“Bread, milk, and eggs” by IreneB. An ode to winter, because snow makes me unhinged. Bread, milk, and eggs The stores are packed again two days before the next snowstorm hits.Breathe.You can’t even pull in for some petrol because the car line is wrapping around the nearest Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi’s for the head-scratching, comfort trio: bread, milk, and eggs.What the hell are you people making?Those viral TikTok flatbreads?If so, you forgot the cottage cheese.Or is it Greek yogurt?Or maybe both? Bread, milk, and eggs The rain a few days ago finally cleared away the last 400 feet of stank-grey snow and ice.Nice.I had just gotten used to seeing…
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The Truth About Finishing Your Project After 40
Waaay after 40, and it wasn’t quick, I’ll tell you that for nothing. So let’s get that out of the way because not even I can start faking that I’m this disciplined creative woodland fairy type, who wakes up at 5 a.m. with a green juice in hand, and joy all over my face as I look over my easily completable checklist. Hell no. Half the time I wake up mad that my bed isn’t steps from a sunny beach, and even madder at my mum for having the nerve to raise me with stupid morals instead of the will to just go ahead and do something strange for a…
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What Happens When You Avoid the Feedback You Need
I don’t even have all the feedback yet. Just little tidbits. A few comments dropped casually over WhatsApp on the opening pages. A clarification here. A question there. A pause. A “Wait, what did you mean by…?” Enough to confirm a few things I was already side-eyeing, eye-rolling, and unhinged staring.Enough to make me feel a new kind of fear I didn’t even know about. Last week I wrote about sending my paper-baby, virgin novel, Forget The Fairytale, to my beta readers. Letting go. Resisting the urge to tweak my work to death, even though I didn’t have one more logical thing to give it. Giving it to other, yet trusted people and…
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The Trap of Over-Editing: Why “Perfect” Never Wins
In 2025, I tweaked too hard. As in editing and re-editing—because perfection got the better of me. And I know good and well: perfection is the bitchiest bitch in Bitchville. Enter: The Beta-Reader draft It’s 2026 and I’m in the phase called editing the next draft of my book, also known as the beta-reader draft. Insert quiet internal screaming. My 2024 word of the year, COMPLETE, stretched across two years and wrapped damn near at 10:21:09 PM on New Year’s Eve. I was grateful, giddy, and fully aware I could not tweak this print baby any more. It needed new, fresh reader eyes. Beta Readers: Those exciting, terrifying humans A…
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I’m Not Revealing Myself in 2026, I’m Claiming It
I’ve got it! It’s locked in, loaded, and ready to go. My word for 2026 is CLAIM. Behold and absorb the visual of me breathing a giddy sigh of relief. I flirted with some other real-deal contenders. But claim landed like a slap to the face that I soothed into sticking, and a friend helped me see why. Reveal wasn’t strong enough. For me, anyway. I didn’t need to show who I am. I already know. This year is about claiming it. Phase two of who the heck knows. Claiming the work I’ve been doing quietly.Claiming the parts of myself I held back while waiting to feel comfortable.Claiming forward movement…
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Why You Don’t Need to Be Brand-New in 2026
A little hello from me… serving GOOD VIBES only ✨Happy New Year! ✨ Drop a 💫 if you’re stepping into this year with intention, not apology, and say it out loud so it can meet you there.
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Finish These 5 Easy Reflection Prompts to Close Out 2025
Hi friends, who’s ready to wrap up 2025? And who’s beyond tired? Yep, same. So how are you closing out this calendar year and checking off day 365? With some more honesty, more gratitude, some reflection, growth, pleading for calm… or maybe a little humble bragging. Ooh, love that for you! Now, put down the whatever. Take a moment, and a deep breath, and finish these sentence prompts. No overthinking or second-guessing you allowed. And perfection? We don’t know her, and we don’t owe her. Comfy? Cosy? Ready? Okay, let’s go: Bonus Prompt! Yes, I’m sneaky! Drop your answers in the comments 👇(No grammar checks. No pressure. Just your delicious…
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You Can Love Christmas And Not Lose Yourself
A little hello from me… serving GOOD VIBES only ✨ Merry Christmas! ✨ Tap a 🎁 if you’re giving the kind of love that doesn’t need any wrapping and pass it on.
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A Reminder for Anyone Who Feels Behind Right Now
One with a few words but giant vibes as we wrap up 2025. Here’s a snackable truth: the calendar may be running out, but you’re not. You’re still moving—sometimes with momentum, other times like you’re dragging a mountain in some dusty, worn-out flip-flops. Didn’t cross off all your finish lines? Shake it off, Luv. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be. Read this if you feel behind (though you’re not). You don’t need to rush this season I’m calling this an active change, and you’re allowed to keep going at this pace. You don’t need to justify your pace. It’s time for you to enjoy this, and all the seasons—tied…
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Happy Thanksgiving 2025: Gratitude, Laughter, and Time with Loved Ones
A little hello from me… serving GOOD VIBES only ✨ Drop a 🧡 if you’re serving GOOD VIBES only today, and tell someone “I’m grateful for you”, because it matters.
