Pens! Planners! Patience! Oh my!

I love buying new planners when the new year is about to start! The problem I find when going to buy a new planner is which one do I want to buy? There are so many options when you go to Target or Michael's. For the remaining of the year, moving into the new year, I bought the Happy Planner from Michaels with a 50% coupon! It was definitely a great buy but even better because of the price in which I paid for it.

Folders from TJ Maxx, MacBook Pro, Staedtler Pens, Happy Planner Stickers and Planner

I just started using this Happy Planner and so far I am loving it. Aside from it being so girly and cute, it allows me to do so much creatively with it. I am still learning how I want to utilize the planner to its best ability. That might sound weird but the Happy Planner really allows its users to make it their own.

Happy Planner Stickers and Planner: Take a peek at my last week!

In addition to having a planner, I also use these print outs that I found online for free. I unfortunately do not remember the exact website, but you can easily go to google and type in "free calendar print outs" and click on images and go from there.  What I love about these weekly and monthly print outs, is the fact that it is free loose paper so I can place it where I wish. For example, the monthly calendar is on my refrigerator. I find it useful to write down the days I work since I do not work a typical 9-5 Monday-Friday job. It is also on the refrigerator, which is a place we both go to on a daily basis, as a reminder to Alex and me when important things are coming up that we should both know, such as when family or friends are coming to visit.

Weekly and Monthly Print Outs

Some of my tips on staying organized and on top of things:

1. Buy a planner or use your smartphone!

It doesn't have to be the Happy Planner or an expensive one. As long as it has a calendar, then you're golden. I also use my iPhone when plugging in important dates. It depends on you. I like to physically write things down and then check it off my list. It makes me feel like I've accomplished things for that day or week or month, etc. I also use post its! I write down my shopping list of things I need from the grocery store. You can even add this to your notes in your iPhone as well. 

2. Decide what works best for you on how you utilize your new planner. 

I personally use both the monthly and weekly sections of my planner. I love the monthly one because it gives me an overview of the month. I am able to plug in important dates and upcoming events that I need to remember. For the weekly part, I use that as my "To-Do's" section. On each day, I will write down what it is that I need to get done.

3. Use different colors!

It really helps me to organize things by color or with highlighters. You don't have to do this, but it has been helpful for me. I suggest creating your own "legend" with colors and what each color represents. 

4. Make it a habit! Set a reminder on your phone!

Try starting off your week by looking at your planner and seeing what you have coming up. It's a great way to remind you to get things done before its due date. I also set reminders on my phone for really important things. This can also be daily reminders such as taking out the trash every Wednesday night or stopping by the post office after work, etc. 

5. PATIENCE IS KEY.
It takes time to find what works best for you, but once you find it, you're good. It honestly changes over time for me, especially with technology. Make your life easier and not harder. Going all electronically can be easy, especially if you tend to misplace things. Most people can keep a hold of their phone, so if you need to put in your important dates or reminders on your phone, that totally works!

Remember to have fun and be creative. This doesn't have to be a daunting task or chore for yourself. Make it your own! OWN IT! There is no right or wrong way. 

My Costco shopping list on a post it.

December Calendar with the colorful legend at the top.

This can be useful if you're a student or working or a stay at home mom or dad. It's important to know what is going on in your life from a daily to weekly to monthly basis. It also helps to visualize and see things laid out on paper, especially for me. It is helpful to know that I have a vacation coming up  or even my payday so it keeps me motivated. 

Find your motivation and drive to keep going! 

Find what works best for you and have patience and trust the process in which things are moving in your life. Stay positive and know God is always up to something! 

Everything happens for a reason!

Good-bye Bay Area.. Hello LA!

The move finally happened last Sunday! I am official a resident of the Los Angeles area. I can honestly say that I am blessed and lucky enough to have the support of my family and friends, but especially my family. The night before Alex and I drove down to LA, I had a family dinner at my favorite sushi spot called, "Sushi House" in Alameda. It was so much fun just being able to spend time with my crazy family that I absolutely cannot live without. 

This move is going to be difficult in the sense that I will not see my family as much; but I know this move is exactly what I have been wanting for a long time and am excited that it happened. Getting back to being so blessed with my crazy family... lol my cousin Michelle, better known as Chellz, helped with the move by being my copilot, even though she did fall asleep for a good 2 hours or so. The drive was not bad at all. We left around 4:30am and made it to our apartment a little after 10am. We followed Alex, who was driving the U-Haul, full of our things, which was a bit of a sight for sore eyes because I like to see what is ahead of me. I did move back and forth between lanes and let's just say Alex was not a huge fan of that. LOL 

We were also blessed to have Alex's friend Devon help us with getting moved into our apartment. Right when we pulled into the apartment, there Devon was on his motorcycle! Chellz and Devon were really amazing help because they helped us with ideas and just having two extra bodies to help lift, move, unpack, throw out, build, etc. doubled the amount of stuff we got done all in one day. 

It also helps to have the opinions and input from both a male and a female that is not Alex or me. This helped when Alex and I did not agree on some things or when I wanted something one way and Alex did not seem to see it my way, and vice versa. This will be something I will blog about later on. Learning how to compromise! 

Alex and Devon were able to stay at the apartment to build our dresser and entertainment stand, while Chellz and I ran around Costco on a Sunday (never again will I go to the Costco in Burbank on a Sunday, well Costcos in general are crazy on a Sunday, but that Burbank location is definitely something else!) and then hit up one of my favorite stores, Home Goods. I can literally walk around Home Goods for a good amount of time, just imagining and putting ideas together in my head. Chellz was there of course to help me keep track of my time and keep it moving. She does not play with time and being patient is not one of her finest skills. 

We did not go to sleep until past 2am, but we got a whole lot done. My cousin Chellz kept telling me how good we were with putting everything in its right place and buying a lot of the stuff on that same day of moving in. I told her that it wouldn't have gone that way if Devon and her were not there to help us out. To say the very least, we were exhausted the next day, but maybe not as bad as Alex, because he had to go to work on Monday morning. Monday was still filled with running to stores to exchange or return some stuff, then hitting up Costco once again. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday still involved running to Target or Home Goods. Sheesh! But hey it is now Saturday and it finally feels like we are settled into our apartment. 

I'm still tired, but I can only imagine how Alex feels because he worked everyday this week. I am very proud of him for all of his hard work thus far and I hope I can continue to show him that his hard work does not go unnoticed. He came home last Monday night and unpacked the rest of his belongings, leaving the apartment box free! Oh yes, people think that the women have more clothes and shoes, but in this case, Alex is giving me a run for my money. lol I did not realize how much stuff we both had moving out to LA, but also how much stuff we DID NOT have, which left us needing to make our apartment feel like HOME. 

Well... Hello weekend! I can't wait to see what new adventures we get into this weekend... 

Our first weekend living in LA!

House Warming Gifts

My cousin Melissa, also known as Sissa, has always been very thoughtful when it comes to buying gifts or just doing little small gestures that always go a long way. When I told my family that I was having a going away dinner, I did not expect any gifts because their presence was all I wanted. And their presence is exactly what I got and I left leaving I know I have their blessing and support. Plus, I know they will be coming to visit soon. And LA isn't that far from the Bay Area, which helps.

Going back to Sissa.. let me give you a little background since this blog post is pretty much in dedication to her. My family used to call us, "two peas in a pod." We went to St. Mary's college together, which is when our relationship as cousins grew and we really spent a lot of time together. She definitely understands me and my quirkiness. This is all probably true because we share similar qualities and traits. 

But here is the thoughtful gift Sissa bought for me. I know a couple days prior to me leaving, I was hanging out with Sissa and her sister Chellz and talking about being so excited for the move and really excited about buying all the little things to add to the apartment. And of course, board games was something that came up. Sissa surprises me with Monopoly that was wrapped so beautifully by Chellz... I believe it was Chellz... lol but it was Chellz's ribbon that was used. And come to find out that evening she had never used that ribbon before so I am honored to say that the red ribbon was first used for me. 

On top of the Monopoly game... Sissa surprises me yet again on Monday morning! I did not realize that her sister Chellz was asking me for my address to give it to Sissa. Come to my surprise, I received a knock on the door and opened it up to a beautiful arrangement of flowers sent to Alex and me by Sissa and her boyfriend Randall. I was so surprised and very excited about the flowers that I of course had to make sure I cleared off the dining room table that had a huge mess of stuff on it from the move in order to take the perfect picture. Learning how to take better photos is on my long list of to-do's, things to learn, things to accomplish, goals, etc. But anyways, her thoughtful message meant the world to me. Something so little as flowers can make a big difference, but honestly, it was her message that went along with the flowers that filled me up with joy. 

I always believe the saying, "It's the thought that counts!" Gestures, big or small, will always mean the most to me when I know the thought and effort behind it was there.

I am forever thankful to my friends and family that have supported me throughout the years. I am thankful to God for this opportunity and continuous blessings to be able to move to LA and start a new chapter and adventure in my life. I am blessed and humbled by everything that has happened to me, good and bad, because I try to look at life with the attitude of "the glass is half full" and try my best to see the positive in everything that happens. Life has many lessons that I am still learning and I look forward to learning what life has to offer me as long as I remember to thank God everyday and show those around me that I appreciate having them in my life.

This Move is Really Happening!

I am currently in the process of moving to the Los Angeles area! Literally finalizing a few things and then of course once I get to LA, I'll need to go to different stores in order to really feel like I'm settled. But there is so much more that goes into moving to a new city, especially when it is about 5 hours away from where I currently live. So what's involved with making a move like this? Pretty much... I'll say it takes a lot of persistence and patience, but most of all, it takes courage. I am still shocked myself that I am really making this move to LA.

I can honestly say that I am feeling different emotions, but right now, the excitement overwhelms everything else that I am feeling. I have never moved outside of the Bay Area.... other than when I moved to Vacaville, California of February of this year. Even with this move, I was still just an hour away from where my family lives, which is in Hayward, California. So this move will definitely be different from what I am used to.

I come from a large family who all for the most part, lives in the Bay Area. The closer it comes to the day I drive down to LA, the more it starts to hit me that I am really going to be moving and I can't just drive an hour to see my family. So it does make me sad to think that I will not able to attend all the family parties, go to church on Sundays with my cousin Michelle, or visit my cousins's sons in Hayward; but I have always wanted to move to LA since I was in college. I never moved for a number of reasons, but most of all, being afraid was the number one reason. I finally decided that this is what I really want to do because the timing was just right. I will discuss later the process and how everything literally just fell into place for me. I choose to believe it is because "everything happens for a reason" and it is truly in God's plan for me to do this, or else it wouldn't have worked so well in my favor to make this move.

More to come!