Tag: writing

What I Love Right Now

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

Back again with a famously sporadic post! I hope everyone has had a great start to 2024 and things are looking up.

I’ve been in Ireland just over a year now and feel pretty much settled. There are things that I would like to make blogging and working from home more feasible, like better internet and an actual PC. (Yes, I’d also like a bread maker, ice cream maker, record player, copious vinyls, and a weaving loom, but those are far less necessary.) In time, these things will come, to be sure.

There are some things that I am smitten with right now. They bring me joy, no matter how trivial seeming said joy is.

The Five Minute Journal

This journal has been around for awhile now. I’ve always enjoyed the idea of having a daily practice of jotting down things I am grateful for and how to make the most of each day. I’ve tried some sort of version of this, but haven’t been consistent. As I have a tendency to be somewhat flighty, scraps of paper get lost or I lose motivation. Having something that’s sole purpose is to ensure a daily self-care practice sitting next to my bed helps me find the consistency I need. The journal is visually appealing. A simple cream hardcover journal isn’t imposing and can sit anywhere inconspicuously.

Every day, you have the tasks of writing a few things. In the morning, you write what you are grateful for, what can make the day great, and an affirmation for the day. In the evening, it’s the highlights of the day and anything you learned that day. Super simple! The idea is to spend five minutes in the morning to set yourself up to enter the day with positivity and motivation, and five minutes in the evening to reflect on the positive and useful parts of the day.

So, yeah, while I might not be consistent every day, I still use it frequently as a tool to get my mind in a good space. I feel that it is a great tool for anyone looking for any kind of personal growth boost. It certainly helps me manage my mental health, and when my mental health is looked after, I can be a more productive and compassionate human being.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

So, after working for a major beauty retailer for a decade, I became skincare savvy. Part of my charm is that I believe in treating beauty as a whole concept. Beauty absolutely comes from within. We are only as beautiful as how we experience the world. Kindness, compassion, and joy are extremely beautiful. With that, we can enhance our natural beauty with stuff we wear and put on our skin.

Something I’ve always stood by is affordable yet effective skincare. Yes, there are some products out there that can be on the pricey side and are worth every penny, and I love those select products. However, if I can find something that I use every day that works well and doesn’t hurt my bank account, I’m all for it. This is where this moisturizer comes into play.

The Ordinary’s Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA has been a staple for me for a few years now. I can slap it on and feel the moisture doing its job right away. As it has hyaluronic acid in it, it helps lock in moisture that my dry, sensitive skin needs. I use it for exactly what it is: to add moisture to my skin. Often, in the evenings, after I’ve let the moisturizer absorb, I’ll follow with a face oil.

This moisturizer is everything I have ever hoped for in a moisturizer. It does what it says it’s going to do, and for the standard 100ml that most moisturizers come in, it costs 15.50 Euros. On top of those key selling points, the product is also vegan and cruelty free. I feel safe knowing that I’m not putting any animal byproduct on my skin and no innocent animals had to endure senseless testing to ensure the product is safe.

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

To be completely honest, everything Matt Haig has published fit in my favourites list. However, ‘The Comfort Book’ is something that will remain in my life. It is a small, sweet book, and I feel that anyone who feels their feelings deserves to have this book on hand. It is a collection of notes, stories, and lists, and was originally put together to serve as reminders for Matt Haig and his future self that life isn’t always dark and bleak. He kindly has offered this collection to the world, and I am very grateful that he has.

Photo by Fiona Dodd via Unsplash

Photo by Fiona Dodd on Unsplash

In keeping with my enjoyment of multiples of threes, I will leave you with these. And, hopefully, I’ll be back regularly to share other things I am enjoying!

Thank you for swinging by to check out a refreshed Ellie! I hope all is well out there. Be kind to yourselves and others.

Interested in supporting me & my creative endeavors? Please consider tipping me over at my Ko-Fi page. It is a safe, secure way of throwing a few bob my way. Any support is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for considering supporting an artist.

Graceful Affirmation

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

To be honest, thesaurus.com was my friend for the title of this post. I wanted something other than Gratitude, because I’m sure I have a post with that title already.

Right now, across the United States, gratitude is everywhere. If you’ve walked past or into a grocery store, it’s there, maniacally staring you down. Thanksgiving is just another day (that leads into a feverish weekend) for companies to maximize profits. Said companies are grateful for Thanksgiving’s creation of Black Friday.

There’s a point to this post, I promise.

The very notion of Thanksgiving (as a US holiday) has always been lost on me. First, I am not American. Even after living in the States most of my life, the concept of devoting one lone day to giving thanks baffles me. Second, the fact kids are still taught a warped version of the roots of this “holiday” is annoying. Third, Thanksgiving probably wouldn’t exist if Puritanical colonists fled England because they wanted to seperate from the Church of England.

I’m going to ask questions that, I’m sure, hundreds of thousands (if not more) of US residents ask every year:
Why not give thanks every day?
Why market just one day and why have it lead into a day of unnecessary chaos?

Sure, I am grateful that I have worked jobs that result in having a Thursday off. There are far too many people who don’t get that luxury. (Thank you everyone who has to work on all Federal holidays! I see you.) I’m grateful that I’ve worked some jobs who have paid me to not work on Thanksgiving.

The thing is, I feel that a lot of people forget that daily gratitude is a wonderful act. And, I’m sure many of these people could afford to practice daily gratitude.

In every therapy experience I’ve had, gratitude is always something that is brought up. I’ve been told by each therapist that one of my strengths is my ability to be open with my gratitude. My parents instilled manners in my brother and I when we were very young, and I am so grateful they did. My maternal grandparents embodied gratitude and grace, which (I like to think) rubbed off on me. I say “thank you” without thinking all the time.

My journey with depression started when I was about 12. That’s when I started menstrating. The root of my depression is biochemical, and there are multiple ways I manage it. With a special blend of Lexapro, writing, yoga, reading, walking, lots of veggies, a high quality multivitamin, extra magnesium, and making daily mental list of what I am grateful for, I am able to feel not so lousy most days. Some days, the depression is the only thing I can focus on. But, recently, those days are few and far between. On those days, I struggle to find anything that fosters a sense of gratitude. At the end of the day, I make myself write down three things. The list often looks something like this:

  • I am grateful for time spent with Miss Cleo. (She is my roommate’s cat, and she’s loves me.)
  • I am grateful for my legs. They allow me to move freely.
  • I am grateful for parents who care about me.

Three simple things, right? With a list like this, I am genuinely honoring myself, as well as positive people in my life.

During my 37 and a bit years on this planet, I’ve finally accepted the fact that is incredibly important to honor myself everyday, even if I feel like complete sh*t. Dwelling in the depression isn’t healthy. Saying, “hey depression, I see you, however, I love myself,” allows for a healthy(ish) mindset. Being grateful to be alive is a simple way of reminding myself that today is one day. I might lounge around and not do much. I might muster up enough energy to do one load of laundry. I might walk the perimeter of the apartment complex. The most important of those things is recognizing my emotional state and thanking myself for getting through another day.

So, here’s my hope for everyone as the year comes to an end:
May we all continue to learn the value of gratitude. May we all take a moment each day to take a deep breath and be grateful for something, no matter how tiny or enormous. May we give thanks every day.

2019 Reading Challenge

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

Howdy y’all!

It’s been a long time, and I’m kicking myself for putting the blog on the back burner. I have been writing, though!

One thing that I’m proud of myself for this year is recently imposing a reading challenge. Had I started at the beginning of the year, my goal would have been larger. However, I started at the beginning of July. My goal is to read 12 books between July 1st and December 31st. This is an extremely reasonable goal with two books a month. Who knows? I might read more than 12 books!

So far, I’ve finished two books and am in the middle of two books. The books I have finished are ‘Cut’ by Patricia McCormick and ‘Where Women Are Kings’ by Christie Watson. Both were interesting reads, however ‘Where Women Are Kings’ blew me away. I had never heard of the book or the author. One day, I was wandering the library, and this somewhat small blue book caught my eye. I read the description and was intrigued. I took a seat at a table and started to read. Twenty minutes later, I was hooked. Over the next week or so, I devoured the story. It is one about the foster care system, adoption, and family history. There is a book review post in the near future, I feel.

Currently, I am reading ‘How Not to Fall Apart’ by Maggy Van Eijk and ‘Sadie’ by Courtney Summers, both of which had been on my To Be Read list for a year. Updates will come once I am done with those.

After those? Who knows. I might restart the Harry Potter series, as I have only read through half of book five, and have only seen the first four movies. I desperately need to catch up and know that they will be easy reads. There are a lot of books I want and need to read, and I am glad I have found my love of reading that was lost for quite some time.

If you’d like, please follow me on GoodReads! I love connecting with people, as well as getting recommendations on what my next read should be.

New Adventures

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

Well, hello there!

It’s almost October, and you know what that means! Halloween is approaching. Everyone is gearing up, including getting out their cute autumnal clothes and chugging those dreaded Pumpkin Spice Lattes (can we say white gurl pumpkin spice wasted?).

We’re having a warm September here in the Bay Area, and I’ve been wishing the weather would cool off just a big and let autumn actually be autumnal. Nevertheless, I have a lot of knitting to be done, cute sweaters to buy, and books to curl up with.

I’ve been through a few changes this year, and those will be discussed over at Finding Love In Myself (my blog that deals with mental health, self care, etc.). But, I want to fill you in on the fun things that I plan on filling the rest of my year with!

Plan of Attack:

  • Knit beanies & ear warmers for friends and family, including a West Ham beanie for Dad.
  • Research DIY skincare and learn how to make my own bath bombs, bath salts, and other herbal bath time remedies.
  • Carve out 30-60 minutes a day for reading with a pot of yummy tea.
  • Share my crafty progress on blog, YouTube, and Instagram.

Y’all with me? Who wants to help keep me accountable?

Ciao for now, my lovelies! Enjoy your week.

2017: My Year So Far

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

It’s been awhile, and I am certainly not maintaining this blog very well. Many apologies!

As many of you are well aware, 2017 has been an interesting and trying time for the US (and the world, tbh). I have been trying my best to keep my head up and be a positive member of my community. But, that’s really exhausting some days.

Waking up to news of hate, violence, and someone who isn’t fit for their job? This is not a world I want to be a part of. And, any of you with a head and a heart probably feel the same.

With that said, I want to share some of the positives that have happened in my world this year.

  1. My cousin had a baby, and he is absolutely adorable. I haven’t met him, as they live across the pond.
  2. People I know and love are expecting babies this year. I’m proud of all of them, especially as I know that they are bringing humans into the world who are going to be compassionate, kind, smart, and strong.
  3. My beloved 1999 Subaru is out of steam. She’s done. Because neighbors can be wonderful, in an effort to make life easy for everyone, I purchased my neighbor’s 2006 lightly driven PT Cruiser. This saved me money, took a car off our neighbor’s hands, and taken some stress out of my life.
  4. I took myself on vacation to Maui in April. I needed a week to be by myself and far away from work. I needed to swim in an ocean for hours at a time. I needed to relax and decompress. I loved being there and didn’t want to leave.
  5. I have been walking regularly. Again, I thrive when I have time by myself. These walks are great for listening to the hundreds of podcast episodes I have saved. I’m using my legs and taking care of my body.
  6. Finally, I took back control of my body and have been eating well. Along with the regular walking, my body has let go of the extra weight it was carrying around. I am feeling healthier and we’ll. I feel empowered and ready to take on the world, even if I am taking baby steps.
  7. After not reading, I am back into it. I plan on making a huge dent in my bookshelf by the end of the year. With all the reading, A Life In Paperback will start to be updated regularly.

Very soon, I am going to do some updated favorites posts (podcasts, skincare, makeup, movies, TV shows, music).

In the meantime, I am going to be working at my 9-5 while looking for new, more fulfilling work.

Ciao readers! Be well!

Things I Love Right Now: Podcasts

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

I’ve been a fan of podcasts for awhile now. Storytelling, listening to people have conversations (friendly and/or intellectual), and learning something new have always been appealing. When my family moved to the States from London, my parents discovered public radio, and constantly listened to it. I’ve found comfort in public radio in my adult life. Not only is it often interesting, it reminds me of my childhood.

With podcasts, this allows me to listen to a lot of my favorite public radio offerings at my own pace. Of course, there are so many other podcast options out there aside from public radio offerings. I have a huge collection of podcasts in my Overcast library. Variety definitely is the spice of life! I must say, I have a couple hundred episodes to listen to at this point, and I am totally okay with that.

A few of my favorites are somewhat popular and probably don’t need too much of an introduction. Others might be completely new to you.

Dear Sugar
Everyone is gaga over Cheryl Strayed, and rightfully so. She’s insightful, caring, honest, and witty. This podcast was born from the Dear Sugar column in The Rumpus. Basically, both the column and the podcast are akin to Dear Abby. The difference is that Dear Sugar is raw, a bit brutal, honest, and incredibly helpful. I love hearing Cheryl and Steve Almond offer sage advice to people who write in. The letters that they get are exceptional, and the responses are equally amazing.

Ladies Who Lunch
This is a weekly podcast done by two YouTubers, Cat Valdez and Ingrid Nilsen. I stumbled across it, as I occasionally watch Ingrid’s YouTube channel. Sure, I’m a few years older than both ladies, and the content is definitely geared towards Millenials (I stick to my guns when I say I am Gen X). The content is still great, and it’s wonderful to hear two women have an intelligent conversation about a multitude of topics, including the election, our bodies, and dating.

#GoodMuslimBadMuslim
I love this podcast simply because offers such a positive insight on Islam. This is a podcast everyone should listen to, Muslim or not. Taz and Zahra are hilarious, well spoken, and downright awesome. I downloaded the first episode soon after it was published, and did so out of sheer curiosity and with the hope to enrich my own life. We all should expose ourselves to ideas and cultures that are different from our own. This podcast allows me to learn a little about Islam and Muslim culture, and hear from intelligent, thoughtful women.

2 Dope Queens
If you aren’t listening to this podcast already, please do. Seriously, stop reading this post right now, and download as many episodes as you can or want. For those of you who are unaware, this is an awesome comedy podcast lead by Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams. In this podcast, comedians of all genders, ethnicities, and sexualities are featured. I absolutely love and need this podcast. This is absolutely necessary on bad days, as I know that I’ll get a giggle. I mean, if you want free stand-up, this is right up your alley. And, I think we should be supporting women of color.

Not By Accident
The first episode of this podcast was featured on another podcast, Strangers (which I love, for the most part). I love the format of this podcast. It is a audio documentary of a single woman, who happens to be gay, getting pregnant and having a child. Sophie Harper’s story is very touching and inspiring. With every episode, I am reminded that I can do many things I put my heart and mind to. Also, I am reminded that it never hurts to ask for help. Sure, this podcast caters to a specific audience, but it really is worthwhile.

Stuff Mom Never Told You
There is one huge reason why I listen to this podcast: learning. There is a never ending slew of topics Caroline and Cristen talk about, some of which I know and understand. However, this is a basic jumping off point for getting inspired to research a multitude of topics that are female (cis- or not) related. My one gripe is that the two women hosting this podcast are cis-gendered and Caucasian. With that said, they do their best to be impartial and educated with the information they are talking about. They cite their reputable sources, which is incredibly important.

These are the ones I listen to the most frequently. If I am all caught up, there are a few other podcasts I’ll listen to, which I often reserve for commutes, cooking, or moments I need a giggle.

What are your favorite podcasts? What are you obsessively listening to? I love recommendations!

Happy New Year!

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

Welcome to 2014! May this year be full of joy, love, happiness, and peace for everyone.

One of my goals for 2014 is to write more. To aid that goal, I plan on writing a blog post every day of January. The task seems a little daunting, but I don’t plan on writing a 10 paragraph essay in each one. I just want to write something meaningful every day.

I don’t do resolutions anymore. It has been years since I’ve made solid, intentional resolutions. The idea of a resolution seems negative to me. Instead, I strive for positive, attainable goals. As I mentioned, this year, I plan on writing more. Also, I hope to complete my first triathlon this year. I am going to start small and sign up for a sprint distance triathlon and will aim to do it in August if there are any great ones in California.

What are your goals and/or resolutions? Do you believe in the act of making goals and/or resolutions? Please share!

And, please wander over to my other blogs:
DJ Toaster Biscuit
A Life In Paperback

Love me!!

Ellie MaeLeave a comment

In an attempt to gain views and followers, I’ve devised a little plan. I am trying to get to 500 views by 11.59pm PST on December 31. So, if that happens, I will make my first YouTube video, share it here, and entice y’all even more to keep coming back.

What will I do in my YouTube video? I’m not sure yet. I might recite a poem. I might tell some jokes. I might do a goofy dance. Or I might just say hello, thank you, and a little snippet about myself. Whatever I decide, I do promise you a YouTube video.

So, get reading! Get sharing! And while you’re at it, please mosey on over to my two other blogs: DJ Toaster Biscuit & A Life In Paperback.

Thank you all so very much!