Friday, January 31, 2014

DIY: Daily Planner

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to post a little project I did and am still working on. Hopefully, people can make their own since I am posting this on the last day of January meaning people probably went out and bought their own planner/agenda by now. If anyone follows me on Twitter @friendlvr then you probably saw me talking about the Wreck This Journal books, which have suddenly become popular, even more than they already were. Anyways, I have a bunch of notebooks in my possession that I haven't used and wanted to use in some way, maybe one day I'll make my own homemade Wreck This Journal, but for now I have made my own planner. Now I know it isn't perfect or amazing, but I think that as the year progresses it will look way better. If I remember to do it at the end of the year I'll post pictures of what it looks like, hopefully it looks tattered, busted, beaten, used, and overall beautiful. 

Step 1:
Find a notebook that has plenty of pages that you wouldn't mind carrying around everywhere you go and looking at every single day of the year...
 My notebook is actually a diary from the 90s that I bought and had in my collection. I added a picture of my nephews to the already included section on the cover. You can decorate your cover or leave as is depending on the notebook you choose. 

Step 2:
Go through each page and write out, stamp, or paste a sticker with the date. It will take time if you wrote it out like me, but once you are done you can also add tabs, of each month, to your planner using anything you have, I used post it notes that I just folded over. 


Step 3 (optional):
In order to open the planner without looking for the page you left off on, add a bookmark. Luckily, my notebook already had a ribbon on it so I added the beads at the end of it to add a personal touch. 
Step 4: 
Add due dates, to do lists, and anything else you want to remember on a daily basis. Personalize your planner by drawing pictures, adding stickers, and using fancy writing. 

That's about it you can add more things to your planner as the year goes by. 

If anyone made their own planner or is planning to make one let me know, if you have a Twitter send me a picture and use the hash-tag #thelifeof713 in order for me and anyone else reading to find all the creative planners our little community has made.

-mabel

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

What's in my Bag?

*College Student Edition*

Hello Everyone!
Today I wanted to share what I have in my backpack because during Blogmas I said I would share a picture of my backpack which I received as a gift. Instead of just posting a picture of it, I wanted to actually use the bag and then share my thoughts on it. Basically, I am in love with this bag, it looks so small, yet it fits in a lot of things and it rarely gets heavy. It has so many compartments, I don't use all the pockets, but just knowing that I can have a space for everything and anything that I need to carry is a great feeling. Not only is the bag great, but so is the pattern, I can never get tired of that pattern. Enjoy the pictures and if you like the backpack I will find a link to where you can get it or similar bags I can find. 

  In the front pocket I have a coin purse that contains little hair rubber-bands,  a black mustache midi-ring, a pair of scissors, a glue stick, a pack of Clorets gum,  a container full of hair pins, and two packs of Tylenol. In that same pocket I have my Mint EOS lip balm, a pack of  mints, a stapler,  and my class class schedule just scattered in the pocket.


In the big pocket I have my orange binder, a notebook, my homemade planner, my wallet, a Domo pencil case, and I had a pack of Halls. 


Yesterday, I had classes all day so things got added into the bag and things got removed. Some things that you don't see are what I had for lunch and dinner and my two drinks. I also lent a textbook to one of my friends, so I brought that back home. I also keep my iPod's ear-buds and charger in the front pocket when I am in school. My backpack gets emptied out every time I am home and doing work because if I didn't it would be a complete mess. 

Here are a few links to similar bags like the one I own...

  • Beige Canvas Rucksack 
    • http://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Casual-Backpack-Rucksack-Shoulder/dp/B00AA7DBJA/ref=sr_1_79?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1390943315&sr=1-79&keywords=rucksacks
  • Brown Backpack
    • http://www.amazon.com/Brown-Backpack-School-School-By-Closet/dp/B00787OEDM/ref=sr_1_86?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1390943315&sr=1-86&keywords=rucksacks


Here are a few links to backpacks that I think are cool and inexpensive...

  • Clear Backpack w/ Black Trim
    • http://www.walmart.com/ip/Eastsport-17.5-Clear-with-Black-Trim-Backpack/20682390
  • Tribal Backpack
    • http://www.walmart.com/ip/No-Boundaries-Silver-Tribal-Sequin-Backpack/25428093
  • Faux Leather Fold-Over Backpack
    • http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brinley-Co-Womens-Faux-Leather-Fold-over-Backpack/29158438


I tried to look for more backpacks similar to mine, but my internet is being a total slug, so all you have to do is look for Rucksack Backpacks and you'll find bags similar to mine. I got mine at Walmart, but I couldn't find a link to it so I don't know if it is out of stock or if it isn't sold online. Also, my next post might be a DIY Planner so drop by later this week to see how I made mine. 

-Mabel



Thursday, January 23, 2014

Recap of my Vacation

Happy New Year Everyone! 
I know I'm late by more than three weeks, but it seems like I'm playing catch up with everything (social media) so I just caught up to everything and am currently catching up on blogs I follow. I've been sort of hiding myself and haven't posted much because I was feeling depressed and am barely coming out of this state. I haven't wanted to say anything anywhere because I don't... well I don't know why, I guess I just don't want to officially say goodbye.
Okay, I just read that and it sounds bad, but I am fine nothing is wrong with me. Let me explain before I make this post sound scarier than it really is. The last you heard of me I was headed to Mexico for about two weeks for Winter break, while doing Blogmas I wrote about my dog and how he was sick and that he wasn't going to make it past 2013 (basically the vet said he would die while we were driving down to Mexico). Luckily, he made it to Mexico and we were caring for him and we were going out of our way to keep him safe. And guess what everyone, he made it past 2013, that's right he survived! Sadly, he didn't get to enjoy much of 2014 because on January 1 at around 4:40 pm he passed away. I was't home when it happened, but once I found out it was just depression central. Anyways, we buried him at our house (on the small patch of lawn we have) so now he gets to be in Mexico and we get to go visit him every time we go.  I'm sorry for making this a sad post, but I knew that I needed to acknowledge his death and let someone out there know, I haven't posted anything on any other social media site so the only people who know is EVERYONE in my family and one of my closest friends, whose family gave us Lucky 15 years ago (so he was like her pet as well). 
Now that the worst part is out there let me tell you what else happened during Winter break with a little friend I like to call 'The Notes of Mabel's Past' (i.e. I wrote a post while in Mexico, but without WiFi it became a Draft instead of a post). So here is a small post I wrote on December 30, 2013: 
I am currently sitting in a computer "cafe" where my niece is using a computer, since my iPod doesn't have WiFi and the only network around here is password protected I have decided to write this post which might get posted in the future. On our way down to Mexico it rained the entire time we were traveling down here. After 3-4 days here it started raining and it hasn't stopped since, other than the small moments where there is no rain, but remnants remain and dark clouds just keep rolling in. The weather app (on my sister's phone) says that it won't stop raining until this Thursday, but everyone knows that those things aren't a sure thing. In fact before coming the weather app implied sunny weather during the two weeks we would be here, and that was a lie. We haven't done much except celebrate with my mom and dad's family on Christmas Eve, the next day we were stuck at home because my cousin didn't get up until the afternoon (which she does often). Yesterday, December 29 we went to one of my uncle's ranches to celebrate my cousin's daughter's baptism, the band and dancing was fun to watch and listen to. It was also my sister's birthday, but she didn't want anyone to know, unfortunately for her everyone remembered and people went up to the band and dedicated songs to her. I'm guessing the next fun celebration will be tomorrow when we stay up to bring in the New Year, but things can come up and end up making the day pretty boring. The only thing I'm waiting to do before finally going home is going around town to buy some things for my friend and her family and hopefully buying myself two different pairs of sandals (comfortable beauties).
I might add more to this post at a later time when I'm stuck somewhere without any entertainment again, but we'll just have to see about that. 

So, we ended up celebrating New Years with a few of my dad's siblings, we ate food, drank some Kahlua, and talked. We didn't stay up to ring in the new year because my tia-abuela (from my mom's side) was with us and she gets tired really fast. She had been staying with us for more than four days because the road leading to the ranch were my mother's family lives has a river that grows when it rains and since it had been raining for days the current was strong and the river had risen making it hard to cross to the other side. My cousin's brother had been using my room and left on New Years Eve so I let my brother and sister sleep there since I was using my sister's room in order to accompany my tia-abuela. I think I fell asleep some time after 12 am (Jalisco time) because as I was trying to fall asleep I could suddenly hear all the firecrackers, and commotion coming from outside. On New Years Day we all woke up and headed to my mom's family ranch were we stayed almost all morning since we hadn't been there for days, then we left and headed to the cemetery to visit my grandma, both of my grandfathers, my uncles, and other relatives who had passed (my dog also visited them and I think it's like he waited until we got to see everyone we went to visit before he finally thought it was his time to go). We then headed home and dropped off my mom, older brother, and our dog because we needed to go pick up my aunt and uncle from the ranch they work everyday. Once we picked them up we came back to the town and went to my aunts' house, while they were there my brother and I went to look for the sandals I wanted to buy, but I never found what I was looking for so I don't have a nice pair of sandals this year, but there's always next time. Once we got back to my aunt's house we waited for everyone else to get back from places they went, since we had one last day before coming back home everyone was doing last minute stuff, my mom and brother got to my aunts' house before my dad and sister. My brother had Lucky in his arms wrapped in his little blanket because it gets cold and I thought nothing of it until my brother sat down in front of me and told us he had passed away, then everyone was in shock and once my sister and dad got home, same thing happened. So, the rest of the afternoon consisted of sadness and a trip back home to bury our precious pup. The next day was just us visiting my grandma's house one last time and saying goodbye to everyone of my mom's family members, packing, resting, visiting my dad's siblings one last time before leaving and then going home, taking a shower, and then packing the car with all of our things. 

We were on the road Thursday morning since we wanted to head into Guadalajara to drop off my cousin and niece and then say goodbye to my aunt and everyone else. Then we were on the road and got to our destination on a Saturday afternoon, January 4th to be exact. I had that Sunday to rest before starting school, and that's about it.

That is what my vacation consisted of, I would add pictures, but I didn't take many and I think I've made this post long enough. Now I can start posting normal blog posts with pictures and more of a happy vibe. Anyways, I hope everyone's vacation went well and here's to a 2014 that can only get better from here on out. 

-Mabel