January Observances: Clean Up Your Computer Month

Time for another issue of January Observances! This week I want to share with you that January is Clean Up Your Computer Month. Have you cleaned your computer lately? I know I haven't. I do have it on my To-Do list for this month though.

As a writer, I really need to back up my WIPs (work-in-progress) regularly and in several locations. I learned a long time ago to never depend on a single draft in my laptop, and I learned that the hard way. Talk about a stressful 2 weeks while I waited for my laptop to return from the warranty department at Dell. I was on pins and needles waiting to see if they had erased all my data, or if my book file was still intact. I thanked the heavens above as I booted up my laptop and all my files were still there. Whew! Thus my learning experience that taught me to save my stuff in numerous locations, both online and off.

Sooooo, time to clean things up, update my antivirus program, clear out all those old files, upload photos, backup my current WIP to a flash drive, and make sure my online storage is up to date. While I'm at it, I guess I should clean up my phone too.

Let this be a reminder to all of my wonderful readers: Clean Up Your Computer! :)

Have a great week and I'll see you next time.

January Observances: National Oatmeal Month

Image from Yaroslav B

It's National Oatmeal Month! How do you like your oatmeal? 

Lately, I've been trying out a ton of "overnight oats" recipes (thank you, Pinterest!) and it's a lot different than cooked oats. After eating hot oatmeal all my life it's a little weird to eat them cold, but not bad if you find the right combination of goodness to add to it. My newest favorite is a brown sugar and cinnamon combination and then I throw in a tablespoon full of a tropical trail mix. The pineapple and bananas kind of soften after being in the fridge overnight, and the coconut gives it a nice flavor.

The overnight oats make it easy for me to grab the jar out of the fridge, throw it in my lunch bag with a protein shake and my lunch, before heading to the gym early in the morning. After a good workout I can sit anywhere and peacefully eat my breakfast and drink my shake without having to worry about finding a microwave. And then it's off to the day job!

Granted, you can do a lot more with oatmeal than eat it for breakfast. Cookies and breads are quite popular, but for me it will always be a healthy breakfast.

What do you put in your oatmeal?

January Observances: Hot Tea Month

Photo from Willie Cloete

Every day of the year seems to be dedicated to something extra, and while it's fun to celebrate Hamburger Day or Whipped Cream Day, I've decided to focus on months instead of days.

January has several observances, however, I picked just four I like and I'll be sharing them with you every Monday this month.

Today, I'm going to share Hot Tea Month with you!

As a born and raised Southerner, it took me a while to become a fan of hot tea. My experimentation with numerous tea blends and sweeteners, bags or loose leaf, and even different kettles led me to some delicious, healthy, and warming teas that I drink regularly during the cold winter months.

Some of my favorite blends include apples and citrus fruits. I have one I like for daily use to get me started in the mornings called Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy from Yogi Teas. This is my "start the day" tea that I sip while waking up at 5:30am every weekday.

I also enjoy their Kava Stress Relief for nighttime use. Since I have such a difficult time settling down in the evening (don't we all have a million things left to do at bedtime?) it helps me relax and sleep better. Mr. Silvers uses it to fall asleep in the mornings because he works nights and it's hard for him to sleep in the daytime.

I like having blends that are meant for particular reasons, such as the ones I pick for cold & flu season, mental clarity, and relaxation. I also enjoy scrolling through the pages of Adagio Teas for coconut, candy apple, peach, and cherry flavors. They always have good sized "sample" packets. I can go for months at a time with sample packets.

You may see my characters sipping a cup of tea in the stories I write from time to time. If you notice this, you'll know I was most likely writing that scene on a cold winter day with my own steamy cup sitting to the right of my laptop fueling me forward throughout the day.

Do you have a tea you love? Share it with me! I'm always looking for a new flavor to try.

Happy Tea Month!