Here are 10 (ish) things that have caught my attention this month! Feel free to chime in below with things you’ve been up to and appreciating these days 🙂
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Bethany’s 10 Things From February
1. I’m reading excerpts from The Standard Book of British and American Verse which was published in 1932 and once belonged to my great-grandfather. It’s been fun rediscovering bookmarks left by past-me (I had quite a few things marked that I am now only guessing at their significance) and I’ve been jumping from section to section and stumbling across gems along the way.
Poetry is a great way to see and hear words in new ways and feed our creative gardens!
2. For fiction I’ve been rereading The Kinsman Universe short stories by Ilona Andrews while I eagerly await my copy of their newest Kinsman book, Fated Blades! No spoilers! I love everything that they write and I am super excited.
3. I’ve been watching the Olympics! *So many* amazing athletes from all over the world! I’m enjoying learning about the different events and I’m finally started to understand the rules of curling haha. Also, check out Nathan Chen’s free skate! So good.
4. Aside from the Olympics, my husband and I watched Pixar’s Luca which was cute and fun. You don’t have to be a kid to like kids’ movies! Read this XKCD’s comic for a reminder that being grown-up can look like whatever we want it to. 🙂
5. I’m gearing up for a winter ultimate frisbee tomorrow and bringing along my favorite tall rainbow socks! They have served me well through many games. Gotta bring the love, sunshine, and color wherever we go!
6. A favorite game lately has been Code Names, it’s a great combo of cooperation and competitiveness. Plus there are lots of chances for creativity with words which is a fun bonus for us writers and readers!
7. Have peppermint spoons to go in hot coco always been a thing? I guess technically you can always just use regular candy canes but this just seems so much cooler.
8. Breakfast all day, every day! This home fries recipe became a favorite as soon as I discovered I could easily and consistently make home fries at home that are just as good (sometimes better?!) than from a restaurant. I have to admit I’m kind of picky about my home fries (they gotta be hot and a bit crispy) so this has been a big win for me.
9. Self-Care Prompt: List 10 things you’re thankful for today.
This is a very simple practice that can help us to practice gratitude and actually help us rewire how our brains work.
10. Creativity Prompt: Write a song!
Some of you may know that I’m currently participating in February Album Writing Month (FAWM) so I’ve been playing and writing music all month. And it’s been great. Writing songs makes me approach words, rhythm, and creativity differently and it’s been fantastic practice for overcoming perfectionism and creativity play.
I’m not saying all my songs are any good at all, for the record, but the process has been rejuvenating, challenging, and fun.
A fun and straightforward way to dip your toe into songwriting is to change some lyrics to a simple song you already know, like a kids’ song. Something like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or can then be adapted into a song about your cat, what you ate for breakfast, or whatever you can think of!
Good luck!
As always, feel free to chime in below and let me know what some of your favorite things have been lately! Take care!
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