u/aknomnoms

I’m in my late 30’s but have been a big girl since childhood. This book had me crying in parts because it truly felt so relatable and made me recall all those hurtful moments that I’ve suppressed and tried to ignore but still carry with me into adulthood.

If I had read a book like this when I was younger, I think it would’ve helped me a lot in speaking up about wanting therapy, coping with feeling alone in my pain, about loving and accepting myself, and dealing with bullying at home and in school.

It’s a shorter read and a good audiobook. I’m a bit disappointed that it read like fantasy though with the one-dimensionality of side characters and eloquent articulation of a 12 year old, but I think it’s somewhat fitting for a young adult audience. I still found the story healing and think the message is a great one for kids and adults of all sizes, shapes, colors, and backgrounds. If we aren’t Ellie ourselves, it can at least help us understand and support the Ellie’s in our lives.

(Also a plug to use your local library! I found this book on Libby.)

My pharmacy always staples 2-3 pages of paper onto prescription pick-ups. It is usually a trifold with the prescription, info about the drug, and a sticker sheet so the pharmacist can add the label to the bottle.

I normally just throw the paperwork into a basket for “just in case” and then shred and recycle the non-label papers once the basket is full. Seemed like such a waste, so this time I culled through to glean enough paper to make 2 tear-away scratch pads (just added school glue on the ends, clamped with binder clips, let dry over night) and am saving all the waxy backings from the sticker sheets to DIY stickers (wrote on leftover labels and cut images out from magazines, “laminated” over the sticker backing paper with clear packing tape). I still have about 30 more sticker strips set aside for future projects. I still shredded anything with sensitive information but am considering using it to make paper pulp next time.

I consider this a big win:
- reduced amount of clutter
- reduced amount of waste
- gave me products I actually use (so saved money too)
- gave me happiness during the creative process

I’m just a newbie and not very artistic in general, so I know this will look unimpressive, underwhelming, and amateur hour compared to some of the amazing works of art I see on here, but I’m quite pleased and it serves my needs nicely! 😊 Hope y’all have projects like that in your life too!

Used old dictionary pages to create sheets I originally wanted to use in my journal, but then decided to make a “ransom note-esque” letter to my friends. Figured I might as well prettify the envelope too.

Also included some DIY “ransom note” style stickers with their names as well as their pets’ names (the long-standing joke is that I want to pet-nap their dogs and cat but have settled for just being their favorite auntie).

Still new to junk journaling, but it’s been fun to get creative with the materials already on hand. (In this case, a Costco magazine and section of the local newspaper).

Someone posted a picture of their tea in another sub I frequent. It had a pretty little sentiment on it, written in English.

A second person in the comments presumed it was a poor English translation of Japanese, then had the audacity to rewrite what they thought it should’ve been in English after confessing their own “Japanese isn’t perfect”.

A third party thankfully corrected them. The poem WAS originally written in English, and the WINNER of a haiku award, so the original phrasing was exactly as intended.

I’m normally pretty chill, but the colonizing and patronizing mindset of that second person amazes me, even more that no one called them out. They thought it was a shitty Engrish translation because it was an Asian tea and presumed to “improve” upon a poem that won an award despite obviously not being familiar with Japanese, the tea brand, or haiku.

JFC if this isn’t “white men ‘well-akshully’ing Asian stuff” energy. 100% confidence with 100% ignorance.

Do y’all speak up when this happens, or just let it go?

- rice (added sushi seasoning vinegar, sesame seeds, furikake after cooking)

- shiitake and carrots (simmered in shiitake soaking water, soy sauce, sugar, mirin)

- cucumber (lightly pickled in salt and garlic powder because I didn’t have fresh)

- nori

- edamame not pictured

I was too lazy and hungry to get out the mat, so just made bite-sized sushi “tacos”.

The “hardest” part is simmering the veg, but it stores well in the fridge and can be used in a variety of ways. I like plucking out plump shiitake as a little snack, pouring it over silken tofu for a cold dish, or heating up with firm tofu chunks as a hot dish.

- Used up and sent out a bunch (30ish?) of stickers via snail mail.
- Also used up 3 cards + envelopes. I’ve had that “new home” card now for at least 7 years (went with another card last-minute back then but hung onto this until just the right moment).
- Used up a pen.

I bought 3 postcards and 2 huge stickers sheets while on vacation though (in my defense, they were all travel-related and will be sent out or used up by the end of the week as I journal and finish sending out the postcards 😅) so net negative at the moment.

As seen on a recent trip to Seattle

Finals season, so knocked out a pen and a highlighter just with reviewing. It was funny taking a photo of them because, more than the notes themselves, this felt like evidence of my actual studying. Like oddly poetic to show the tools that were worn down rather than the product they created.

Also started a new journal and set it up for the next 4 weeks. Decided to jazz it up with some stickers and really got into it. Normally I’m oddly conservative about “nice” stickers or crafting supplies, but some of these are cheapo DollarTree stickers, and others have been in my supply box for literal years. It became like a game, and my mindset changed from “let’s select only the most perfect and appropriate sticker for the page” to “let’s see if I can use the rest of this sheet so I can throw it away! Let’s use these stickers so they don’t just keep sitting around for another few years, doing nothing, bringing no joy!” So I considered it “sticker bombing” for me because I was lavish and used 2-3 stickers on every page. 🤣

Here are my most recent Dollar Tree notebook finds, $1.25 each. 5”x7”, 60 pages.

They have a nice faux leather cover, available in black, dark cognac, and medium tan. Covers have brief sayings along the edge in gold paint. I’d prefer if they were plain (looks classier, would appeal to more people IMO), but these don’t seem too distracting or inappropriate for an office setting. I wouldn’t trust these rattling around loose in a backpack or suggest using them to write down cherished family memoirs to hand down to the grandkids (felt like the cover would easily delaminate), but great for everyday use.

I included a test page with the pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers I’m currently using. Paper is on the slightly thinner side, but not terrible. If I used this for work, I’d just write on one side of the page to keep notes clear. But I usually just write for myself with no intention of looking back, so it’s not a concern for me. I’m also leaning into light junk journaling. I don’t need good paper for stickering, drawing terrible doodles, or grocery lists, so this suits all my purposes quite well.

Quality is decent for the price.

Not a luxurious writing experience, but would definitely be a nice little economical addition to your stack.

Veggie rolls are now $10USD/8 pieces at my local store, and I was hit hard with a craving for some last night. Had all the ingredients on hand and whipped up 5 different rolls (40 pieces) for the same cost. Picture only shows half (the chef was hungry, roommates wanted to help taste test, and some pieces fell apart when I was cutting the rolls 😅).

Might not be considered “cheap” by some, but these were absolutely delicious and had 3 adults stuffed for about $10 total, so I consider it a win. Avocado is a must, but I could’ve replaced the purchased pickles with homemade to further cut down costs. Prices are approximate and on the conservative side.

$0.25 x 1 carrot

$2 x 7 dried shiitake mushrooms

$0.50 x 2 Persian cucumbers

$0.75 x 1 avocado

$3 x Combo pack with takuan and prepared gobo (cooked and seasoned)

$1 x 2 cups Japanese short grain rice

$2 x 5 sheets nori

$0.10 x 1 tablespoon sugar

$0.25 x 1 tablespoon mirin

$0.25 x 1 tablespoon soy sauce

$0.25 x 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar