It started with a few flakes that made me all excited, but quickly went away. Then at night some more snow came and melted into trickling drips of rain. Finally, the next day it was cool enough for the snow to fall and stick!
come on snow! from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
melting snow from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
falling snow from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Learn more about 365great here.
Yet again, as we were hoping for signs of spring, nature decided to take its own course and lightly blanket us with snow this morning. And even though many people are complaining and griping about this endless chill, I think there’s always a beauty to snow. There’s something truly wonderful about those light, fluffy flakes floating down and slowly layering until all you see is a landscape of white. In just an hour or two, your world can turn from tones of brown and green to bright, bright white! I love looking out the window to suddenly find my neighborhood transformed. It’s magical.
I wish that more people took a moment to sit in awe of the beauty in front of them, even as they have to get up in the cold and trudge off to work after digging their cars out of the drifts. I think all children do as they trot off to school! Everyone should retain that sense of wonder and wide-eyed enthusiasm. Snow is such a cool phenomenon and it makes an excellent & versatile playtoy. So while the plants have shown the first signs of spring and everyone is tired of the cold, don’t let it diminish the experience of snow. The way that it can alter our landscape and be so much fun to play in is what makes snow great to me!
I really dislike wearing pants with high waists and socks that go above the ankle. For some reason, they make me feel like I can’t breathe. Why my belly button and ankle bones psychologically affect my (perceived) ability to breathe is beyond me. All I know is that it’s a pervasive feeling that I have to purposefully ignore to overcome it. So, I take the easy way out and don’t wear articles of clothing that make me feel that way. That’s why I love low-rise jeans, sweatpants, dresses, ankle socks, and booties. Am I the only crazy one out there?
Learn more about 365great here.
Smells are a powerful way to evoke emotions and memories. Lately, I’ve found myself using this sense a lot more, what with burning candles and spraying mists to enhance my mood or try to induce a different one. Even just the act of lighting the candle or spraying the mist has allowed me to intentionally set what I wanted to do and how I wanted to feel. Whether you want to relax with a calming scent, energize with a revitalizing scent, arouse with a warm scent, drift off to sleep with a soothing scent, or even feel more empowered with a vibrant scent, you can find something for just about every emotion-enhancing need.
Some of the products I’ve explored are the energy shifting sprays by hellomellow, the aromatherapy candle by Bath & Body Works, the eye pillow by Herbal Animals, and the energy mists by Lotus Wei. Through spraying my pillow and my face, lighting up a candle, and covering my eyes with the herbal pillow, these products have helped me reach better moods whenever I’ve felt frazzled or down. I’ve especially enjoyed these mini rituals that allow me to take care of myself .
Here’s a place that I enjoy going to whenever I get a chance. I love their sausages and their sauerkraut!
I looove burying my sausages in sauerkraut.
Don’t be fooled, this is a different sausage but same topping.
Panda opted for a more exotic flavor.
The Belgian fries make a nice complement to the sausages.
A typical meal involves about two sausages per person and some fries.
Learn more about 365great here.
Or more accurately, touchscreen compatible gloves. These are awesome because you can keep them on when you need to use your smartphone or tablet. There’s a ton of variety in the style of gloves that come with these special fingertips, from knit ones to more weatherproof ones. Whether you prefer funky ones like mine or more professional ones, these can be a freezing-finger-saver!
Touchscreen-capable gloves often use a special type of conductive thread to imitate to conductivity of our skin. It’s a simple and elegant solution that is excellent for anyone who has to be out in chilly weather. I love that it helps solve an uncomfortable (and sometimes painful) situation. What a practical and fun way to solve a pretty common problem! That’s why they’re great.
What are auks? Well, that’s exactly why you’re getting a mini lesson on them! You’re probably most familiar with puffins, which are part of the auk family. These birds may remind you of penguins with their coloring and living situation, but what distinguishes them from penguins is that they can fly (whereas penguins cannot, if you didn’t know). Check out some videos of their behavior, including eagerness at feeding time and pretty fun wing-flapping and foot-kicking.
puffin feeding time from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
hungry auks from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
flapping auk from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
auk belly swim from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
auk propelling kick from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Learn more about 365great here.
Totally endearing.
I think cats are often misunderstood by all those “other” animals-lovers out there who claim they don’t like cats. Just give these creatures a chance and even the infuriatingly senile manage to find a way into your heart. I’ve had cats that were so loving that I always had emotional support and I’ve had cats that were sometimes borderline neurotic (and sometimes full-fledged crazy). Still, each one is brilliantly unique and their strong personalities make for some great times and stories. I think their quirks are just what make them awesome; taking the time to discover what makes them tick allows for some very deep bonds to form. Plus, they’re (usually) such graceful creatures with an air about them that is awe-inspiring. No wonder they were worshipped in many cultures. An animal that can command respect like that is pretty great.
I’m taking a course on Coursera about strategic innovation, which started by covering creativity. One idea I found really interesting is that this whole “thinking outside the box” concept is flawed. Basically, our professor explains how to truly innovate, you need to work within certain constraints, or else your ideas are cast aside as too crazy, too weird, too something. And so, creativity at its best may not actually be thinking outside that box per se, but thinking within and working to alter the box itself. Certainly it’s more effective that way.
That got me thinking though – are people more creative with constraints than they are with none? I mean, if you think of a contest for example, it provides a certain set of guidelines and then lets contestants add their own personal flair or interpretation. Oftentimes, these challenges produce amazing results. I think this is because these people are given a focus. It’s not just about writing the best essay or taking the best picture – it’s about writing the best essay about pie and taking the best picture of a flower. The specific nature of these tasks also lend themselves to more diversity in a way.
I’ve found, for instance, that I can be creative in many ways, but one of the most rewarding has been writing my Wacky Wedding Ideas blog. When I have to limit all my ideas to the general structure of a wedding, it actually creates so many possibilities. Personally, I think ideas I have for wacky weddings would far exceed ideas I can come up with for any old party, or even events in general. Since I already have something to work with, it’s really fun to stretch the limits with what can be changed about a wedding while still preserving its essence. If I tried to write a blog about any cool event ideas I could think of, I’m sure it’d be far less interesting.
Similarly, I recently started participating in a photo challenge hosted by Chantelle of FatMumSlim. Each day, there is a simple prompt and we are encouraged to interpret it as we wish, then take a picture expressing that idea, which we can then share on various social media outlets. This has been a really rewarding experience and part of what inspired my 365great project. It’s always fun to think about different ways to interpret and convey the given prompt, whether it’s as ambiguous as “explore” or as specific as “shoes.” I definitely think it’s a fun thing for anyone to try! What a fun way to exercise your creativity on a day-to-day basis.
So the next time you need to be creative, try coming up with one constraint. It could be something like “there must be something round” or you’ll include the number 8 somewhere. Whatever you choose, I think you’ll find yourself viewing the world a little differently and making connections you might not have before. And as with most things, practice brings improvement, so go on and exercise that creativity muscle consistently!
Learn more about 365great here.
You’re probably munching on some right now, aren’t you? These cookies are not only delicious and an anticipated annual treat, they help teach girls some basic business skills. It takes a certain amount of planning, strategizing, and selling skills to successfully sell these cookies, even if they already have a fan following. It’s a great way to get young girls to start thinking about the types of skills they’ll need to do well in the workforce and at home. It’s often a benefit that is overlooked, but the teamwork, goal-setting, budgeting, time management, overcoming fear, gaining confidence, and acquisition of other skills are great for any situation.
Then of course, there are the cookies themselves. I don’t know what they put in these things to make them so delicious and addicting, but paired with the cute scouts eagerly trying to sell you a box, how can you say no? I always end up getting at least a box or two, if not a dozen (or two). After all, they’re only available once a year, so if you want them to last, you’re going to need to stock up. My personal favorites are Samoas, but this year I opted to try something new in the Thank You Berry Munch flavor – very tasty too! I do miss the All Abouts, which they discontinued awhile back. I guess you could always dip Trefoils in chocolate to get the same effect. Between the delicious cookies and the lifelong skills they’re teaching girls, don’t you think Girl Scout Cookies are pretty great too?
