What Adult Coloring Books Taught Me About Life

Adult coloring books filled the shelves towards the end of 2015. This new trend is supposed to be an unconventional way for adults to relax and unwind. I liked the idea of these books from the moment I saw them but didn't think that it could be something that would work for me. 

Since I got a plethora of gift cards for Christmas, I decided to invest in one of these books and give it a go. At the time I had no idea how much a coloring book could teach me about life lessons. 

You can find the book I bought by clicking here.

You can regain your focus.

When I started my first page in the coloring book, I instantly thought I was going to hate it. I’m the kind of girl who can’t sit still long enough to read a book. My  mind starts to wander, I get antsy and then eventually I find myself doing something that is completely unrelated to reading a book. 

I found coloring to be easier than reading, but it did take time to direct my focus solely on the coloring book. When I would notice my mind start to drift, I would make a serious effort to redirect it to what I was working on. 

After a while this became easier and easier. Distractions around me weren’t as successful in stealing my attention and the act of coloring became more enjoyable. 

Live in the moment.

Focusing on the past and future is much easier than focusing on the here and now. We’re constantly planning for something or reminiscing about an event that happened a few years back. It’s so rare that we stop to appreciate the current moment. 

I am extremely guilty of this. My obsessive planning of the future definitely takes away from my life in the present. 

While coloring, it would be very easy to plan ahead. When I would look at a design, I would have an overall plan for how I would want it to turn out. The hard part was trying not to jump ahead. Even though I knew which parts I wanted to be green, for example, I needed to remind myself to not work ahead and finish all of the green parts at once. For me it was important to focus on the part of the picture I was coloring at that moment - whether that's a leaf, a flower, whatever it may be. 

Focusing on one leaf or one flower allowed me to put all of my energy into that section I was on in that moment. Just like in life, it’s important to focus on what you’re doing in the present. Have a plan for the future, but don’t allow it to consume all of your energy. 

Have patience.

About halfway through my first page, I started to get over it. I had a lot left to do and my first thought was to just give up and finish it “later.” Which likely would have meant never. Although I was having these thoughts, I knew how happy I would have been to see a finished page full of color.

It would have been easy to give up, but I didn’t. I kept working my butt off on this page and when it was complete I was even more happy than I thought I would be. 

Don't get discouraged by the thought of time. Rushing through anything leaves us with a finished result that we know could have turned out been better.

It’s okay to take breaks.

Not everything has to be done right here and right now. I was really lost at a point and didn’t know what direction I wanted my color scheme to go in. I was getting frustrated so I decided to take a break. 

I walked away from my work and when I came back the ideas started flowing. Had I not taken a step back and given myself a chance to clear my head, I may have ended up with a finished piece that I was unhappy with.  

Sometimes stepping away from a project or a problem is actually the right thing to do!

The end result:

This whole thing may sound silly - comparing life to coloring books. But sometimes you can find answers to your questions in places you never thought to look. 

Coloring really did help ease my mind and reduce some stress, but it also taught me some valuable lessons along the way. I highly recommend you invest in a coloring book. If you are interested in purchasing the same book that I got, you can do so by clicking here. I went with the animal kingdom coloring book by Millie Marotta. It's a phenomenal book filled with all sorts of beautiful designs relating to plants and animals

My Favorites of the Senses

Have you ever walked by a garden and been overwhelmed by the sweet smell of roses? I absolutely love that feeling.

Fortunately, we have senses that allow us to experience little things like that on a day to day basis. Lately I have been really in tune with my senses. I notice things I didn’t used to notice and I appreciate the smaller things that life has to offer a lot more. All of the mindfulness blogs I have been reading may be getting to my head, but I’m thoroughly enjoying how nice of a feeling this has been.

Since I have been appreciating my senses more, I would like to share with you all my favorite things for each sense. 

SIGHT

I recently saw a documentary that changed the way I saw the world entirely. That documentary was Cowspiracy. 

It’s an incredible documentary that takes you through the world of animal agriculture and how awful it actually is for our environment. The host interviews several people; some agree that animal agriculture is aggressively destroying our environment and some try to cover up the facts by deflecting the questions completely. 

From this documentary I learned some heartbreaking facts about the impact of animal agriculture on Earth. For example, 1-2 acres of rainforest are destroyed every second to make room to support the increasing demand for what the business has to offer. Every second insane amounts of land have to be given up just to support what humans consume!

I also learned that it takes 660 gallons of water to produce one hamburger, which is the equivalent of showering for 2 months. This fact is mind blowing. California, the state I live in, is in a serious drought. We’ve had all sorts of regulations put on our water usage but we can afford to give up 660 gallons per hamburger?

I highly recommend you watch this documentary. Even if you aren’t ready to do a complete 180 and eliminate animal products from your life, it is so important to know the toll this is taking on our precious planet.

TASTE

I love when the holidays come around because I know my life will be filled with all sorts of desserts. I never really cared for cooking or baking but when I stumble across recipes that are so easy a grade school child could accomplish them, I’m on it! 

I came across this vegan pumpkin bread recipe from Sarah at Sarah Bakes Gluten Free and fell in love. Although I did use regular flour instead of her gluten free suggestion, the bread was still delicious. 

This recipe is so easy to follow and leads to an amazing pumpkin bread outcome. I highly recommend it!

HEAR

I’m a sucker for classic music. There is no comparison when it comes to most modern day stuff. 

Lately I’ve had Janis Joplin on repeat and she has definitely been my favorite of the moment. I’ve always had a spot in my heart for her awesome tunes but I forgot just how powerful her music is. She has those songs that make you want to just dance around your house and be in a damn good mood. That’s the kind of music I appreciate so much.

SMELL

I bet you’re expecting me to say a typical holiday scent like pumpkin, christmas tree something or other right? Haha.

Well, my scents must be a little off this season because I’m truly enjoying the smell of citrus. That summer scent made it’s way right into fall and winter for me. 

Something about the tangy smell of lemons and oranges really cheers me up and I’m loving it. I’ve heard that lemon and orange essential oils are a great way to get your day started and improve your mood. So if you’re looking for a mood boost, go ahead and join me in this citrus in winter craze!

FEEL

This ones a little different, but I really have been enjoying velvet all of a sudden. I never really cared for it until now. 

I bought a pair of velvet pants not too long ago and I have to say, they are so comfortable! It’s the most odd texture and maybe that’s why I never cared for it but it’s definitely grown on me. 

The texture also makes me think of cute little deer when they start getting their antlers and they’re all fuzzy and soft looking. So freakin’ cute!

TRY IT

Being more mindful of what your senses encounter is a wonderful thing. Try focusing more on what you're actually feeling when you smell flowers or see a beautiful scene. Awareness is an awesome thing!

What are your favorites of your senses lately? Let me know in the comments below or send me a quick email! You can find all of my contact information in the ABOUT tab at the top of the page.

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Kitchen Finds Ornament Tutorial

We have reached the final day of the Christmas ornament takeover week. It’s been so fun making all of these one of a kind ornaments. If you haven’t seen the ornaments I’ve been making this week, you can catch up by clicking on one of the links below.

Stamped Wood Ornaments

Marbled Clay Ornaments

Bohemian Arrow Ornaments

Mossy Pinecone Ornaments

I’ve mentioned in a couple of posts now that I thoroughly enjoy creating things out of materials that I already have on hand. So why wouldn’t I make a ornament using things that are found in my very own kitchen. Chances are you’ve got quite a few things in your kitchen or pantry that can be turned into ornaments no problem!

Seeing as I love citrus fruits and cinnamon, I figured it was very appropriate to turn both of these things into awesome ornaments for my Christmas tree!

Supplies:

• Oranges & Lemons
• Cinnamon Sticks
• Twine

Dry 'em:

Since the citrus fruits are what’s going to take the most time during this tutorial, we’ll start with those! 

Cut your lemons and oranges into small centimeter thick slices. You can cut them a little thinner if you would like but try not to make them any thicker! The thicker they are, the longer they will take to dehydrate. 

Once your citrus is sliced, place them on the baking rack in your oven. You are going to want to bake these for about 2 hours at 220 degrees F.

You'll know they're done when they have little to no shine and look very, very dry!

Hang 'em:

Using your twine or festive ribbon tie a little knot around your orange and lemon slices. You may want to poke a small hole in the top of the fruit using the tip of a knife to make the process easier.

Hang the cinnamon:

Since we want our cinnamon sticks to stay in a little bundle, you may need a little hot glue for this next step. If you can't get your sticks to stay together long enough to tie them, place a small dot of hot glue on each cinnamon stick.

Place your sticks on a looped piece of twine or ribbon. Pull the loose ends through the little loop and tighten it. Double knot where your twine meets your cinnamon sticks. You can add a little more glue to the end of the knot for added security!

Design alternatives:

Like many of my other tutorials, the possibilities are endless with this one. Just look around to see what you already have on hand in your kitchen. Cut up that grapefruit or apple that you don't plan on eating. Maybe hang some whole cloves or star of anise on your tree. 

I hope you all really enjoyed some of the tutorials I have been sharing with you this week. They're all relatively easy and cost very little money (if any). Send me a quick email letting me know if you decide to try any of the ornament tutorials out! You can find my email address in the ABOUT tab at the top of the page.

Happy Holidays!

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