Mental Health - Kathleen

Thanksgiving Break is started!!

Hi everyone! It's Kathleen here, and because I live in America, Thanksgiving is this Thursday! I'm so excited, it's one of my favorite holidays. We always have the most delicious array of food; Turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows, green mountain fluff (sprite, marshmallows, pineapple, walnuts) gravy, fresh bread, cranberry sauce, apple stuffing, pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie, pecan pie, and coconut cream pie. It's a bit much but it's delicious.

Pretty much all year round I'm stressed. This lessens during the summer and heightens right around this time of year. I don't really know why I get more stressed this time of year, but it probably has to do something with school and less time for me to pay attention to my mental state. So I'm going to share a few of my tips for combating stress and improving my daily mental health.

To start out, whenever I'm feeling down, I like to read a few quotes that help me re-focus and evaluate what I need to do to get back to myself.

"Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more." Mother Teresa

It's okay if every weekend doesn't lead to big moments and campfires and laughter that carries on for hours and hours. Some weekends might be quite, still, with plenty of room to contemplate. And in that contemplation room, there is room to grow. So hold those weekends dear. Don't see them as less or as threats to the more exciting times. There is beauty and truth even in the seemingly mundane." -Morgan Harper Nichols

"I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. They way you drink your drinks, How you decorate your home. Or party. The way your write your grocery list. The food you make. How your handwriting looks. And the way you feel." - Unkown (via awwyeahquotes)

"We rise by lifting others." - Unknown to me (hunting louise)

"Don't forget to love the way you want to be loved, listen the way you want to be heard, speak the way you want to be spoken to, give the way you hope others will give, care the way you want others to care because change doesn't start with them. It stars right here." - Madalyn Beck

"You think attention is love, and that's why you suffer so deeply." - The Better Man Project

First up: Self-esteem, because belief it or not, your self-esteem/body-image affects your mental health insanely. If I'm not feeling confident in my body, I think of one thing. If I'm not doing anything to change the way I feel about my body, then I can't complain, because complaining isn't going to do anything. Whenever I'm in a funk, I go on a run. I do try to go to the gym, or even just do a bedroom workout. Besides doing something about the way you feel about your body, exercising gets your endorphins going and that also makes you happier.

My surroundings also change the way I feel. I try and keep my room clean. Usually my to duvet makes me super warm at night, so I've started taking it off before I go to sleep and draping it over my desk chair. I still have 3 layers of blankets so I'm plenty warm. Then when I wake up in the morning, I have to make my bed because I literally can't do anything with this humongous blanket draped over my chair. Then once my bed is made I have to clean everything else up because otherwise everything looks out of place.

The next thing is so important, in fact, my mental state relies on this almost 100%. When I do my school, I make sure that I'm doing what needs to be done that day, and then working on anything extra. When I have a paper due and I would much rather procrastinate, I get to it and completely ignore the fact that I would much rather be on Pinterest. Then when I'm done, I feel so much better and my assignment is turned in. This honestly cures so much stress because the longer you procrastinate on anything, the more stressed you feel. That being said, another rule I have is that I never work past 8 P.M. This prevents me from working too late and getting a headache.

My last important mental health/stress-relief tip is to pamper yourself a little bit. I always take my time to wash my face with a scrub, cleanser, and moisturizer. I always do a lip scrub and swipe on so much chap stick. I use a homemade lip scrub; I made it a really long time ago, but I think it is coconut oil, sugar, and peppermint oil. I then use some Burt's Bees ( Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E and Peppermint) then I use my Body Shop (Born Lippy, Strawberry) Lip Balm. If I have any chill time, I will light a candle and do a facemask. Sometimes I write a blog post, others I just lay down and not do anything. I love using the Yes To Tomatoes Charcoal Sheet Mask. It literally clears my skin SOOO well. It's also very refreshing.

That's it for my relaxing/Mental Health tips. Obviously this wasn't intended to help with anything serious; it's just how I keep my life relatively stress-free.

Tell me what your plans are for Thanksgiving this year, and I will see you next week!

Kathleen

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com 

Fall Favorites and College Visit - Kathleen

OMG I saw Thor: Ragnarok on Friday and it was amazing!!!

Hola my lovely readers!

Fall is in full swing now and I'm definitely feeling the cold! Coats are a necessity now in most of Illinois and I absolutely love it. I pulled my leather boots out and I'm wearing sweaters pretty much all the time now and it's soooo cozy!

As you may know, I visited Benedictine College last weekend. It was amazing, to say the least. We left at 6 AM on Friday morning, which was excruciating because I had to get up at 5 AM. I was going to try and drive all the way to the college in Atchison, Kansas which is about 5 hours away. We met lots of students and took a tour of the campus. I got to meet with the chairman of the Journalism/Mass Communications major I'm interested in, and he really helped me feel better about what I want to major in. The girl who took me to the building was so sweet; she offered to show me her freshman dorm! It was so cute and cozy, and both her and her roommate had their own walk-in-closet. My closet isn't that big, so I could literally bring my whole wardrobe! Later on, I met with my confirmation sponsor over lunch and she took me to see her art studio on campus. I attached some pictures below.

The older half of campus.

Atchison is a tiny town in Kansas, this is about 10 minutes out of downtown.

Earlier, I was talking about how cold it is here. Because of that, I'm going to do my fall favorites now instead of later because fall is very quickly turning into winter. I only have two things so it should be super quick!

First thing is the Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub. It "targets what clogs pores and clears away impurities leaving you with a healthy-looking complexion and noticeably softer, smoother skin after just one use." This does exactly what it says it does. I swear, this has saved my skin. During the summer, my skin is clearer. This could be because of a few reasons: I am working out more, spending more time outside, and less stressing out because of school. During the school year, my skin is usually much more spotty. Right now, my skin is just as clear as it is during the summer. I feel 100% confident going somewhere without makeup. I HIGHLY recommend this.

Last is the Makeup Revolution Flawless 3 Resurrection palette. Oh ma goodness. This palette has the prettiest nude colors. I think my favorite shades are Castle, Sublime, and New Dawn. The colors are very pigmented and there is soo little fall out. For $15, it's an amazing palette.

Thank you so much for reading! Comment down below any of your college plans or what you want to major in!

Kathleen

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Let's Just Chat - Kathleen

Sometimes I feel like the posts I write, while very often on schedule and grammatically correct, they aren't very personal...

Hey guys!!!! How are you! I hope you are all having a wonderful month so far, we are almost half-way through! Comment down below and tell me what you are doing for Halloween or if you are dressing up. I am going to be Meg from Hercules.

Anyways, today I thought I would just kind of chat with you, I want to just talk and get to know you all, because you all hear from me pretty much weekly, but I never hear from most of you. (Some of us are actually friends who I talk to often)

So lately I been doing a lot of school and it's actually a little better than last year. To be brutally honest, last year I was a bit of a slacker, and while my Latin situation was not ideal, I can't blame all of last year on that. I had a pretty rough winter, what with my grandma dying somewhat unexpectedly and then a week after her funeral we left on a 4 day (round trip) drive to Washington DC for the March for Life where I think I hurt my knee and had a really rough time walking around DC. I'm so grateful for my amazing teachers who were all so understanding, however, I know I could have done better. Because of how behind I was, I started procrastinated on school (because I was lazy) then I got more behind and piled up, which resulted in me cramming on everything and just trying to pass classes, which by my standards is getting Bs.

So last year was a really crappy year, which scared me a lot. What with college prep coming up, I definitely feel the pressure to get good grades and stay on top of anything. So I resolved to take good, thorough notes and submit every assignment the day the assignment was due. I took that super seriously during the first maybe 10 weeks which resulted in me exhausting myself and, honestly, working way too hard. I laid of a little bit so I wasn't over-working myself, but still getting good grades and working hard. So this year has, so far, been much better than last year.

Speaking of college, Mom and I are going to Atchison, Kansas to visit Benedictine College. I'm interested in a major in Communications and they also have a minor in Film Studies. I'm also interested in Ave Maria (in Ave Maria, Florida) , they also have a major in Communications and also a minor in Family and Society, which I thought would be VERY beneficial for when I have kids/start a family. Lastly, St. Katherine's in St. Paul, Minnesota has a major in Communications and also Family and Consumer Science. That encompasses both the family and the blogger/I-don't-know-what-to-call-it-but-I-have-it-in-my-head. So those are my college thoughts.

I haven't been doing any activities outside of school for various reasons. I stopped taking piano lessons. It wasn't that I hated piano and it also wasn't because I didn't like my teacher. My piano teacher was amazing, and I love her teaching techniques. I honestly think, she is the best piano teacher I know and it would be hard to top her. The are a few, simple reasons why I stopped taking lessons. A) College is coming up. I'm not planning on majoring in any music, so I want to focus on getting ready for it. B) I wasn't feeling the motivation to keep working and pushing ahead. I was feeling like a machine plunking out notes and not feeling any passion towards the music. Many pianists (or any musician) go through this, but normally in phases. I've gone through phases of not enjoying it, but this one was lasting something around six months, which is crazy. I decided to take a break. I'm super glad I did. I still play a little here and there, in fact, because I took a break, I'm so much happier playing now than I was. I'm working on Perfect by Ed Sheeran. (but the piano music is by The Piano Guys) If any of you are curious about a good sheet music website, I can tell you about one.

So that's a little bit about my life right now; I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me a little about your life!


WAIT WAIT WAIT!!

I have an announcement to make.

So. Last year you may remember that we did Blogmas. This year we won't be doing it. It was so much fun and I loved all the festive everything, but it was sooooo much work.  I think with less posts, the festivity in each post will be upped a bit.

So.

Yeah.

My Nightime Routine - Kathleen

Fall is here and I'm soooooo excited I would type in caps but that kind of annoys people I've heard...

Hello my lovely readers!! I have come to grace you with another blog post. It's fall and I've been feeling very cozy lately. Watching people's nighttime routines always makes me feel even more cozy so I am sharing mine with you. Lets get started!

I know this may seem early for many people, but honestly I have a somewhat old soul/brain. I go to sleep at 9:30 and 5:45 is generally the time of day I either start relaxing for the night or I go to a friends house. So I'm either chilling out, or going crazy having fun with friends: one or the other, there is no in-between. So after I eat dinner and clean up my desk, I get in the shower.

 I have been loving the JASON Normalizing Tea Tree shampoo. It helps regulate dandruff and itch which I love. Whenever I rinse my hair I feel like I have mermaid hair, but I've talked about the shampoo a few times before. My body wash is Tutti Dolci Golden Honey Praline from Bath and Body Works. I got it right around Independence Day when they had a big sale, so it was three dollars for a full size and I was like, "Yes please!!"

After I get out of the shower I slather some of NIVEA's Post Shave Balm on my legs. Yes it is a men's product, no I'm not a freak, yes it works soo well. I don't have any poke-y hairs and it's been 2 days since I shaved. Plus it moisturizes and helps keep my skin looking vibrant and not pale like are in the fall/winter. I also put a little Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing gel in my hair. Guess what. This is a men's product to. But really it's not like it does anything special for men's hair that a girl wouldn't want. It helps prevent frizz, add shine, and makes your natural highlights stand out. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I've seen an extra vibrancy to my hair and the red-ish highlights are standing out so much in the right light.

After this I put on some comfy clothes. This sweater is a pinky/beige sweater I got at Sears, but it's by Simply Styled. I love this brand, all their clothes are so soft and comfy. I also put on my floral drop shorts. I know you wouldn't normally wear a sweater with shorts but it is super comfy and sometimes long sleeves AND pants make me a little sweaty.

Mom just got back from the grocery store and she brought home a caramel-chocolate-pecan caramel apple so I had to have some of that. Let me tell you: this was the best thing I have EVER tried. You all should eat them, or make them or whatever. Just get your hands on them somehow!

Now. If you were here about a year ago, you will remember my obsession with all things Department 56. And if you were keen, you will notice above the picture of my chocolate-caramel-apple-pecan-delicious-diabetes-ness had a Department 56 house in the background. If you are KEEN (capital letters KEEN) you will notice that it had lights inside of it. You will then remember that I could not put lights in the Dept. 56 houses last year. Well I figured it out this time. That got me a little excited. So my project tonight was to make sure all the Christmas lightbulbs worked.

I pulled all twelve houses out.

All 12 houses worked.

It's October.

By now it was about 9pm so it was time for me to get ready to go to bed. I headed into the bathroom to wash my face. I have been using Biore's Pore Unclogging Scrub to gently exfoliate my face. I can't even describe why I love this so much. But give me time because it will be in my favorites. My skin is always soooo soft I literally feel like a baby. Then I cleanse with AVEDA's Botanical Kinetics Purifying Cleansing Crème. I've already said a lot about my cleanser so I won't say much about that.

So then I just get into my jammies and cozy in bed with a good book until I fall asleep.

I really hope you enjoyed this post because I had so much fun writing it!!! Leave a comment down below telling me what your favorite fall snack is!!

Kathleen Pederson

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Morning Routine - Kathleen

Wowza. School is not fun.

Hey guys! I just had a massively productive day and then I got a ton of ideas for blog posts.

Today I'm doing a Morning Routine post. Lets just get right to it!

First thing I normally do in the morning is washing my hair. It really helps wake me up if I do it with cold water. Plus this makes me shiny. I also really love this shampoo; it really cleans my hair and I can feel it freshened and clean. Then the conditioner makes my hair feel like mermaid hair. I love it. The tea tree makes my hair smell amazing as well.

Then I eat breakfast. I didn't take a picture of this, but I had cinnamon toast and melon. Delicious. Not necessarily healthy...

Right after breakfast, I take wash my face. This starts with me brushing my teeth and then using my mouth wash. Then I wash my face with the Aveda Purifying Crème Cleanser. It's moisturizing and cleansing, and also smells amazing. I use the coldest water I possibly can because it wakes me up and it closes my pores. I'm pretty sure everyone does that though. :D

After I finish washing my face and getting dressed, I put on some hand lotion and chap-stick. Now I'm ready for the day. Now that my morning routine is done I can start school.

I always make my bed before starting school because then my room is cleaner and my productivity goes wayyy up. So yeah.

Comment down below and tell me what your morning staples are. So, that's my morning routine, I hope you enjoyed it!

Kathleen

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Study Tips -Emma

Hello everyone! Since school has just started again (insert crying face here), I thought I would share some study tips with you all! These are all things that I do that really help me stay motivated to study, and more importantly- get good grades. 

Tip #1: Turn off distractions
It's important to turn off your T.V, cell phone, radio, and to study in a quiet space where you won't be bothered while studying. If you don't want to turn off your phone completly, put it on do not disturb and put it somewhere out of sight. Those text messages can wait until later!

Tip #2: Take frequent breaks
Studying for 15-30 minutes at a time with 10 minute breaks in between is the most effective way of studying. You'll be much more focused and motivated to study, and you will memorize information much easier. Just make sure to use your break time wisely. For example, instead of watching a show on Netflix, eat a snack and check social media. If you sit down and start watching Pretty Little Liars, you know you won't be getting back to studying anytime soon.

Tip #3: Make colorful notes
Using colorful index cards and highlighting topics in different colors has been proven to help you remember things. Index cards are great for memorizing definitions, or you can make up your own questions and quiz youself with them. 

Tip #4: Reward yourself
When I'm studying for a long period of time, I like to reward myself with candy after I finish a certain amount of work. For example, if I have to read 3 chapters in my Science textbook and take notes, I will get a Reece's peanut butter cup after I complete each chapter. It just helps me stay motivated to keep going.  (Plus, eating chocolate while studying has been proven to help the brain retain information!)

Tip #5: Make a playlist
Some people find it hard to concentrate when it's completly silent. The perfect solution to this is making a study playlist on Spotify. You can either make your own, or listen to one of Spotify's premade playlists. I listen to "Intense Studying". You wouldn't believe how much it helps me concentrate. If you're making your own playlist, just make sure they are non-lyrical songs. Those will just distract you even more. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post! Let me know what helps you study in the comments below. 

Until next week..

-Emma

Breakfast on the Go - Kathleen

Hi guys!!

This is Kathleen from the past because Kathleen from the present just got back from camping and probably horseback riding. I was at Camp Ondessonk for the eclipse on Monday.

Since school has started, (or is starting for some) I figured I would write a post about some on the go breakfast ideas. Insert a random mom talking about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But seriously, it is. Aside from breakfast giving you essential nutrients and vitamins (shouldn't every meal?) having a good breakfast can determine your mood for the day. For example: you are running out the door and don't have time for anything but a piece of toast. No butter, no jelly, just toast. How are you going to feel emotionally after that? Like a crab. On the flipside, if you got to sit down and eat a delicious meal (heehee, it only took you five minutes) that fills you up just enough and gives you key nutrients, one would probably feel much happier and awake.

So, today I am going to show you just how many breakfasts you can make and eat in 15 minutes. Let's go.

#1 Oatmeal

When I used to think of oatmeal, I thought of mush that didn't taste good without too much maple syrup. Now I really like it. I like putting strawberries, blueberries and chia seeds on it. Besides toppings, finding a healthy oatmeal to make is tricky. Lots of different oatmeals put too many sugars and sweeteners in them. I really like the Think Thin oatmeal. They come in portioned packages. They are super easy to make and are a quick, healthy breakfast that will keep you full and awake!

#2 Toaster Waffles

SHOCKER!!! Healthy toaster waffles!! Seriously, Kashi has Gluten Free/Vegan toaster waffles. Guys they taste delicious!! I like putting blackberries and honey on mine, but they have suggestions on the back as to other toppings such as peanut butter, bananas, and chia seeds. They are super easy to make and honestly guilt-free!

#3 Toast

Now I know what you are thinking, "Kathleen, you just said that eating a piece of toast on the way out the door is not good for you." But this is different. This is heaven on a slice of bread. People. Trust me. Toast a whole slice of bread. Spread peanut butter over it (thin layer) cut up any fruit, drizzle on some honey, generously sprinkle some chia seeds. Oh my Lord, it's so easy and soo good. Look at it like this, if you use whole wheat bread, (like I do) you get your grains, your protein, and your fruits, all on one piece of toast. What could be better?! And you can literally put whatever fruit  you want on it, it really is a seasonal thing. I love putting peaches on it. But you could use strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas, melon, or even cranberries. The options are endless. I highly recommend that you make this for breakfast tomorrow.

Now you don't have an excuse for not sitting down and eating breakfast!! And if you are so late that you can't even make these, you need to read my last post on school organization.

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me in the comments what your favorite breakfast item is!

Kathleen

Back to School Tips and Organization - Kathleen

Hi readers!!

Sorry for the late post, I've been a little busy and the bridal shower I was at yesterday ran a little late.

Anyways! School is starting soon and to be honest, I'm actually kind of excited!! It's been a great summer but I'm excited to have more of a schedule and a more predictable life. As much as a love the sun and extra exercise I get in the summer, leaves and sweaters and fall is my favorite season and school comes along with that. :D

So today I have some a list of some back to school tips and organizing that I like to do! Let's get started!

Tip #1
Have your backpack packed before you go to bed the night before school.

We all know it's hard to get up in the morning, especially on the first day of school. Have backpack ready to go in the morning. This makes you feel confident that you have everything and you are well prepared. And actually, if you do this, you are less likely to forget something because you weren't throwing stuff in your bag and then running out the door.

If you are homeschooled (like me!) you won't have a backpack. In this case I would suggest making sure you know where all your books are and know what the syllabus says the day before. Having all the books where you need them the day before is honestly awesome. It makes things so much easier.

Tip #2
Pamper yourself the night before.

Exfoliate, do a face mask, (nothing major maybe just a moisturizing or a little something to make you feel squeaky clean) and maybe do your nails just so they look nice. Pampering yourself the night before helps you feel confident. You will know you look good. Just make sure to clean of the zit cream if you used it. :P

Tip #3
Make sure you have any required work done before and that it is ready to turn in.

This is kind of a no-brainer, but how many times do you forget homework during the school year? Yeah. So just make sure its ready, and don't start the day before school begins.

Luckily for us homeschoolers, Required work to be turned in the first day of school is usually non-existent :D

Tip #4
Have an alarm set for the next morning.

Put it across the room from you. When you turn it off. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR BED. Go to the bathroom and immediately make your breakfast. When you do this, you won't feel like getting back in bed because you are already awake!

Even though I'm homeschooled, I still wake up at 6 am. That way I have two comfortable hours to eat breakfast, take a shower, maybe go to the gym, and then get started on school. I highly recommend this even if you know you don't need 2 hours (I don't know when your school starts or when you have to leave) because then you could do something a little extra like eat your breakfast outside or something.

Tip #5
Don't look at your phone.

If you read the mindful eating tips, they say not to read or look at your phone while you are eating. This is because when you read or look at your phone, you aren't paying enough attention to the kind of food you are eating, how much you are eating, or your mental health. I like to take this a step further and not look at my phone until I'm completely ready for the day.

I've been doing this more often and I can honestly say that the extra time the adds, and the positive influence makes me so much more positive. When we look at today's society and think about how much of it is social media based or geared, it's kind of scary. People go places just so they can take a cool picture. The want that cool picture so they can get the views, the comments, the likes. Now I love to take a cool picture. But I won't take a picture and post it somewhere (if I had an Instagram... Mom...) just so that I can get big numbers. I will take it and post it because I like the way it looks and I'm proud of it.

Tip #6
Make sure you have one spot for all your classes.

As you can see, I'm taking four online classes this year: Bible Study, Medieval History and Literature, Chemistry, and Latin.

I use two binders a year. One for first semester and one for second semester. I always make sure to keep all my work for all my classes in that one binder that way I don't get lazy and stick an assignment in another classes folder. It won't get lost and I'm more organized.

Tip #7

Have your syllabi in the corresponding section of your binder.

By doing this, you always have your assignment schedule with your assignments and you will always know where it is. I like to put my teachers name, email, and the class link at the top of the first page of each syllabus. That way if the site isn't working I know the link.

Tip #8

Make your binders and notebooks look cute.

I just bought some cute scrapbook at Joann's fabrics and used double sided tape to apply it to the notebook. I wrote a DIY about it on International BFFs. (Link beneath the signature)

I really think that having your supplies look good really makes a difference in your attitude throughout the day and it just makes me feel like a happier person.

Tip #9

Keep your room clean.

This is incredibly important for me because I'm homeschooled. When my surroundings are a mess (bed is in-made, laundry in a big pile, and I haven't even gotten dressed yet) my school is usually a mess too. In the beginning, it's hard to get used to, but when you get in the routine it's easier. Your laundry doesn't sit in a huge pile because you do it every weekend. You don't want to have a big clean up session on a Saturday so you just start putting things away the first time. I adopted this policy of only having 15 minutes to clean up on Saturdays, and it makes me keep my room clean throughout the week.

Thank you so much for reading!! I hope this post helped you feel a little more ready

Kathleen

DIY Notebooks - Kathleen (IBFFs)