How I'm Celebrating Turning 22

Since I just celebrated my birthday on the 3rd, I'm really excited to share a project I'm working on. Inspired by this story and The Birthday Project, in honour of my 22nd birthday, I pledge to perform 22 acts of kindness, throughout this month and this year. Items that have been struck out have been completed.

Here's what I have planned:

1 Help cats at an animal shelter
2 Get involved with No More/Joyful Heart Foundation
3 Help my mom with her new business venture
4 Compliment a stranger
5 Create another freebie for The Selectively Silent Child
6 Get involved with the Trichotillomania Learning Foundation
7 Write for/about a cause I believe in
8 Donate to Scarleteen
9 Go out of my way to hold the door for someone
10 Buy and flaunt a Cat Tee Mission shirt
11 Send letters to friends I don't talk to often enough
12 Buy a stranger breakfast
13 Slip inspirational quotes written on post-its into library books
14 Sign the HAES pledge
15 Take part in Starbucks Come Together
16 Give a fellow Greyhound passenger reading material and snacks for her trip
17 Explain Health At Every Size to someone who is (unintentionally) not being body posi
18 Learn more (and speak up about) more intersectional feminist issues
19 Leave friendly comments on a bunch of other bloggers' Instagrams
20 Return all the carts at TJ Maxx
21 Contribute to The Birthday Project
22 Host a giveaway at Polish and Sparkle (keep an eye out for it!)

Have you done a similar project? What are your plans for your birthday?

(photo source: PhotosByKim on Etsy)

I shed people like snakes shed skin. I'm not proud of it.

I'm so tired. All the time. I can't keep up with the people in my life, and I'm afraid they'll decide they don't want to be part of it anymore. Sometimes that's exactly what happens.

Days feel like weeks until I finally fall asleep. Then I sleep the week away, and find everyone's moved on with their lives but me. I'm stuck in a constant fight between insomnia and fatigue, too exhausted to do anything at all.

Relationships take work, and I'm willing to put in the time and effort. I'm just not (always) able to. My nearest and dearest understand, but I feel like an awful person when I'm not able to give them that.

There's a very thin line between cutting yourself slack and indulging in self care, versus using your illness as an excuse to eschew responsibility. Illness is a reason for falling behind, not an excuse to stay there. I know you know that. I know I know that. And I know we're careful not to cross that line.

How do you pick up the pieces after an especially tough couple weeks of unrelenting fatigue?

(note) Title inspired by two lines of It's Love by The Jane Austen Argument.

The easiest way to dress up your outfit this autumn

Cute, cozy scarves make a casual outfit chic. Here are my top picks for this autumn (product info here):

Scarves


What's your favourite way to accessorize with a scarf?
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