Category Archives: notebooks

Studying is a lot like Exercising…

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I revelation recently dawned upon me:

I tend to be the overachiever type who studies 12 hours out of the day. Unfortunately I don’t have the grades to prove it (so no, I’m not boasting). It’s getting to that point in the term though, where my brain is rebelling and desperately asking for a rest day.

What better was to take a break than make up a delicious snack of Velvet Cocoa Pudding!

My favourite extract to use is banana, and my liquid of choice is green tea. This recipe is easiest to make if your coconut oil is already in liquid form. The more you mix, the better the texture will be! If you’re unsure as to why the word ‘velvet’ is in the name….try it….the texture will definitely answer your question!

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Do you take rest days from studying (if your a student)? What do you do in your ‘off’ time?

A Busy Blogger's WIAW

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Hello mon petit choux! Since the summer’s end is fast approaching I’ve decided to post a little less often in order to appreciate every moment of freedom before the semester days begin. I still have 1.5 weeks of work left, but then I have 13 days of complete nothingness before classes begin.

Since many American schools begin sooner, I’m sure many of you are starting to get busy. That’s why I’ve decided to share some busy blogger tips that I’ve adopted throughout the summer months of working full time. Don’t worry folks, I will share these tips while we feast at the WIAW party!

***IMPORTANT: 1) I didn’t manage to get a pick of all my fruit/nut snacking. 2) Hover your mouse over the picture for the description (my attempt at trying to make my post less wordy!)***

Breakfast: 

Tip #1: Multitasking

Breakfast is savored while catching up with all my blogging friends. One of my favorite things about the blogosphere is reading all of your posts, and getting to know my friends each and every day. For me, reading is more important then posting!

Morning Snack:

Tip #2: Use notebooks

Often when I go on a run I will think of something incredibly insightful I want to write about, most often then not by the time the endorphins level off I realize that my idea wasn’t that great after all. Sometimes when running I think everything is sunshine and lollypops. For the times I ACTUALLY do come up with something, I write it down in my notebook when I get home. If I’m every stumped about what to write about I can just refer to my list!

Lunch:

Tip#3: Using Features 

If you use WordPress, take advantage of the features. I insert my pictures using HTML because it’s much faster especially to edit the size. I also take advantage of the scheduling button, so I can post at a consistent time.

Afternoon Snack Break:

Tips # 4: Every minute counts

During breaks at work I use google docs to write up my post sans photographs and read through for spelling and grammar errors. That way when in the evening all that’s left is inserting pictures, links, and formatting.

Dinner:

Tip # 5: Don’t do what I do
I’m a compulsive over editor (although I bet I still miss plenty of mistakes). I probably re-read my already edited post at least 5 times before finishing. Perhaps that’s why I try not be so wordy! Either way multiple edits are not worth the time or energy. I enjoy reading your posts more then re-reading mine!

Snack:

Totally fabulous find: protein gelato, at a local Gelato store. Beat that Fro-yo!

It was tasty, but next time I will go for the chocolate or cappucinno flavor. The vanilla bean reminded me of vanilla Rolaids, of which I am not best friends with.

Tip #6: No Stress

Don’t stress if you don’t have time to get a post out!

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Do you think you come up with amazing ideas while running/exercising? Have you had any fabulous finds recently?

WIAW…take two

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Last week I participated in WIAW for the first time, and since I had such a blast I’ve decided to do it again. Last week I showed my Wednesday eats, and posted it on Thursday. This week I’m going to show my Tuesday eats, and post it on Wednesday.

I tried eggified oats for the first time this week and absolutely loved it. It was on the menu for breakfast and my taste buds almost crumbled in pure happiness.

Eggifying your oats is the way to go. It was incredible and I will definitely be posting my microwaveable method soon.

rolled oats, eggwhites, chia seeds, protein powder, puffed kamut, yogurt, runny peanut flour paste

Snack time was filled with all my favorite things: coffee protein bar, notebooks, and tea.

Thanks to Lauren’s suggestion I tried Yogi Egyptian Licorice Tea, and adored it. I especially love the motivational quotes that come on the tea packages.
I think this quote is specifically applicable considering it was an extra rest day. Lunch was packed the night before, and being the super planner I am, I remembered to snap a picture.

cottage cheese, peanut flour paste, cherry tomatoes, ryvita snackbread, strawberries, apple

Turns out I enjoyed a nice quite lunch without any coworkers, so managed to snap another lunch picture with my snackbread all dressed up and fancy.
The afternoon munchies came quite quickly so I munched on a pre-cored and cut apple that was shoved with Dixie Diner Smaps Soy cereal. I always pre-cut my apples and there is a reason for that, but that story is for a future post.
On my way home I had the inedible-yet-still-enjoyable treat of noticing a birds nest. It was made on a tree limb really close to the ground. So close I could have touched it if I had been inconsiderate of the momma bird.
I was excited when dinner time rolled around because not only was I hungry, I was excited to try some new veggie patties I picked up.

They were pretty expensive, but they were still a nice change. I paired the patty with veggies, hummus, and a fuji apple.I’ve had the same nighttime snack multiple times this week, but it’s just so tasty I haven’t gotten tired of it. The snack I speak of:

puffed kamut, almond breeze, apple, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries,  lemon source yogurt, hemp seeds, and runny peanut flour paste.

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Is there a nighttime snack you have multiple times throughout the week? What’s the best thing you have had to eat recently? Do you cut your apples before eating them, or bite right in?

An Easter in the Books

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Happy Easter Sunday morning! My little bunny boy Brey sure was tired – he flopped right down on to the floor!

What a busy night he must have had!

I bet he was tired from a busy night of hiding chocolate easter eggs for little boys and girls. I used to love waking up Easter morning and running around the house trying to find candy. My favourite part was always dressing up in new spring church dresses and putting on WHITE sunday shoes! Easter Sunday in my memory is the turning point from winter wardrobe to spring wardrobe.

However this lovely Easter morning I woke up at 6:00am so that I could get a few hours of studying in before church

Forgive the dark picture, the sun wasn't up yet

I got a bit of reading done… and memorizing!

STUDY TIP: In the morning when I wake up, I right down everything I can remember without looking at my notes. Even if you can’t remember the exact details. It really helps your brain connect all the information!

By the time the sun came up a bit, I was done raking out my brain (I don’t know if I have heard this expression before, but hey I can rake a brain right? clean up all the leaves?)

My Toast and yogurt-nut-seed mixture are hiding behind all the fruit

The study topic I remembered most from last night? That the Limbic System in the brain is responsible for motivation and learning. I only remembered that because I kept telling my self that my limbic system was in need of a vacation, I had NO motivation for studying.

How did you spend this Easter morning? Any Easter traditions?

>Moleskine Notebooks

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>So, I absolutely love Moleskine Notebooks.
And look at BEAUTIFUL University of Toronto’s Bookstore – where they have plenty of Moleskines to choose from…

Can you guess how many Moleskines I am currently using?…

SIX!!

  1. Getting Things Done/ ‘Whatever’ Notebook
  2. Concrete appointment/tests/assignment due dates
  3. Day to Day -”I really should do this problem set at 2:00pm Notebook” (you get the idea?)
  4. New Years Resolution Notebook- Writing Three Blessings A Day – (Yes, I have not broken my news years resolution yet!)
  5. Favorite Bible Verses (Each day, I flip through my bible until I find a verse I want to write down)
  6. “A Daily Piece of Knowledge” Notebook (I write down at least one thing I learned that day. It helps me remember and reflect on the day)

This is me with one (of my 2) Peanuts Special Edition ruled moleskin notebooks.

It’s my combined GTD (Getting things Done) and ‘whatever’ notebook. There are plenty of interesting GTD notebook organization ideas out there such as: PigPog and this student GTD Hack.

I’ve pretty much used some of the ideas I found for GTD notebooks combined with my own. This is how it all plays out:

The INBOX page is a MASSIVE list of EVERYTHING I need to do separated into:

  • Special – Any form filling, banking, or any other tasks that don’t fit in social or school
  • Social – Emailing certain people, remembering to do something nice…ect
  • School- Pretty self explanatory: assignments, problem sets, concepts…
I did say I like alliterations didn’t I? Hense the SSS. It’s actually quite liberating just spending 15 minutes racking your brain for every single task you need to do.
I blurred out names, since this is a public blog and all..
Most pages are NOT ‘Inbox’ pages, but rather lists and noticed used to process the tasks in the ‘inbox’. For example in the Inbox Special section I may have “Go grocery Shopping” and then on another page I would have a grocery shopping list. 
You may be wondering what this post is doing on a blog about f-EEE-ding brain and body. But Notebooks = Organization and Organization is the edibles to engineering. How is that for reasoning!
Question: What types of lists do you make in your notebooks?
CyberChimps