I have it in a really bad way. I haven’t posted in weeks. I think about writing often but just can’t seem to be inspired as to what to say. I really like writing/blogging so I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time. I don’t want to let this blog die.
Has this happened to anybody else out there? If so, how have you overcome the “bloggers block”? Give me some suggestions!
Vivien at Inspiration Bit recently collaborated a group writing project, with the focus being on Time Management. Thanks to Vivien for compiling the following list of great reads, including recently posted Plain Advice article “A Routine Shall Set You Free“. You are sure to find some useful tips for managing your time in the resources listed, if you can only find the time to read them!
Enjoy!
When I graduated from high school (looooooong time ago) I was SCARED to become an adult. Really really scared. I imagined that being a grown up was something that I would never be able to successfully pull off. The finances, the relationships, the responsibility… all of it just freaked me out.
Something my dad said to me always stuck. I’m sure he was more than a little frustrated with my seemingly irrational fears about leaving home to go to school. He said “Try being an adult. You’ll like it!”
Well, turns out my dad was right. Although it took me awhile to get the hang of it, eventually I did become an adult and I really do like it!
Getting older gets such a bad rap. People are constantly trying to look young,feel young, and act young. While I can understand the obsession, I have found there are some really great things that come with age. Why not have gratitude for those things, instead of constantly wishing for the “good old days”?
Here are a few of the things I am talking about (By the way, I am 34, and aging every day).
20 Things I Like About Getting Older
While I am sure there are things I have missed that belong on this list, I think you get the point.
What are some things you are enjoying about getting older (it is happening to us all!)
For those of you who are regular readers of this site, you may have noticed some recent changes in the appearance. This post is to give you a quick update about some of the new things you are seeing here at Plain Advice.
First is BlogHer, which will now be advertising both products and other sites within their network. Plain Advice was accepted into this program a few weeks ago, but I just got the codes installed last night. Regardless, the large ad you see to the left of what you are reading is from BlogHer. Underneath the ad box are the most recent post titles for a few other blogs in the network.
Second, if you scroll down a bit, you will see a widget (box) with 5 titles inside it. This comes from a new online project called BlogRush. The service provides advertising of this site and others who have joined across the internet. The best part about the service? It’s absolutely free! If you are a blog publisher, you may want to check it out. Go to the bottom of the Blog Rush widget on this site, and click “Add Your Blog Posts Free”. Follow the instructions from there. I installed the widget yesterday and have already seen a 100% increase in my traffic.
The third business I have joined up with, DealDotCom, is all the buzz around the internet. This site will be launched tomorrow, Sept 18 (at midnight). Deal Dot Com purports that they will be selling items related to internet marketing, at rock bottom prices. They will sell one item per day at limited quantities, which enables them to offer such hot deals. They offer a great affiliate program, which I am signed up for. Only time will tell if DealDotCom is going to fly or not, but I don’t really see a downside to joining and taking a “wait and see” approach. If you are interested in joining DealDotCom as a customer or an affilate, click here.
I know this post is a little different than what you usually find at Plain Advice. But occasionally, we’ve got to shake things up a bit!
Let me know what you think about the changes you see by leaving a comment below!
Several months ago, I wrote an article titled Your Inner Voice. At the time it was published, readers consisted mostly of family and close friends (who by the way, I appreciate greatly!) However, I do not feel that this article reached the audience it was intended for (you!)
Your Inner Voice contains the most important advice that I can give to anyone, period. Above and beyond any recommendations you might find on this site, the guidance coming from your inner voice trumps all.
Today I ran across a blog post from Erin Pavlina (yes, she is the wife of A-list blogger Steve Pavlina). She is a smart lady who understands a lot about the importance of following your intuition. In her post titled “Pesky Logic”, she shares personal experiences related to this subject. It’s a good read, and illustrates exactly what I am talking about.
Go check out both mine and Erin’s writing, and then check back in here… Let’s get a discussion going via comments!
I spent a good part of today with my mom, going through items in my parents storage. Until now, their basement has been the resting place for boxes and boxes of my childhood, adolescent and college days memorabilia. But now my parents have bigger and better plans for this area (they are finishing it into liveable space!), so the boxes have to go.
It is hard to know what to keep and what to toss when going through items that hold sentimental value. Do I hold onto the horse crap shaped frisbee simply because I got it while I was a missionary in Texas? What about the letters and postcards?… it seems that every piece of personal mail I ever received until adulthood has found its way into those boxes. What about the stuffed animals that sat on my childhood bed?
What do I do with all this stuff?
Well, I don’t know all the answers, but I found a place that has some really good advice on this topic. Ariane Benefit at the Neat and Simple Living Blog has posted an article titled “Sentimental Treasures or Clutter? 8 Ways to Sort Through Your Sentimental Things”.
If you have a hard time deciding what to keep when it comes to sentimental clutter, I highly recommend that you read through this article and use it as a guide.
Mom, I hope you’re reading this
(I’m not the only one in the family who struggles with this issue).
A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a blog that I have been reading ever since. It is the online journal of a boy who was suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. Miles Levin was 17 years old when he was diagnosed with the disease. After 18 months of aggressive treatment, Miles was declared cancer free. However, the cancer returned with a vengeance, and on August 19, 2007, Miles Levin died. He was almost 19 years old.
The story of Miles has caught the attention of many. CNN’s Anderson Cooper has spotlighted him, as well as numerous other widely read publications. Although his story has a tragic ending, his writings during his battle with cancer are poignant, honest and above all, inspirational.
After reading through a few of his journal entries a few nights ago, I turned to my normal evening task of writing an article for this site. I found myself in a strange situation. I could not write about anything. Nothing seemed worthy or important to address at that moment, after reading the writings of a young man, who had death on his doorstep.
My heart aches for his family, who fought long and hard, in every way they could, to combat the cancer that took Miles. I especially identify with his mother. I have not experienced her grief, but I do know the intense love of a mother for her child. The loss of one of my own children, I think, would be the most painful thing I could experience.
The reason I am writing about Miles Levin, however, is not to depress you. My purpose is to share with you a bit of the wisdom and “plain advice” of this young man.
This was a boy who was wiser than his years. My advice today is that you visit Miles Levin’s Carepage, where his writings remain. Browse through them. There will surely be something that will impact you, and inspire you to not just live, but live well. In the process, you will be honoring Miles and all those children who suffer from incurable childhood diseases.
Note: When you click on the Carepage Link above, click on “Visit a Carepage”. You will be directed to do a quick (free) registration on the site. After registering, type in “Levinstory” to bring up Mile’s page.
Maria over at Never the Same River Twice has asked me to write 8 Random Facts About Me. So here goes!
1- I love to vacuum (I think it’s the instant gratification of seeing something go from dirty to clean).
2- I once rode a bull (for about 3 seconds).
3- I love garlic bread with jam…(it’s a family thing… you should try it! The mixture of salt/savory and sweet is to die for!)
4- I am a ketchup freak… I love it on just about anything (especially tacos).
5- On the day I graduated from college, I won $500 from a local radio station (pure coincidence… but it sure made a nice graduation gift!).
6- I love, love, love autumn. The crisp air and leaves turning colors never fail to put me in a good mood.
7- I have had an insatiable craving for banana pudding lately (you know, the kind with cool whip, bananas and vanilla wafers. Yum!) I haven’t had it in years so I don’t know where this is coming from!
8- Whenever I watch a movie about ballroom dancing, for days after I wish wish wish I could dance like that and have a body like that. (think Vanessa Williams in Dance With Me).
So there you go!
Now, it’s my turn to tag some fellow bloggers to share their own randomness!
Thanks for stopping by…
What exactly do you find in a junk drawer? That is a question that will never have the same answer from home to home. But a generalized way of describing the contents are: Odds and ends that you occasionally use, things you may use sometime in the future, or items you are afraid to throw away because you are not sure if they are important or not (think a random key).
Most of these items are a nuisance and create some confusion when you try to clean up. Here is where the junk drawer comes in! You compartmentalize your clutter and feel better about the fact that you don’t know where to put the stuff, because now it has a home! Some examples of things typically found in my junk drawer are tape, random spools of thread, paper clips, safety pins, stapler, bobby pins, rubber bands, screwdriver, nail clippers, thermometer…
OK, I guess I should pause here to admit that most of these things do have a home, other than the junk drawer. The toolbox, office, sewing kit…
But I know I’m not the only one who finds it difficult to keep them all in their rightful places. They just never seem to get put away. And if I do put it away, I often regret not having it in close range because I find myself needing it again.
A junk drawer is not a bad thing. As a space that is designed (or not) to hold nothing in particular, it provides for a bit of controlled chaos in an otherwise (mostly) organized home.
The problem with the junk drawer for me is that it ends up collecting layers of “stuff”, and becomes a frustrating mess when I do go looking for that random item that ends up there.
A few months ago, a friend told me about a friend of hers who had found a different way to manage the junk. Finally, a solution! A simple, affordable solution at that.
It is an over the door shoe holder, or similar apparatus. I bought mine at Wal-Mart for about $7. There were more expensive models, but I chose the one I did because the pockets are made of clear plastic. I wanted to be able to see my junk.
I hung this puppy up (it took about 10 seconds… even the most amateur home organizer can do this), took my junk basket (substitute for the junk drawer since we moved into a home that has a lack of drawer space). Within minutes, the “junk” was organized into the pockets. And ~wallah~ it is no longer junk. It is now a collection of random, useful items that I can find easily anytime the need arises. 
I considered putting labels on each pocket, signifying where each thing belonged. But then I decided against it. I can just see how irritating it would be when my 5 year old, who is just learning to read, would put the “scissors” into the “stapler” pocket. Even worse, when my husband, who is nearing completion of a Master’s Degree, (… he can definitely read!) would totally disregard my labels and mix it all up.
So, the labels are definitely not something that would work for me. I am enjoying the flexibility and small bit of chaos as I look at my wonderfully organized junk drawer that is hanging on my laundry room door.
Do you have any tips on decluttering, or home organization? Please, share by leaving a comment.
Thanks for stopping by!
Immigration. A hot topic indeed.
Up until now, I have quietly sat through many discussions, debates (or whatever you want to call them) between family, friends, politicians, talk show hosts, etc. I have felt swayed by both sides of the debate because both are right some of the time. I have deliberately avoided standing on one side or another, because the issue is so broad, and I have felt a need to know more facts before I could draw my conclusions and form an solid opinion.
Today I was talking to a young man I know. Lets say his name is David. He is a young college student, as is his girlfriend, Isabel. They are both freshman this year. Both of them have lofty goals and big dreams about their futures. They both want, more than anything, to become self sufficient, well educated members of society.
David comes from a lower income family, so he has applied for and received some government scholarships and grants that cover many of his college expenses. He lives at home and is able to focus primarily on his coursework because of the financial aid he is receiving. David is also eligible to receive federal student loans, although he is hoping to avoid this.
Isabel is in a different boat. She too comes from a lower income family. However, 16 years ago (when she was 2 years old), her parents decided, for one reason or another, to pack up and move from Mexico to the U.S. They did not have the valid paperwork to do so , and therefore, have been illegally living and working in the U.S. all this time.
Isabel works long hours at a local restaurant, sometimes at the expense of her schoolwork. However, the only way she is able to go to school is if she pays her own way. Her parents are unable to help her due to their own financial problems. The fact that she has a job at all is very tentative, because really, she is not legally permitted to work in this country. She has been lucky to find an employer who has either not checked into her status, or has chosen to overlook it. But this could change any time.
Isabel is a motivated, intelligent young woman. She is, however, constantly plagued by the fact that she is an illegal member of the society she has grown up in. She is not only disqualified from the benefits of things such as help with college, but she also has to constantly live in fear that if exposed, she could be deported away from all that she knows.
The main thing that stands out to me in this particular situation is that Isabel is being held captive by the choices her parents made when she was only a toddler.
The only way Isabel can change her immigration status would be to marry a U.S. citizen. Although David can do this for her, and they will probably be married one day, it should not be something she has to think or worry about right now. She is only 18 years old, and should not be making such lifelong decisions based on the legal problems that she has no control over.
Children should not have to pay such a high price for the sins of their parents. There are millions of others like Isabel living in the U.S… children and young adults who never had a say in being made “illegal” in the only country they have ever known.
What is the right thing to do for these children of immigrants? Set aside the politics and think about it in your heart.
Too many people get caught up in a power struggle when it comes to immigration issues. Those are the ones that want to teach those illegals a lesson, not letting them get away with breaking the law.
I am not saying that the laws aren’t important, or that they shouldn’t be enforced. I am saying that the children of illegal immigrants have done nothing to break the law. They had no choice in the matter.
Therefore, more and more, I am coming to the conclusion that amnesty is the best and only option for the illegal immigrants who are already here, and have been here for some time. The otherwise law abiding people who are working to have a better life. It is the only humane thing to do, if only for their children.
Secure the borders, make it more difficult to come in from this point on. But make things right for the people who are already here. They are, after all, people, just like you and me. Their children deserve to have a shot at the future, just like your children and mine.
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