My therapist asked me to continue with the positivity journal. Since the last one became huge and deformed at the spine, I've decided to make a topsy-turvy journal in the bullet journal format. (Anybody remember the topsy-turvy dolls? I had one as a child very similar to this one.) Crafty Hodges on YouTube created her journals with one half of the year right side up and the second half of the year upside down and both halves met in the middle of the book. She said it prevented the journal from getting deformed like mine did. So I'm going to try it in a second composition notebook.
Essentially a bullet journal is a homemade planner and a collection book of lists. The only planner part of mine is going to have a mini calendar and a list of gratitude's at the beginning of the "chapter" for each day of the month. I'm going to have similar things to what I collected in my positivity book last year - favorite things, good memories, quotes, and scriptures, but in addition to that, I'm adding 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" blocks of doodles as I will be following Marsha Baker's 365 Day Doodle Challenge all year long at the edges of the pages. The link will take you to Marsha's list of doodles if you want to follow along.
Also, since my journal will be flipped upside down, the envelope pockets in the last journal won't do, so I took some large mailers and cut them in half to make new pockets with flaps and then glued on solid cardstock and washi tape to pretty them up before gluing them to the inside back covers of the composition notebook.
Also, I wanted a bead charm to hang off the side, but if I hung it at the top, then when I flipped the book, it would be at the bottom of the book, but then I decided I didn't care until... the elastic string began to cut into the paper at the bottom of the notebook. My friend, Julie, who loves making books came to the rescue and suggested that I add the string at the middle of the spine, so I used my We R Memories Keeper Big Bite long arm punch to punch a hole and attach a flower eyelet to either side of the spine and then at the center of the signature, I used a pokey tool to punch holes through the paper to line up with the eyelets. I had to use a large eyed needle to thread the elastic through the holes to the center of the signature and tie that off. I cut the ends off about 2 inches or so and glued tiny punched hearts to the ends and added glue to the knot to strengthen it. It's down right cute now.
JANUARY'S page themes are (an index is located on both halves at beginning of each section along with the color of the month - pink). Each circle tab will coordinate with the paper and I'm using a paper clip bookmark to indicate which month I'm currently on.
TITLE PAGE: A Mary Engelbreit card front with quote glued to a piece of cherry scrapbook paper: "The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not Laughed." (Chamfort).
ENVELOPE POCKET: A Mary Engelbreit bookplate that says: "That's what friends are for. To the ends of the Earth. This book belongs to: Dolores J. Rush.
2 PAGE INDEX:
DATED GRATITUDE LIST: with teeny-tiny calendar
GOOD MEMORIES: A List of States that I have lived in or visited -- Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 7:12 = Do to others what you would have them do to you.
Philippians 4: 8 = Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
Documented Faith Scriptures from Stephanie Ackerman = sign up here.
QUOTES:
"Ah, there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." (Jane Austen)
"He (God) wants to sit down and eat with you. After all, He is Lord of the Feasts. Pull up a chair and eat with him." (Alisa Keeton, Revelation Wellness).
"Honey is like tasting the garden." (Angel Strawbridge, Escape to the Chateau)
"Note to Self: Stop letting the pain of my past ruin the happiness of my future. Pssst! Happiness requires letting stuff go. It's time: Let it go." (Stephanie Ackerman).
"Our mess is our message." (Stephanie Ackerman)
"Pray -- Don't Panic." (Stephanie Ackerman).
Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain.
"Sow good services; sweet remembrances will grow from them." (Mde de Stael)
"Spending a little time calculating the number of things that go right is a simple but powerful way to reactivate our sense of wonder and gratitude." (Richard Carlson).
"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." (Carl W. Buechnor)
GOOD NEWS!:
We've had a marriage in the family on January 3, 2020.
MSN Good News computer page
My therapist is expecting!
Attended a diet class with my husband. Learned a lot, not only about diabetes but also my metabolic disease - PCOS.
And our son has a new job that's closer to home. Yay! He was driving 60 miles back and forth to work.
BOOKS READ!
Believe! Illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. 1993.
Thank You. Illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. 1993.
GLUEBOOK PAGE: I glued bits and bobs of packaging and rubber stamped images from Mary Engelbreit illustrations that I've keep in my craft stash to create with.
FAVORITE (Herbal) TEAS: Glue book page for envelopes of my favorite tea brands. Now that caffeine has been removed from my diet, I've had to find substitutes for my favorite flavors of hot (& cold) drinks -- Bigelow Orange & Spice is one and another is called Numi Gratitude (tastes like chai tea).
I DID IT!: Persons of the ADD/ADHD persuasion, such as myself, do better with a "I DID IT" lists rather than an overwhelming to do list. I'll have to remember to date each thing as I complete it, cause I forgot several of them. To the bottom of the page, I added a small Tracker chart to check off as I Armchair Bike everyday (to make it less onerous, I watch a video on YouTube and pedal away.) According to the Mayo Clinic website, exercise helps to improve your positive outlook on life and relieve stress, so since this is a positivity journal, I think this should be added in as well, don't you think? Now to remember to do it. One of the things I did and can check off is that I doodled 37 images from Marsha Baker's list! Yay!
EVENTS: Since several members of my husband's family were sick and passing it around during the Christmas holidays, we had Christmas together mid-January after everyone finally got well. We also were able to attend church every Sunday this month and we attended that diet class. And I listed the craft events I completed last year in 2019.
NEW RECIPES: I miss eating Taco Bell's sopapilla's, so made my own. (Pssst! My doctors have suggested that my eating pattern should change to the Mediterranean Diet. According to the internet, Spanish food differs from Mexican, however, little steps at a time.)
1/2 cup cinnamon powder
1/2 cup of stevia in the raw
1 package of sugar free Mexican flour tortilla's
a mixture of half stevia and half cinnamon powder.
1. Mix both the cinnamon powder and stevia in the raw together in a small bowl and funnel into a cocktail shaker jar. Screw on shaker lid and set to the side of a pie plate lined with a paper towel or two.
2. Lay pile of tortilla's from package on a dinner plate and cut through pile to quarter tortillas.
3. Preheat iron skillet to medium high heat, then add either a half inch corn or coconut oil to skillet. When it is bubbling, add one layer of four tortilla quarters to pan.
4. With tongs, check the bottom of the tortilla shells for browning and turn when bottom becomes freckled and bubbled.
5. Pull out of pan when both sides are crisp and speckled. Lay in pie plate on paper towels to absorb the oil. Add more quarters to pan to cook while you sprinkle stevia/cinnamon mixture on top of sopapilla's.
EAT and ENJOY one serving (read package label for amount of serving size. My package said 1 tortilla which equals 4 quarters). Yum!
~~ <> @ <> ~~
SMOOTHIE LUNCH
Into a Magic Bullet cup, I added about 3/4 cup frozen green beans, 1 package (abt. 1/2 cup) chopped pears in juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a couple of tablespoons of frozen blueberries, 1-2 teaspoons of stevia and added milk to top. I pulsed it until everything was chopped into bits and thick and smooth like a shake. I screwed on the cup lip and had to drink it through a bubble tea straw as it was so thick. The green beans gave it a distinctive flavor, but it wasn't that bad actually.
I'm going to keep experimenting.
And last, but not least, a doodled coloring page and a card (to see my card made with one of Mary Engelbreit's rubber stamps, watch the video). January's coloring page has one of my favorite scriptures on it: "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding, it is established: through knowledge its rooms are filled with RARE and beautiful treasures." (Proverbs 24:3,4)
Also, I wanted a bead charm to hang off the side, but if I hung it at the top, then when I flipped the book, it would be at the bottom of the book, but then I decided I didn't care until... the elastic string began to cut into the paper at the bottom of the notebook. My friend, Julie, who loves making books came to the rescue and suggested that I add the string at the middle of the spine, so I used my We R Memories Keeper Big Bite long arm punch to punch a hole and attach a flower eyelet to either side of the spine and then at the center of the signature, I used a pokey tool to punch holes through the paper to line up with the eyelets. I had to use a large eyed needle to thread the elastic through the holes to the center of the signature and tie that off. I cut the ends off about 2 inches or so and glued tiny punched hearts to the ends and added glue to the knot to strengthen it. It's down right cute now.
JANUARY'S page themes are (an index is located on both halves at beginning of each section along with the color of the month - pink). Each circle tab will coordinate with the paper and I'm using a paper clip bookmark to indicate which month I'm currently on.
TITLE PAGE: A Mary Engelbreit card front with quote glued to a piece of cherry scrapbook paper: "The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not Laughed." (Chamfort).
ENVELOPE POCKET: A Mary Engelbreit bookplate that says: "That's what friends are for. To the ends of the Earth. This book belongs to: Dolores J. Rush.
2 PAGE INDEX:
DATED GRATITUDE LIST: with teeny-tiny calendar
GOOD MEMORIES: A List of States that I have lived in or visited -- Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 7:12 = Do to others what you would have them do to you.
Philippians 4: 8 = Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
Documented Faith Scriptures from Stephanie Ackerman = sign up here.
QUOTES:
"Ah, there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." (Jane Austen)
"He (God) wants to sit down and eat with you. After all, He is Lord of the Feasts. Pull up a chair and eat with him." (Alisa Keeton, Revelation Wellness).
"Honey is like tasting the garden." (Angel Strawbridge, Escape to the Chateau)
"Note to Self: Stop letting the pain of my past ruin the happiness of my future. Pssst! Happiness requires letting stuff go. It's time: Let it go." (Stephanie Ackerman).
"Our mess is our message." (Stephanie Ackerman)
"Pray -- Don't Panic." (Stephanie Ackerman).
Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain.
"Sow good services; sweet remembrances will grow from them." (Mde de Stael)
"Spending a little time calculating the number of things that go right is a simple but powerful way to reactivate our sense of wonder and gratitude." (Richard Carlson).
"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." (Carl W. Buechnor)
GOOD NEWS!:
We've had a marriage in the family on January 3, 2020.
MSN Good News computer page
My therapist is expecting!
Attended a diet class with my husband. Learned a lot, not only about diabetes but also my metabolic disease - PCOS.
And our son has a new job that's closer to home. Yay! He was driving 60 miles back and forth to work.
BOOKS READ!
Believe! Illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. 1993.
Thank You. Illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. 1993.
GLUEBOOK PAGE: I glued bits and bobs of packaging and rubber stamped images from Mary Engelbreit illustrations that I've keep in my craft stash to create with.
FAVORITE (Herbal) TEAS: Glue book page for envelopes of my favorite tea brands. Now that caffeine has been removed from my diet, I've had to find substitutes for my favorite flavors of hot (& cold) drinks -- Bigelow Orange & Spice is one and another is called Numi Gratitude (tastes like chai tea).
I DID IT!: Persons of the ADD/ADHD persuasion, such as myself, do better with a "I DID IT" lists rather than an overwhelming to do list. I'll have to remember to date each thing as I complete it, cause I forgot several of them. To the bottom of the page, I added a small Tracker chart to check off as I Armchair Bike everyday (to make it less onerous, I watch a video on YouTube and pedal away.) According to the Mayo Clinic website, exercise helps to improve your positive outlook on life and relieve stress, so since this is a positivity journal, I think this should be added in as well, don't you think? Now to remember to do it. One of the things I did and can check off is that I doodled 37 images from Marsha Baker's list! Yay!
EVENTS: Since several members of my husband's family were sick and passing it around during the Christmas holidays, we had Christmas together mid-January after everyone finally got well. We also were able to attend church every Sunday this month and we attended that diet class. And I listed the craft events I completed last year in 2019.
NEW RECIPES: I miss eating Taco Bell's sopapilla's, so made my own. (Pssst! My doctors have suggested that my eating pattern should change to the Mediterranean Diet. According to the internet, Spanish food differs from Mexican, however, little steps at a time.)
1/2 cup cinnamon powder
1/2 cup of stevia in the raw
1 package of sugar free Mexican flour tortilla's
a mixture of half stevia and half cinnamon powder.
1. Mix both the cinnamon powder and stevia in the raw together in a small bowl and funnel into a cocktail shaker jar. Screw on shaker lid and set to the side of a pie plate lined with a paper towel or two.
2. Lay pile of tortilla's from package on a dinner plate and cut through pile to quarter tortillas.
3. Preheat iron skillet to medium high heat, then add either a half inch corn or coconut oil to skillet. When it is bubbling, add one layer of four tortilla quarters to pan.
4. With tongs, check the bottom of the tortilla shells for browning and turn when bottom becomes freckled and bubbled.
5. Pull out of pan when both sides are crisp and speckled. Lay in pie plate on paper towels to absorb the oil. Add more quarters to pan to cook while you sprinkle stevia/cinnamon mixture on top of sopapilla's.
EAT and ENJOY one serving (read package label for amount of serving size. My package said 1 tortilla which equals 4 quarters). Yum!
~~ <> @ <> ~~
SMOOTHIE LUNCH
Into a Magic Bullet cup, I added about 3/4 cup frozen green beans, 1 package (abt. 1/2 cup) chopped pears in juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a couple of tablespoons of frozen blueberries, 1-2 teaspoons of stevia and added milk to top. I pulsed it until everything was chopped into bits and thick and smooth like a shake. I screwed on the cup lip and had to drink it through a bubble tea straw as it was so thick. The green beans gave it a distinctive flavor, but it wasn't that bad actually.
I'm going to keep experimenting.
And last, but not least, a doodled coloring page and a card (to see my card made with one of Mary Engelbreit's rubber stamps, watch the video). January's coloring page has one of my favorite scriptures on it: "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding, it is established: through knowledge its rooms are filled with RARE and beautiful treasures." (Proverbs 24:3,4)
