My Winter 2020/2021 Bucket List

I love making bucket lists, especially seasonal/holiday lists. It is always fun to think of things I would like to do, and to check them off once they are done.

Here is my winter 2020/2021 bucket list, in no particular order:

• Knit or crochet a blanket
• Decorate my room for Christmas/winter
• Bake Christmas cookies
• Make a snowman
• Have a weekly spa day
• Journal
• Make friendship bracelets
• Learn sign language
• Learn Spanish
• Learn to sew
• Learn how to French braid
• Drink hot chocolate
• Go ice skating
• Play board/card/video games
• Make paper snowflakes
• Build and decorate a gingerbread house
• Learn how to apply makeup
• Take up painting
• Make a vision board/notebook
• Host a game night
• Purchase and wear Christmas/winter pajamas
• Put together a puzzle (or two!)
• Dye my hair green for St. Patrick's Day
• Dye my hair red, pink, or purple for Valentine's Day
• Bake a loaf of bread
• Watch Christmas movies
• Send Christmas cards
• Go for a winter walk
• Make ornaments
• Make a pillow/blanket fort
• DIY snowglobes
• Put photos into albums/scrapbooks
• Put up fairy lights in my room
• Figure out a hair care routine that works for me, and keep up with it
• Figure out a skin care routine that works for me, and keep up with it

What are some things you would like to do this winter? 

What I Am Thankful For in 2020

2020 has been one heck of a year. Even with everything that happened this year, this is so much that I am thankful for, things that I will always be thankful for, not just this time of year.

• Being able to keep my job (I know many people had lost their jobs because of Covid, which is/was NOT their fault, but I was-and am-fortunate enough to still have my job during all of this)
• My workplace figuring out ways in which to keep everyone (both employees and patrons) safe during this time
• My home
• Being able to vote in the presidential election
• Clean, running water whenever I need/want it
• My favorite blogs
• My favorite YouTubers/YouTube channels
• My friends, both old and new
• My family
• My cats
• Joni and Friends
• Zoom get-togethers with my Joni and Friends "family" 
• Co-workers emailing/texting/calling me every once in a while, to see how I am doing
• Naps (I love to sleep!)
• My cats
• Snuggles with my cats
• Photography
• Baking
• Writing
• Long conversations with friends (whether it be through phone calls, in-person, or text messages)
• Essential workers who were, and are, willing to work through this pandemic, to help others
• Masks, gloves, and other ppe's that can help protect people from sickness
• Text messaging with friends, family
• Grief Share, which a co-worker turned me on to
• My favorite TV shows
• My favorite movies
• My favorite music
• My favorite books
• Grocery home delivery services
• Being able to have the Joni and Friends Walk 'N' Roll event through Zoom
• Audiobooks
• Fall colors (leaves changing to all different colors, pumpkins, etc.)
• Pumpkin pie (I love pumpkin pie!!!)
• Brussels sprouts (yes, Brussels sprouts...one of my favorite veggies!!!)
• Showers and baths
• Chocolate
• Video games (I have been playing video games A LOT this year)
• Board games
• Card games
• Sweaters in cold weather
• Central air
• Headphones
• Pinterest
• Musical instruments (especially violins, as I used to play)
• Knitting
• Crochet
• Audiobooks
• Netflix
• Disney Plus
• Puzzles
• Christmas music
• Backpacks (I LOVE backpacks, and have several of them!)
• Edible cookie dough
• Comforters
• My bed
• Songs that speak to me (and when they come on the radio at the right time)
• Alone time
• Silence (sometimes, I just prefer to have silence over sound)
• Notebooks and pens (I love notebooks, and have accumulated a very large number of them, especially composition notebooks)
• Making a sweater for my dad
• Learning new crochet stitches

To those who celebrate, happy Thanksgiving!! What are you thankful for this year?

New York Times Journaling

Yesterday, I saw a post on the Girls' Life website (yes, I read Girls' Life, as they do have some good ideas), about a trend going around on TikTok about NYT journaling.

Basically, you read the Times (or any newspaper of your choosing), then cut out articles, headlines, or photos that spark an interest with you, and put them into a notebook, as a sort of time capsule/collage-type journal.

I loved the idea, so I have been reading my local newspapers (something which I have seldom done up until now), and already have a nice collection of articles and photos that interested me.

This type of journaling is a very good way of remembering the events that have happened, and gives people a creative outlet in life, and I don't know why I didn't think of doing this before!

Journaling is one of my favorite things to do, as it gives me a sense of what I want to say, and it helps me remember the things that are important. I am a shy, quiet person, so this gives me a voice.

It helps me to say the things I want and need to say, when I can't find the words to say what I want out loud.

My collection so far. Sorry for the blurry picture, my phone camera just wouldn't cooperate with me, and this was the best I could get.

I can't wait to start putting my journal together, with all of the newspaper clippings I collect. I am always looking for creative things to do, and this is one thing I am happy to try out.