IT’S BIRTHDAY WEEK, BITCHESSSSS!!!
*By the way, I don’t like broad statements like the one in the title.
Ten things you should ALWAYS have.
I mean, how do I know what you should always have? What if your idea of always is completely different than mine?
Maybe the title should be Ten Things You May Want to Have Near Your Vicinity?
It’s my birthday month and I am using prompts written by someone else to guide me this month in my post writing journey.
What does that mean for me? Less thinking.
What does that mean for you? Less reading.
It’s a win-win.
This week’s prompts are:
Ten things you should always have AND my preferred method of communication.
Ten things you should always have may want to have in your vicinity
Disclaimer- I won’t be saying things like LOVE, PEACE, FAMILY because we all know those are things you would like to have but a lot of those things are unattainable for many people so it seems kind of rude to say stuff like that.
1- Plants
Those pictures above are just some of the plants that reside in my home. But over the past couple of years, I have begun a love affair with plants. They are pretty to look at, make it feel like summer inside of your home year-round, and they are good for your mental being. AND they don’t cost a lot of money and are pretty easy to take care of.
Just don’t forget to water them, so do it on the same day each week.
2- Comfortable shoes
Those up there are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned, I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on them too which is good because at first, I was afraid they would look like old lady shoes. Why? Because the word comfort oftentimes equals orthopedic.
I got these on Amazon for $29.99 (affiliate) last fall and am planning on treating myself to another pair in a different color.
I’m thinking pink.
3- A weekly/monthly planner
I have trouble remembering things and staying organized without writing stuff down.
So these bad boys….
…have saved my life. I keep one on my desk (for the blog and online things) and another on my kitchen counter (for the rest of our lives).
I have tried calendar apps over and over but nothing works like the good old fashioned ones and honestly, it is like a journal of my year, so I kind of love the hell out of these things and think you might too.
But if you know of an app that keeps you this organized, I would love to hear about it.
4- A felt board
I’ve talked about my felt boards enough on the blog, so I won’t go into detail. But I think you might love one and no, you don’t have to feel pressured to change it all the ding dang time. YOU DO YOU.
5- A salt lamp
Salt lamps are supposedly good to remove icky crap out of your space but I just like the light they create; very serene. You can get them on Amazon (affiliate) or even at places like Kohls, Marshall’s, and Target.
6- Another living thing in your home other than yourself
If you don’t have a husband or children (or even if you do), you really need to get yourself something other than you to take care of, love on, pass off some of your energy to. Be that a dog, a cat, a hamster, or even feeding the birdies or squirrels outside. It is good for the soul.
7- Music playing in your world for at least part of your day
Pandora is one of my favorite free ways to listen to music throughout the day. I mostly listen to it through our television but I also have the app on my phone and laptop as well. You will have to sit through the commercials with the free version but it’s only one ad per every five to six songs; much better than the radio.
8- An outlet
Not an electrical outlet, although those are something you really need to have these days. No, I am talking about a creative outlet. Drawing, writing, painting, tattoo artistry, listening to your favorite band, etc. Don’t let someone tell you your outlet is a waste of time, especially as an adult. It never is.
9- A box of brownie mix
I know this sounds crazy, but whenever I have someone over for dinner and want to make a dessert, I get more excited than I would like to admit about having a box of brownie mix in my pantry. Brownies are easy, most everyone loves them, and you can get brownie mix at places like Aldi for less than a dollar at times. Sure, I can make brownies from scratch, but sometimes it’s just easier to use a mix. Life can be complicated, a box of brownie mix sometimes just makes it better.
10- Sunlight/outdoor light
I see a lot of homes in my neighborhood with their curtains eternally closed and I think, my God how are you surviving? Just like the plants I mentioned earlier in the post, humans need sunlight/natural light to survive. I can’t imagine a day without natural light streaming in my home. Even on winter days, I have my blinds open, my curtains pulled all the way back, in every single room. Do I want to see the gray outside? Not necessarily but it is outdoor light, no matter, and I need that. And so do you.
My preferred method of communication
This is pretty much all you need to know:
This page includes affiliate links as I am a part of the Amazon affiliate program.
A Grace Full Life 
I am awful at keeping plants alive but I do love having them around. I throw open all the curtains and blinds every morning and we have HUGE windows to let in as much light as possible.
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I used to be that way with plants! I still have trouble sometimes, maybe it depends on the plant?
Thank goodness for natural light. Natures therapy. 🙂
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I could not stop laughing at the lady on the shoe link. Why does she look so terrified to be holding them? She looks like someone is holding her for ransom! If I have a “to do” list on the computer, it will NEVER get done. It’s all digital clutter and if I close it by accident or restart, yeah, it never sees the light of day. Paper all the way.
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I cannot for the life of me find the lady! Send me a screenshot!
Paper. All. The. Way.
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Excellent list, though I have black thumbs rather than green. Jim is the plant-waterer around here and we currently have none IN the house! LOL!
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This used to be me too! I think it honestly has to do with the plant type? I have had plenty of fails, poor little plants may they rest in peace. 🙂
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You know how I feel about keeping the curtains open and letting in natural light!
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See? Same aesthetic! 🙂
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Oh girlfriend, I’m totally with you on the plants, sunlight and curtains wide open, brownies, comfy shoes, handwritten planners, music (we have Spotify), pets…though I don’t have a felt board or a salt lamp. I do have a couple of essential oil diffusers though. Does that count?
Hope you’re birthday week is off to a fantastic start!
xoxo
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HOW DID I FORGET A DIFFUSER?????? Make that 11 things you should always have!
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I totally agree with all of those Kari! I look at people’s houses with closed blinds ALL the time & think the same thing. How can they stand the dark, or just room lights all the time? Depressing!
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I think for some, it’s a privacy thing and I get that. But I couldn’t live that way at all.
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What a great list. I have to agree with you on most of these. I have to confess my You Tube channel is on all day with music. I couldn’t live without it. And the other living thing looked exactly like my dog. How did you get a photo of him Kari?
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My husband listens to YouTube in the car! I always forget to use that for music.
Buddy looks like your dog??
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Hilarious! I love your post! I have a salt lamp on my kitchen counter and I am constantly moving it for pics for the blog….sigh, gonna have to move it somewhere else. It just doesn’t look right standing there in my recipe shot! lol
I might have to try those sneakers, I am a sketchers fan and they look similar yet cheaper.
Found you on Wine’d Down Wednesday 😁
melissa
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They are just as comfortable as Skechers but SO much cheaper!
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What happened to me? I was reading this, started to comment, and then poof two days later. I think it was the fussy baby I was watching that demanded I not comment in a timely manner. By the way, birthday-month lover – when is the ACTUAL day? Are you going to share that?
I dig those shoes!! I am very partial to incredibly comfortable shoes. My favorites tend to be really pricey. Fly London. Donald Pliner. Methophisto. (no idea how to spell that and too lazy to go look inside my smelly shoe). I fee like a name dropper. I manage to not buy shoes often so that I can justify the purchase of these kind of shoes, but I do wait until I find them on sale. Thank you, Von Maur.
I should totally play music more often in my house, but I always forget. Tank’s alexa is on the kitchen counter, but I am not totally sure how to play music thru it. Besides, why would I interfere with his ability to SPEAK TO ME FROM SCHOOL – OR LISTEN TO MY CONVERSATIONS WHILE HE IS AT SCHOOL? True.
Writing is my outlet. That and working out. I kill plants- I mean, not intentionally. I am not evil. I have never heard of a slat lamp. Honestly, I don’t get out much. I do not have a date planner -but just a handy dandy notebook. I write the date at the top of the page. I keep my grocery list and my stuff I gotta do listed in there. I shove paper reminders and receipts and other important papers in there, so it looks super important (also, very messy – depending on who you are).
And, you remember- I cannot have a felt board because my kids would put up obscenities (they learned from me, but still) and insults on it.
I would add to that – sleep. That is my top 10 – do not leave home without it – favorite thing e.v.e.r. I also must have a giant water cup with a straw wherever I go. If we ever opened the fridge as kids, my dad would hear from a mile away and start hollering, ‘DRINK WATER!’ It worked. I drink lots of water.
Well, now I am glad I didn’t try to comment while burping Mr. Fussy-Face – I would have had to limit my thoughts. Never a good thing, right? Happy birthday – has it passed or is it still happening – are we still celebrating? When are we eating cake?
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The actual day is Sunday the 28th!
So working out is also an outlet for me but I ended up doing something to my elbow because I am 80 now and can’t work out this week. I am also struggling to type which is affecting my writing, another outlet. WT actual F??
Also, you need a felt board for precisely that reason.
YESSS to drinking water. I drink so.much.water each day. I also pee.so.very.often each day as well.
WE ARE ALWAYS CELEBRATING. 🙂
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Ooooh, pink shoes! You and your fancy feet. I think I SHOULD have all of these things. And our girls come home soon (which means I dont need a goldfish just yet) 😉
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I am counting the days…..:)
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I like plants but tend to kill them pretty quickly. I own a salt lamp but forget to turn it on. Those pink shoes are cute.
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You are making me laugh. Also, if you lick your lamp and it doesn’t taste like salt, it isn’t the real deal. Maybe if you lick it, you will remember to turn it on! 🙂
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The worst five words in existence: time for a quick call? Ugh, just text me like a normal human being! No joke, a friend of mine asked me to give him a call yesterday, and I texted him saying that I was pretty busy (which I wasn’t) but I’d call when I could (which I didn’t).
Also, I have two plants in my house, which is more than I have ever had, and I absolutely love them! I literally said hi to them this morning, because I was so happy to see them. And I have yet to buy curtains. I want to buy them, I really do, especially at night when there is nothing but blackness on the other side of the glass. But I just can’t bring myself to do it. Because of laziness, but also because of sunlight!
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EXACTLY. I think it also depends on the person. If it is my mom, dad, husband, oldest daughter or Rebecca? Then I am totally down for a phone convo.
I talk to mine too! In fact, I talk to all plants and flowers. I honestly think it makes a difference. Oh and also, name them. For real.
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