Confession time…I’m a planner hoarder. I love them, and I intend to use them. But like most best-laid plans, I don’t. Or, I’ll use for a week or two then miss a day, and since they are numbered and dated, it’s all messed up and would be so many blank pages when I restart, that I just ignore it. I’ve tried all sorts, but none seem to work for me. And that’s annoying when you pay $25 for a planner then let it sit in a drawer.

Then, last month, I discovered Bullet Journaling.  Hallelujah!!!! Finally, a journal I can make fit my needs. I can modify, add to, omit, and even be creative.

Created by Ryder Carroll, bullet journaling has been around for a while, and I wish I’d found it sooner. He has a nice video on his webpage with details.

I love how Ryder showcases a minimalistic layout. It’s clean, unclunky, and can be modified as needed.

But, if you check out Pinterest, you’ll find all sorts of creative and colorful layouts for all seasons and themes. There are a lot of talented people out there, and if you can’t draw, there are tons of stencils available.
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Me, I generally prefer the minimal layouts, but I have started to add a few embellishments and some color. I also like all the different trackers you can have. For example, I have a vitamin tracker, savings tracker, word count trackers, weight loss tracker, virtual race time tracker, and even a couple others.

I also have some collections. Books I want to read, books I’ve already read, blog post ideas, and book events to check into.
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I even have a page set up for blogging this month along with to-do lists, a page for the Spanish workbook I plan to start soon, and of course, book ideas. I’m using a plain, ruled notebook for now but plan to use a real “bullet” journal next year.

​So, do you use journals? Have you tried bullet journaling?  What works for you?
 
Have a great day!
 
Remember, if you sign up for my infrequent newsletter this month, you’ll get a free short Halloween story. I promise not to spam you or be a bother.

​Today I thought I’d share my new addiction with you.  It’s something I never thought I’d do unless I had to, but now I’m almost obsessed.  Want to guess?  No, okay…here it is.  Virtual Races.
That’s right, exercise.
I can’t run since I have a bad ankle, but I can walk, and many of the virtual races I’ve seen are perfect for walking.
For example, my daughter, Beth and I walked the “Great Pumpkin Race” this past month. It was only 5k…which is 3.1 miles for those who don’t know. We got a really nice pumpkin hoodie, a medal, and a race bib.  I’m waiting for the weather in Texas to be cool enough to wear the hoodie, the medal I have on display in my room.

​Beth and I also signed up for a couple virtual races on Yes.Fit. These are races you can do at your own pace, in your own time. There is a virtual course, and you get occasional emails with mile markers and places of interest. They have some great swag for each race too. The races are logged either by your fitness device or manually and once you complete the required mileage, they send your prize, a medal or t-shirt. You get to pick when signing up. Some of the races even benefit a charity. The Sea Turtle race proceeds go to saving sea turtles. How cool is that?

Run Motivators also has some great races. We caught a “Dragon” 5k on sale that the medal is a seriously cool sun catcher. We haven’t had the time to do the race yet, life has been hectic the past couple weeks, but we will get to it soon.

We, Beth and I, just signed up for Run Motivators “Invincible 2020” race. I’m excited to start this one but have to wait until January first.  I love that you can run, walk, swim, row, or even bike the miles. 

I have to walk the heathen every night so figure the miles ought to go toward something. And if I can get a bit healthier in the process, that’s a good thing.

I’d love for you to join us. If you do, friend me on Yes.Fit.

Have a great day!
 
Remember, if you sign up for my infrequent newsletter this month, you’ll get a free short Halloween story. I promise not to spam you or be a bother.
 

Welcome to October and the Ultimate Blog Challenge! Can you believe it's October? The year is just flying by. Soon it will be Christmas and the new year.

I really do like to blog. Some times though, blogging gets lost in the shuffle of day to day living and then once a week has passed, it’s easy to let a second week go by, and then it’s even easier for that third week to slip by unnoticed.

That said, I plan to be more diligent this month and get back in the routine. I’ve lots of ideas of things I want to share. I hope you enjoy.

Today, I thought I’d introduce myself. First, I’m a wife and mother. I had four kids but lost one to cancer when she was almost 6.  The other three are older and doing well.  My son taught himself to play the piano when he was about 16 and played for our church for a couple years. My oldest daughter is a writer of children’s and young adult books, and my youngest daughter is an artist and does book illustrations. I often wonder what my other daughter would have been, I mean, I have a musician, a writer, and an artist.

I’m also a dog trainer.  I have a Doberman named Sonnet and a Belgian Malinois named Bodhi. Bodhi is a total heathen, but I love him like crazy. I’m sure I’ll be sharing more of his antics with you this month.

I’ve also trained our cats a while back. I love working with animals for the most part. I love seeing when it clicks as to what you want.

I even have a new addiction I’ll be sharing with you this month. It’s a good one, and you can join me, because endorphins.
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Anyway, I do hope you’ll become a regular visitor on the blog.  And remember to sign up for my newsletter. For everyone that does this month, I’ll include a free short Halloween story. 

Did you know that yesterday was 100 days until the new year? I find it hard to believe this year is almost over. I mean, next thing you know it will be Christmas.

Which leads me to ponder all the things I wanted to get done this year. Somethings I did, some I changed my mind about, some got put on hold, and some just got lost in the shuffle of every day life.

There's still plenty of time left in this year to get stuff done though. I just have to make a list, check it twice (or three times) and get in gear.

And that is what I'm doing. Getting organized is a big part of things right now. I'm even making a list for next year. 

What about you? How are you doing on your goals for the year?

Remember, I'll be blogging daily next month so stop by often. I'm going to be sharing some cool stuff. At least, I hope you think it's cool. And be sure to sign up for the newsletter. You'll get a free short Halloween story and my appreciation. I promise not to spam you or share your email with anyone.

I like to blog. I really do. So why don't I blog on a regular basis? Heck if I know...  Part of it is the lack of feedback. It's hard to have a conversation when no one is there or responding to what you are putting out. I know you are there, I can see the numbers of people who visit. 

And I get it. I don't often comment on other blogs. Most of the time, I figure my opinion isn't worth sharing or it's the same as has been shared by previous posters, so why bother.

That said, I've decided to give it another stab and have signed up for the Ultimate Blog Challenge for October.  

So, in honor of the blog challenge and October, I'll be sharing a free short Halloween story with all those who sign up for my very infrequent newsletter. 

What will you get in return for giving my your email address? First, you'll get that short story. I really enjoyed writing it and think you'll enjoy it. You'll also be kept up to date on new releases,  contests, and other such things. There may be the occasional picture of the heathen but I promise not to spam you with a flurry of emails that have nothing to offer but another buy, buy, buy. I hate those and will delete them.  I mean, why do some folks think they need to email every day? It's totally annoying and the 5th, 10th, 25th, or 37th email isn't going to change my mind.

So, subscribe and I'll send you that short story to enjoy in plenty of time for Halloween.  Also, take a few seconds to say hello in the comments. 
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Let's talk clutter. 

I know it's not time for "spring" cleaning but I'm really feeling the need to declutter some. Thankfully my house isn't near as bad as the picture, however I do have stuff in my garage, still in boxes from when we moved here...8 years ago.  Sigh...head to desk.

Apparently, I'm part pack rat. Of course, I've always known it. I just hate to admit it sometimes.  I mean, I might use it one of these days. Just because I haven't even seen in for 8 years doesn't mean it needs to be gotten rid of.

I also have some clothes I haven't worn in years. They are just taking up space. Insert another sigh here. But I paid good money for them and might be able to wear them again. Ha!!! 

And why do I have so many things that need to be dusted? Sure they are cute, but I don't need Texas Ranger bobble head gnomes. And seriously, I don't need three of them. I do have a couple things that have some sentimental value that I'll continue to dust but I did pack several things in a box to go someplace where they can be better used.  (We have a great resale shop that the proceeds go to help battered and women in need. I love taking stuff there...and of course, bringing stuff home from there. I mean, it's for a good cause. 

I'm starting my spring cleaning early. I need to declutter. I want to simplify. I don't want to have to clean so much stuff. So, here's to decluttering. Here's to spring cleaning in the winter. (It felt like spring yesterday...was 71 F and sunny and just wonderful. This morning it was cold and grey. Sigh. Love Texas weather.)

What about you? How to you handle clutter? Does it bother you or do you just avoid clutter all together?

Need some decluttering support? Then check out this great Facebook group.

Yesterday was spent editing. I edited some online stuff that I'm so excited to be doing. I can't tell you now but I will later.  And, I did a short (176 pg.) book for my publisher. Thankfully it was really clean so only took about 5 hours to do. That being said, I spent most of the day on the puter working.

Time I got around to even thinking about blogging, my brain was fried, In fact, I went and laid down about 9 last night for an hour just to recover. I wouldn't have done my spanish except for the fact I have a 197 day streak and I'm not going to break it.  Hopefully. :-)

So, today I'm blogging. But, I procrastinated first. I've cleaned off two shelves, dusted them and the stuff on them, packed a box of stuff to go to a ladies shelter goodwill type store, played with the dogs, and now I'm thinking about food.

What do you do when you've been on the puter too long? 

,A couple years back I attended a small writer's conference put on by a nearby writer's group. Personally, I LOVE writer's conferences...hanging out with writers and listening to them chat about writing gives me the warm fuzzies. :-)

That said, the focus on this conference was self-publishing, which was cool. I have a publisher but I still need marketing info, editing info, and of course, how to write better knowledge.

However, I almost fell out of my chair when I heard one of the speakers say it was okay to upload and publish a book with errors in it. He said there was no need to worry about trying to get it perfect because it didn't matter and you could always upload a new version anytime. I was sitting with my editor and we both looked at each other in shock.

​Here's the thing...okay is NOT good enough.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to read a book that's riddled with typos, misspelled words, grammar issues, or plot problems. 

One of the first things I do when considering a book purchase is to read the reviews. And if editing is a problem, I'll pass.  No matter who it is. And I'll generally not buy any of that author's other books either. 

Last night I was chatting with my daughter and she told me about a book she had purchased that still had editor notes in it. And when she looked closely at the cover, there was a place that said "enter text here."  Really???  I mean, seriously? 

Years ago, I bought a short story that a member of my writer's group had published. It was only .99 and I like to support fellow writers, especially if I know them. When I read it though...it was filled with typos and grammar issues.  I emailed her and told her that she'd uploaded a rough draft by mistake...it was that bad. She replied that nope, she'd checked and it was the right version. I got a refund.

Here's the thing. Okay is NOT good enough. It's not. And you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. We'll never get our books perfect but we should strive to get them as close as possible.

So, here's my question...how do you feel about books with editing issues? Will you buy a book you know is filled with typos and other issues? Are you okay with a book that's just okay?

It's only 8:45 a.m. and I can tell it's going to be one of those days.  And  I'm cool with that. Normally, I wouldn't be though. I'm taking my own advice and choosing to be flexible and deal with the issues and move forward. 

For example, I need to be editing right now. But to do that, I need to focus. But, the dogs have different ideas today. Normally, they take a morning nap about now  but not today. In fact, it's taken me 20 minutes to write this much. I've had to get up, let them out, let them in, let them out, and now they are all by in. 

Also, my internet is seriously slow right now. That's thanks to my son who is hogging all the bandwidth. That will change soon. I've got a better router/modem thing and just need to get it connected.

So here's today's take away.

We have the choice as to how we look at things. We can look at Monday as just another day, as the start to another week, but also as another opportunity. And there are so many opportunities out there is we'd just see them.

So, take a few minutes and ponder all the things you'd love to accomplish. Write them down. And then look for opportunities to make them happen.

You'll be glad you did.