Hello 2024!

A list of things that are currently making me happy, and might make you happy too!

Hello there subscribers!

I am back from my “vacation”. As you may recall from my last post in 2023, I was going to take some time off from my chronic illness and all of my daily tasks and responsibilities around my illness, etc. Welp, I made it from Dec. 22 to Dec. 26 and then I got the terrible stomach bug that was going around. I was sicker than sick with that for 4 days, and then it took another couple of days to get back to my baseline. So, that gets us to about Jan. 2nd, and then I had my first doctor’s appointment of the year on Jan. 3. Sooooo, yeah……not much of a vacation from being sick.

As such, that’s why it has taken me a bit longer to get back on my blog again. As of today, Jan 12, I’ve had two doctor’s appointments in Missouri and one locally. Next week I have a couple more medical appointments and disability attorney appointments. So I am back in full swing with all this.

I also am planning to do as much as I am able this month with working on my book proposal and edits of my book, so that I can start sending it out to literary agents soon. We will see what kind of energy I have to work with, but I plan to use it for the book and not much else. If any of you like to send out good thoughts/vibes/prayers or anything like that, then I would definitely appreciate you including this in them. Hoping to get an amazing literary agent, and then an incredible publisher. So any and all good vibes headed my way for that, would be much appreciated. Also, if you have any good vibes you would like me to send you, please do not hesitate to either comment them on this post or email me (krista.m.atkinson@gmail.com)! I would be happy to do that for you.

So, I don’t really want to start the year out with my first post being about the challenges going on. Thusly, I decided not to do the next installment of my long-haul series as the first newsletter of the year. I also decided not to go into how hard things have been lately with my illness/life. Those things are forthcoming, but I wanted to start out on a higher note for now.

As such, I decided to give you an easy list to read—a list of some of my favorite things that give me so much happiness (in case you are interested in trying any of them for your enjoyment):

1 - Incense from Edgewater Candles - So this place is located in my old neighborhood in Chicago. Funnily enough, I never shopped there when I was living right by it. However, a friend got my their Aries incense for my last birthday, and I loved it so much that I have been ordering from them ever since. This is my splurge, because there incense is much pricier than most other brands. Here is what I will say for them—One, it is a small business that I am supporting. Two, I am REALLY picky about smells and have trouble finding other ones I like. These are very potent and have really good quality smells. The cheap ones are perfumey in a way that gives me a headache. These are much better quality. Three, one stick burns for over an hour, whereas others don’t last more than 30 mins. And four, I love all of the different unique scents to choose from. Especially their zodiac series. A couple of things that help with the higher cost is: 1 - it’s free shipping, 2 - I am on their email list and they often run sales and specials that I take advantage of, and 3 - I joined their rewards program and it’s a pretty good points system where I have been able to get a lot of money off some of my orders when I use my points. If you like things that smell good, I recommend checking them out. Aromatherapy has been really therapeutic for me lately.

2 - Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey audiobook - Y’all, this guy is something else lemme tell ya! LOL! Lately, due to symptoms, I am not able to read physical books very well. So I started doing audiobooks and they have been such a game changer! I have so many recommendations, and this one isn’t even my first recommendation (I will suggest others below). However, this one is entertaining me a lot more than I expected (I am about 3/4 of the way through it right now). Hearing him read it, listening to his downright CRAZY shenanigans and stories, and finding out some really insightful and unique perspectives he has on things is quite interesting. My local library audiobook app has it, so I am listening to it for free. It wasn’t one I had on my Audible list to use a paid credit for, but when I saw my library had it, I was like “well, it’s free and I am down to try it, but I don’t have many expectations.” And I have been thoroughly surprised and entertained. His narration is really fun and some of his stories were even shocking to me. It’s putting a smile on my face. I am finding out he is a stone cold weirdo and I love it. I knew the naked bongo drum arrest story from back in the day, but hearing his telling of it just cracked me up. And some of his other excursions are way more woo woo and ‘out there’ than that.

3 - Audiobooks in general - as I mentioned above, I am really enjoying audiobooks. Reading is hard with my symptoms due to the headaches, brain fog, and blurry vision (a new symptom I acquired a few months ago). Just laying on my side, under a blanket, with my eyes closed, listening to an audiobook can be just what I need when my head doesn’t allow me to do anything else. These also pass the time nicely on a long drive, and boring ones can help me fall asleep! I have been doing discounted Audible subscriptions off and on, and my library app. I have heard good things about Libby, but I can’t get my library card to work on it. Anywho, here are some of my fave audiobooks from 2023 - Dave Grohls’ The Storyteller, Circe by Madeline Miller, and Paris The Memoir by Paris Hilton. I actually listened to all 3 of these for free on my library app, but I have linked them here to Audible cause I can’t link my library app. Bonus - Coloring books - if my head and energy feel good, I color in coloring books while I listen to audiobooks! Coloring is so calming and therapeutic!

4 - Essential Oils from Neal’s Yard - I am back to smells. So far, this list is purely books and smells. Literally, my life right now is doctor’s appointments, occasionally writing, resting a lot, and aromatherapy with books. LOL. This is another one where it is a worthy splurge. Almost all essential oils have a fake perfumey smell that gives me a headache. These are truly actually organic essential oils and are really potent. A little goes a long way. They are strong, but they last and they are a high quality that doesn’t make me sick. Plus, I also am on the email list and watch out for their frequent sales. A few of my faves are: Women’s Balance blend, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Calming blend, Meditation blend, and Black Pepper—there are a lot more I like too, but those are just a few absolute faves. (Real talk: I recently tried their skin care and was not a fan. Luckily, they actually reimbursed me for it when I wrote their customer service about it. Which was pretty great considering it can’t be returned. So, they are a good company. But, in my opinion, they are not a skin care company. Just stick to the oils and other smelly good things.) Another Pro-Tip - double check how many ounces are in their essential oils. There are a couple of ones that are super expensive and the bottle is only like 1/4 full of the oil, because it is such an expensive oil to organically do (I know rose and neroli are two like this). So don’t buy those ones thinking you will get a full bottle. (Luckily, I didn’t learn this one the hard way, I learned from reading reviews of people who learned the hard way.)

5 - Good skincare - Do any of you have any favorite skin care lines? If so, please comment on this post with your faves! A line I like across the board is Fig.1 Skincare. They are very reasonably priced for good skincare that includes all of the different buzzword ingredients that all the experts recommend. I think it works really well and have enjoyed all of the products I have tried from them. And, they are very eco-friendly with their packaging. You order a glass bottle the first time, and then for future orders you order a cheaper refill that goes inside the bottle. A line I also really like, but is super expensive so I almost never have any of it is iS Clinical. If you have the dough, they are worth the splurge, in my opinion. Pro-Tip - did you know you have to be very careful ordering skincare products from Amazon? A lot of sellers create fake products for much cheaper and the bottles are the same but the ingredients are not. I read an article that said a study found some of these fake products even had fecal matter in them. The same article told me that the way to know if you are ordering the right product on Amazon is if the seller is listed as either the actual skincare company themselves or Amazon. If the seller is listed as anyone other than those two sellers, you could very well be ordering a fake product. Another way to check, is see if the skincare brand’s website has a list of authorized sellers. iS Clinical does have that on their site, and you can click on the link to take you directly to their products. I also really enjoy the Fresh brand’s face wash from Sephora. Their moisturizers are just ok, and the masks are decent. Let me know what your faves are! I like to switch stuff up!

6 - Cats! - I realized this list was turning into a sales pitch for different things to spend money on. Something that is free, that makes me happy, is my cat. As such, I am suggesting that all of my readers, if you don’t have one already, go to your local shelter and get a cat. I guess cats do technically cost money, as you have to feed them and whatnot. Ok, so nothing in this life is free. That is what I am learning as I write this. All of my happiness is dependent upon money I guess. But, cats are amazing.

7 - The Barbie Movie - I am old school, and got this on DVD. However, there are some streaming stations that have it. Including a really cool ASL version on HBO. ASL is American sign language. And the movie has a woman in the bottom right hand corner signing all of the lines. It is so cool and it is a new thing HBO is trying. If enough people watch it, it will help them do more of it in the future, which is super helpful for the deaf community! So turn it on and show your support. Also, this movie is just so great. It is bright and colorful, funny and heartwarming and meaningful, very clever and different, and has an all-star cast. It was really nice to see sexist tropes I grew up with in movies turned on their heads and shown from the opposite perspective. It showcases just how ridiculous those tropes are when you are watching them this way. It just feels like a new era for Hollywood to finally get on board with female directors and busting out of the old boy’s club. And, if you are a confident man who has is act together and isn’t sexist, then you will like this movie too. If you aren’t comfortable with yourself and your masculinity, then you aren’t going to like this movie, but you need to watch it more than anyone. Single ladies, use this movie as a litmus test for potential suitors.

8 - Showering - every night I take a warm shower before I go to bed. It makes me feel better, and the warm water helps make me a little sleepy. Winter can be a depressing time for a lot of us, and sometimes just a simple shower can do a world of good. Especially if you have a nice body wash you really like, that smells really good. Here I go with smell again. I might have a problem…

9 - My Stanley cup - say what you will about these cups. I feel like the most basic bitch in the world for having one. But gosh darnit if I don’t love it. 1 - I drink so much more water because of it. 2- The opening at the top is large enough to put ice in. 3- The bottom is small enough to fit in car cupholders. 4 - The handle is very convenient. 5 - It keeps my water colder than any other water bottle I have tried and the ice does not melt for a very long time (I only like really cold water). 6 - The colors are pretty. 7 - It makes me feel like a cool girl in school because when I was a kid I never got the name brand things and everyone made fun of me, so who’s laughing now?! (Yes, that last reason is dumb. I acknowledge it. And also, I just simply don’t care.)

10 - My true blue friends - lately, my good friends have come through so hard for me. Checking in, bringing me care packages, sending me lovely notes of encouragement, and just letting me know how loved and supported I am. I have been so overwhelmed with love. I am so grateful for the amazing support system I have in my corner. I am currently deactivated on FB temporarily for a little social media detox. However, my messenger is open, and I have been receiving so many heartfelt messages. I will eventually come back on, but just need to prioritize my health right now, as sometimes people say shitty things on there, and I am not in the right headspace to deal with it. But, more often than not, people say wonderful and kind and supportive things on there, and it means the world to me. I love my true blue friends and you make me happy!

Well guys, if any of you have the blues and need a pick-me-up, I hope one or more of the above can help you feel a little better. My recommendation is have a true blue friend over, light some incense and diffuse some essential oils, do some at-home facials while you watch the Barbie movie together and color in coloring books while cuddling with cats, hydrate the whole night with water from your Stanley cups, then after your friend leaves take a warm shower and listen to an audiobook before you fall asleep. That would be a happy night for me. What would be a happy night for you? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for supporting my blog!

xo - K