13 Things Thursday, Vol 6

Catching up, and a new format

In full transparency, I started writing some of these things about a month ago before I pivoted into my last full-length post about rest and ambition. So some of this is catching up, while other parts are more current. I also broke things up into sections for Life/Personal updates and Tarot/Spirituality to make it easier to navigate to whatever interests you the most. Let’s goooo!

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Life/Personal Things

1. Thoughts on Threads: When Threads came out last month, I was unreasonably excited about it, even though I hadn’t used Twitter in years. I’m a words person after all, so I was thrilled to have a new option for short-form communication without always having a picture or reel attached to it. Now that the novelty has worn off, I’m still enjoying it, but not spending as much time on it as I thought I would. At first, the simplicity and novelty of Threads took me away from Facebook and Instagram. For a short time, I was spending even less time on all social media, but that could be attributed to other things, like being out of town. Now I would say that I’ve reverted back to some of my old habits, but I thought that was an interesting phenomenon. Are you still using Threads? What do you think about it?

2. As we spent some time in PA with my family over 4th of July, I thought I’d share my love of fireworks. Because there’s nothing more American than pyrotechnics, right? Since I was little, my dad and I would go shopping for sparklers and fun things to light up while we waited for the local fireworks show. It was kind of our thing, and we called it our “bonding time.” Any time my mom and I watch fireworks together, we loudly exclaim, “Ooooh, that’s my favorite!” at least every 30 seconds. As a teenager, I went on road trips with friends across state lines to buy the stuff that wasn’t easy to find in PA. This year, my mom and I crowded in the back of my grandparents’ SUV to find the perfect spot to watch our hometown fireworks display. It’s safe to say I never outgrew it. :)

3. Another thing you might not know about me is that I’m really into football and fantasy football. I used to not really care about it except for my favorite college and NFL teams, Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers. Ever since joining a fantasy football league with my coworkers several years ago, I’ve been hooked. We just set a draft date for the league I’m in, and I’m super pumped about it! About to descend into the research rabbit hole to optimize my picks, so wish me luck!

4. Learning about: Copywriting. As a writer and someone always looking for a new side hustle idea, when I saw opportunities to bring those two things together, of course I was intrigued. :) I’ve been working my way through a copywriting course, and it’s been fun to learn more about it, practice, and see how it shows up in my day-to-day. We’ll see where it leads, but for now I’m enjoying the fun of adding another tool to my toolbox.

5. Speaking of side hustles, I recently read an article called The Death of Hobbies that was really fascinating. More people are finding opportunities to make a little extra cash doing something they enjoy. This article talks about someone whose side hustle didn’t pan out, and he had a hard time recovering his initial passion when the business side flopped. I’ve definitely feared a similar outcome when starting my own side projects. It’s lovely to be able to integrate business and pleasure, but not all of your hobbies need to be monetized or shared with others. Some things can just be for you. I’m not necessarily sure where the line falls for me just yet, but I’m figuring it out as I go along.

6. Random crap I’ve tried: Shampoo bars with apple cider vinegar (ACV)/citric acid rinse. When I first tried shampoo bars several years ago, most of the options on the market were either from Lush or soap-based shampoo bars. Lush bars rinsed really clean, but were too drying for my hair. The soap-based shampoo bars required an extra step of rinsing with some ACV or citric acid powder (for travel) diluted in water, for a couple reasons. First, natural, cold processed soap has a higher (read: alkaline) pH, which isn’t ideal for your scalp, so the ACV or citric acid helps with balancing the pH, smoothing, and detangling. If you live in an area with hard water, it also helps to more thoroughly rinse the soap from your hair, as the extra minerals from your water tend to bind to the soap and hair, resulting in buildup. Needless to say, I moved on from this after a while, but thankfully there are much better shampoo and conditioner bar options out there now. Which leads to my next topic…

7. Current research rabbit hole: New and improved shampoo and conditioner bars. Unlike the soap-based bars, there are better options out there now that are specifically formulated for hair with a more balanced pH. It’s more like liquid shampoo and conditioner, but in solid form. Many of them are also sulfate-free or use sulfates/detergents that are gentler on your hair while still cleaning well. I had purchased a couple to try a while ago, but wasn’t really consistent with using them since I had other products to use up. When we were on vacation at the beach last month, I was inspired to give them another try and was really pleased with the results! Ever since then, I’ve been researching some of the newer brands that are out there. I’m pleased to report that there are a TON of options that are great for all hair types! I decided to sample a few different brands, so I’ll report back with my favorites. :) If you’re looking for eco-friendly hair care that’s also great for travel, stay tuned!

8. Things making me happy: Our new Technivorm Moccamaster coffee maker. Remember my last research rabbit hole? Well, Prime Day got the best of us, and let me tell you…it was worth it! We never thought it would make that much of a difference, but ever since trying it ourselves and learning about the flaws of most coffee machines out there, we’re officially converted. We still have our Ninja, because while the Moccamaster is an upgrade, it still makes a solid cup of coffee. We even took it to the beach to avoid the cheap, crappy machines at most beach houses. Coffee snobbery level 10 unlocked!

9. I shared on Threads recently that my toxic trait is reading multiple books concurrently that I switch between depending on my mood. Beach week gave me some time to make some progress on my list, so I’m trying to finish as many as I can before starting another. I recently finished Women Without Kids by Ruby Warrington (loved it), and I’m chipping away at the others on this list:
   ~The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban
   ~Soul-Led Living by Nikki Novo
   ~Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman

   
   Tarot/Spiritual Things

10. Tarot/oracle decks I’m using: Boho Spirit Oracle, Moon Baby Tarot, This Might Hurt Tarot (mass market edition), Hanson-Roberts Tarot, The Field Tarot, Luna Sol Tarot

11. Mind/Body/Spirit Tarot Practice: Some days I feel scattered, and the cards are a tool I use to turn inward and ask myself what I need that day. Then I shuffle and pull a card for Mind/Body/Spirit.

12. Top Card/Bottom Card Tarot Practice: Sometimes you just need something simple. :) Shuffle, then pull the top card and bottom card. You can put them together and link the meanings, or use the top card as a message from spirit, and the bottom card as a message to keep you grounded.

13. My favorite tarot decks for beginners: Most tarot readers will tell you to start with a deck where the artwork resonates with you, and that you’ll want to use. While I definitely agree with that, I also recommend getting a copy of the classic Smith-Waite (also called Rider Waite Smith, or RWS) tarot for reference. Most decks are based on the classic Pamela Coleman Smith imagery, and there’s tons of meaning behind each picture, including the colors, symbols, etc. If it doesn’t resonate for you, here are some of my other favorites that are great for new readers:
    ~RWS clones with similar imagery and symbolism: This Might Hurt Tarot, Modern Witch Tarot, Awaken Tarot, Biddy Tarot
    ~Other beginner-friendly decks: Morgan Greer, Aquarian Tarot, Hanson-Roberts Tarot, Light Seer’s Tarot, Luna Sol Tarot, Superlunaris Tarot
    Fellow tarot readers, what else would you add to this list? Let me know!