Well Planned Life

Just a quick mention: all of the links to my own blog have been updated with the new URLs due to the name change.  Also, I've noticed that a few blogs that link to mine still have to old address.  Obviously, I'm not demanding that anyone update their links, just gently reminding you to please do so if you'd like.  =) I have some exciting posts coming up.  Hopefully I will be able to get to them all soon.  Tomorrow I have a new Philofaxy All Stars guest post appearing here!

…And a mini movie review As you know, I had recently found some Thanksgiving stickers .  Yesterday, I was able to pick up some Christmas stickers as well. Today was decorating day, and now that it’s all done, the only thing left to do is embellish on my diary page in the compact. Here,   Snoopy   is celebrating with   Woodstock .    While I like the   Peanuts gang , they are not a group I actively seek out.    I have to say I was a   little   disappointed with the Christmas sticker collection at my grocery store.    But I was able to get them, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. Here is the complete set I picked up: The candy cane-type ones actually have sparkles on them, so that’s a nice little holiday bonus!  I just hope it doesn’t rub off on my pages and make a mess… They also had snowmen stickers, which I think I might pick up next week and save them for use in January.  I am afraid that by then, there will be nothing but Valentine’s Day stickers,

…The last year, because what a difference one year can make. I feel like I have beaten this topic to death, and I hope to let it go completely after this (at least as far as blogging is concerned).  It has been a few months since experiencing any kind of anxiety and/or panic , and even the perfectionism is waning.  I am not “cured”—as with many conditions such as these, it’s a day-to-day battle; one thing—most likely something you don’t see coming—can set it off quite suddenly.  But I have been using everything in my bag of tricks to help me deal with it.  It has been a rough year, with many internal struggles.  But I have learned a lot because of these struggles, a lot about myself and a lot about how to deal with my feelings and thoughts.  And I have to say that I’m a better person because of it, despite the turmoil I went through. On this eve of Thanksgiving , I would like to thank you, my readers, for sticking with me and my blog even though it was sometimes never abou

For the longest time I have been looking for stickers that I can use in my planner.   Everything I came across was too juvenile (Disney princesses and the like) or too puffy (as in, they’re actually meant for scrapbooking and are almost 3D – they would add too much bulk to my compact).   Finally, out of sheer luck, I happened upon a nice set at my local grocery store.  I had always passed this particular aisle (actually, it’s an end cap at the end of the stationery aisle that houses seasonal items), but for some reason, this time I paid attention, and there they were!  I hope it’s not just a holiday treat and that I will continue to find great stickers here. This is what I have picked up for now: So how am I using them? They help me make note of what I’m thankful for: They help me make note of activities and people I’m thankful for: They help me make note of being thankful for food and great company: They help me make note of spont

Ever since I got back from my vacation , my life has been a whirlwind, despite my best efforts to keep things quiet, calm and peaceful .   Without getting into the details here, my family has had a minor issue—nothing serious, but something that requires more of my attention than it would otherwise.   So that, and not quite being able (or maybe just willing) to settle back into my “normal” routine have left me just a tiny bit stressed.   (For the most part, I am doing okay with keeping it in check.)   I keep thinking about our vacation and how nice it would be to return for another week.   Like, maybe tomorrow.   But even if that were possible, all the current issues will still there upon my return.   Ah, well. Anyway!  One thing I do well when I’m stressed is to organize the chaos. Lately, I have read several posts about gearing up and revamping systems for 2012.  They all made me want to play with my system just a little more.  I thought I had it all figured out , but ap

No worries, my fellow book lovers.   I am still working on my fall reading challenge , if only little by little.   I was waylaid by my vacation —for that I strayed just a little in my challenge.  I brought with me three books, one that is not on my list, one that is on my list, and one I added to my list just before leaving.  They included: Bookends by Jane Green (not on my FRC list) – Jane Green is one of my favorite authors.  She started out as being tagged as a “ chick lit ” author, but her writing has grown from that genre, in my opinion.  With every new book, she tackles new topics and emotions that go far beyond the sometimes looked-down-upon chick lit.  However, seeing as I was headed to a tropical place, my desire for pure chick lit ran high. Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani (on my FRC list) – As I mentioned in my original FRC post, Adriana Trigiani is another favorite author of mine.  She’s hysterically funny but is a grea

I have been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by both Denise over at Cupcakes and Cadenzas and J at TheCrazyLifeofJ (thank you both!!!  I am honored!). The Rules: 1.   You have to thank the person(s) who gave you the award and link back to their blog(s) (see above). 2.   You have to share seven facts about yourself (see below). 3.   You have to send the award on to fifteen other bloggers whose blogs you appreciate and then let them know that they have been given the award (see below the seven facts about me). Facts about me: (I always feel like I’m reaching for interesting tidbits, when really it isn’t all that interesting.) 1.  My biggest fear is that I will be left all alone. 2.  Aside from my wedding and engagement rings and occasionally a watch, I don’t wear jewelry.  Most of it gives me the creeps.  I can’t tell you why. 3.  My two heroes are my father (for never asking “ Why me ”?) and my grandmother (for living her life in the most serene wa

In my last post, I wrote about my recent vacation . Like most Filofax users, I couldn’t have prepared for my trip without the use of my trusty planner. Since my husband and I got married, we had planned to take a big trip come our fifth anniversary. We didn’t have an official honeymoon—yes, we went away, but we didn’t get on a plane like most newlyweds do, we didn’t go to some place tropical like many do, and we didn’t visit a place a had never been before. We went hiking and apple picking in Upstate New York, just like we do every year. It was beautiful and we had a lovely time, but it wasn’t the same. Having had just paid for a wedding and buying a condo only months before, we felt it was better to celebrate our nuptials with a small trip and save the big one for later. Besides, it gave us something to look forward to. We knew we wanted to celebrate our fifth anniversary with a trip to the Caribbean, but we didn’t know where specifically. We each briefly looked into places

Here in the US Northeast, we were hit with a rare autumn snow storm this past weekend.  I shudder to think what this means for the winter season.  Where I am specifically, there was no snow, just a very cold and windy rain fall.  But there were many people who got lots of wet snow causing downed power lines and trees.  Some people are still without power.  I was in New York City for a brief time during the storm and so witnessed said snow. As you all know, I love fall .  I don’t even mind winter when the holidays are approaching (come January, that is another story entirely).  But an early snow storm isn’t a fall thing I love, especially this year.  I spent all last week looking at this: So imagine my surprise when we landed in a snowy New York City. Our trip to Turks and Caicos was a special treat for various reasons—we were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary; it was our first trip to the Caribbean; it was our first plane ride together (sad, I know); it was