Task lists, book reviews, giving, and bacon.
This edition should be dated November 7
In this Edition:
Quote
Update
The Pomodoro Technique: Tackling your tasks
Book Review: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
The gift of giving: Homeless care bags
Holiday yums: The best way to cook bacon
Final thoughts
Update:
Slightly new format this week, shaped by the upcoming holidays.
This has nothing to do with anything, but I need you to know: there’s a giant inflatable turkey in our front yard. Giant. I love him.
I hope November started out well for you. This past week has been a lot of fun. It’s like a Christmas elf vomited all over our house. The big tree is up, the garlands are hung, the snowflakes are falling, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our house. And the maze of boxes are decreasing. I’m convinced I get a jolt of happiness whenever I look at a lit tree or any twinkle lights.
Formal apology to Stephen. I bought FOUR decorative trees on sale at the end of last year, and I forgot I’d done it. There’s one I’m not sure where to put, but rest assured, I’ll find it a home. But I probably shouldn’t have verbally chastised him for questioning my tree desires.
Also this past week, NaNoWriMo is in full swing. I have over 17,000 words of a new novel. However, my characters are going off-script. I managed to make a very loose outline of 40% of this novel (never managed to get the whole novel outlined), and I had a pretty good idea of who my main characters were. When I started writing, they simple said, “Ha! We aren’t following your measly outline. We have our own ideas!” It’s a little alarming, but a lot of fun. It’s been great getting to know a whole new set of characters.
So far, every morning of November (except yesterday), I’ve gotten up and met with several members of the larger writing group I’m a part of at 5am. There are about 12 of us doing NaNo together, and the “team” approach is working. It’s a new experience for me. 3-8 of us typically log onto a zoom meeting, and Drew, the guy running the sessions, sets a 25 minute timer, implementing The Pomodoro Technique.
I’ll explain what that is, because I didn’t know, below.
The Pomodoro Technique:
A way to face the overwhelm and get things done.
The Pomodoro Technique was developed in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo. Cirillo struggled to complete tasks and assignments in school. He felt overwhelmed, so he tasked himself with committing to only 10 minutes of studying at a time.
He set his tomato—pomodoro in Italian—shaped kitchen timer, and after finding the exercise inspiring, he went on to found The Pomodoro Technique.
It’s simple:
1. Get a to-do list or pick a task you want to complete. Get a timer.
2. Set your timer for 25 minutes. Focus on a single task until the timer rings.
3. Enjoy a five-minute break.
4. Repeat.
The 25-minute work sprints help you progress forward without distraction and have an end in sight. There are three rules for getting the most out of each interval:
1. Break down complex projects. If a task requires more than four pomodoro cycles, divide it into smaller, actionable steps, ensuring you make clear progress on your projects. When you complete one task, you’re more motivated to do another. Accomplishment breeds accomplishment.
2. Small tasks go together. Any tasks that will take less than one Pomodoro (25 min) should be combined with other simple tasks. You can estimate how long one time will take.
3. Once the timer is set, keep working until it goes off. For this to be successful, you have to work for the while 25 minutes. No interruptions. No checking emails, social media, or text messages.
It works for writing, but it can also be applied to any aspect of life where you’re trying to get something done.
Book Review:
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Category: Romance
This is a popular read: 4.04/5 on goodreads with 282,002 ratings
I enjoyed this book. The overall story was fairly straightforward, but the initial concept is what got me. I think it’s very clever. Two people (a man and a woman) share a bed as “flatmates”, but never at the same time, and their main form of communication for most of the novel is post-it notes left behind for the other to read when they get home. Adorable.
The main story-line is sweet with moments of real-life gravity (a manipulative ex & a wrongfully imprisoned sibling). It’s not my favorite of the year or anything, but I do recommend it.
Good reads summary:
Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met…
Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.
But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…
Gift season:
Homeless Care Bags:
One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is to give a gift to someone else, especially someone who’s in need.
The holidays are approaching and the gifting season is upon us.
I’ve been assigned a task at church: to organize and execute the creation of care bags for Nashville’s homeless population.
Whenever I give a gift, one of my concerns is hoping the receiver will like what I’ve given them or at least find it useful. I think a lot of times, we give gifts WE want to receive, while the person we’re giving to might have other ideas.
As I was researching what to include in these bags/what to ask people to contribute, I came across several articles online that were titled “What the homeless really want.” It was interesting because sometimes we think we’re doing a good deed, but it’s not practical or useful, and therefore only gives us a sense of doing good, when we could be doing better.
In case you’re interested, here’s the list I compiled from multiple lists I found online from people who either work with the homeless or have been homeless. There are other potential items, but these came up again and again.
What to include in a care bag for the homeless:
Thick socks (good quality)
Gloves (good quality)
Band-Aids (small and big)
Toothbrush & toothpaste (travel sized toothpaste is preferred)
Chewable multivitamins
Water bottles
Wet wipes (mild scent or no scent)
Tuna & cracker packs
Sunscreen
Lip balm/ChapStick
Tissues (small pocket-sized packs)
The best way to cook bacon:
I love bacon and as the holidays are approaching, you may find yourself cooking for a lot of people. And if bacon isn’t a part of that plan, I have to ask why.
I typically cook my bacon in the oven, but I grew up with my mom cooking it in a skillet. Bacon is versatile, many cooking methods work, but I came across an article recently titled:
“We Tried 8 Methods of Cooking Bacon and Found an Absolute Winner.” From The Kitchn.
Those 8 methods:
1. Sous vide - why? Just why?
2. Air fryer
3. Microwave
4. Baking in the oven with a rack
5. Baking on parchment paper in the oven
6. In a skillet with water
7. In a non-stick skillet
8. In a cast iron skillet
The winner: Baking on parchment paper in the oven.
This is how Martha Stewart does it.
Instructions:
Line one or two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, arrange the bacon on top, and bake at 400°F until it is crisped to your liking. When the bacon is done, you transfer it to a paper towel–lined plate or platter to drain.
“Because the bacon sits in its own rendered fat as it bakes, it cooks more quickly than if you cooked it on a rack. The fatty parts also get wonderfully crispy (if you like that), because they’re basically fried. If you prefer your bacon chewier, you can simply cook it a few minutes less to achieve that effect.”
Cleanup is pretty easy too. You can lift the parchment and throw it away without a big fuss.
Final thoughts:
This week I hope you read well, eat well, give well, and manage your time well.
And rest! A reminder that you deserve to enjoy your holiday. Be careful not to wear yourself out!
p.s. Loving this blog? Get my weekly content: timely updates, book reviews, book bonuses, essentially, ways to love yourself, others, and books! And get email-only specials. Sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Until next week, much glitter,
Melissa
