Sneakers n' Shakes

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...

It is new journal season! So I thought that before I dive into the changes I’m making for my 2026 bullet journal setup, I’d first review my current ecosystem as a whole!  I’ll list out my journal ecosystem here and talk through the different aspects of each part! I hope this gives you ideas for how to set up or modify your own system! 1. My Bullet Journal Last year I shared my bullet journal setup for the beginning of the year on this blog. (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 )  This is my main goals/memory keeping system. A lot of people use bujos for planning but I prefer to separate that. My goals spreads at the start of my journal are the most planning I do in mine. I also use one journal per year, so it ends up being more for memory keeping, and reflection, serving as an overview for the whole year. (Spreads include seasonal b...

There is a styling method called “2 out of 3” which says that out of the three (outfit, hair, and makeup) you should have at least two at any given time to look nice with less effort. And though it can be hard to implement in fashion, I liked the overall idea of having a choice yet setting a standard at the same time. Menus are a popular journaling/habit tool and consist of a “menu” or list of things that generally define a routine (morning/night, skincare, etc.) The idea is you freely choose from the list based on what you are capable of and it’s a less strict way to build a habit. (I’m currently trying to have better night and morning routines so once I try it out, I’m sure there will be another blog post on the way.) But back to this concept of a list of things and having the option to pick at minimum two things from that list to meet the standard you’re trying to achieve. I decided to try it out with something I always struggle with: feeling productive.  Despite the fact that I...

There is no right way to write fiction. Unlike other types of writing which can follow a format, the basis of fiction writing is rooted in individual creativity. And though there might be some templates to follow (we’ve all read the third quarter conflict in a romance book or followed a chaotic build up to the climax of a thriller) but ultimately, the outcome of your plot and characters are going to be yours.  Which is why this blog post has been so hard to write. But I will try my best to share some writing tips for fiction that I have used and applied in my 11 years of writing fiction. (Oh my god it’s been 11 years….) These tips are also extremely applicable to NaNoWriMo (which I have completed twice now.) Quick recap, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month which is a challenge that happens in November. The idea is to write approximately 1.6k words every day so that by the end you have a book of about 50k words. (I def recommend every writer try this at least once!) 1. Do It S...

What is a go-bag? It’s my mini purse that I move with me whenever I change purses and holds all my essentials.  I have a lot of cute purses but found that I wasn’t using them as often because it was such a pain to remember to move everything from one to the other, so I took a small 4 by 6 inch pouch and put all my essentials inside and I now just move that from purse to purse. So what do I keep in my go-bag? It’s been a growing list but I prefer it that way to cover most of those “just-in-case” situations. Small ID Wallet: this holds my ID, 2 credit cards and whatever cash I keep on me. It is small and compact and since it’s open I can easily slide my card in and out. Keys Compact Mirror 2-3 Hair ties A few bobby pins A few safety pins 2-3 Band-aids Coins A nail file (I have long nails and they do be chipping) A sanitizing wipe A pen A small notepad Travel Perfume (those containers you can re-fill with perfume) Like 3 lip products (a gloss, a lipstick, and a liner) Hand Cream Notab...