Mini Update & Check-in: September 24th, 2023 π
Hi my lovelies!
I haven't posted in a little over a week, a week and a halfish I think? I have been so busy with work, school, my mentorships, and studying Japanese all while being informed of a trip to see my boyfriend in about 2 weeks, trying to sleep more then 5 hours a night, and incorporating more self care into my routine. I've been a little spread thin.
I had about 5 crying breakdowns in the last 2.5 weeks due to stress and exhaustion and overwhelm, but after this week, everything should calm down and go back to normal (at least I hope?)
Here's some updates on my life:
I've been consistently studying Japanese on both duolingo and busuu, with the occasional use of renshuu as a tool. I created a study plan for using Genki I and have a list of goals for October that I will post by the end of the week! I actually bought a year of busuu premium cause I really like the app!
I have a presentation for my Food Fundamentals class due Tuesday by 2pm and its Sunday night and I haven't started because I'm so busy. But the threat of the dealine will push me into gear, so at the very least I know I'll get it done.
I get to go see my boyfriend in 2 weeks! His mom bought my flight tickets for there and back, and I get to see him for 4 days. I haven't seen him in 3 months in person, so I am incredibly excited! + it'll be a mini vacation from work and kinda from school, too, at least from my Monday and Tuesday classes.
I have been the most moody and irritable that I've been in a while due to my hormones being messed up (thank you, depo shot window for opening and reminding me to order my depo meds!), lack of sleep, overconsumption of caffiene, and a minor neglect of my mental health
I do see all the lovely things you guys send to my inbox, and I see everything I get tagged in. I apologize for not responding, I've been busy, and I honestly get so awkward with not knowing how to respond or what to say. But I am not ignoring you all, and I am so grateful for how kind and sweet you all have been. It makes my day every time I check my tumlr and see new things I've been sent. You all are so amazing and kind, and I am so very thankful for all the support and encouragement you guys send!
So that's just a little snippet of my life recently. I promise I will start updating a bit more regularly this week once things calm down. I miss posting my updates and my goals and sharing my thoughts with all of you. This blog has given me such a safe space to be my authentic self, and I'm so extremely grateful for this community and all 500+ of you guys!!
I think I'll post an update for Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th combined, and then I'll do each day following separately (that's my goal for now). I'm also going to be sharing my *tentstive* Japanese study schedule using Genki I textbook and workbook, my Japanese goals for the month of October, and I'm still working on that stationery review list as well!!
Thank you all!!! I love you guys so much π
Til next time lovelies!! π©·
just reblogging to put it up there again <3
Hello lovelies <3 I've decided I really would love to start posting more advice/tips/lifestyle content along with my daily updates and study content, but I have no idea where to actually start. So, I would love it if you guys could send me asks with things you'd want to know about, things you want advice or tips on, or even some of my own routines and habits you'd want to know about! I will do my absolute best to answer and be as thorough and thoughtful in my tips/advice/lifestyle content, so please feel free to flood my inbox! <333
til next time, lovelies π©·
Day 12 - 90 Day Challenge π
So, I'm going to be honest. Yesterday was a terribly rough day for me emotionally. I isolated myself in my room (my roommates had people over for a late Thanksgiving dinner), ordered way too much McDonald's (that I didn't even finish), and cried for a good 2 hours (me and my boyfriend were going through it). But, I figured it would still be a decent idea to post an update to my challenge and keep trying.
πββοΈ Physical Health
walked to work, walked home from work
walked over 10,000+ steps total
π§ Mental Health
nothing that I can remember
β€οΈ Emotional Health
cried, a lot, to release some pent up emotions
talked to my dad about how i was feeling (he always calls at the perfect time, he has a 6th sense for when I'm upset)
π Intellectual Health
again, nothing that I can remember. that just means I need to get on my grind later with that (6 page) assignment that's due today
π Adulting
showered after work
worked a 6 hour shift
deposited money into my bank account
recieved and put away some new gym clothes I got in the mail (so happy, everything I bought was so cute and just extremely perfect <3 amazon gym clothes for the win)
π₯° Self Love/Care
did my morning skincare
didn't force myself to do homework knowing how emotional I was
planned my workouts for this week (I'm going to start running again, but slowly building my way up because I am a bit on the heavy side so I don't want to overdo it and risk injury. I also still love lifting weights, which I'm going to keep doing 3 days a week <3)
It's rough dealing with life with mental illness, but I just remind myself that bad days don't make this a bad life. It's all about perspective for me. The more I look on the bright side, the longer I can stay in the light <3
til next time lovelies π©·
Language Learning Goals π
because Iβm just starting out trying to re learn and familiarize myself with the Japanese language again, it was hard for me to think of current goals I might want to achieve, and what time frame Iβd want to achieve them in. I think I will begin posting a monthly goals list because as I learn more of the language, my goals are definitely going to change. Right now I have my long term goals for Japanese and then some short term daily/monthly goals!
conversational fluency - I want to be able to have comprehensible conversations with native Japanese speakers, and be able to understand what they say and also be able to speak the language myself
understand Japanese media - I want to be able to listen to music and watch Japanese YouTubers and Anime without subtitles
understand spoken/written Japanese - again, I want to be able to know what other people are saying in this beautiful language and also be able to read it to some extent.
My main goals long term are to travel to different parts of Japan in the coming future so being able to speak, understand, and read japanese are my biggest concerns but Iβd also like to have that knowledge of writing the characters and knowing proper stroke order too, just for fun and education!
Use one type of media as a passive learning tool (music, tv shows, YouTube, anime)
Study Flashcards 2-3 times (currently using my hiragana Flashcards I made on Anki)
Minimum of 2 Duolingo lessons
Practice writing the characters in an app (again, currently re learning hiragana)
1 other app lesson used as a supplemental learning tool (renshuu, Bunpo, LingoDeer, drops, etc)
My daily goals are a bit broad as this is typically what I want to do on a day to day basis for about a month of two, and then I will incorporate using textbooks, workbooks, notebooks, and really dive into the self studying and learning more structurally.
Memorize hiragana characters
Begin learning basic vocabulary (~30 vocabulary words by end of month)
Begin studying katakana characters (make Flashcards, use apps, etc)
Practicing speaking and pronunciation skills (shadow speak: use YouTube and some tv shows)
Practice realistic listening skills (YouTube videos, tv shows, anime)
Purchase Genki I and Genki II workbook and textbook + Answer Key and chart bundle
Kept a minimum of a 7 - 10 day streak on Duolingo
Joined Japanese club at my university
These are my current goals for the month of September! As the weeks continue, i will assess my progress and build new monthly goals depending on my current progress levels. Iβm really excited to be doing this and sharing this journey with everyone. The biggest thing about why I made this blog the way I did was to keep myself accountable for my goals and that is exactly what I plan on doing; reaching my goals!
I so deeply appreciate the encouragement and support you all show me on a consistent basis! It means so much to have this community to keep me accountable and just help keep me on track with my goals but also remind me to be kind to myself! You guys are absolutely amazing <3
Im gonna post a combined daily update for today and yesterday later tonight!
Til next time, lovelies π©·π€
***also, wanted to mention, none of the pictures I use are my own!!! I get them from Pinterest but I use them in my posts to keep me motivated to make my space and aesthetic in real life as similar as possible!
Daily Check-in: April 14, 2024 π
Hello lovelies! Life is looking better again, but omg was Wednesday thru Saturday morning rough for me. Even last night I was crying my eyes out, but things got better today so I am happy. I want to make a small announcement about the future of my blog: I am changing the theme!! I will still be keeping the pinterest-image, pink, girly aesthetic for my more general posts (lists, routines, etc) but for my daily check ins, I will be using photos I take myself (anonymous surroundings, notes, food/drinks, etc) and colors and emojis that compliment the photos! I have been wanting to change the vibe a bit lately to make it more me, more personal, and I think now is the time to do so! I'm excited to start taking my own photos now, that'll be so fun!!
π©· What I Accomplished:
washed my sheets, towels, blankets, and comforter
washed and put away all laundry
cleaned the bathroom
packed shoes to ship from my depop shop
cooked chicken fettuccine alfredo from scratch (I made the sauce myself too! it was heavy on the parm and some pieces of chicken were salty, but it was so yummy and rich in flavor!)
planned out some of my week
packed my gym bag for tomorrow (I'm gonna start working out again, I'm nervous)
did my guided journal and morning journal
read 3 chapters of The Untethered Soul (interesting so far, going to keep reading to see how I enjoy it)
wrote out my brain dump for the week
reflected on the week + updated with my accountability buddies
bought groceries (time to make smoothies for breaky this week) and toiletries
π©· Good Things That Happened:
my pasta was super yummy
had a long phone call with my dad (it was a good talk!)
finally read a physical book and not on my ipad
had such a nice, long shower early this morning
confidently planned goals for the week
my psyc assignment got extended til Wednesday for the whole class
found a recipe for avocado protein smoothie (excited to try it)
π©· Stuff For Tomorrow
make a breakfast smoothie
gym cardio workout
need to ship shoes I sold
need to complete my homework
studying Spanish (have an italki lesson on April 22nd!!)
read some more
studying chemistry in preparation for my finals
No "what needs to go better" for me today, because today was a really good day. I'm feeling better and life itself is working out the way I knew it would. I just gotta trust in the universe more.
til next time, lovelies π©·
First Impressions π
I've had 4 of my 5 classes so far (one doesn't start til october) and I definitely have some thoughts on them, so I thought I'd share my first impressions!
Principals of Accounting II:
the professor seems a bit disorganized, nervous, and semi chaotic but I like his energy
so many people in southern attire, I was a bit surprised
might take a decent amount of study time and energy to keep my grade up in the class, but I'm always up for a challenge and I definitely know I'm capable
gotta figure out a time efficient study routine for this class
Learning (Psychology)
professor has an accent, no idea where he's from, but it's a cool and thankfully understandable accent
feels very content heavy. I definitely want to buy the textbook for this class
need to find a way to stay awake, that's one of the classrooms that make me sleepy
that professor likes to talk for sure (1 hour and 15 min of just the syllabus? man's can talk)
Integrated Survey of Organic and Bio Chemistry
the professor is definitely a science guy, him being the professor makes perfect sense
i really like how he explains and teaches
appreciate that all the content needed is already posted to our class online and all the slides are available already
I love science based classes because I know how to succeed in them and this one seems no different
I have a friend in the class so that's nice!
Intro To Business (Online)
lots of content
lots to do
I gotta make sure I time manage for this class cause otherwise, I'm gonna fall behind
an introduction video?? why not just a discussion post?? ahhhhh
Overall, with working full time, this is going to be an incredibly stressful, incredibly busy semester, but I'm so up for the challenge, and I know I can do it. I just gotta study efficiently, time manage properly, and keep disciplined. I WILL be successful.
til next time lovelies π©·
Daily Check-in - August 12th, 2023 π
My updates have been a little spread out, but I am happy to announce that I will be (hopefully) posting updates more regularly with my university classes starting for the fall semester and now that I'm also back at my original job! It definitely gave me a reason to stick to my routine so I have a good feeling about all of this!
With the new semester starting comes new goals, which I will be making a separate post about! It's going to somewhat detail my personal, academic, and social goals for the fall semester. So stay tuned for that!
I also began intermittent fasting recently as I have read that it helps with PCOS (which I do have, along with hypothyroidism). My goal is to become healthier physically and mentally, and I believe that doing this will only improve my quality of life! I currently am doing 16:8, and I love it because it works with my schedule and eating habits I usually already have!
π©· What I Ate Today:
Brunch - One piece of brioche style white bread with two slices of cheddar cheese and a spoonful of scrambled eggs and a side of diced potatoes with ketchup.
Dinner - Taco Bell <3 A nacho bell grande and a crunchwrap Supreme with lots of Diablo sauce
Snacks - 2 cups of coffee with one sweet n low each and French vanilla creamer, and one mocha cold brew shake from the coffee shop on my university campus.
I decided to treat myself to Taco Bell tonight since I was craving it and had the money to do so. I actually ordered more than I ended up eating, so I gave the rest to my roommate.
π©· Workout - Upper Body Pilates-ish
I loved this so much the first time I did it that I wanted to include it again! ait gives such a nice burn and feel after completing it and I honestly wish it was longer, it's that good!
I wanted to try this one because I think fixing posture is helpful, and honestly, those 90 shoulders are really aesthetic. I don't think this is going to give me *drastic* results until I lose some weight and lean out a bit, but I think helping to fix my posture is such a good idea to help with back pain and avoiding text neck! I liked this one, but there were a couple of stretches that were a bit hard to complete, given my current weight. But I'll keep doing this til I get it!
π©· Habits I Accomplished Today -
Made my bed
Morning and Night Skincare
Morning Guided Journal
Daily Journal
Reas 1 Chapter of a book
Morning Workout
Stretching
Today was definitely a good day, especially since I completed most of those before going to work at 715am! I'm super proud of myself, and I hope to keep my progress going and continue bettering myself!
π©· Song of the Day: Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift
This song is soo good. I've never been a Swiftie but I've started getting into a couple of her songs, I like how soft they sound.
π©· Current Read - Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller
This book has been in my shelf for a few months and since I've recently gone long distance with my boyfriend, I figured it would be a good idea to educate myself on attachment styles and ways to healthily navigate relationships. I'm two chapters in and I already love it!
That's all for the day! I'll update you guys again tomorrow! Thank you for all the love <3
Til tomorrow, my lovelies π©·
Daily Check-in: July 6th, 2024 π
Blurry linterest photos because that's how my head felt all day yesterday. The 6th was not a good day for me. My co worker (a "lead" for our location) made me cry twice, to the point I left work and had a meeting with our manager because I was fed up with it. I don't understand what his problem with me is, but it's whatever.
My roommate up here, who came with me from the same original workplace, is being super weird, too. I thought her and I were going to be good friends out here and have fun doing stuff together, but instead, she's kind of turned her back on me and is spending all her time with a certain group of guys from work which just seems super strange. She had made all these plans with me before we got here and then completely ditched me for guys. But, she is pretty immature and has become someone I don't necessarily want to spend time without her, so maybe it's a blessing in disguise that I'm on my own out here.
Anywho, onto the daily breakdown:
π What I Accomplished:
worked an 8.5 hour shift
did my morning skincare and morning journaling
did my night time skincare and journaling
took a ~2ish hour nap after work
studied the Korean alphabet A LOT using the Learn Korean - Hangul app on my iPad and the Write Korean app on my phone. I can tell I'm going to struggle with pronunciation but thats why I have an italki teacher!
didn't spend any money unnecessarily
rode the busses home all on my lonesome
π What Could've Gone Better:
work was terrible. I mentioned why in the beginning of this post, but yeah. Work was honestly horrible for me.
Got in an argument over text with my boyfriend right before bed, and we didn't end up video calling
Didn't do laundry
Didn't do much of anything, let alone anything productive, after work
Ate kinda crappy food
did not drink enough water
π Stuff For Tomorrow (July 7th)
actually do your laundry
check bank account, see if its worth traveling around the city today or just stay home and be a potato until payday
study Korean some more
morning + night skincare
morning + night journaling
talk things out with my boyfriend, hopefully video call tonight
work another 8.5 hour shift
seriously, drink more water/green tea
try to keep my steps up and active throughout the day
π Song of the Day:
I was feeling moody yesterday that's for sure
til next time lovelies π©·
Daily Check-in: May 5, 2024 π
I disappeared for a few days, I'm sorry! life got busy, I was working non stop and really bad nothing to post about other then work and sleep it felt like. But Sunday was a semi productive day despite having woken up at 1am and not gone to sleep until 10pm that following night. But, we have finals go study for so we persevere.
π©· What I Accomplished:
did an actual hair oiling routine before I showered
used the Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Pore Cleansing Mask
did my morning journal and skincare
read 13 pages of Good Vibes Good Life
purchased a new book on my kindle app! (You are a Badadd at Making Money, I can't wait to read it. There's another I want to buy soon too)
washed all my towels and put them away
washed my laundry (haven't put it away)
made pasta
planned out my week
studied Spanish for 11 minutes (trying to build a daily habit right now, so consistency is key)
made a packing list for my work in Colorado this summer
had a date night with my boyfriend (we watched two movies over video call together <3)
π Good Things That Happened
rested and relaxed
took a 2 hour nap in the morning
had a really long, nice shower
had enough money to order more coffee creamer
my friend was able to book the same flight as me for our work in Colorado!
spent some good time with my boyfriend
talked to my dad on the phone for a bit
π Stuff For Monday
study Spanish 10 minutes minimum
read 10 pages minimum of a book
complete some re opened chemistry homework
study for chemistry final
prepare for psyc exam
take psyc exam at 1pm
work a ~7 hour shift
Sunday was good, Monday will hopefully be good as well. I'm feeling positive!
π Song of The Day: IVE - Holy Moly
IVE songs have been on rotation for me once again. I love their sound and their energy.
til next time lovelies π©·
Poll For The Girlies π
Iβm wondering, what are your guys main form of working out? Pilates, yoga, weight lifting, cardio, etc? And why do you do those as your main and what do you recommend others? Letβs share the knowledge and help inspire some other girlies who are in or may be starting their fitness journey! I myself do lots of walking, mat pilates, and yoga. I am going to be trying reformer Pilates next semester and will be going back to weight lifting a couple times a week next semester as well. I recommend low impact exercise (yoga and Pilates) for keeping cortisol levels low, strength training to build muscles in whatever area if your body you want, and any form of cardio to increase endurance, stamina, and heart health!
Current Weekly Workout Routine/Split π
Iβve been doing a mixture of different kinds of YouTube workouts in my bedroom, but I have specific types of YouTube workouts that I do on specific days.
πHereβs my current split π:
πMonday - Abs/Pilates Abs
πTuesday - Lower Body/Lower Body Pilates
πWednesday - Cardio Dance/ HIIT
πThursday - Upper body + Core
πFriday - Yoga or Pilates
πSaturday - Pilates or Yoga
πSunday - Stretching
I always do some form of a warm up video before my workout and some form of cooldown afterward (except for yoga or stretching days). My goal is 30+ minutes of working out a day, not including my daily walks to work during the week. I pre plan my week of workouts every weekend so that way I can wake up in the morning and know what to expect. I also like to lay out my workout mat and clothes the night before. It helps eliminate the need to exert much willpower in the morning.
If you have any fitness YouTubers you like that do stuff like pilates, yoga, K-pop inspired workouts, or workouts for leaning out, losing weight, and toning up, please recommend them to me!
Some workout YouTubers Iβm already familiar with are Chloe Ting, Lily Sabri, Pamela Reif, Yoga with Adrienne, Move with Nicole, Shirlyn Kim, April Han, Vivian Yuan, Madfit, Boho Beautiful Yoga, Hinafit, and Mish Choi. Iβm open to any other recommendations!
Thank you!!