I’m currently working on a couple of longer blog posts. One on the different categories of self care and examples of activities you can try for each one. The other post is my first post for my WDW 2019 trip report.
In the meantime, here is a cat (Mike Wazowski) sitting in his toy box.
Today I’m transitioning from Vacation Mode to Routine Mode, as last night I got back from 10 nights in Disney World. I had a great time in a magical place with some amazingly lovely friends who were excellent to tour with. It was my first time to the World with friends, and my fourth trip as an adult. My transition is even harder this year as I do not know when my next trip to the world will be, as we currently have no trips planned. I definitely will be back- it’s my happy place- but I don’t know how soon.
I have plans to do a day by day trip report here with our experiences as well as some tips and recommendations for your own travels to WDW. If there is anything you’d like me to talk about in those posts (Toy Story Land, restaurant reviews, merchandise, how to prepare for a trip, or any questions you have about Disney, really) please leave a comment below! I love helping people plan their future experiences in WDW, and talking about all things Disney!
Aside from my trip report posts, I’ve got a lot on my mind for upcoming posts:
Establishing an improved Self Care routine: My mental health hasn’t been the greatest these past several weeks. I think I need to make self care a priority. I’m going to do some research on the different categories of self care (physical, emotional, psychological, social etc…) and establish a weekly routine for addressing my needs.
Related to the above, in WDW I got a new notebook perfect for recording daily intentions and gratitude journaling. I will discuss my plans for this.
Disney Souvenir hail: Pins!!! Plus a few other things (like earrings and a cute purse) that I got in WDW.
Goals: Now that my vacations over, I can focus on the fact that it is a new year and I only recently started a new bullet journal. I have goals this year to improve my cooking skills and learning to draw.
Bullet Journal Spreads?
What podcasts I am listening to/podcast recommendations
Reblogging old posts
A Sims story? My new self care routine should involve more time for gaming, which means I will have Sim stories to tell.
Other things I might touch on- WDW news, journaling, depression, anxiety, pets, games, apps, books, penpalling
If there is something from the above list that really appeals to you, dear reader, please let me know and I’ll do my best to make it one of my priorities. While I blog for me, I do enjoy engaging with my readers so if something sparks your interest, we can have a conversation about it!
I hope you have a magical week!
Last week, I shared my love of podcasts and my playlist for the week in this post. Today, I’m going to begin by highlighting one of my favorite podcasts before sharing this week’s list which includes some new entries!
Spotlight: The NoSleep Podcast
The NoSleep podcast was one of the first fiction podcasts I listened to several years ago. Since I started listening, it has remained consistently on my playlist. I consider it a “must listen” and a staple for me.
Before I listened to NoSleep, I didn’t consider myself a horror fan. Horror movies have never interested me, and I don’t typically find them scary. Jump scares and gore aren’t things I enjoy. However, I love ghost stories, creepy tales, murder mysteries and the like. As it turns out, I am a fan of horror- just when it is done for my ears and imagination, not the screen. Thanks to NoSleep, I’ve searched for other horror audio dramas, seek out horror creators, and consider myself a fan of the genre. It’s opened up a new world of fiction to me.
The NoSleep podcast airs weekly and is collection of short scary stories- there is usually a few per episode. It’s is very well edited and produced and the voice acting is truly excellent. Here is a blurb from their about page:
In the spring of 2010, a new forum appeared on Reddit.com. It was called “Nosleep” and the concept of this forum (or “subreddit”) was to be a place for people to post original scary stories about frightening experiences. It was an online version of telling spooky stories around the campfire.
A year later, as Nosleep was growing at a rapid pace, one member named Matt Hansen proposed the idea of doing a podcast where some of the top stories from Nosleep would be narrated in audiobook style. The response was quite positive and over the next few months a small group of members endeavored to put together what would come to be known as The Nosleep Podcast. On June 13th, 2011 Episode #1 was released.
I highly recommend it for mature audiences who are able to handle a good scare.
Here’s what I am listening to this week:
Season 12, Episode 1 of The NoSleep Podcast
Episode 308 of Tanis
Season 3, Episode 4 of Wooden Overcoats
Season 2, Episode 11 of In the Dark
Chapter 9, Part 2 of We’re Alive
Episode 79 of Radio Harambe
The Wicked Library’s “A Job’s a Job”
Season 2, Episode 2 of Lake Clarity
Season 2, Episode 2.5 of Limetown
WDW Ride Guide Podcast on Star Tours
Season 1, Episode 2 of Gone Cold
Episode 206 of Angry Old Men
Season 1, Episode 1 of Munchen, Minnesota
New to the List
Last week I listened to the first episode of gone cold- Texas true crime because they followed me on Twitter, and I like true crime. Well, the episode was very nicely produced and pretty interesting. They gave a lot of backstory about the location before getting into the crime, which I greatly enjoyed. I will be giving episode 2 a listen this week.
Last week, I didn’t have enough podcasts in the queue, and I also listened to the last available episodes of Subject: Found and Alba Salix. So this week, I’ll be adding 2 new podcasts to the list: the Angry Old Man podcast, and Munchen, Minnesota. They both brought themselves to my attention through Twitter, and I’m excited to listen as I know very little about either of them.
Angry Old Man looks to be an improv comedy podcast. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find the first episode, or an introduction/”start here” episode. I’m doubtful that this podcast will be something that remains on my list long term. Improv comedy podcasts don’t tend to be my thing, but I will listen with an open-mind.
Munchen Minnesota, on the other hand, is an supernatural audio drama which seems right up my alley.
What are you listening to this week?
I have a great fondness for podcasts, particularly audio dramas. Listening to a well-edited, engrossing story helps any repetitive work task become a joy. As a laboratory specialist in a science lab, I spend a lot of time doing repetitive tasks by myself.
Because I adore podcasts so much, I’d like to write more about them here on my blog. I would love to have a conversation with you, dear reader, about the sorts of podcasts you like. I’m always looking for podcast recommendations.
In fact, remaining on my podcast list week after week is a bit of a challenge for the podcasts. I’m pretty ruthless with what actually gets a listen. Each week, I evaluate to see if there are any podcasts I want to cut off the list and replace with something else from my long list of podcasts I’m interested in. I don’t have enough time to listen to all the podcasts, so I pick and choose carefully.
My favorite pods are often fiction, but I also love longform journalism, true crime and Disney park planning. I will give any genre a chance though.
In the future, I plan to spotlight some of the podcasts I listen to. But for now, here is my current playlist for the next week.
Here’s what I am listening to this week:
The Season 11 finale of The No Sleep Podcast
Episode 307 of TANIS
Season 3, Episode 3 of Wooden Overcoats
Subject: Found Season 2 finale
Episode 10 of Season 2 of In The Dark
Chapter 9, Part 1 of We’re Alive
The Season 2 finale of Alba Salix: Royal Physician
An older episode of Radio Harambe- #67
The Wicked Library’s episode entitled “The Screen Play”
The first episode of the second season of Lake Clarity
Limetown’s back and I’m on Episode 2 of Season 2
WDW Ride Guide Podcast- Living with the Land
New Podcast I’m checking out this week: gone cold- Texas true crime
These folks took the time and effort to find and follow me on Twitter, so I’m going to check them out this week. starting with what I believe is their first episode: Carla Walker Episode 1
What are you listening to now? Do you have any recommendations?
The last month has been a whirlwind of activity with both joyful times and sad times. Our two elderly cats (18 & 19 years old) passed away from very different reasons just over a month apart from each other. Before they passed, each needed lots of individual care and attention, and trips to the vet. Aside from the passing of Whisket and Dixee, we both had a lot going on at work and that led to many late nights getting home since we carpool. There were some joyous times as well, though, we had my parents out for Thanksgiving week, we had a Pathfinder RPG session, and we went home for a couple days to celebrate Christmas!
Before we left for home, I downloaded a few mobile games on to my tablet. I rarely play mobile games, but my desktop PC cannot come with me when I travel! One of those games was a free “Editor’s Choice” simulation game called Hungry Hearts Diner: A Tale of Star-Crossed Souls. The game had 4.9 out of 5 stars. The reviews included things like “relaxing”, “heartfelt”, “great story” and “beautiful”. I’m all about story, and love beautiful indie games, so I was intrigued and downloaded it. I’m so glad I did!
The mechanics are a cooking-style game. However, the play is less about time and more about strategy of meal selection. There was no rushing and being overwhelmed by a timer. This game is slow-paced and thoughtful. I chose the dishes that would lead to my customer’s happiness, and that was what mattered the most. The mechanics are very simple, fairly intuitive and it is easy to play.
As you satisfy your customer’s culinary desires, you unlock their story through a conversation with them. The stories are dialogue-based, and for me they were just the right length. There was no “wall of text” but there was enough in each conversation for me to feel for the characters, and to compel me to learn more.
The only downside of this game is the stories are too short! I want more of this game, and I am so sad I am almost done with it and that there isn’t a sequel. Still, I’m super glad I found it. I loved it, and would highly recommend it to anyone enjoys cute stories and casual, easy games!
Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.gagex.orionEN&hl=en_US
Itunes Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hungry-hearts-diner/id1255042213?mt=8
Have you played any good mobile games lately?
Last Time: I introduced Venessa and she landed her first gig as an actress. Time to go on set!
It was Venessa’s very first day of paid acting. She was nervous, but mostly excited. Her life long dream was becoming a reality. The first thing she did when she arrived was have her makeup and hair done.
She was totally amazed at the transformation. She looked like a totally different person! The next step was to get into costume.
And before long she had transformed into a pirate. ready to take to the high seas.
Her first shoot went great! It was a whirlwind (and we forgot to take more photos), but it was amazing! Venessa mets loads of really interesting people and had a lot of fun. She was going to another audition as soon as she could.
Venessa has her sights on another audition. For her next audition, and she suspects many future auditions, it’s going to be important to keep up her strength and fitness. What if a role requires dancing, for instance? She decided she needed to do more than just jogging and went to the gym.
At the gym, she made quite the fool of herself in front of a very nice (and cute) gym trainer named Don. Despite her failures, Don was helpful and encouraging. Don and Venessa were actually getting along quite well.
Venessa is continuing to build her social media presence which sometimes includes fierce bathroom selfies.
As I mentioned last time, Venessa loves people but doesn’t have any friends in the area. Venessa has been chatting with everyone she meets to remedy her loneliness. She is also starting a club called the “Actor’s Guild” for local actors.
She even invited her gym trainer over to her house to hang out. She wasn’t sure if he’d be interested, but to her surprise he enthusiastically accepted her invitation…
Next Time: Hanging out with Don and the next audition.
A short review of Mrs. Brimble’s Advent Calendar with washi tape!
Read MoreI’ll explain more about Connections in a later post. It is sort of a Sims 4 challenge, but more like a style of play. For now, though, I’m just going to introduce you to Venessa Jeong.
Venessa desperately wants to be a famous actress. Unfortunately, despite being a (young) adult, she’s never had any training in acting or other related skills. She has no experience being on a stage or performing for an audience. Still, she knows it is the life for her.
She recently moved to Del Sol Valley because it is the place to be for celebrities, and a celebrity-in-the-making like herself.
The most important thing in Venessa’s life is her career. When she moved to Del Sol Valley, she already had an agent lined up. A few days after moving in, she was already signing up for auditions and preparing for them…which included talking to herself in front of a mirror…a lot!
Venessa adores people. She gets along with almost everyone she meets. Sadly, she has no friends or family here in Del Sol. Fortunately, she is very good at making new ones. After practicing for her audition for hours and hours, she explored her local neighborhood.
She bumped into her first celebrity! Not just any celebrity- Judith is a global superstar. As you might have guessed, she had no interest in giving Venessa the time of day…or an autograph…or a selfie. She did acknowledge her existence, though. And that was enough for Venessa.
Venessa got picked up at the first audition she went to. How exciting! She didn’t expect that. All of the practice must have paid off. The new gig required her to be in good shape, so she started a workout routine.
One of her neighbors, Caterina, invited her to a local lounge…a hotspot for meeting celebrities and Venessa met Dirk Dreamer! Dirk is a pretty well-known celebrity, but unlike Judith, Dirk was very kind to Venessa. She got an autograph, photos and a hug!
Inside the lounge, while other patrons fawned over Dirk, Venessa cheerfully welcomed conversation with anyone willing to chat with her
She had the opportunity to chat with Dirk more later in the evening, and he remained very kind. They discussed his interests outside of work, his day and Venessa complimented his attire before his attention was once again consumed by other fans.
Dustin, a much less popular celebrity, was also at the lounge. Venessa was still very much interested in chatting with him, though the rest of the room was completely consumed by Dirk. Unfortunately, Dustin wasn’t as interested in Venessa’s fangirling.
The following morning was Venessa’s first day of what she hoped would be her life career! Her first gig in acting. She was nervous, but prepared, and super excited to get on to the set.
Next time: We go on set with Venessa!
Giving myself a fresh start and some freedom from expectations.
Read More
