Lots of chocolate

 Tuesday: I basically slacked off, but I got a few things done.

Wish for self-adhesive jewels.

 This was for a swap called I Need 'Dis, we would post a list of three items we needed and someone else would send them to us. Someone asked for double sided tape and foam mounting pieces:

 Happy Mail:

 I was really trying to keep these flat, but I wanted to send the hot chocolate and figured I'd send the cup cozy, too.
a wish for clear stamps:

 I signed up for a swap called Winter in Blue and white, ATC swap. This swap is usually over the top, but this time she asked us to keep it fairly simple.

 I went with shakers. I like how they turned out. When I mailed them out, I realized I was supposed to mail them in a bubble mailer, but didn't. Hopefully I get them back OK. I read my first book of the year, it was a board book, so not very exciting: Mrs. Peanuckle's Vegetable Alphabet.

Wednesday: I opened at the library and had a game that night. 

One of the aides at the library was leaving that week, so I made a farewell card for her:

It was so dead at the game, I didn't walk home because it was so icy. I made my fitbit happy, I hit 10,000 steps before I left the game. Got home, took a shower and went to bed. I did email the bookstore again and emailed someone else in the bookstore asking if they knew anything about the schedule.

Thursday: The smoke detectors decided to wake up the whole house at 6:15, I could not get back to sleep after that and was tired the whole day. I heard back from the bookstore, the person doing the scheduling said she was trying to get it done that day and basically everything that I signed up for I would be working. I found some mail.
This is from the I Need Dis swap, I asked for hedgehog washi:

 Someone had sent me some tea with that top washi holding in down. I want the whole roll of it, but I won't get it. I made some stuff.
Penguin and Polar Bear ATCs:

 Winter pocket letter:

 I used some temporary tattoos on it, sadly, you really can't see them.
I also finished my first book of the year: The Potlikker Papers by John T. Edge, it's about the history of food in the south. I really enjoy reading about the history of food or restaurants. I also read Mrs. Peanuckle's Fruit Alphabet.
Friday: I was again rudely woken up by the smoke alarms, this time it was at 5:15, I did get back to sleep after this one, but later when I woke up I felt like crap and didn't do much during the day. I heard back from the bookstore again, actually late Thursday I she emailed me saying she was sorry she hadn't gotten back to me, she was interviewing all day. Friday, I had another email, saying she was working on publishing the schedule. They use a scheduling software, but the temps (that's me), just go by whatever schedule they send us. Our link seems to expire between Aug and Jan or Jan and Aug, depending on when it is. I did not get an email to check the scheduling software this time, so I'm going by what she originally said. I got an email later in the day from a lead student, they basically just emailed me back what I said I was available for. One of those days being Martin Luther King Day, which they have shorter hours on, so I had to verify that I wasn't working that day. I have to admit, I'm kinda looking forward to the 25th when I'm done working there. It has been such a hassle this time to get the schedule.
 Saturday: I had a game to work. I'm not so sure what I think about the fitbit. I was pacing at the game and it whined at me while I was pacing. The whine I figure is that I'm supposed to be moving every hour. I walked home, but still didn't make the 10,000. It was in the 50's. The weird warm weather we've been getting (40's) makes me think the world is going to drop really bad weather on us. I read another book: The Not-Quite States of America by Doug Mack about the territories of the US, that was interesting.
Sunday: I ended up taking down my winter decorations, I was just sick of them and wanted to see all my other stuff. I found $30 in one of my die cast cars and a Reece's peanut butter tree while I was moving stuff around. I took all that stuff I bought after Christmas and have been opening stuff when i have a bad day or just want to open something, it totally helps my soul.
I made another winter pocket letter:

 I love how cute this one turned out.
I also created some 3x3 Valentine's cards:

Read a few more books: Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kim Dean, The Unsolved Mystery of the Loch Ness Monster by Terri Sievert and Water Monsters by Brian Innes
Monday: I found Ren and Stimpy characters at Dollar Tree on the 27th. I finally found the characters in something where they both looked like the cartoon. I kept finding them where Ren looked ok, but Stimpy looked weird and vice versa. Plus, these were only $1 each, can't beat that.

 Opened at the library and ran some errands on the way home to get ready for working at the bookstore. I decided to open another savings account and transfer the money I'm getting at Hilton into it, I can now afford to do that. I don't know what I'm saving it for, one of my friends suggests a house, but I think it will be nice to have the account.
Stopped by HyVee Drug on the way home for some chai mix. I found these round blind bags for $2, so I bought them all.

 I opened the silver one and it turned out to be a penguin. They are actually Christmas themed mini stuffed animals, but I still love them. I picked up some Valentine's chocolate, but then noticed they still had Christmas chocolate, some of the same flavors, but cheaper.
I put together some swaps/tags.
Secret sister swap:

 My partner liked pens, notebooks, socks, chocolate, anything faith related, bath bombs, washi and fun keychains. I added the stuffed snail and a couple snail figurines and some better hot chocolate after this picture was taken. I love putting these together.
Wish for travel ephemera:

 Surprise tag:

 I received 4 things in the mail.
Magnet tag:

 I'm unhappy with this, it doesn't look brand new, and we're supposed to send new stuff. Also, it's kinda boring.
From the I Need Dis swap, asking for flower die cuts

 She also included some cute stickers and washi samples. I like what she sent but I asked for stuff that wasn't dainty and a lot of those flowers are.
Happy mail tag:

 This person did a great job on this. She always sends good stuff.
I Need Dis, asking for flower die cuts:

 Love these, they look like old timey flower packets.
I also made some Valentine's treat bags:

 This is another time where I made the bags because I didn't have enough. I love how they turned out. I also almost used up a paper pad. That hasn't happened in a long time.
Tuesday: I had training at the bookstore, it wasn't really anything I didn't know. I got done in time to head to the library for our annual soup celebration lunch. Lots of good food there.
I put together some tags. stickers;

 Project life cards:

 Wednesday: I opened at the library and had a game that night. I was trying to decide if I should walk home from the game because we got back to winter weather and it was cold. When I walked in, a co-worker who always walks home was standing there and that answered my question. She walks in the same direction I do, I decided this year I needed to walk home more and if she's there, I'll walk with her. I love that at the end of our shifts, she's getting her coat on and she asks are we walking? I kinda wish we could be friends outside of this job. It was kinda cold on the walk home, my face was really cold, but it wasn't covered. I basically jumped in the shower when I got home and went to bed.
Thursday: I needed to go to the mall to return some clothes to Kohl's. Stopped at Walmart on the way there:

 tape, stickers, bookmarks, leggings, heart.
I was surprised there was still some Christmas stuff left over. Not much, but I picked up the bookmarks and some chocolate (which I apparently forgot to take a picture of). I'm still trying to practice picking up double sided tape everytime I go in. I also couldn't pass up the elephant washi or the unicorn stickers or the stuffed heart. I wanted to pick up another bralette but couldn't find the right size. I'm also trying to pick up more leggings. I wear them so much around home and then as layering when I go to work and then under my pants when I work at Hilton, and the ones I have are slowly dying. These ones are really soft and very thin, I won't be wearing them outside the house. I also bought some protein bars, Santa chocolate, Twix, and a white chocolate unicorn. I was bummed they didn't have much in Valentine's stuff out.
I wandered through the mall, stopping to browse in JC Penney and the Hallmark store. My next stop was TJ Maxx, they still had a bit of Christmas stuff too.

 chocolate, snacks,
I love getting food at TJ Maxx, they always have some of the most interesting stuff and it's pretty good priced. I picked up the cashew pops to take in my lunch to the bookstore, I'll probably take the snack bites as well. Totally just picked up the round box of chocolates, the other chocolate, the pretzels and the marshmallows just cause they were on sale.

 clothes pins, Hatchimals, clips
I loved these clothespins before Christmas. I wanted the Hatchimals just to have some and I needed the clips.
My last stop was Kohl's, my mom had given me some shirts for Christmas, but she got me XL, which was too big, so I took them back. I was going to get some new black pants for work, but I still didn't want to pay the sale price. I did pick up these though:

I would never buy this full price, but I'd go for this price. I still have about $30 left on the gift card, so will be back some day. I was going to stop at Claire's but since I had all those balls from the other day and I decided to walk outside the mall instead of inside I didn't. Which was fine, I only used my debit card at Walmart ($24), I used cash at TJ Maxx ($30) and used the gift card at Kohl's, so I technically only spent $24. I told my co-worker once that when I use cash I don't think of it as spending money, because I count it when I get it out of my account, but not after that. She told me it was still spending money, it is, but I've already accounted for it when I took it out. I'm having the hardest time warming up when I go out and come home during the day. I think the heat is set up differently this year. It's not as warm feeling when I get home. I'm only working 6 days at the bookstore, and I may be more excited about the day I'm done than I should be. Like I said it was so much work just to figure out if I was working, and it's so much anxiety (I'm not sure why) getting ready for it. I think it's just all the standing and the older I get the harder it gets (I know I'm not that old) and then I'm exhausted by the time I get home. I did schedule weekends into my work time this semester and later mornings, I know that will help, but... So, I'm working 8, 5, 11, 11, 5, 8, 5, 2, 5, 11 hours the next two weeks between the three jobs. I should not work the 11 hour days, but then it wouldn't be very many hours.
I'm also a little tired of the drama in my mailing groups on facebook. The one where I send a ton of mail out, revamped and booted a lot of people out. A lot of these people went into two new groups. I'm all three of the groups, but seeing as I have only gotten 5 pieces of mail for the whole month, I'm kinda annoyed that some people are not sending what they're supposed to. And then there's the whole drama of the switching of groups and who was allowed into certain groups and not sharing about groups with others and I don't really feel like people care about me in them. I'm taking a break until the end of the month, one to just save a bit of money, one to wait for the stuff people owe me, and one to just see if maybe I should stick with my art groups. I need less stress and drama in my life not more.