August

 A very mixed month!

Why did I think it was a good idea to challenge myself in what is usually a very exhausting month?

August is hot and humid. This year, the temperatures have been extreme, up to 40℃ at one point, and have hovered around that for most of the month. Not good for doing anything, especially since we only have two air conditioners!

Now I feel exhausted; I think it is from the relentless heat. I'll be glad when it cools down, but according to the forecast, that is a couple of weeks off. We need some rain as well (just as I wrote that it started to rain!). We keep having these little, intense downpours; it will suddenly start to rain, then stop after about a minute. 

My health challenge flew out the window when Hannah came to stay. We don't have snacks or ice cream in the house, but when Hannah comes home, we buy some for her; of course, I end up eating them as well.

Between our trip to Tokyo and Hannah staying here, I put on one and a half kilos. As of this morning, I'm down two kilos, so I've lost half a kilo in August, which is amazing!

I'm trying to eat healthier but have realised that trying to do that 100% of the time is too stressful. I'm aiming for 4 good days a week. I am exercising more, which helps me feel better even if the scale doesn't move. I'm trying to be more active in general, doing chores. If it isn't too hot in the morning, I try to pull some weeds. Does chasing the cats count as exercise?

David's birthday was a nice celebration; just having everyone together was fun. I love that my kids get along. They all have a crazy sense of humour, and get-togethers tend to have a lot of laughter.

David over the years, from Google Photos.

My birthday was good as well. I wasn't that inspired to celebrate, but the kids took care of things. Also, I got so many birthday wishes from family and friends!

Getting a new desk and kitchen cabinet has helped my feelings about this house; I can see some potential. The kitchen cabinet has opened up that room; it doesn't feel so claustrophobic now. I do want to rip out the kitchen and have a new one put in, but that is going to cost a lot. 

My desk is lovely and big, which helps when I have my computer on and am studying from it. I have space for a notebook as well as my computer; the desk I had before didn't have that space.

I'm still working on my Etsy store. I haven't sold anything yet, but I'll keep it up for a while longer. The webpage that I'm using to design the T-shirt, Printify, had a weekly challenge. Design 10 products in a week, and you can win a prize. I won a month of the premium service, which is really nice.

With the premium service, you can use their mockup AI. Which is nice but it's freaking me out. I can make models wear the T-shirts I've designed.

These aren't real people!

This is the link JackiesNekoTales - Etsy Japan

Talking about links, I've noticed that on some of my recent posts, there have been random links in the posts. I haven't put them there. If I add a link, I explain what it is. I have no idea why this is happening; I've noticed it on some other sites I visit. It's something to do with Google Ads; they aren't links to viruses, at least not the ones I've seen.

I'm looking forward to September; I really hope that the weather cools down and I can get some real work in the garden done!