Family-Friendly Short Stories, Cartoons, and Illustrations
I’m starting a new project: putting together a family cookbook, one recipe at a time. This recipe is one that my husband grew up with. My family cooked something similar, but I prefer his family’s version. It’s called Monsters because it puffs up in strange ways when it’s cooking. I like to experiment with this recipe. It’s pretty forgiving. When we cook it for our family now, we double it and cook it in two cake pans side by side in the oven at the same time.
In the fall, I took visual notes alongside my regular notes while watching General Conference. It was fun to try something new, and I liked looking back on them later in the year. It made it easier to find a specific talk if I could only remember part of the talk and couldn’t remember the speaker.
And so, I took regular and visual notes again while watching conference this spring.
Some sessions went better than others. I’m sure I left things out. Once again, it was fun, and I think it helped me pay better attention to the talks. I will share my notes with you here. I would welcome any suggestions!
Here is a link to the full talks, so you can see what I missed or didn’t quote exactly right: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference?lang=eng
If you took creative notes of General Conference or something else, I’d love to see them! Please post a link in the comments if you have them posted somewhere, or send it through the tab labeled “contact” at the top of the page.
[3d-flip-book mode=”fullscreen” urlparam=”fb3d-page” id=”6527″ title=”false”]To see the details, use the full screen icon [⤧] at the bottom right of the images.
With everyone home during the day, I find myself sharing spaces at home that used to just be mine—like my art desk.
Here are some ways we’re making this work.
① Communication: Share what is working for you and what isn’t. Decide on guidelines together for using the space. How to people schedule time? What can be left in the space? If something is left in the space, can other people use it?
② Patience: If something goes wrong, wait until everyone is calm to discuss it. If it is not your turn for the space, wait until it is. Ask, don’t accuse. Suggest, don’t order. Discuss, don’t dictate.
③ Sharing is Caring: Remember that it is the relationship with the people that you are sharing space with that matters. Compliment their work. Respect their efforts. Be understanding when things don’t go well.
😊🍀Good luck!🍀😊
If you are learning to share space right now, what is working well for you? What isn’t working?
Getting a routine to stick takes at least two weeks.
Is it worth the bother?
I think so. Knowing what’s coming next brings a feeling of safety in uncertain times.
Routines don’t have to be strict schedules. Those are really hard to stick to. It’s easier when they’re adaptable. In my experience, routines need:
❶ to have purpose. Decide what you really need or want to do each day/week/month.
❷ to have order. Fit your planned activities around the set points of your schedule (meals, regular appointments, etc.) in an order that makes sense. I like to vary my activity level—active chores before/after a lot of sitting down, for example.
❸ to have breathing room. Don’t cram your schedule too full. Life happens. You don’t have to do everything every day.
❹ to change when they aren’t working. Get input from those around you. Think about what things you aren’t enjoying—or keep skipping. Check in regularly.
⟹ Do you have a routine? How do you make it work for you?
Feeling afraid, stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious can really make it difficult to be creative.
What can you do❓
① Be patient with yourself. Calling yourself names or setting unrealistic deadlines will only add to your stress level. Be kind.
② Talk it out. This can be done multiple ways. Talk to a friend or family member — or multiple people. Also write it out in a notebook. In Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” she recommends writing (by hand) 3 pages daily to unload whatever your brain is occupied with.
③ Take a break. Do something that doesn’t engage your brain — let it relax as you walk, do dishes, bake cookies…something repetitive and calming.
④ Accept less than your best. During difficult times, it can be a victory to show up and get something done. Sometimes that’s just how it is, and it’s enough.
⑤ Save you favorite mental escape — movies, social media, books, chocolate — as a reward for getting work done. (The first step of a large project, another item checked off your list, a half hour of solid work, etc.
Lately, I’ve been trying to find balance. Strangely enough, this has led me to feel a little out-of-balance. What happened❓
Luke 2:52 says: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
This suggests there are 4 areas where we can improve:
Mental, Physical, Spiritual and Social
I’ve tried to work on goals in each area. Sometimes I do better than others.
My current troubles began when I realized I wasn’t exercising enough. So, I added more exercise. Problem solved, right?
Unfortunately, my clock refuses to add hours to make room for extra exercise. Things are feeling a little crunched right now.
I’m enjoying the exercise, but finding a new balance isn’t easy.
→ It’s an ongoing process. I’ll keep you updated. ←
What are your goals? How is your balance? Any growing pains as you work on your goals?
Recent Comments