Digressions of a Sponge for Knowledge: December 2015

Monday, December 7, 2015

The Staycation Makeover

I'll be honest, I've never liked the idea of a staycation before. My time off is sacred, so why would I spend my time bumming around my own dumb house? But with not a lot of money and zero planning on our side, I was pretty worried that we were going to have a lame week off. Now, I do know how to appreciate the calmer side of life, and enjoy the fine art of relaxing. BUT I also know that without plans, I'll fritter away the free time that I have and then berate myself for it later. So how to make a staycation fun?

Step up. Stop thinking of all the stuff that will make this not work. Shut up and think about how cool this can be.
Plan it. Create a list of things that you can feasibly do within a day's drive. Zoos, aquariums, hikes, National parks, museums, historic places, theaters, wineries, breweries, theme parks, classes, etc. Create a list of things you'd like to accomplish for yourself that you don't normally get time to do - write, try that new restaurant, read that book, do some art, etc. Build in time to chill - go to the pool, the beach, take a nap. Do not play Candy Crush. Unplug for a bit. And don't forget to

http://giphy.com/

Do it. This is the important part.

How it went:

With very little planning - I'm pretty sure we decided the first Monday of our week off- we made it happen.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Decorating Fever

I've been hit hard with decorating fever. After looking for houses with my husband in earnest for a few months, and then having to put the entire operation on hold, I decided that the best thing to do was buck up, and make the most of the space I have.

And oh, how I've researched. I'm not the kind of person who considers herself a trendsetter, or someone people look to for style. I will never write a style blog about what I'm wearing, how to wear things, or how to decorate or organize your house. I absolutely will be one of those people who frequents those blogs with the passion of a cat chasing a laser beam. And Pinterest. Dear God. So many late nights spend cuddling with my laptop in the corner of the couch -

Pin, pin, pin.
"Oooh!"
Pin, pin, pin.
"Whoa, such a cool idea..."
Pin, pin, pin.

[5 hours later]

Husband: "So you're coming to bed? It's 3 in the morning."

It's a sickness.

And recently, I've been finding some really great books that have led me to some really great blogs, so I will share them with you so that you can cut out all the racket and skip to the good stuff. You are welcome!