another brush-off. But guess what? This is actually a great idea.

In fact, this is a tip I already had in mind last Sunday, when I was wondering why on earth Day Designer would start a 30-day challenge on a Monday. Mondays are the worst for starting any new habit, in my experience, since everything tends to be in chaos. Isn’t that why we call it Manic Monday?

Anyway, I’ve already given this challenge plenty of critique, so here is some praise: prepping for the week is definitely a challenge, and something everyone should do, to the best of their abilities. It’s always hard for me to envision all the projects and tasks I have to do in a 7-day period, so trying to map that out certainly helps me feel more in charge, and gives me goals to shoot for.

And, as this tip also points out, overplanning is also a big mistake many people (myself included) make. We think we can take on way more than we actually have time for, and overschedule ourselves, which often leads to failure and burnout. Trying to narrow down your top 3 goals for the day, which I’ve been doing as a result of using Day Designer’s daily planning print-out, is certainly a helpful way to avoid overscheduling and really think about what you’re trying to accomplish each day.

Now, most of my days have the same top 3 on them (I’ve been writing “Walk; Write 1,000 words; Work” most days), but I like that box because it does get me thinking about what I’m using my time for every day. And if I am working on similar projects each day, then it makes sense for my top 3 to be the same. If I’m trying to work in new habits (like going for daily walks), I can include those in my list.

Weekly scorecard


New habits to incorporate: 4
New habits to ignore: 2
New habits where “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”: 1
Overall: Still curious to see what comes next

Giving a new planner a try

Even though the Day Designer approach doesn’t quite feel like it is the approach I would take if it were up to me to design a planner, I’ve decided to purchase one of their Blue Sky daily planners (which are slightly less expensive than their flagship designs and available from Amazon, so I could get my hands on it in 2 days). It’s supposed to arrive on Monday, so I will switch from planning out my days on these daily print-outs (which I would recommend if you want to give it a try before you buy), and see if using the bound planner makes any difference in my scheduling game.

Gold isn’t usually my color, but I liked the spotty design, so away we go!

I will say that my current planner only offers a weekly spread, which I’ve found isn’t nearly enough space for all of my To Do Lists and notes to myself (not to mention recording daily word counts, planning for dinner, etc.), so I think this will be a lot better than my current system of attaching a To Do list to the opposite page, obscuring part of the weekly spread. The Day Designer planner is also significantly bigger than my current planner (DD is 8″ x 10″ vs. 6″ x 8.25″), with full-page spreads for each day.

What about you?

Are you taking the Day Designer “30 Days to My Best Me” Challenge? How was your first week? If you’re not taking this challenge, what kinds of habits do you do on a daily basis, and how do they help you?

Related Posts Another 30-day challenge?! Why I’m taking the Day Designer May Challenge Out with the old: Reflections on 2016 Halfway to 100K: 365K Club, week 13

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Another 30-day challenge?! Why I’m taking the Day Designer May Challenge

As long-time readers of this blog may have already guessed, I’m a sucker for a good challenge. 30-day challenges are my biggest motivator in life, for whatever reason, so when I saw that Day Designer was offering a free “30 Days To Your Best You” Challenge, I knew I had to sign up.

The goal of this challenge is to focus on daily habits. Having recently read Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before, I’m now armed with a lot of self-knowledge and information about habit formation, so I’m eager to start forming, reforming, and cutting habits from my daily routines.

In short, I’m pumped!

But… I still don’t have a planner I really love yet. (And no, I don’t own a Day Designer, either, in case you were wondering whether this is a paid advertorial. It totally isn’t!)

So today I’m printing out a bunch of Day Designer’s free pages, to prep for the challenge, and working in particular on their Intentional Living Worksheet.

As a Rebel, this strikes me as rather corny, but since part of the challenge is also to keep an open mind, I’m doing my best to think about what I, Rebel, really want to do with my month, and how to accomplish that. Despite my rebellious tendencies, I still need to get things done, so planning everything out and figuring out a good schedule that will work for me is the key to tricking myself into doing what I really want to do. It sounds a little backwards, but that’s me.

Will you join me?

The challenge is starting tomorrow, May 1, so there’s still time for you to join! If you’re interested in signing up, just click here.

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Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon: Hour 12 – Halfway There!

I’m at hour 12 of Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon, and they’re running a Mid-Event Survey, so here are their questions and my answers.

1. What are you reading right now?

Glitter by Aprilynne Pike. It’s set in a retro-futuristic recreation of the palace of Versailles. Trippy!

2. How many books have you read so far?

Two so far. (Glitter and A Study in Scarlet.) But, to be fair, I’ve also been working today, so I’ve been dipping into my books whenever the cats let me sit on the couch.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

I’m looking forward to finishing Glitter and starting The Sweet Life in Paris to stick with my Parisian theme.

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Tons! My alarm didn’t go off this morning at 5 like I’d planned, so I started 2 hours late. The cats stole my spot on the couch when I got up for a second. My coffee got cold. I had to work today. But I’ve been getting some reading time in between all of these interruptions, and Instagramming as I go, so it’s been a fun day overall.

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

How little I’m actually getting to read! But that also makes sense, given all of my interruptions. Just another day in paradise!

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Prepping for Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon

Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon is happening this Saturday, April 29! Will you be reading?

First things first…

What’s a READATHON?!

Answer: A reading challenge! It’s like a marathon for readers. Dewey’s is a 24-hour challenge, which means you can drop in during the 24-hour time period, or try to read for 24 hours straight through. With naps, of course. And snack breaks. And lots and lots of coffee.

Here’s the FAQ page to help you figure it all out.

I’ve never done any real readathons before – at least not since my school days with the Book It program (which, amazingly, is still around!) – so I’m excited about this. I’ve printed out a bookmark to keep track of my reading, and the list of prompts from the Instagram mini-challenge. So now all that’s left is to make up a reading list.

Here’s what I’ve got…

From My TBR Pile:


Stolen Sharpie Revolution by Alex Wrekk (a fun DIY re-read to start the day at the early hour of 5 AM!)
The Gangster We Are All Looking For by Lê Thi Diem Thúy (a used bookstore score and a slim volume, to keep the momentum going)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (a California author whose only work I’ve read so far, amazingly, is The Pearl)
The Cunning Linguist by Richard Lederer (a San Diego author, who’s also an honorary member of the San Diego Writers & Editors Guild!)
The Guilded Pen, 5th Edition (an anthology published by the SDW/EG, and which I have embarrassingly still not had time to dip into!)
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner (the title seemed appropriate, as I’ll likely be in bed for much of this challenge…)
Holy Cow by David Duchovny (I bought this and his X-Files co-star Gillian Anderson’s book together, in order to do a comparison of their literary abilities)
A Vision of Fire by Gillian Anderson and Jeff Rovin (as mentioned, it might be fun to read these back to back, since they’re such different types of books)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (a re-read that I seem to recall enjoying in my youth)
The Pirate Next Door by Jennifer Ashley (PIRATES!)
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz (PARIS!)
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (ALSO PARIS & BOOKSTORES!)
Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work by Austin Kleon (two more re-reads that always inspire me)

From the Library:

The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton (in keeping with my globe-trotting theme…)
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes (because you should always say yes!)
Glitter by Aprilynne Pike (if you’ve noticed a Parisian theme… yes, it’s true, I’m obsessed)
Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton (highly recommended by my husband, and I recently saw her “Mind of a Chef” episodes, so I’m intrigued)
The Song Machine by John Seabrook (because who doesn’t want to know the real behind-the-music stories?)
California Celebrity Vineyards (mostly for the pix, because I’m sure I’ll be exhausted at some point and incapable of absorbing more words)
Chinese Calligraphy Made Easy by Rebecca Yue (to break things up, I hope to try some new writing techniques throughout the day)
Brush Lettering Step By Step by Jim Gray and Bobbie Gray, CDA (the cover also touts “includes over 300 charming sayings” so I will share them on my Instagram feed)
Creative Lettering and Beyond by Gabri Joy Kirkendall, Laura Lavender, Julie Manwaring and Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn (more pictures!)
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi (a novel I grabbed on a whim from the shelf)
The Nix by Nathan Hill (a Rooster contender this year, and a huge volume, so I’m not sure if I will actually dig into this one or not)

That’s 25 titles, one for every hour of the challenge, plus one for good luck.

So… what will you be reading this weekend?

Related Posts Happy New Year – let’s read! #ShelfLove reading challenge: Read your own library! My “Fuck It” List: 10 Things I Just Don’t Have Time For

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Win a $1,000 Manuscript Critique!

This weekend the 10 Minute Novelists kicked off an online auction to help plan their first-ever conference – to be held in Cincinnati, Ohio (2018).

If you’re not already a part of this fantastic online group… what are you waiting for? Seriously, they’ve got the best online community I’ve found in my years searching for lively writing groups, and they sponsor annual events like the 365 Club and the 5K Walk/Run/Write.

Even if you’re not a part of this wonderfully supportive group, the auction is open to everyone. And there are tons of great goodies for writers and readers to bid on here!

Steals & deals

I’m currently in a bidding war over a lovely planner from Kensington Palace, for example.

You can also bid on my Manuscript Critique services (up to 50,000 words), starting at just $20. These are serious deals, people! Normally, I charge up to $1,000 for this service, where you’ll get feedback on both your piece’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as tips for how to improve your story and move forward with the editing process.

More hot-ticket items up for grabs:


A Kindle Paperwhite
A seat in the James Patterson Masterclass
Manuscript proofing
A professional author interview
Your very own professionally written press release, and
An illustration based on your WIP!

Of course, these deals won’t last forever. The auction ends May 6, so get over to the 32auctions site to bid on your favorites before they’re gone!

Related Posts Out with the old: Reflections on 2016 Contest: Follow me on Twitter, win a quickie 5K Walk/Run/Write Challenge 2017

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