The Little Things That Make Me Happy (Week 3 of #ListifyLife Challenge)

It's Week 3 of the #ListifyLife Challenge. This week is an easy one for me because lots of little things make me happy. I'm easily entertained. Which makes me think of the line from the Nirvana song "All Apologies":

"I wish I was like you. Easily amused."

Maybe that could be seen as an insult, but I think it's a blessing. If you're easily amused, you're easily cheered up. So here's my list:

1. Singing and dancing (badly) while I cook dinner. - I realized the other night after singing/murdering Sia's "Chandelier" and then dancing to Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" while I cooked dinner that these are the things that will be the background of kidlet's childhood when he looks back. His mom singing badly in the kitchen. And that made me smile. 

2. The silly things kidlet says - This week, I asked him to do something and responded with "Okay, Beyonce." That made me burst out in a laugh. He is always coming up with things that surprise me. Like another time, he was repeating a Wranglers commercial and said the tagline as "Real. Crunchable. Jeans." So now that's what I always hear. :)

3. My husband playfully teasing me - My husband and I have similar senses of humor, which is one of the reasons I fell for him. But he's a guy always looking for a way to make a funny comment, to tease me, or to make me smile. And he rides a joke all the way through the end and then beats it until it's dead. That's his style. Like the time he kept getting a song I didn't want in my head. He eventually stopped singing it. I thought it was done. Then a week later, I'm cooking and hear the song playing, but can't find where it's coming from. He'd hid the player in a cabinet and put the song on repeat. Took me three renditions to find the thing. Yeah. That's my hubs. :)

4. Reading - Obvs.

5. Pens, Planners, Stickers, Doodling (badly) - Y'all know about my planner/office supply addiction. Maybe it's silly. I had someone this weekend look at me like I'd grown another head when I said I use a paper planner (WHY?!! There are apps!). But it makes me happy, keeps me organized, and gives me a creative outlet that isn't tied to writing. 

6. GIFs - Let's just say I was way too happy when I got the capability of putting GIFs straight into text messages. :)

So what are the little things that make you happy?

What's Your "Escape Hatch"? The Importance of Hobbies

Today,  author Jaye Wells did a fantastic post on burnout. Go read it. I'll wait. She explains how she got burned out when her passion and escape (writing) became her job and took over every aspect of her life.

I so relate to that article. I've talked a little bit about it here, but I definitely was burnt to a crisp by the end of 2015. I love writing. It is my passion. But when it became my job and my world became deadlines and constant writing and promotion and all the business that goes along with being a writer, I lost what Jaye calls the "escape hatch."

Writing used to be my escape hatch. I started writing in high school not just because I loved reading and creating stories but because it gave me a break from the angst of being a teenager. It was an escape from every day life. That's one reason why I went back to writing after I had my son. I was a new mom who had no idea what she was doing and was dealing with a very colicky, non-sleeping baby. When I needed to take a break from all that, I escaped into writing.

That was the best thing I could've done because that's the point where my passion turned into my career. I got my first publishing contract when my kidlet was three. From that point on, writing became my full time job. 

I love it. I feel lucky every day that I get to do this for a living. BUT, it means that writing is my job. It's what I *have* to do now. That takes some of the "escape" out of it. Where do I get to escape when writing gets hard or stressful or a book is fighting me? And books always fight.

That's what led me to my burnout. I didn't have that other outlet anymore. For a while at the end of last year, I didn't even want to read because that's tied to writing. And, believe me, if I'm not reading, that means there's a major problem lol. *cue warning sirens for meltdown*

So after turning in my book, I stepped back and evaluated and took a break. I read non-fiction since fiction wasn't calling to me. I painted and redecorated my office. And I got a planner--seemingly to be more organized--but it ended up being more than that. I discovered there was this whole planning community. And it was a crafty pursuit. There are pretty pens and washi tape and stickers involved! That has become my version of an escape. It's a hobby that will not make me money, that has no pressure attached to it, and that relaxes me. From the outside, it seems like a silly thing. I mean, how many pens do I really need? This many, btw:

My pen/pencil collection

But after reading that post, I realize--no, it's not silly or indulgent. It's necessary. It's self-care.  I found a crafty, creative outlet to be my little escape hatch when I'm not writing. And looking back, I've been doing this all along. When things get stressful, I seek out hobbies. Maybe I start cooking a lot. Last year, it was canning and pickling things. I took a photography course a few years ago when I definitely didn't have time for it. I rebuilt my website because I enjoy the process of taking things apart and putting it back together. It's even in my author bio:

"If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her cooking, watching reality television, or picking up another hobby she doesn't need--in other words, procrastinating like a boss."

But maybe it's not always procrastinating or a hobby I don't need, after all. Maybe it's making room in my head for the writing. It's giving my brain space to "breathe" and refresh. 

And I know that Jaye's post was specifically about writing, but I think it applies across the board if you're doing a job you love. Or being a parent. Or even a job you hate. We need that time to play. We need those things that don't have any stakes tied to them.

So, I'm curious. What's your escape hatch?

Week 1 of the #ListifyLife Challenge - Spring For Me Is...

Spring is here! Which for Dallas apparently means it's finally going to act like winter. o.0  We've had a strangely warm winter and then the day the calendar flips to Spring, it got really cold. But I'm looking that as a positive--maybe it will kill some of the mosquitos lol.

Now, on to the first week of the #ListifyLife challenge and this week it's all about Spring! Remember you can join up with this challenge at any time. There will be a new topic each week throughout Spring.

So here's my list! (Forgive the not-so-great doodles. God blessed me with the ability to write and left me with nothing in the ability to draw department.)

1. Bluebonnets - This was a new one for me when I moved to Texas. Right at the start of spring, these gorgeous blue-purple wildflowers pop up all over the place along the roads and interstates. They only last for a few weeks, but it brightens everything up and lets you know spring is here. You'll also see people stopping along the side of the road to take pictures of their kids in the bluebonnets. I haven't done this yet because...bees. Fear of bees > Need for blubonnet pics

2. Thunderstorms - This is my least favorite part of Spring. I love rain, but I hate the scary thunderstoms we get here in Texas. Hail is no fun and tornadoes are terrifying. And we've been through Springs here where every week the sirens are going off and you're hiding in the closet. *hates*

3. Crawfish boils - Unfortunately, this is one I don't get to experience anymore since leaving Louisiana, but Spring still makes me think of them. It's crawfish season and it's lent (no meat on Fridays) so in Louisiana that often means crawfish boils on Fridays. Some of my most vivid family memories are of sitting around a newspaper-covered picnic table with the big crawfish pot boiling away over a roaring propane flame and the scent of cayenne in the air. This Good Friday, I will promptly go into the sads that I don't have a crawfish boil to go to, lol.

4. Start of conference season - The kick off for the writers' conferences I go to is the Romantic Times convention, which is typically in April or May. So now is when I start thinking about fun conference trips with friends, getting new clothes, and seeing readers. :)

5. Sunshine - The most obvious one of Spring, but after my Vitamin D deficiency issue this past fall/winter, the sunshine is more welcome than ever. 

All right, that's my list for the week. Are you joining in to the challenge? Click here for the details, but below is the list of topics for the coming weeks. And you can post any time during each week. If you're playing along, feel free to leave a comment with your link. :) And remember Sierra Godfrey made really cute printable cards if you want to use those for your lists.

What does Spring mean for you?

Making Cold Brew Coffee or How To Be Highly Caffeinated

Today I'm fighting Spring allergies and trying to get my head in the game to write, so what did I think to blog about? Coffee. Why? Because that's the only thing on my mind this morning. *needs ALL the coffee*

The other day I mentioned on Twitter that I love my cold brew coffee and a few people asked me what it is or how I make it. So I figured that we can always use a little more caffeine in our life. :)

I am not a lifelong coffee drinker. I actually was an avid coffee hater until a year ago. I had tried all kinds of different versions, everything from the basic to the frothed, whipped, chocolatified kind of coffee and always found it - yuck. Then, last year on a trip to Napa (God, that sounds pretentious), I was cold and hubs got a pour over coffee and it smelled really good and I thought--okay, I'm going to try again. Lo and behold, after a few sips, I realized I liked it.

This also may be due to the fact that we'd been wine-tasting for a few days and I'd learned the technique of getting your tastebuds acclimated to a new taste. Meaning, you probably aren't going to like the new thing on the first or second sip because your tastebuds are all--what the hell is this? Is it poison?! Abort! But by the third sip, you're tastebuds are all--oh, look at that, we didn't die. We can like this. Carry on. Yum.

So since that day, I've become quite an avid coffee drinker. And I like to try new versions of it. So last summer, when I was wanting iced coffee (because a cup of a hot coffee just doesn't have the same effect in 100 degree Texas heat), I started researching how to make it home. That led me to the concept of cold brew coffee, which is different from iced coffee (and tastier! and more caffeinated!) Cold brew means just what it said. The coffee isn't heated up to brew it. This means that much of the acid in coffee never makes it into the brew (yay!) leaving a smoother, almost chocolate-y taste. It's delish. I sampled it at Starbucks first. (Make sure to ask for cold brew not iced coffee. Iced coffee is just cooled regularly brewed coffee poured over ice.) 

But I work from home and didn't want to drive to Starbucks every day, so I needed to figure out how to make it myself. Because if you try to buy cold brew concentrate at the store, you'll find out that it's freaking expnsive. I was not down with that. So I researched.

OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker, Clear/Grey

$49.95

There are some basic ways to make it involving filters and mason jars, but I wanted the easiest system possible. Enter the OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker.

This thing is exactly what I needed because a) I don't like complicated kitchen equipment and b) I hate to clean intricate stuff. This fixed both. All you do is put in your coffee (recipe below), add your water, and then leave it on your counter overnight. In the morning, you put the carafe beneath, flip the switch, and your delicious cold brew concentrate comes out. (Note: There are tiny little paper filters you can buy that go with this. I use those.)

And here's the best part, the concentrate will last in your fridge for TWO WEEKS without getting stale. Though, a batch only late a week around here. 

And this is CONCENTRATE. You don't drink this straight up. It's meant to be mixed with your milk and water. So you get a lot of cups out of one batch. And you can make it over ice or you can mix it with hot water to get a hot cup. Easy easy. And so tasty. Plus, it's a hellavu lot of caffeine, lol.

So if you decide you want to try it, here's my favorite recipe:

To make the large batch of cold brew (will keep in fridge for two weeks):

• 3.5 cups of your favorite fresh ground coffee (I use Starbucks Pike)
• 5 cups of filtered water

Let brew on your counter for about 12 hours or overnight.

To make an individual travel size cup of iced cold brew coffee once your concentrate is ready:

• Fill travel mug halfway or so with ice
• 1/3 cup of cold brew (OXO recommends 1/4, but what are we? Amateurs?)
• 1/3 cup of low sugar vanilla almond milk or milk of your choice
• Sweetener of choice (I use one sweet n low)
• Whatever room is left, fill to top with filtered water

Enjoy and be caffeinated. :)

What's your favorite way to have your coffee?

*This post isn't sponsored but any Amazon links are affiliate links. 

5 Lesser Known But Wildly Helpful Apps

Y'all know I'm obsessed with paper planners and like doing a lot of things the old school way, but that doesn't mean I'm immune to the joys of technology. I'm not someone who has a billion apps on my phone, but I do have a good number and there are a few that are great little short cuts that help me out often. So I thought it'd be fun to feature the ones that I find extra helpful.

1. Pocket

Not sure if this one is lesser known, but it's necessary for me. Am I the only one who ends up with 13 million tabs open on my browser? Arg. I see an article I want to read on Twitter or Facebook, and I open a tab. But I don't have time to read it just then, so it sits there. And then I'm left wondering why my computer is getting slow when I have 13 MILLION TABS OPEN. This is where Pocket comes in. I can hit a little button on my computer (or phone) and it saves it in the Pocket app for me to read later. BUT this isn't the only helpful thing. Pocket also sends out a weekly newsletter of curated articles that they think you'll be interested in, and they are always really good. Like there is always something I want to read in that email. Usually more than one thing. I look forward to that email--which I can't say about many newsletters. So I'd get the app for the newsletter alone even if it didn't do the other cool thing.

2. Pensieve

This is a recent find. Someone in my planner group recommended it and as soon as she said what it did, I was like--I need that! So this is a super simple app but it lets you send a quick email to yourself without having to type in email addresses and such. You just have a little open box, you type your note and hit send and it automatically goes to your email. (You only have to enter your email the very first time when you set it up. After that it remembers.) I am constantly emailing myself little notes or reminders when I'm away from my computer and this makes it super quick and simple.

3. GIF Keyboard

Okay, I don't know if this is "helpful" per se, but it certainly is fun. I have it on my phone and computer. This gives you access to a GIF database instantly. You just search and then click the picture and it automatically copies it so you can paste into text messages. You can install it as part of your keyboard on your phone, but I chose just to get the app and open it when I need it because I didn't want it in my keyboard. Either way works. But it's loads of fun to be able to grab GIFs quickly.

4. Can I Stream.It?

Want to know if a movie or TV show is available to stream/rent/purchase from one of the many services out there? This app has the answer. It will tell you which services something is streaming on, where you can rent it, where you can buy it, and/or if it's available on DVD from Netflix or Redbox. It covers the major movie stations, iTunes, YouTube, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Sony, Hulu, Crackle, Vudu, etc. Very comprehensive. It also lets you set up alerts to let you know when something become available on a certain service. Really helpful if you have a lot of different options for streaming and don't want to have to individually search each one.

5. Sleep Pillow

Need white noise to go to sleep? Sleep Pillow has SO many different sounds to choose from. Box fans, open car windows, city noise, wind over the plains. I use this a lot when I travel and need to block out all those unfamiliar hotel noises.

Note: I'm on an iPhone so I'm sure if all of these are available across platforms.

So those are a few of my favorites. What are some of your favorite apps?