Week- In-Review (9/17/21 - 9/23/21)

Hi everyone,

Did I ever mention to you that one of my favorite content to watch or read are Day-In-The-Life and Week-In-Reviews? 

I simply love watching how other people live! Real people (not the scripted fakery). I am fascinated with anything related to homemaking and simple living, so I guess it makes sense. I could spend hours (as though I had them at my disposal), watching DITL videos. I don't need anything grand to be happening, just day-to-day activities, the normal and mundane stuff we all experience, only someone else is doing the cleaning! This type of content brings normalcy in a world full of Pinterest fantasy, it's pretty refreshing actually. 

So, if you are curious as much as I am, here comes the return of the Week-In-Review blog post, in which I highlight our day-to-day, very unimpressive life here in Northern, NJ. (I make no promise this will be a recurring event, though I will try my best).

Friday September 17, 2021

Today was the first day I worked from home and in my new office setup. It was quite exciting and let me tell you, I rocked it! I was focused, organized, got everything done plus some. At first I was a bit concerned I would be a nuisance to Scott. Turns out he enjoyed it just as much! At times we both had to wear headphones (I did have a few Zoom calls and he was editing) but overall it was a relaxing day and we both worked pretty much uninterrupted from 9 AM until 5:30 PM.

I then edited/posted a new video (Office Desk Organization) and began working on redesigning this blog. 

1. It's the small stuff! Starting a new soap is an exciting event to me. This is one of the soaps I brought back from our trip to New England. It smells divine! There is a bit of grit to it because of the oatmeal so I suggest you use a washcloth. I keep my soaps on bioplastic pads outside the shower to ensure they dry quickly, they also last longer. 

2. Scott is currently freelancing on a 1.05 minute project he is entirely writing, designing and animating (Stay tune for more on that).

3. Breakfast of champion but a weird combination for sure. Ezekiel Bread with Guacamole and freshly picked figs from the garden. 

4. One of my tasks as a Team Leader is to read all the notes from our Wellness Specialists and mark them as Billable or Non Billable for Medicaid billing purposes. I also have to count the minutes accrued over a certain period of time. So if someone reaches 120 minutes of billable time, we are good to go. It is a lot of reading and you pretty much have to think like an auditor, not a Clinician. A note could be very well written and loaded with clinical information, but if it is not related to the treatment plan...it's got to go! On top I mark the time at which I start and then mark the end time when done. It gives me an idea of how long it takes to read X amount of notes. That day I stopped reading notes at 1:48PM. I try to read notes every day after our morning meeting otherwise the catching up is monumental. 

Saturday September 18, 2021

I have to say that having a new computer has truly reenergized me. I woke up with the full intent of filming at least two videos today. My Saturday mornings have not changed: it's Kitchen cleaning time! This is when I thoroughly clean the stove top, microwave and trash what needs to be trashed. I can honestly say this is the only routine I have and it's everyone's guess what I do with my time after that. 

I filmed a D.O.C episode and went through the Kitchen Junk Drawer. It was not a chore per say, but the amount of nonsense one keeps in those drawers is just insane. I believe I decluttered almost 80% of the initial contents. 

Then it was gardening time for me. It has rained a lot and I have not had time to tend to the yard in at least one week. There is a lot more to do but I am glad I was able to start with Winter planting. So far I have Swiss Chards and Dwarf Kale sowed. In about two weeks I will start other crops. 

1. I have decluttered that junk drawer so much, I am not even sure we actually need one at this point. You can watch the video HERE. 

 

2. Guess who found not one, not two, but four $50 Amazon Gift Cards at the bottom of the drawer? 

3. I took a selfie on a timer. How about that for dedication to the task at hand!

4. I am really loving my renewed interest in this blog. I did push it though, did not go to bed until 1:48AM!

5. This looks like success to me! This Back to Eden gardening method has worked for me so far. The great part about it is the lack of weeding where the wood chips layer is thick enough. I am still learning and feel that I could better plan for next year in terms of positioning of plants. I think I left way too much space in between and as a result it limited the amount of plants I was able to grow. Of course I filmed a garden update and you can watch the video HERE.

Sunday September 19, 2021

It was a beautiful day. Sunny with limited wind thus perfect for a scroll in Kearny, NJ. They had their annual Town Wide garage sale so I took the opportunity to film a DITL which is coming tomorrow (9/24/2021). 

Unfortunately the sales were a dud. The best part was visiting with my friend Mary and her husband Ritchie. Scott and I stayed for about one hour, catching up. We stopped by the Pie Shop in Montclair and bought enough pies and meat pastries to feed a family of 8. We are just ridiculous and obviously the diet went out the window yet again at my house. In the afternoon I got busy hemming William's band uniform pants. It was not that easy. Spent the rest of the day working on blog design and discovered my new computer has a screen recording mode.

 

How about some photo restoration demo from yours truly? I am not a crack at Photoshop but I think I can hold my own. The pies were delicious by the way, a bit on the heavy side. I guess it was a lazy no cooking weekend, some weekends are like that. 

1. Salad from King's Supermarket. It's delicious but not really "diet" friendly. Mesclum, Goat Cheese, Candied Pecan and Died Cranberries. I seriously need to get back on the wagon. 

2. Steak & Cheddar Pastries from the Pie Store. It actually tasted more like Blue Cheese but delicious nonetheless. I still think the best part is the crust (I do love carbs don't I?). 

3. Heinz Beans! When I was 14 I took a school trip to Stockport, UK. as part of an exchange program. My exchange student's name was Kate.  That was way before the Eurotunnel so we took the bus from Normandie to Dieppe, then the Ferry, then a train to Stockport. I can't remember how long it took but at 14 it seemed like FOREVER! The following year I suspect enough parents complained because we took a plane (that was my first time flying). For my first breakfast at Kate's house her mother served Heinz Beans over toasts and some sausage links. I never thought one could eat beans for breakfast and survive the day! I actually did like the beans, the sausages not so much.

4. This is the part when I prayed my newly serviced sewing machine would not jam! It did pretty good considering the layers of fabric needed. I did an okay job on the hems. I think I am the only one who is going to look at them from a distance anyway. Band competition starts next Saturday and excitement prevails!

Monday September 20, 2021

I did not mention I was On-Call this week. On Call weeks can be stressful for many reasons. One of them is the lack of sleep. Some weeks are better than others and this week was not too bad until last night's 3AM call which involved calling EMS and ensuring a patient was safe. Then collaterals  provided to the ER, and follow up with the ED. I did not sleep much.  But, I managed to finish all my work and returned home at a decent hour then proceeded to edit and post a new video (Declutter Organize Clean - Episode 6). 

Grateful Scott made dinner tonight, we had meat sauce over vegetables and pasta. On nights I edit, he makes dinner and I do the dishes and cleanup afterwards. The following day (except Tuesday) we switch. It has been working for us for many years. Do you and your partner have an established routine for chores around the house?

1. Going back to work, It was 59 degrees this morning, definitely needed a light jacket. 

2. Look at the all this junk I carry around! My new to me Vera Bradley bag (a birthday gift from my friend Mary), lunch bag, huge knock off Hydro Flask by Aikiko, it works great by the way, so why spend a ton of money on the real deal and my very worn out Contigo Travel Mug. I have been dragging this thing along every morning since my days working at the Jail. You can't kill it! 

3. Ah, Jersey City traffic! 

4. Edward returned home from College and spent a good 30 minutes chit-chatting with me while I was editing my video. This is the face of a young man acing his Calculus course, earning yet another 100! 

5. I did it! Edited and posted on schedule! 

Tuesday September 21, 2021

Another day at work! On Tuesdays I spend my morning in the office then leave to do outreaches and One-One sessions for the rest of the day. I am supposed to complete 30 hours per month, some months are better than others. This is by far the best part about my current position. Many times people get promoted to higher functions but need to leave behind what they truly love, not being able to have it both ways. I guess I do have it both ways as I am still able to do clinical work. I remember when I became the Director at my work in NYC I ended up feeling very disconnected because my entire week was administrative and supervisory, so I would pop up in groups under the guise of side by side coaching as a way to stay in the loop.

Tuesday night is garbage picking night! If you are new to my channel you may not know that I pick garbage and resell it for a profit. The days are getting shorter so it is getting to be a bit tough to do a thorough pick but it is an opportunity for Scott and I to drive around and chit chat about random stuff (though it's mostly politics).

1. Ready for traffic!

2. Food for the day: Oatmeal, Berries, Banana, Plum,  Baby Carrots, Hummus and a Tomato and Ham Sandwich on Rye Bread.

3.Those rugs were from Lands End. They can be quite expensive but forget about cleaning them unless you have a power washer. 

4. I received my monthly subscription from Simplicity Teas today. It is inexpensive and Edward and I share the teas. I recommend it if you are a tea drinker, the quality is very good and some of the flavors are just amazing. Not a fan of anything almond or vanilla though, I just don't think it goes well with tea. 

5. Tonight's pick: A console table in excellent condition, "Family" sign probably from Hobby Lobby and a really cool chalk paint shelf I am keeping for my big upcoming project. I should mention my town-wide garage sale is in October and I am considering using it to let go of a lot of stuff that has been stagnant in the garage for a while. It's all free stuff, all it will cost me is time to setup. Can you imagine people stopping by:

Buyer: "Hey, I had one just like this, but I threw it away!"

Me: "Want to buy it back for 5 bucks?"

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Today I worked from home which was very nice since I was able to send off the kids to school and see them when they got back. We did not have much time to chit-chat, both Scott and I were very busy. I edited The Garden Experiment video and I tell you, I simply cannot get over how fast the whole process is going since switching computer. I am sure you all have noticed that I am posting on a regular basis again.

1. I found the wreath while walking the dogs this morning, remember today was bulk day so more stuff was on the street. It's in perfectly good shape and it gives me a nice backdrop for my Zoom meetings too!

2. Having realized the wooden floors were becoming damaged from the computer chairs, we bought cheap chair rugs off Amazon. Sure enough, a certain someone had to claim them. I told Scott he better watch out each time he needs to roll back!

Thursday September 23, 2021

Thursday is usually when I start falling apart at the seam, I spend Thursdays in the field to catch up with my Clinical work and add Units of Service to the  minutes tally for the month. It's pretty much back to back sessions. I eat poorly, I am on he go non-stop, I also don't drink enough and I return home absolutely wiped out, dehydrated and zombie-like. 

Tonight I did muster the energy to save the surplus tomatoes and start a sauce. I will can it tomorrow evening. 

1. I love this shirt from Port Authority but I keep forgetting black is a lint magnet. I also have one in white and another in grey. 

2. Tomato Sauce - aside from garlic and onions, it's all veggies from the garden. To be honest I am just winging it, I just did not want them to go bad. 

3. Swiss Chards are sprouting!

4. So is the Dwarf Blue Kale!

Well, that would be it for this week. So you tell me, do you like this format? Too much blah blah? Too many pictures? More pictures? Do you want me to keep doing Week-In-Review blogs?

It was not very hard to do, I just took some time every night to review the previous day. Then again, I cannot guarantee each one will be as thorough and quite frankly some weeks, I am sure, will be more interesting than others. 

It was an interesting week since this was the first week I was scheduling work-from-home days. I am not entirely opposed to the idea of hybrid work but I am still feeling very much guilty that I am not in the field everyday. Then again, there is no one else to do my work.

Thank you for spending the time reading my Week-In-Review!

Sophia. 

This blog contains affiliate links through Amazon. This is how I support my blog and YouTube channel. I earn a small commission each time you purchase an item through my links. 

The Garden Experiment || 09/18/2021 ||

 Hi everyone,

Here is my latest gardening video. I ended up giving away some beans and tomatoes as I did not have time to can anything. 

Enjoy!

D.O.C (Declutter-Organize - Clean) 2021 - Episode 6

 Hi everyone,

Here is the latest episode in my D.O.C Your House series in which I decluttered the junk drawer. 

Enjoy!

Home Office Desk Organization

 Hi everyone,

To celebrate my new computer and decision to work from home a few days per week, I finally reclaimed my space in the office and setup the right environment. 

Enjoy!

It's been a while...

 Hi everyone,

Today, I received a message from the blog board. It is amazing to me that some of you are still finding it, better yet,  reading it! I am not sure what to say other than "here we go again with another missed opportunity!" 

Blogging is a great way to stay in touch and share additional content I may have missed while filming. It is also another creative way to share my thoughts and progress, however small. Who knows, I may even inspire! 

So for those of you who are still around, kudos and thank you!

It seems that my blog pretty much fell into oblivion, alongside my trunk restoration, the elastic band on the yellow dress, the non functioning electric plug at the back of the kitchen...The list goes on.  I really have no one to blame but myself, in all honesty though, how many different platforms can one manage at a time? 

So let's talk about BALANCE. You all know I have the hardest time settling into a workable routine, finding time to be more business minded and sticking to what I would refer to as my side gig. Blogging, vlogging, reselling...It all takes time. I am not trying to make an excuse for my absence on either this platform or my Etsy shop, I am simply pointing out the obvious. When there are 24 hours in a day and 10 of those hours are spent on making a living, that does not leave much for the rest. I do like my sleep (I hope you do too). But it's simple math: 7 hours of sleep, or bed time rather, added to 10 hours of work, that's 7 hours for the rest. It's obvious (and I won't fool anyone with this one) that those 7 additional hours are not spent cleaning the house! So what do I do with my time and how do I reclaim it?

How does one find the right mindset and the right balance between work, family life, hobby and all the rest. It's not just MY great challenge, I believe it is every working woman's challenge. 

There are a lot of things we would like to do to enhance our day to day life and I am sure you can all agree that at some point in our life we have looked at another woman in absolute awe, wondering "how does she do it all?" Well, maybe the answer is in that 7 hours I seem to waste for no good reason at all other than being wiped out most days or otherwise engaged into running around in circles with no clear direction as to what I need to prioritize next. 

Truth:

I do not have a clear schedule.

I overload my To-Do list which is similar to my To Be Read list: it keeps piling on but really, nothing is ever accomplished here, the same goes with the bazillion other projects floating around my head and let's not get started with the quilting or that walk-in closet I am supposed to build (yes, that was a hint).

I do not prioritize...EVER. It's all super important and therefore nothing gets done. Looking busy though, does not really mean that you are. So on most days, I will look frazzled and all over the place. But truly, not much has been achieved. I think I have mastered the art of puttering around except it's all indulgence at this point. Here is a neat article on the subject. 

I am easily sidetracked, you see. I give you a for instance (true story):

I could get up on any Saturday morning with the intention of filming 3 grossly ambitious videos. Then I remember I need to go to the PO BOX. So I go there. On my way back, I remember I need to stop by the garden center for rose fertilizer, I do that. Before you know it I stop by the First Presbyterian thrift shop before they close. I am not looking for anything in particular but somehow I love the idea of having a large amount of stock I know very well I have zero time to process.  Sure enough I find something I now feel obligated to research. There goes another few hours since one does not simply research an item, surely, you get lost at one point or other into the web of neat stuff available on the internet for procrastinators like me.  Meanwhile there is no plan for lunch. It's already 1:30PM! Fine, we go out for Lunch or maybe we have leftovers. I clean up (somewhat) and realize I have a surplus of beans in the garden. So I go take care of that. On my way there, I find out the roses need pruning. It's now 4 PM and I am losing daylight. No filming today. This warrants a trip to Barnes & Noble where a new To Be Read calls my name. 

Sunday? More of the same. 

Does this sound familiar? 

Do you know what's missing? 

A Schedule and a commitment to go with it. 

The issue here is the repetition of failed expectations and their toll on my overall sense of self. Comes Monday, I feel like an absolute bum. One with zero accomplishment. Rinse. Repeat. 

I am fairly certain I could be way more successful in my endeavors if only I would...Are you ready for this? Commit to a schedule of activities. What a concept!

It sounds like a cliché (that's the French word for Overuse or Been There Done That - Come on now, you've all been there! Right?) Anyway, it may sound like a cliché but unless I start scheduling myself as though a business woman, nothing is ever going to really look business-like, feel business-like or reap business-like benefits. Don't get me wrong, my YouTube and other platforms are doing fairly well...with minimal effort on my part. Yes, I just said that. MINIMAL EFFORT. I film, I edit, I Post. Big deal! Imagine if there was an actual plan! A commitment to creating a serious platform with a clear vision and goal! Mind Blown!

If I earned a Dollar for every business dream I ever had, well, I could happily retire on a farm somewhere in Wyoming, raising chicken and riding my horse into the sunset! That is actually a dream of mine. 

But I am still here, in NJ where Me TIME is being stuck in traffic! You would think I would put that time to good use by listening to audiobook versions of my To Be Read pile! Of course not, that would make way too much sense!

So why am I even sharing all of this and where am I going with it?

It has come to my attention this week that at least 50% of my lack of motivation towards success mentioned above, was the lack of proper equipment. When I was blogging on a fairly consistent basis, while working full time AND filming equally consistently, I also happened to have the proper equipment, namely, a performing computer. Trust me, nothing sucks the motivation out of you more than a laptop that crashes every 40 minutes, writes drawkcab, and other quirks that simply make the task not only a chore, but purely wearisome. 

This week, I purchased a new computer (HP Pavilion All in One) Shameless affiliate link, BTW. And the stuff is going so fast, I am no longer dreading the task. Better yet! I am motivated again! And the proof is in the pudding, I am writing this blog!

So, as one thing often leads to another (see my Saturday story) when it comes to my general approach to life, I feel better equipped now, to renew my commitment to My Great Challenge. 

It's true, and some of you have felt it,  that MGC as a content somewhat became a tad stagnant over the past year. Coming up with new, fresh content is not easy. It's easy when it's not your content, but it's not that easy when you are the one who puts in the hours. But now that I have the proper tools again, a huge weight has been lifted and a renewed interest came with it. 

This is not an announcement that my channel, blog and Etsy shop are going to experience a revival within the next 24 hours. This is not a "come back" or even a promise. It's just me telling you that I am thinking about positive changes that in the long run (let me write that again) in the LONG RUN, are going to be beneficial. 

So let's talk baby steps. I need to restructure, regroup, recommit, not rebrand but at the very least, clarify where I am going moving forward. 

Ideally I would like to keep a schedule of videos 2 to 3 times per week. Mon, Wed, Friday seemed to work in the past. One blog per week on various trivial nonsense I feel like sharing. Could be a week in review. I always liked those plus I feel that the majority of subscribers enjoy this "youtubers are just like us" kind of moments. It's true, after all my DITL (Day in the life) have always been popular (oh look, I just linked you to all my DITL videos!) 

But baby steps first. What can I do, right now, to begin restructuring and reclaim my 7 hours?

I always believed that one has to start somewhere. Is it creating a schedule? Is it waking up earlier? How about a small daily step that could help me feeling a bit more accomplished by the end of the day.

Let's investigate the bedtime routine. 

We have this TV upstairs. We watch it without really watching it to be honest. We cut cable loose a while back so we are essentially just watching whatever is available on Prime. Most nights, one of us falls asleep within the first 30 minutes while the other browses aimlessly before settling on a James Bond rerun. Excitement prevails once you reach our age! So why not put that 30 minutes to good use?

Experiment #1: 30 minutes reading every night. What are the odds that this little baby step would actually lead to something bigger in the LONG RUN. 

This is what I am reading:

How Not to Die

How Not to Die

No I am not going Plant Based,  I am only educating myself. And as I am writing this, I realize that I am already past my bed time!

So, good night. I am off to a good start.

Tomorrow I plan on:

Working from home.

Editing and posting a video.

Working on rejuvenating this blog design as it needs a bit of an overall. 

Thank you all for reading my nonsense and cheering me on for yet another attempt at doing better. 

Cheers,

PS: I did sell the Scrapbook supplies. Thank you Carol-Ann