A recent argument with my boyfriend lead to the re-birth of the ancient archive that is this podcast. If you were ever leery of using the internet to order food or groceries here are 5 of the best reasons why using the Instacart.com app will change your life.

Let's Connect Here: https://bit.ly/m/TonyaBraden

Top 5 things I want you to know before you graduate High School

5. Find Your Tribe and build your network.

4. Quitting is not an Option, but a change of strategy is.

3. There is MORE than one pathway to SUCCESS.  

2. The Term "Graduate On Time" is irrelevant in College.

1. Find a HEALTHY way to Self Soothe!  

-Alert- 

You might experience some form of nervousness about graduation,  ACT (or SAT) scores, grades, admission requirements, community service, and life in general.  Start now learning healthy ways to settle, calm, and focus so you can stay on track.

I am not a doctor, so read some other strategies for HEALTHY self soothing below:

https://drjudithorloff.com/self-soothing-techniques-8-ways-to-prevent-overwhelm/ 

https://www.nspt4kids.com/parenting/10-simple-calm-down-strategies-for-teens/

https://papyrus-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Hope-box.pdf 

5-Things about Bullet Journaling

If you have never heard of such-a-thing as Bullet Journaling, hold on to your crayons and glue sticks because it's about to get real!  Real creative:-)  Just because you may have a calendar on all of your digital devices, doesn't mean you can't possibly need to be MORE productive and organized in your life.  And just maybe my latest internet obsession may help you pull all of your loose ends together and make sense of it all.  Welcome to the wonderful world of BuJo on the latest episode of 5-things.

Here are some links to help you get started.

Enjoy your week!

Who doesn't want to come home after a long day and have their home smell like your private chef has been cooking all afternoon?  Ummmmm, all the smells.  Your full tummy will thank me for this one.  Have you ever thought about how awesome slow cookers are?  Well obviously I have.  Crockpots are BAE and this is whY:

5. They  lend well to the meal prep lifestyle.

4.  They can help you stay on track with your healthy diet.  Of course you can make some really fattening things with crock pots too, but we dont have to talk about that right now.

3. They are very easy to learn.  Even if you have never cooked before in your life, there are so many websites and videos available to help guide you to a delicious meal.

2. They are inexpensive.  Of course you can buy the Rolls Royce brand of anything, but most name brands of crock pots are very reasonable.  You can find them at Family Dollar stores, Big Lots, Walmart, Target as well as your local Thrift Store.  Some of my thrift store finds have been new in a box.

1.  There are so many types! Small, medium, large. Family size or single portion. Fancy party types with double and multi-use sections. Pressure cookers and roasting pans Oh MY!

Search Slow cooker recipes on google or youtube.

My favorite Chicken Chilli here: https://youtu.be/8vCj-OeywTs  

I would use dry beans (that have been soaked overnight and rinsed ) to substitute because they are cheaper to use.  

 5 Things about Podcasting

This has been an epic journey.  My goal was simple - create, produce, and upload a podcast with 12 episodes for 2018.  Something I have wanted to do for the last couple of years has now come to fruition.  With the totality of it all being the sum of its outstanding parts I would be remiss if I didnt dedicate at least one episode to the things that has gotten me to this point.  Here are 5 things about podcasting that I did not know until after completing this task.

5. I need to dedicate a separate session to think about, write, and produce the content before recording.  Recording is a whole separate art form in itself.  Respect the process.

4. The sound is a really important thing. Background noises, interference, too much breath can make or break the overall experience.  Editing is important and having the experience and the time to get it right is very valuable.  A lot of my episodes did not have that benefit.  I definitely want to explore that in the coming project.

3. Stay relevant.  So . . . pop culture is very fickle and topics are only HOT for a specific period of time. If there is a new thing the best way to benefit from the buzz and people stumbling upon your content is to be on the top of that wave of interest.  Otherwise its old news.

2. My internet is trash.  So using the Xfinity service to upload my content is impossible.  After resigning from recording in the car I decided to step up to the headphone mic in my bedroom for better sound quality.  However uploading from the computer is almost impossible with my home internet for some reason.  After a prayer and cry the LORD told me to use my cellphone. #Verizon4TheWin

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+start+a+podcast&oq=how+to+start+a+podcast&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.8543j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The Romanovs were the royal family of Russia pre WW I in early 1900s.  Wikipedia reports that the family was murdered by an opposing communist government. Rumors circled for years that the daughter and son had somehow been hidden away before soldiers attacked the family. Many myths and rumors have circulated regarding the entire family.  With those claiming to be descendants of the family the Romanoffs series tells the tails of those tragically connected souls.  Whether you spell it with a v or a double f  you are in for an suspenseful entertaining evening with tales from this royal bloodline.

See the whole series on Amazon.com/primevideo

Anastasia Romanov- The Disney story was WAY off the mark 

Family Association - http://www.romanovfamily.org/ 

Family Cruise - https://theweek.com/articles/801204/all-zany-russian-history-references-romanoffs-explained

Where are the royal descendants today?  All over, but start with this family tree. - https://usefulcharts.com/blogs/charts/romanov-family-tree 

 All I am saying, is give Straws [another] chance.

Yes, of course we need to take care of our planet. If not only for ourselves but for future generations.  But WHY oh WHY do we need to start with the one thing that brings so much joy to my life. If you know me, and you may know me, I REALLY enjoy a good Straw.  My only suggestion is that we start saving the earth by getting rid of other uses of plastics.

And for those of you who dont agree, there is plenty of information out there for you to consider as you listen to this podcast in disgust of my ecological choices.  But as for me and my house, we will continue to use straws! ;-)

https://www.rubiconglobal.com/blog-statistics-trash-recycling/

https://www.strawlessocean.org/faq/ and their #StopSucking movement.

Below is my list of the week in strong opposition as to what we as a global community should do instead of taking away my beloved straws.

Consider getting rid of these things instead:

Definition of Anxiety  - a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

I decided to make a list of things to do instead of freaking out and obsessing over things that usually turn out to not be the all encompassing thing that consumes me to total doom. When things go wrong,  It usually isn't that bad either way. And when things are overwhelming they may just be larger than life because I have let my imagination get the best of me.  Here are 5 + 5 things that I use to help control, manage, and ultimately reduce anxiety.

1.  Watch Cruise Videos on YouTube

2.  Exercise - sweat is awesome

3.  Singing out loud / Karaoke /In the car alone

In the car with others / In public with atmosphere music

4. Eating large amounts of tacos/ Cooking something special / Hosting a dinner party

5. Planning a vacation - 6 to 12 months in advance

Bonus

1.  Volunteer/ Community group /Local Food pantry or Soup Kitchen/ Children's Hospital

www.meetup.com

www.volunteermatch.org

2.  Reading - Make an Amazon Reading list

3.  Listen to Podcasts - AnotherRound

4. Make something / Arts and Crafts/ Scrap booking

Creating something with your voice and try podcasting.

5. Long  leisurely Drive / Road Trip / 45 min or longer on the highway.

 If you know me, and you may know me, You know that I have a complicated relationship with money.  Why aren't I rich already?  And why are so many people so much richer than ME? And conversely why are so many people ‘struggling’ with finances’ in what seems to be one of the wealthiest lands in the world.  With so many resources here in the United States how are we in the land of plenty with so much personal debt? I have had a banner year, but it didn't start out that way. Here are 5 things that I have changed in my finances to end the big 2018 with some checks on the WIN column.