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My Recent Reads – October 2019
So I took an unplanned, monthlong break from my blog in September, and I did A LOT of reading. I went through a bit of a health scare including an autoimmune fever that lasted 16 days (that is a loooong time to feel like your brain is cooking!) and concern that my cancer had returned. I’m very thankful that it looks like a false alarm and I am still cancer free! Praise God! I’m very glad to be back to blogging now that my body’s alarm bells have chilled out.
As the weather starts to get cooler (which is always a rough transition due to my fibromyalgia, asthma, etc.), it’s the perfect time to curl up with a book.
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!
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Halloween Printables—Mason Jar Labels
I love Halloween and candy! The only thing about the holiday that has been bumming me out lately—I can’t eat all the beautiful, colorful treats!
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I have food allergies, so it’s hard to find allergy-friendly candies in festive packaging. (I thought it was in fact impossible until I learned that these allergy-free snacks existed. I’m thinking I need to try them…) And even if I make my own desserts, they’re often monochromatic. (I mean, I love chocolate, but part of the fun of a holiday is dressing up your desserts.) It’s proven hard to find natural food coloring that doesn’t taste funky, so I needed to get creative to find other ways to make my desserts scream Halloween.
I wanted to think of a way to add some pumpkin orange, pretty purple, and candy-corn yellow to my Halloween baking. So, I thought up the idea of making these wraparound labels perfect for labeling canning jars! I’m pretty dang excited to use them, and I hope you are too! I’ll let you know how to download them at the end of this post.
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Interesting Around the Web – August 2019
Hello readers, I have rounded up some interesting articles and posts from around the web!
I’ve been taking it easy after a trip to a museum totally wiped me out for a week, so it’s been fun to discover interesting reads online to keep me occupied. I also got to contribute a quote to another blogger about how important to advocate for yourself when doctors are dismissive or misdiagnose you (one time a doctor told me I didn’t have asthma… when I clearly do and have since birth!) I was also delighted to discover that another blogger read my latest My List of Little Joys posts and was inspired to write a post of her own on that theme.
I hope you all enjoy these links and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
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Create a Laughter as Medicine Kit
This post is all about ideas for adding more laughter to your life!
While laughter may or may not be the best medicine, it sure can make a difference.
I’ve been compiling a list of things that make me laugh, and it’s turned into a kind of first aid kit for making me feel better. Being intentional about cultivating joy and laughter has been even more important to me since I’ve been dealing with multiple chronic illnesses as well as chronic pain. Maybe you’re dealing with similar health challenges, or just looking for tips to improve your wellbeing. So I’m going to share ideas with you so you can make your own customized laughter kit!
Having a list of funny resources has been helpful because my brain is often fried due to chronic illness (hellooooo brain fog!). Instead of having to hunt around when I need a pick me up, I can use my kit as a jumping off point. (I printed my list off, but you can save it to your phone or wherever makes sense for you.)
Oftentimes, when I need a pick-me-up, my brain is too fried to think “Oh, I should watch or read such-and-such, that always makes me feel happier!” So, that’s why I’m making this list, so I know what tools I have in my laughter-as-medicine kit.
Before we dive into making a laughter-as-medicine kit…how exactly does laughter help?
I think we all know that laughter is a good thing, especially if you’re dealing with chronic illnesses, but did you know it can physically make a difference?
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My List of Little Joys – August 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.
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.
I’ve been recording some of the things that make me grateful as my own spin on gratitude journaling.
I’m glad I’m revisiting this style of post because *usually* summer offers me a little relief from fatigue and pain and symptoms—and unfortunately, that has definitely not been the case this summer. The weather has been so sporadic that I’ve not been able to benefit from consistenly warm days. We’ve had a day or two of balmy weather, then rain, and the rapid changes in weather sends my fibromyalgia, dysautonomia, and asthma into a tailspin.
It’s rough feeling worse when you were anticipating feeling better. I’m just realizing now how much I was banking on having some more time to write and go do things with friends this summer. Now summer is more than halfway gone, and I’m honestly feeling a bit robbed of my favorite season. (Can anyone relate?)
So I’m recording the highlights from the last couple months in a deliberate effort to remind myself that I *have* been able to do fun things this summer. Also, I want to try to focus more on the good.
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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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Reflections on Faith: Invited to the Throne Room
Do you ever just get struck by something about God that leaves you full of amazement and love for Him? I had one of those moments recently and wanted to share it.
I was listening to a podcast (this one, which I recommend) that is based on the book of Esther. After hearing the speaker read a few verses, I had to push pause because I was thinking about the throne room Esther was preparing to enter, and how much it contrasted to another throne room in the Bible.
Here’s a summary of the verses: Esther the queen is Jewish, but nobody, not even the king, knows it. She learns about a plot to kill her people, so she takes on what she sees as her God-given duty to save them. The problem? She has to go talk to the king, and he’s in the throne room. If you haven’t been invited there, the king could sentence you to death for even coming in—unless he extends his scepter to you as a sign that he’ll spare your life (Esther 4:10-12).
After listening to these verses, A LOT of thoughts were going through my mind.
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Cinderella as Rosie the Riveter – Altered Coloring Book Art #3
I’m excited to share the latest of my altered color book pages.
I’ve been wanting to more coloring like this (as I mentioned in my list of easy ideas for summer fun).
I love coloring in general, and have found it even more fun to inject some originality. This is my way of keeping the creative juices flowing in spite of the limitations of chronic illness and chronic pain.
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If you love coloring too, or are wanting to give it a try, here are some insightful tips from professional art therapists about how to benefit most from coloring.
So how do I get ideas for changing up a coloring page? I flipped through my book (this one) and Cinderella’s handkerchief on her head reminded me of Rosie the Riveter.
