Week-In-Review (10/02/21 - 10/09/21)

Hi everyone,

It's Sunday night! Time to review and reflect on yet another insanely busy week which will be remembered for its crazy amount of decluttering, seriously, put that one in the books!

I am not sure if you could say that something finally "clicked", but it just was one of those weeks where I just could not justify the crapload of nonsense anymore. I get it that it seems only obvious from the outside eye. You walk into someone's house and you immediately feel the pressure from the over decorating, oversized furniture, stuff everywhere! But to those living in it, I can assure you that we are used to it and therefore no longer notice it. It's not like we walk into out home after a long day at work, open the door and get shocked by the sheer sight of our possessions. It's our beloved stuff after all and we have worked very hard at acquiring and displaying it over a very long period of time. During that same time, desensitization set in...You know, when you no longer see the pile of mail on the dining buffet, the abandoned shoes no one wears in the entry closet, the dried up detergent on the side of  the washer or your kids entire school years as displayed in unmatched frames above the mantle. It did not happen overnight. We invested a lot of time and effort into shuffling the stuff around and I am pretty sure each shuffling session left us with the fleeting satisfaction of a job well done...But was it?

I know it can be very frustrating to attempt to even comprehend how people can live in such chaos. Our environment is a reflection of what goes on in our head, sure, and people are real quick to assume that chaos on the outside only means one thing - chaos on the inside. But what if the person simply does not care though? I mean, sure, a clean and well maintained home is great. But it's not a priority to many and it does not necessarily mean that we were not "trained" or given the proper skills while growing up, it definitely does not immediately puts us in the slob/hoarding slob/disgusting slob category. Some of us simply do not care. Maybe a clean and organized home is not a priority to us.  Maybe if life itself is not disrupted and our family is equally happy regardless of whether there is overdue laundry or everything is neatly piled in its dedicated space, there is no pressure or obligation to attend to the dirty socks right this instant. A lot of people will claim "my home is lived in" but I saw on Instagram the other day a lady who said that we need to stop saying that as an excuse for the mess and instead tell the truth...It's not that our homes are lived in...We are overwhelmed! And that overwhelm does not necessarily come from the stuff we own, it could be medical, emotional, work related, kid related, society related overwhelm and in turn, the house is neglected. Trust me, after a crazy day at work, the last thing on my mind is wiping off the dried up detergent or fold a basket of laundry. No Stepford wife lives here!

The main issue really is the expectation vs. reality. I blame social media. I give you a for instance. Here is a picture I shamelessly grabbed from the infamous Instagram - bearer of all toxic contrast and compares:

Barn & Willow

What is this? And where do you put your stuff? How is that even practical? Yet, we are bombarded with images just like this one and made to feel less-than because, well, we don't have this look. So off we go to Home Goods or whatever and buy all the things. Except that we can't really let go of our real stuff, so this new stuff gets thrown over our old stuff and it just never seems quite right. But if you pay close attention to those insta-worthy settings, you will notice a lack of personal belongings. It's all store bought, nothing related to family or memorabilia or even an existence outside of the catalogs. Where is the remote? Where do you put your cup of tea? Where do the pillows go when you want to sit down or do you have to sit on the edges? What's that furry thing draped over the sofa and do you really need the chinchilla one on the other side? How cold is it in this house that you need not one but two furry throws. How does one vacuum the far left corner? Can you imagine my Beagle in this décor? But wait! There is a subliminal message of LAVISH lifestyle here, the pillow says so (also the Chanel book casually facing the camera!) I have to find myself a pillow that says ORGANIZED and maybe some people will cut me some slack! 

So we get bombarded day in and day out with these expectations and then you wonder why people freak out when they see a real home, with real stuff that is actually making living functional but is not cohesive (not catalog ready). Seriously, look at home décor on instagram with a critical eye and tell me it's not just me who feels that this eye candy stuff has skewed our perception of what a real home looks like!

Anyway, back to decluttering. So yes, a lot of decluttering happened this week and I am proud of myself! Having the Town-Wide garage sale next week may or may not have been an incentive, but it sure did not hurt. So here is the week-in-review:

Saturday October 2, 2021

Saturday morning is kitchen cleaning day except that this time around I had Edward lend me a hand. The day was spent filming a declutter video (Episode 8) where I pretty much let go of 40% of my everyday dishware plus some and then of course it was Band Competition in Randolph, NJ where William's Band took second place. 

1. Saturday morning "sigh"!

2. Edward did assist since most of the mess was his. We went to the Football game last night and he pretty much left all his dinner dishes and stuff all over the place. 

3. Scott and I enjoyed a glorious sunset at Randolph HS while awaiting William's band performance. 

4. Back from band competition - a bit late too, Edward and I enjoyed a game of chess, which of course he won. I'll have you know that I taught him the basics of Chess when he was around 7 years old and he picked up the rest while in school and now college. He far surpasses me but then again I am not surprised because even though I know how to play and can win against William, I am really not that good a player. I sure do enjoy the challenge though. 

Sunday October 3, 2021

I had a late start since I went on the bike and raked in about 8 miles...Then of course I had to recover!

Sunday is always a mad dash to film as many videos needed to make it to a count of 3 for the following week. I was able to do another declutter (Episode 9) and bake a Zucchini and Pineapple cake. Don't turn your nose, it was delicious and did not last long. (Video coming up this week). The rest of the day was spent blogging. So you see, there is not much time to attend to dried up detergent on the side of the washer!

1. Sunday breakfast - Poached eggs over avocado and Ezekiel bread ( I am trying, but not a lot).

2. A successful declutter from the spice and tea cupboards. 

Monday October 4, 2021

I actually had to work from home today in order to finish the audits in a relatively quiet and uninterrupted environment. I feel so much more productive and structured working from home and I was an idiot for resisting the idea for so long. There, I said it!

1. Enjoyed a Cappuccino for breakfast and I am loving our new Keurig. It was pricey but the frother makes it worth every penny. It's easy to use and it makes Cappuccinos in no time. Let me know if you want a demo. 

2. A no makeup kind of day - I just needed to get stuff done.

3. Fiona loves that basket on our desk. It's under the lamp and I suspect she is there for the heat.

4. I managed to edit and post Monday's video without pulling my hair and I went to bed on time!

Tuesday October 5, 2021

This day will be remembered as the day FB and IG went down for what appeared to be a very long time. Maybe it was accidental, maybe it was by design. Who cares! I was able to capture the attention of William who found himself with NOTHING to do! Enters big declutter #1. William needed help with his room anyway. I am afraid to say that the apple does not fall far from the tree in this house and both boys can live endless weeks with the same pile of junk pushed to one corner of their room, the entire set of glassware and mugs on their desk and not to mention all the empty seltzer cans. But, since he is still young, I helped. In all, we got rid of 5 fifty gallon garbage bags of stuff, mostly clothes, but also a lot of toys, books and miscellaneous. Everything was thoroughly dusted and vacuumed. I kid you not, the room had an echo once we were done. 

1. Going back to work and stuck in traffic.

2. Jersey City finally opened the new lift bridge. I have watched this bridge being built from day one - I was pretty excited to finally see it open except that they only had 2 lanes for traffic and the back-up was miles on. Took over two hours to get to work. So much for NJ engineering! The bridge was meant to ease traffic by the way!

3. 5 large bags of stuff. It took about 4 hours but we did it!

4. William's room - like brand new!

5. And, he was able to let go of all the stuff that was kept on top of the bookcases!

Wednesday October 6, 2021

Who would have thought that seeing his brother's room all neat and organized would inspire Edward to want the same? 

I worked from home and managed to catch up with quite a lot of work and some telehealth, then Edward and I decluttered his room. He did not have as many bags as his brother's but we managed at least 4 and a lot of big items like storage containers he no longer needed. His shelves are pretty much emptied. 

Posted Episode 9 in my Decluttering series. And just in case you were wondering, no, I did not film the kids declutter.

1. Breakfast at home - Veggie Omelet with cheese and toast. 

2 and 3. Look at all this space? We also bought a new computer chair since I took his and since he asked for a large white erasable board, I made a request through my town's Facebook page and was able to get a free (very large one) for his Calculus and other College related stuff. He is pretty much set for success! So yes, the red chair landed in his room (at his request) he loves it and does most of his reading in it. It is also a preferred spot for Fiona. 

Thursday October 7, 2021

Nothing really exciting or noteworthy happened on Thursday. I did spend some time in the garden sprucing things up a bit and that was it.

1. The Asters are in bloom.

2. It took a while for the dogs to realize they were walking right by a Doe. Some hunting breed they are!

3. A sure sign of Fall season: The Wooly Caterpillar! According to folklore, the amount of black on the woolly caterpillar in autumn varies proportionately with the severity of the coming winter in the locality where the caterpillar is found.  The longer the caterpillar's black bands, the longer, colder, snowier, and more severe the winter will be. The position of the longest dark bands supposedly indicates which part of winter will be coldest or hardest.  If the head end of the caterpillar is dark, the beginning of winter will be severe.  If the tail end is dark, the end of winter will be cold. If true, this will be a short winter with December and March being the coldest! Personally I think it's just Genetics and whether the food in my garden was plentiful. 

Friday October 7, 2021

I was finally able to post my video about the Spin Bike from Yesoul. So far I have used it every week. I am having a hard time finding the time to do more than once per week, put I tell you, it's an awesome form of exercising. The Treadmill is fine but I find the activity to be boring and not very engaging. You are pretty much at your own pace and finding the motivation to push harder can be difficult. The bike, however, because I am following classes on the app, I really don't have much choice but to take a beating each and every time and I love it! I am already 22 miles into my Amalfi Coast Challenge!

Yesoul S3 - Unboxing and Review

1. Work at home breakfast - I finally opened the jar of Apple butter!

2. Granny Smith from the yard -This is our first home grown apple. Scott truly loved it, I thought it was a bit too sour but this is his kind of apples. Delicious nonetheless. 

3. Football game - well, you all know why I am there really. Enjoyed an Eggplant and Mozzarella Sandwich. 

4. Finally took a good picture of William! He is been ignoring his parents (like most 14 yo would) when we come to watch his band, so catching him willing to have his picture taken has been quite hard. 

And that is all I have for you this week. It was busy, as all other weeks are. I am hoping that catching a glimpse of behind the scenes is enjoyable to you. I think we lead a pretty normal life, nothing fantastic or glamorous going on and that is just fine by me!

Have a great week!

Cheers.

Sophia 💜

Week-In-Review (9/24/21 - 10/01/2021)

Hi everyone!

Another week-in-review coming your way!

I have decided that Sunday is probably the best time for me to blog and review the past week. Aside from filming for YT, Sundays are relatively "chill" and since I enjoy the writing process, why not spend some time at the end of a busy week doing just that as a form of relaxation as well as an opportunity to reflect on the week. 

Overall, this was an insanely busy week at work, it usually is the case particularly for the last 4 days of the months as audits are due and the team is trying its best to reach all the time we need with our folks. The schedule is heavy, stress is high, morale is low, temper is short and skin is thin for all of us. Then "poof" it's the first of the month again and we are all good and ready for the new month!

Despite our challenges, our team continues to thrive. There is not one day I am not grateful for my team and I can easily say that we have by far the lowest turnover amongst all the other teams, a testament that the dynamic is just right.  That being said, the job remains stressful regardless of your season of life and longevity, to put it bluntly, weekends are welcome! So here goes...

Friday September 24, 2021

I worked from home and attempted to make tomato sauce using my garden bounty. In theory it sounded like a great idea: start the pot before work, monitor throughout the day and can it in the evening. Well, turns out I forgot the "monitor" part as I was very busy auditing and making phone calls...I burned the sauce! 

1. Garden tomatoes, green beans, onions, fresh herbs...I was all gun-ho on making tomato sauce! 8 hours in the making and the bottom burnt, leaving my sauce a pasty mess with a burnt rubber after taste! Live and Learn! Tomato sauce requires babysitting!

2. Working from home has its advantages, you get to spend time with your loved ones. Scott continues to work on a freelance project, the kind he likes best whereby they are giving him full carte blanche on creativity (write, design, animate). He already has created the characters and is working on revising his storyboard.

3. Aside from all his animations and awards, I think the boys will truly enjoy their father's storyboards years from now. I can't even tell you how many we have and I find them to be fascinating!

4. It's Football season again and it means only one thing from this non-sports girl! It's band season too! I show up at every single game, whether home or away and sit right next to the band. I enjoy the music and bonus points for marching nights! This was William's first football game band participation. I literally recorded every single piece they played! I have no interest in football, I will cheer for our team but to be honest I am only following the crowd here, having no clue what is going on! Soccer is a whole other ball game, pun intended, and one I will actually follow with fervency. American football? Meh! I just don't get it, I am only here for the band and the occasional dirty water hot dog!

 Saturday September 25, 2021

Today is the day! Competition #1, this one was in Roxbury, NJ. You can watch the video HERE.

I have not a clue what will become of me once William graduates. Edward remains ambivalent about joining Seton's band, I can only assume William will be done with it just as much! Maybe I could start a grieving band-mom group or something, we could have re-watch parties for all the band videos we have accrued over our years as band parents and eat tacos while sobbing. 

1. On our way to band competition! Grateful for a healthy family blessed with talents and creativity. I am particularly thrilled my boys were gifted with a musical ear since I live my musical aspirations vicariously and through them. I can play The Charleston on the Recorder and that's about it for my musical aptitude and it is not like I have not tried. I took piano lessons for years, I tried to play the guitar, I took the flute in high school, I had a keyboard when in college, it was one of those that promised to teach you music with keys that would light up! I failed miserably at all my musical efforts, thousands invested, not to mention the hours, I can't learn music and it is one of my biggest regrets. If you can play and instrument and sight read, I envy you. If you can sing even better. I suck at both. 

2. William's first band competition (left). His Shako is too big, we have to figure out a way to keep it straight on top of his head! But, they finished in 2nd place and took best visuals!

3. Just some toe beans. 

Sunday September 26, 2021

I can't really share all of it since it would be a major spoiler, but a company sent me a new fitness toy for review. I am waiting for them to approve the video (hence the lack of post this past Friday, it was supposed to be that review). Turns out their marketing guy went on vacation so the video sits as unlisted for now. Well, anyway, the day was spent assembling and sweating it, literally and I have joined another Conqueror Challenge, this one is the Amalfi Coast (35 miles). 

If you are not familiar with the Conqueror Challenges, they are fitness challenges you join (for a fee) and are ranked by distance. You can walk, run, swim, cycle and tally your mileage in their app. The cool feature is that you get connected via google GPS so whenever you stop, you can enter the screen view and visit the surrounding area. So far I have completed their Inca Trail, Hadrian's Wall, English Channel and Mount Fuji Challenges. The cool thing, aside from motivation, is the medal you receive after completing each challenge. This is my referral link if you are interested (I think my link gives you 10% off your first challenge). Long story short, I logged in 6 miles that day and took me until Wednesday to recover! 

Monday September 27, 2021

Same all, same all. On Mondays I work in the office, I am pretty much at my desk all day and complete my sessions through telehealth. I don't know if you can tell, but I am wiped out from yesterday's cardio!

Posted the Band Competition video and crashed. 

Tuesday September 28, 2021

No garbage picking today, it rained. To be honest, I think that we are going to slow down for the season and pick up again in April. The days are getting shorter and Tuesday is William's band rehearsal where  you will find Scott and I as the only parents showing up and freezing on the metal benches. We are nuts, or dedicated, whichever comes first. 

Wednesday September 29, 2021

I now dread the day they will no longer allow remote work. Here I was resisting the idea during the entire pandemic and now that I actually started working from home, I realize I could have worked so much more efficiently this entire time...Not the sharpest tool in the shed!

 

1. Work at home breakfast. Not sure if you can tell, but we really need to go grocery shopping!

2. Scott is still working on his project. He is creating animation paths, basically telling the computer where the image needs to go from frame to frame. 

3. Sorrel from the garden and it's story time. Sorrel soup is my absolute favorite. When I was a kid, a patch of wild sorrel started to grow in the middle of the lawn in Normandy. My grandmother immediately identified it as such and for years, we were all very careful to mow around it. Her Sorrel soup was the best. It's not difficult to make and Sorrel has many benefits, for instance it was found that extracts from the leaves of sorrel contain oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidins and flavonoids, basically it is an anti-viral but you have to be careful not to eat too much as it also contains Oxalic acid which may cause Kidney Stones and flare up your Arthritis.  Bottom line is that a bowl of Sorrel soup is not going to kill you. Imagine a spinach and chards soup with a lemony acidic taste. It's best to add one potato and a dollop of sour cream if you find it too acidic. 

Thursday September 30, 2021

We had a breakthrough case and I was tasked with making 19 contact traces once I got home. That was basically an entire evening of phone calls and subsequent documentation. 

 

Friday October 1, 2021

Working from home again. One zoom meeting after the other, more audits and looking forward to Football game band tonight. 

1 and 2 . The team meets every morning for Morning Meeting. We basically go over every person served we met the day before, complete Clinical Reviews and Treatment Plans. Our meetings have been via zoom since the beginning of the pandemic. I am not sure how most of you have managed, but some of us have not spent more than one hour physically together in the past 18 months. It's a very weird not to mention uncomfortable situation. I wonder what this is doing to social and interpersonal skills. Anyway, I am the leader and minute recorder for all our meetings. 

3. Friday Football  band music at last! Scott and I enjoyed Italian Sausage sandwiches. You can tell I am very motivated towards weight loss.

It has been a long week. I wish I had more to share but as I mentioned in my previous blog, some weeks will be kind of not very exciting. Isn't it normal though? We all go through life with our day to day routines and mundane activities, nothing extraordinary ever happens. I did not win the $645 million NJ PowerBall, my entire body aches, I lost and subsequently regained the same 1 lb throughout the week, and pretty much crashed every single night only to repeat more of the same the following day.

I swear, if I ever win that Powerball, You'll never hear from me again! I will get an emergency liposuction and we will disappear and go live happily ever after, nestled between a mountain and a creek, enjoying a Bud Light while listening to some jazz. Maybe I will finally have the time, money and motivation to learn to play my own. Who knows!

See you next week!

Cheers,

Sophia 💜

(PS: I am told the mobile version of this blog requires for the pictures to be on the left rather than centered otherwise you need to scroll L to R - Let me know whether this is an improvement).

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