July Blog All About It Challenge - Spirit

So I totally missed June's prompt but you know how my June went.  So I decided to pick myself up and dive back in.  Although I won't lie - it bums me that I missed June.  

Blog All About It is a challenge being hosted by Anna@Herding Cats and Burning Soup.  Each month we are given a prompt and have free reign regarding what we chose to blog about pertaining to that prompt. May's prompt is........................

SPIRIT

I have to admit I was a little stumped on this one but I immediately thought of spirit animals so I found an on-line quiz HERE and decided hey, why not?

So apparently my spirit animal is a DEER.  

When you have the deer as spirit animal, you are highly sensitive and have a strong intuition. By affinity with this animal, you have the power to deal with challenges with grace. You master the art of being both determined and gentle in your approach.

The deer totem wisdom imparts those with a special connection with this animal with the ability to be vigilant, move quickly, and trust their instincts to get out the trickiest situations.

The deer’s antlers can grow back once they fall. Because of this characteristic, this animal has been revered in many traditions as a symbol of life regeneration. There’s a cloud of mystery around this ability that gives the deer a magical and mystical quality. If you have the deer as power animal, you could tap into life’s magical ability to renew itself.

If the deer has chosen you as your spirit or totem animal, you may be called to use or develop your sensitivity at various levels in your life. This animal powers guide you to refine your intuition and psychic abilities. You can refine your receptivity and use your senses and intuition to reach farther out.

Those with the deer as animal totem may be inclined to be constantly on the move, being on the look out for the next opportunity. By affinity with this spirit animal, you may also be watchful of your “predators”, which translate into a tendency to be sometimes overly cautious. It takes time for you to trust someone or feel safe in your environment.

You can invoke the power of the deer to guide you in getting accustomed to new surroundings and people. This spirit guide might show up in your life to warn you encourage you to trust your instinct. The deer spirit animal will also show up in your life to encourage you to take some time by yourself in a quiet environment to rest or in nature. It invites you to find rest and peace in silence.

So I've always found this type of stuff interesting and I would say for the most part, it does kind of sum me up.  However, I'd rather be a dog :)

So if you take the quiz, make sure you leave in the comments what your animal spirit is and if you think it suits you.  

May Blog All About It - Organization

Blog All About It is a challenge being hosted by Anna@Herding Cats and Burning Soup.  Each month we are given a prompt and have free reign regarding what we chose to blog about pertaining to that prompt. May's prompt is........................

ORGANIZATION

So the second half of 2017 I tried bullet journaling...and failed miserably.  However, I did really learn some things about how I wanted my bullet journal to function.  So with my own ideas and some inspiration from blogs and pinterest, I came up with something this year that seems to be working.  I create a 2-page monthly spread and then I also have quite a few lists going.  I'm constantly adding new pages (for example I'm currently creating a to-do list for my spare room/library renovation.  So I thought this month's topic would finally allow me to share my bu-jo.

Add caption

So here's an example of a month spread.  I have a space for favorites (songs, dates, quotes, etc) and a space to track bills and other important dates (vet appts, car maintenance, etc.)  Then I have a Mood Tracker and a Habit Tracker.  Finally, I have an area called "On the farm..." which lists blog ideas, arcs obtained and need to read, and reviews which need to be written.

Here are a few more example of my mood trackers.  It's where I get to be the most creative and sometimes where I struggle the most.

Next up are some of my lists.  I do a lot of challenges so I've created a 2-page tracking spread for them.  I also have a series watcher spread and  movies watched spread which aren't shown. 

Here are a few examples of some of my challenges - Cloak & Dagger and What An Animal.  

I also created a list for books I'd like to eventually read which I know I can get from my library, Overdrive or Hoopla.

So there's a few of my pages.  It's an ever-evolving process so if anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to share!

March Blog All About It - Favorite Scent

Blog All About It is a challenge being hosted by Anna@Herding Cats and Burning Soup.  Each month we are given a prompt and have free reign regarding what we chose to blog about pertaining to that prompt. February's prompt is........................

FAVORITE SCENT

So I know my choice this month may not be well received by all, but I know there are a few of you out there that will totally understand it.  My favorite scents is PUPPY BREATH.

Puppy breath is when the pups' breath has that sweet mother's milk smell because their mouths are clean and they haven't yet developed any bacteria or plaque, which typically causes odors.   I associate puppy breath with bringing home a new life, a bundle of happiness, joy, ups and downs that looks at you with total love in it's eyes and is ready to conquer each day learning something new.  The puppy breath stage doesn't last long so you have to enjoy it while it lasts.  

Mr. Barb and I have been blessed to experience this phenomenon 5 wonderful times - once with each of our dogs.  Cicero, Barkley, Cooper, Booker T and Cassius.  They all brought joy to us on the day they came to their new home and when I close my eyes real tight, I can still imagine holding them in my arms and smelling that sweet smell. 

Apparently they even make puppy breath candles and I discovered several, especially on Etsy.  I think I may have to try this one out:

And here's a link if you are interested as well. 

So let's be honest, who else loves this smell?  Go ahead, admit it.  And for those I grossed out, I'm tempted to apologize but it is a topic about MY favorite smell so I don't think apologies are needed.


And as an added bonus, our third dog, Cooper, was born on this date.  Happy Birthday Cooper.  Hope you're having lots of cake and ice cream up in Heaven!

Challenge Time - Blog All About It

So I saw this over at Herding Cats & Burning Soup and it sounds like a lot of fun.  Plus it doesn't necessarily have to be book related and is pretty flexible so I thought "What the heck?"  Below are the rules so if you're interested, pop on over and sign up.

It's basically a blogging prompt challenge.

Each month there's a different prompt that you can interpret as you'd like then create a blog post around it.

Example:

If the prompt is BLUE you could...

--make a blueberry cobbler

--review a book with a blue cover

--interview an author who's name has blue in it

--discuss how you break out of a 'blue' mood

--share blue photos you've taken

It's incredibly flexible but also a good way to spread your blogger wings.

I think it'll be fun to see how differently people decide to blog about the exact same prompt.

The Prompts

January-- Winter

February-- Red

March-- Favorite Scent

April-- Art

May-- Organize

June-- Growl

July-- Spirit

August-- Beginning

September-- Escape

October-- Trees

November-- Truth

December-- Shine/Sparkle