I love making lists. In fact, the majority of my moleskin is filled with various lists. To-do lists, things-to-pack lists, grocery lists & lists of various goals…For me, making a list is helpful in narrowing your focus. It sorts out what you really want to accomplish & prioritizes them accordingly. & let’s be honest, what is a better feeling than crossing something off from a list?

Definitely one of life’s greatest small pleasures.

For some people, it’s not making the list that is the problem – but being able to cross off items as completed that is the barrier. Here are some tips that might help you accomplish more from your lists:

Stay Specific When you’re in the process of making your list, take a few extra minutes to really think ahead for each task. Often, if you find yourself unable to complete something – it might need to be broken down into smaller pieces. Don’t label it as something too large like, “Clean garage” – realistically it will be more like, “Separate into keep, donate, & trash piles” & “Have garage sale” before the ball really starts rolling.

Create a Deadline While some of your goals might have more of an ongoing status, when possible create a deadline so you can re-evaluate your list & perhaps change your strategy. If you’re having trouble ‘finding motivation’ re-evaluate what your goals are – often they aren’t what you truly want & that is why it is so hard to complete. If the finish line isn’t where you want to be, why run there?

Don’t Set Yourself Up For Failure Remember to set yourself *realistic* goals. Repeated attempts & fails at something will not help the process – reach out for support if you need it surrounding one of your tasks.

Never Compare Your List to the Lists of Others Just because my friend uses a list where the ideas/tasks all rotate around a cloud in the middle, doesn’t mean that my linear list is no good. Making lists can be a helpful way to learn your own ‘approach to task’ – if something doesn’t work out exactly as you expected, keep working at finding the system that does work.

Prompt #8: Find one major expense to cut from your daily life. How much can you save for travel by cutting it? How many other expenses (large or small) could you reduce in order to put that money toward travel?

I am constantly getting sucked into budget posts along the lines of “Save a Zillion Dollars a Year in a Month!”  I click.  & quickly discover that somehow, people think that ‘bringing your lunch instead of eating out’ is new to the budget-hungry.  Don’t fret – I still get suckered into clicking.  I love saving money.

Is saying that redundant?  Doesn’t everyone enjoy saving money?

My point to this is that how I live is scaled-down as far I can go.

So let’s concentrate on all the things I do actively.

• Movies – We use Zip.ca instead of going out to see movies.  We don’t have cable/tv.  When we do see movies out, we see them at the neighborhood second-run theatre for half the price.
• Groceries – I don’t enjoy grocery shopping at all, but I do enjoy the after-effect of well-planned meals that don’t leave us scrambling over our general food budget.
• Transportation - We don’t own a car.  We walk.  We ride our bikes.  & occasionally take public transit if needed.
• Divacup – I use a menstrual cup (since 2006) cutting out disposable products entirely out of my spending.  This is amazing for me budget-wise, comfort-wise, & makes me feel good environmentally, too.
• Pampering – I do my own nails.  They aren’t perfect, it’s not equatable to getting them done somewhere else.  However – taking the time to spend it on myself is nice & saves going elsewhere + tip.

What’s your favorite thing you do to save money?

Originally published on my old (now defunct) blog in September 2008, I just don’t want to give up my theories on brunch quite yet.

I have never been a breakfast person.  My mum would have to resort to making me very non-breakfast foods so I would eat (ie: tuna fish, leftovers…).  Even now, I have to talk myself into eating breakfast most of the time.  I know it’s the “most important meal of the day” – but there’s a disconnect between that & what my stomach thinks.  My stomach simply needs time & a bit of tea to wake up properly.  My stomach is the type of stomach that likes lazing about the living room with the comics section of the newspaper, giggling at Snoopy, sipping tea, & reading its daily horoscope.

That’s why I like brunch.  Brunch is the type of meal I can stand behind in the morning because it’s not thrown at you first thing.  You can sit with a hot beverage & enjoy morning conversation.  Rather than woof down sustenance for the rest of the day, you can leisurely munch.

Three cheers for brunch!

This past Sunday, I took part in the latest Ladies Learning Code (LLC) workshop, “Intro to HTML & CSS”.  LLC is a not-for-profit who provides beyond-affordable development workshops targeted for women (though men can attend).  They’re lead by volunteer instructors & aided by volunteer mentors ho who all work in the tech industry.

I first heard about LLC back in the fall but didn’t take the initiative to sign up until now.  I always let something get in my way: my own scheduling, nerves, budgeting….

Not this time.  This time, I took the plunge.  I was looking forward to filling in the gaps in my (self-taught) coding & adding more CSS to my arsenal.

It was amazing.  The first half was HTML & the second half was CSS.  The first half was mostly things I already knew but there were still a few things that I didn’t know the reasoning behind.  (One of the downfalls of being self-taught)

Not surprisingly, the website code I created for the day was largely based around Dolly Parton.  I can’t help it.  I should just officially claim her as my patron saint.

In-between the two halves was a lunch break.  & yes, this deserves mentioning because this was no boring ol’ ‘few sprigs of lettuce & cross your fingers’ lunch.  There was salad, fruit & veggie platters, & different types of sandwiches.  I felt so nourished & (as a lactose-intolerant) vegetarian, I had tons of choices with which to fill my plate.

Reconvening with my table with a cup of fresh chai tea, I settled in for the mind meld of learning CSS coding basics.  & wow.  I exited at 6pm with a mind brimming with code knowledge.  My website is based on WordPress & I utilize a theme called Thesis.  I originally chose it because there were great ‘out of the box’ options.

But I also knew it had amazing customization options with the right coding knowledge.  I am fond of my site but am also excited to enact some design changes I have had in mind for a bit.

I never felt nervous about asking questions & feeling stuck wasn’t apocalyptic – it was more like a puzzle.  I can’t wait to recommend it to my clients who are looking for a little more tech control in their businesses!  I am so grateful to the LLC team for making it such an easy process.  Thanks!

For more information about Ladies Learning Code, please check out their website.  Also, I recommend joining their mailing list to stay updated on their latest & greatest workshop offerings.

I just think that women shouldn’t point fingers at other women for whatever they’re doing to enhance their bodies…other than that – do whatever makes you feel good because, trust me, if a woman isn’t happy with herself she’s going to bring nothing but pain to every f***in’ body around her.

 –Ice-T

Prompt #7: We want to hear what you love about islands, what your favorite indie travel island destination is, which island you’re most longing to see, or why you think islands evoke such strong emotions in travelers.

And – you know we have to ask – what would be three things you would absolutely have to have with you if you were stuck on a deserted island?

Islands are fascinating to me because of their biodiversity.  Ever since Darwin’s studies in the Galapagos Islands, there have been additional studies supporting the belief that evolution occurs differently (& sometimes even faster) due to islands’ isolated nature.  Factors like island size & type, and amount of available resources affect the development of flora and fauna.  That is why you see more giantism (giant tortoises) and dwarfism (tiny deer) on islands.  Not to mention one of my favorite niche topics: flightless birds.  Kiwi, kakapo, emu, penguins, dodos, …most are island-bound.

I think islands evoke such strong emotion in travelers because they represent an actual physical separation from the ‘real world’.

& the three things I would want to have with me if I was stuck (ha) on a deserted island?  Robin answered practically: matches, a knife, & a blanket. (Note: he is planning on fashioning a toothbrush for himself via the knife).  I would want a personal water filtration pump, my journal + writing utensil, & one of those sleeping bag/hammock combo’s.

If the original Swiss Family Robinson movie has taught me nothing else,it is that ingenuity reigns supreme, that making an amazing tree house is totally possible, & that riding an ostrich is never a good idea.

Originally published on my old (now defunct) blog in October 2008, I can’t resist this shot of a Zen Apartment tradition: Silly Dinner.  A definite crowd-pleaser.

Silly dinner: (n) The act of having what is typically considered a breakfast or brunch food for dinner.  Deliciously subversive, especially when served with your favorite alcoholic beverage of choice.

Prompt #6:

We want to know what you think about the Indie Travel Manifesto.  Does it resonate with you? Do you think, based on the tenets of the Manifesto, that you are an indie traveler?

Didn’t I already go over this?  I can take or leave labels; I just want to do my thing!  & it isn’t that I disagree with the Manifesto in its entirety – on the contrary, I agree with some of it (I think that, “Practice courtesy, patience, humility, & good humor” is my favorite).  I just think that being a “Manifesto Approved Indie Traveler” makes me nervous because it is the type of descriptor that eventually excludes people.

I’m here to live, to travel, to learn, to experience – not tell someone they aren’t in a certain category because of random internet rules.

Originally published on my old (now defunct) blog in February 2008 – I thought I would bring this over & update it For the Love of Books.

The Wheel of Time is a bestselling fantasy book series written by Robert Jordan – who passed away in September 2007.

I started reading this series in junior high (grades seven & eight) & was immediately hooked. The series provides an intricate & detailed world, constructed languages, & a dense plot.

I finally heard Robert Jordan speak at the San Diego Comicon several years ago & was completely blown away.  He was eloquent.  He was also as eccentric as I imagined him to be, with a mental card catalog of all the characters and all the places ever named in the books. (If you have read them, you know how impressive this is–)

However, I’ll be the first to admit these books aren’t for everyone.  Especially at this point, they are for people with a love for fantasy novels & a need for *deep* commitment for a long read (putting it lightly).

If you DO happen to be looking for all of the above – then look no further.  This is your series.  I stopped reading somewhere in the middle of high school, determined not to continue until I could see the ‘real end’ in sight.  Now, I have picked up my worn copies again to re-read & read the latest few so I can round out my experience.

Some of my favorite themes & subjects (not surprisingly) of the series are the twisting of gender roles within power structures.  Also, the similarities & linguistic ties to languages in our own world.

The final segment of the series, A Memory of Light, was not completed at the time of Robert Jordan’s death.  His widow & his publishing company chose Brandon Sanderson to complete it.  What was going to be the last installation was adjusted to be released in three segments as it would be far too large to publish in one volume.  Each of these volumes will be as large as, or larger than any previous book in the series.  (Yikes!)

It is odd, because I can count several people I have met who also have read Robert Jordan & upon discovering this, it’s easy to feel a sense of added kinship.  For instance, when I moved in with a room-mate a few years ago & saw a WoT book on her shelf, I knew we would get along just fine.  I look forward to reading the final book & finishing a series very near & dear to my heart.  Eventually…

Additional Links:

• Official Website
• Robert Jordan’s (Ex) Blog
• WoT Mania – FAQ, Reference, News, Message Boards, etc.

If you’ve never been to Asia, tell us about your dream trip in the region.  Would you rather find your own paradise among the Thai Islands, or shop for crazy Harajuku fashion in Japan? Are the uncrowded temples of Burma calling you, or are you dreaming of a visit to China’s Great Wall?

This prompt was appropriate timing as I’m currently reading a book about one of my wish destinations, Bhutan.  I want to visit Bhutan.

It’s a small landlocked country in the East Himalayas between India & China.  Not only is it seemingly factoid-filled (the sale of tobacco is outlawed & the national sport is archery) but it is one of the most bio-diverse nations in the world.  The Bhutanese government even has a constitutional policy that there must always be at least 60% green coverage (forest or other vegetation).

(photo courtesy of National Geographic)

What is perhaps the most intriguing thing to be is their take on Gross National Happiness.  Choices are guided by the very Buddhist “four pillars of Gross National Happiness”—sustainable development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and good governance.  According to the ruler(s) , this is because measuring signs of happiness & well-being are much more relevant than measuring the amount of consumption occurring.  Happy sigh.

Visiting Bhutan is something that (most likely) won’t happen in the near future as the cost to enter & travel is quite high.  Foreigners are required to pay around $200 a day for the privilege (& this is after many years of being closed off completely).  Of course, that $200 covers most of your on-the-ground costs & includes a personal tour guide to show you around.  Someday…