My New Bullet Journal

I have been trying my hand at bullet journaling for the past few years. It has been something that I have really enjoyed doing. It has offered me a way of feeling somewhat creative and keeping many things organized that I like to keep track of.

But my old journal that I used was an 5 x 8 art sketch book, that I loved, but that I started to feel was just too small. And I wanted to change up how I organized everything. So I looked around for quite awhile before settling on this particular brand.

I chose this one because of its size and that its pages include the little dots that help keep everything neat. Yay!

I like to include quotes all over the place. It make me feel sophisticated. (LOL).  

Here I am sharing with you the recent pages that I have created. I need to at least get my book set up until at least the end of the year, as things start getting scheduled for school for the kids and me. And there is always so much going on that I want to make sure that I do not forget anything.

On my weekly pages I have a space for each day for plans that I (we) have going on. 

I also include our dinner menu to so that we always know what is coming. It makes the mornings and evenings better. It lets me know what I need to get out of the freezer or what to prep in the morning to make sure I have an easier night.

I have a separate to do list, for things that need should get done during the week, but don't need to be done by a specific day.

I tend to color code my appointments and assignments so I know what class or place that it is associated with. 

Every week has something going on and this semester hasn't even started yet. As soon as it does this whole book will be full.

It's really fun to include some fun pages. Like monthly pages to decorate or pick some kind of theme. Why planets? I don't know. Seemed like it would be cute. 

And that's how far I've gotten so far. Maybe I'll add more to the blog as I continue to create. 

 

Can You Keep A Secret?

I'm not spilling secrets here...

No, I am about to have a small rant...

It's a bit of a late rant but I'm usually a little behind the times, so no biggie there.

Last night, I watched a movie that was made last year. It was a movie based on one of my favorite books, Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret?

In fact, this was the first book that I had ever read by Kinsella, who is one of my favorite authors, so it holds a special place in my heart.

When I first heard about the movie I was so excited! I didn't think they could destroy it.

I couldn't have been more wrong. The movie version of Can You Keep A Secret? is just plain awful. Like so bad I nearly turned it off in the very beginning, but at the prodding of my husband, and the hope that it would improve I kept watching all the way to the end. It was not worth it.

The movie removed entire plot points and characters that were important to the development of the story. They took out some of the best scenes and replaced it with garbage. Characters were changed and not for the better. Worst of all, the actors were bland and lost all the charisma of the book characters. There was no chemistry, no excitement, no passion and no likability.

The movie-makers took a fun story with great and fun characters and just plain ruined it.

They ruined it!

Why Sophie? Why would you agree to let them do this to something you so wonderfully created?

It was worse than the movie version of Confessions of a Shopaholic.

Ugh...

Jessica Reads: December

I finished off 2019 reading 59 books. I was pretty excited. I am also excited that I have been keeping it updated on the blog. It great to have a place to look back at the books I have been reading. I also keep track through Goodreads. I am weirdly diligent about it. I have been keeping track of my books on Goodreads since 2010.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is the second time that I have read Pride and Prejudice and it is growing on me. I have still yet to see any of the movies based on the books but I do enjoy the novel. I read it for a paper for one of my classes last semester, like I read it for another paper a year ago. I didn't think I was a fan of Jane Austen, but I think I am slowly turning into one. Austen just plain knew how to write people. Read it.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Yes, it is another Sophie Kinsella novel. I kind of got on a roll this year with rereading through her novels. This is one of my favorites. In The Undomestic Goddess, we get to know Samantha Sweeting, top lawyer, waiting to be partner in her firm. But, suddenly everything goes wrong and Samantha finds herself no longer a lawyer and now a housekeeper. And she has no idea how to be a housekeeper. Totally worth reading again, for probably the 10th time. 

Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan

I received this novel for Christmas. I had it on my future read list for a long time and I finally got a chance to read it. It was not my favorite book I've read. It more on just the ok side. I think I really gave it a chance because I remember my days as a stay at home mom, and the isolation and difficulties that came along with the job. I felt for the protagonist. But overall, I think there was a lot of poor storytelling that leaned a lot on jokes about needing a drink of this or that to get through the day. I don't think I'll be revisiting this novel.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

This Kinsella novel is good. It's fun and silly. It has footnotes like a textbook. Read it because you can.

2020 Goals

I can't believe it's already a new year. 2019 brought so many changes and adjustments to my family, that 2020 came so quickly.
That means it's time to review last years goals and to set new ones for this year.
These were last years goals:

1. Read 52 books- averaging one a week for the year.
2. Write a story.
3. Weekly date night with Michael. One out of the house date a month.
4. Daily "one good thing" journaling.
5. Make a healthy exercise routine and stick to it.

And honestly, the only one I managed to fully complete was #1. I read 59 books in 2019. While I wrote a lot during the year I never managed to write and complete a story. Michael and I had lots of dates, but I'm not sure that we were able to get out of the house once a month. My "one good thing" was going strong until we moved and I got so busy that it just kind of forgotten about. Same with exercising. The move and settling into a new routine made some of the goals hard to obtain. Hopefully, this year I will stick better.

So, now for this years goals!

1. Read 60 books.
2. Lose 50 lbs.
3. Complete "Discovering Me A to Z"
4. Buy a house
5. Payoff Red Car
6. Make and stick to a good time management/study homework plan.

And that's where I am at. Most goals year to year are likely to be the same because they're the ones that I like to do. I like reading, and I want to be healthier, so losing weight is the way to go for me.  We'll see where this year takes me.