Etc
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My Recent Reads – July 2019
Looking for book recommendations? I’ve been wanting to write this style post for awhile now, so without further ado, here are some of the books I’ve read recently, and what I thought of them. I’ve decided that for now, I’ll just share books that I’ve enjoyed or would recommend to a friend. I hope you enjoy these suggestions!
I was in a bit of a reading rut up until about a month ago, and as anyone else who loves to read knows, there’s nothing more frustrating than being unable to find a good book to dive into!
Part of the cause of my reading rut was how exhausted I’ve been—brain fog is not helpful when you’re trying to find books. My ability to make decisions has been fried. Another problem? It seemed no matter what book I put on hold at the library, the wait time was 2-6 weeks. I know that’s not long, and I love my library, but sometimes you need a book now!
So if you’re in a similar spot, here are some books that I hope you’ll enjoy. I have mishmash of classic, fantasy, memoir, fairy tale, historical, and literary books for you to choose from.
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Activities for Summer Fun #2—Low Cost, Low Energy + A Free Printable
Summer is my favorite time of year! Now that summer is officially here, I want to make the most of it by making some plans. So I’m sharing a list of fun activities with you all.
Last year, I blogged about ideas for summer fun that are easier for those of us with health issues (and included a free printable you can download), and this year I’m expanding on that list.
While most summery lists are geared toward people who are healthy, my list is achievable for people who deal with chronic illness and chronic fatigue. I’ve put together ideas that are adaptable for a variety of energy levels. I hope you’ll use this list as a jumping off point to craft a beautiful summer full of sun, novelty, creativity, and friends and family.
Find out how to get this list as a free printable at the end of this post. I enjoyed checking off items on last year’s list and seeing just how much I was able to accomplish!
Also, these ideas are mostly free or inexpensive, making them perfect for anyone who wants to save money. These would make great experiences for families with kids home for the summer too.
For some with chronic illness, summer can mean symptoms ease up a little, but for others the heat can actually exacerbate illness. You’ll notice that most of these ideas would be something you could do year round. If summer is rough on you, tuck this list away for another time of year when you have more energy.
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Update on my 2019 Reading Goals
It’s (somehow!) already June, so I’m posting an update on my reading goals now that the year’s hit the halfway mark. As I blogged about earlier, this is my first year setting reading goals for myself. If you’ve set goals too, I’d love to hear about it!
I’ve been a little hit or miss on my goals so far (I’m going to blame brain fog at least in part for that. You’ll see I completely forgot about one of my goals below!) There’s still plenty of time to work on my goals over the next six months, so I’m glad I’m reviewing them now. Summer seems like the perfect time to dive right into this list and be a little more intentional about reading.
(If you haven’t set reading goals for 2019, why not set some now? Or set some for the summer?)
Here’s the progress I’ve made so far.
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Interesting Around the Web – May 2019
I’m going to try a new post style and gather together some of the links that have caught my attention recently. Here’s what I’ve discovered while browsing blogs and articles.
May is #MEawareness month, so in honor of raising awareness for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or abbreviated ME/CFS) my links for this month are focused on this illness, as well as tips for living well with debilitating fatigue. This is one of my chronic health conditions, and hopefully raising awareness will lead to further research, understanding, and—eventually—an affective way to treat this condition.
10 Low activity creative hobbies forspoonies
(A Journey Through the Fog)
“Creative hobbies do not have to be difficult. Many of us lack the confidence to start, but something as simple as colouring is a great, therapeutic and low energy way to express our creativity.”
11 Benefits of Living with Chronic Illness & Autoimmune Disease
(Healthy Habits Reset)
“If you’ve ever experienced chronic fatigue, you know that there are no words (at least in the English language) that could possibly encompass all that is: chronic fatigue.”
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Why I’m Taking A Mini Blogging Break
Hello readers! I wanted to let you know that I’m going to take the next two-three weeks away from my blog.
I have upcoming ideas I’m excited to share with you, but first, I need to have a little down time.
I realized this is a needed break for my health. My body is having trouble adjusting to the fact that I had to stop a treatment that my doctor no longer provides, so I need to look into some other ways to support my pain and fatigue. Also, I’m hoping to start a detox, which my doctors have warned me will likely increase my exhaustion, so I want to give myself some space to get through that. I’m really hopeful I’ll see a benefit from this treatment.
Also, I’ve found that blogging has taken up all the time I have for creative pursuits, so I want to take some time to switch things up and pursue some things I haven’t had the time for. (And I’ll share about those fun things with you all!)
I look forward to catching up with you all soon!
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My List of Little Joys – April 2019
Here is my latest list of little joys, part of my effort to focus on the things that I am thankful for and to remember all the little moments in life worth celebrating.
Knowing I’m going to be recording things that make me feel more joyful has helped me to keep up with my goal of gratitude journaling, and journaling in general, more often.
I honestly needed this practice in place over the last couple months. I’ve faced quite a few health setbacks recently, including a sinus infection, an injury, reacting badly to a new medicine I tried, and having to stop a treatment that was helping me, plus worsening insomnia due to tachycardia. Whew, it’s easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed when you see a lot of things going wrong, and it’s easy to dwell on them. Keeping track of little joys has helped me to see that there is more to my reality than just the problems I’m facing. There are lots of reasons to smile, laugh, and enjoy life, even during rough times.
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Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging And Why You Should Blog Before You’re “Ready”
As promised in my round up about my first year blogging, I’m sharing tips I wish I had known from the beginning of my blogging journey. Be assured, this post isn’t to dissuade you from starting your blog. In fact, I think you should start a blog before you’re “ready,” and I’ll explain why.
On my Facebook page, I asked if anyone had questions about my first year blogging. One of the questions was: “What was your reason for starting a blog?” Answering this question is the perfect background for why I think you should start blogging before you’re totally sure what you’re doing.
One of the topics I blog about is dealing with chronic illnesses. I have several, and they’ve become progressively worse the last several years. The first one to get diagnosed was thyroid cancer. These illnesses have threatened to squash my dreams of being a published author. I think the first time I said I wanted to write books, I was in kindergarten (and then I promptly wrote a book for a friend and a play that my friend and I acted out while my dad taped us on the camcorder.) It’s been one of my dreams ever since.
Despite becoming more sick, I was (and am) determined to keep writing. As you might have guessed, it’s kind of hard to finish writing a book when you struggle just to function during the day! And while I’ve published a handful of poems, I’ve not yet gotten a book out into the world. I started to feel frustrated. Even when I pushed myself to write, my words just stayed stuck on my computer. I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything. No one was reading a single word I wrote, unless it was a kind friend or family member offering to look over a story.
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My Criteria For Comfortable Clothes & What I’m Loving Right Now
Finding comfortable clothes can be a major challenge, especially when you have a chronic illness (or two, or three…).
I have fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s and asthma, among other things, which all contribute to my needing clothes that don’t cause any of my health conditions to flare up.
And, as I talked about in this post, it helps me to when I wear clothes that look fashionable because looking presentable makes me feel better. As Gretchen Rubin has talked about in her podcast, wearing clothes that look like clothes (vs. pjs) improves your mood.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I receive a small portion of sales, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase.
Here are some of the things I look for in clothes:
Soft/breathable fabric—a must for comfort, as well as to help with my issues with temperature regulation. I’m usually freezing. I aim to buy mostly cotton clothing, but it’s surprising how hard that is to find anymore.
Not too tight or restrictive—I already have pressure points and difficulty breathing—the last thing I need is for my clothes to make this worse! A good, flattering fit helps me to look and feel my best.
Makes me feel my best—for me, this means non-pj shirts. To be honest, I usually wear pajama pants around the house because they don’t hurt my hips, so if I’m wearing a “normal” top, I still feel like I’m “dressed” and ready for the day. (If you’re most comfortable in pjs due to pain/illness/etc., the last thing I want to do is make you feel badly about it! Taking care of yourself with your wardrobe is the most important thing.)
