Tag: Personal goals

December Recap | Winter 2023

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Today is a truly special day. Not only am I uploading this blog post on time for once, but it also happens to be a noteworthy date: 123123. The next time you will see a date with a repeating pattern like this will be 78 years from now. It’s amazing that my husband was able to do that math calculation in his head in less than a minute. He’s incredibly smart and knowledgeable about various facts.

I suppose I should write a blog post about setting New Year’s Resolutions. Last year, I wrote a blog post last year sharing my thoughts on this topic, which I will include here. Reflecting on it, my overall perspective remains unchanged. However, I plan to step up my game even further for 2024 by focusing on actionable, daily tasks.

♡ Related Blog Post: What Do You Hope to Accomplish in 2023?

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

Lost and Found

I didn’t end up writing a blog post about this, but it was a significantly stressful thing that happened this month. I lost my Apple Watch as soon as the Christmas holidays started. I searched everywhere and tore apart the house, but couldn’t find my watch anywhere. I ended up buying a new watch, only to discover that they had introduced a new, beautiful Starlight colored aluminum that didn’t match the wristbands very well. As a result, I ended up purchasing both the Starlight and Silver SE to replace my lost Silver Apple Watch SE. The coolest wristband I was able to find is the one below ↓ as Apple has discontinued my old wristband.

Let me tell you, the “Find My” app is useless when your Apple Watch is dead. That’s why I couldn’t use the tracker. I suppose the app wasn’t lying when it suggested that it last synced somewhere in my house.

It was truly a Christmas miracle when my family found my lost Apple Watch on Christmas Day. To my surprise, it was buried in a drawer, even though I swear it wasn’t in there when I searched through it. I returned both of the watches I purchased and will be using my old Apple Watch instead. As an individual with undiagnosed ADD, I often struggle with misplacing items. However, I am working on creating systems to stay more organized and improve my ability to remember where I have placed things. Here’s a recap of how the rest of the month unfolded:

DECEMBER RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Plot availability for January 2024 I plotted my availability super late, so I don’t have any shifts yet for the month of January.
  • Catch up on work emails I am mostly caught up. I have yet to read the remaining emails.
  • Complete BLS renewal I emailed a copy last night (again, super late getting around to things).
  • Complete 100 total designs for #Redbubble I currently have 91 designs in my shop which is better than I thought I would do. You can check out my #Redbubble designs here.

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

☆ Prices are still $1.57 CAD if you buy any 10 from my shop! ☆

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I did the minimum this month but didn’t write additional content. 
  • Frame seminar completion certificates (bonus) Since my husband doesn’t want to frame them, I will be adding them to a binder instead. However, I need more paper protector sheets.
  • Complete Application B Questions Again, it didn’t happen. We now have everything we need to complete Part B, except for answering the questions that we have been neglecting.
  • Get an eye exam I just did that yesterday!
  • Get a massage Nope, it didn’t happen this month.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I have managed to maintain my streak, but that’s pretty much the only thing I’m doing with it right now. I have dropped down in the ranks and stopped caring. However, I hope to get back into learning German in 2024.
I’m bombing the leagues right now. Epic fail.

Health Goals:

  • YMCA 2x per week minimum For the most part, I have been going to the YMCA twice a week on weekdays. However, it has become harder now that the children are not in school or daycare. I might get my 7-year old daughter a YMCA membership too.
  • Buy a new bathing suit for the pool My bathing suit is falling apart and I need a new one badly. I haven’t been to the store yet.
  • Clear out the cupboards → Finish 3+ food items I forgot that this goal was on my list this month. I think I finished some food items but we also bought a lot of new ones.
  • Make honey lemon lozenges I made them once while I had COVID and my family was sick, but I didn’t make them again after we recovered. Instead, I bought bags of Halls Vitamin C lozenges which don’t taste terrible because there’s no eucalyptus in the Vitamin C lozenges.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

December isn’t complete without holiday celebrations. In my family, we celebrate Christmas, and my husband is Catholic. This year, we attended a daytime mass on Christmas Day and had a small, quaint celebration at our house. I always strive to make Christmas magical for my daughter and baby boy. I had hoped to see the Christmas lights this year, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance. Additionally, I had wished that we could have done studio photos, but we decided to opt for cell phone pics instead.

Have something to share with me? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below ↓ At this time, I am not replying to emails because I don’t have time. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers a blessed holiday season and a Happy New Year! May it be filled with joy, love, and success. ✨🫶

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there. I recently made the decision to join X/Twitter and I’m excited to see what it has in store for me.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

November Recap | Fall 2023

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I was sick with COVID last week (yes, I had the plague) and was unwell throughout the entire week. I am now starting to feel slightly better but still taking it easy for the time being. Unfortunately, my entire family also fell ill last week and we all spent the week bedridden. As November 30 arrived and it was time to reflect on the past month, I found myself too unwell to engage in any activities. Instead, I decided to ride it out until I am able to blog again.

When reflecting on November, I can confidently say it was a consistently busy month. There was always something demanding my attention, whether it was attending appointments, taking my children to their appointments, or working diligently. It seemed as though time flew by, and before I knew it, it was the end of November.

Sick and Sick Some More

At the beginning of November, I fell ill and thought I had recovered completely. However, to my dismay, I soon developed a persistent cough which turned out to be COVID. It seems like my immune system didn’t fully recover from my earlier illness in November. If I learned anything, it’s to never take your health for granted. One day you could feel fine and the next be completely bedridden. So be prepared for anything.

It should come as no surprise that I haven’t had much motivation to write recently because I was sick and it’s hard to write when you are sick. I did renew my WordPress plan, but I downgraded from the Premium Plan to the Personal Plan. Honestly, I haven’t noticed much of a difference and I don’t miss the Premium Plan as much as I thought I would. Additionally, I would like to mention that I have successfully resolved the PayPal issue I encountered last month, and the money is now visible in my PayPal account. Although I have not transferred it yet, it is reassuring to see it there, and Redbubble has reset my earnings on their end. Overall, Redbubble has been a super slow month, but I did manage to make a few sales during Black Friday week.

(っ◔◡◔)っ P.S. I am currently accepting sticker requests for anyone who is interested. Feel free to visit my shop and browse through the designs I have uploaded so far. Currently, you have a selection of 87 designs to choose from!

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

NOVEMBER RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Go back to work I did go back to work, but then I got sick again and missed more shifts.
  • Reply to manager’s email regarding COVID swab result I sent not one but 2 emails because I ended up with COVID in the end.
  • Catch up on work emails I am mostly caught up. There’s a couple minor things I still need to do.
  • Complete BLS renewal Yes, I completed it. This reminds me, I should probably email work a copy.
  • Complete 80 total designs for #Redbubble I currently have 87 designs in my shop. You can check out my #Redbubble designs here.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap This is the monthly recap lol Additionally, I have compiled a list outlining what I am able to do and what I cannot do, which you can find and read here. I also wrote about a week that was almost laughably crappy, but it pales in comparison to what was to come the following week, which you can read here.
  • Send email to SW regarding International Gov form In the end, we decided to scrap the idea after encountering a roadblock.
  • Attend Domestic seminar this month Yes, we attended the seminar. The process is still super slow and frustrating.
  • Complete and submit International Seminar Questions Yes, I submitted all 11 pages but again, we ended up scrapping our plan in the end.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Managing my family’s busy schedule is exhausting. Text message reminders have been a lifesaver for me in staying on track with all of my appointments.
  • Complete and submit Application B Nope, that didn’t happen. We still need to submit Applications B & E, which are more extensive. We have hit a bit of a roadblock with the application process as well.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I have managed to keep the streak going, but that’s pretty much all I am doing with it at this point. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the time to learn German these days. When I looked back at what I did this year, the results were surprising.

Health Goals:

  • YMCA 2x per week minimum I have been going to the YMCA on twice a week on weekdays when I am feeling well, and this routine has greatly benefited my overall mental and physical health.
  • Buy a new bathing suit for the pool My bathing suit is falling apart and I need a new one badly. I haven’t been to the store.
  • Finish Kool-Aid and Nuun drink mixes I am considering getting rid of the Nuun drink mixes, but for now, I occasionally add them to my water when I am working. However, these days, I prefer using Gatorade drink mix, as I find it much more enjoyable. While it may not be the healthiest option, if it helps me drink more water, I don’t really care.
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine ☀️ I fell ill twice in the month of November, which resulted in me staying home most of the time. The limited exposure to sunshine had a significant negative impact on my mood and further exacerbated my feelings of depression.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

Wow! Can I just say that November was a challenging month? Not only was I sick at the beginning of November, but I also fell ill again towards the end of the month and unfortunately caught COVID. On top of that, I had a rough couple of weeks. However, despite feeling nervous about returning to work, I am grateful that I am now [mostly] healthy again. You don’t realize the importance of your health until you fall sick. Immunity is something that should never be taken for granted. I still need to write a blog post about my December goals, and I plan to do so either tomorrow or sometime next week. In the meantime, enjoy listening to some soothing beats that will help you stay focused on your work..

Have something to share with me? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below ↓ Currently, email is NOT the most efficient means of reaching me as I behind in relying to emails. Leaving a comment is the quickest way to get in touch, unless you are one of the lucky ones who has my phone number.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there. I recently made the decision to join X/Twitter and I’m excited to see what it has in store for me.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

October Recap | Fall 2023

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This blog post is overdue, and I must admit that I lack enthusiasm for blogging. However, I did successfully renew my blog plan and downgraded to the Personal Plan without any difficulties. It’s unfortunate that I was unable to directly contact the WP engineers via chat like I have done in the past. When the time came to renew it, the only option available was email. While email still got the job done, it was a bit more time-consuming and annoying. Fortunately, they knew exactly how to assist me and were able to switch me to the Personal Plan. I didn’t have to worry about losing my data or deal with exporting backup files.

Looking back at October, it was an incredibly busy month. “Busy” is an understatement. There was so much going on that my memory is hazy. October came and went in a blur. Between my daughter’s birthday, the birthday party, seminars, and appointments, it was a lot to handle.

Am I Bored of Writing? No, just frustrated.

So I did end up posting an article on Medium and engagement was absolutely pathetic. I guess it wasn’t a complete failure because I did end up making $1.98 CAD for doing absolutely nothing with it. My account on Medium is is still pretty dead at this point, and I really hate how the algorithm punished writers who aren’t active on the platform. It’s the same phenomenon on all platforms, and I am not singling out Medium here. All I’m saying is that if you aren’t active on all platforms at all given times of the day, then good luck lol Since it isn’t hurting me to keep my Medium profile, I will continue to post the minimum on it to keep it active, but don’t expect much more from me.

I am more concerned about my lack of commitment to blogging as of late, and I am less and less enthusiastic about writing altogether. I haven’t been actively blogging like I would have liked to, and just want to be making designs for Redbubble. I also have some frustrations with Redbubble, especially when it comes to their payment method, namely PayPal. I have never used PayPal before, and it is quite frustrating that my commissions are not showing up in my PayPal account. Will I have more luck contacting Redbubble to try and sort this out? Probably not. Enough of my complaining.

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

OCTOBER RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Figure out the orientation dates for work This got sorted out for the most part. Do I feel confident now that I did the orientation? Not really…
  • Print and review orientation notes + reply to manager’s email I reviewed my notes and I did reply to that email. However, I now have another email to reply to so it’s really a chain of emails.
  • Catch up on work emails + attend workshop on Oct 12 Yes, I did both of these things.
  • Work on side hustle if there’s time I added quite a few new designs to the shop. There’s currently 78 designs to choose from! You can check out my #Redbubble designs here.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I posted a blog post that was also published on Medium. Unfortunately, the Medium article didn’t generate any traffic, which suggests that the algorithm penalizes inactive users. You can read my blog post here.
  • Complete and mail a paper copy of international form to Gov. We finally accomplished this, but I was instructed to seek guidance from another person, which I have not done yet.
  • Update planner with due dates, appointments, etc. At this point, I have completely abandoned paper copies. Paper books simply do not work for me at all.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Managing my family’s busy schedule is exhausting. Text message reminders have been a lifesaver for me in staying on track with all of my appointments. With the constant brain fog I’ve been experiencing lately, I honestly don’t know how I manage.
  • Complete and submit Application B Nope, that didn’t happen. We still need to submit Applications B & E, which are more extensive. We also need to answer the questions from the first seminar.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I have managed to keep the streak going, but that’s pretty much all I am doing with it at this point. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the time to learn German these days.

Health Goals:

  • Exercise every day (hula hooping, treadmill, chores, etc.) I have mixed feelings about how I did. In my mind, I think I did okay. I joined the YMCA last month so swimming has been helping A LOT.
  • Finish Kool-Aid and Nuun drink mixes The artificial drink mixes have become increasingly unpalatable. Despite my strong dislike for them, I find it difficult to throw them out. The only drink mix that tasted good was the low-calorie lemonade.
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine ☀️ Some days were so cold and miserable that I hardly left the house, but on the nicer days, I did leave the house and got some sunshine. I could do better with this and it might be time to break out the sun lamp again.
Leave a comment if you want my IG handle. I’m not active in Instagram.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

Unfortunately, my daughter’s picture day didn’t go as planned, and there isn’t an opportunity for a picture redo-day. On the bright side, my son’s picture turned out great! This year, I had hoped to have both of my kids’ photos professionally taken in a studio. However, my husband suggested that we prioritize saving money instead. He does have a point – the cost of in-studio photos has alarmingly increased over the years. Last month, my daughter celebrated her 7th birthday with a fun-filled birthday party. We were delighted to have 18 kids attend, making it a great turnout. Additionally, we took the kids trick-or-treating, and my daughter had a blast!

A sleepy skeleton and Mommy Long Legs

Have something to share with me? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below ↓ Currently, email is NOT the most efficient means of reaching me as I behind in relying to emails. Leaving a comment is the quickest way to get in touch, unless you are one of the lucky ones who has my phone number.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there. I recently made the decision to join X/Twitter and I’m excited to see what it has in store for me.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

September Recap | Fall 2023

3 Comments

How did your September go? Mine was surprisingly more productive than usual. I managed to stay productive throughout the month and it made me wonder if listening to productivity podcasts every day had anything to do with it. It always saddens me when a favorite content creator disappears or stops uploading new content. I heavily rely on their content for motivation, so it’s truly disappointing when they are no longer active. #firstworldproblems

During the month of September, I didn’t go to doctor appointments and have been procrastinating on scheduling them. However, I did make progress on the extensive paperwork for the social worker and I am halfway through completing the applications. The last two sections are time-consuming and extensive, but I hope to complete them by the end of October. As for expenses last month, not gonna lie it was a lot. Hopefully, October will be kinder to us.

Redbubble ≥ Medium

By dedicating a lot of time and effort, I successfully achieved my target of having 60 designs in my Redbubble shop by the end of September! It’s safe to say that I have been tirelessly working on creating new and captivating designs. I did hit a roadblock where sales have plummeted and I am unsure why this is happening. I haven’t changed anything, have been adding new designs, and have kept the prices low. I am determined to find the motivation to push through and keep going. After all, I only have a limited amount of time to devote to my hobbies and side hustles, and digital art requires a significant investment of time.

Even though I have nearly given up on Medium, I still need to post there to maintain my qualification for the Medium Partner Program (MPP). Therefore, I will continue to upload content periodically if the content is deemed suitable for Medium. Kindly remind me to upload something soon. I completely forgot to upload something on Medium because I was so preoccupied with Redbubble. Here are the links where you can follow me:

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

SEPTEMBER RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Bid on shifts as they become available I didn’t have to bid on shifts because I had enough shifts for the month of September.
  • Catch up on work emails + finish CCP requirements I renewed my license and fulfilled my CCP requirements. As someone who has undiagnosed ADD and can’t function without some kind of organization system, I now have a binder full of notes to keep everything in order.
  • Work on side hustle → goal is 60 designs I added my 60th design to the shop and reached this goal! You can check out my #Redbubble designs here.
👉 This is my 60th design! 🦀💕

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I posted more blog posts than I thought I would, but that was partly because I was procrastinating on emails and working on the application for the SW. Here are the latest blog posts in case you missed them:

♥ 44 Superfoods that fight fat
♥ How to Snack Smarter
♥ Take Charge of Your Appetite
♥ Find Peace in the Madness
♥ 8 Ways to Sleep Better [Edited]

  • Scan paper documents → turn into digital copies I scanned a few documents but I didn’t scan the ones I eventually plan on discarding. I have way too much paper clutter.
  • Start habit tracking using Posh Planner LOL nope, that certainly did not happen. Although it is a beautiful planner, I have no desire to use it as I am still keeping track of everything on my phone.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Managing my family’s busy schedule is exhausting. Text message reminders are helping me stay on track with all of my appointments. We had so many appointments in September!
  • Complete and submit Application A We not only submitted Application A, but we also submitted Applications C & D. However, we still need to submit Applications B & E, which are more extensive.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I have been performing poorly in the leagues, but I have reached a point where I no longer care. Due to time constraints, I have been unable to complete one lesson per day. My main concern now is maintaining my 262-day streak. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough gems to freeze my streaks anymore, so I must remember to use the app every day.

Health Goals:

  • Exercise every day (hula hooping, treadmill, chores, etc.) I have mixed feelings about how I did. In my mind, I think I did okay. However, my clothes are still a bit too tight for my liking, and I still feel uncomfortable. I have not been actively tracking my fitness.
  • Finish low-cal lemonade and Kool-Aid drink mixes I finished the low-cal lemonade and still need to finish the Kool-Aid drops. The low-cal lemonade actually tastes good whereas the Kool-Aid drops are more artificial tasting.
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine ☀️ I did pretty well with this one because I have to take my daughter to the bus stop every morning. However, I didn’t get to enjoy much sunshine on the weekends, which made me miserable.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

And there you have it! Throughout the month of September, I spent most of my time at home following my daily routine. Given my busy schedule, I seldom have any spare moments. Although I am still procrastinating on emails, application forms, and doctor appointments, I am relieved to say that the CCP notes are finally complete. Overcoming this particular challenge was a significant accomplishment that had been weighing on me for quite some time.

Have something to share with me? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below ↓ Currently, email is NOT the most efficient means of reaching me as I behind in relying to emails. Leaving a comment is the quickest way to get in touch, unless you are one of the lucky ones who has my phone number.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there. I recently made the decision to join X/Twitter and I’m excited to see what it has in store for me.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

August Recap | Summer 2023

16 Comments

Another belated blog post, another monthly recap. I am not apologizing this time! (see? I’m learning!). I often find myself losing track of time. It’s hard to believe that another month has passed us by, and just like that, September is here. But before I get too carried away, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the month of August.

August was a busy month, which included spending the first half of the month in Ontario. My birthday was also in August so August is a significant month for me. Lately, my top priority has been my family. I’ve been busy preparing my daughter for back to school after her time at summer camp. Additionally, I have been busy with paper work and expenses (which I’m not quite ready to discuss). There’s lots of paperwork and associated fees that have demanded much of my attention. Also, with the start of the school year comes a wave of additional expenses to handle. From tutoring fees for my daughter to license renewals, it feels like there’s an overwhelming amount of costs piling up. This is the first time I’ve experienced such discomfort in having to allocate so much money towards these necessary expenses.

My Side Hustle(s)

Although I have almost given up on Medium, I still need to post there in order to maintain my qualification for the Medium Partner Program (MPP). This means that I will continue to upload content every so often. However, my earnings from it have been quite disappointing. As a result, I have redirected my energy towards digital art. There are currently 54 designs available in my #Redbubble shop. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to work on this hobby in the past week, but I hope to dedicate some time to it again if I have any “down time.” I’m pleased to share that I continued to make sales throughout the month of August, which was absolutely fantastic! The valuable support and encouragement I receive from others serve as a powerful motivation for me.

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

AUGUST RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Go back to work on August 27 This was the only shift I had in August. Going back to work after being OOP for a month was rough.
  • Catch up on work emails + look at CCP requirements I now check work emails on my phone, which saves time. The CCP is due soon, so it’s on my to-do list.
  • Work on side hustle I only added a couple of designs to the shop while I was in Ontario and hardly spent any time on a laptop. You can check out my #Redbubble designs here.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I did the bare minimum in August and only started posting more at the end of the month. In case you missed it, I recently posted a random blog post titled “So What!” which you can read here.
  • Find my Posh habit-tracking planner → I need to start using it Did I find it? Yes, I did. Did I use it? No, I did not. I think I will use my planner for habit tracking instead.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Managing my family’s busy schedule is exhausting. Text message reminders are helping me stay on track with all of my appointments. I have been swamped with appointments!
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I am doing so badly in leagues but I have stopped caring. I dropped down to Ruby league. Instead of overwhelming myself with marathons, I have adopted a more sustainable approach by committing to completing one lesson per day.
  • Watch the Barbie movie in movie theaters I added it to the list to ensure that I would actually accomplish the goal. Priorities, man. Anyway, I ended up watching the Barbie movie a few hours after posting this online. Manifesting works! 🙌
The 2023 Posh Planner that I’ve been neglecting 🙊

Health Goals:

  • Use new water bottle once it arrives (2000mL bottle) I decided to discard the water bottle as I struggled to assemble it. It was of poor quality and didn’t meet my expectations. I saw no reason to attempt returning it. I advise against purchasing water bottles from #Temu.
  • Hula hooping for 35-40 minutes daily for a minimum of 30 days I managed to stay committed for a couple of weeks to my fitness routine, but unfortunately, I hit a roadblock. My bedroom became cluttered with donation boxes, leaving me with no space to work out. As a result, I couldn’t complete the 30-day challenge and now feel hesitant about writing a blog post on my experience.
  • No buying junk food from Walmart, Dollarama, etc. I was doing fine until my mom took me to Dollar Tree! Since coming back home, I haven’t visited Dollar Tree or Dollarama. Instead, I’ve started shopping at Bulk Barn for snacks instead of Walmart. My go-to snack is coconut date bars—they’re my favorite!

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

And there you have it! During the month of August, I spent two weeks of August in Ontario. My daughter also had summer camps and I have been busy getting her ready for school. I am also drowning in a pile of paperwork right now and should probably do something about that. Procrastination at it’s finest! am sure you guys can relate.

Have something to share with me? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below ↓ Currently, email is NOT the most efficient means of reaching me as I behind in relying to emails. Leaving a comment is the quickest way to get in touch, unless you are one of the lucky ones who has my phone number.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

A Belated July Recap | Summer 2023

30 Comments

Warning: A Little Rant Ahead 🔜

I admit that I’m growing tired of feeling like I need to apologize for writing late blog posts. Are we still doing this monthly blog recap thing? Yes, we are. I know that that July has long passed, but that’s beside the point. The important thing is for me to continue showing up, even if my blog posts are late.

Mixed Feelings About Everything

After spending a month in Ontario and unintentionally taking a hiatus from blogging, I have been reflecting on the value that blogging brings to my life. It occurred to me that despite creating the illusion of friendship groups and circles online, the truth is that there isn’t really a deep connection within the blogging community. Earlier in August, I celebrated my birthday and it made me realize that unless I loudly announced it on a social media platform, nobody bothered to wish me a happy birthday. However, I don’t remember many birthdays myself, nor do I expect others to remember mine.

I have even contemplated whether there is any point in sending birthday cards or snail mail these days, even though I still love sending snail mail. What is making me feel unhappy is the lack of reciprocation and the amount of maintenance and upkeep. I find myself wondering if there is any point in doing anything these days. Perhaps, instead of writing for an audience, I should consider writing for myself. It seems that I have lost sight of the ultimate objective when it comes to blogging.

A Lack of Emotional Support

I recently became aware that both my immediate family and extended family read my blog. Sharing my opinions openly was once something I craved, but now I find myself doubting if using my real name was a wise decision. Regrettably, the negative reactions I have received in person have made me hesitant to address certain topics that I wanted to write about, such as future plans in my personal life. While I consider myself a fairly private person, there are certain aspects that I am currently grappling with and feel emotionally overwhelmed. Furthermore, it’s disheartening to feel restricted in expressing myself freely. Perhaps Alias accounts had it right all along, but it is too late for me to start over. It’s frustrating to have to filter what I say once again, knowing that certain eyes are reading my writing.

End of Rant 🔚

JULY RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Possibly bid on available shifts I only worked 1 shift in July. I cancelled the other shift d/t unresolved stomach pain.
  • Catch up on work emails + check MLL courses I haven’t really looked at my work emails and need to catch up on them.
  • Work on side hustle → have 60+ designs by end of July I currently have 50 designs available in my shop. I believe I only uploaded 3-4 designs throughout the month of July. I didn’t spend much time on my computer while I was in Ontario.

➤ Click here to visit my Redbubble shop 

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I am behind on everything right now.
  • Transfer appointments to my Posh Planner Did I find it? Yes, I did. Did I use it yet? No, I have not. I didn’t bring my Posh Planner to Ontario, so now that I’m back home, I don’t really have an excuse.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments These days, I use my phone to keep track of everything. It’s just faster and more convenient.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I stopped tracking Duolingo leagues end ended up dropping several ranks. The only thing I care about is maintaining my daily streak. Instead of overwhelming myself with marathons, I try to complete one new lesson per day.
  • Finish photo album for my dad → due July 12 I completed the photo album and gave it to my dad. He loved it! I had some extra photos and framed them for my room.
In Memory of my pug, Zoë.

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸 Unfortunately, no progress has been made on Level 44 even after numerous tries. I’m still stuck there!
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app I still have the app on my phone but I haven’t been using it.
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine☀️ Ontario was warm and sunny, making it easy to get enough sunshine in July. However, I often get sunburns, especially on my face, so I have to be careful.
Baby Aaron enjoying the sunshine! ☀️

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

And there you have it! During the month of July, I unexpectedly ended up spending an entire month in Ontario. Consequently, I had little time to work on my hobbies, which include writing and designing stickers, among other things. Now that I am back in Calgary, my schedule is extremely busy, and I am prioritizing my children who require my undivided attention. I am also contemplating how much time and energy I want to throw at blogging. In the meantime, you might find me uploading new designs to #Redbubble.

BTW, I forgot to mention that I recently got promoted to the Premium tier on Redbubble! I’m extremely thrilled about it because it means I no longer have to pay any additional fees from my sales. I get to keep the full commission I earn, which really motivates me to keep pushing forward. Additionally, Redbubble is having this awesome sale where all merch is 30% off for the rest of August!

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

June Recap | Summer 2023

10 Comments

I apologize for the slight delay in publishing this blog post. Rest assured, it was for a good reason. I recently took a break and disconnected from the internet while exploring British Columbia and Washington state. It was important for me to recharge and enjoy some much-needed downtime. It was a refreshing break, and now I am back and ready to share this post with you. Thank you for your understanding.

And before you tell me not to apologize, I must inform you that I am Canadian, and apologizing is deeply ingrained in our culture. Canadians like to apologize for everything.

Mixed Feelings About Redbubble

I’ve recently ventured into the world of print-on-demand (POD) and it’s been quite a rewarding experience so far. Surprisingly, I managed to generate some sales during my very first month! However, it was disheartening to discover that Redbubble took a substantial portion of my earnings, approx. 90% of it even after including the profit margin! All thanks to their new “tier” system. I find the situation quite frustrating, but my only option right now is Redbubble. When it comes down to it, my earnings from Redbubble far surpass what I ever made on Medium. Although I still contribute to Medium, my activity on the platform has significantly decreased.

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

Despite the challenges I’ve faced on Redbubble, my dedication to creating digital art and sharing it with the world remains unwavering. The valuable support and encouragement I receive from others serve as a powerful source of motivation for me. To provide you with a glimpse of the digital artwork I have been producing, I would like to share a screenshot showcasing some of my designs:

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

JUNE GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Plot shift availability for the rest of June to August I am away for the majority of July and I don’t know my husband’s schedule yet. Shift bids TBD.
  • Catch up on work emails + check MLL courses I am a bit behind on work emails right now but I will catch up on them this week. There are no MLL courses to sign up for at this time.
  • Start working on a side hustle → add at least 5 items to my catalogue I actually 44 items to my Redbubble shop and far surpassed this goal! I’m really proud of myself 💁‍♀️

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I decided to repost a few of my Medium articles because there was a lot of interest from readers.
  • Find my Posh habit-tracking planner → I need to start using it Did I find it? Yes, I did. Did I use it? No, I did not.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Managing my family’s busy schedule is exhausting. Text message reminders are helping me stay on track with all of my appointments.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 While I may have slipped from the Diamond league, I am currently holding my ground in the Obsidian league. Instead of overwhelming myself with marathons, I have adopted a more sustainable approach by committing to completing one lesson per day.
The 2023 Posh Planner that I’ve been neglecting 🙊

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸 Unfortunately, no progress has been made on Level 44 even after numerous tries. I’m still stuck there!
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app I hardly used the app at all this month.
  • No buying junk food from Walmart, Dollarama, etc. I was doing great until we embarked on a road trip and my cravings for snacks kicked in. Now I’m back to buying snacks which I plan on cutting out again.
Some last minute shopping last week. I had to stop for steeped tea.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

And there you have it! During the month of July, I will be visiting my parents for a few weeks. However, I will still dedicate some time to pursue my passion for digital art and maintain my blog, if my schedule permits. Juggling multiple responsibilities has proven to be quite challenging, leaving me drained of energy. However, I have learned to prioritize and eliminate tasks that no longer serve me. One strategy that has been particularly helpful in keeping me on track is writing monthly goals blog posts. They serve as a constant reminder of what I need to focus on and help me stay motivated throughout the month.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

May Recap | Spring 2023

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Can you believe that the month of May has already come and gone? It’s simply astonishing how quickly time passes us by, it really feels like it was just yesterday! Seriously, how is it already the end of May? It seems like time flew by in a blink of an eye and I didn’t even have a chance to take it all in.

This month has been incredibly busy – I worked on my anniversary day and Mother’s Day, so I decided to take the day off on my son’s birthday as a special treat. Yes, it was important for me to take that day off so that I could spend quality time with my family and enjoy the special occasion.

Feeling Burnout with Medium

As of late, I have been feeling increasingly frustrated with the Medium platform. My traffic and stats are at an all-time low and my follower count has stalled. Not only that, but I made a measly $0.78 USD this month which is maybe enough to buy a chocolate bar from Dollarama. Personally, I just don’t see how Medium makes any practical sense unless I want to devote 3-4 hours/day engaging with other writers, leaving comments, networking, etc. I don’t have time for these things when I could be doing something that takes me closer to my goals.

If you’re not already following me on Medium, I highly recommend it. I’m not planning on abandoning that platform, however at this time I will no longer be publishing original articles there. That being said, I’m considering transferring the previously written articles to this platform so that my followers here can have access to them as well.

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

MAY GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Don’t call in sick this month I didn’t miss any days of work during the month of May! I didn’t get sick nor did I need to take a mental health day. Yay, me?
  • Catch up on work emails + check MLL modules No need to catch up on the MLL modules; most work emails have been taken care of, but not all.
  • Reorganize backpack + print notes I organize my backpack every week. I’ll remove it from next month’s list of goals.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap Yes, I am doing this right now. I have no plans to abandon my blog.
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog I am unsure if I should continue to pursue this goal. The outcome these past 2-3 months was not as expected and I don’t want to give up, but I am uncertain about whether to invest more energy into this hobby.
  • Announce the winner of the giveaway in a blog post You can read that blog post here! ✨💫
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Managing my family’s busy schedule is exhausting. Text message reminders are helping me stay on track with all of my appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 + finish diamond tournament 💎 I completed the diamond tournament and felt slightly disappointed afterwards, so I am no longer as enthusiastic about competing. Nevertheless, I still plan on learning German but will take my own time to do so. If by chance I drop out of that league, then it won’t be a problem for me anymore.

Health Goals:

  • Continue to track steps + upload progress on Twitter After returning from Singapore, I failed to maintain a daily goal of 10,000 steps and became complacent. Feeling frustrated with the lack of progress, I gave up on reaching that goal. I want to get back into fitness next month.
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸 Unfortunately, no progress has been made on Level 44 even after numerous tries. I’m still stuck there!
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app → 1 Gallon of water per day My experiment of drinking a gallon of water each day using a large jug lasted ONE DAY! My husband complained about my water jug taking up too much space, prompting me to ditch it and stop tracking my water intake. Next time, I will keep my 32-oz water bottles chilled in the fridge. I really want to do better next month.
  • Simplify my diet and reduce my intake of processed food This month, I was unable to stick to any particular diet and I ended up feeling really terrible and bloated. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips on how to reduce bloating? Trying to find a healthier way of eating for the long-term would be greatly appreciated.

And there you have it! Despite the fact that I worked hard and there were many distractions this month of May, I still feel like my discipline wasn’t up to par. My health goals were completely neglected and this is something I regret and fully intend to correct in the future. With that being said, I know that I can always strive for more and do better in order to reach my goals. I know I won’t be ready for bikini season but it doesn’t mean I can’t wear sundresses! I just want to wear sundresses without feeling bloated and uncomfortable.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there. Exciting changes are coming soon, and I’ve been hinting about it on Twitter.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

April Recap | Spring 2023

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I finally have a chance to sit down and write this month’s blog post as it has been an incredibly busy few weeks for me. Between the demands of my job, my household duties, and taking care of my children, I simply haven’t had the time to write until now that my husband is away on business trips. Despite all that, I can finally sit my butt down and write this blog post. I am working tomorrow so I don’t know when there will be time to draft a blog post for the monthly goals I have for May 2023.

Surprisingly, I managed to stay productive with my writing habits this past month in spite of being away in Singapore for the first two weeks of April 🏝️ It wasn’t until April 17 that I got back into the swing of things and started writing blog posts and Medium articles again. Unfortunately, I have limited time and energy now that Becca is at school and I am back at work every. single. week (Friday – Sunday). I apologize for any delays in responding and I’m doing my best to use my free time to catch up. Thank you for understanding.

More Articles for You to Read 📖

On Medium (@sereneluna), I have the freedom to express my honest and sometimes controversial opinions regarding topics related to freelancing, entrepreneurship, and other fields (eg. what defines a toxic person?) that I may not be able to write about on my blog. I’m not an entrepreneur, but I still find practical advice from successful entrepreneurs helpful for personal development. Listening to podcasts hosted by successful entrepreneurs and life coaches is a great way to gain valuable insights.

Here are the Medium articles that I posted during the month of April, which doesn’t include the articles I already uploaded on this blog. For those of you who are members on Medium, if you click on the links below and read these articles, I will earn a small commission to help fuel my steeped tea addiction. Thank you, in advance! ✌️💕

Medium Article Links:

1️⃣ Related Article: Somebody Cut You Out of Their Life, Now What?

2️⃣ Related Article: Stop Dabbling and Start Winning at Life

APRIL GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Prepare to go back to work next weekend Yes, I went back to work on April 22nd, and I haven’t had to call in sick yet *knock on wood* As stated above, I work Friday – Sunday (evenings).
  • Catch up on work emails I am still catching up on emails. There have been lots of changes at work, so I have been receiving a lot more emails than usual.
  • Reorganize backpack + print notes I do this on a weekly basis and will reorganize my backpack tonight. I have already printed my notes.
👉 I am finally uploading the screenshot from last month!

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I uploaded more blog posts this past month than I usually do. In total, I uploaded 4 blog posts in April! I think that is a new record for me 🙂
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog I have yet to share the Medium articles on this blog. Is anyone interested in these articles?
  • Write an article about Medium 1-month trial experience Since Medium traffic in April was at an all-time low, I didn’t think many people would read my post so I wrote a rough draft of it on my phone. It’s possible that I’ll upload it at some point though.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Despite my enthusiasm for tracking habits, I haven’t taken the time to use my fancy planner this year. I’m still using my basic one, and I’m not sure why I haven’t been more diligent when it comes to staying organized.
  • Daily Duolingo practice  + weekly friend quests I made it to Diamond League and am back to grinding for XP on Duolingo! *grumbles* I simply don’t benefit from learning German if I am not grinding for XP and competing in the leagues.

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress Nope, this did not happen. I have given up on the treadmill because my clothes are fitting tight again and I feel like crap. I figured that I need to focus on my diet and hydration right now.
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee I drank whatever I wanted in Singapore, which included a lot of sugar cane juice! When I returned home, I went back to drinking water, tea, and some coffee.
  • 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. That being said, I still use the app on a daily basis.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time My diet suffered A LOT during the month of April. I felt so dehydrated and gross by the end of April but I couldn’t go back to eating a high carbohydrate diet. I was feeling the adverse effects of consuming too much sugar from all the fruits and snacks I was eating, so I decided to switch to a more intuitive way of eating. As a result, my body naturally gravitated towards intermittent fasting (IF), which is similar to what I used to do years ago before IF was popular.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), I’m tracking my health & fitness progress, and you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there.

•♡•♥•♡•♥•♡•

P.S. As a special celebration for the 7th anniversary of my blog, I am holding a giveaway exclusively for my Canadian readers! If you live in Canada and already following my blog, you need to act fast – the deadline to enter this giveaway is May 22. I’ll announce the lucky winner on this blog so make sure to watch this space!

➤ Click here to enter the giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! ♥