theinbetweenismine

just a girl living the expat life

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Archives for February 2018

Monthly Favorites | February

February 28, 2018 filed under: monthly favorites

1. I got an Odwalla Smoothie on a whim a couple of weeks ago at the supermarket because it was on sale. It was surprisingly good and I could see myself buying it again for after workouts. I could see adding protein or collagen powder to it to give it an extra boost. I like that it doesn’t have added sugars (although with all the fruit in there, natural sugar content is not low), and at 250 calories per bottle it’s a reasonable post-workout smoothie.

2. I am a bit of a ‘gadget nerd’ (no news here!) and have been really enjoying the Milestone Pod I got for Christmas. It’s a little tracking device that you clip on your running shoe. I’ll soon share a ‘first impressions’- review, but definitely wanted to include it on this list. So many insights!

3. I got this Boston Red Sox Nike Performance Hoodie for Christmas from my MIL and I looove it (I am wearing it here). It’s lightweight, breathable with a light fleece lining. Perfect for California winter weather. If only it had thumb holes…. BUT then again, it’s a) a hoodie,  b) it’s blue/gray and c) it’s an official the Red Sox hoodie. What’s not to love? 

4. Have you heard of the Drop app? If you’re looking to earn cashback on everyday purchases, this app might be interesting to you. You link cards that you use for everyday purchases (like groceries, clothing, makeup, etc.) and you automatically earn reward points that you can exchange for gift cards for a ton of stores. If you are intrigued and want to give it a try *, we’ll both earn 1000 drop points when you sign up.

5. Trader Joe’s Hyaluronic Moisture Boost Serum is brand-new and I couldn’t even find a link to it on the Trader Joe’s website. I like it so far. It’s a clear serum that applies easily and you only need a little bit underneath your regular moisturizer.

6. I’ve really enjoyed the Bigelow Lemon Ginger Tea lately. It’s one of the teas I love completely without any added sugar or honey and hey, it’s lemon and probiotics and it’s good for you.

What was one of your favorite things this month?


* The post contains a referral link. If you sign up for the Drop  app (Invitation code: d6kb3) , we’ll both earn 1000 reward points.

21

Horseshoe Bend | Page, AZ

February 22, 2018 filed under: travel, USA

Oh remember? I wanted to tell you all about the roadtrip with my cousin B and his girlfriend in September when we visited all the National Parks? Right! So, let’s get back to it, shall we? Here are parts 1, 2, and 3.

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As you might recall from my last post, we were heading over from Bryce Canyon National Park to Page, AZ.

First stop: Horseshoe Bend. This impressive horseshoe-shaped, 270-degree bend (hence the name) of the Colorado River located 5 miles (8.0 km) downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell is right outside the town of Page, AZ off of U.S. Route 89. Ok you guys, I know this isn’t a National Park, it’s just one measly (← [\sarcasm]) geologic site, but Horseshoe Bend is my FAVORITE.

I can’t even tell you why, maybe just for the fact that you don’t have to pay for access (wondering when this will change!?) and just drive up, park, and hike over there. Maybe because I was lucky enough to ‘work’ with 3D data of Horseshoe Bend in my line of work before. Maybe because it’s just an amazing natural experience to stand on the edge of this cliff and look down to the river below.

Whatever it is, promise me you’ll work in a stop at Horseshoe Bend if you’re ever anywhere close to this area. You will not regret it.

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As you know, I am a geographer, so I look at these sites with awe not just because they’re so pretty, but also because I am fascinated by how these sites formed in the first place. So here’s the geek part, for those of you who are interested: Horseshoe Bend is what is called an incised meander. Most meanders are found “meandering” back and forth across the alluvium (loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments) of a river’s flood plain, an incised meander, however, is cut into the bedrock.

Before this plateau formed, the Colorado River flowed across flat land. The middle course – which is where you find meanders like Horseshoe Bend – is where the stream has the most energy and water. The fast-flowing water carries stones, sand and corrosive substances, which together create an erosive force. Like all meanders, the bends in the Colorado formed due to a cycle of erosion and deposition. First, the outside of the bend – where the water flows fastest – is worn away. This eroded rock and sediment is then deposited by the slower- flowing water inside of the bend. The continuous erosion and deposition causes the river to meander and migrate downstream. In this case, the gradual uplift of the Colorado Plateau caused the river to carve its path down through the ancient sandstone, instead of only eroding from side to side. This is because water will always follow the steepest route. Over millions of years, the banks of the river grew ever steeper, until eventually the river became entrenched at the base of the canyon.

Erosion is still happening along the bend and might eventually result in a meander cutoff.  They occur when a meander bend in a river is breached by a chute channel that connects the two closest parts of the bend. This causes the flow to abandon the meander and to continue straight down-slope,  but that will probably take many more millions of years in a case of an entrenched meander.

The overlook is accessible via a ¾ mile hike from U.S. Route 89 and it’s part of a state park. It is 4,200 feet (1,300 m) above sea level, and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level, making it a 1,000-foot (300 m) drop. Mind you, there are no guard rails or anything at the cliff’s edge. One thing about this place that is true: it gets crowded. I even noticed an increase in the number of people (and expanded parking lot space) from the last time I visited in 2015.

It has a little bit of a perturbing effect: on one hand, you’re out in nature and you expect – or hope for – a bit of solitude and the fact that there are so many people around somehow feels wrong. At the same time, you are one of these people and generally, you’d want people to to experience these natural wonders. I love the fact that this place is freely accessible and not regulated as a national monument or park, but  how do you find a balance between making these places accessible without making them completely overrun tourist attractions? It seems like a difficult task.

Nonetheless, Horseshoe Bend is fascinating and beautiful and just awe-inspiring.

We were lucky to get the opportunity to see the meander twice during our stay. We drove over from Utah into Arizona and – due to AZ not honoring DST – we gained an extra hour and arrived in Page just in time to drop off our luggage at the hotel and then head out to Horseshoe Bend for a sunset experience. Of course, we were not the only people with the idea to watch the sunset, so it was pretty crowded. Nevertheless, it was an amazing experience to witness the sun dip behind the horizon while overlooking this majestic meander. The light and the colors were changing so quickly!

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The next day, we had a scheduled tour for Lower Antelope Canyon (recap to come!), but had time afterwards to stop at Horseshoe Bend again for some daylight photos before continuing our roadtrip.

Look at the amazing sandstone colors by daylight. We spent two hours on the hunt for the perfect picture (although it is very hard to capture the enormity of this overlook in a photograph, but we still tried!).

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I know we did a good job making it look like we were the only ones there, but believe me, the hardest trick was to make sure there were no other people in the pictures. Ha! I could have  honestly sat there for a few more hours and would have been totally content and happy.

I’ll share some more travel tips for Page (where to stay, where to eat, what else to see etc.) in my upcoming recap about our visit to Lower Antelope Canyon. Stay tuned!

17

Currently | February

February 20, 2018 filed under: currently

enjoying the California weather. It’s perfect running weather right now. Crisp temperatures, but lots of sunshine, too! (Well, except for the hard freeze warning we had last night when the temperatures dipped into the 20’s. We don’t get that here very often.)

counting the days until I will get to hug my bff. I can’t wait to spend some quality time with her! Only 4 more weeks!

stoked that I got our taxes done last weekend. I usually try to do them as soon as I got all the paperwork together and get it out of the way. We’re expecting a refund, too, which I am very excited about. It’s always better to get something back than to owe.

eating whole grain bread with gouda. J and I have been doing a lot of ‘German dinners’ lately: bread, cheese, and cold cuts. I am not complaining!

drinking lots of water. 

watching The Incredible Dr. Pol. It’s a great show to watch while I knit. Multi-tasking ftw!

drooling over some new gradient yarn that I will be getting soon.

reading Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. I was super-intrigued by the high ratings, but I have to admit that I am a little put off by the constant mentioning of God and the bible. Let’s see how I feel by the time I finish this book. 

listening to Classical Music on the Music Channel. It’s our go-to background noise choice these days.

loving my bullet journal. I’ve been enjoying getting a little bit more creative by setting up my own spreads and tracker pages and I’ve been reaching for it more consistently in the last few weeks than I did for my planner last year. That makes me really happy. So far, it’s been really working well and I can’t wait to share more about my experience with it in the future.

looking forward to a short work week. Having Monday off and then only working until Thursday? Sounds pretty nice, right?

wringing my hands over the fate of the Dreamers. I mean, what’s going to happen on March, 5th?

What’s going on with your currently?

26

Some belated thoughts on Valentine’s Day

February 16, 2018 filed under: about me, love

Did you notice that I completely skipped over Valentine’s Day? I didn’t post a romantic picture or professed online how much I love my husband or how we celebrated our relationship on Wednesday! I didn’t get any flowers, we didn’t go out for a romantic dinner, but we did get take-out and ate it together on the couch in our PJs. So there is that.

I know, most people either love or hate Valentine’s Day and I kind of fall in the later camp. Well, ‘hate’ is maybe a bit of a harsh word. I don’t hate a day where you’re supposed to express love for your significant other and other special people in your life and I would probably get on board if it was something that was important to J. BUT, as far as I remember, he and I have never celebrated Valentine’s Day. I mean, I possibly might have given him a card once or twice ( just because I found a cute one when I was out shopping), but honestly, I could have given that to him on any other damn day (or not at all). In Germany, Valentine’s Day wasn’t a “thing” growing up. Of course now, as many other American holidays, it’s made its way over to Europe (if only to have just one more ‘holiday’ that companies can monetize) and apparently some people have jumped on the bandwagon. I, however, still don’t expect anything on Valentine’s Day.

I mean, J sometimes doesn’t even get me anything for my actual birthday (I heard the collective *gasp* going through the blogosphere just now, haha!), but he will surprise me with a thoughtful gift at other random times. And I am totally okay with that. After all, he’s usually the person I get to spend my birthday with, so the time together is much more important to me than any gift.

Admittedly, I am a little bit more particular about birthdays and make it a point to not forget people’s birthdays and to send cards (and gifts), but J is wired differently and prefers to show gestures of love and appreciation when he feels it’s the right moment. That’s why he has also never “adhered” to the Valentine’s Day’s rules.

My indifference to Valentine’s Day goes so far that I don’t even make Valentine’s Day cards for my Etsy shop (and I realize, that is severe negligence!). Maybe next year. If I think of it early enough. (Remind me! Ha!)

In all seriousness though, I feel like Valentine’s Day should be every day. I don’t need a “designated day” per year to tell people that they’re important to me. I share that freely and often, and randomly on February, 16.  I love and appreciate you all. Just so you know.

And hey, if Valentine’s Day is your thing, more power to you. Who am I to judge. I totally support you celebrating it to your heart’s desire. J and I are just not Valentine’s Day people.

We love each other nonetheless.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Would you be upset if your SO didn’t get you a gift for your birthday?

30

February Link Love

February 15, 2018 filed under: link love

Just another round of click-worthy links that I recently gathered up.

Around the Interwebs

If you click on one link today, make it this one: Use emergency SOS on your iPhone. I’ve had an iPhone for 7 years, but I’ve never known about this (maybe it is new, but still, I hadn’t heard about this and think it’s so important to know!).

Goodbye to the Small But Crucial Dignity of Picking Out Your Own Groceries. This gets me so freaking mad. Read this and tell me how a society could be more demeaning to the poorest of the poor.

I tried a four-day work week for a month and ended up more stressed. I work a 4-day work week and these articles always throw me off a bit, because they always pose the question: “how you cram five days of work into four days?”. AHM, just as a reminder: you work 10-hour days, not just 8-hours, so it’s not really more work crammed into a shorter period of time. I feel that 10-hours of focused work make me more productive.

Have you ever tried to quit Instagram? Me neither.

I might have recommended Grammarly in the past but I think I need to retract that recommendation! Here’s why.

How not to die in America and a follow up: How people die in America. Let’s rehash one more time why healthcare shouldn’t be privilege, but a right!

The female price of male pleasure.

Tried and trued, I guess? Everyone snaps the same Instagram travel photos.

 
Around the blogosphere

I was one of the horrible people who asked other people incredulously “how the hell do you have time to read so much” before I turned my life around and started reading again. My friend Kate has compiled a list of 9 ways to make more time for reading, some of which definitely have helped me, and maybe they’ll help you (if you need help at all).

Do I need to stay informed? 6 gut-check questions to ask yourself. (Especially #3 spoke to me, but they’re all valid.)

 
Craftiness

5 health benefits of crochet (I am sure the same applies to knitting).

The magic of greeting cards. That’s why I make them. That’s why I send them.

Who doesn’t doodle every once in a while? 11 simple step-by-step floral doodles. 

 
Deliciousness

German breakfast rolls, anyone?

Turkey Sloppy Joe Pasta.

Kefir Pancakes ‘Oladi’ sounds delicious!

Four Cheese Pesto Zoodles. Yum.

8 ingredient garlic butter mushroom and goat cheese fettuccine. Pasta? Goat Cheese? Mushrooms? GIMME!

Flourless Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.

 

Share a good link with me in the comments!

12

TotR | 6 things I love most about running

February 13, 2018 filed under: fitness, linkup, running

I am jumping on the bandwagon again this week and join the Tuesdays on the Run link-up with Marcia, Erika, and Patty. And since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, I am sharing six things I love most about running this week.

Running is “me-time”.

I don’t know about you, but as an introvert, I need a lot of ‘me-time’. To recharge, relax, recuperate. While I obviously love running for many other reasons, I also love running for the time that I can spend with myself. In this sense, it’s more the mental than the physical part, and I just love my long runs on the weekends as my me-time.

Running burns calories.

There, I said it. I run because I love to eat (and don’t tell me that you haven’t tallied up what else you could eat because of the ‘extra calories’ that you burned because you ran that day! I thought so!).

Running releases stress.

It’s true. When I am stressed out, I run. I mean, I also run when I am not stressed out and it helps to keep me balanced, but when I am seriously stressed out, I know that a good, long run will make everything look only half as dire. I am sure many of you  feel the same.

Running can be taken on the road.

I absolutely love that running is an exercise that you can do anytime, anywhere, just by yourself. I used to play team sports growing up, which meant I always ‘needed’ other people to do my sport. With running, all you need is to bring a pair of running shoes and running clothes and you’re good to go. Of course, it’s nice to go for a run with other people, too, but they’re not required (and often for me not even wanted. I like my alone-time when I run.)

Running helps you to easily get in those daily steps.

You know, I do like walks, but on days, when I only take 30-minute lunch breaks and sit on my butt for most of the day (I work long days), I have a hard time getting in those recommended 10,000 steps. But, if I run in the morning, I am already well over my step goal when I start my day and that frankly feels awesome and I don’t have to worry about it the rest of the day (even though my Garmin will still nag me when I have sat too still for too long and nudge me to move, even if I already put in my work for the day. Ha! The irony!).

Running inspires.

I know some people might secretly shake their heads about people that document their fitness journey on IG or other social media, but the fitness – and especially the running community – feels very supportive and I can only speak for myself, but I find it hugely inspiring to follow other people who share their journeys and daily struggles and accomplishments, regardless of their fitness level. Everybody who’s getting out there is a hero in my book.

What do YOU love about running?

 

14

Recipe | Cherry Crumble Cake

February 12, 2018 filed under: recipe

A few weeks ago, I saw the jars of Dark Morello Cherries at Trader Joe’s and magically one of them ended up in my shopping cart. I love cherries and thought it would be time to bake a cherry crumble cake again sometime soon. Crumble cake is one of my – and J’s – favorites.

I love to bake. I don’t do it nearly often enough because you can only eat so much cake in a 2-person household, but every once in a while, when I get a craving, I will bake a small batch of cake or muffins. Like a couple of weekends ago. Because one single person inquired in my last post about the recipe for the crumble cake, I thought I should definitely share it with all of you. Naturally.

Crumble cake is super-easy and tasty and can be made with any fruit you like. 

I halved the original recipe (which is an original recipe from my Mom) because it’s enough for a whole baking sheet, which is definitely too much for 2 people (unless you want to eat cake for a whole week, which I am not necessarily opposed to, but which probably wouldn’t make me feel too great by the end of the week).

I used a small casserole dish instead (you can also use a small round baking form).

I had a few cherries leftover (that I used in my overnight oats the following week – yum!), but I realize I could have used the whole jar. There was enough batter to take the cherries and extra liquid. J said it was perfect the way it came out (sweet, I know!).

The bottom layer was spongy and on the dry side (just how I like it). I found that German cake recipes generally tend to be a little “drier” than American cakes, but also not as sweet.

I had a piece (ok, two) with a cup of coffee shortly after it came out of the oven. I also had some leftover cake that I took to work the next couple of days. It keeps well in the fridge (I wrap it in aluminum foil) and it can be warmed up a bit in the microwave, if you prefer (without the foil, of course).

Cherry Crumble Cake
2018-01-27 16:10:35
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Ingredients
  1. 1/4 cup butter (softened)
  2. 1/4 cup sugar
  3. 1 package vanilla sugar (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
  4. 2 cups all-purpose or pastry flour
  5. 3 eggs
  6. 2 tbsp milk
  7. 1tsp baking powder
  8. 1 jar of morello cherries (drained)
For the crumbs
  1. 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 1 cup of flour
  4. cinnamon (to taste)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a small baking dish or 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray, set aside.
  2. In a bowl, beat the butter until it’s light and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla sugar and continue to beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add the eggs gradually until each one is incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and baking powder one spoon at a time alternating with milk.
  3. For the crumbs, combine butter (cut in pieces, but still cold), sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl and combine between your fingertips until crumbs form.
  4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top the batter with the drained cherries. Finally, add the crumbs on top and then bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean
  5. Let cool completely before cutting or removing from baking dish.
theinbetweenismine https://theinbetweenismine.com/

22

Thinking Out Loud #15

February 8, 2018 filed under: Thinking out loud

Thursdays are slowly but surely becoming my ‘brain dump’-days. You don’t mind, do you? Because all these little tidbits that I’ve been sharing are rarely worth their own posts. But tidbits are fun and tell you so much more about the person behind the blog, am I right? So, for now, I’ll continue to do this by Thinking out Loud with Amanda from Running with Spoons.

+ I am aaaalmost done with my latest knitting project and I can’t wait to show you. This up there is when I started about 4 weeks ago. I also can’t wait to start something new. Do you know that feeling when after a while, you get ‘bored’ with a project and want to start something new? That’s were I am at. Have you been working on a crafty project lately?

+ I am just a teeny-tiny bit so freakin’ excited to tell you that I booked a flight to visit my family back home. I’ll also be able to see my bff (which I am so happy about!) and a skiing trip with my family to Val Gardena (South Tyrol) will definitely be happening again! SQUEE! I CANNOT WAIT.

+ Today is Fat Thursday, or Weiberfastnacht (Weib = woman, Fastnacht =  “night before Lent’) or “Wieverfastelovend” as we say in Cologne. It’s  is an unofficial holiday in the Rhineland. At the majority of workplaces, work ends before noon. Celebrations start at 11:11 am. In comparison with Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), there are hardly any parades, but people wear costumes and celebrate in pubs and in the streets. In many towns across the state of North Rhine Westphalia, a ritual “takeover” of the town halls by local women has become tradition. Among other established customs, on that day women cut off the ties of men, which are seen as a symbol of men’s status. The men wear the stumps of their ties and get a Bützchen (little kiss) as compensation. 

(The photo is a throwback to a time when my bff and I went out for Carnival many years ago and while I was never a huge “(Karnevals)jeck”*, I do miss it a little bit every year. ) 

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#tbt

+ Last Saturday, I got my Amazon Fire back. Well, I got a new (refurbished) replacement for the Fire that had died (after only two months). That was sad, but on the plus side, I now don’t have “offers” on my screen anymore (which I hadn’t paid for to be removed for my initial purchase). All in all, a little blessing in disguise? Just crossing my fingers that this Fire will last (quite a bit) longer.

+ I am on the edge of my seat again (figuratively speaking, and okay, maybe I am a little exaggerating, because it’s more eye-rolling than anything) about what Congress – or should I say, Trump? – is going to do tonight. Will there be another shutdown? Will they pass the spending bill with a DACA deal attached?

 


*“The word [jeck] is used almost exclusively in the Rhineland, especially in the city of Cologne […]. Jeck can be a noun (ein Jeck), as well as an adjective (you can be jeck). Originally, it refers to a person who actively participates in a carnival celebration. […] But the more important meaning of the word is used year round. In this sense, it is an adjective that reflects the tolerant Cologne way of life and the general attitude of the Rhinelanders, […] a humorous person who does not take things – or himself – too seriously.”

21

Why I started a bullet journal

February 7, 2018 filed under: bulletjournaling

As I mentioned in a couple of previous posts (and on Instagram), I have ventured into the realm of bullet journaling. As the name suggests, it has to do with bullets and with journaling and it is – in short –  a customizable planner system. If you have no idea what I am talking about, I suggest you take a quick look here for a quick introduction, before you read any further. I assume though that most of you have heard of bullet journals by now.

I am not new to planners and journals. I’ve been using paper planners for forever, but this year, I had the itch to try something new (and I also didn’t want to shell out the money for an expensive planner, to be quite honest). I was looking for something more “engaging”, because I realized that I often wrote the same things into my old planner every week (meals, workouts, occasional appointments), but didn’t feel like I was getting the use out of it that I wanted to.

So, I set out to find a planner that was  more “customizable” to my needs, and which would help me to focus on planning, but also encourage more journaling, tracking, and creativity, all in one space. I want it to be a planner, a journal, and a creative outlet all in one.

I’ve used some sort of paper planner ever since I can remember. Definitely starting in High School. Early on, I used to buy cheap planners (or even got the promotional planners that companies would give out for free) and then spruce them up with photos and other decorations. My planners always functioned as hybrids – part planner, part journal and somewhere in my parents’ basement should be (I hope!) a bunch of old planners with tons of sentimental value. As with lots of other things growing up, time consuming things like journaling became less of a habit (and also partly replaced by my blog) and list-making (to stay on top of all the demands of adult life) became more important. Still, I still continued to make planners part planner, part journal for keeping memories.

I had Erin Condren Life Planners for a few years when they were all the hype, then I switched to Inkwell Press Planners in 2015. I blogged about them here and here.  At the end of last year though, I realized with a bit of a shock that I often wouldn’t even bother writing things down, which made me sad (and alarmed me a bit, if you want me to be a little dramatic). My work doesn’t require a lot of organizing and list making, and we use a (shared) Google calendar for meetings, but not using a paper planner for my personal life? That was out of the question. If I was honest, I just didn’t dedicate as much time to it as I used to, and I wanted to change that.

Bullet journaling is not new. I heard about it quite a while ago and I originally thought that the system was intriguing, but too “simplistic” for me. It seemed more like a system to keep track of to-do lists, but nothing more. If you look at the original bullet journal website (and watch the introductory video), it says, all you need is an empty notebook and a pen and then organize your year, months, weeks, and days by creating a list of tasks, events, and notes.

I was confused by the symbols (which I didn’t seem to be able to memorize) and it just didn’t seem like a good fit for me. I wanted something more engaging, and to be honest, something prettier than just a list in a notebook. Of course, other more artistic people took the bullet journal approach and ran with it. And this is where the bullet journal system recaptured my attention.

So, I spent some time searching the Internet for more information. I searched the hashtag #bulletjournal (or #BuJo, as it is often referred to in planner circles) on Instagram, which is where surprisingly, I did not find the simple text version that was envisioned by founder, Ryder Carroll, but a wide variety of layouts and styles.

Rachel Wilkerson Miller, senior lifestyle editor at Buzzfeed, jumped on the bullet journal train early on and coined the phrase ‘dot journaling’ for the more elaborate, diary-style layouts. She then wrote a book about it: Dot Journaling: A Practical Guide. I think she was trying to separate bullet journaling in its pure form from the ‘planner-to-do-list-diary’ hybrid that it has evolved into by renaming the approach, but  so far it seems as if most people still refer to both methods – the minimalist and elaborate layouts – as bullet journaling.

According to Rachel, bullet journaling is good for …

  • People who have a million little to-do lists floating around
  • People who like pen and paper to-do lists
  • People who are into goal-setting and habit tracking
  • People who like stationery, journaling, scrapbooking, beautiful pens, etc.
  • People who really love planners
  • People who want to really love planners, or who want to be more organized
  • People who would really like to keep a journal/diary but are having trouble sticking with the habit

… and I realized, I am all these people!

Well, let’s just say: I went down the rabbit hole browsing that hashtag and the artsy layouts instantly spoke to my creative heart. Although, I think I am pretty sure that  my personal bullet journal will probably fall somewhere in the middle between the bullet and the dot journal: a more minimalistic-leaning version with a bit of embellishment here and there. This really is the beauty of this planning system. It can be anything to anyone. There is no right or wrong  way to do this. And I know that I need something that is functional, but will also keep me enganged creatively.

I like aesthetically eye-pleasing planner designs, hence my previous use of the Inkwell Press Planner, but I also wanted to have more space and freedom when it came to using the planner, so the idea of a completely handwritten, hand-drawn journal was appealing to me on many levels. I also wanted a notebook that I could pick up at any time and jot down everything I wanted to remember: things to do, notes, blog ideas, thoughts, and obversations. The bullet journal seems to combine both.

It allows you to use its pages as you go, instead of a pre-printed planner that has the whole year layed out for you, and it encourages to write down anything that comes to your mind on the next free page (or pages!) of your journal, regardless of what page came before it. You have all the space that you need to put down your thoughts (and then you just note the page in your index at the front of the notebook, so you can easily find it again later).

On a side note, one of my complaints about other planners often was that I felt like I couldn’t write everything down that I might have wanted to write down, because the pre-printed space wouldn’t support my rather large handwriting or there was not enough extra space to get creative. As I said earlier, I want to be more engaged with my planner and in my bullet journal, I can use as much space as I want, because there is always another empty page waiting for me. I can throw in some journal entries, scrapbooking pages, book or craft project lists, or anything else I deem worthy of writing down.

I will probably share some of my other layouts at some point. I am still in the “setting up and trying out” -phase and I am keeping it fairly simple for now. One thing I read over and over again was to keep it simple and not overthink your layouts, especially at the beginning. Once you get the hang of how things work and when you figure out what kind of layouts/spreads will work – or not work – for you, you can start getting more creative (if you wish). I’ve been told that spreads will likely change over time, either due to boredom or out of necessity (and I consider this a good thing).

That is one of the things I am expecting to really love about bullet journaling: the flexibility to adapt and change my spreads as needed. Not every month looks the same, so why should your bullet journal layout? Give yourself permission to change your approach and your layouts as needed and let go of your perfectionism (hard one for me!) and embrace that your bullet journal will likely change with the times. It’s a good thing (or so I heard).

If you want to get an idea of how things might go right after you decide to start bullet journaling, this made me laugh (plugged from Rachel’s Buzzfeed article linked above), because I was definitely a bit overwhelmed at the beginning. But fear not, it’s really not as complicated as it sounds. I am barely 6 weeks into this adventure and feel much more confident already.  It’s really only as complicated as you yourself make it out to be.

If this post piqued your interest, there are a ton of resources out there (Instagram accounts, tons of blogs dedicated to bullet journaling, and YouTube videos with page-throughs and tutorials), so I won’t go into any more details here. Let’s just say: you can make a bullet journal into whatever you want it to be and that was the most intriguing part for me.

Some blogs I have been following (to name a few):

Ryan Carroll (Inventor of the Bullet Journal) | @bulletjournal

Boho Berry | @boho.berry

Tiny Ray of Sunshine | @tinyrayofsunshine

Page Flutter | @pageflutter

Productive & Pretty | @productiveandpretty

LittleCoffeeFox | @little_coffee_fox

Christina77Star |  @christina77star

The Petite Planner | @the.petite.planner

Phew. This got much longer than anticipated, so kudos to you if you made it all the way down here. If you have any questions for me, hit me up, although I think most questions have already been answered in all the helpful posts you’ll find about bullet – or dot – journaling online. If you also bullet journal, share your spreads with me! I am curious!

I’m planning to share some of my bullet journal supplies in a follow-up post, if you’re interested.

22

What I read in January

February 5, 2018 filed under: books

As I mentioned last week, my reading was bit sidelined by the fact that my Amazon Fire died.

Ok, this is honestly just an excuse, because a) I could have continued reading on my phone, if I had wanted to, I guess, and b)  my fire died at the end of the month. The truth is, I spent more time knitting in January than reading. Here it goes with my setting priorities.

Anyway, I am currently reading book #3, but I can’t count that towards the January books as I haven’t finished it. So, my list for January is short. I only read two books, but they were both excellent.

A Piece Of Cake by Cupcake Brown  (★★★★☆)

This book was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching, but also a story of incredible resilience. It’s hard to believe what Cupcake Brown went through and how she was able to eventually turn her life around. The only reason that I gave this book four stars (instead of five) is that I felt that she spent too much time on detailing every single horrific incident of her childhood and her teenage and young adult years: foster homes, abuse, rape, prostitution, gang life, drugs, etc. on repeat. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that she remembers every incident in such detail and for me, that part could have been significantly shortened without losing any impact. I wish she would have spend more time on the part where she actually decided to make a change in her life, and talk more about how she was able to manage rehab, sobriety, and getting herself a law degree.

Also, her writing isn’t particularly outstanding, but I felt that it mostly worked with the story she was telling and the background she came from (considering that she grew up with slang and never graduated high school). This is to say, this memoir reads like a miracle story and it does inspire hope. (It also casts a very bad light on the foster care system back then.)

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy: by by Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant, Adam M. Grant  (★★★★☆)

I enjoyed this half-self-help book, half memoir about loss, grief, and getting back on your feet after a tragic event. I thought there were some really good pieces of advice in this book. Some of it was really helpful, for example, the reminder to be mindful and how to handle the three P’s – (1) personalization-the belief that we are at fault; (2) pervasiveness-the belief that an event will affect all areas of our life; and (3) permanence-the belief that the aftershocks of the event will last forever – which every grieving person inevitably has to confront.

I also found that many of the strategies do not only apply to the situation of losing a loved one, but also many other situations of “loss” that people face in their lives and have to come to terms with (illness, trauma, disappointments, abandonments, etc.)

The only small critic I have is that Sheryl Sandberg is very privileged and it shows in many parts of the book. As chief operating officer at Facebook, there were a lot of things she didn’t personally have to face when she lost her husband and she does acknowledge that many women in her situation face financial challenges, loss of their homes, and often don’t have the luxury to take time off work or openly display their grief in front of their boss or coworkers. Of course, she can only write about her own experience and most of the book is about the emotional part of grieving and moving forward, which I did find very relatable and helpful. Some universal takeaways include: let’s show up for each other, respect your own feelings, and kick the shit out of option B, if option A is not longer available.

What was your favorite book last month? Leave a comment, and then add me on Goodreads to keep in touch.

8

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Hi, I am San – German native, dual-citizen living in beautiful Northern California. Runner. Knitter. Crafter. Reader. Writer. Proud aunt, sister, and friend.

I’ve been blogging since 2004 and don’t intend to stop any time soon. If you are looking for personal content and making a  genuine connection, you’ve come to the right place.

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