More social media...

That one time when I deleted all my social media?

Yeah...I started a new Instagram account. 

I didn't want to stick with the old one, even though I had almost 1,000 followers. It wasn't fitting what I wanted out of social media, and I didn't want to stick around there.

This one, @the.elementary.atelier, is brand-focused. I'm rebranding my Teachers Pay Teachers store, hoping to turn it into a money-maker. I needed a huge update, and part of that was me realizing that in order to maximize my reach and potential, I needed to have social media again.

It's different this time. I'm not posting anything personal or political. It's teacher-related, TPT-focused, with bookish stuff mixed in. It's going to be a lot more cohesive, with elements that cross over between areas. 

I guess what I really wanted out of social media was a fresh start. Now I have it.

Social Media

I've done a thing over the last year and a half. I've deleted all my social media accounts. (Note: I don't consider Pinterest and Goodreads social media, because I'm not there interacting with people. They're just places for me to keep track of stuff.)

For me, social media became a huge burden on my mental health. It dragged me down and kept me there. I found that, for me, there was nothing redeeming about it. It aggravated me, made me feel less than, and made me want what I knew I couldn't have.

So it's gone.

I do not have Facebook. No Instagram. No Snapchat, TikTok, or Twitter.

You know what? I find that I don't miss it AT ALL. I've found time in my day to engage in hobbies like reading, needlework, piano, coloring, and crafting. I've found myself enjoying life a whole lot more and feeling a LOT less stress. I feel like my life is so much more enriching and engaging.

Deleting social media has been one of the best things I ever did.

Uh, hi?

It seems as though my best efforts to keep up with blogging/journaling have yet again gone awry. Ah well. Onward and upward.

These last few months have truly been a struggle. I feel like that's basically the story of my life at this point. It's hard to feel like continuing to try is worth it. But here I am, continuing to try.

One thing that's been a huge blessing is that I've carved out time in every single day to engage in my hobbies. That's hard, because my hands don't always cooperate. It's really painful and difficult to do a lot of the things I enjoy, like stitching, coloring, and playing the piano. However, my mom saw a set of hand warmer/massagers and thought she'd get a set for me to see if they'd help my hands. Oh my word, they've been a miracle! They make it so my hands don't hurt as much and I've been able to spend more time enjoying my hobbies. I'm so incredibly grateful to my mom for this gift!

I got a piano! I've wanted one forever, but it always seemed so out of my grasp. First, because of finances, second, because I lived on the third floor for a long time, and finally, because of my disability. Things have been slowly changing, like a bit of a raise, moving to the first floor, and the hand massagers. There was still the matter of an actual piano though. But one ended up in the lobby of my school one day, and I asked what it was for. No one actually knew, and figured it had probably been donated or something. After some digging, we learned that it had been donated a long time ago by a former music teacher. I mentioned that if they needed to figure out what to do with it, I had the perfect solution - my house! My principal checked with the superintendent to see what the procedures were for passing it on, and there were no obstacles. So I now have a piano and I got it for free! I have loved playing and singing.

That's really all that's going on now. I'm getting ready for the end of the school year (it can't come fast enough!!) and prepping for next year. I'm ready for summer for sure and I'm looking forward to the break. I'm planning on getting a lot done around my home, playing a lot of music, doing a lot of stitching, reading, painting, and cleaning, and prepping materials for next year. I can't wait to be able to just be still.

Oh hi, Fall!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the changing colors, the crispness of the air, the smells...all of it. Hot chocolate season is in full force here, and I'm happy about it! 

Two weeks ago, I went on a drive with my parents up to the Palisades Reservoir in Idaho. We wanted to see the fall colors and we were not disappointed. They were gorgeous! We don't get a ton of red leaves here, so when you do see them, it's a glorious pop of color that stands out beautifully.

Here are some pictures:

The last two are my favorite. I love the contrast of the stormy sky with the beautiful fall colors. I may be alone in this, but I find a good fall thunderstorm incredibly calming. I can't explain it. I just do.

Happy Fall, y'all! I hope you enjoy the season as much as I do.

A New, Fun Hobby

My sister gave me a super fun model kit for my birthday. I've seen these little buildings all over social media, and I've wanted to do one forever! So I've actually done two now and I had a ton of fun building them. I don't usually like puzzle-type things because you spend all the time to do them and then what? I'm not the type to glue them and hang them up, and I hate seeing my hard work go back into a box. So these were perfect for me.

Check them out!

I am honestly SO OBSESSED with these! They're so adorable and they look amazing on my bookshelves! I may need to do another one...