Tag: summer

Belated August Goals | Summer 2023

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Although I am very late writing August Goals blog post, rest assured that I have been diligently working towards achieving my goals this month. In fact, I have them written down on my phone. If you haven’t had the chance to catch up on my latest blog post explaining the reasons behind my absence, you can easily find it here.

It should not come as a surprise to you that I have not been able to maintain an active presence on #Medium. As a result, I have unfortunately neglected the platform for the time being and haven’t had the chance to provide fresh content by adding new posts. However, I still prioritize engaging with my readers by responding to their comments, despite being a bit slow in doing so.

Lately, I haven’t been feeling very energized when it comes to writing. I much rather work on designs for #Redbubble. To date, I have 52 designs available in the shop, and I plan on adding a few more before the end of the month. Initially, I had hoped to have 100 designs in the shop by the end of September. However, due to my busy schedule, I won’t have much time for hobbies, and it may be challenging to meet that goal.

♡ Quick Link: Sereneluna.redbubble.com

𝒜𝓊𝑔𝓊𝓈𝓉: 𝐵𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒, 𝓈𝓊𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉!

☀️ Hello August Image from https://www.thisisourbliss.com ☀️

My Blog Posts Can Wait

Lately, I have been giving my full attention to my children, who require a lot of my time and energy. Additionally, I am striving to improve my skills as a housewife, and household chores consume a significant portion of my day. I have also taken up cooking more dishes, which is enjoyable but can be time-consuming. I have great ideas for blog posts, including recipes, but unfortunately, I lack the time and energy to write these blog posts . As a result, these ideas remain stuck in limbo….

There is so much I still want to do which is why I haven’t given up on blogging completely. No, I am not going to abandon my blog. Is it worth the renewal fees? Probably not, but if I need money, I can simply work more hours. Money is not the main concern here. You can always earn more money. What I truly need is more time and time is limited. Moving forward, here are my goals for the rest of August:

AUGUST GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Go back to work on August 27
  • Catch up on work emails + look at CCP requirements → due sometime in September
  • Work on side hustle → there are currently 52 designs available

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Transfer appointments to my Posh Planner
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Phone call with social worker Aug 25 → be prepared with questions
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪
  • Watch the Barbie movie in movie theaters

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app
  • Use new water bottle once it arrives (2000mL bottle)
  • Hula hooping for 35-40 minutes daily for a minimum of 30 days
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine☀️

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

As you can see, I have decided to give up on the Pikmin Bloom app. While I do love the app itself, I have grown tired of counting steps and using the treadmill without seeing noticeable results. I am the type of person who needs to see tangible progress in order to stay motivated. Rather than walking, I have opted for an infinity hula hoop instead. So far, I am really enjoying it! My objective is to strengthen my core and reduce the excess weight around my midsection. The spare tire needs to go.

I am currently engaging in targeted exercises to assist me in achieving this goal. I’ll check in with you guys after 30 days, but in the meantime, you can follow me over on the #Twitter/X platform for daily updates. Let me know in the comments below ↓ if you have ever tried an infinity hula hoop or use hula hoops to work out.

(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! ♥

July Goals | Summer 2023

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Wow, can you believe how fast time is flying? Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. Anyways, it’s hard to believe that it’s July! Guess what? My husband’s birthday is just around the corner, and although I’m uncertain where I’ll be for his birthday, chances are I’ll be out of province.

These days, I am contemplating where to put my focus and energy. Right now, it’s not in writing. However, I am feeling rather defeated with Redbubble and will probably slow down a bit with uploading designs. To date, I have uploaded 46 designs which is crazy considering that I only started beginning of June 2023. Due to their new “tier” system which takes an additional 30-50% from my already modest earnings, I am left with no option but to increase profit margins by 5%, which is less than ideal. That being said, my goal is to still add 100 designs to the shop by the end of September 2023. You can check out my shop via the following link:

♡ Quick Link: Sereneluna.redbubble.com

𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘 𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢! 𝙱𝚎 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚊𝚕.

Everything is Awesome Exhausting

Lately, I have been experiencing extreme fatigue and a lack of motivation. It feels like every aspect of my life has become overwhelming and mundane. While I am not clinically depressed, these constant feelings of exhaustion and frustration are taking a toll on my overall well-being. Even activities that used to bring me joy now feel like burdensome tasks. When starting new projects, I often find my initial motivation fading away after a few weeks. The excitement and satisfaction I used to get from accomplishing tasks no longer gives me the same rush of dopamine.

This change in my approach to blogging doesn’t mean I’m quitting, rather it’s a decision to take a break during the summer. It could actually be beneficial for me to prioritize my creative energy and only write when inspiration strikes, without feeling obligated or guilty for not producing content consistently. Furthermore, I only have 2 shifts this month, which aligns with my need to slow down and recover from whatever this is.

JULY GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Possibly bid on available shifts (optional)
  • Catch up on work emails + look for upcoming MLL courses
  • Work on side hustle → have 60+ designs by the end of July
➤ Click here to visit my Redbubble shop 🐈‍⬛💕

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Transfer appointments to my Posh Planner
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪
  • Finish photo album for my dad → due July 12
The 2023 Posh Planner that I’ve been neglecting 🙊

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine☀️

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

As you can see, my Redbubble side-hustle falls under Career Goals even though there is a lot of overlap between this and my Personal Goals. I am determined to make more sales this month and I refuse to give up, despite the frustrations I have with Redbubble. Even though I haven’t been actively posting on Medium, I have no intentions of quitting that platform either. It can be challenging to find a balance, but I am determined to figure it out. If necessary, I may consider a dopamine-detox reset to help me feel better. Do you struggle with low-energy? Have you ever done a dopamine-detox? Let me know in the comments below ↓ and we can talk about it.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

June Goals | Summer 2023

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Oh my goodness, it feels like time is flying by so quickly and it’s already June! I feel like I just blinked and now the calendar has changed to Summer 2023. It’s been abnormally warm here in Alberta with temperatures higher than normal for this time of year. On top of that, we didn’t get any snow during the month of May which is highly unusual. In the past, snowfall was still a common occurrence during the month of May, but this year that wasn’t the case. Thus, the warm weather is likely here to stay for some time. That being said, the wildfires in northern Alberta are causing smokey skies, which makes it hard to enjoy the nice weather.

That’s my life offline; online is a different story. These days, I’m having a blast creating anime-style artwork using a cool AI generator I discovered on #Twitter, which has forced me to learn and understand the basics of how Discord works. When I’m not tweeting anime art, I post poetry, blog posts, Medium articles (Good Lord, am I still going on about this?) and pics of my cat. Unfortunately, my cat is ill so any prayers would be appreciated. You can follow me via the following link:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

🅷🅴🅻🅻🅾 🆂🆄🅼🅼🅴🆁 🅷🅴🅻🅻🅾 🅹🆄🅽🅴

I Just Had an Aha Moment and It’s Wild!

In fact, it’s so wild that I am making a major pivot and wholeheartedly embracing the entrepreneurial life….yikes! But let me explain. After giving it a lot of thought, my biggest realization is that no matter how much I enjoy writing for passive income Medium, writing for the sole purpose of earning money isn’t enjoyable for me. Honestly, I have no desire to become a freelancer, do affiliate marketing, write product reviews (I am naturally inclined to live a minimalistic lifestyle), copywrite, create eBooks, and so on – it’s undeniable that success in these fields is deeply rooted in blogging and networking. Sorry, but I won’t compromise my happiness for the sake of earning a few more cups of coffee.

This deep realization has caused me to pause and truly ask myself the question: what am I truly passionate about? The answer came to me in an unexpected way last week. It was almost as if it had been there all along, buried deep within my subconsciousness, and was just waiting for the right moment to present itself. My childhood experiences have had a lasting impact on me, and many of my interests today stem from things that I enjoyed as a child. Although I had many hobbies as a kid, writing wasn’t one of them.

Now I am going off on a tangent, so I digress. Here are my upcoming goals for the month of June:

JUNE GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Plot shift availability for the rest of June to August
  • Catch up on work emails + look for upcoming MLL courses
  • Start working on a side hustle → add at least 5 items to my catalogue

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Find my Posh habit-tracking planner → I need to start using it
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪
Photo by Miesha Maiden on Pexels.com

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app
  • No buying junk food from Walmart, Dollarama, etc.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

After careful consideration, I decided to include my new side-hustle under Career Goals even though there is a lot of overlap between this and my Personal Goals. It is quite possible that in the near future, I may need to create an entirely new category specifically for my side-hustle goals depending on how things go. After all, I have a history of beginning new projects only to eventually lose interest and abandon them.

Even though I am not focusing all of my energy on Medium this month, I am still actively engaged on the platform, and will continue to check in regularly. If I do end up writing anything, it is highly unlikely that articles will be written specifically for Medium; instead, they may be published on my blog first and then shared on Medium.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

Creamy Vanilla Mango Smoothie

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This recipe is very easy to make and I unintentionally discovered this delicious smoothie the other day when I used vanilla soy milk instead of coconut milk. This smoothie tastes super creamy and it is vegan! 🌱 This drink tastes like mango ice cream—no joke! Even my husband likes this beverage so I am going to show you how to make this Booster Juice Imposter in the comfort of your home.

If you have enough mango you can use it instead of ice. Personally, I prefer to use frozen diced mango and skip the ice. Also, the maple syrup makes a BIG difference when it comes to sweetness, and a little goes a long way. Feel free to add extra soy milk until the thickness of a milkshake is reached. I hope you like mangoes as much as I do because this smoothie is about to rock your taste buds! 🥭😋

Creamy Vanilla Mango Smoothie

Servings: 2                          Time: 5 minutes                          Difficulty: easy

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup of diced frozen mango
  • 1 1/2 cups of vanilla soymilk such as Silk
  • 1/2 tsp. maple syrup to sweeten
  • Ice cubes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Pour the vanilla soymilk and the maple syrup into a blender. If you can, use a good blender that is capable of crushing ice. My personal favorite is the Vitamix.
  2. Once you’ve added all the fruit and ice cubes to the blender, place the cover on top of it.
  3. Turn on the blender and blend/pulse ingredients until smooth. 
  4. Pour the smoothie into a tall glass. Enjoy! 

♡ Image Source #1: Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels

♡ Image Source #2: Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

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Tropical Sour Patch Kids Review!

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A few months ago, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t buy candy. This past week has been difficult for me, and when I’m stressed, promises may get broken. All my life, I’ve only known the traditional Sour Patch Kids, which were my favorite candy growing up. When Blue was introduced, that was exciting for me and blue raspberry did not disappoint. It is very rare to find unusual flavors in Canada where we live, so when I found a Tropical mix, I couldn’t say no. In the US, I could imagine finding a bag of Tropical Sour Patch Kids in every grocery store, but not in Canada. Here is my review of the tropical flavors, from most tasty to least tasty, to give you an idea of what to expect:

Orange – Tropical Twist; This flavor definitely lives up to the name. Tastes mostly like mangoes with some other tropical fruits mixed in. I cannot tell what fruits they are exactly, but the flavor is good for artificial tropical. Mango and Pineapple? Mango, pineapple, and orange? Who knows!

White – Pineapple; It’s not bad, and but I thought it was Pina Colada. Had they named it, “Pina Colada,” you would instantly know what flavor this is as soon as it hits your tongue? Also, this candy is white – not yellow, so I don’t know why their site features this flavor as a yellow candy. Pineapple-coconut or whatever this candy is by default isn’t my favorite candy flavor so I cannot give it first place. However, I’m impressed by this one.

Pink – Paradise Punch; Given that description, I had no idea what to expect. It didn’t taste bad but it didn’t taste great either. It definitely passed in terms of the sour factor. I love sour things, and Pink was the sourest of all 4 flavors. However, when it changed to sweet, that’s where it went from good to bad.

Purple – Passionfruit; This is an unusual flavor and I expected better, honestly. Passionfruit was the reason I bought these Sour Patch Kids in the first place. Overall, this flavor was the worst of the bunch and purple didn’t taste like passionfruit to me. This flavor possesses a very artificial, chemical flavor straight out of a laboratory.

Overall Rating: ★★✩✩✩

I won’t be buying Tropical Sour Patch Kids again. In comparison to original flavors in terms of tastiness, these tropical kids were nowhere close. Tanginess? Probably. The Pink is definitely the tangiest of the bunch but compared to the original flavors, these flavors are just “meh”. Tropical candy isn’t my preference when it comes to artificial flavors so this probably affects my rating. See for yourself: try them and rate them. See if they live up to the original flavors and let me know what you think of Tropical Sour Patch Kids in the comments below.↓