One of my goals last year was to read a lot of books. I wanted to reach 50, but once I reached it, I knew I could aim higher. I bumped up my goal to 100, and ended up very close. How did I do it? Well, last year, I tried something new: using a reading journal to track all of my bookish data (to-reads, what I read this year, Goodreads challenges, etc.). Here’s my reading journal. I’ve entrusted Mickey with my records… Perhaps you’ve heard of bullet journals, meant as an aesthetic way to portray your life, with mood trackers, movies watched, grades, etc. There’s total freedom in choosing what you want to write about and how you want to write it. Well, a reading journals are bullet journals dedicated solely to books, and work in a similar fashion. You can choose different pages for your journal for different topics, and decorate and design them the way you’d like. Also, don’t forget: half of the fun is choosing the notebook itself! Here’s what I had in my reading journal: The Goodreads 100 Children’s Books to Read in a Lifetime List (edited slightly according to which books I think will interest me) Reading challenges and my progress Books I’d like to read (also known as to-reads) Favorite books of all time More pages of to-reads… I also had a few pages dedicated to writing, but it was mainly for reading. I tried to update my journal as often as possible to keep the most current numbers. So why stick with a journal? There are sites to help you keep track of your reading progress, but I love writing everything down. At the end of the day, it makes me feel more accomplished than a few clicks ever could (however, I do respect if you use websites to help you, because they are quick and simple). In addition, you can bring your record with you everywhere, without having to worry about any Wifi connection. You can even design your own layouts, titles, and fonts in your journal. Also, it’s pretty interesting to see how many books you’ve read at the end of the month and at the end of the year! Most importantly, though, I think it’s important to keep track of what you do, no matter where or how you do it. Keeping track of what I read kept me motivated to keep going. This can be applied to any goal, and I think that you’ll find yourself being more efficient, and happier, by writing/listing/typing out how much closer you are to your dreams. So do you want to start a reading journal? How do you keep track of books you’ve read or want to read? Do you journal? I’d love to hear about it below!
A Summer Guide to Polymer Clay Fun!
Summer has just begun, and with hours and days of free time, why not try something new? After all, summer is about having fun while accomplishing what you can’t during the school year. An exciting art form you can learn this summer is sculpting with polymer clay. Three years ago, I began using this type of clay to make many charms, from cupcakes to pigs to ice cream. Now you can do so, too! The first thing to do before you start is to invest in a solid brand of clay. I use Sculpey 3 because of its convenience. It has the perfect texture, doesn’t dry out, and bakes relatively quickly. I have also tried Sculpey Premo, but this brand isn’t as easy to mold, and it crumbles quickly. However, for experienced users who want the greater variety of colors, this may be perfect. There are many other brands available, so you can experiment and have fun with them! For tools, I’d suggest not to get anything too fancy. A simple plastic knife and clay roller are likely good enough. These may actually come with the clay that you purchase (I know they do with some of the Sculpey 3 sets), which makes life a lot easier! If not, just purchase a few of your favorites. As you decide what to make, watch tutorials to learn different techniques of molding clay, cutting it, mixing colors, etc. It’s great to learn a few tips and tricks to make your designs look professional. Another person’s perspective can really change your perception of a design, too! For example, I’d seen many photos of complicated clay dragons and was wary of making my own. However, after watching tutorials, I realized I needed to take things step by step and had the courage to create one. I also like to take inspiration from photos on the internet and change them up a little. In fact, it’s very fun to do so-as long as you don’t get carried away at looking at the pretty pictures for hours (what, no, I didn’t do that before… 😉 ). One tip I’d like to share is to pay attention to detail. If you’re sculpting with polymer clay, you’re likely working on a small scale. Try to work through each portion of your design carefully, and take your time. Polymer clay requires much patience, but is very rewarding! Also, a lot of the time my creations change as I sculpt, so don’t worry about sticking to one perfect idea you have in mind. It’s cool to see what you come up with as you go! Finally, don’t feel bad if your designs don’t turn out perfect. Mine never turn out exactly how I want, and that’s just part of the process! Pay attention to what you can improve on, practice new techniques to get better. Over time, you will (I promise). Before we wrap up, I’ve included a few of my creations below for some inspiration. Happy sculpting! Congratulations, you’re all ready to get working with polymer clay! What will you create this summer? You can start off with something simple, like these skates. Try mixing and matching colors to make some yummy cupcakes! You can even try out different ways to make frosting. This was inspired by a tutorial for a wall hanging I found on Youtube, proving that you can collect inspiration from any type of video! This came out very different from the person’s wall hanging, but I love it nonetheless. A Dragon! I can’t forget the above dragon’s friend, now, can I? A Disney princess- can you guess which one?
Earth Day Is For Everyone: How Do You Want To Make A Difference?
Photo via Pixabay by Clker-Free-Vector-Images Our earth has been alive for 4 billion years, but already it seems to be dying. Not only are plants and animals across the globe disappearing, but the earth itself approaches death. The ozone layer is getting ruined with human activities and pollution, and habitats all around the world are turning into modern cities and towns. Animals watch as their homes tear down in front of their eyes. Trees disappear, and carbon dioxide builds up in our world. All of this cannot be stood for. If we’d like a place for future generations to live, grow, and thrive, then we all need to do our part. We all need to take action, even us children! We can make a difference together! So what can you do to help save the earth? There are obviously the normal things: brushing your teeth without the water running, showering for less time, etc., but there are many creative ways to produce change as well. I’ll let you come up with some cool ideas yourself, but for now, here are three tips that you can use throughout the week to help Mother Earth out. 1. Use cloth napkins, not paper ones. My friend only uses towels and cloth napkins. Not only does this save trees, but it limits the amount of material that needs to be produced. They are especially good for wiping up spills. When we use paper napkins, they are really thin and get wet fairly quickly. One cloth napkin, however, can wipe up a lot of water. 2. Next time you go to school/work and buy lunch, bring home the plastic utensils you use. Don’t waste time and money by throwing away plastic spoons, forks, and knives. They may seem flimsy, but can end up useful for simply tasks like scooping a bit of honey for a cake and buttering bread. You’ve already used the cutlery now, so keep it going! (This also goes for brown paper bags. Don’t throw them away after one use! They can last a lot longer!) 3. Save, don’t spend (excessively). You can save up to buy what you really want over time instead of splurging it on candy and the movies every weekend. You’ll feel more accomplished and proud by saving! Since it is the month of Earth Day, I’ve also included an Earth Day Challenge below. You can do it any day you want, of course, but especially have fun trying it out on Earth Day, which is April 22nd. Happy reading! Let’s work together to save the earth! Earth Day Challenge Turn off the water when brushing your teeth and flossing. Grow your own tree/flower/other plant. Take a 3-minute shower. Don’t use a lamp to study, instead find some natural lighting. Turn off the heater and wear a sweater or fleece blanket instead. Turn off at least 5 excess lights on in your house. Walk anywhere within 2 miles of your current location. Persuade 3 people to recycle their empty soda cans, paper scraps, etc. Donate old clothing and toys. Only use shopping bags made of recycled paper or cloth. Compost!!! Go tech-free for an hour! And going to sleep does not count :). Prepare a meal without electricity. Salad, anyone? Drive around in electric cars and other earth-friendly vehicles. Carpool with 2 others. Go biking for an hour instead of surfing the web. Or just take a walk! Extra Credit: Use rechargeable batteries in devices. Phones count, as long as you don’t use them excessively.
