Category: Her

Link Love: Organizing and Planning Tips

Now that things in my personal life have settled down a bit I have been trying to get more organized and making an effort to plan my life in advance. I notice that when I plan things out in advance things tend to run more smoothly and I have less things to worry about. Since I have been actively working on organizing, planning and cleaning up my to do list and calendars (paper and digital) I have been searching the internet for inspiration. So check out some of my favorite information that I have found along the way.

Top Organizing and Planning Tips

Organizing Tips

I really enjoyed Laura’s post How to Combat Digital Hoarding. In the digital world that we live in we now have many more digital files and without a system they can be a big old mess. Laura shares some of the things she has been working on with some great tips.

Most of my digital files are fairly organized, however, the problem is I need to purge the ones that no longer serve a purpose (and purge more often). I also want to do a better job at naming digital files and making sure they have a home. Another issue I have is that I have things in so many different places – Dropbox, Google Drive (I have my personal one and one that was used for school – they need to be merged) and on my laptop as well as some on my phone.

I really liked how Laura talked about pdf’s in her video. Nearly all the pdf’s I have are in a folder called “To Read”. The problem is, I don’t really get around to reading these as often as I should. I made a promise to myself that I would read a few every month and either archive or delete them. Some are a couple pages are tips and others are manuals, articles from when I was in school or entire books. I don’t need all of these taking up precious space and just need to go ahead and read and/or purge them.

More organizing tips:
+ 101 items to get rid of without regret
+ 3 Steps to Organized Files

Planning and Productivity Tips

I really love watching Nora Conrads videos on planning and productivity on YouTube. Two of my favorite videos are from her Productivity Series called The Brain Dump Method and Scheduling Your Brain Dumps.

I have been doing brain dumps for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I found that not only did other people do it but there was also a term for it. I used to do my brain dumps strictly on paper but now I do it on paper and also in ToDoist. As Nora notes it helps to clear “mind clutter”. I tried scheduling my brain dumps but sometimes they just happen whenever they want. I know if I don’t write it down or input it in ToDoist somewhere I will probably forget about it temporarily (or permanently on some occasions). I try to make it a habit to go through my brain dumps and make actually create tasks of the information if needed that way it is organized and not just a bunch of words.

Watch all of Nora’s Productivity Series videos

During one of my late night YouTube watching binges I found this GREAT VIDEO from Speaker and Author Amy Landino titled How To Plan Your Day. My favorite part was when she said a to do list is like a junk drawer – it has a bunch of stuff in there (mostly important) but needs to be organized.

Take a look:

When I stumbled upon How To Become A Morning Person & Love It I almost skipped to something else but I really enjoyed the infographic that was in the article and there were some helpful tips there as well. I am totally not a morning person. I have tried (and failed) several times to become one and that is just not part of my genetic makeup. In face, I am up at 1:49am on a Saturday morning working on this post. Does that count as being a morning person? I am almost sleepy enough for bed but I’m enjoying working on this post.

More productivity tips:
+ 30+ Gmail Tips and Tools That Can Boost Productivity
+ Video: 8 Things to Do Before 8AM to Make Your Days Less Hectic
+ 12 Evening Habits Worth Developing

What issues are you currently having with organizing and/or planning your home or life? What are some of your favorite organizing and planning tips? Let us know in the comments.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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What to Binge Watch on Netflix

What’s that? You want something other than what you see on cable tv to watch? You enjoy a binge watch session here and there? Well you have came to the right place. Since our home is being renovated I haven’t been able to watch cable television unless it is at a friend or family members house. This means when I do want to find something to watch my first stop is Netflix. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite shows and movies that are currently on there. FYI: I am not responsible if you end up binge-watching something.

what to binge watch on netflix

What to Binge Watch on Netflix

WARNING: We will not be held responsible if you miss important deadlines because you got caught up in one of the shows mentioned here.

Stranger Things: If you loved The Goonies, E.T. and Stand By Me you need to get to binging on this Sci-Fi goodness. It is listed under Horror fiction as well – the supernatural essence may make some of you jump. And when you have a moment make sure you check out the Stranger Things soundtrack – SOOOO GOOD. You still have time to catch up on the first 2 seasons as they are still working on the next season.

How to Get Away With Murder (HTGAWM): If you haven’t watched this yet… what are you waiting for? Originally premiering on ABC this drama focuses around Annalise Keating, a confident lawyer and criminal law professor that is both admired and feared by her students. The series follows Annalise and a group of her students as they go through not only the stress of law school but the stress of real life acts of crime as they discover just what it take to get away with murder. This show will keep you on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn.

Dexter: This Showtime cult fave is a mystery series that follows the life of Dexter Morgan. Dexter spends most of his professional time as a blood splatter expert, however, he also keeps a dark secret – he is a serial killer. He isn’t the typical serial killers, he actually chooses his victims based on the crimes they commit. Watch this show to see how Dexter justifies his kills and attempts to stay one step ahead of the very law enforcement that he pledged to help.

Breaking Bad: If you haven’t watched this show you must be living under a rock. This is my third time watching this series. The first time I watched it I was like “this is a really great show”, the second time I really fell in love with it and I started watching it again a third time to introduce my Mom to it and we binged watched episodes every couple of days.

Breaking Bad is a crime drama and introduces the audience to Mr. Walter White – a high school chemistry teacher that is diagnosed with Lung Cancer and soon realizes that he can take his passion for chemistry and turn it into a multi-million dollar drug empire. He is joined in his adventure with his street smart ex-student, Jesse. They are in for a wild ride as they face drug lords, the Mexican Cartel and many interesting characters along the way. The chemistry between the characters, solid story line and great acting makes this probably one of my favorite series of all time.

Daredevil: Action!

The Punisher:

Sense 8: I watched Sense 8 twice and I am so glad that I did. The second time around I saw things that I had initially missed (or forgotten) the first time I had watched it.

Ozark: I watched Season 1 in 3 days (hangs head in embarassament). This show is SO GOOD. Currently rewatching Season 1&2.

After writing this it seems like I enjoy Sci-Fi, Murder Mysteries and Comic Book series. This urged me to write another post with other genres for people with other interests. I think I may have to write yet another post about Netflix cartoons and/or kid shows to watch. What are your favorite shows to watch on Netflix? Let us know in the comments!

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Flashback Friday’s: The Longest January Ever

Happy Friday! I hope that you had a wonderful week and have some great plans for the weekend. I’m hoping to savor every moment of the weekend after the month that I had.

flashback fridays hertaintedlips

I can’t believe that it is already a new month. I feel like January went by VERY quickly yet dragged on for…ev…er. According to social media, I am not alone in feeling this way. We got to February 2018 very quickly, yet we were slapped around all month that we almost feel good about it coming to an end. [Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are on this].

I feel like January was a very taxing month. Physically and mentally I am spent. Nearly the entire month I was either fighting a cold, stressed out, ill with the flu and continuously playing catch up with projects at work and at home. Nearly half of the people I interact with (if not more) had either a cold, flu, Bronchitis or other yucky illness in January. The flu and other bugs that were going around were simply not playing with us – they were taking over.

Related Articles:
This Flu Season Is the Worst in Nearly a Decade

There was just a very strange energy the entire month. Family, friends and co-workers confirmed that last month was the same for them as well. It was like January’s mood was “I am gonna git you sucka” – and most people I know really got-got. I am so happy that it is over!

One of the best things about January was being able to spend a day with my sisters and some friends for my youngest sisters birthday. It was a nice closing to a very wishy-washy January. I’m looking forward to what February has to offer.

What are your big plans for February? Let us know in the comments.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Missile Threats and Robot Sex

So as most of you know, I live in Hawaii. Ahhhh, beautiful paradise. I really am blessed to live here and I admit that I do not appreciate it as much as I should. Well one day here on the island of Oahu my life was forever changed.

I was home sick and resting when my phone alert started going off. I was in a daze but wanted the noise to stop so I grabbed my phone wondering why there was an alert going off. I read something about a missile threat but I was half awake and thought maybe I was dreaming. But no – this was an actual threat it said and we were to take cover.

How exactly do you take cover for a missile threat? I have no clue. I know how to prepare for Tsunami’s and Hurricanes. That’s what we get the most watches and warnings here. But a missile threat? Yeah – I had no idea. My first instinct was to hide. But where? Next thing I knew I was on the phone with my Mom. She was giving me tips and meanwhile I was thinking I was going to die, on the phone, trying to figure out what to do when a missile hits my beautiful island.

The thing about a missile threat is you want to look outside to see if it is coming at you lol. Why would you do that? I did end up closing all the windows, locking my dogs up outside in a shed and hiding (and praying). Well, when we finally got another alert that said it was a false alarm I was already thinking about I wonder how many people would survive this and what island(s) it would hit. My heart was beating fast and the illness I was recovering from was in the back of my mind.

The false alarm message was a relief. I took to social media (mainly Twitter) and people were talking about it left and right. I was still unsure on how something like that could have occurred and it later was said someone hit the wrong button as he thought he was instructed to hit it. I don’t know if I can believe that but that’s what the news reported.

I am just happy that me, my family, friends and other island mates “survived” this as this will forever change the way we react to alerts. Now do I know how to prepare for a missile threat? Of course I googled it and it was the same thing  my Mom said to do – close off all windows if you can and hide (usually recommended to hide in the bathtub).

One evening images of a robot posed in sexual ways continued to float down the timeline on Twitter. This started a conversation about how men were going to choose robots over real women. Some women were happy and would gladly go about their way. Other women were offended.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Flashback Friday’s: California Dreaming

Aloha!
I hope that this summer is treating you well! I honestly thought that this summer was going to be a big ole bummer for me. I was working so much that I didn’t really get to enjoy things I normally would. I been stressed out a lot which resulted in me getting sick (several times). So when the opportunity for me to fly up to California for a week to visit my best friend (nearly 20 years of friendship we’re talking) – I was extremely excited. I actually wanted to have a longer trip so that I could drive/fly down to Las Vegas area to visit family but it didn’t work out the way I planned. Either way – an escape from what had become stagnant and dull really got me feeling happy. I hadn’t seen my best friend in years so I wanted to make sure I soaked in every precious moment I could with her. Also, not only was I visiting her; I was also getting to meet her future husband! DOUBLE EXCITED. So read on for a little behind the scenes look at my little California adventure.

flashback fridays hertaintedlips

Soooo… the first stop we made was to get some In-N-Out burgers. That meal really hit the spot after the plane travel and miniature “meal” that they served us on the plane. Speaking of that… the “meal” consisted of a little rice, ONE baby carrot, ONE broccoli and a serving of chicken. It was the complimentary meal so I wasn’t so annoyed but it would have been nice to have the option to purchase something else but alas… my belly was semi full after the meal and they gave us a delicious cookie and unlimited beverages.

california hawaii vacation

Since I flew in at night (time differences suck) we didn’t do much else that evening but enjoy some burgers, get hugs, laughs and some tears in since it had been so long since we had seen eachoter.

Forestiere Underground Gardens

The first place aside from getting food was visiting Forestiere Underground Gardens When I first heard about the gardens (online) it sounded like a cool place to check out because of the history and how it came to be but actually going there and experiencing the tour I was blown away! If you have never been there, it consists of undergrown tunnels and rooms that were hand-built (using mainly hand tools) by Mr. Baldassare Forestiere in the 1900’s.

The tour takes you through what was his home (underground) and you get to see the grapevines (so cool) and citrus trees he grew (many of which still stand today). He was a brilliant man and thought of many things – from how to keep the caves warm during winter to secret peep holes so he could see if someone had snuck down into his cave. It was just a lovely experience and I would totally take others to see it just to learn about the history of it.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Of course we had to hit up the mall and outlets in the area to pick up a few things and that was a lot of fun. And I don’t care what anyone thinks – I went to the dollar store and got $24 worth of goodies that would have cost me nearly double if I had purchased them here in Hawaii. We once had a 99cents store and prices slowly reached $1 and eventualy $1.75 to $5.00. Sneaky bastards. Anyways – don’t hate on dollar store splurges lmao

One thing I totally didn’t realize was that there were Casino’s in California owned by Native American tribes. Two that we checked out was Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino and Table Mountain Casino. We actually went to both of them more than one time and on the weekend we ended up at the Chukchansi’s Firehouse Lounge. We spent a couple hours at the Lounge drinking, laughing and chatting with the bartenders. I hadn’t had that much fun in so long!

California Eats

Other than In-N-Out there were a couple other places I wanted to stop for food and treats. Here is where I stopped:
Table Mountain Casino: They have great food (at great prices). I really enjoyed their chicken wings from their cafe (I hade them twice). They also have other places in the casino to eat. One place we tried was Eagles Landing Restaurant and lemme tell you. I had their Cobb Salad. THE BEST salad I have had in ages. It was HUGE, everything tasted fresh and deeeelicious.

Chick-Fil-A: I used to live in Georgia so of course if I see a Chick-Fil-A somewhere I just have to get me a chicken sammich, waffle fries and lemonade (they had watermelon so I was like YES PLEASE)

Krispy Kreme: Need I say more?

Dutch Bros Coffee: My best friend insisted that I had to try this coffee spot because of my love for coffee in general but also because I like specialty and blended coffee drinks as well. LEMME TELL YOU… I had a Caramelizer Freeze (blended caramel mocha) and it was so delicious – rich, flavorful, just enough sweetness, creamy and didn’t turn into melty ice mess. Good stuff! I want to try like 10 other things on their menu!

Lots of yummy food was had but I’m a little bummed I didn’t get to eat a giant turkey leg.

California Dreaming

Of course I didn’t get to go to every place in California that I wanted to go to and had to remind myself that California is pretty huge (compared to the island I live on) so I really look forward to going back again. Of course my Best Friend was trying her hardest to convince me to move there. Funny thing is I have thought about moving to California off and on for years. Not sure if I will actually take the leap and do it but I have been very tempted.

Have you been to California? What are your favorite places to visit, things to do and food to eat there? Let us know in the comments.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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The Great Escape

If you follow me on social media you probably know a bit more about all the things I have been going through since I have been M.I.A. from this website lately.

Long story short: I have been stressed out and near my breaking point. There have been a lot of things going on in my life and I am exhausted – physically, mentally, emotionally. I need to do things differently or I am just going to hit bottom.

I have decided I need to do things differently. I recently had a birthday and in a few short years I will be 40 (GASP). My Dad’s (R.I.P.) birthday was a few days after mine and I have been thinking a lot about how fast life really does pass by and that there are many things I have said I wanted to do or experience and I just haven’t really put forth much effort into making these things happen.

I need a break. Actually… I need an escape. I was going to just plan a staycation and get a hotel in Waikiki or stay at one of the resorts and just play tourist for a weekend but I decided I really wanted to get off the rock and go somewhere to see some of my favorite people. I planned on flying to California to see my BEST FRIEND and family members and head to Vegas at the end of the trip to see more family members. Reality is my part time job is in retail so I don’t have that flexibility so I am sticking to just a 7 day California adventure.

I have nothing spectacular planned but I can’t wait to get to California and see my Bestie that I haven’t seen in far too long, hopefully get to see a couple family members and find some time to relaxxxxxxxxxxx.

I find it very funny that people continue to hint at me not coming back. I will come back of course but I feel like I will come back a better version of myself because I will not be in the same day-to-day routine I have been stuck in lately. I am praying for there to be moments of clarity on this trip. Time for me to reflect on things and plan on what I want to do in the near future. I am so excited to really get out of this rut I have been in. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels this way so I encourage you to choose one thing on that list of things you told yourself you wanted to do ages ago and DO IT.

Stay tuned for more details on the great escape.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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