Advice: Half Assed Is Better Than No Assed

 I know the younger generations are sitting there saying "No duh, Dimwit!" but I come from a generation, although we practically raised ourselves, we were raised to believe that giving your 100% wasn't good enough. If you couldn't go above and beyond, then you weren't doing your best. 

It took me getting a chronic illness to learn that I don't have to do everything perfectly. It took a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis to teach me that things can wait for tomorrow to be done or not done at all. I was diagnosed on November 23, 2017 and I am still learning to break the Gen X mindset my boomer parents pushed on me. 

It really bugs my brain when I plan out my day and then my illness says "Nah, you're gonna be my bitch today." and then I get nothing done. For example, I have two days worth of dishes sitting in my sink. Yesterday, I walked the dog, fed the animals, swept the living room and hallway, I washed a couple plates and bowls, the silverware, and a coffee cup for this morning, picked up my granddaughter from school, and treated the cats and dog for fleas. I had to leave the rest for (hopefully) today. Yes, that is me half assing a day and it really bothers me I wasn't able to mop my floors or finish my dishes.

Since 2017, I am still learning how to rest. My advice to those who were raised like me, learn to say no and take rest when you need it. Train yourself to say "Today, I am going to rest so I can do better with tomorrow." When you are too exhausted from your personal/work schedule, teach yourself that it is okay to just have a quick wash in the sink instead of the hassle of a shower. Housework piled up for who cares what reason and feels overwhelming? Just take the garbage out. The world will not end if you only give 10% when 100% feels impossible.

Review: Today's Weather

 34 freaking degrees Celsius! That's 93F. This kind of weather I expect in the late July/early August. Not the middle of June! I'm told the rest of the week is going to get worse. It did rain a smidge this morning. Did that do anything to the heat and humidity? No way! In fact, it made it worse. Sky looks like it might rain again. I would go outside to smell the air to know for sure but the humidity is so thick, you can drink it through a straw. 

0 Stars! Definitely want to return to sender.

Advice: Shampoo and Conditioner

 I have learned a lot of things late in life. One thing is how to properly use shampoo and conditioner. I was in my late 30's when I first learned I was doing this wrong. For some perspective, I turn 50 next year. First, you pick your brands, I've got my favourites. I use one that is good for colour treated hair because Yay Purple! You know your hair best so I won't tell you what you have to use. 

Let's start with shampoo. Just wet your hair, dump it in, and lather until the whole room is filled with bubbles, right? Apparently, that is wrong. The correct way (I was informed in my late 30's) is to use the shampoo and really scrub the scalp into a good lather. Not only is it good for your hair, the nails feel really good as you work the bubbles. Give your hair a good rinsing and move on to the next step.

Now the conditioner. Do NOT do what you just did with the shampoo (have I mentioned I never learned this until my late 30's?) You put the desired amount in the palm of your hand. Mine is slightly larger than a pea since I have shoulder length hair that isn't that thick. Rub your palms together and then start working the conditioner into the longer bits of your hair roughly an inch or two away from your scalp and down. Don't rinse yet! It helps if you leave it in for a bit so the conditioner can work it's magic on your hair. This is where I lather up the poofy with body wash and get clean, shave if needed. Once that's all done, then I rinse the conditioner out of my hair.

I wouldn't mind learning to use some of these other products out there for hair like curl lotions and argon oils. Closest I got to these was using the VO5 Hot Oils waaaay back in the 90's. 

See you next week with a review of... something or other.

Tuesday Reviews: Long Play No Commentary Game Videos

 I know, it is a weird thing to review. Watching someone else play video games when I could be playing them myself. And that is a good point but I would like to counter that with another point. I have hobbies where my hands are too busy to hold a controller. For example, I am currently working my fingers to the bone trying to finish knitting a cozy blanket for my newest nephew. He is so cute!

Right now, I am going back and forth between a few old favourite games on these long play no commentary videos. They're actually putting me in the mood to play them but like I said, nephew's blankie won't knit itself. This week, I am watching people play through RPG games and I know they can't hear me but I am constantly telling them when they make mistakes or choose the wrong companions. I mean, can you believe this person chose the wrong weapon setup? 

I also find this a good way to decide if I want to play a new game or not. Sure, I could read or watch people's reviews but I find that reviewers are biased towards their feelings of what they're reviewing. Watching just the actual game play is far more informative than listening to people rant or rave on their latest favourite. 

There is a reason I haven't listed any game players that I watch or which games I'm watching. What I like, you may not. The only time I name or shame anything in a review is if it is a book, movie, music, or restaurant. It will be very rare (but not outside the realm of possibility) that I may review individual products but that would mean I would have to really love it or really hate it. 

Hope to see you all around the kitchen table.

High Tea

 First, I apologize about missing Friday's deadline for the Advice post. I had a busy week and would prefer not to give you all half assed advice. 

If you love Jane Austen (like me), are British (like my grandmother and step-grandmother), or are a Hobbit (like me), you love a well brewed cup of tea. As an early birthday gift, my mother took me to a Jane Austen High Tea event that was held in my town. 

We dressed up, decorated some hats, and met some lovely people while we were there. As you can see, I had some shawl issues. While my Multiple Sclerosis kept me from joining in the Elizabethan dancing, I did enjoy watching the others dance. Oh, and the music provided was live, a lovely little trio. 

A lovely selection of finger sandwiches, scones, and tarts was provided. Personally, my favourites were the Orange Cranberry Scones and the Lemon Tarts. Although I do enjoy Green Tea, I enjoyed cups of Earl Grey and Orange Pekoe. It was a lovely event and I do hope they put on another one next year. I would love to turn this into a birthday tradition. Oh, and sorry everyone, Mr. Darcy has taken a fancy to me.

See you all on Tuesday for my next book review. 

Tuesday Reviews: They Of The West by Dani Finn

 Book Blurb for "They Of The West":

Dralen never could leave well enough alone.

He knows better than to go near the canyons. That’s where the Logans live, wild men of the hills said to devour lone travelers in frenzied midnight feasts.

But the mysterious cloaked figure he saw down by the canyons had to be there for a reason. And he can’t get his Urpa’s poem out of his head: something about “They of the West” and “Treasures buried in memory’s mine.”

They of the West is a fantasy novella set in a brand-new world, a coming-of-age story about friendship, family, and self-discovery. It is the first book in the Scrublands, a planned trio of novellas. It is appropriate for older young adult and adult audiences; content warnings include hunting/butchery, smoking, drinking, cursing, and brief references to sexual topics.

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Going to tell you all, I loved this story. This story is the tale of platonic soulmates finding themselves as Dralen drags his friend, Jaela,  to solve the mystery of his Urpa's poem. The adventures bring back fond memories of childhood and playing adventure games with your friends. I really want to talk about my favourite parts but that would reveal spoilers and I don't want to do that. It also makes me wish I was a talented artists because there are scenes in this story that just have to be made into art. I have read this story a few times since I was lucky enough to be one of the lucky few to receive an ARC of this story and I know I will come back to it again in the future while I impatiently await the next book in the series. Dani Finn has given us a pair of characters that feel like we've been lifelong friends and we're happy to go along on their adventures. I look forward to reading more of Dani Finn's stories.

Recommended items for reading this story: 1 comfy blanket, 1 cup of your favourite beverage, 1 plate of snacks, and 1 comfy chair or bed. While not a requirement, a rainy day tapping at the window as you read will enhance the coziness of your favourite reading spot.