All the stickers... all the doodles... all the links! Closing out 2020 planner style {Keep it Together}

 

Today's the day I get to join in with the with the beautiful  Alexandra & Lauren .  My fellow friends who love all things planner, stationary, pens, & organization. Be sure to stop by & see their posts tomorrow (on Thursday).. or feel free to post tomorrow with them & link up with us.

So we made it to December... where we look forward to new planners - clean slates ... bring it on 2021.  Our 2020 calendars & planners may not look like we expected, but they'll be something to look back on down the road.

The one big planner thing I did since the past week was take advantage of some Black Friday sales!  Yep, sticker shops & Planner stores had some sales & I loaded up. 

Because I'm going to be using my Passion Planner for 2021, I made sure to snag up some Tabs for the planner. You can choose which color you want & I am really happy with this earth tone neutral color palate.  It looks so pretty spaced out on the planner.

If you've been interested in Passion Planner - they are having another sale familiar to their Black Friday Sale.  It goes till Dec 18th... check  it out.

I've printed out some samples off their site & tried them out the past 3-4 weeks to get the feel of it & I think I'm going to be very happy in this planner.  Here's some of the looks I've done in it.  The only difference in my new planner will be it wont have the coil in it - I've taped these in my Amplify planner to finish out 2020

I also ordered me a 5 year planner on Black Friday from Plum Paper Planner.  I got this with the intent to use it like I did the little 5 year journal where you write down how your day went & come back & fill in the same day each year. A good way to see how 5 years on the same day looks.

Well, what's different about this planner that I didnt realize - on every day, there is a prompt - a question.  I didnt even know that was in there.  I'm not sure if I'll just answer the question every day & see how the answers change every year... or use it how I normally use a 5 year journal.  I have 15 days to figure it out :)

I also loaded up on stickers... because I love me some stickers.  I especially went to town on stickers from Wobot & Friends & The Coffee Monsterz Co ... both are just sized so perfectly to add a little cuteness to a planner day - but not too big where its overwhelming.

I love the ones above I just got in the mail - especially love the guy with the hat on & a face mask.

I ordered some more I'm waiting to come in & they are some little Monsterz with Target shopping bags - LOL.  They are just so darn cute.

I had to get these for the year end though... crazy working days...

I actually bought a lot of cute ones for the Holidays - Santa hats & fireplaces & Christmas trees... I'm sure you'll see them in my next month's post in my planner.

& Finally, I'm really liking moving my Faith Journal into a Bullet Journal I had gotten at Hobby Lobby. The pages on this thing are SO THICK where nothing bleeds through them.  

This bullet journal that I use is on sale at Hobby Lobby for $5.00 right now!!! WHAT??? I need to stock up myself!!!

I have really enjoyed practicing some doodling with my Bible study time....

& of course, stickers make it all just pretty to look back & read again....

Some days is just about writing scripture....

& I even use it for church services online & writing down notes.

The best part about this journal is where I use it for "Check In's"... its what our church calls it when you basically journal your prayers with God. Checking in with Him... telling how you're feeling. I need to do a post on it because it's really given my prayers with God a new boost.  I obviously can't share those pages because they're super personal.... but I appreciate looking back at these prayers lifted, cried out to God over the past month.  

... & there you have it... another month of planning under my belt.

I'm so excited about 2021 & cant wait to share what my new planner looks like & how I've been printing on sticker paper to make it work just for my needs.

Do you have your 2021 planner yet?

Have any questions for me about planning? Let 'er rip.

 

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The weekend I'm getting medical advice from Gray's Anatomy

 Hello Monday!

Is this the last full week of work for everyone else? 
Can you believe next week is Christmas!!! 
I have a feeling that this week is going to be hectic where everyone is going to be trying to finish a lot of year end stuff before the big final 2 weeks.

I'm glad I got a good long weekend to rest up... & rest up, is exactly what I did.

The Hubs & I both took off on Friday & was so happy that we got some great weather.  Sunny & warm!  Mother Nature trying to make up to us for giving us cold & rainy weather for our vacation in October.

I usually take this Friday off every year to take my  mom Christmas shopping but that was out this year. She did get to come home on Wednesday, but with COVID cases going up like wildfire around here, & mom actually was exposed to COVID in the rehab facility - so she had to go into quarantine in her home.  No shopping this year.  I told her it doesnt matter anyways.  Christmas aint going to be normal anyways so its OK. She doesnt need to shop for anyone anyways.  

The Hubs & I thought about going shopping in a store for the first time this year so headed out around noon ...on a Friday. We drove past Target & there was not ONE OPEN PARKING SPOT.  Ummm..... NOPE.... 

We said forget that. I'm shocked at the number of people that were out.  Totally shocked.  

We went ahead & ran in the grocery store to load up on snacks because we figured we'd just be holed up at home for the rest of the weekend. We were good with that.

We got home by 2pm & the sun was still shining & the temps were near 65... so I did my favorite thing. Reading the day away outside.  The dogs were happy about it too.  All 3 of them sat outside with me the whole time.  COVID doesnt steal that happiness.

The Hubs had a plan for Saturday & woke me up at 6am... 6AM PEOPLE!!! These are the steps we take to shop for Christmas during COVID.  We got up & was out the door by 6:30am & was at the doors at Target right when they opened at 7AM.

That's dark morning bfore the sun rise sky.. not dark evening sky

Let me tell you - it was GLORIOUS!!!!  The store was nearly empty - I think we may have seen like 4 other people in the whole store (not counting employees - who were working on stocking shelves) - but we had zero wait in line & we were out before the parking lot had even close to 25% of cars in it!

We got so much shopping done too!

At this point, it was 8:30 so everything was still fairly empty so we went over & drove through Panera's drive thru & ate breakfast in the car & ventured into Sam's Club to do some more shopping.  Again - the crowds were great.  We got a parking spot right in the first spot by the doors.

& we were in & out by 9:30.

I mean, it was pretty awesome to do so much shopping & be home by 10am.

I ended up pulling out my new book & started reading & The Hubs went & watched a new series he's checking out on Prime.  

I ended  up going out later in the afternoon to go get mom some groceries & then came home & FINALLY... FINALLY started wrapping presents.  Between the shopping & wrapping & gifts under the tree, it now is starting to feel a little bit like Christmas.  Now how we give these presents out - I have no idea.  I'm not sure how it will work this year.  If we're just going to need to drop them off on people's porches... or send them in the mail to grands that live out of town... what a WEIRD holiday man.

After standing & wrapping presents, my feet were killing me, so I got my shower & tucked into bed & turned on some Gray's Anatomy from last week... which, GAHHH - so sad. I was sobbing by the end of it.  (No spoilers in case you didnt see it).... but they are tackling the COVID crisis & all their patients, they keep mentioning the patient's FERRITIN levels.  Which if you know me at all or been around here, you know Ferritin levels are a big thing in my life.  Just search at the top the word "ferritin" & see how many posts come up... & see all the pictures of needles in my arms & infusions & charts showing how low my ferritin is & how they cant get it up & keep it up.  

So I had to google why the word Ferritin & COVID are related... & I see a TON of articles pop up.  & now, I've got to figure out if this is a good thing or bad thing.  The way I read it, people with high iron levels, the worst the COVID effects are... & I was reading on a medical board of doctors discussing that if they tried to remove some of the ferritin, it would cause the patients to go into a Iron Deficiency Anemia state (Hello... me here!!!!....) & that could be dangerous as they could cause cardiac events with the lack of red blood hemoglobin going to the heart.  So now, I'm like - is it good that I have low ferritin, or is that a bad thing? .... Wouldnt that be amazing if all the horrors of my low ferritin was actually keeping me safer from COVID?  

So many articles about ferritin & COVID - I gotta get our scientist daughter on this-LOL

I gotta try & read more about it - on a computer screen & not on my phone while I have tears flowing from fictional people's deaths on TV.  

Sunday.... I truly think it was one of the most laziest days we had in this house.

This right here is an accurate picture of how my day went....

Not even joking.... I got up & cleaned the kitchen in the morning & then got on the couch to watch church online... & I never moved the rest of the day.

I watched the sun come up & watched the sun set, all in my jammies, under a blanket, in the exact same position all day long.  & not even sorry about one minute of it.

I started to watch the new Selena show on Netflix & I tried... I really did. I made it to episode 5 & about 15 minute in it, I was like, I CANT DO IT ANYMORE.  How they take actors that are in their 30's & trying to make them like teenagers... it was horrible.  It's like a cheaper version of a Lifetime movie. & I'm sorry, the dad just seemed like someone who could be charged with child abuse the way he never let his kids have any life & the stress he put on them.  I tried.  I dont care about it.  I was leery anyways because I LOVE the Jennifer Lopez movie version.  I feel like I need to watch it to cleanse the horrible episodes I wasted my time on.

I cant handle that Rosita from Walking Dead is Selena too... I just cant

I spent the rest of my evening on Gilmore Girls.

OK... OK... I have been knocking away at Gilmore girls for the past ... um... maybe 4 years now. I get on a roll & then too much of it just drives me nuts & then I put it aside.  But I think 2020 is going to be the year I finish.  I am on season 6 & made it through 10 episodes this weekend.  So another half season & then season 7 & I finished it... only to do the most recent Netflix release one.    I just got to the episode where Luke finds out he has a daughter & Rory had just turned 21 - WHAT??? ... Season 6 is just weird.  

So that's it... another COVID weekend.  Nothing exciting... but such is a weekend in 2020.  

Are you doing shopping different this year?

Have you stuck in there with Gray's Anatomy?... did you watch this past week & cry too?

(Those  names at the end... SOBBBBBBING)

Do you wrap as you go or wrap all your presents all at once?

Did you get any warm weather - or were you covered in snow? 

I saw where up north had snow come down - which is crazy that we were in the 60's

Is this your last full week of work?

Friday Favorites

 

(Click Pic for link)

Favorite Salad Container

I love you can keep your ingredients separate so its not all wet & yucky! Genius

Favorite Socks

Favorite Gratitude Journal

Favorite Tee

Since Tony's is the place The Hubs & I always make sure to eat when we're at Disney, I feel like I need this.  Plus, the red covers any spilled spaghetti sauce stains HAHA

Favorite Butter Knife

There's something soothing about this, right? Not just me?

But it makes the better easier to spread out on bread.  So smart!

Favorite Ugly Christmas Sweater (or Sweatshirt)

I love me some National Lampoon Christmas Vacation

Favorite Poster

Because I love me some Broadway

... & I spy Beauty & the Beast on there too!!!

Favorite Holiday Leggings

There's a LOT of cute designs for some Holiday leggings.

I like this soft blue color though! Good through the cold of January too!

Favorite Funnies

This is my favorite kid in the whole world!!!!!!

HAPPY WEEKEND Y'ALL!!!!

God Bless the U-P-S (sung in the Lee Greenwood tune) Thankful Thursday #290

 

This week I am Thankful for:

Christmas movies
I've seen some really cute Christmas movies already on Hulu & Netflix.  They have been a fun escape from the crazy of 2020.

Advent Study.
I really enjoyed the study from Lifeway for the first week. Every day was just really nice digging into the Bible & reading different scripture that all tied together for the week. At the end of the week, there were different things ...a craft for the adult - a lesson for teens - & a children's message & activity.  There's one at the end of every week.  Such a great idea.

Delivery people
God bless 'em!  They have keep me working from home so well for 9 months & now, delivering all my Christmas presents right to my front door.  I have bought hardly any gifts in a store... majority of it  is coming from online.  I cant imagine how busy delivery services are right now.  Every time I see my UPS man come up, I break out in the best Lee Greenwood rendition of God  Bless the USA ... except change the last part to UPS.  It feels very appropriate.

Back to Disney
I just mentioned this in my post yesterday about how we tried something new last year with our tree & I'm so thankful we went back to our roots... Disney.  My tree just makes me smile every time I walk by it. & I'll stop & just look at the fun ornaments on it. I need to do a close up of some of the ones on the tree this year.  Baymax, Mulan, Mary Poppins, Scar, Woody & Buzz Lightyear... so much fun.

Gorgeous Sunrise
When I work in the office, we dont get to really enjoy the sunlight sitting in the middle of a floor  in cubicles... but working from home, I've got to watch the most stunning starts to the day.  The other day, I was just in awe of the colors.  I ran outside & took this picture. ... & the funny thing, by the time I walked back from my front door to my desk, it had gotten cloudy & gray... all the color was gone. Making me even more thankful to see it & just inhale the gorgeousness of nature.

Warms my heart & belly
I was on the phone with my brother the other night & hung up & walked in the kitchen to find The Hubs had made me some hot tea & warmed me up a piece of apple pie.  How sweet is that. It really is the little things in a marriage that just makes you fall in love over & over again with the same person.  The sweet things of tiny gestures that let's you know that you care about one another.  Plus - its pie! :)

Masks & all those who are doing the right thing
I know its been awhile since I posted this... & I still (Lord, STILL) have a lot on my mind about it & a lot I am fearful of & a lot I get so angry at people about who just are ridiculous in their actions in this pandemic.  .... I have so much I want to say, could say, but I know it doesnt really matter. People are still going to be idiots & fight a system that is trying to help get this pandemic under control, but politics & "religion" (I say religion because that isnt the relationship with Jesus - that's the the group that wants to claim rights over being the hands & feet of Jesus & showing love for one another as they do themselves)... I"ll stop... I'm telling you - I could rant about this for hoursssss... Ask The Hubs.  ANYWAYSSSSS - all that to say - I am grateful for everyone still hanging in this fight.  Doing what is asked.  Wearing masks.  Social Distancing. Canceling events. Canceling Holidays just in the hope that it makes the difference, even when others mock that idea.  Light is coming soon. Normal is coming soon.  We're so close. Let's hang in there & encourage one another.

Tell me something good about your week!

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10 on 10 ... a day early ... all about Holiday traditions

 

Joining with the beautiful Leslie on her 10 on 10 ... a day early.

Hope you dont mind Leslie.  Gotta hang on my Thankful Thursday tomorrow

But this gives you time to do a post & link up with her HERE tomorrow!

So we know 2020 is jacking up ALL the holidays so while I say traditions, I know this year, we wont get to do a lot of the things we usually do.... but that's OK.  It will make it even more special next year, right?  Or really appreciate the things we still CAN do... & who knows, maybe we'll come out of 2020 with NEW traditions. Wouldnt that be a great silver lining in the yuckiness of the Holiday?  & honestly, this is probably going to end up a post that talks about things that used to be tradition but may have been changed a little bit. I mean... nothing ever stays the same, right?

1. Tree Up
I used to put my tree up on Thanksgiving for years.  While watching the Macy's Day parade.  The past few years though, I've been doing it earlier... like the week BEFORE Thanksgiving.  At least get started at it so by Thanksgiving night, I can sit in my living room & enjoy all the beauty of the tree & lights.

2. Disney Christmas
When Ricky & I first got together & dated -  we had a Santa Claus tree. Every ornament was Santa Claus doing something different.  We had some of the cutest ornaments.  But we went to Disney World & we got a few Christmas ornaments - & we were hooked. We changed our whole Christmas look.  All the Disney.  We would buy 2 new ornaments every year on our anniversary at the Disney Store - or get a new Disney Hallmark ornament & our collection is insane.  We have to rotate the Disney ornaments - but some of them make the tree each year. We have some beautiful Disney Christmas figurines too - really big - that we sit on our side tables.  It just makes us smile to see all the Disney love.

 ..... we actually tried something new last year  - a simple ALL GOLD decoration tree.  New ornaments & decorations around the house..... it was nice - but it wasn't us.  All of those new things are tucked into a tote & going to Goodwill.  A good reminder - BE YOU & DO ONLY WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

Side note - of COURSE, we have our nativity scenes out too. That's one thing we DONT have is a Disney nativity set - LOL.  I love my Willow Tree nativity too much to never use that & make it front & center.

3. Black Friday Shopping
This one was a no-go this year... but we're big Black Friday shoppers.  I always say we go out with no intentions.  We just go out to see what we can stumble into - & usually, we find some great deals. Typically for us - but hey, its still a bargain that pays off.

4. Birthday celebration!
My poor hubby - his birthday on Christmas Eve. It's a hard day for him.  Especially because now, he has to work that day. At his previous job, he was always off... & I had to work.  Now he's at a job where he has to work & I'm off with my new job.  & he doesnt get out very early too.  Maybe an hour or two early - which messes us up.  I typically try to get near downtown so when he's off, we can meet up & go have some late lunch/early dinner for his Birthday.  At least now, restaurants are open more often (before Covid / 2020) & we have options.  For most of our years, there has been only like 2 or 3 places open for dinner on Christmas Eve.  I try to do something special to let him know its his birthday though.  Especially because Christmas Eve is usually when we do Christmas with my family... so his birthday gets really overlooked.

5. Church
I love me some church service for Christmas.  Especially Christmas Eve service .... which again, the poor Hub's day gets chopped back even more- but I try to tell him, its for Jesus.  Give me a candlelight service & it gives my heart all the warm fuzzies of the holiday.

I know our church has everyone turn their flashlight on their phone #welcometothefuture

6. Remembrance Tree
Obviously, this is new - but they created the Remembrance Tree here in our little town the same year my dad passed away. 2018 was rough for us.  We lost my dad, my only uncle on my dad's side, Ricky's uncle, & a close friend of the family... & all that was right after Ricky lost his best friend at the end of 2017.  This tree is made for people to hang ornaments for people that have passed away. It's such a strange feeling to see all the ornaments hanging on the tree.  Its lovely to see people honoring those who are no longer with us... but also sad to know so many people are missed.  But this has become a tradition for me to find an ornament for my dad & his brother to hang together on this tree.  

7. Jammies
Because is it really Christmas if you dont get new jammies?

8. Before Sunrise
This one is just for me.  I love to get up before sunrise & sit in front of my tree.... is so still.  The dogs will crawl on the couch with me.  I will pull out my Bible & read the story of Jesus birth & I watch the sunrise.  It's so peaceful to me & it's the one time of the year that I just feel calm & peace.  I'll put on a Christmas movie that I always decide to watch that morning & will cuddle in to watch the sun rise with it.  Looking so forward to this tradition.

Here was my Christmas morning last year

9.  Coffee Mug
To go with the above - for the past 3 years, I've done another TREAT YO SELF thing & I buy a new Christmas mug & I pull it out on Christmas morning for my alone time.  I already ordered my mug for this year - I typically get them from Daily Grace every year so they match in shape & style - just different colors & wording.    (I was going to post a pic but its already sold out on the site.. you'll see it Christmas morning)

My mug from last Chirstmas

10. Movies
So... this one is totally not going to happen as usual - but still going to happen.  We dont do anything on Christmas.  Since we do Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve & we do The Hub's family the week before Christmas, we see no one on Christmas Day.... which is crazy because we have a lot of Christmas's all the way through January - even up to February some times.... but nope - Christmas Day - nothing.  So we have created the new tradition over the years to go to the movies.  & then go to the Japanese restaurant near the theater for dinner.  We have so fun doing it - it just feels special.  .... THIS YEAR, we've already decided that we're going to watch Mulan on Christmas Day.  We both have been so excited to see it - & now, its free to stream on Disney+ - so we've made the deal to not watch it so we can make some popcorn & snuggle up on the couch for our "at home movie day".  You just make due, dont you?

So what are some things you do every year for the Holidays?

Post about it tomorrow & link up with Leslie!!!