Sneakers n' Shakes

Something I have been trying to do this year is really prioritize rest and relaxation without feeling guilt.  And I’ve managed to do that by treating rest and relaxation as a necessity not a want. In order to do my most meaningful work, I need rest, I need to have time to relax, and I need to recover.  Since I try to cycle sync, I try to naturally let myself rest in the latter half of my cycle since it aligns with my energy levels generally. So if you need a guilt-free way to rest, lean into your cycle.  If that won’t work for you, I have more ideas on how to incorporate this into your life: One rule of thumb is if you’re mentally tired, do something physical and vice-versa for the other way around.  Rest and recovery do not necessarily mean no action, or even scrolling on your phone, they are intentional actions to help you feel recovered. Recovery happens when there is positive stimulation and visible progress. So it’s good to have a handful of physical actions and...

I came across the concept of a Proof of Love journal spread in a YouTube video and instantly fell in love with the idea. But when I went to execute I found myself wondering what exactly should something like this encompass.  So if you to love the idea of a Proof of Love spread, whether virtually or physically, but don’t know where to start, then this post is for you! The idea of a Proof of Love spread is simple, a page that shows you that you are loved and that there are things that make everything worth it.  I decided to break this up into 3 categories: -Things/People you love -People that love you -Self-Love I’ll share some examples of what fell into these categories for me. 1.Things/People you love (3-4) This is the easiest category, and I tried to choose things that make me feel happy. This includes passions, interests, and hobbies. They can be new or old. I found that there was something special about putting something old, it was a way to honor a past love For me, I put ...

One thing, and I would argue the main thing, about building habits and routines is that you need to make it as easy as possible.  It sounds like a simple concept but I think sometimes we get in our own way and make things harder than they need to be. When I say make it easy what I really mean is find even the smallest obstacles or friction points and do what you can to eliminate them. I’ll give some real life examples so you can see what I mean and hopefully this can spark your mind to think of the small things that might have just enough resistance to stop you from making a habit or routine consistent. Habit/Routine I’m trying to achieve: Stretching in the mornings. How I execute/want to execute: Roll out my yoga mat at the foot of the bed  Friction Point/Obstacle: The area at the foot of my bed is not clear Make it easy: Make sure the area is clear before I go to sleep, or even set up my yoga mat the night before I know that I like doing my stretches in that one particul...

To begin, there are a lot of different kinds of freebies you can get at a kpop concert and my fellow fans always surprise me with their creativity! I once got a credit card with Min Yoongi’s face on it and it was so exceptional that I not only think about it but carry it around with me everywhere I go.  I assume if you’ve made it this far you know what a freebie is and what it’s all about but in case you’re new to the kpop world (hi!) freebies are little gifts that fans make and give out (as the name suggests) for free at concerts.  In this post, I’ll outline a few common ideas for freebies, give my take on how to execute them and finally walk through how to make a “lomo” or a fake photocard yourself! A few freebie ideas: Beaded “friendship” bracelet  This one is on the cheaper end since it’s pretty easy to get a bracelet making kit online for under $20 nowadays. The real effort is in make them. I have gotten some with the names/nicknames of members or song names spelled ...

We're at the start of a new season and even if Spring isn't your favorite, a great way to make sure you're making the best (or most) of a season is with a Bingo board! Bucket lists also achieve this but Bingo boards put a fun spin on seasonal activities and make them less intimidating than a list. I personally have a yearly Bingo board with my goals/activities I want to do over the year but a seasonal version is more approachable and in a shorter time frame. The nice thing about the bingo board format is that the feeling that you “have” to complete everything goes away and so it becomes more about just doing what you can. It’s more helpful for seasons you aren’t as fond of, because it gives you some motivation to appreciate it while it’s there since you can’t avoid it. For me that season is winter so my bingo board for that helped me romanticize the cold months I don’t look forward to. I’ll be sharing my board for spring with ideas if you want to make your own. As someone w...

Quarter two of 2026 is almost upon us, and for me that means a ramp up from my slow start for the year. If the first three months of this year whizzed by you too, then join me in re-starting in Q2! My Quarter Reset Checklist:  (I’ll break it by category so you can customize it to fit you) Infrequent tasks: -Go through my phone gallery and delete unnecessary photos -Clean makeup brushes Memory Keeping: -Make a Q1 instagram post -Add Q1 photos to year collage spread in bujo -Fill out my quarter review spread in bujo Planning: -Brainstorm Q2 goals -Make spring bucket list -Make a Q2 vision board So far all I have completed is making the spring bucket list (which I am excited about) and brainstorming some goals for Q2. But everything else is still pending and the month ends in three days. But I like taking a whole week to complete everything, the goal is to reset peacefully not rush through chaotically. I also want to elaborate on what my quarter reset spread in my bullet journal consi...

Another month and another struggle to write a blog post. I’ve had a few rough patches mentally so today I thought I’d simply share a few things that make me smile. I tried to choose new, or at least, new-to-me things to write about and my hope is that you find something fun that you want to try from this list! (In the style of The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green here is my list:) 1. Protein Matcha from Dunkin’ Even if you’re not a matcha fan, Dunkin’ has rolled out protein milk which is my new favorite thing. At least when ordered with matcha, I can’t taste the difference. There is no aftertaste or weird kick, it tastes the same as if I had ordered it with regular milk. It’s become a bit of a buzz word, but my reason for choosing a protein matcha is simply because it fills me up more without sacrificing taste. I personally love the Toasted Almond flavor added to a protein matcha. 5/5  2. Plan D Vlogs Plan D is a Korean Youtube vlogger who has English subtitles on her videos. I...

A slow start This blog post may feel more like a newsletter but I wanted to try this format out since it fits what I’m trying to communicate so well.  I’ve honestly been struggling to write this post, not for lack of ideas, but because they just didn’t feel right given the place I find myself in this month. And a place I think a lot of other people might also be finding themselves in. There’s a lot going on and some people, me included, are struggling to keep up spirits and the cold certainly doesn’t help. On times like this I think it’s good to take a step back and slow down.  Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May is not only an amazing read but serves as a guide on how to rest and retreat and simply slow down. She describes Wintering as a process that can be needed at any time, but for me it happens to also align with the season. Speaking of the season, I don’t believe we were meant to be as active as modern society makes us in these c...

Last year I posted a thorough set up guide for my 2025 Bujo! Those two posts not only talk through how you can set up your own and what to look for but also shares what I ended up doing in my own journal. (Linked here: https://sneakersnshakes.blogspot.com/2024/11/2025-journal-setup-guide-pt1.html   and here:  https://sneakersnshakes.blogspot.com/2024/12/2025-journal-setup-guide-pt2.html ) So this time, I thought I’d focus this post on what not just showing you my spreads but also talking through how each spread worked for me and if I'm making changes. This includes some things that are staying the same and other things that didn’t really work out for me that are removed or altered. I made sure to keep track of all the things that I didn’t like or wished I had this year as I used the journal and have built that into my 2026 one. Without further ado, let’s jump into it.  My 2026 Bullet Journal is Sunlit Mystery by Notebook Therapy and the set of washi and stickers I’m using...