#need someone to cook some rice and someone else to switch the laundry and a third to clean up my mess of art supplies on my desk

[the-ghost-king]

I need to do things but under a blanket and well zzZz 

#x #shut the fuck up ghost #warm and comfy and the things I have to do are difficult and I don't want to : / #will pay 12-14 year olds 5-10 dollars to preform tasks for me /hj #need someone to cook some rice and someone else to switch the laundry and a third to clean up my mess of art supplies on my desk #because I don't want to lol

[qitwrites]

breaking ground

Fandom: boku no hero academia 

Pairing: Kirishima Eijirou / Bakugou Katsuki 

(AO3) 

The thing about your best friend/roommate/long-time crush/probably the love of your life being in a coma is that it sucks. Like, a lot.

‘Kats, if you don’t wake up, I will hide a dirty sock somewhere in your room. Somewhere you’ll never find it. And you’ll just have to live with that.’

The machines beep in the back, like a ghastly metronome.

‘I will move your desk 3 inches to the left.’

The soft rise and fall of the blonde’s chest is uniform, lungs contracting and expanding and contracting over and over.

‘I will literally stop watering the orchid Kats, I swear to god.’

Bakugou’s hands are by his side, nails longer than he’d ever keep. Kirishima makes a mental note to trim and file them later.

‘Ok, that’s going too far. I’d never kill Lucy, at least not on purpose.’

Bakugou continues to breathe with the help of a machine too complicated for Kirishima to understand, and the redhead just wants his best friend back. Because it’s been 16 days of Bakugou being fed and kept alive by a machine, it’s been 16 days since he heard his voice, saw his feral smile, looked into his bright, bright, bright eyes. And Kirishima is so ready for this nightmare to be over.

‘Come on Kats,’ Kirishima mumbles, laying his head down on the hospital bed and gently lacing his fingers with Bakugou’s, ‘you gotta wake up man. Our kitchen misses you. Our plants miss you. The neighbour’s cat misses you. Your mom misses you. I- fuck, I miss you.’

The machines continue to beep, his chest rises and falls uniformly, and Kirishima really just wants his best friend back.

    The Bakusquad (the official immortalized name of the gang) lets Kirishima stay in the hospital in 3 days bursts, following which they bodily throw him out. For fresh air and some sunlight, they say, like he’s a dying plant.

‘You need to shower in your own home,’ Kaminari grumbles, stuffing his dirty clothes in a bag.

Sero pulls a beanie over his head. ‘And also water the plants in the balcony.’

Ashido stuffs his wallet into his pant pocket and slips his phone into his hand. ‘Also, don’t forget to dust the bookshelves! And leave some fresh water for Queens.’ She pulls him down for a soft kiss on the cheek.

Jirou pulls the phone from his hand, fiddles with it for a moment before slipping it back into his palm. She places a pair of wireless Beats headphones over his beanie, and he hears the first notes of a piano piece, calm and really lovely.

‘Playlist is on there,’ Jirou says, pointing at his hand.

And so Kirishima goes home, the home he shares with Bakugou, and he waters their plants, and dusts the bookshelves, and does some laundry and cooks easy fried rice the blonde had drilled into his brain.

He doesn’t look at Bakugou’s room door, doesn’t venture inside, doesn’t touch his space. He sticks to the common areas and his own room, and he keeps it clean and tidy, the way Bakugou likes it.

He’ll get to the blonde’s room eventually, just not yet.

    Red Riot and Ground Zero are a hero pair. What this means is that they work individually when they want, and they pair up for bigger, more difficult missions.

And what a pair they make.

Riot is a wall, a shield, an unbreakable defence, always the last man standing. And Ground Zero is an explosion, a burst of light, an offence so quick and forceful the villains never stand a chance. They’re one of the best pairs out there, and they’ve done some amazing work.

It's almost stupidly ironic that Bakugou gets hurt during one of their paired missions.

The case involved several strong villains that attacked schools, and between rescue and evacuation and dealing with villains, Red Riot and Ground Zero had their hands full. Riot was mostly with the civilians and Ground Zero was keeping the damage to a minimum, but before Kirishima could go to Bakugou’s side and assist him, the damage had been done.

Because the last villain Bakugou had to deal with had decided to implode, killing himself and taking Bakugou out with him.

The damage had been immense.

Several concussions and broken ribs, bruises and internal bleeding that could only be controlled with a mix of surgeries and healing quirks. And finally, a waiting game. Bakugou had to wake up, his body had to heal itself and decide when and if he was going to wake up again.

And so Kirishima waits with him, silently supporting him from the side, ever patient, brimming with love.

    25 days after the attack, Kirishima finally walks into Bakugou’s room.

The air smells faintly like sugar, like his quirk. The walls are bare but for the few polaroids Kirishima tacks on the wall above his desk. The laptop and file folders are sitting atop his table, a thin layer of dust coating them, and the only messy thing is his unmade bed.

Kirishima crawls under his sheets, breaths in his scent, and for the first time since Bakugou had decided to be an ass and slip into a coma, the redhead cries. Giant sobs that seem to come from his core, fat tears rolling down his cheeks, snot dripping out his nose.

Kirishima cries with the force of a thousand suns, and falls asleep right there, twisted in Bakugou’s sheets, in his unmade bed, in the middle of a room covered in a thin, fine layer of dust, smelling only slightly like burnt, warm sugar.

    A month after the attack, Kirishima finally cleans Bakugou’s room.

Mina had made a good point. ‘If you don’t clean his room, it’s like you’re saying he’s not coming back so there’s no point. So, clean his room Eijirou.’

He appreciates that they don’t offer to do it. It’s usually impossible to keep them out of their apartment, impossible to keep them from getting belligerently drunk and playing monopoly on the living room floor while blasting 2000’s hits and throwing pieces of pepperoni at each other. Impossible to not love them.

But right now, the apartment is off-limits, and they seem to understand this. And respect it. And they understand that he needs a push here, a nudge there, and a gentle shove here to get his ass moving, to do the things he’s scared of doing, the things that just need to be done anyway

Kirishima loves them, so so much.

And so, he cleans. He dusts everything, puts Bakugou’s sheets in the wash and hangs his comforter out to dry. He fluffs up the All Might plushie and makes the bed, vacuums the floor, and puts his folded laundry back where it belongs in the closet.

He finds the box when he’s reorganizing Bakugou’s hero gear drawer. It’s a black box, smooth to the touch, no bigger than Kirishima’s palm, with just 2 words printed on top.

Death Box.

Its existence isn’t shocking to Kirishima. After all, he has one of his own, tucked neatly under his hanging jackets, pushed to the very back.

A Death Box is a pro-hero thing. It’s no secret that the life of a hero is riddled with danger and that one bad day could be the end. Every pro knows this. And most pro-heroes have a Death Box.

The contents of the box vary from person to person. Some leave behind letters addressed to friends and family. Others leave wills and assets and final testaments. Some leave behind cryptic messages or dramatic last words.

Kirishima never wondered about Bakugou’s box, and Bakugou had never asked about his own. But today, 31 days after the attack, 31 days of no Bakugou, 31 days of waking up with an ache in his chest because Kirishima’s heart is literally breaking, he finds himself gently pulling the box out and sitting on Bakugou’s bed, turning it over in his hands.

It’s really simple- no patterns or designs or anything. It's black as midnight, the lettering orange. Kirishima gently pops the box open and inside lays a single pen-drive. Nothing else.

Kirishima stares at it for a long, long time. He almost puts the box back in the drawer with the pen drive safely nestled inside, he almost forgets what he ever saw, he almost acts like he’s fine.

But he’s not fine. He’s so far from fine he can’t even spell the word. And he misses his friend with a pain so sharp he feels it in his bones. So Kirishima picks the pen drive up and takes it to the laptop. He switches the system on, plugs the drive in and waits for the program to load up.

Surprisingly, it isn’t password protected. He skims over the contents briefly. There’s a folder named Will and Final Testaments that he ignores completely. There’s another folder named Personal Project that he also leaves alone. The third folder is titled for everyone, and Kirishima clicks on that.

The folder is filled with video files of varying lengths. Each video is named after a specific person, and Kirishima smiles when he sees one for Bakugou’s mom, his dad, each of the Bakusquad, one for All Might, and one for Midoriya. The Deku video is easily bigger than all the others, all except one.

Because the one titled Shitty Hair is close to 45 minutes long.

Kirishima inhales shakily, and for once, he hesitates. Because once he watches this, he knows Bakugou will well and truly kill him. These videos, this content, it’s meant to be consumed after he dies. Not when he’s in a coma, not when he’s alive and fighting for his life. Not when he’s doing his best to come back.

But here’s the thing- Kirishima isn’t watching this because he thinks Bakugou’s as good as gone. He doesn’t believe that one bit. No, Kirishima is watching this because he misses Bakugou so much, so much that his insides feel like they're shredding up into little bits and pieces, and Kirishima just wants to hear him bark out his ugly laugh, he wants to see his eyes dance with mirth, he wants to watch Bakugou dump too much chilli into the curry and wrap himself into a blanket burrito on their couch in the dead of winter, cursing the weather viciously. He never thought he’d miss the way someone said fuck so much in his life, yet here he is.

So Kirishima inhales shakily, breathes out in a whoosh and hits play.

    2 years ago

Bakugou had put off recording Kirishima’s message for years.

The one to his parents was simple enough. Dad, thank you for being some kinda balance in the house, and for loving me ridiculously unconditionally. Hag, ma, we’ve always had our own issues and we love so violently, but I do love you. I always have. Thank you for making me the devil spawn I am, couldn’t have been so great if it weren’t for you.

The Bakusquad (ugh, what a dumb name) had a video each. They weren’t super long, but he loved them all, more than they’d ever know when he’s alive, and he thought they deserved to know if he ever died before getting around to drunkenly confessing it or something.

Sero, your stupid fucking jokes have made some shitty days so much better.

Jirou, you’re insanely strong and you’ve had my back on more occasions than I can count.

Mina, my girl, you’re the OG. Thank you for never giving up on me, for always pushing me to be part of the gang, for becoming my friend.

Kaminari, you’re always gonna be hella fucking stupid, but you’re my stupid friend, one of my closest buddies, and it was a pleasure knowing you.

He might actually die if they find this when he's alive, but that’s the whole point of Death Box- it's to say the things you can't when you're alive or to remind people of the things you felt after you’re gone.

Midoriya’s had been hard. Midoriya’s had been really hard.

Unpacking so many emotions, talking about the past, UA, the present; it made his blood boil but also made him immeasurably sad. After their first year, Midoriya and he had grown close. They still found it difficult to communicate like normal human beings, but they always had each other’s backs, no matter where or what. And even as pro-heroes, they worked together wonderfully, competed for #1 fiercely, pushed each other to incredible heights, and picked each other up after terrible missions.

Deku, I know so much of our past is water under the bridge for you, and that’s been great for us because it lets us have a sort of friendship. But I haven’t forgotten. I will never forgive myself and all I could do is be better.

For all the fucked up shit that we’ve been through, for how much I still get angry when I see you and how much I want to be better than you all the time, you are the brother I never had, the comrade that never left, the friend that I’ve never deserved.

Izuku, thank you. I’m sorry.

Admitting to most of these things isn’t difficultly because it’s all true. And honesty has always come easily to Bakugou. As an adult hero, he’s learned things about himself, his own feelings, his own version of love for the people around him. And he can’t bring himself to say those exact words to Izuku, but he hopes his actions (Bentos pressed into Midoriya’s hands after long patrols, sharing beers on rooftops, patching each other up after shitty missions) are message enough.

But Kirishima? How is he supposed to find the words to tell Kirishima how he feels? How much the redhead means to him? Where does he even begin?

Bakugou huffs and slaps himself on both cheeks. Kirishima is out for the day, taking Mina shopping at the mall and catching a movie with the gang, a plan Bakugou had gotten himself out of just so he could sit here, in the apartment he shares with the only person he has ever had the good fortune of being in love with, to record a final message. What a happy thought.

Bakugou thinks Fuck it, takes a seat in front of the camera, ruffles his hair, and hits record.

‘Hey Shitty Hair.’

    Hey Shitty Hair.

There are handprints on Bakugou’s face. His hair is a ruffled mess, his bed is unmade behind him, and his face looks almost nervous.

Kirishima doesn’t think about any of that.

Because seeing Bakugou on-screen with his red eyes boring into Kirishima, and hearing his voice, rough and loud and well-worn feels like the first breath of fresh air the redhead has gulped down in a month. It feels like a well-placed punch to the gut, and Kirishima almost bowls over, overwhelmed beyond comprehension.

He misses him so much.

Fuck, making this video is fucking hard, I’m not even sure where to start. Also, you better not be crying like a baby Ei, I sweat to God, I might be dead, but you still need to go out there and kick ass cause someone needs to take care of all those shitty villains.

Kirishima makes an aborted sound, somewhere between a laugh and a sob, because this is his best friend in the entire universe, the man he knows better than he knows himself. This is his person.

Anyway, I made a bunch of other videos for all the other losers, but yours has been the biggest pain in my ass. I guess the closer you are to someone, the harder it is right?

First off, I need to say thank you. For like, so much shit. Thank you for taking those first few steps in our friendship. For constantly pestering me and inserting yourself into my life. For training with me, including me in all kinds of stupid activities, and getting me into the gang. My time at UA would never have been so fun, so memorable, so amazing without you. You made it great, despite all the shit that went wrong.

The blonde sucks in a deep breath and his eyes pierce straight through Kirishima, peering right into his soul.

We don’t talk about Kamino because there’s never been the words. Ei, I was so scared. Fuck, I was so scared I couldn’t stop shaking. And then there you were, flying above me, hand outstretched and yelling at the top of your goddamn lungs ‘Come!’ And that’s it. I knew I’d be ok. I knew I’d be just fine.

And yeah, I mean, the pros were there and maybe we could’ve figured something else out and maybe things would’ve worked out a different way. But you guys coming for me, YOU reaching out to me? It was the first time I felt like I had friends. I had comrades. I had people. Of course, my emotionally stunted ass refused to accept these feelings, but they took root then. And continued to grow.

Bakugou sighs deeply and sits back in his chair. He looks at the ceiling and continues.

I’m not sure I know what love is. As a feeling, I don’t know how to categorize when I’m feeling love and when I’m not. At least, I didn’t for the longest time.

Bakugou looks back at the camera, and Kirishima’s vision is starting to blur dangerously.

I know I love my parents, but it feels different than the love I feel for the idiot brigade. It’s different from what I feel for Izuku. And it sure as hell feels different from the love I feel for you.

Bakugou sighs again, and his face breaks into the softest smile Kirishima has ever seen and everything hurts.

A few years ago, I think weeks after we’d moved into this place, we were making breakfast and you looked me dead in the eye and said ‘I think the morning glories are trying to kill me.’ And I laughed out loud and you looked so proud of yourself and I thought, ‘Shit, Ei is such an idiot.’ That’s when it hit me.

Bakugou’s smile grows fonder.

I don’t call people by their names even in my head Ei. You were Shitty Hair for most of our first year at UA. Then you became Kirishima, and then somehow it became Kiri, and then Eijirou and then Ei. Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody else, is the same. Not a single fucking person.

The first time I called you Ei in my head, that’s when I realized I was in love with you.

Kirishima hits pause immediately. He closes the window, safely ejects the pen drive, puts it back in the box and returns it to its spot. He shuts the laptop down, walks out of Bakugou’s room and sits on the couch in the living area, the same one they’ve passed out on countless times, the same one they bought together with their first paychecks, the same one that’s stained with coffee rings and spaghetti sauce and pepperoni grease.

He picks his phone up on autopilot and dials a familiar number.

‘Kiri?’ Mina sounds like a hot cup of coffee on a chilly Tuesday morning.

‘Please come home.’

He hears some rustling and yelling in the background before Mina says, ‘Stay right there, we’ll be over as soon as Midoriya gets here ok?’

Kirishima hums out an affirmative and hangs up. It’s time they come home.

    67 days after the fight, Kirishima gets a call.

‘He’s awake.’

Red Riot is back on the streets, patrolling during the day, staying with Bakugou in the hospital at night and barely keeping his shit together. But it’s ok, it kinda works. Works well enough that he can do his job and do it well, and his friends are always there, picking up his pieces, keeping him sane.

Before Kirishima can say anything, Midoriya continues, ‘Chargebolt is almost at your location to relieve you, so go.’

He takes off running. His lungs burn and he can barely see where he’s going but he’s made this walk so many times he can do it in his sleep. He runs as fast as his legs can take him and makes them go faster.

Kirishima bursts into the hospital and takes the stairs 3 at a time. He finally gets to Bakugou’s floor and sprints to the door, and he can barely pull in enough air. He’s lightheaded, his heart is palpitating, and his vision is blurry but he slides the door open anyway.

Carmine eyes snap over to his and time just comes to a complete standstill. There are no doctors, no nurses. There’s no Bakugou Mitsuki, no beeping machines that breathe for him, no beeping machines that feed him, no white sterile walls and ugly hospital gowns. There is only Bakugou Katsuki, his bright, bright, bright eyes and a hand outstretched at Kirishima.

‘Ei-‘

And that’s it. One moment he’s standing in the doorway, the next he has Bakugou gathered in his arms, and he’s so warm and alive and it’s absolutely everything.

‘Kats,’ Kirishima mumbles. ‘Kats.’

‘Ei, if you start crying, I will smack the shit out of you.’

Kirishima’s laugh is watery. He pulls away and cups Bakugou’s face, smooshing his cheeks a little.

‘Kats, for once, shut the fuck up and let me feel my feelings. Do you have any idea how much the plants missed you?’

Bakugou’s mouth twists in a grimace but his eyes soften till they’re just liquid ruby and Kirishima falls a little more in love.

‘Just the plants?’

‘Shut the fuck up Kats.’ And Kirishima hugs him again, presses Bakugou’s face firmly into the crook of his neck. The blonde’s arms tighten around his middle, and the world feels whole again.

    A week after they return from the hospital, Bakugou finds a white envelope in the morning glories, the very same ones that Kirishima had insisted were trying to kill him.

To Kats it says in Kirishima’s untidy scrawl. Bakugou puts the watering can down and picks the letter up gently, opening it with trembling hands.

Dear Katsuki,

My Death Box has a bunch of letters in them. I wrote one for mom, one for mama, one for all our friends, I wrote letters to all of them.

Yours was the hardest because even after writing and rewriting it 5 times, it was always the same- all I can write to you is a love letter.

Bakugou doesn’t read the rest, just snaps his head up and looks around wildly.

‘EIJIROU, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YO-‘

‘I love you Kats.’ Kirishima is right there, standing by the balcony door, eyes wide and hopeful. He’s wearing sweatpants low on his hips, and in each hand, he holds a mug of steaming hot chocolate spiked with chilli. Mexican cocoa. Bakugou’s favourite.

He puts the mugs down on the balcony ledge. ‘I’ve loved you for so long, I don’t remember what it’s like to not be in love with you.’

‘Eijirou-‘

‘I love you.’ Kirishima steps forward and frames Bakugou’s face with his warm, calloused hands, and smiles big. ‘What about you?’

Bakugou scoffs. ‘What do you think, Shitty Hair?’

‘Gotta hear you say it, Kats.’  

‘You’re a pain in my ass.’

‘I know.’

‘You’re so annoying.’

‘I agree.’

‘Your hair still sucks.’

‘Your nose twitches when you lie.’

‘And I love you so much anyway.’ Bakugou finishes and places his hands over Kirishima’s and squeezes.

‘Don’t start crying Ei.’

‘Let me feel my feelings, Kats.’

‘I’m not kissing you if you’re covered in fucking snot.’

Kirishima laughs at that, pulling Bakugou close. ‘Your nose still twitches when you lie.’

Bakugou doesn’t deign that with a response, just smirks his trademark smirk, looks at Kirishima with those bright, bright, bright eyes and kisses him stupid.

‘Again,’ Kirishima mumbles.

Bakugou does just that.

#boku no hero academia #bnha #bnha fanfiction #mha #my hero fanfic #kiribaku #bakushima #bnha kirishima #bakugou katsuki #bakusquad #ashido mina #sero hanta #kaminari denki #THANKS TO MY BEST FRIEND FOR NAMING THE FIC AND READING IT ONE BILLION TIMES #so this story is hurt/comfort and so much fluff #I LOVE KIRIBAKU SO MUCH ITS ABSURD #hope you enjoy :D

[thesurprisinglyqueertoast]

ADHD Tips!

I have amassed these over the past few years through both personal experience and from others online. If you don't have ADHD, still feel free to share and use these if you need! Many of the issues we struggle with are experienced by people without ADHD, and ADHD is often comorbid with many mental illnesses. Feel free to add on to this post or take and share these wherever you like.

Catagories are: General, Meds, Teeth, Laundry, Shower/Getting Dressed, Food, Water, Sleep, and Homework

General Tips:

Use alarms for everything you struggle with doing on time. Everything.

Most things with ADHD wre much easier to find a workaround for than to force yourself into doing.

If you have trouble with procrastinating, there is usually something specific stopping you. If you can't figure it out or can't stop it, just do your best to procrastinate by doing other things you need to do.

If you're able to, find other people to rely on to either help you or just be there for you.

Meds:

Use a pill organizer, even if you only take one pill. Being able to look at today's day and see if you've taken it is much easier if they're split into days.

If you have a hard time remembering to take them set yourself an alarm for every single day and keep your meds where you are most likely to take them.

If your meds taste bad, give yourself a treat after like some juice or a candy. If you can't eat after them then drink a good amount of water.

If you have a hard time taking meds at a certain time of day, ask your doctor if it would be alright if they were taken at another time. Some of my meds are normally instructed to be taken in the morning as they often cause sleeplessness, but I take them at night because I know for certain I can take them every day at night. Some meds really need to be taken at a specific time of day and if you take one like that, try to incorporate taking it into some sort of routine.

Teeth:

If you have a hard time brushing your teeth daily try to figure out why. If it's the toothpaste, buy a different toothpaste (kid's ones will taste more fun). If it's the toothbrush buy one with softer or firmer bristles. Kid's toothpastes will often lack the fluoride that helps protect your teeth, so be wary of that.

If you take meds, keep a toothbrush near them to try to associate brushing them after or before taking the meds. Dry brushing them is always better than not brushing them at all. Some people find that brushing their teeth in the shower works best. If you have several toothbrushes around the house and just brush your teeth when you see one, it will be much better for your teeth than brushing them with toothpaste only sometimes.

If you can't floss with normal floss, there are floss holders that work pretty well, or even water flossers. It's best to do it daily but I guarantee that flossing every so often is much better than not at all. If your gums bleed, be more gentle and do your best to be more regular so they bleed less. If they still bleed with regular gentle flossing be sure to talk to your dentist to try to figure out what's wrong.

Mouthwash is a good addition to your routine. Find one that you can tolerate. It's recommended and best to use it after brushing and not to dilute it, but if you can only use it by deluting it, something is still better than nothing.

Laundry:

I use pillow cases for my dirty laundry. For me it's the exact size of one load of laundry, and having several smaller bags if dirty laundry means that you can keep them in several places instead of just one designated basket. If there is one in reach wherever you remove your clothes you are more likely to put it in the dirty laundry than leave it out.

If you're the one buying the laundry soap and doing your own laundry, be sure to pick one that you like the smell of. I personally buy scentless laundry soap because the strong smells hurt my head.

Using a bag or basket that is the size of your washer and dryer means there is less commitment than hauling several loads of laundry.

If the worst part of doing laundry is folding clothes, don't fold them the way you're used to. Turn it into a game or hang them or stack them all up and fit them in your drawers that way. If you're home most of the time or wrinkles just don't matter to you, leave them in the bag or just shove them in your drawers. It takes up more space than doing it neatly and putting them away but sometimes it's just not worth it.

Shower/Getting Dressed:

If you have trouble picking clothes in the morning, do that at night. You can change your mind in the morning if you really want.

If you have trouble getting up and getting dressed, just put your clothes on the night before. If you sweat a lot in your sleep this might not be the best plan.

If you have a hard time showering regularly, try to figure out why. If it's the smells, find unscented or better smelling soaps. If it's what you use to wash your skin with, use a different thing or just use your hands. If it's the getting dry part, use one towel and switch it out to a new one when it gets damp.

Turn on the fan if it gets too hot or stuffy, or even crack the door when you're done showering so it cools down even quicker.

If you have a hard time showering because you don't do well with seeing your body, shower in the dark. There are night lights that plug directly into outlets that can provide some light without making it bright, or you can use candles.

If you have a hard time with standing that long, invest in a shower chair or try to find one at a thrift store.

Food:

Snacks are fantastic to keep in your room if you can. If you have any sort of pest problem or have pets, keep them in a sealed container. Juice boxes and pouches are also fantastic to be able to grab while you're In The Zone without having to think about it.

It's good to keep easy foods on hand for when you're just exhuasted or can't think of what to make. In our pantry, I have ravioli, oatmeal, microwave rice sides, stovetop rice sides, ramen (some made on the stove and some cup ramen), cereal, canned chili and soup, canned tuna, mac and cheese, instant potatoes and pasta with bottled sauce. In the freezer, the foods we always have are pizza, pizza rolls, fries, broccoli, waffles, sliced strawberries, and burritos. Be sure to pick foods you like and can make in a pinch.

Eggs are quick and easy, and you can even crack one in a mug and add salt and pepper, mix it and microwave it for a very fast snack. Potatoes and rice are filling and take more time but are a great base to other foods like eggs or sauce or cheese. Both can be made in the microwave if you don't have an oven or stove, it's too hot to use them, or you're worried about burning yourself. Make sure to wash the potato skin well if you're keeping it on.

You don't need to stick to the normal breakfast foods for breakfast, lunch foods for lunch, and dinner foods for dinner. If you love breakfast foods, make those for dinner. If you hate breakfast foods, make dinner foods for breakfast.

Try to incorporate fruits and veggies into your daily foods, but don't feel bad if you can't. There's no shame in not liking or being unable to eat some foods, just do your best to give your body the nutrients it needs. If your fresh fruits and veggies always go bad before you can use them, just buy frozen ones. Frozen fruits and veggies are usually frozen at peak ripeness and will last way longer than fresh. Some frozen veggies even come in microwavable bags for quick and easy cooking.

If you're stuck when making food, just eat the ingredients by themselves. This could be fruits, veggies, cheese, meats (unless it needs to be cooked first), and bread. I find that if I have a snack in the kitchen before making myself food, that's often enough to trick my brain into food mode and let's me make a meal.

When you're making yourself food, be sure to make leftovers! Don't make a huge amount unless you're willing to eat it for most meals so it doesn't go bad, but making just double or triple the food and storing it in the fridge is a very easy way to make less work for future you with only slightly more work for current you.

If you have trouble actually remembering to eat, set alarms or reminders for yourself, or even see if a friend can remind you to eat whenever they're eating. If there are meds you need to take with food, keep them near food so you remember to eat with them. If you feed a pet, eat before or after feeding them.

If you live with someone else, see if making food for more than just yourself makes it easier. If I need food and ask my partner if they also want food, it's always easier for me to make food when they also are hungry and need food.

Water:

Use several water bottles so you don't have to keep getting up to refill them. If it helps, you can have a morning water bottle, an afternoon water bottle, and an evening water bottle and try to have the water gone by the time you go to switch to the next one.

If you struggle to drink enough because you don't like water, try tea or adding fruit to your water or another water flavoring. Liquids that aren't water do also contain water! Soda will often make you thirstier, so try to make sure you're drinking things that aren't just that though.

Sleep:

Ignore what neurotypicals will tell you about sleep. They will tell you to only use your bed for sleep, but if you go to bed sooner if you read or scroll on your phone in bed than if you do it out of bed, do it in bed. Many sleep hygiene tips are the opposite of what is best for those of us with ADHD.

If you can't sleep with silence, try listening to music or a podcast as background noise. If you have a hard time sleeping in bed, move your blankets and pillow to the floor or a comfy chair. When I lived alone I would vary between sleeping on the bed and the couch.

If you wake up hungry in the middle of the night, eat closer to when you sleep. Common sleep advice is to not eat before sleeping but it's what works best for me. Alternatively, keep snacks by the bed. If you're worried about needing to brush your teeth after, keep a toothbrush by the snacks.

Melatonin and other sleep aides are often at least slightly helpful for people, and if you take them make sure you're following the instructions for how to make them most effective.

If you have trouble keeping a bed time, use alarms.

If all else fails, and you're able to, find a job or school that you can work around your sleep schedule. When I was able to work, I worked a swing shift job and got up at noon.

Homework:

I have not been in school in two years so these are from memory or what I've picked up from others since

Make a space to do homework that is free from distractions that will distract you fully. Use the background noise that helps you work best. The key to distraction and ADHD is learning what distractions are helpful and what distractions will get you off track. Neurotypicals will tell you that your space needs to be quiet and bare of anything interesting. Ignore them. If you have a hyperfixation at the moment, it is vital that you do not let it anywhere near your homework space. It will win over your attention with no effort. Use headphones if you are working in a public space. If you do need silence, headphones with no music playing can help, or use a pair of earmuffs or earplugs.

Take breaks when you feel you need them. Your math will not get done if you are having a meltdown from stress. Time how long you've spent on homework and then spend a fifth of that time as a break if you have time. Alternatively work for a half hour and take a short five minute break, or spend an hour and take a ten minute break. If you have a hard time refocusing after a break, don't do anything interesting during the break but instead do some stretches, have a snack, and get more water.

Don't try to do homework hungry. Have a snack before starting if you need to, and be sure to have water readily available.

If you have a lot of homework or several different subjects, take 5-10 minutes at the begining to organize what you are going to do. If possible, work on the thing that has the soonest due date, the most important to your grade, or the subject you have the lowest grade in. If you have a lot, do your best to alternate hard material and quick easy material to give your brain a bit of a break. If it helps, don't be afraid to pause your hard stuff to work on easy stuff for a bit if you have time.

If you need help, try to find someone that will actually help you in the way you need. If that's not possible, there are often YouTube videos on the subject you need help in. If you choose to find a video, I have found that it is best to find one in incognito mode (or a designated school google account) so YouTube does not suggest you videos you are interested in. This also helps to keep your school stuff from your fun stuff.

Finishing something partway is often better than not turning it in at all. This is something that is even more true in the "real world" than they lead you to believe in school.

#actuallyadhd #adhd tips #please share #ramblings #long post

[catsafarithewriter]

“Can’t you see I’m busy procrastinating?” - Haru/Baron, potentially Cups of Tea AU? OwO

A/N: One Cups of Tea AU coming right up! This was inspired by this post, and although I don’t have Haru and Baron sharing your requested line (Hiromi gets that honour, or close to it), this is one option for how Haru and Baron may have met for the first time. (i.e. chaotically) Enjoy! 

x

Moving into a flat with Hiromi was always going to be chaotic. 

Still, nothing could prepare Haru for the sight of her best friend cursing at the light switch. 

“Work was that bad, huh?” Haru ask as she dumped her bag and coat by the front door. 

“Ngh,” Hiromi said. 

“Alright. Well, that’s an answer.” Haru kicked off her shoes onto the mat just as the lounge light turned off. “Uh, Hiromi? Some light would be nice.”

“I’m trying, I’m trying.” 

“What do you mean you’re trying? How--”

Hiromi grabbed Haru’s arm and, in the dim shadows, dragged her over to the centre of the chaos. “Look. Watch.” She flicked on the switch and light flooded the room.”

“Very impressive, Hiromi,” Haru deadpanned. “And if we move to the kitchen, perhaps we’ll find that turning the tap makes water appear--”

“Just wait.”

Several dubious seconds passed. 

“Well, as much as I’d love to stay here with you all evening and marvel at the wonders of modern technology, I have rice that needs cooking, so--”

The light went out.

“Hiromi...”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“You must have done something - that or the bulb has blown--”  

Staring straight at Haru, Hiromi flicked the switch. Light returned... for all of ten seconds before depositing them back into gloom. “See?” she yelped. “See? It’s not me! Something is seriously wrong with this place. Maybe it’s--″

“Don’t say haunted.”

“Do you have a better solution?”

“This building is brand new, Hiromi; it’s probably just some faulty wiring.”

“Maybe they build this place over some spirit’s home, and now it’s angry--”

“Unlikely, given that they tore down a warehouse to build it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Unlike some, I actually read all of the brochure before signing up.” Haru shrugged, and the light came back on. “It’ll be... teething problems or something.”

The light turned off. 

“Yeah, well let’s just hope the oven isn’t also ‘teething,’” Hiromi said. 

x

Luckily, whatever ailment had taken hold of the living room light seemed content to remain contained for the time being. 

Still, Haru had to shut her bedroom door securely and stuff blankets along the base to stop the erratic light beyond from keeping her awake. It became routine, just as much as the funny key jiggle needed to lock the apartment door, or the way that one of the floorboards tilted if you stood on the wrong end.

Hiromi was less accepting about the whole shebang. 

“Let - me - turn - you - on - you - blasted - thing!” Hiromi cursed as she battled with the disobedient light switch. 

Haru strolled from the kitchen, dinner in one hand and her phone in the other. “Just use one of the table lamps,” she offered as she perched on the sofa. “They don’t misbehave.”

“I don’t want a table lamp, I want the big light to do its damn job.”     

Haru watched the unintentional light show and distantly wondered what they were accidentally spelling out in Morse code. Then it gave her a headache, so she looked back to her phone. “Your dinner’s going cold, Hiromi.”

“I don’t care. I will win!”

“Against faulty wiring? I think the only thing you’re going to win is an electric shock.”

“I’m not going to let a haunted light bulb beat me!”

For not the first time, Haru wondered how much simpler her life would be if she didn’t have a drama queen for a best friend. “It’s not haunted, Hiromi.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Haru’s phone dinged, and she opened the message. She grinned. “Because I’ve just discovered the real reason.” She scrolled through the text. “I got talking to the IT department at work - you remember Chika, right? - and they’ve done a little digging and they say...” Her eyes widened at the explanation. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” 

“What?” Hiromi catapulted herself over to Haru’s side, her battle with the light switch all but forgotten. “What did they say?”

“Apparently these new condos use a - and I quote - ‘unique and innovative binary code’ to connect the switches to the lights and should have a radius of 30 feet.” Haru paused. “The actual radius is much bigger.”

“How much bigger?”

“Uh, about 40 apartments bigger?”

Hiromi considered this. Then a wicked grin spread across her face. “Are you saying that I’m controlling the lights of 40 other flats?”

“Not... quite? Based on the limitations of the binary code, there’s only 16 possible code combinations, so basically our switch controls the light of at least one other apartment, maybe more.”

“So. Not haunted.”

“Not haunted,” Haru agreed. 

x

Haru entered to the furious clacking of the light switch and the sporadic light show dominating the flat. She dumped her groceries, sidestepping the bag of laundry that Hiromi had promised to clear before she’d left, and found her best friend hunkered down before the switch and a notebook. 

“Hiromi--”

“Not now! I’m concentrating!”

Haru patiently waited, watching Hiromi’s brow furrow in intense concentration as she clicked through a specific pattern. Just above that, Haru could hear muttered letters. 

Eventually, Hiromi sat back, looking entirely too pleased with herself. “Done!”

“I hope you’re referring to the clothes you were planning to take to the laundromat,” Haru said. She leant against the door-frame and gave her friend a look. 

“Ah. That.” 

“Or maybe you were talking about the dishes in the sink you said you’d clean.”

“Oh. Well--”

“Or perhaps it was the recycling that needed taking out.” Haru raised an eyebrow and was rewarded with an unflustered flush from Hiromi. “What are you doing?”

“Procrastinating. Obviously.”

“Obviously.” Haru leant in and snatched up the notebook.

“Hey!”

Haru raised the book out of her friend’s reach with a teasing, “Shorty,” before flipping it open to the most recent page. A loose sheet fell out, the alphabet carefully written out and a series of dots and dashes beneath it. On the bound page, sentences were spelled out, once again connected by dashes and dots. “Hiromi, are you... talking to the other flats via Morse code?”

“No! ...Maybe.”

“Fear me, fear me, who dare disturbs my rest?” Haru read, flipping further through the notebook and discovering whole conversations carefully converted into Morse code and back. “I come for vengance - I mean, honestly, is this the best you can do? Also, that is not how  you spell ‘vengeance.’”

The lights began flickering, and Hiromi snatched back the book in Haru’s inattention. “Shush, let me see what they’re saying back.”

“Hiromi Kasumi Tomoko, are you pretending to haunt someone’s flat?”

“No...?” Hiromi’s nose wrinkled in concentration as she translated the light’s flicking into words, a wide grin revealing the success of her deception. The lights stabilised and she grinned up at Haru. “Okay, maybe a little bit.”

“Hiromi, you are a terrible, terrible person.”

“Aw, you say the nicest things.”

“How long has this been going on for?”

“Uh... a week?”

“Hiromi!”

“Hey, they started it! They’re the ones who were trying to communicate in Morse code to appease the ‘spirit on the other side;’ I just responded. What else was I meant to do?”

“Ignore it?” Haru offered. “Tell them the truth? Not pretend to be a ghost?”

“Okay, sure, but where’s the fun in that?” Hiromi tapped at the page, thinking. “Maybe we should tell them that the ghost cannot rest until they do something to appease it. Like sing the entirety of Mamma Mia, or meow for a day, or--”

Haru yanked the book away. “That’s enough of that.”

“Oh come on, Haru--”

“You are not going to prank some complete stranger! I’m sure it’s hilarious, but there’s probably some poor idiot hyperventilating and googling exorcist rates right now, so just come clean and tell them--”  

The lights turned off. And on. And off.

A persistent, almost aggressive pattern began to emerge. 

“H-Hiromi? What are they saying?”

“Uh, give me my notebook and I’ll tell you.”

Haru numbly passed it across. 

On. Off. On. Pause. Off. On. Off. 

“A. R. L. I. A. R. L. I. A. R. L. I,” Haru translated. “Arli? Iarl? What’s that? I don’t--”

Haru leant across, barely taking her eyes off the light, and scrawled, “Liar,” onto the page.

“Oh.”

“I’m guessing they’ve finally clued in,” Haru said. “I wonder what made them realise...”

The pattern changed, and Hiromi frantically copied out the newly-forming letters. She gave a funny squeak.      

“Hiromi?”

“I am the ghost,” Hiromi read in a wheezing sort of voice. “Fear me.”    

“Oh, for...” Haru slammed to her feet, grabbing her shoes and making a beeline for the door. 

“Haru, don’t leave me with the ghost!”

“It’s not a ghost, Hiromi; someone is just paying your trick back at you and I’m going to find out who.” She raised her phone. “I’m going to stand in the car park and see if I can spot the other flat - or flats - we’re battling with. You stay here and keep the light show going if it starts to stop - as long as it’s unique, I should be able to pin them down. We’re going to solve this tonight.”

x

From what Haru could see, there were two other apartments that shared their ‘haunted’ light show, and the first one they located greeted them with twin screams and the sound of something shattering when they knocked. 

Haru raised an eyebrow at Hiromi in an admonishing ‘I hope you’re pleased with yourself’ fashion. 

For her part, Hiromi did look fairly amused. 

Haru knocked again, and this time she heard frantic scrabbling to the door and several inventive curses. Eventually the door swung open and two men stood in the doorway. They were built of opposites; one tall, dark, and build like a stick, wearing a NASA t-shirt, and the other round and light-skinned, and wearing a sports jersey that had an indistinguishable team or - come to that - sport. 

There was the stench of incense from inside, and both were wearing a comical assortment of crosses, crucifixes, and other wards around hteir necks. The larger one had a string of garlic on top of all that. 

“Are yer the exorcists?” he asked. 

Haru glared at Hiromi in her best ‘look what you’ve done’ manner. “No, but--”  

“Then now ain’t a good time,” he said and shut the door. 

Haru slammed her foot into the gap before the man could finish the task, and attempted her best winning smile. “We, um - that is, my friend has an apology to make.”

The large man narrowed his eyes. “Why? Did she kill the ghost that’s haunting us?”

“Don’t be stupid,” the tall man reprimanded. “The ghost said she died a 100 years ago - her murderer would be long gone by now.” He frowned. “Unless...”

Haru’s winning smile faltered.

“She’s also a ghost!” the first man yelped. He thrust a crucifix in their direction, vigorously crossing himself. Hiromi looked liked she was fighting the urge to collapse with laughter.

Haru pushed her aside before Hiromi could lose that particular fight. “Look, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. You’re not haunted.”

“Tell that to our flat!”

“There’s been a mistake with the main light system,” Haru barrelled on, very aware she was fast in danger of losing her nerve, “which seems to have caused some of the switches in different flats to link up. So, uh, when we turn on our light, it turns on yours too, and vice versa...”

Both men stared at her and Haru wondered how good her chances were of outrunning them. Maybe she didn’t need to be that fast... just faster than Hiromi... 

Then the tall one rounded on his flatmate. “I told you there’d be a scientific explanation!”

“Yeah, well I didn’t hear you complaining when I bought the crucifixes!”

“I should never have listened to you!”

“I didn’t ask yer to!”

“It’s your fault our apartment stinks of incense and garlic now!”

“I’m not the one who’s been parading round as a ghost for a week!”

“That... is a good point.”

Both men simultaneously remembered their visitors, and Haru gulped. She firmly steered Hiromi into their main line of sight. “My friend has some apologising to do.”

Hiromi grinned weakly, and waved. “Hello.”

“You!”

“You’re the one who’s been messing with our light?!”

“Unintentionally, at first,” Hiromi said. 

“And after?” the tall one asked. 

Hiromi hesitated. “Maybe have been slightly less unintentional.”

“And even now, yer still at it?” the larger one demanded, waving a hand to the flashing lights. 

“Um... that’s not me.”

“And why should we believe you?”

Hiromi and Haru both pointed across the corridor, to where corresponding flickering lights, perfectly in time with the men’s flat, could be seen flashing beneath the door of another apartment. “Meet culprit number two,” Haru said. 

“Okay, that’s fairly convincing,” the taller man admitted. He sighed and offered a hand. “I’m Toto, and the mountain beside me is Muta.”

“Oi, don’t go giving our names to the fake ghosts, birdbrain!”

“Hiromi, Haru,” Haru introduced. She took the hand. “Sorry about the prank.”

“Even if it was hilarious,” Hiromi added. 

Haru rolled her eyes for Toto to see. “Hiromi, don’t make he revoke your baking privileges.” 

“Right. Shutting up.”

Conversation was brought to an abrupt halt as Muta cannon-balled past them and up to the final door of the light show. He hammered at it. “Hey, open up!” he roared. “We know what you’ve been doing!”

Haru raised an eyebrow at Toto. “Your friend’s subtle.”

“This is one of his good days,” Toto replied. He marched up to his flatmate and, apparently undaunted by Muta’s self-righteous ire, grabbed his fist before it could make progress through the door. “Hey, perhaps we shouldn’t go breaking down doors in a brand new apartment complex, maybe? Or do you really just have fluff for brains?”

“At least I don’t have my head in the clouds, birdbrain.”

“That’s rich, coming from--”

“Can I help you?”

The door had opened, and a man with an English accent, ginger hair, and the brightest green eyes Haru had ever seen stood in the opening. He wore a red waistcoat over a white shirt, the latter with the sleeves rolled up. And with a mug of tea clasped in one hand, he didn’t exactly look like the prank mastermind that Haru had been expecting. 

Muta seemed to have no such second-thoughts. “You!” he bellowed. “You’re the ghost!”

The man blinked, and blush rose up alongside his freckles.

Okay, so maybe he was less innocent than he looked. “Oh.”

“What do you have to say for yerself?!”

The man looked at the small crowd before him, and smiled sheepishly. 

“...Do you want some tea?”

#cat writes #mommacomms #replies #cups of tea au #the cat returns #i could have made this longer but this is already 2.5K and it's only meant to be a oneshot XD #and I really wanted to end on that line #baron basically had to put up with the light hijinks for a good week before finally giving in and returning some payback #i'm not entirely sure if i'm contradicting anything i've already written #but eh #i also just wanted muta and toto to be decked out in ghost repelling stuff

[jenatwork]

So this started out in my head as a vaguely serious fic about Kouda’s parents and their expectations of his hero work versus the reality of being a hero in the city. But then I had some wine, and suddenly the idea of asshole housemates seemed like the funniest thing ever.

Dear Mom and Dad,

The letter was long overdue. He’d have preferred to e-mail, but his parents weren’t so great with technology. Grandpa was the only one who used the internet much, and that was mostly so he could watch the horse races that didn’t get broadcast on TV. Phone signal was never reliable out on the farm, and text messages could take hours to get through some days. Phone calls had a habit of cutting out, and that was assuming Kouda was feeling up to talking for that long.

So, letters had to do.

Kouda had a make-shift desk in his room, an old dining table shoved against the wall under the window, with cardboard box files stacked up at one end for any paperwork he took home. A desk lamp would use too much electricity and they were trying to keep the bills low, so sitting by the window meant he could make the most of the daylight.

Chewing on the end of his pen, Kouda thought back over the past month, trying to decide where to start his letter.

It’s been six whole weeks since I started as a support hero! Graduation feels like ages ago - so much has happened since then.

Shouji was the only one who’d fully inspected the share-house before they signed the contract. He’d shared pictures with the rest of them and told them it was fine. They should have known better than to trust Shouji ‘furniture is for the weak’ Mezuo.

“Out of five rooms, only one has a bed. Shouji, you said it was furnished!” Ojiro thumped down the last few stairs as Shouji and Sato brought in yet more boxes labelled ‘kitchen’. Shouji opened his box, while Sato left the room again.

“Don’t you all have futons?”

“Yes, we have futons. We also have aches and pains from fighting people on a near-daily basis and I, for one, would like to come home at the end of the day and collapse on to a beautifully supportive orthopaedic mattress.”

“I will fight you all for the bed.” Tokoyami added another box to the kitchen pile. “One by one or all at once, it doesn’t matter.”

“Tokoyami, you fell asleep on a pile of laundry once. You don’t need the bed.”

“Dark Shadow needs the bed.”

“Is Dark Shadow paying rent?”

“Dark Shadow has no comprehension of financial matters.”

“Then Dark Shadow doesn’t get a bed.”

While the three of them bickered, Kouda quietly took one of his boxes up the stairs, checking each room one by one. He found the bed on the third floor. Unfortunately, Sato had found it first.

“Uh...Dibs?”

Kouda took his box down to the floor below. Sato might have the bed, but he also had three flights of stairs to climb at the end of each day. He claimed a room, then went back down to the kitchen, where Shouji was apologising for the shortage of dining chairs.

“We could buy another chair. How much do dining chairs cost?”

Kouda rapped a fist on the doorframe to get their attention. He pointed upstairs, and signed Sato’s name.

“If Sato has the bed, he doesn’t get a chair,” Tokoyami announced. The other two looked at each other, and shrugged.

“Problem solved.”

Adjusting to life out of the dorms was strange at first, but we’re getting used to it. Doing our own cooking, cleaning and laundry - we’re all helping each other out and learning from each other.

“Tokoyami, why is my hero costume grey?” Ojiro held up his gi, still slightly damp.

“That could be a good look for you.”

“Why is your black T-shirt in the machine with my white uniform?”

“It was dirty. You didn’t have a full load.”

“You can’t mix dark clothes with white clothes in the washing machine!”.

“Is that so? I’ve never had a problem mixing my clothes in the wash.”

“All your clothes are darks!”

Living in a share-house means we share our meals, and it’s good to cook and eat together after a hard day’s work.

Shouji opened the cupboard door. The same cupboard he’d already checked three times.

“Sato, can you google ‘how to split one pack of ramen between five people’?”

“We just did grocery shopping two days ago!”

Kouda was busy measuring rice into the cooker. He tapped Sato’s shoulder and held up three fingers.

“Okay, so three servings of rice and a pack of ramen. That should cover all of us. What about meat? There should be some diced chicken in the fridge.”

Tokoyami appeared in the doorway, a juicebox in one hand.

“There’s no chicken left.”

“Tokoyami, you’re literally the smallest out of all of us, so how come you can eat more than any of us?” “I’m eating for two.”

Dark Shadow hovered over his shoulder, and stage-whispered in his ear. “Chicken?”

“No chicken.”

Shouji checked his pockets and pulled out a handful of coins.

“Sato, how much meat can we get for this much?”

Sato counted the coins.

“Two portions of chicken nuggets?”

Kouda checked his own pockets, and dropped some coins into Shouji’s hand.

“Three portions.”

“CHICKEN!”

“Dark Shadow, behave.”

Working as a support hero keeps me busy, but I’m meeting lots of new and interesting people. Last week I helped some other heroes to save a girl from a kidnapping, and her family were really nice to me afterwards.

Kouda was breathing heavily when he finally got back home, and he took a moment to lean against the inside of the door. Ojiro stepped into the hallway, in the middle of drying a pan with a tea-towel.

“Nakamura-san again?”

Kouda nodded, before bending down to unfasten his shoes.

“Kouda, I keep telling you to just take a different route home.”

Kouda made a series of gestures, while rolling his eyes.

“You did? So how’d she find you?”

He pointed over his shoulder.

“She was outside the house?” He nodded. “Oh, man, that’s rough. Is she still there?” He shrugged. Ojiro put down the pan he was drying, and called the other three housemates into the kitchen.

“Nakamura-san is still hassling Kouda. She found out where he lives.”

“Where we all live,” Sato countered, as Shouji threw up all six hands in frustration. “She makes me nervous.”

“Can we call the bar and make a complaint?” Shouji looked to Kouda, who shook his head.

“We already tried that,” Ojiro explained. “Since she’s not doing anything while she’s working for them, they said there’s nothing we can do. Kouda, if your agency tries to send you on any more jobs in the red light district, you have to say no! I don’t care how many rats and roaches there are for you to work with - you’re under-age! You shouldn’t be seeing the stuff that goes on in those bars.”

“I have an idea,” Tokoyami said. “But you won’t like it.”

They all looked at Kouda, who considered for a moment, then gestured for Tokoyami to explain.

“If she’s taken to following Kouda home, then we could invite someone else over to walk home with him.”

“Tokoyami, Kouda doesn’t need anyone to fight for him. And Nakamura-san isn’t violent, she’s just...affectionate.”

“Aggressively affectionate,” Shouji corrected.

“So we invite someone even worse.”

Three chairs scraped back from the kitchen table. Sato was already standing, so he couldn’t do the same, but he stepped back all the same.

“Nope.” “No, it’s not worth it.”

“But he would - “

“Tokoyami, we are not inviting Mineta into this house.” Ojiro’s tail twitched as he spoke. “Kouda, we’ll all go to the bar with you, when Nakamura-san is working, and we’ll have a talk with her. Explain to her that saving her from that gang was just part of your job, and that she’s a very nice lady but you just don’t see her that way.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

Ojiro took a deep breath, considering their options.

“Then we have to move.”

I’ve seen all sorts of new places all over the city. Every day is an adventure!

“Kouda, we’re definitely lost. No, don’t shake your head at me - look! Look at the little blue dot on the map. The dot is moving away from our apartment. That’s us, we’re the little blue dot. We are heading in the wrong direction. What do you mean, it loops around? The train does not loop. Trains go in straight lines, and this line is pointing the wrong way. Why did you pick this route? A cat? A cat told you which train to catch. Does the cat know how to use Google Maps? Because I do, and Google Maps says we’re heading in the wrong dir - what are you doing? Leave my phone alone! Why are you spinning the map? Don’t - wait, you can do that? So we’re heading east, not - Oh my god, Kouda, you have blown my mind, I did not know you could rotate the map like that! I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have - wait, was that our stop? That was our stop! We missed -”

I miss you both, and grandpa. I know you said you’d visit, but you really don’t have to - it’s a long trip and the trains aren’t cheap, and besides, I can come home and visit you soon.

“This place is like a pig-sty! When was the last time anyone mopped this floor?” Ojiro had broken out into a sweat. Kouda felt tired just watching him. “Guys, my parents are going to be here in less than two hours, why are there still cobwebs up there? Kouda, I thought you told the spiders to stay away!”

Tokoyami looked up from his seat on the kitchen counter, where he was flipping through a magazine.

“Kouda says the spiders have unionised and are threatening to stop catching flies if we remove their webs.”

Ojiro swept past him, his tail ‘accidentally’ knocking Tokoyami’s magazine out of his hands.

“Maybe if you cleaned the dirty dishes in your room, there wouldn’t be any flies in the first place.”

“Dark Shadow likes the ambience.”

“Dark Shadow’s a lazy slob.”

“Yes, he and I have had words about that.”

Ojiro shoved the broom into Tokoyamis’ hands.

“Sweep. Like your life depends on it. Because it does.”

In the doorway, Shouji wiped a feather duster over the lintel.

“Ojiro, the place is clean enough. And your parents are hardly going to inspect everyone’s bedrooms.”

“Yeah, that’s what they want you to think.” Having delegated the sweeping, Ojiro switched to spraying the kitchen surfaces with spray-cleaner. “But my father would find dust in an operating theatre, and and threaten to cut off the surgeon’s allowance for it.”

“You don’t have an allowance.”

“He’ll find something to cut off.”

“See, this is why I don’t invite my parents to visit.”

Kouda interrupted them all with a powerful sneeze. They all turned, startled, as he succumbed to a second, then a third.

“Too much dust?” Shouji asked. He nodded. “You should go upstairs out of the way.”

As he climbed the stairs, he heard Ojiro scolding Tokoyami once more.

“See? That’s how much dust has built up. You made Kouda sick.”

“I would never!”

“You would and you did. Clean, birdman, or I’m going to let my mother see your room.”

“Betrayal!”

But no matter how strange and new it all is, and no matter how far I am from home, I have my friends with me. I don’t know what I’d do without them.

The only light in Kouda’s room came from the streetlamp right outside his window. Downstairs, he could hear Sato rattling around in the kitchen, cleaning up his latest kitchen experiment. From the room across the hall, came the sound of Ojiro banging on the floorboards, annoyed by the sound of Sato cleaning up his latest kitchen experiment. From the room next to Kouda’s, Shouji’s meditation music filtered through the walls, as Shouji tried to drown out the sound of Sato cleaning up and Ojiro banging on the floorboards.

His futon was spread out at the very edge of his room, and he sat up, a pile of cushions between him and the wall. Tokoyami lay beside him, his head in Kouda’s lap.

“You lived underneath Shouji in the dorms in first year. Did he play his music so loud back then?”

“Thicker walls,” Kouda whispered. His fingers stroked slowly over the black fluff at the nape of Tokoyami’s neck.

“At least I’m not due at work until tomorrow afternoon.” Tokoyami stretched, and turned so that he could look up at Kouda. “How about you?”

“Morning shift.”

“That’s rough.”

They sat a while longer, as Ojiro left his room and went to knock on Shouji’s door to complain about the music.

“There is a way we could drown out the noise,” Tokoyami said, reaching out for Kouda’s free hand.

Kouda looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

“Really loud sex.”

Their laughter brought footsteps to Kouda’s door. They apologised profusely to Ojiro, promising they would try to go to sleep as soon as they could.

I miss you all, and I’ll try to write more frequently.

Love,

Kouji

#bnha #bnha fic #background boys #kouda kouji #tokoyami fumikage #shouji mezou #ojiro mashirao #sato rikido

[sameats]

Sautéed Kale with Tomatoes and Fried Tofu

Finally, the end of my kale stretch. I think I may switch to a different leafy green. next week, or at least find a smaller bunch. Kale-lover or not, this dish actually turned out super well and was pretty quick and easy, despite a little bit of prep.

While I was thinking about what to eat, I thought of the week ahead and decided that some rice would be nice to have. Instead of buying the microwaveable rice cups like I would normally, I forced myself to save some money by buying the rice in bulk. Seeing as I had some time today, this was the perfect occasion to make a bunch of rice, then freeze it for later. 

I set my rice off, did some laundry, had a mini photoshoot with my roommate, and prepped the rest of meal! Sundays are domestic days! I remembered I had tofu and have not yet made some this year. So, as the rice was going, I pressed my tofu. 

For those who do not know, tofu comes packages in a delightful tofu juice. I am not sure what the point of this liquid is and why the consumer is forced to remove it, but this is the tofu tradition. If someone can figure out how to sell pre-pressed tofu, please let me know. Regardless, you are supposed to press the tofu to dry it out and remove some of the water it has soaked up. However, you cannot just squeeze it or else it will break. I cut some slits in the tofu cover, placed a small container underneath and my coin jar on top and went about my chores. This makeshift tofu press seemed to work pretty well, and by the time my rice was done, there was a sizable pool of tofu aqua in the dish.

I cut, floured and seasoned my tofu and fried it up. Don’t toss these around too much, or you will never get that crust! I removed the tofu and then sautéed some kale with garlic. After my massive bunch of kale reduced down to a plateful, I added a few canned whole peeled tomatoes and Italian seasonings in the corner of the pan, covered it and let it cook for a few minutes while I did some dishes (multitasking!). Once soft, I squished the tomatoes, leaving them chunky as I like them. And plated over some brown rice! 

Everything came together super nicely in this dish. The tomatoes became like a sauce for the tofu and rice, but were not overpowering. Brown rice was a lovely base to this dish and the tofu had a nice bite. This dish takes a minute with the tofu, but otherwise everything is made in one pan. There were some leftovers which will make a great lunch another day!

–––––

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 15 mins Ingredients: - 1/2 block of extra firm tofu, cut into cubes - 1 bunch of kale, leaves and stems in pieces - 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely diced - 3-4 whole peeled tomatoes, from the can - sauce seasonings (Herbes de Provence, oregano, basil, rosemary) - brown rice (optional)

Before beginning, press the tofu using a weight or other. Let press for 30 mins. (Skipping this step is not the end of the world).

Once liquid has drained from tofu, remove from press and pat dry with paper towel. Cut into cubes and pat dry again. Dust with flour and other seasonings (garlic powder, chili flakes, Old Bay, etc.) Fry in a large skillet in vegetable oil over medium heat. Let sit on top and bottom side at least 5 minutes, checking occasionally for browning. Then toss and fry until crispy all over. Set tofu aside on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Add ~2 tbsp. more oil to the large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and kale, toss to combine. Drizzle with more oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and toss every minute or so until size is reduced. Prepare a few whole peeled tomatoes with 1/2 cup or so of canned tomato liquid reserved to the side. Mix whole tomatoes with Italian seasoning. Add the tomatoes to the pan, off to one side if kale is still cooking, and cover. Leave for 3-4 minutes. Tomatoes are done when they are soft and fall apart when squished. Once ready, add reserved tomato juice if needed, squash tomatoes to desired fineness. Stir and add tofu back to dish. Plate on top of brown rice and enjoy!

#lunch #x2 #food #yummy #vegetarian #cooking #easycooking #vegan #recipe

[deafblindblast]

99 Ways to Add Mindfulness to Your Day

Link: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/mindfulness-exercises?rq=mindfulness

***Few edits on this article to fit DeafBlind audience. Enjoy!

Small Steps For Feeling Grounded

The world feels uncertain right now—with quarantines and social distancing from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all feeling a bit untethered. All in need of a few deep breaths and a practice that keeps us rooted in ourselves. Enter: mindfulness.

Mindfulness is presence, embodied awareness, and connection to our experiences of the world around us. It doesn’t require hours of meditation each day; it does, however, require constant and conscious decisions to remain present in each moment.

Practicing mindfulness isn’t just for the privileged, either. It’s not always prescriptive, and your mindfulness might look different than someone else’s. Let’s hold space for each other as we all focus on connecting more deeply to ourselves and those around us.

We’ve pulled together 99 moments that offer themselves up to our awareness, and allow us to practice a little mindfulness no matter where we’re at.

Mindfulness In The Morning

1. When you wake up in the morning, do a body scan. Identify any sensations, comfortable or uncomfortable. Wiggle your toes. Lick your lips. Practice being present in your body.

2. Make your bed and mist it with water and eucalyptus essential oil. (At night, use lavender essential oil instead.)

3. Step outside to breathe the fresh air and get a sense for what the day may bring.

4. Make french press coffee. Grind whole beans with a non-electric grinder for a tactile experience. If you prefer tea, steep loose leaf in a teapot.

5. Hand-wash your mug when you’re done using it.

6. Meditate in the shower. Focus on the smell of the soap and how the warm water feels on your skin.

7. Light a candle and set an intention as you get ready in the morning. How do you feel today?

8. While brushing your teeth, identify one goal for the day.

9. Instead of rushing to the next task, wipe down the sink after you’ve washed your face or applied makeup.

10. Do small favors for your after-work self; in the morning, unload the dishwasher, take out the trash, turn on a diffuser.

11. Stick affirmations on your mirror or write them on labels of products you regularly use, like lotion or chapstick. Recite them aloud, and update them when it feels right.

12. If you take daily medicine or multivitamins, pour yourself a little extra water and drink it quietly as you reflect on what those medicines or supplements allow you to do.

13. Read a transcript to a news podcast instead of checking social media. Opt for reading too.

14. Place your hand on an object you use every day—your coffee maker, your car, your laptop. Extend a moment of gratitude for the object and what purpose it serves in your life.

Mindfulness In Your Routine

15. Wash your produce and rinse your rice slowly and thoroughly as you settle into the rhythm of cooking and nourishing yourself.

16. Eat without media distractions.

17. Practice mindful eating; pay attention to how food tastes and feels on your tongue. Experience how a warm mug curves gracefully in your palms.

18. Fold your laundry neatly and thoughtfully before you put it away; you can try Marie Kondo’s technique, or embrace one that is fully your own.

19. Water your plants. Wipe down their individual leaves.

20. As you move about your home, ask yourself, “Am I using everything in this drawer?” Set yourself up for flow by seasonally rearranging your rooms to match your lifestyle. If there’s a kitchen tool that’s always in your way, move it to a lower drawer or pantry, so you only see the daily essentials.

21. Visit the library and borrow a book. Stay awhile and browse the shelves. Turn over the books in your hands, read a few pages. Allow yourself space for curiosity.

22. Feel the music instead of turning on the television.

23. Ground yourself by scrubbing kitchen counters or the bathtub. Pause. Lean back and take in the sight with gratitude and respect for the home that helps sustain you.

24. Hand-wash a garment. Feel the warm water on your hands, hang the garment gently on a drying rack.

25. Turn lights on as you enter rooms, inviting one positive thought with the light. Turn them off when you leave, reminding yourself to release negative thought patterns.

26. When reaching for another cup of coffee or a glass of wine, fill your cup with water instead. Drink it down with a reminder to care for yourself.

27. Replace your usual screentime with a different craft or screen-free hobby.

28. Pick out an outfit for tomorrow, and make sure it’s clean, steamed, or ironed as needed. Hang it up.

29. At the end of the night, spare a minute or two to sip herbal tea and reflect on the day without judgment.

30. Read a poem or passage aloud. Read slowly. Feel each word.

31. While you brush your teeth at night, identify one success from the day.

Mindfulness At Work Or Out In The World

32. Focus on your breathing while you are driving, walking, or commuting.

33. Commute in silence. Don’t try to fill the quiet with noise to avoid discomfort; find peace in the stillness of your choice of transportation.

34. Engage yourself in a new way by driving, walking, or biking a different route to work.

35. Allow yourself to doodle while planning your day. If your hand wants to wander into an abstract squiggle, let it.

36. Keep a Bullet Journal, an all-encompassing space for to-do lists, note-taking, calendars, and random thoughts. Give yourself freedom from mental overcrowding. As soon as something (anything) crosses your mind, jot or type it down.

37. If you sit at a desk, check in with your posture to make sure you haven’t absentmindedly started hunching over. Keep your wrists in a neutral position when possible. Maybe it’s whenever you hit “send” on an email or whenever you notice the hot pink sticky note on your computer.

38. Take a moment to stretch your vision and look away from your screen. What is the farthest thing you can see?

39. Go for a walk on your lunch break and breathe in the fresh air.

40. Schedule out time to check your emails and Slack messages. Remove any popups or notifications on your desktop to prevent distractions.

41. Use bathroom breaks to enjoy a few moments of quiet. Maybe do some light stretches in the restroom and check in with how your body is feeling.

42. Close extra browser tabs to remind you to focus on the task at hand.

43. Each time you switch tasks, write down the timestamp and what you are doing.

44. If you are in a place you go every day, feel and notice one thing that you’ve never noticed before.

45. Shut your computer down at the end of the day to signify the end of work. Wipe down your keyboard.

46. Go on a walk without a destination. Leave your phone at home.

47. When you’re walking, keep your head up. Focus on the heel-to-toe movement of your steps.

48. Stop and smell the flowers. Reach out and touch a leaf or a tree trunk. Experience the joy of running your hands or bare feet through grass and earth. Indulge your senses with nature.

49. If possible, feel for loose change on the ground as you walk. Or, look for birds. Or skateboarders. Or blue cars. Focus on one element to keep your mind from wandering into the future or dwelling on the past.

50. Set a budget. Use cash to pay for items so that you always see how much you have left.

51. Set checkpoints throughout the day to check in on how you feel. Name the feeling and acknowledge it: is it worry? Is it stress? Is it hope? No need to implement solutions; simply recognize your feelings.

Mindfulness With Others

52. Hug your partner, friend, or pet for 30 seconds. Sign sweet affirmations to them.

53. Pause to leave a thoughtful, positive comment on a friend’s Instagram or Facebook. Direct messaging works, too.

54. If you’re wearing or using something you particularly love, email or tag the brand to thank them for their work. Do this especially for independent artists and makers.

55. Tell your partner what you most want to hear from them today. And then say it to yourself as well.

56. Say “no” when your schedule is hectic or when you’re feeling close to burnout. Respect your calendar and take an evening for yourself every once in a while. Don’t be afraid to make plans weeks out in advance.

57. Tell your co-workers or team that you are thankful for their work. Thank your barista for making you a delightful cup of coffee and your mail carrier for delivering your package. Just thank someone.

58. When you are prompted to pass judgment on someone, especially in conversation with others, ask yourself if there’s another perspective to consider. Think twice before engaging in gossip.

59. Inform yourself about slurs and ableist language. Find alternatives for those words and phrases. Embrace it as an opportunity to do better, to learn, to grow.

60. Make contact with people you are communicating with.

61. Pause for something silly—text a gif to a friend, tell your partner a joke, or dance it out in your kitchen. Embrace lightheartedness, even if just for a moment.

62. Practice mindfulness with your kids through play, or take a moment to ask them what the happiest moment of their day was.

63. Instead of asking the same old “how are you?”, ask someone, “what was the best part of your day?” or one of these other questions. Resist the automatic.

64. Practice mindful listening.

65. If you experience overwhelm or stress because of customers or co-workers, practice loving-kindness meditation. Remind yourself to act from a place of love—whether it’s when you respond or how you remove yourself from difficult people.

66. Be direct about your needs. Invite others to be direct with you. There is mindfulness in clarity and direction.

Mindfulness Alone—With Tech

67. Set reminders on your phone to check in on your hydration throughout the day. Take a moment to fill your water bottle, take a sip, and breathe deeply.

68. Turn off push notifications and badges on your phone. (Except your hydration check-ins!)

69. Schedule your media consumption in advance. Are you in the middle of re-watching “The Office”? Put one or two episodes on the calendar for the evening to avoid the endless Netflix spiral.

70. Play a video game that is soothing and helps you achieve a flow state.

71. Before posting something to social media, ask yourself why you feel it’s important to share. If it’s in search of external validation, take a moment to validate yourself instead.

72. Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. The media we consume nourishes us, for better or for worse. Occasionally follow new accounts that feel healthy and supportive.

73. Delete Instagram or other distracting apps from your phone when you’re feeling overwhelmed; you can reinstall later.

74. Each time you’re tempted to visit Facebook or Twitter out of boredom, open a note and jot down the thoughts buzzing in your brain. This helps delay checking out old high school crushes and gives you a chance to check in with the “why” behind the urge.

75. If you come up against a non-urgent question, make a note of it and Google it later if it’s still pressing.

76. If you’re overwhelmed with content, choose one piece to read a day.

77. Listen to your favorite song and think deeply about it. What do you like about it? Is it the sound of the singer’s voice? The gentle bass bubbling in the background? The spunky snare?

78. Change your phone and desktop background to a calm reminder. While you’re at it, organize your docs and apps in a way that allows you to use your tech more mindfully.

79. Use a meditation or breathing app.

80. Create playlists for each part of your day: getting ready, commuting, working, cooking, winding down with a book in the evening. Set the mood and the intention for each action.

81. Go on a photo walk—use your phone to take pictures of beautiful flowers, sights, and other things that brighten your day. You don’t have to share these photos.

Mindfulness Alone—Without Tech

82. Meditate. Keep your mind from wandering by focusing on how the air of your inhales and exhales literally feels against your nose. (It’s often cold for the former, warm for the latter.)

83. Carry a “wallet poem.” Print or write out a poem that you’d like to reflect on and keep it in your wallet or phone case to read when you’re waiting for something.

84. Set aside time (maybe put it on your to-do list) to practice small maintenance rather than cramming it in. Clipping your nails, shaving, trimming nose hairs, applying a face mask.

85. Start a journal. Whether it’s a gratitude journal or a daily diary, note how you feel and how you’re experiencing the world.

86. Whenever you see or feel something soft, take it as a reminder to soften. Unclench your jaw, release sharp thoughts, lower your shoulders. Remind yourself that you, too, are a soft creature.

87. Apply hand lotion, and massage it into your fingertips and palms. If it’s scented, take deep breaths and enjoy the fragrance.

88. Invert yourself. Get your head below your heart in a handstand, forward bend, or hanging backward off the bed. It’s a playful posture and a reminder that you don’t have to be so serious all the time.

89. Pull tarot cards, consult your horoscope, connect to a passage in a religious text—look for input from outside resources. These nurture our inner voice, and the wisdom will stay on-hand for when we need it.

90. Ask yourself what you need right now. Is it a bath? A kind word? A cup of water? Get in the habit of asking often. And when you can, deliver.

91. Identify one thing to smile about right now. Maybe it’s a precious dog outside your window, the way the sunlight hits the floor, or a long-missed dust bunny in the corner.

92. Make a list of things you are good at, ways you bring value to others, compliments you have received, times that you feel happiest. Add to it; reflect on it; celebrate it.

93. When you feel frustrated about something, re-frame it with gratitude, empathy, or patience. Ask yourself when you feel tension growing—is there another way to view this situation?

94. Practice yoga geared towards mindfulness. Pair a yoga class with a meditation session. Yoga with Adriene has free classes you can practice at home.

95. How deep is your breath right now? If it’s shallow or you’re feeling stressed, use one of these simple breathing exercises.

96. The 54321 grounding technique can invite you back into your body. Focus on 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

97. Pause when the sunshine hits your face. Embrace its warmth. Pause when the wind hits your face. Embrace its chill.

98. Look for instances of your favorite color in the world. Pick a new color each day, or stick with the same color and look for new and surprising pops of it wherever you can.

99. Write a note to yourself about a recent accomplishment or moment that you surprised yourself. Revisit it later on a day you need a little encouragement.

[ourlittledinosaur]

3 Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal

New Post has been published on http://ourlittledinosaur.azurewebsites.net/3-family-friendly-ways-to-be-frugal/

3 Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal

Money, Money, Money!

Some say that money is the root of all evil. Well, actually the Bible says that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) This simply means that money should not be our idol. It does not mean that we should never think about money or should never have money. In fact, the Bible encourages wisdom when handling our assets, and even talks about wealth as a good thing. It is wise to save money and even to invest it.

Invest? Are You Crazy? I’m in Debt and Living Paycheck to Paycheck!

Ok, so maybe you have some steps in between now and investing. That’s ok. The important thing is to get started! The most important aspect in my opinion is to GET OUT AND STAY OUT of debt. It is the black hole of a healthy financial lifestyle. Also, BUDGET. As Dave Ramsey says, “Every dollar has a name.” I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU). Not only does it outline simple steps for how to handle your money, but it is a great way for you and your spouse to get on board the same train…the mental train of thought that is!

Healthy Financial Habits are Good for Your Family

You may have heard that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Did you know that a high percentage of those divorces end due primarily to fights over money? Being unified as husband and wife (or Daddy and Mommy, as your kids see you) is so very important for the health of your family. Kids are smart and they see what you argue about. They worry about what you worry about. This Lil’ Dino Mommy tries really hard not to argue or fight with Lil’ Dino Daddy in front of our son…even if he is just a year old. You may be thinking, “Surely, at such a young age, he won’t know.” or “He won’t remember.” Perhaps not, and I hope you’re right about that because I’ve already failed in not losing my temper with my husband in front of him. But there are two reasons why I really want to keep working towards the “Don’t fight in front of your kids” rule.

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect. The behaviors and words we are used to doing and saying on a day to day basis are going to be what our kids see. It’s not like we can flip a switch and suddenly be a different person. Besides, in those moments of anger, we are told not to sin. Feeling angry in and of itself isn’t sinful. It’s how we handle that anger that makes a difference. I want to practice right now, today, the self-control I will need in the future. If my husband and I are in the habit of speaking kindly to one another and dealing with arguments at another time or place, then when push comes to shove (metaphorically, of course!), we will be able to do the same in the future. Besides, we should be dealing with one another kindly whether or not there are little eyes watching. Which brings me to…

Monkey See. Monkey Do. Who hasn’t heard this phrase? I’ll do you one better, who wasn’t told as a kid by some adult, (maybe not your parents, well…maybe them too), “Do as I say, not as I do”? And who, if you were a teenager, didn’t think, “Yeah right!” We are supposed to model for our children the correct ways to behave and to speak. A perfect example of this in my own life was a couple months ago. I was talking to my husband, frustrated about something, but not at him, and I threw down a pair of pants I was folding as I exclaimed about it. My son, 10 months old, said, “Argh!” and threw down his toy. Oh…hold up there Lil’ Dino Mommy, get it together because your BABY boy is watching you oh, so closely. Another example of this is eating healthy. I really want my children to have healthy eating habits. It is something I have really struggled with all my life and I don’t want them to struggle the same way. The BEST way for me to ensure this is to give them the knowledge on what healthy eating looks like AND model that knowledge in our day to day lives. Eating healthy has to be a lifestyle, not merely a New Year’s Resolution or a fad.

Getting to the Point

So, we all need to practice and model good habits for our kiddos. This includes how we handle our money! So here are # Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal! If you can’t do them all right away, don’t worry. Maybe just work on adding one to start. Whether you are in debt and trying to pinch pennies to get out, or trying to reallocate some funds into your current investments, these are all ways to rename some of those dollars. This was definitely a process for Lil’ Dino Daddy and me. I will share the crazy things we do even though some of you may think they are just TOO crazy. Some may not work for everyone, but maybe they all will work for someone.

3 Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal

Limit Eating Out. Cook More. This one is so tough for me, which is why it is first on the list. Feeding our family is mainly my responsibility. I want to do a good job for both the health of my family and the health of our bank account. Being a “Drive-Thru Sue” is so very easy for me to fall into. I do enjoy cooking, but let’s face it, it takes time, not to mention the clean up can seem like more work than it’s worth to prepare the meal. Now that I have a one year old toddler in tow, it is all the more difficult to find time to do what it takes to cook. However, this is the most frugal thing I can do. Since eating is something I can easily let get out of control, it is the first thing I have to address. So, for me, taking care of this has to come before a clean house, to include laundry. Here’s how I accomplish this…most weeks.

Meal Planning. Every week I sit down and write up a meal plan. This is a habit I learned from my mother-in-law after I was married and it has really helped us save money on food. How? Well, before I meal plan, I take a peek at what’s in my fridge, freezer, and pantry, and try to build meals around things I already have. Then I sit down and peruse my cookbooks if I’m feeling adventurous, or jot down a few meals that are staples in our home. As I make my meals, I make my…

Grocery List. This seems simple enough, but a well planned grocery list keeps me from buying things that aren’t ON the list. When I go to the store without a list, I end up buying more than I need, and usually waste more…because the two of us (plus little dino) simply can’t get through it all. If this is a pain point for you, I have a few friends that swear by the curbside pick up or grocery delivery options at our local grocery stores. Some stores do charge for this service, but if you find yourself spending less using this option than if you would have gone in, it’s definitely worth a try.

Prepare Meals Ahead. When I am cooking certain meals, I will sometimes double the recipe and save half in the freezer. Some good candidates for freezer meals are soups, chili, and casseroles, such as shepherd’s pie. I also tend to make more spaghetti sauce in relation to pasta or spaghetti squash, so I freeze half of this as well. (Bonus tip: For those who aren’t good at eating through all the produce in the fridge before it wilts or spoils, wash it and chop it when you buy it, and throw it in the freezer for another day! I do this with carrots, spinach, celery, peppers, and berries. I also buy bulk onions and garlic and just throw the whole bag in the freezer for when I need it.)

Eat Leftovers. I’m always shocked when I hear people say they don’t eat leftovers. I truly can’t imagine just throwing food away. Ok, so maybe some people are good at preparing just enough for that one meal. To that I say: I truly can’t imagine having to cook every night. Hahaha! But if you can, power to you. That’s awesome! If that is you, you are clearly way more organized than me and probably LOVE cooking way more than me as well.

Make Eating Out Special. If you are like me, eating out or ordering in, even at fast food places, can feel like a vacation from the kitchen. I enjoy not having to cook that night. I enjoy letting someone else feed me for a change, for goodness sake! My husband and I try to plan once a month to go somewhere we really enjoy and make a date out of it. (I must note that this last one is not recommended for those who are in debt. When my husband and I had debt, we did not eat out. Ever. We basically lived on rice, beans, and eggs, and at times, the kindness of others who might have us over for dinner.)

Old School House Rules. Take a look at that budget. Work on taking steps to lower your household expenses. What can you do to lower your electricity bill? Your water bill?

Turn off the lights and switch to LED. I used to get in such trouble as a child for keeping the lights on in a room I was no longer occupying. I still shudder in fear at the remembrance of the sound of my first and middle name being yelled by my mother if she found a vacant room with a light burning brightly. In fact, this habit has stuck so severely, that I have (more than once) turned the light off as I leave a room my husband is still occupying! Whoops! Sorry honey.

Another energy saving method we have employed is using a drying rack to dry our clothes instead of the dryer. The average person spends about $50/month by using the dryer. Drying racks or clothes lines are not only cheaper as it relates to electricity, but it also keeps your clothes from wearing out as quickly. We use drying racks because our subdivision’s HOA would not allow the use of a clothes line in the backyard. (Ridiculous! We will never buy a house under an HOA again!) However, since we moved to our apartment, the drying racks have allowed us to continue to dry clothes both inside and outside on the patio. (Thank goodness the complex doesn’t mind

If you own your own home and plan to live there for a while, look into things you can do to make your home more energy efficient. We had solar screens fitted to our windows and there was a significant difference in the amount of heat coming into our home during the summer. Living in South Texas, the heat can be brutal! We also had our insulation double checked and a radiant barrier installed. Once we have found our forever home, we will look into Solar panels.

Saving on the water bill doesn’t take too much imagination, but doesn’t take some discipline if you really want to make a dent. Turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth, pay attention to how long your shower is running. If you are watering your grass or garden, make it count by watering early in the morning or late in the evening. Think dawn and/or dusk.

Replace Consumable Products with Reusable Products. This one was tough for our family in the beginning, but now it’s not a big deal at all. The most difficult thing to let go of was paper towels. We used them for everything from cleaning to napkins. So here’s what I did: I started cleaning the table and counters with my dish towels. I also bought a set of 12 cloth napkins – the kind you see at a nice-ish restaurant, and we use these at meal times rather than tearing off pre-perforated paper towels and passing them around the table like we used to do. I have also recently discovered a self-cleaning microfiber cloth which I really like. This has eliminated my need for chemical cleaners, so although the transition is slow-going, my home is on its way to chemical-free cleaning with these cloths and essential oil blends like Thieves.

This idea can be applied to other things as well. Consider the consumable products you use. What reusable products might you be able to replace them with? Here are a few more ideas: cloth diapers instead of disposable (do I dare mention the wipes?), maybe use reusable containers rather than plastic baggies when packing your lunch, and go ahead and use your flatware instead of buying paper plates. What’s a little more laundry and a few more dishes? – we all have to do them anyway!

There are so many ways to tweak lifestyle and habits alike in order to save money. For more ideas, visit this website. Now here’s a family dedicated to frugality. I love Mrs. Frugalwoods’ idea to put a slip of paper in your wallet to remind you of your bigger goals and dreams. If you’re us, when you go to spend money you see it and say, “Would I rather have pizza delivered or for my family to be closer to our goal of owning a farm?”

Our family wants to learn from you too! Please share YOUR frugal ideas in the comment section below.

Like this post? Help us and others by Sharing!

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#Family Frugality #Parenthood #Teaching and Guiding our Children

[ourlittledinosaur]

3 Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal

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3 Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal

Money, Money, Money!

Some say that money is the root of all evil. Well, actually the Bible says that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) This simply means that money should not be our idol. It does not mean that we should never think about money or should never have money. In fact, the Bible encourages wisdom when handling our assets, and even talks about wealth as a good thing. It is wise to save money and even to invest it.

Invest? Are You Crazy? I’m in Debt and Living Paycheck to Paycheck!

Ok, so maybe you have some steps in between now and investing. That’s ok. The important thing is to get started! The most important aspect in my opinion is to GET OUT AND STAY OUT of debt. It is the black hole of a healthy financial lifestyle. Also, BUDGET. As Dave Ramsey says, “Every dollar has a name.” I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU). Not only does it outline simple steps for how to handle your money, but it is a great way for you and your spouse to get on board the same train…the mental train of thought that is!

Healthy Financial Habits are Good for Your Family

You may have heard that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Did you know that a high percentage of those divorces end due primarily to fights over money? Being unified as husband and wife (or Daddy and Mommy, as your kids see you) is so very important for the health of your family. Kids are smart and they see what you argue about. They worry about what you worry about. This Lil’ Dino Mommy tries really hard not to argue or fight with Lil’ Dino Daddy in front of our son…even if he is just a year old. You may be thinking, “Surely, at such a young age, he won’t know.” or “He won’t remember.” Perhaps not, and I hope you’re right about that because I’ve already failed in not losing my temper with my husband in front of him. But there are two reasons why I really want to keep working towards the “Don’t fight in front of your kids” rule.

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect. The behaviors and words we are used to doing and saying on a day to day basis are going to be what our kids see. It’s not like we can flip a switch and suddenly be a different person. Besides, in those moments of anger, we are told not to sin. Feeling angry in and of itself isn’t sinful. It’s how we handle that anger that makes a difference. I want to practice right now, today, the self-control I will need in the future. If my husband and I are in the habit of speaking kindly to one another and dealing with arguments at another time or place, then when push comes to shove (metaphorically, of course!), we will be able to do the same in the future. Besides, we should be dealing with one another kindly whether or not there are little eyes watching. Which brings me to…

Monkey See. Monkey Do. Who hasn’t heard this phrase? I’ll do you one better, who wasn’t told as a kid by some adult, (maybe not your parents, well…maybe them too), “Do as I say, not as I do”? And who, if you were a teenager, didn’t think, “Yeah right!” We are supposed to model for our children the correct ways to behave and to speak. A perfect example of this in my own life was a couple months ago. I was talking to my husband, frustrated about something, but not at him, and I threw down a pair of pants I was folding as I exclaimed about it. My son, 10 months old, said, “Argh!” and threw down his toy. Oh…hold up there Lil’ Dino Mommy, get it together because your BABY boy is watching you oh, so closely. Another example of this is eating healthy. I really want my children to have healthy eating habits. It is something I have really struggled with all my life and I don’t want them to struggle the same way. The BEST way for me to ensure this is to give them the knowledge on what healthy eating looks like AND model that knowledge in our day to day lives. Eating healthy has to be a lifestyle, not merely a New Year’s Resolution or a fad.

Getting to the Point

So, we all need to practice and model good habits for our kiddos. This includes how we handle our money! So here are # Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal! If you can’t do them all right away, don’t worry. Maybe just work on adding one to start. Whether you are in debt and trying to pinch pennies to get out, or trying to reallocate some funds into your current investments, these are all ways to rename some of those dollars. This was definitely a process for Lil’ Dino Daddy and me. I will share the crazy things we do even though some of you may think they are just TOO crazy. Some may not work for everyone, but maybe they all will work for someone.

3 Family Friendly Ways to be Frugal

Limit Eating Out. Cook More. This one is so tough for me, which is why it is first on the list. Feeding our family is mainly my responsibility. I want to do a good job for both the health of my family and the health of our bank account. Being a “Drive-Thru Sue” is so very easy for me to fall into. I do enjoy cooking, but let’s face it, it takes time, not to mention the clean up can seem like more work than it’s worth to prepare the meal. Now that I have a one year old toddler in tow, it is all the more difficult to find time to do what it takes to cook. However, this is the most frugal thing I can do. Since eating is something I can easily let get out of control, it is the first thing I have to address. So, for me, taking care of this has to come before a clean house, to include laundry. Here’s how I accomplish this…most weeks.

Meal Planning. Every week I sit down and write up a meal plan. This is a habit I learned from my mother-in-law after I was married and it has really helped us save money on food. How? Well, before I meal plan, I take a peek at what’s in my fridge, freezer, and pantry, and try to build meals around things I already have. Then I sit down and peruse my cookbooks if I’m feeling adventurous, or jot down a few meals that are staples in our home. As I make my meals, I make my…

Grocery List. This seems simple enough, but a well planned grocery list keeps me from buying things that aren’t ON the list. When I go to the store without a list, I end up buying more than I need, and usually waste more…because the two of us (plus little dino) simply can’t get through it all. If this is a pain point for you, I have a few friends that swear by the curbside pick up or grocery delivery options at our local grocery stores. Some stores do charge for this service, but if you find yourself spending less using this option than if you would have gone in, it’s definitely worth a try.

Prepare Meals Ahead. When I am cooking certain meals, I will sometimes double the recipe and save half in the freezer. Some good candidates for freezer meals are soups, chili, and casseroles, such as shepherd’s pie. I also tend to make more spaghetti sauce in relation to pasta or spaghetti squash, so I freeze half of this as well. (Bonus tip: For those who aren’t good at eating through all the produce in the fridge before it wilts or spoils, wash it and chop it when you buy it, and throw it in the freezer for another day! I do this with carrots, spinach, celery, peppers, and berries. I also buy bulk onions and garlic and just throw the whole bag in the freezer for when I need it.)

Eat Leftovers. I’m always shocked when I hear people say they don’t eat leftovers. I truly can’t imagine just throwing food away. Ok, so maybe some people are good at preparing just enough for that one meal. To that I say: I truly can’t imagine having to cook every night. Hahaha! But if you can, power to you. That’s awesome! If that is you, you are clearly way more organized than me and probably LOVE cooking way more than me as well.

Make Eating Out Special. If you are like me, eating out or ordering in, even at fast food places, can feel like a vacation from the kitchen. I enjoy not having to cook that night. I enjoy letting someone else feed me for a change, for goodness sake! My husband and I try to plan once a month to go somewhere we really enjoy and make a date out of it. (I must note that this last one is not recommended for those who are in debt. When my husband and I had debt, we did not eat out. Ever. We basically lived on rice, beans, and eggs, and at times, the kindness of others who might have us over for dinner.)

Old School House Rules. Take a look at that budget. Work on taking steps to lower your household expenses. What can you do to lower your electricity bill? Your water bill?

Turn off the lights and switch to LED. I used to get in such trouble as a child for keeping the lights on in a room I was no longer occupying. I still shudder in fear at the remembrance of the sound of my first and middle name being yelled by my mother if she found a vacant room with a light burning brightly. In fact, this habit has stuck so severely, that I have (more than once) turned the light off as I leave a room my husband is still occupying! Whoops! Sorry honey.

Another energy saving method we have employed is using a drying rack to dry our clothes instead of the dryer. The average person spends about $50/month by using the dryer. Drying racks or clothes lines are not only cheaper as it relates to electricity, but it also keeps your clothes from wearing out as quickly. We use drying racks because our subdivision’s HOA would not allow the use of a clothes line in the backyard. (Ridiculous! We will never buy a house under an HOA again!) However, since we moved to our apartment, the drying racks have allowed us to continue to dry clothes both inside and outside on the patio. (Thank goodness the complex doesn’t mind

If you own your own home and plan to live there for a while, look into things you can do to make your home more energy efficient. We had solar screens fitted to our windows and there was a significant difference in the amount of heat coming into our home during the summer. Living in South Texas, the heat can be brutal! We also had our insulation double checked and a radiant barrier installed. Once we have found our forever home, we will look into Solar panels.

Saving on the water bill doesn’t take too much imagination, but doesn’t take some discipline if you really want to make a dent. Turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth, pay attention to how long your shower is running. If you are watering your grass or garden, make it count by watering early in the morning or late in the evening. Think dawn and/or dusk.

Replace Consumable Products with Reusable Products. This one was tough for our family in the beginning, but now it’s not a big deal at all. The most difficult thing to let go of was paper towels. We used them for everything from cleaning to napkins. So here’s what I did: I started cleaning the table and counters with my dish towels. I also bought a set of 12 cloth napkins – the kind you see at a nice-ish restaurant, and we use these at meal times rather than tearing off pre-perforated paper towels and passing them around the table like we used to do. I have also recently discovered a self-cleaning microfiber cloth which I really like. This has eliminated my need for chemical cleaners, so although the transition is slow-going, my home is on its way to chemical-free cleaning with these cloths and essential oil blends like Thieves.

This idea can be applied to other things as well. Consider the consumable products you use. What reusable products might you be able to replace them with? Here are a few more ideas: cloth diapers instead of disposable (do I dare mention the wipes?), maybe use reusable containers rather than plastic baggies when packing your lunch, and go ahead and use your flatware instead of buying paper plates. What’s a little more laundry and a few more dishes? – we all have to do them anyway!

There are so many ways to tweak lifestyle and habits alike in order to save money. For more ideas, visit this website. Now here’s a family dedicated to frugality. I love Mrs. Frugalwoods’ idea to put a slip of paper in your wallet to remind you of your bigger goals and dreams. If you’re us, when you go to spend money you see it and say, “Would I rather have pizza delivered or for my family to be closer to our goal of owning a farm?”

Our family wants to learn from you too! Please share YOUR frugal ideas in the comment section below.

Like this post? Help us and others by Sharing!

Share List

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#Family Frugality #Parenthood #Teaching and Guiding our Children