I’m all about new challenges, am a dedicated foodie, a lover of traveler, and a gatherer of random wisdom.

Not sure what kind of people will stumble onto my site, but I’ll do my best to either teach you something new or entertain you.

Everyday is another day in paradise.

Blog

  • Dealing with downers

    What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

    When dealing with a bad day, I think it’s helpful to go out of your way to treat yourself well. If your friend or family member was having a bad day, what kind of things would you do to cheer them up? A lot of times if something bad happens, we seem to blame ourselves and it leads to more irritation. But if we had more compassion with our own mistakes or struggles then maybe we would end up in a better place. Having compassion for others when they make your day more difficult can help – try to wish them well or pity them. Sometimes I try to decide to be positive and think of how many blessings I am ignoring, or if it’s a train wreck of a day I try to look at it with humor. Leave work stress at the door, and rinse it off in the shower or by meditating. After a rough day I can treat myself by buying a nice meal instead of cooking, scheduling a massage, or buying more plants. (I have a tendency to “stress buy” plants.)

  • Going Down the Wikipedia Rabbit Hole

    What activities do you lose yourself in?

    Sometimes my curiosity for a topic on my mind or from an article I read will peak my interest, and I’ll do a Google search which often leads me to reading a lengthy Wikipedia page. That page may bring up a  topic or two which are new to me, and I open another window to explore it in more detail. This process can take hours to get through, but it’s worth it as I slowly work my way back through the open tabs after veering far from the original topic.

  • Giraffe šŸ¦’

    Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

    I am compared to a giraffe for either my height or awkward sense of grace when I run through the grasslands.

  • Dang, Oldie!

    Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.

    Dang, oldie! You rockin it! Been taking breaks from memory lane to spend time learning new things from people in the moment? Don’t forget to smell some dirt and plants! They are like nature’s scratch and sniffs.

  • Shopping~!

    Where would you go on a shopping spree?

    I’d start hitting all the clothes I can in the mall, dance e ecstatically if I find any shoes that fit me, then Lush, get lost in housewares and cooking stores, and end up at a gardening store buying so many plants that I decide it is time to purchase a house big enough to fit my dream plant home šŸ” At some point reality of my budget will probably hit in, so normally I get cut off at Lush.

  • Middle Name

    Daily writing prompt
    What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

    My middle name “Gail” comes from a friend of my mother back when she was in university in Louisiana. I’ve never met my namesake, but I can only assume I share some fun, quirky personality traits with her! ā¤

  • Mending A Seam

    This morning I not only learned how to mend a seam on a pillowcase, but I made it into my first DIY video!

    How does it look?

  • Always learning

    What is the last thing you learned?

    For the last few days I’ve gotten curious about video making and editing, so yesterday I watched a tutorial and I’m in the process of editing a video with a newbie guitar recording while also learning how to send media from my phone to my computer. Also, I learned a couple days ago that melting butter before baking can lead to very flat, square cookies.

  • Experimenting with video

    I am trying to stretch my technology legs, so please excuse my random blurb.

  • Sick day

    It was good to see my family this weekend and to lend a hand to my expecting sister while also making memories with her kids. Unfortunately, I got a very sore throat and body aches so I have taken today off to rest. Reading “Wind and Truth” by Brandon Sanderson with throat coat tea and intermittent naps.