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Deepika Padukone, Piku (2015)

STUDY ESSENTIALS →

here's a list of a few things i need for my study sessions

~ textbooks

~ notes

~ any other study material

~ a cup of coffee

~ lip balm

~ headphones/Spotify

~ study lamp

~ a chocolate bar or some kinda snack

~ pencils / pens

~ highlighters

~ tissues (for the tears)

~ flashcards + Post It's

~ a heater / air conditioning

~ a comfortable chair

~ water (!!)

~ essential oils

~ study guides

~ YouTube + Khan Academy + TED

~ hair ties

~ clock

~ meds

~ motivation.

happy tuesday are we alive are we anguished are we experiencing a grief we think is too large yet, contradictingly, too small to discuss in simple conversation is spring treating you well are we making plans for the future or just the weekend

Because of coronavirus, a lot of recent grads are moving back home. After four years (or more) of freedom, being back home is a big adjustment and it’s easy to revert back to our teenage behaviors. Here are some of the things I’m doing to feel a little more like a grown up while I’m living at home!

i. make your space your own

Just cleaning out your room can make a huge difference. Donate your old clothes and take your old posters from high school down. If you’ve got the time and resources, a fresh coat of paint or new bedding can also do a lot to make your old room feel more adult. You can also rearrange furniture to make a workspace if you’ll be working from home or applying to jobs.

ii. set boundaries

Lovingly set some ground rules about how you can best support each other. This is especially important if you’ll be working or taking classes from home – let them know you’ll be unavailable during certain hours so they don’t barge into a Zoom meeting. 

iii. build a routine

Even if you’re not working or in class at the moment, it’s important to be intentional about your time. The biggest thing that contributed to me feeling like a kid when I first moved back was spending my days watching Netflix and napping. Which are totally valid! But add in other daily activities, like taking your dog for a walk and making yourself a nice breakfast.

iv. make time for friends

I normally hate virtual hangouts, but they’ve been so important for my mental health during quarantine. Schedule a weekly Zoom coffee date with your group of friends. FaceTime your old roommates. Meet your high school bestie in the park and have a distanced picnic (don’t forget masks!). Having a support system is so important right now!

v. find new hobbies

This is the perfect time to try out new hobbies. Plus, craft stores have been having great sales since they know everyone is cooped up all summer. I found some really fun craft kits that I never would have tried normally, and now I’m the proud owner of a woven frog wall hanging. A few ideas: painting, tie dying, embroidery, yoga, running, learning a new language, reading, etc.

Having a long-term project to work towards – like a larger art project or trying to master a difficult yoga pose – helps to keep the days from running together.

vi. find ways to feel “normal”

Everyone, no matter their living situation, is feeling really upended right now. Find the little ways to bring back pieces of your “normal” life. Learn how to make your favorite coffee shop drink at home. Cook for yourself. Wake up at your normal time even if you don’t have to. Keep up with your normal exercise and self care routines – they’re more important now than ever!

YA books about POC by POC #ownvoices

 for the people who keep telling me they cant find diverse #ownvoices books by people of color or that there are none. 

contemporary + romance

- asian authors -

born confused - tanuja desai hidier

girl in between - pintip dunn

i believe in a thing called love - maurene goo

enter title here - rahul kanakia

if you could be mine - sara farizan

its not like its a secret - misa sugiura

my so-called bollywood life - nisha sharma

none of the above - i.w. gregorio

since you asked - maurene goo

starfish - akemi dawn bowman

tell me again how a crush should feel - sara farizan

this promise i will keep - aisha saeed

to all the boys ive loved before - jenny han

qala academy - tanaz bhatena

when dimple met rishi - sandhya menon

written in the stars - aisha saeed

tiny pretty things - sona charaipotra & dhonielle clayton

- black and african authors -

all american boys - jason reynolds & brendan kiely

allegedly - tiffany d. jackson

american street - ibi zoboi

the boy in the black suit - jason reynolds

dear martin - nic stone

the hate u give - angie thomas

little & lion - brandy colbert

peas and carrots - tanita s. davis

the sun is also a star - nicola yoon

this side of home - renée watson

tiny pretty things - sona charaipotra & dhonielle clayton

pointe - brandy colbert

when i was the greatest - jason reynolds

you dont know me but i know you - rebecca barrow

- latinx authors -

the education of margot sanchez - lilliam rivera

the inexplicable logic of my life - benjamin alire sáenz

juliet takes a breath - gabbi rivera

north of happy - adi alsaid

we were here - matt de la pena

when reason breaks - cindy l. rodriguez

yaqui delgado wants to kick your ass - meg medina

high fantasy + urban fantasy

- asian authors -

the bone witch - rin chupeco 

the forbidden wish - jessica khoury

forest of a thousand lantern by julie c. dao

huntress - malinda lo

not your sidekick - c.b. lee

prophecy - ellen oh

the reader - traci chee

serpentine - cindy pon

silver phoenix - cindy pon

soulmated - shaila patel

the star-touched queen - roshani chokshi

- black and african authors -

akata witch - nnedi okorafor

promise of shadows - justina ireland

shadowsharper - daniel josé older

- latinx authors -

labyrinth lost - zoraida córdova

shadowsharper - daniel josé older

historical + historical fantasy

- asian authors -

an ember in the ashes - sabaa tahir

everything i never told you - celeste ng

outrun the moon - stacey lee

under a painted sky - stacey lee

- latinx authors -

burn baby burn - meg medina

iron cast - destiny soria

shame the stars - guadalupe garcia mccall

magical realism

- black and african authors -

into white - randi pink

- latinx authors -

the girl who could silence the wind - meg medina

summer of the mariposas - guadalupe garcia mccall

the weight of feathers - anna-marie mclemore

wild beauty - anna-marie mclemore

when the moon was ours - anna-marie mclemore

sci-fi

- asian authors - 

forget tomorrow - pintip dunn

the amaterasu project - axie oh

the girl from everywhere - heidi heilig

want - cindy pon

- black and african authors -

binti - nnedi okorafor

the blazing star - imani josey

the fifth season - n.k. jemisin

love is the drug - alaya dawn johnson

orleans - sherri l. smith

is that enough? they’re out there. you just have to be willing to look.

All Book Recommendations | My Book Blog 

making coffee at home

So maybe you want to start making good coffee at home, but it seems pretentious, unnecessarily complicated and presents a minefield of equipment and differing advice on where to begin.

Many of you have asked me how to make good coffee at home. Here is a brief need-to-know guide to making coffee at home that will make it seem simple (because it is). ☕️

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someday i will live in a home where there are no sad stories within the walls. i can leave my door open and never worry about who may wander in. pieces of me will be everywhere, not just my bedroom. my books in the living room and my candle on the bathroom counter. a table where everyone is fed and loved and no one has to hold their tongue. if i open the windows there is no chance of all the peace escaping with the breeze because there is peace to spare. the war is left on the welcome mat. i will not need to lock my door because i can trust that anyone who comes knocking just wants to know what we should eat for dinner, just wants to show me something on the tv, just wants to say hi and see my face and hear my voice. maybe the fear will never leave. some things you simply can’t put down so long as your body remembers. but there is peace to spare. i will light the candle and read the book and leave my door open, and someone will stop by just to see my face and hear my voice.

i hope that one day i will finally be ok….i’ll make a cherry pie when it is all over