10 Pokemon Go Hunting Essentials

Alrighty then, so if you've been literally under a rock in the deepest depth of the ocean, welcome back to surface and sorry about your lost voice. What you need to know is readily available on the internet but be careful what you read because the world is scary and the only thing that seems to be keeping some sanity and/or faith in humanity, lately, is Pokemon Go.

Now there are those of us, like myself, who've been waiting impatiently for this game to become a reality since the Blue version and there's a lot who've picked it up to see what the hype is that has literally been around the world and thankfully there's more positive than negative.

Long story that-has-a-million-tutorials-around-YouTube-short, is that you physically have to get outside to enjoy the mesh or the real world and the Pokemon world. Since the game's release, I have walked well over 7 miles or according to my eggs, at least 15km. I can honestly say that I don't know how relative those numbers are, I just know what my pedometer says and how many eggs I've hatched while actually walking.

And I'm not a small nor athletic person. I am Big, Bad, and Beautiful yes, but getting me outside after work is not easy. Yet, my first day playing, despite server issues, I walked for 2 and a half hours around town picking up items at Pokestops and catching Pokemon in places I see just about everyday and it's FANTASTIC. I've met many a people who I'd normally never outwardly speak to and we've shared tips and trades and battled gyms. I can honestly say that this has been a great habit to start and pick up with. A few friends chat and meet up in the evening when it's the coolest and walk about the hot spots in town and this is where our post has more meaning because we are out for a long time and our phones are on a long time. So here's some essentials to keep you going while Pokemon hunting or as I like to say, going on a PokeWalk.



1. A Good Bag - backpack, messenger, crossbody bag whatever works for you to keep these essentials in while keeping your hands free is a must. If you've been reading my Tales of the Tank, as you totally should, I'll have one up for these particular types once it's written.

2. External Battery - if you've read my posts or been on my Twitter feeds or just on social media, the word is getting around about external batteries. I'm a huge fan of these, in general, so call me hipster when I say that I was all about these before Pokemon Go. I'm ok with that, but read up here and learn you some before throwing money at these sources of power.

***6000 mAh Battery at Big Lots for $8***

3. Wall/ Car Outlet - Seems weird coming after the external battery talk, but if you've read my other old post about electronics, you'll see that I tend to be prepared. Besides one of our hot spots on campus does have outlets as do many a restaurants.

4. Charging Cord - I've noticed more recently with my Galaxy S7 that the quality of the charging cord is really starting to matter. My trusty 10 ft cheapo is seriously slacking so I've been searching and finding some great nylon/cordy/thicker/labeled as actual fast charging thanks to my amazing BFF. So thanks to my great relationship with Amazon Prime, those should be here soon for my house, for work, and for my electronics bag that I'll throw in here.
***Cord and wall outlet are my original S7 gear***

5. Bottle of Water - Regardless if you live in the desert or not, this is key if you plan on being out for a while. There's enough trouble out in the world without people falling over with a heat stroke. So have some bottles whether they store bought, or reusable, and take you some H2O.
***Kuzi was gifted***

6. Sunblock - Again another key especially if you are out during the day. For people like me, I don't get out much outside of work during the day. And one of the things that my stylist said when she gave me my super awesome cut, was that sunblock is essential period for my newly released scalp that hasn't seen the light of day in some time. Aaaand let's be honest, most of us are adults, so act grown and put some spf on.

7. Wallet - You've already got a bag and a ton of Pokestops and restaurants are restaurants so go out and support the local economy either by yourself or with your PokeCrew.

8. Headphones - For the times that you are by yourself, a good set of headphones will keep your shields up with great musica and with an added mic, still have actual phone call making skills, you know...if you use your cell phone for actually speaking... (ba dum tss)
***Music Headphones were from Hot Topic for $8.25***

9. Chapstick/Lip Balm - it goes along with the sunblock thing. Our lips get neglected and being outside...in the elements...and the sun, nobody has time for chapped lips.
***Lip Balm from Sephora approx $8 when I bought it***

10. Google Rewards (Android) - Sorry apple users, haven't used an iPhone in a hot damn minute and I doubt it's available for you.... But anyways, check out my May Favorites for the full details on this app that lets me buy PokeCoins without really needing to spend any of my actual money.


So gather it up and pop it in your bag and go catch them all....safely of course. Because that's what this screen is for...

Some other posts that aren't game related...

Lancome Juicy Shaker review - http://bit.ly/JJuicy
My June Favorites - http://bit.ly/June16Faves
One of the Tales of the Tank aka my purse - http://bit.ly/TOTT50Cal

Operation Ducks in a Row – Downsizing...

While I don’t plan on this post being about making a new me in the new year, I will say that attempting to downsize, especially in my wardrobe, needed some new motivation. My goal for 2016 is to be more positive and that in itself is harder than it looks for someone who’s picture can be found in the dictionary under pessimist. Part of being and feeling positive is to see a light at the end of this tunnel.

I started the downsizing process a few months back when I started the Operation Ducks in a Row series. I’ve had some great moments about shopping my closet instead of buying more. About packing up pieces to donate and sell to free up space, but I’m currently at a plateau in the process. I’ve taken a lot out but it’s still not enough, so I’m trying something else and it’s starting to work out pretty well.

Keep in mind that I love me some retail therapy especially when it comes to plus size clothes. I really have two stores in the next town over that I can consistently find clothes to fit my shape and my height in store, thank you maurices and Cato. So if I’m going out of town and there’s a Torrid, then I could definitely find myself in trouble. But in these past few months, I have resisted the urge for flash sales, clearance sales unless I was in absolute need. An example is that I had to get a pair of black pants that I could wear boots with to work because my only pair, from Old Navy, had finally fallen victim to the chub rub after two years. A tragic moment that every B3 woman must face at some point…

Back to the point is that what I’ve been doing lately is doing laundry. I’d been running short on time and have put in a bit of overtime, so pieces that I hadn’t worn in forever and a day were popping up in the wash. Instead of taking them out before washing, I’ve been washing them and putting them in their own pile but not separating what to sell or donate. The reason for that is that I have a couple friends who are around my size and them being awesome, have first dibs. After that, then I could probably sell some on Facebook garage sales group and just get rid of it or donate it.

So here’s what I’m planning….

For now, I want to get this plan in motion and give an update when it’s said and done. Maybe pick up some more tips on the way, so if you have a tip that helps you, let me know! Any and all help is much appreciated.

Weekend Travel - I Got This!

Packing for a weekend does seem hard right? I was heading up to spend the weekend with my BFF, it is tax free weekend and since he lives in a bigger city, it just made sense. Part of getting myself together is a lot of throw it as you go and sometimes it works but more times it does not. It may be normal to feel like you’re forgetting something but it’s a totally different thing when you really are forgetting something and remembering it all when you’re twenty miles out. However, on the plus side I do have some things that never fail to work every time.

Now I will say that I don’t do as much travelling as I would like, but I’m all for having the right tools for the right situation. So when I go to town since my BFF and I are house sitting, he is using what will be his messenger back pack… If I could take a picture of the face I made I would but I can’t so I won’t. I had the same issue with my boyfriend. One of the first few trips we made, he carried his stuff in a plastic bag. This would not due. This is a guy who’s travelled a bit, like a lot more than I have. And the last straw was when he going to have another big guy trip with his crew. So I could Not NOT be a good girlfriend and let that happen. That was one year where I was so proud of my Christmas present.

I’m a huge fan of bags, big and small. There’s always something that can be compartmentalized, especially for a trip. I have 3 that I will always pack no matter what. One for makeup, one for bathroom stuff, and one for a few other things that don’t go with the other two.

My ‘beauty’ bag was probably one of the greatest finds at Forever 21. It’s small but holds a ton and a half. I have my primers, makeup basics, and brushes all in one bag. I have different brush brands so they are different sizes but the Lawd is on my side because they all fit and it zips into the little square shape. The bigger pink one is one that I have my must-haves, hair comb because my hair is so short now that I don’t really need a brush, my deodorant because duh, and a body spray. When my hair was longer, I had a slew of rubber bands and bobby pins, but kinda don’t need it anymore minus the bobby pins, those just tend to disappear.

Now don’t judge the giant zip lock bag, there is a method to the madness. Bathroom stuff is messy. Whether its shampoo and conditioner or the baby powder and baby oil, zip lock bags are the easiest things to use and to replace. If you’re traveling, definitely they will save your life and the rest of your luggage. When I went to Vegas, my friend had his toiletries in one corner of his suitcase and they leaked. On a different occasion, one of my aunts made a trip to the Land of Enchantment from back east, back in the Aqua Net days and her can of hair spray exploded. Just think about it. Would you rather have a mess over everything in your suitcase including the suitcase itself OR would you rather have it in a clear plastic bag that you can just dump in the sink and rinse it off?

I think everyone should have a few sizes as far as bags for travel. One for overnight, one for a weekend, and one for everything else. If you’ve read my Emergencies post then you’ve seen my go-to silver bag. I’d say it’s a solid weekender bag. There’s a ton of space and even though you know that the material is a bit thin, it is sturdy as hell. I’m kind of hard on my bags and yet, this one has made it thru every trip I’ve had with it so far. Moral of the story, if you’re going to spend money, make it count because quality can mean pretty cute and pretty practical.  

Operation Ducks in a Row - Cutting My Store Card Losses

One of my many goals is downsizing, hence the need for getting my ducks in a row. I have a lot of major life changing coming up with my family and the time is here. One of my biggest obstacles is my overflowing wardrobe of clothes I wear, don’t wear and have forgotten that I’ve had. I’m needing to make some changes and that can NOT happen if I’m still buying more than I have room for.

I won’t lie when I say that I’m overwhelmed. I had no idea where to start other than the constant, “don’t go shopping…don’t go shopping….do not go shopping.” Trying to stay on task is hard enough but then I really looked at what I was looking at. Let me show you what I mean.

I sometimes wonder why I don’t pursue marketing, because honestly look at this. How many stores do we go to that ask for an email? Heck, even at my job we ask for an email. The employee may input it but we may never see how many messages go out about everything until we get them ourselves. Coupons, sales, flash sales, special offers. And please try to tell me that you haven’t heard this, “The more times we enter your email, the better offers you get.” I know of two major chains that even my small town has access to. But as a regular buyer of all the things, it’s not always what we pay attention to until you get that notification.

I went even a bit further and went thru my emails and all the stores that I ‘subscribe’ to. Then compared that to the matching store card that I have with said store email. At my job, I won’t lie, we get a lot of questions about credit. Also for living in a college town, we see a lot of kids who are away from for the first time and really beginning to come into their own. I was one of them at 18 and now as a twenty something submerged in an overflowing small house with an overflowing inbox, Carrie Bradshaw can’t help but wonder…when did I become a blind buyer?

Now to be proactive, I felt the hesitation when I scrolled to the end of the email and hit the unsubscribe button. Some I constantly look at and others I forget I have. The important thing that I had to realize was that I don’t Need it. We all want things, but what I’m trying to do is focus on what I need. And this wasn’t it. So if you’re in the boat with me, don’t be afraid to hit that button.

Then the next step is to really evaluate what I needed as far as my store credit cards. What a lot of people don’t realize is that while yes, it’s good to ‘have’ them, having too many is a bad thing. Having too many and not using them for really long periods of time is just as bad if not worse. So here’s what I looked at:

1.       Rewards – most card have them now, so look at how you get them. Some do it by the actual visit you do. So buy there one day, and you get so many points. Some do it by how much you buy aka 1 point per dollar spent. Then what can you use the points on? Bottom line is, if you aren’t getting anything from the card you’re using, why have it?

2.       Annual fee – regardless if it’s a store card or a regular use-on-everything card, unless you got the money for all the travelling and paying back for a high dollar American Express, just don’t do it. It’s way to easy to get caught up in the excitement of getting approved for a credit card but unless it’s a secured card , you really have no need for it.

3

.       Interest Rate – APR is not something to take lightly, it’s the make or break of a credit product and for those of us in the college age, it’s automatically a bit higher. That being said, don’t be afraid to shop around for a card you want. The easiest way to avoid paying interest is to pay off your balance every month. Now I know, firsthand, that sometimes that is not the case. The interest rate can and does vary so LOOK AT YOUR STATEMENTS! It will always be on there and from there, I cut some losses and temptations.

Credit cards aren’t the devil. Sometimes you get a new job and need a few staple pieces of clothing to make sure you look the part and pay it off in a couple months. Sometimes you forget to get an important gift for a wedding, or you need to buy the bridesmaid dress and don’t have all the funds on hand. The key is to know how and what you want to use them for. Do you shop there often? Can that particular store be on the expensive side or cheap enough to buy in bulk? Store card or not, that duck needed to be put in place.


Check out some of my other posts

Operation Ducks in a Row - Downsizing
Operation Ducks in a Row - Savings 
Operation Ducks in a Row - The Mission

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Tales of the Tank - The Vessel

If you haven’t read my post about my surgery, 1, you should right here and 2, this is how I know that I am healed. With everything that was going on with my body, a major factor of my day to day activities were limited and the one that held me back was not being able to have my normal size tank.

The whole argument about big and heavy purses actually holds some water folks. As much as it pains me, and it does...in multiple ways, I can testify to that. It mainly affected the incision on my back. It’s amazing how weight is distributed when carrying a purse or in my case, a tank. I felt the pull from the weight of my tank on my arm and it felt like my incision was stretching from one side of my back to another. Just insert a visual of some medieval stretching method and that's what it feels like. I all but dropped my bag from the pain.

To solve this, I got a smaller purse. It was a cute little tote from Nine West that I found at DSW on sale. Best. Day. Ever. I paid maybe twenty bucks. It was my first trip to that store and I will definitely be going again. I thought that it was going to be solid wall to wall shoes that were out of my budget and while a lot were, there were more that were not. Then, add different accessories that even flattered my plus size tastes and it makes for a happy Jazz. It was a great find and I filled that little bag as much as I could.

But now, I’m healed and it drove me insane. (And because I failed and didn't get a picture in the time I used it, I snagged a screen shot of it from my coworker's Instagram, thanks girl.) 

I try my best to organize my things so that they fit in a particular way. Most times it actually stays that way and eventually, it becomes a bit more chaotic. So then came the sign for a new tank. Now, I don’t throw away my bags until they fall apart, but for some reason, I’m down to about 4. There’s going to be a lot of changes happening in my life so I didn’t want to be left in a spot where the straps fall apart at the most inopportune moment for example. That’s just my luck and so the hunt began for a new tank.

There are a few things I look for consistently, especially when shopping online and I can't look in or hold it:

1. Dimensions - looks can be deceiving. Just because it says that it's 17 inches tall doesn't make it roomy when it's only 2 inches wide

2. Material - I tend to be hard on my purses because of what I carry so flimsy canvas totes are out, bring me the pleather because it needs to last a while.

3. Straps - hand bag, cross body, the type is not as near as important as how wide the strap is. Half inch to an inch is pushing it. I tried the cute chain and ribbon straps and almost cut my arm off.

4. Reviews - It's online peeps. Just because it looks pretty doesn't mean that it's God gift to the world. If it sounds to good to be true, look through the reviews. Both the good and the bad. What annoyed someone may not annoy you and vise versa. I'm always pretty leery when it comes to items that have no reviews, that is when you really look into the details. What is it made of? Where is it made? Where is it shipped? 

The Amazon Prime Day was coming and I had seen a few that looked promising and was counting on getting the much wanted discounts that were supposed to be bigger and better than Black Friday. All I will say about Prime Day is that I could have been super super broke however comma, I actually went thru Prime Day with a few things I needed and that my parents needed and didn’t have to worry about breaking the bank. So in a way, thanks Amazon for not really having what I would have splurged on.

I still got a small discount on the purse I bought and it’s beautiful. The glorious part about it is while it looks small, the base is actually quite wide and holds a hell of a lot. I was able to basically dump my little bag into this bag and still have major room left. Also found a couple hidden pockets, which is AMAZING! I mean who doesn't love multiple pockets??? So from my amazon receipt, here's a thumbnail of the one I bought and the other one, I gave to my coworker. I knew I wouldn't use it again because it's just too small now. Besides, sharing is caring right? 

Operation Ducks in a Row

There is something I want to get off my chest. I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way but I gotta let it out. As an avid shopper of clothes, I can’t say that I suffer from a shopping problem because let’s be honest, I highly enjoy it. But, sadly there always has to be a but, I finally see that I have a slight problem as I have run out of space for them.

"I like my money right where I can see it.....hanging in my closet." - Carrie Bradshaw

Now I know that laundry day is never just a day and it never ends, but have you ever that those days where you get the majority of it done and the tiny closet is full? Turn around and the drawers are full? The scarf rack is always full and the dreaded chair is a Tower of Pisa. I’m seeing that more and more often and it makes me uneasy. Carrie Bradshaw can’t help but wonder, does this make me a fashion horder or just a hot mess?

It’s obvious to say that trends are constantly changing but sometimes we have to think a little deeper than that. I’ve been going through my closet and trying to sort and organize. What I have found are clothes that I wore in high school. Some still fit and I still wear and then there are some that I don’t wear as much. There are some that I had in college for just about every situation. Being in the music and theatre department, I had recital attire, audition attire, going-to-the-club attire complete with accessories and shoes. Then job attire. Now on campus, I didn’t have to wear slacks everyday but I always felt that I should dress a little nicer than just a t-shirt.

Don’t get me wrong, there were a few days where I couldn’t handle the world and I would wear a campus t-shirt or even one of my high school band shirts. But there was always a balance, because I would semi dress it up with accessories and better makeup; a trick I learned in high school because I didn’t have access to online shopping and buying clothes in my hometown was leaving my hometown and driving a couple hours away. I did what I could, and whatever clothes I had, I took care of and held to like a kid with his blanky.

That’s my problem now. I’ve been so used to metaphorically and slightly literally clutching my clothes and am always so excited when I have more that now..... my ‘clutter’ is now just an outright mess. If you’ve been to my Pinterest boards, you will see my pins for organizing and ideas for putting different outfits together, etc etc. I can now go back and actually read up and start applying because what’s going on right here is not ok.  I can admit that I am a messy person and people who have known me in my life can attest to that. It’s gradually gotten better over time, you know slowly but surely. I’m an organized chaos kind of girl but even I know that what is happening now is just a hot mess.

So I write before you and I plan on giving some updates over time to see what works and what doesn’t. I don’t let go of things, especially things I love, so it’s not gonna be easy but it needs to be done. So it begins, Operation Ducks in a Row.





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Tales of the Tank - Electronics

So I know I say that I lose track of time but honestly, there's been a lot of shiz going down. Between work and a surgery that didn't go my way and an epic vacation, things have gone on. But on that note, there's a lot to talk about and one of those things has to go with today's post.

Call me a nerd, and I’ll agree, but if you are anything like my younger brother and I, we have ways to keep ourselves entertained. Whether it be on road trips or a doctor’s office or waiting on a flight, there is time to kill and shut out the world. We are shamelessly attached to our electronics and have nearly perfected our system when it comes to taking, using and charging.

He has his own and I have my tank aka my purse. Should it be an actual tote? Probably but I just like big purses. In the words of Victoria Donelda on YouTube, it gives me life. In the words of my mother, I carry everything including the kitchen sink. Either way you look at it, there’s me with my tank. Now on what I carry on the daily is a little different than on a trip but it only varies ever so slightly.

Now the purses I tend to get have that middle zipper pocket in the middle, most times I like it and honestly sometimes I just want to rip it out. However comma, I do find uses for it. I carry with my on the daily:
-My phone
-my phone charger
-my iPhone that has the majority of my music (now my iPod that I got for my birthday)
-iPhone/iPod charger
-an external battery 
-my kindle fire hd 8.9 (the big one)
-a dual wall adapter (ten bucks at walmart) and car adapter (ten bucks at walgreens)
and recently started carrying my Olympus Tough point and shoot camera.
Especially on trips, I will throw in my Nintendo 3DS XL.

(btw don't own meme duh)

Now granted, my car adapter stays in my car and I have a dual adapter at home as well as at work, but the minute I need to go somewhere where they are not, they are on my person. Now if you are female and wear slacks, you know the struggle is real when it comes to pockets, so I took it upon myself and my sanity to gather the cords and adapters/chargers up in a $3 makeup bag from the Wally World. If I’m feeling extra ambitious then I’ll wrap the cords up but if I’m grabbing it from work to go home it’s normally thrown in but the point is that it's in there.

This way, I have all the cords I need which include, my Android charger for my S7, Ipod charger, cord for my external battery, camera cord, and DS charger. No matter where I am, I don’t have to worry about the 2% battery life or hurrying a gym battle up on my DS to save the game before I lose everything.

Tales of the Tank - Makeup

As much as we try not to rush around in the morning, we have those times where we wake up and realize that you have about thirty minutes to get up, wash up, get dressed and get to work on time. Let’s be honest, it happens. To some people, more often than they care to admit. You can ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you about my Tank. I have tanks for purses. They aren’t huge tote bags, although my mom says that it should be. I’ve also heard all the “you’re going to hurt your back, shoulders, etc with the size and weight of your purse.” Tell that to the publishers who make $300 text books.

Any-who,

I have a system and it works for me for just about any situation. And for the occasional late-waking-up-day and frantically flying to work, I have found that sometimes it’s just easier to get ready and bring my makeup with me to do at work. (read about that here). I know some don’t approve but I am also a person who wears makeup every day and don’t feel like I’m properly dressed for my professional setting without my makeup. I was also not blessed with great skin, so there’s that too. It’s just one of those things.

Anyways, I have this cute little bag that lives in my tank and has saved me many a time whether it be at work, or just out. And it has been the best little makeup carrier ever and the best part was it was about five dollars at Big Lots.

The top zipper lets me stock it with a couple eye liners, brushes, and bobby pins. Easy to see and easy access. The bag zipper holds my face powder, oil blotting sheets, lip balms, lip butters, mascaras, the occasional hair ties, and of course a compact mirror. On a trip, I’ll pack in my Naked Basics eye shadows and Flushed pallet and it all fits! Throw in my purse and I am set for the day. It doesn’t take up a lot of space in my bag and touch ups throughout the day are conquered.

I love finding great finds on the cheap. Of course what woman doesn’t love sales and when you have something that works, you stick to it like waterproof mascara. High quality and top dollar aren’t always together, sometimes you just find the best things at Big Lots on a Sunday afternoon after eating breakfast with family at Ihop. Sometimes the good Lord just knows that you need something awesome in your life and like my mom says, “there are too few joys in life.” Can I get an amen?

Some days, we just need a little extra help and this is where the purse comes in. I can understand using a clutch for an event, but how you get anything done anywhere in those teeny tiny coin purses is beyond me. Especially when I got my kindle for my birthday a couple years back, I had it attached to me everywhere so my purses have to be at least big enough for a Kindle Fire HD 8.9. Yes that is a big mofo of a tablet but it is so worth it.

Bottom line is that no one can be too prepared for any situation, whether it is get to work in the style of the Fast and the Furious, or to an event that you plan on attending straight after work, or just in case the khol pencil you were trying out now makes you look like a raccoon, the tank holds most if not all the solutions. This little bag has saved me a few times and a lot of others have something similar. What do you carry in yours?

Emergencies

Everyone has their own interpretation of what an emergency is. There’s the actual 9-1-1 emergency. There’s an emergency where you start your period the day before an event and bloat so much that the zipper of the dress doesn’t budge. It’s always an emergency when you’re wearing white with small children around at lunch. The point is that it varies between actual life and death and ego bruising or embarrassment. Well let me tell you that I have done a triathlon of all these in one in the span of a couple weeks.

Now part of me wants to say what exactly happens and while I wouldn’t mind, some others may. On top of that, I’ve been really trying to live in a body positive light while knowing that my family medical history isn’t the greatest and that will most definitely be out there. But the thing to remember is that much of my own family medical history is NOT caused by being overweight. Let me repeat that, many health issues that my family goes through is NOT caused by being overweight. Does it help? No. We know that, so while it’s not my New Year’s Resolution to lose weight and be thin. My life goals are to be healthy and if I happen to lose a few pounds from it, cool. If not, cool.

But in this last week, I have been to 3 hospitals in two cities for 3 different family members. The hard part was that we came back with 2 family members. My mom’s mom and my dad’s dad were in two separate hospitals at the same time and unfortunately, God had called my Abuelito to rest after some heavy complications after fighting 2 batches of cancer and sepsis. My grandma came through her surgery and was able to go home a few days later where we found out that my dad had a broken leg a week after a bad fall.

Pretty much everyone has missed at least a week of work and school.

I flew from home #2 to go to the hospital and then to home with limited supplies. And surprisingly made it without using too much money. I don’t know how many of you make emergency trips out of town, but maybe what I’ve done can help you when you’re out of your mind and need to drive or fly out as soon as possible.

A good size overnight bag is your friend – this one was a Christmas gift from Ulta. It's a little smaller than a duffel bag and has the ability to roll.

Good fitting pair of jeans – doesn’t need to be the fanciest pair but if you’re expecting to sit for a while on a drive or sleep in a waiting room, may as well be comfy (thank you maurices)

Camisoles – I had two with me. I normally wear them on a daily basis anyway so these are some of the first things I pack

Oversized t-shirt and basketball shorts – you don’t need silk pj’s but a t shirt covers most everything and lets you unwind without being confined. Whether they are yours or your significant others or just a pack from the men's dept, just take them. You’ll thank yourself later.

Couple of blouses – it could be a couple of graphic tees or in my case, was one graphic tee and one actual blouse in case I needed to leave early in the morning for work…which I did.

Socks and underwear – I am a firm believer that you cannot pack too many. Whether you’re expecting to be gone a couple days or a week, pack at least a few days worth if not a week's worth because who knows, you may end up seeing Aunt Flo.

Optional – Slacks/dress pants or a work outfit – I tend to leave in the mornings for work which isn’t usually a big deal because my hometown is two hours away from where I live so I just wake up early and get to work. So I make sure to bring dress pants, a blouse, and flats. Just something simple, yet appropriate.

Accessories – it’s not that important but some quick things to grab to last you a while: A neutral scarf, small earrings or studs, and a watch. Put it all, minus scarf, in a smaller bag so you’re not emptying your bag in front of God and everyone.

I was able to make it a week at home with limited clothes and still had something to wear to the funeral. A quick wash later and I was able to come back to work without too much worry. So read it over and I hope this helps someone in their own emergency, whatever kind it may be.

New Year's Goal #1

If you’re anything like me then you have to document everything. If it’s not written down or typed in somewhere with a reminder then IT DOES NOT EXIST.

I really find myself really getting into the calendar on my phone. I used to be a die-hard need-physical-planner-to-carry-around person, but a lot of times, I just don’t have the time. So I downloaded the Neat Calendar Widget from the Google Play Store. It keeps my events happening without needing to show a full calendar and when I do need a full calendar it’s a tap away. So far I like it. Not bad at all for Free dollars. I may try something else in the future but for now, I’m good. New Year, new me right? 

January was more filled than February so best to show that to kinda get a feel of what this looks like. It's a little compact but like I said, for now it's good. I'm really trying to get myself organized this year. There's a lot of plans I have for the year and I really want to get more into blogging. Doing some research here and there on many a thing and I'm hoping that getting on a blogging schedule will help with this whole consistency bit. It kinda feels like a foreign concept but can't hurt to try new things. And by try I mean do. So hopefully this will lead to better things and getting a good flow.