Follow me on my magical fitness journey to transform some extra pounds into sweat, trust, pixie dust, and star stuff Highest weight: 222 lbs Current weight: 219.2 lbs Goal weight: 130 lbs
The generation that taught us “stranger danger” is now complaining that we’re always looking at our phones in public instead of interacting with strangers
People who tell you that cacti or succulents are “beginner plants” are full of shit.
If you want to start taking care of plants, you need a plant to water pretty often. Something like a spider plant or an ivy or a dieffenbachia or most other cheap houseplants will get you in the habit of checking your plants every morning to see if they need something. This will get you ready for plants that require regular trimming (like basil), repotting (orchids), fertilizing (vegetable plants), or any other frequent care. (Plus they’re easy to propagate so you can make multiple from one in case you mess up and kill the originals).
With a plant that needs little attention, you’re either going to over-water it from the start (convincing you that you’re incapable of caring for even the “easiest” plant), or you’re going to basically forget about it. A plant that thrives being left alone in a forgotten windowsill of your house isn’t going to teach you much of anything. It’s just going to be that hobby you started and never got very far with.
I always recommend people start with something that requires checking but is also not easy to kill. Like pothos! This plant will communicate its needs VERY well, so you’ll get in the habit of checking/watering/trimming it. If you make a mistake, it bounces back and can be revived easily!
Plus, it grows quickly. People who are just starting out with plants need some encouragement, and a plant that can bounce back quickly from mistakes and grow quickly when being cared for will make them feel good! It’s rewarding! It makes you want to try more plants! Cacti and succulents, on the other hand, grow so painfully slow that beginners don’t get to really see the results of their efforts before they lose interest and/or accidentally kill it.
Pothos is cheap, beautiful, hardy, communicative, and easy to propagate. Plus, let’s be honest, everyone wants the whole “vines all over my walls” urban jungle look, and pothos can get you that.
It doesn’t happen like that. You don’t just wake up one day and find that everything has worked itself out. You must get out of bed, morning after morning, and make a conscious effort to control the circumstances of that given day. You must learn to handle your issues with grace because you respect what they are attempting to teach you. You must drown your insecurities slowly, one self-realization at a time. You must allow yourself to feel the fear bubbling just beneath your skin but you must never allow it the satisfaction of crippling you; grit your teeth and march on. You see, they never tell you how hard these things will be. This fight to reclaim yourself is not easy or straightforward but, my god, is it necessary.
Until September 2nd, if you’re under 18, you can receive free lunch at public library branches in NYC (proof of age shouldn’t be required), and from trucks at certain locations around the city. Some schools should be open and providing them, too!!
DiceCloud: Interactive character sheet that can be edit and shared with yourself or others easily. Pulled up anywhere with internet connection on PC, Mac, or mobile device. Use it to also mark down health, death saving throws, spell slots, experience, and more on the fly.
DnDMagic: List all spells currently available from Player’s Handbook and Elemental Evil.
5th Edition Spellbook app: Make spellbooks for all your characters, manage spells, prepare spells. Keep track of Spell Save DC, and Spell Attack bonus on your mobile device.
Squire - Another character creation and management app. Contains most of the basic info and spells already, with options to create spells, items, classes/subclasses, etc. This is the free version, but pro has more options for DMs, including initiative order control.
Improved Initiative - Great tool for running combat. You can load up PC stats and auto-roll initiative for both PCs, NPCs and monsters. Easy to edit and add new creatures and you can share the info with your players so they can stay up to date and know when their turn is coming up and which monsters are looking rough
I know it’s been a while. I haven’t been as diligent as I should have and it has really shown in multiple ways. I don’t know why we have “new year’s resolutions”. It seems so arbitrary to wait for a specific day to begin a new project or to start working towards a new goal, but maybe it's just that boost of positivity we feel at the beginning. Like everything is new while staying the same.
This year, I have resolved to get better at managing my depression, anxiety, and self-loathing. These are things I have struggled with for a long time and I believe that as graduation is fast approaching, I have to learn how to be a functioning person. After all, if tons of other people are out there living happy, successful lives with the same conditions that I have, then why can’t I?
This is why I’m starting this resolution with a daily goal checklist. I have all of my goals down the left side of the paper--not too many, because I know I can’t get everything done, and some things that I *know* won’t get done every day but I want to track just how often I do get it done. On the top side of the paper I have all of the dates for the month and I make boxes this way, so all I have to do is place a checkmark in the box when the task is complete.
My list can mostly be separated into two goals: caring for the physical, and caring for the mental. I suppose most people’s goal lists go this way, but I find that in the past, my goals have been related to my financial life and future career rather than actually taking care of myself.
The first on my “physical” list is to take a shower every day. I know that this is something really simple and essential for good hygiene, but as other depressed members of the community will know, it’s often the most difficult to get done every day. The second is to take my vitamins and medications. I have been prescribed Fluoxetine for my depression/anxiety combo, but I’m not as good at taking it as I should be. I’m also taking Biotin and vitamin B12 supplements, but find it difficult to take regularly. Next up is brushing and flossing my teeth. Another thing that is basic but can be difficult in a weird, “I just don’t feel like it” way. Something else I need to get better at is cleaning and moisturizing my face. I don’t do these often enough, so I want to aim for at least once a day, twice if I can really get to it. My greatest personal challenge has to be my self-loathing; I know that it’s something I have to shake this year in order to be as successful as possible. As an artist, I am my own worst enemy and I can’t seem to get out of my own way and give myself permission to be everything I know I can be. Part of this is dealing with my issues around my body so I’m currently in the process of dropping some body fat and tone my muscles--particularly my legs, abdomen, and arms. In order to achieve this “macro goal” I have four “micro goals” to achieve to the best of my ability each day: a protein shake for breakfast, complete a 30-minute workout, complete a 30-minute stretch/yoga session, and my personal favorite ~Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.~ This is my favorite quote from Michael Pollan who has written several books not about what to eat, but how to eat. These goals should very slowly start to cause a visible change in my body and hopefully, the mental work I do should improve how I feel about the skin I’m in.
Along with taking care of the physical parts of me, I also need to take care of the mental parts. This is where I find I need the most work. First up on this list is to listen to a podcast episode every day. I follow so many, but I often don’t have time for them, so when I do have time, I binge-listen and I find I haven’t retained any of the information I was just given. Making the time to listen to one each day will hopefully allow me to be in the moment and fully pay attention to what I am hearing. Secondly, I want to read a chapter or two of a book. I used to be such an avid reader, but I find that more and more, my nose is stuck to my phone rather than in a book. I feel as though I have become more ignorant because I haven’t made time to read. Reading is something that I love doing and I want to do more of it, so I want to get back a little piece of myself that I’ve lost. Next up, I want to journal for ten minutes every day. I have found that writing helps me to get rid of all the tangents in my head and helps me to be calmer throughout the day--I’m not holding onto anything “extra” in my head. Finally, I want to pray more each day. I’ve lost touch with my spiritual side and I want to feel more in touch with the intangible world. So every day, I want to say a little prayer, doesn’t matter when I do it in the day as long as I do it.
I’m not sure if any of these things are going to help me in any significant way, but I have to hope that they do.
“Do not lose hope, please believe that there are a thousand beautiful things waiting for you. Sunshine comes to all who feel rain”
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