Category: #BlogLife

Things that Make Me Unhappy

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I noticed that there is a tendency for people to post about the things in life that make them happy, and while that’s a great thing to do, I thought it would be interesting to identify some of the things in my daily life that make me unhappy. Now that I am home, I want to “reset” my life and start taking back control. Lately, I have felt like my life is out of control which can be problematic if it’s not dealt with right away.

Here is my list of 11 things that make me unhappy. Please keep in mind that this list is not presented in any particular order. Each list is unique to the individual, so my list will likely differ from your list. Let’s get started, shall we?

A List of Things that Make Me Unhappy

1. Drama. I’m not a fan of drama and I prefer leading a life that’s peaceful and serene. It’s amazing how drama keeps finding its way into my life, yet all I wish for is peace and quiet.

2. Arguing with people online. it never makes me feel good afterwards even though I might feel better about myself in the moment

3. Wasting time. Nothing feels worse than realizing I’ve squandered my day away doing absolutely nothing constructive, especially on my days off. It’s such a waste of time and energy when I’m being unproductive.

4. Eating too much junk food. A little junk food feels good in the moment and usually doesnโ€™t affect me too much, but binging on junk food makes me feel like crap afterwards.

5. Health issues. Health issues like chronic fatigue, stomach pain, and mood swings give me feelings on uneasiness and make me unhappy. What’s worse is that it’s harder for me to get things done.

6. Wasting money. Instead of wasting money on short-term pleasure, I prefer investing in things that will give me long-lasting joy. Spending money on items that just offer a fleeting dopamine rush does not make me happy.

7. Smart phone addiction. Spending too long on my phone or the internet can have negative impacts on both my mental and physical health. Without any restrictions, it can cause feelings of despondency and will often make me feel distressed. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one grappling with this issue.

8. Working too much. There is a fine balance between work life and personal life. If I work more than 30 hours a week, I will be miserable.

9. Menstruation. Every month, I’m faced with something that makes me incredibly frustrated and irritable. When I’m on my period, having to deal with the cramps and the pain puts me in a bad mood.

10. Being disorganized. By nature, I tend to be quite messy, which is incredibly frustrating. Despite my best efforts, keeping everything organized is a real challenge for me.

11. Having too many social obligations. Being an INTJ, I find social activities quite tiring. Therefore, I’m more selective with the social obligations I take on nowadays.

๐Ÿ‘‰This explains a lot about my personality type. I’m not surprised that I am an INTJ.

(ใฃโ—”Vโ—”)ใฃ Did you know? INTJs are analytical problem-solvers, eager to improve systems and processes with their innovative ideas. Source: www.truity.com

(ใฃโ—”โ—กโ—”)ใฃ โ™ฅ FINAL THOUGHTS โ™ฅ

This is merely a concise overview of the things that make me unhappy. If I sat down for an hour to really reflect and journal about it, the list would be much longer. It’s important to take time out of our busy days to really think about what it is that causes us distress and unhappiness so that we can work towards finding solutions. I highly encourage you to create your own list of the things that make you unhappy.

Thanks for stopping by! โค๏ธ

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Moving Forward with April | Spring 2023

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This post is something special, neither a goals blog post nor a monthly recap. It’s kind of a combination of the two. I wanted to update you guys on where I’ve been and why I haven’t posted these last two weeks. I have only been checking #Twitter on a regular basis and even then, I wasn’t very active on there either. If you’d like to follow me on #Twitter, please feel free to click on the following link:

โ™ก Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

While I was away, I also received a notification from WordPress that I have been blogging for 7 years, even though I didn’t do much with my blog until Spring 2019. It took something major to stir up transformation within me and it worked lol Ever since then, I’ve been writing consistently and haven’t looked back.

But first, some housekeeping.

As you may have missed my monthly goal recap for March 2023, I thought it would be beneficial to inform you about it in this post. To give you some context, I was travelling to Singapore for a couple of weeks, hence the reason why my sleep schedule is all over the place and jet lag is a real issue. If you were paying attention up until now, then you would already know that I was in Singapore ๐Ÿ๏ธโ˜€๏ธ

Unfortunately, I cannot upload the majority of the photos I took since they are still on the camera and I don’t have a SD card reader. It appears that most desktop computers and laptops don’t come with an SD slot these days, making it more difficult to transfer photos from my camera. The primary reason why I was unable to blog wasn’t because of my lack of time, but rather due to a) the inability to charge my laptop and b) find a SD card reader for the laptop in order to access the photos I wanted.

All the photos I posted on #Twitter were taken using nothing but my iPhone. I mostly shared pictures of delicious food, because let’s be honest, is something that we can all relate to! Admit it, if you had the chance to do the same, you would have done it too! Note that I am not re-sharing the threads on this blog, which also included food pics of durian. You can check out the durian pics here.

Missing the Creature Comforts of Easter ๐Ÿ‡

Now that I am back home (and back to reality), I need to focus my energy on what’s left of April. Unfortunately, due to my trip to Singapore and the fact that my husband’s family hardly celebrates Easter, I was unable to partake in the traditional festivities for this holiday season. However, we still made sure to attend a local church together as a family which served as a nice way for us to commemorate Easter in our own special way. I sadly had no chocolate to enjoy during my vacation and, for the first time in years, we did not decorate Easter eggs like I have been accustomed to doing every single year.

๐’œ๐“…๐“‡๐’พ๐“ ๐“ˆ๐’ฝ๐Ÿ’ฎ๐“Œ๐‘’๐“‡๐“ˆ, ๐’ท๐“‡๐’พ๐“ƒ๐‘” ๐‘€๐’ถ๐“Ž ๐’ป๐“๐Ÿ’ฎ๐“Œ๐‘’๐“‡๐“ˆ.

As a kid, I was always confused by the phrase ‘April showers bring May flowers’. Instead, I wanted to think that it meant ‘bring ME flowers’ as what kid doesn’t like getting a surprise bouquet! But while I am on the topic of flowers spontaneously showing up in my garden, are dandelions flowers or weeds? Although I personally view them as beautiful and vibrant flowers, most garden enthusiasts would say they are categorized as pesky weeds.

You might be wondering what the point of this blog post was, and honestly I’m not sure. It’s more of a collection of ideas and thoughts rather than an organized and well-structured post. I am writing this as I go along in an attempt to give you something, but this is not my best work and I am aware of that. Here are my goals for the remainder of April 2023:

APRIL GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Prepare to go back to work next weekend
  • Catch up on work emails
  • Reorganize backpack + print notes

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Write an article about Medium 1-month trial experience
  • Keep tabs on doctorโ€™s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช + weekly friend quests โ†’ reactivated

Health Goals:

  • Continue to track steps + upload progress on Twitter
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app โ†’ continue to plant flowers ๐ŸŒธ
  • Go back to HCLF diet + 80% plant based ๐ŸŒฟ
There were lots of people in Singapore using the app, which was nice to see! ๐Ÿฅฐ

And there you have it! If you don’t know what a specific acronym stands for, please don’t ask me and look it up on Google. It only takes a couple of seconds to do so, plus the search engine is your best bet for a quick answer.

Thanks for stopping by! โ™ฅ

March Recap | Spring 2023

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Spring is here and it’s time to spring forward. That being said, it doesn’t feel like Spring here and there’s still lots of snow on the ground. Oh, the joys of living in Canada! ๐Ÿ

This month has taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of learning to let go and move on with your life. Although I have made some progress, I still have a long journey ahead of me. I have the itch to physically and emotionally declutter my space, so that is what I have been doing. I am currently in the process of decluttering my old laptop, phone, and #Twitter feed. It’s a work in progress but I am starting to feel a bit lighter.

Fill Your Own Cup First

This month, I only shared one post on this blog other than my Monthly Goals and Recaps. Although I had anticipated sharing more articles from Medium, I hadn’t found the time to do it yet. Nevertheless, I still have the intention of publishing my most recent article from Medium on here as it is an inspiring self-help article! If you want to read it now, I will share the Medium link here:

โ™ก Related Article: Nobody is Coming to Save You

Trial and Error

I also started a 1-month Medium subscription trial earlier this month and have already made plans to write an article regarding my experience with that. Although this content won’t be published on my blog due to its highly niche-specific nature and the fact that not all readers of my blog may be as interested in this subject matter, I do plan on writing th follow-up article eventually. For now, you can check out my article about my initial thoughts on getting a Medium subscription:

โ™ก  Related Article: That’s it. I’m Buying a Medium Subscription!

MARCH GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Stay up-to-date on my work schedule I wasn’t too pleased with myself during the month of March as I had two days off. One of them was spontaneous as I didn’t feel well and the other one had been planned for a while in order to do some shopping before our trip.
  • Attend in-class sessions on March 14แต—สฐ & 15แต—สฐ I attended this class and got 100% on the exam. I was surprised because I didn’t feel ready to write it.
  • Request March 26แต—สฐ off as it no longer fits my schedule As stated above, I planned this at the beginning of the month.
  • Complete the Connect Care modules on MLL I made sure to review every detail twice prior to the upcoming exam in order to ensure that I had everything covered.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Screenshot of Work Schedule TBU (To be uploaded…eventually)

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts In March, I published only one blog post which was a cross-post from Medium. I didn’t bring anything original to the table this month – sorry.
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog If you’re interested in reading these articles, you can take a look at my work here and here. I already gave an overview of these articles up above (re: Nobody is coming to save you).
  • Sign up for a 1-month Medium Membership trial โœจ Yes, I signed up for the 1-month trial on March 6แต—สฐ Will continue with it once the trial ends? That’s for me to know and for you to find out in a future Medium article.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments I have been managing my schedule without any sort of planner and it’s amazing that I haven’t missed an appointment yet. However, it is time for me to update my planner this week as doing so will help me stay more organized.
  • Daily Duolingo practice ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช I am determined to learn a new language but I’m choosing to take my time and go at my own pace. From what I can remember, I believe I am currently on Day 111 and have been steadily progressing this far. Since starting Duolingo, I have lost count of where exactly in the learning process that I am and know that this streak will be broken once we go on vacation. To be honest, after 3 months of using Duolingo, it has become quite tiresome and mundane which often leads to me forgetting to even open the app unless it notifies me with a reminder. Not gonna lie, I do miss the social aspect of the leagues and will likely re-join at some point.

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress At the start of this month, I really made an effort to get back into using the treadmill. Unfortunately, I slipped back into bad habits and eventually stopped. Bad habits seem to repeat themselves, donโ€™t they?
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee I mostly stuck to water, tea, and coffee this month. I also drank a lot of pineapple juice because I ate a lot canned pineapples ๐Ÿ
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app By default, this app tracks my steps. I wasn’t too active with the social aspect, so I didn’t really plant virtual flowers.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time I was really diligent about eating plant-based during the month of March up until this point lol Since I am currently on the go, I cannot eat as healthy as I would like to. I prefer eating low-fat, plant-based whenever possible. I am not vegetarian or vegan and do eat meat when plant-based meals aren’t an option.
When fresh fruit isnโ€™t an option ๐Ÿ

(ใฃโ—”โ—กโ—”)ใฃ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), I’m tracking my fitness progress, and you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there.

โ€ขโ™กโ€ขโ™ฅโ€ขโ™กโ€ขโ™ฅโ€ขโ™กโ€ข

And there you have it! Just a quick update that I won’t be posting Monthly Goals for April 2023. Why? Because I will be visiting Nick’s relatives in Singapore. Although travelling stresses me out, at least Singapore is a tropical island! ๐Ÿ๏ธ I even named my #ACNH island after Sentosa, which is a beautiful place in Singapore. Before I go, I will share with you some photos of Sentosa, my Animal Crossing island. Do you play Animal Crossing too? Let me know in the comments section below โ†“

Thanks for stopping by! โ™ฅ

You Cannot Pour from an Empty Cup

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Regularly taking the time to look after yourself is absolutely essential for your physical and mental health and well-being. This has been a hot topic of discussion online, however, this does not make it any less important; in fact, it only further demonstrates the critical role self-care now plays in our lives. Don’t ignore the importance of taking a moment out of your day to focus on yourself and prioritize your own health and happiness.

That is why I felt that it was important to re-share my Medium article on the blog. If you use the following link to read this article and you are already a Medium subscriber, I will earn a small commission. It might be only a few pennies but itโ€™s better than earning nothing at all. This article is behind a paywall on Medium but I want to make it available for everyone to read.

โ™ก Medium Article: You Cannot Pour from an Empty Cup

Photo by David Mao on Unsplash

Taking care of yourself with self-care ๐Ÿง˜๐ŸŒฑ

I recently saw this topic appear in my newsfeed and it made me contemplate the meaning, โ€œYou canโ€™t pour from an empty cup.โ€ This phrase can be used when considering your relationship with yourself and the importance of self-care. As much as I think the word โ€œself-careโ€ is grossly overused, I donโ€™t have a better word for what I am describing here.

(ใฃโ—”โ—กโ—”)ใฃ โ™ฅ Taking care of yourself is essential before you can pour your energy into anything else โ™ฅ

In order to be there for others, you need to make sure you first take care of yourself. Moreover, when we are not taking care of ourselves, it can be extremely difficult to show up at our best in all areas of our lives, whether it is for ourselves or for others. This is why the expression โ€œyou can’t pour from an empty cupโ€ also applies to you as an individual, and not just when discussing how it is important to show up for the people around us. Sometimes you need space to do your own things and focus on yourself, which doesn’t make you selfish.

The importance of self-care

One of the most effective ways to do this is by engaging in self-care on a regular basis. Self-care is defined as any activity that someone does deliberately in order to take care of their mental, emotional, physical health, and overall well-being.

Photo by Ivan Samkov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/

By taking the time to prioritize your well-being and spend time with yourself, you will have the energy and motivation that you need to be present in each of the different areas of your life. Thus, it is important to show up for yourself in every area of your life that is important to you. The following quote resonates with me:

โ€œSelf-care is not about self-indulgence, itโ€™s about self-preservation.โ€ โ€” Audrey Lorde

I will tell you one thing many people get wrong about self-care. Self-care should not involve self-indulgence, which entails lavish massages, expensive hair appointments, and other things that require spending a lot of money to temporarily make oneself feel better. On the other hand, self-care is about doing things naturally that will help you to feel good. Spending more time outdoors, exercising, etc. are great ways to look after yourself.

Remember, self-care can be done without having to break the bank. There are a number of ways to make self-care a priority and you don’t need to spend money in order for it to be effective. If you’re in need of some affordable self-care ideas, you might want to check out my hobby blog, www.sereneluna.net, for a few ideas. You can check out my list of affordable self-care ideas here:

โ™ก Related Blog Post: Affordable Self-Care Ideas

Take It or Leave It

It’s natural to want to be there for your loved ones and friends at all times of the day. However, it often leaves us feeling a lack of balance in our lives which can lead to neglecting our own needs and health. It’s important to take some time for yourself from time to time, so that you can be a better person for the people around you. Moreover, as we all come to rely more and more on ourselves in a world that encourages self-sufficiency, the importance of self-care becomes even more important. We need to have our cups full before we can start achieving the things that we want. Thus, self-care is a fundamental part of our lives.

If you found this article interesting, or even if it just changed your perspective on things, please let me know in the comments below โ†“ Your feedback really matters to me.

P.S. You can also connect with me on Twitter (@hellokitty8404) and I encourage you to subscribe to my website at http://www.sereneluna.net so that you can receive the latest updates from me.

Thanks for stopping by! โค๏ธ

March Goals | Winter 2023

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You guys, it’s March 2023! I’m feeling excited to see what this month brings, but I’m also a bit overwhelmed. There’s so much I need to do and the days are flying by! It feels like I barely have enough time to check in with everyone and make sure you are doing well. To be completely honest, I’m still unsure if I will continue with these blog posts in the foreseeable future or not, but for now I will try to stay consistent. These monthly goal blog posts go hand-in-hand with my daily updates of what my life is like, which I will continue to post on Twitter. If you’d like to follow me and get a glimpse into what my day is like, please feel free to click the following link:

โ™ก Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

โ„‘๐”ฑ’๐”ฐ ๐”ฑ๐”ฅ๐”ข ๐”ฉ๐”ฒ๐” ๐”จ ๐”ฌ๐”ฃ ๐”ฑ๐”ฅ๐”ข โ„‘๐”ฏ๐”ฆ๐”ฐ๐”ฅ๐Ÿ€

Turning Over a Renewed Leaf

This is not exactly a new season or month for me, instead, it is more of a continuation of the last two months in terms of my monthly goals. I have made some small adjustments to my diet and have been exercising regularly, so I am not making any drastic changes or starting a new diet, etc. In fact, I intend to remain consistent with my current habits and continue to make subtle improvements that will help me ultimately achieve my goals. This month is a particularly busy one for me, as I am juggling my work commitments and parenting responsibilities, while also trying to get ready for an upcoming vacation next month. The pressure of having to finish all of these tasks in a timely manner while still having the time and energy to prepare for the trip is causing me a considerable amount of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with any details about my travels yet, but I can assure you that I won’t be very active on social media while I’m away. All I can say is that my destination is a warm and sunny place! ๐Ÿ๏ธ

January Goals 2023

Career Goals:

  • Stay up-to-date on my work schedule
  • Attend in-class sessions on March 14แต—สฐ & 15แต—สฐ
  • Request March 26แต—สฐ off as it no longer fits my schedule
  • Complete the Connect Care modules on MLL

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Sign up for a 1-month Medium Membership trial โœจ
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช โ†’ I want to go at my own pace

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress on Twitter
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee โ†’ cut back on spending $
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app โ†’ continue to plant flowers ๐ŸŒธ
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time
Selfie taken March 17, 2020 ๐Ÿ€

And there you have it! My goals this month are very similar to those of last month, with an emphasis placed on getting fitter and healthier so I can feel more comfortable in my own body and potentially even wear my pre-pregnancy clothes again. My goal is to build a positive self-image, not only in regards to physical appearance, but also for my mental health. It is not only about accepting your body but also feeling good about it and not waking up every morning with self-hatred. Mental and physical health are equally important and should be given priority in order to achieve inner peace.

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of March. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below โ†“ Also, I would really appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), that is, if you aren’t already a follower. Though it is often a struggle to gain traction on that platform, I still find it really enjoyable to establish connections with fellow bloggers.

Thanks for stopping by! โ™ฅ

February Recap | Winter 2023

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It is the end of the month, once again! I have thought about whether or not to continue with my monthly goals and recap blog posts. I’m curious to know if they have been a useful resource or tool for readers of this blog. Would you find value in these posts if I decided to keep them going? I havenโ€™t been writing these blog posts for very long, yet my calendar is already full. That does not leave me much time to be creating quality content.

Despite the fact that I do not update this blog as frequently as I would like, I have been busy in other aspects of life and work has taken up a significant portion of my time and energy. On top of that, my family responsibilities take up an even greater portion of my day-to-day life. It often amuses me to see how people without kids feel they have the authority to comment on my parenting style when they are not experiencing the demands of being a parent themselves. Being a parent is one of the toughest jobs out there, so it’s no wonder why I prioritize this over blogging.

Let It Go~!

As I look back on the month of February, I am reminded that sometimes the answers that we receive in life, even though they may not be what we were hoping for, is usually the right answer. It can be excruciatingly difficult to come to terms with the fact that sometimes the answer we need is not necessarily the one that we would like to accept. I have yet to receive the closure that I was seeking, but I am slowly learning how to move on and accept these things for what they are. Letting go of things, whether it be a lingering grudge or feeling wronged by someone else, can certainly be a painful experience. Nevertheless, it is something that we must do in order to keep growing. These days, I have to keep reminding myself to “let it go!”

โ™ก Related Article: The Gift I Never Gave

FEBRUARY GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Continue to pick up day and evening shifts I was able to secure two evening shifts earlier this month, and the other ones were the same. As I’m not fond of day shifts, I’ll stick with evenings for the foreseeable future.
  • Catch up on emails I am up to date on the important emails. Anything that wasn’t pinned to the top of my email list got neglected. I only check my emails once a day whereas I used to check it multiple times a day.
  • Bid of shifts as they become available Yes, I decided to bid for two consecutive days as previously mentioned.
  • Work on the MLL courses. # of completed modules: ?? I didn’t count the modules because I don’t care enough to count them. But I did complete a handful of them. I still have a handful left, which I want to complete before the in-class course starts in mid-March.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts per month In February, I published two blog posts that weren’t the monthly goals and recaps. I also rewrote the poem, Friends No More and had fun answering the 20 Valentine’s Day Questions Tag โ™ฅ๏ธ
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog Last month, to my surprise, I managed to successfully publish two articles on Medium. This took me by surprise since I didn’t think I would end up with any published articles at all. If you’re interested, you can take a look at my work here and here. I have yet to post these articles on the blog but have plans to do so at some point.
  • Keep tabs on doctorโ€™s appointments/pending appointments This seems to be an ongoing cycle that never ends, and even though I initially planned to share the details of my new Posh Planner for 2023, I haven’t been able to get around to using it yet. And despite making use of my basic $4 Dollarama planner, I have been quite forgetful lately.
  • Daily Duolingo practice ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช If you are a Duolingo user and haven’t added me yet, then I strongly encourage you to do so. I always accept someone who sends me a friend request as it’s great for doing the challenges with friends. I don’t have enough time to grind for XP, so I have been stuck in the Obsidian League for 3 weeks now.

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on my days off + Accountability If this is your first time reading my blog, then I strongly suggest that you follow me on #Twitter! Not only do I post updates and photos to keep myself accountable, but it is also an amazing platform to connect with others who are striving for similar goals. I recently started taking virtual tours around the world while working out, and it has been an incredibly fun and unique experience so far. It is a great way to stay motivated while exercising as I am able to explore beautiful places all over the world without leaving my home. The visuals of these virtual tours are awesome, thanks to an amazing YouTube channel called @TreadmillTV (and others).
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee Overall, I am quite pleased with my success in achieving this goal of limiting my beverage purchases. During the month of February, I mostly drank water, orange pekoe tea, and coffee. I even managed to limit my trips to Tim Hortons; I only had steeped tea a total of three times this month. Also, I did indulge in some bubble tea with my daughter out of our shared love for it โ€“ a total of two times this month.
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app The nice thing about this app is that it syncs with the step-counter on my iPhone. Carrying my phone with me all day isn’t ideal, but this app helps me stay on track. I set myself the goal of 10K steps per day, and it’s done wonders for my health and fitness! Not only has it helped me lose weight, but I’ve seen an improvement in my overall wellbeing too.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time Although I’m quite conscious of my diet, I still indulge in unhealthy snacks. To make sure my lifestyle is balanced, I opted to stop buying fast food, which I did for the majority of February. It is important to note that I have a tendency to engage in disordered eating habits, which I don’t want to do, so I don’t intentionally practice intermittent fasting. Over the years, I have gotten better, but I still slip up occasionally.

(ใฃโ—”โ—กโ—”)ใฃ Key Takeaway: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), I’m tracking my fitness progress, and you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there.

โ€ขโ™กโ€ขโ™ฅโ€ขโ™กโ€ขโ™ฅโ€ขโ™กโ€ข

And there you have it! As you can see, my February Goals mostly stayed the same. I plan to upload a Monthly Goals Blog Post for March if I am able to find the time to do so. I will try to find time to post this week but there is no guarantee that I will be able to keep up with my writing schedule. After all, I also write for Medium (@sereneluna) and I am thinking about sharing those articles here ๐Ÿ‘€ It’s getting to the point where it’s hard to maintain a blog AND a Medium account. Now is a great time to follow me on Medium so you don’t miss any of my latest posts! I’m really happy to announce that I have now reached 1.3K followers on Medium and 1.4K followers on WordPress!

Thanks for stopping by! โ™ฅ

Friends No More

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Disclaimer:ย Friends No More is based on my personal experience with unhealthy friendships that I have had in the past. This poem isn’t directed towards any one person in particular. It’s a reminder of the pain I went through when someone I cared deeply about betrayed me and lied to my face, ultimately leading to our friendship to come to an ugly end. This poem is 100% original, written by me, and it is bullshit-free. If you like this poem, feel free to check out my other poetry musingsย here.ย โœจ

Thanks for reading! โ™ก

great-vibes.regular (1)

20 Valentine’s Day Questions Tag

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Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and once again, I seem to find the best Q&As on Deandra’s blog. In case you aren’t familiar with her, Deandra has a lifestyle blog called The Black Princess Diaries (TBPD). This time, blogger Deandra has posted a 20 Valentine’s Day Questions Tag that is sure brighten your day. If you have a moment, I highly recommend taking the time to check out Deandra’s blog for some unique and interesting content.

Today, I’m excited to share my 20 Valentine’s Questions Answers with you. Whether or not you’re into Valentine’s Day, I think these tags are fun for everyone. They were fun for me to answer! Let’s get started, shall we?

1. Have you ever been deeply in love? Yes, and I am still in love 10 years later โค๏ธ

2. Kisses or Hugs? Both, but if I had to choose then I would say hugs ๐Ÿค—

3. Candy or Flowers? Flowers are a special gift that I don’t get to enjoy very often. While I can buy candy any time, flowers make the occasion even more special ๐Ÿ’

4. Baking or Cooking? Baking because I love sweets! Me too, Deandra. I love sweets too.

5. Do you remember your first kiss? Yes, and it was slobbery and gross.

6. Would you date someone whoโ€™s well known for cheating? Although there is an old saying that goes “once a cheater, always a cheater,” it ultimately depends on what kind of relationship you are looking for. For me, no I wouldn’t give them a chance to be in my life. Plus, hookup culture is not as exciting as it sounds.

7. Whatโ€™s the most important part of a relationship? Communication, trust, and affection are the 3 essential components that can lead to a successful relationship. Without any one of these three aspects, it can be difficult to maintain the bond. I’m a living example of this as I’ve been married for 6 years now. Mark Manson explains the 3 components more clearly in the following article:

โ™ก Related article: https://markmanson.net/3-core-components-of-a-healthy-relationship

8. Red or Pink? Pink! I’m not really a fan of red.

9. Milk, White or Dark Chocolate? White chocolate!

10. Do you believe in love at first sight? It really depends on the context and situation. Can someone fall in love with someone they’ve never seen before just through texting? Yes, it’s certainly possible.

11. Favorite Chick Flick or Romantic Movie? I’m not a huge movie fan, but the one that comes to mind immediately is “50 First Dates.” I think I must have watched it over fifty times.

12. Stay In or Go Out? Although I prefer staying in and relaxing at home, I also like to go outside for occasional walks. Strolling outdoors makes me feel refreshed and joyful.

13. Favorite color of Roses? I’m a fan of not only pink & white roses, but also yellow/orange and multicolored ones. Specifically those interesting options at Costco – you know which ones I mean?

14. Do you leave love notes? I don’t often display my affections through traditional gestures, but I love to send cute text messages, edit images (see image below), and send cards via snail mail ๐Ÿ’Œ During a particularly difficult time of my battle with depression, my loving husband surprised me with notes that did wonders for my wellbeing. Such thoughtfulness really makes a difference.

15. Do you decorate for Valentineโ€™s Day? Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to put gel-clings on the windows this year as the cat attempted to eat them. Nonetheless, we had some fun while it lasted! Dollarama has the best Valentines Day decorations.

16.  Do you believe itโ€™s possible to fall in love on the internet? Sure, many individuals have experienced this as well, including myself. I used to opt for LDR dating before giving IRL dating a shot. In my opinion, it is like ‘dating with training wheels’ – some similarities with the real thing but it’s not exactly the same.

17. Are you currently in a relationship? I am married, so I’m only interested in platonic relationships.

18. Do you think people who have dated can stay friends? That’s a difficult decision to make. In general, I believe it’s best to move on. Even though I try to consider all possible scenarios and exceptions, it’s not always easy due to the emotional stability needed. It’s understandable that you both broke up in the first place if the emotional stability is not there.

19. What do you notice first about another person? Most importantly, are they friendly?

20. Do you consider yourself romantic? My husband and I don’t believe in over-the-top displays of affection during special occasions like Hallmark Holidays. It is all about how we interpret love and romance. Instead of splurging on costly presents, I’m content with the little acts of love that naturally come with our marriage. Others might find our relationship to be a bit uneventful but I am genuinely happy being married in my thirties, and this is what matters most to me.

MY NOMINEES:

You are all welcome to participate in this tag if you would like! If you do decide to participate, I ask that you credit the person who gave you the idea in the first place, whether it is Deandre or myself, or another blogger. Do you agree with my answers? Did any of my answers surprise you? I look forward to reading your replies in the comments section below โ†“

Thank you for stopping by!

great-vibes.regular (1)

February Goals | Winter 2023

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It is indeed surprising how quickly February arrived, leaving me with barely enough time to check in with you all. Even so, I recognize the value in pushing forward with my goals and plans, and so, without hesitation, I have created a similar list for the month of January. My mundane day-to-day life has not changed much, but I remain committed to making sure I stick to my routine and achieve what I need to accomplish.

For those of you who have been following me on Twitter, I will continue to add updates of my progress, such as completing a challenging workout or achieving another Duolingo lesson. Additionally, I may post small pieces of creative work, like poems, pictures of my cat, and photos of my favorite beverage lol Twitter is where I tend to open up and share my thoughts. You can follow me via the following link:

โ™ก Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

๐’ซ.๐’ฎ. ๐ป๐’ถ๐“…๐“…๐“Ž ๐ต๐‘’๐“๐’ถ๐“‰๐‘’๐’น ๐’ข๐“‡๐‘œ๐“Š๐“ƒ๐’น๐’ฝ๐‘œ๐‘” ๐’Ÿ๐’ถ๐“Ž!

Different Month, Similar goals.

If you’re curious about the differences between this month and the last, you will find that it is pretty much the same routine (for the most part). Since I will continue to donate to Amref Health Africa, I left it off from my list of objectives for February. It was kind of like paying a phone bill where these things are automatically renewed. A month ago I put it up to send a message to an annoying spammer who kept pestering me on #Twitter. Following up with reporting him and blocking three accounts he had, things are better now. As I have no shifts on the Gen-Med unit this month, I chose not to include it in my goals either.

January Goals 2023

Career Goals:

  • Continue to pick up day and evening shifts
  • Catch up on emails and work on MLL courses
  • Bid on shifts for February as they become available
  • Work on the MLL courses. # of completed modules TBD

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress on Twitter
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time
Photo is my own. Please excuse the cat hair ๐Ÿˆโ€โฌ›

And there you have it! As you can see, my goals are similar to January. Ideally, I am hoping to get fitter so I can wear my pre-pregnancy jeans again. I lost a bit of weight last month but I don’t own a scale. I go by how my clothes fit and my clothes are starting to fit a lot better. During the month of February, I’m keeping my focus on fitness, along with career and personal goals (of course). My goal is to shed some belly fat so that I can wear my jeans by mid-March.

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of January. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below โ†“ Also, I would really appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), that is, if you aren’t already a follower. It is so hard to grow on that platform but I really do enjoy using it to connect with like-minded bloggers.

Thanks for stopping by! โ™ฅ

January Recap | Winter 2023

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It’s already the end of January 2023 – seriously, where did the time go? When you work on weekends, it can seem like months are passing by three times faster than normal….It can often feel like only a few days have passed since your last weekend. This phenomenon makes it easy to believe that time is indeed an illusion, as this concept supports that belief.

I didn’t work for the first half of January but I worked a decent amount during the second half of January. If you ask any of my friends and family members who I interact with on a regular basis outside of work, they would tell you that I’m rarely ever around from Friday to Sunday. When I’m not sleeping, I’m usually working or studying for some exam thing. During the weekdays, I have typically been more active online and while this has recently become less frequent due to my ever-growing list of tasks, I still strive to spend as much time online as possible. A hectic schedule can make the days seem to fly by, but it’s also easy to feel overwhelmed. To keep up with all my obligations, I’ll be writing monthly recaps – this helps me stay accountable and take a look back at what I’ve achieved.

Seeking Clarity โœจ

Looking back on the month of January, I am incredibly proud to have accomplished a handful of my planned goals that I had set out for myself at the start of the new year. I am doing my best to take life one step at a time and not get overwhelmed by the pressures of looking ahead to multiple months at once. Additionally, I have been facing issues with indecision lately, however, I am expecting February to be the month that brings me clarity and the ability to make the right decisions.

JANUARY GOALS 2022

Career Goals:

  • Do not miss any work days this month I’m proud to say that I didn’t miss any work days this month, despite being ill right at the beginning of January and having to spend New Year’s Day in bed. Nonetheless, I was able to make it back to work mid January and ended up completing a total of 9 shifts! I’m really pleased with myself for managing to do this against all odds and staying productive.
  • Get comfortable with working on new Gen-Med unit Out of the nine shifts I have had so far, six of them were spent on the Gen-Med unit and I am gradually getting more and more comfortable working there. Although I am still not confident with the new admissions and discharges process, I have faith that with a bit of practice and determination, I will eventually master this skill as well.
  • Catch up on emails and work on MLL courses I still have more than 30 modules left to finish by March 14th, 2023. Although I wish I could have been more productive with the MLL modules, I am determined to maintain pace and catch up on them before the deadline approaches. I hate doing things last minute.
  • Start bidding on shifts for February as they become available Yes, I eventually decided to put in a bid for two day shifts. Although I am not overly excited about working days, I will get through it…. but first, steeped tea lol Day shifts can be incredibly hectic and chaotic at times, but they can offer plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts per month Writing has taken a backseat this month as I’m busy with exercises and language lessons. It’s not that I’ve lost interest in writing, but rather that I just don’t feel as compelled to create unique content currently. This month, I posted the following blog posts in case you missed them. I guess parodies are fun? You be the judge.
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog So far, I have only shared the What Do you Hope to Accomplish in 2023? article on my blog. However, the other Medium articles that I did publish are not necessarily focused on blogging but rather reflect a more broad range of topics and opinions. Do you really care about what I think about the “Follow 4 Follow” Method on Medium? Probably not, right? Thought so!
  • Keep tabs on doctorโ€™s appointments/pending appointments This seems to be an ongoing cycle that never ends, and even though I initially planned to share the details of my new planners for 2023, I haven’t been able to get around to it yet. For now, I am making do with a basic $4 Dollarama planner which does get the job done; but eventually when time allows it, I will upload a picture of the Posh Habit Tracker Planner that I recently bought.
  • Monthly donation to Amref Health Africa For the past twelve months, I have been regularly donating to Amref and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. I hope that by supporting their good cause, I can help make a difference. Moreover, anyone who attempts to pester me for donations on #Twitter will be reported and blocked without hesitation.
  • Daily Duolingo practice ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช I have managed to form an impressive habit of sticking to my Duolingo practice this month. Additionally, by leveraging the advice from YouTube videos and Reddit forums, I have also figured out an ingenious way to get unlimited hearts without needing to purchase the Super Duolingo subscription. The leagues have been occupying a lot of my time lately; I was able to dedicate 10+ hours to learning German last week! This app is proving to be quite useful for me, so I will continue using it!

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on my days off + Accountability I was successful in maintaining a consistent routine throughout the month of January. Despite being slightly under the weather at the start of the month, I was back on my feet and on the treadmill in no time. On my days away from work, I made sure to allot at least one hour for exercise on the treadmill, doing a minimum of 300 calories burned and at least 3.2 miles/hr. I realized however, that this strict schedule might not be sustainable for the long-term as I have a tendency to quit.
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app I am terrible at consistently tracking my water intake, no matter how hard I try, unless I am always conscious of it and track it 24/7. Sadly, I could have done a much better job of monitoring my water intake if I was more diligent about it.
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app The nice thing about this app is that it syncs with the step-counter on my iPhone, which also syncs with my Apple Watch. This app only works when I am carrying around my phone though, and I don’t want to be a slave to having my phone in my pocket all day. I upped my step count for the month of February – more on this later.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time Although I’m quite conscious of my diet, I still indulge in unhealthy snacks. To make sure my lifestyle is balanced, I opted to reduce the amount of fast food intake, particularly from McDonald’s. Additionally, I abstained from purchasing donuts at Tim Hortons.

And there you have it! Do I feel more confident and positive about myself? Absolutely! Did I successfully achieve the goals I had set out to do in the month of January? Yes, indeed! Will I continue this positive trend of setting monthly goals for personal growth and development? Definitely! Will I be posting a Monthly Goal Blog Post for February? Potentially. It is likely that it will be similar to my January list as my goals have not changed.

Finally, if you want to drastically improve your life and have been procrastinating on setting New Year’s Resolutions, goals, etc., then I highly recommend that you take some time to read What Do You Hope to Accomplish in 2023? I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to read this article, as it can be a key factor in jumpstarting your journey towards achieving all the goals you set for yourself and making meaningful progress towards creating a better life for yourself, starting now.

Did you achieve your January goals? Please let me know in the comment section below โ†“ Also, if you’re not already following me on #Twitter (@serene_hilz), I’m tracking my progress and you can get real-time updates about my journey there!

Thanks for stopping by! โ™ฅ

What Do You Hope to Accomplish in 2023?

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Happy New Year! This is a late post because I’ve been sick with a stomach bug these last couple of days, making me bedridden and incapable of doing much. Not the best start to the new year and I don’t know what happened to cause this? Someone may have wished me some bad karma because it came on suddenly. The only good thing that came out of this was giving my body the ability to reset via an unintended extended fast. So yay to maybe lowing a couple of pounds?

Anyways, I am re-sharing my Medium article on the blog. If you use the following link to read this article and you are already a Medium subscriber, I will earn a small commission. It might be only a few pennies but itโ€™s better than earning nothing at all. This article is behind a paywall on Medium but I want to make it available for everyone to read.

โ™ก Medium Article: What Do You Hope to Accomplish in 2023?

Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/

How to make better New Yearโ€™s Resolutions

Are New Yearโ€™s Resolutions a waste of time? It depends on the types of goals you make.

New Year, New YOU!

It really comes down to the quality of questions you ask yourself. When you don’t think about what you truly want, it’s impossible to know if you’re making progress and can become susceptible to failure. That being said, if you ask yourself the right questions, then it gives you a clear idea of your goals and gives you a sense of accomplishment for achieving them.

Remember, New Year’s resolutions are only effective to the extent they are fully aligned with who you are along with your goals. If you can understand such alignment, then you will be able to create a powerful resolution(s). It is crucial for such resolutions to be about things that are truly important to YOU.

Time for Self-Reflection

Reflecting on the past year, what you’ve achieved, and what you’d like to achieve for the next one is a good start in prioritizing tasks for 2023. To do this, take some time to reflect on your achievements and shortcomings from the past year, and make any adjustments so that you can set yourself up for even more success in the coming year!

As the new year rapidly approaches, your New Year’s resolutions need to be meaningful and serve a purpose that is specifically designed to better suit your needs and wants. This is not the same as following society’s norms or what your parents want for you. It also isn’t the same as doing what your friends or spouse want you to do. It’s important that your resolutions are personal and cater to your individual needs.

New Yearโ€™s Resolutions are worth a try. Thereโ€™s something about them that makes people want to achieve their goals and stop making excuses.

Resolutions are a great way to look into the future, evaluate what you want to see accomplished in the coming year and create a realistic plan for achieving them. Now that 2023 is here, take some time to reflect and consider what your goals for this year should be. Tie resolutions to the goals you want to achieve and write them down so you can track your progress. Once you write down your goals for the year ahead, it becomes easier to do a lot of little things that can help you achieve them.

It is also important to note that writing down your thoughts and feelings releases a lot of emotional clutter, helps you revel in the joys of small moments even more than just putting some New Yearโ€™s Resolution ideas on paper, and has even been found to be more beneficial than journaling. But donโ€™t just take my word for it. Why not give it a try and see where it takes you?

Image source: Photo by Lil artsy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/

How do you find your true potential and figure out what you want your life to look like in 2023? By answering the following questions.

Questions
1. What have you learned in the past year?
2. Visualize your life one year from now. What does it look like?
3. What steps can you take to put your vision into action?
4. How are you going to measure your progress?

Smart Goals Graphic by StudyLib. Link: https://studylib.net/doc/25489999/smart-goals-article

For those who want to be successful with goal-setting, it is important that you use a good goal-setting framework. I recommend using the S.M.A.R.T framework for all goal setting because it is one of the most effective frameworks and has been shown to be very useful for many people. Give S.M.A.R.T. goals a try and see if they help you too!

I not only wish you a happy new year, but I hope that all your wishes come true in the coming year. May you find a great deal of happiness, peace, and love in the coming year. I wish you success, too โ™ฅ๏ธŽ

P.S. You can also connect with me on Twitter (@hellokitty8404) and I encourage you to subscribe to my website at http://www.sereneluna.net so that you can receive the latest updates from me.

December Recap | Winter 2022

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I know I said that I wasn’t going to make these diary-style blog posts but I am even less inclined to write anything if I am going to stick with the original plan. So out with the old plan and in with the new plan! And right on time for the New Year.

You can read my blog post about the 6 Most Annoying Types of Blogs, right here.

โ™ก Related Blog Post: The 6 Most Annoying Types of Blogs

Do I care if this makes me a hypocrite? Maybe. But honestly, who is keeping tabs on me and who cares?! ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ

โ–‘Jโ–‘uโ–‘dโ–‘gโ–‘eโ–‘ โ–‘mโ–‘eโ–‘ โ–‘wโ–‘hโ–‘eโ–‘nโ–‘ โ–‘yโ–‘oโ–‘uโ–‘ โ–‘aโ–‘rโ–‘eโ–‘ โ–‘pโ–‘eโ–‘rโ–‘fโ–‘eโ–‘cโ–‘tโ–‘.โ–‘

(ใฃโ—”โ—กโ—”)ใฃ Serious Question: Are you familiar with the game, Never Have I ever?

1. Never have I ever written a monthly recap blog post.

I’ve never written a monthly recap before but I think now’s a good time to start. I want to write this post in order to encourage myself and hold myself accountable, but also so others can take something away from what I’m writing.

I am still a little confused about what I am doing with my Medium profile. Traffic has declined a lot but I am still gaining followers. I have currently reached 1,100 followers and it is crazy to me. Whoever is reading my articles, thank you for your support!

In case you haven’t been following me on #Twitter or #Medium, I forgive you. Seriously though, you haven’t been getting updates from me if that’s been the case.

2. Never have I ever had COVID-19 ๐Ÿ˜ท

December sure didn’t start out that well for me. I got sick the first week of the month and had to call in for 5 shifts. That’s a lot of work! I ended up getting laryngitis and bronchitis, which resulted in this awful cough that wouldn’t go away. I’m glad I’m finally feeling better, though, and haven’t had a coughing fit in three days now.

One would think that I had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 plague, but I still haven’t been diagnosed with COVUD-19! It annoys me when people incorrectly claim to have had COVID-19 and refuse to get tested by a medical professional. You don’t actually know IF you have it unless you take the test. Honestly, I don’t know how I haven’t gotten it yet but I have a theory that I may have caught it in the earlier days before we had to get tested. Who knows!

Now that I feel better, I will be returning to work this weekend and need to make some money to cover the expenses this month. It’s a relief that I live debt-free and don’t have to live paycheck-to-paycheck, but now I’m trying not to feel overwhelmed by the bills this month.

Other Life Updates

โœฟ My daughter got her ears pierced. My husband was hesitant about it, but he quickly got over it. I took my six-year old to get her ears pierced on December 26, 2022, which is what we call Boxing Day here in Canada. My daughter’s earrings are the color of her birthstone which happens to be October.

โœฟ My kids had a lot of appointments this month. With so much to do on a day-to-day basis it can be a struggle to keep track of it all. My calendar is pretty crappy and I am ready for a new one! Looking forward to some new stationary in January 2023.

โœฟ I had a massage last week, for the first time in years. The last time I had a massage was 2019 before the pandemic happened. Although the massage was quite painful, I felt so much better afterwards. This weekend, I am less achy than usual. I plan on going back for another massage in the new year.

โœฟ I started using the treadmill again. I was using it religiously during the summer, but then I stopped for some reason, and noticed that I have been maintaining my weight. This does not make me happy because I have 20 pounds to lose and most of it is belly fat. All I want to do is wear cute clothes and feel good about myself. And being skinny fat does not feel good. There is no denying that, and I do want to mention that “every size is beautiful” is an empty statement which does not change my reality. It’s not enough for me to tell myself that I look great when I don’t feel the same way about myself. The most important thing for me right now is getting in shape.

โœฟ We did not see family this Christmas, and nobody visited us either. My mom is afraid of flying in an airplane, my dad doesn’t like to fly by himself, and my parents fear COVID-19. There is no convincing them to visit us this year as they are worried about their safety. My husband didn’t want to use his vacation days to visit family in Ontario this year because they would all be gone anyways since most of his extended family weren’t going to be there. Our Christmas was very scattered and uncoordinated. We didn’t do much at all.

โœฟ My ASUS laptop is dying a slow, painful death. I need a new laptop and am at the point where I won’t even turn my laptop on. I have been having issues with my laptop for a while and know that I need a new one but am having a hard time choosing which brand. I currently have an ASUS and I am not interested in getting a MacBook. In case you missed my blog post about my experience with owning a MacBook, you can read about it here:

โ™ก Related Blog Post: RIP Old Friend ๐Ÿ’€โŒ

My ASUS laptop got me through nursing school.

(ใฃโ—”โ—กโ—”)ใฃ โ™ฅ FINAL THOUGHTS โ™ฅ

I have a feeling that this will probably be the last blog post for December. I don’t typically reply to blog posts on days that I am working, and I happen to be working this weekend.

I really appreciate it when readers take the time to read my posts, and I hope that you found them interesting. I know they were pretty straightforward and uneventful, which is why I want to hear from you. What was your December like? Are you enjoying the holidays so far? Feel free to join the conversation below โ†“ And if you donโ€™t hear from me, I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year! ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿฅ‚

Thanks for stopping by! โค๏ธ