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felassan · 3 years

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Gamers For Groceries 2 event

A Twitch stream event from a few days ago. It can currently be re-watched here (it was fun & interesting, so I do recommend to check it out direct). This post contains some notes on things of particular interest & relevant timestamps, in case this is useful to anyone (for example bc of accessibility reasons).

First up is the All About Animating panel, a series of mini-interviews with game devs (animators) asking what they do, how they got there, and advice for anyone interested in getting into the industry. Some or all of the devs that were interviewed are currently working on DA4. They talked a bit about their day-to-day work and a lot about the craft of game dev animation in general. This segment runs from timestamp ~38 mins 40 secs to 1:07:50. Some notes:

[sounded like DA4] Right now the creature team are working on different creatures in a way which involves going through a lot of mocap data

At BioWare they have a pretty big technical animation team, to support their animators, so each tech animator has a different specialty. Tech anim involves animation support, character art support, and rigging the characters so that the animators can pose them

[not sure if re: DA4 work specifically, another project or a general comment on the craft] One of the featured animators’ area of specialty at the moment is faces and hair (building the control structure for face animations). First they had to decide how the face rig and its control structure would work. This involves a lot of performance capture of live actors for things like cinematics and gameplay animation, therefore the rigs for bodies and faces have to be able to accurately capture the full range of expressions and emotions that the actor is portraying. Right now the stage that this dev is working on most is setting up the heads that they’re getting through the pipeline from character art e.g. making adjustments based on feedback from the cinematics team. “Polish - just trying to get realism”

Hair tech has come quite a long way in the last few years [in the industry]

[not sure if re: DA4 work specifically, another project or a general comment on the craft] Hair is very complex to get right. “In the past most games have used card-based hair, which is basically like sheets of polygons with a texture on it that looks like hair, through layers of transparency. But real hair is strand-based, digital strands, so we’re starting to look into that kind of tech - try to get more realistic, more beautiful hair, but there’s always a performance cost to hair. Layers of transparent things are always an expense, they need to balance like, it looks good and moves well, but it doesn’t make your computer or console chug. [...] I guess we’re in the prototype stage but we’ve almost got a set pipeline. It’s always fun to experiment”

In Mass Effect 2 or 3, Miranda’s hair was as expensive as a whole character (!)

[on balancing hair costs/performance, general] It depends on things like character importance and how many characters are on-screen at the time. When you’re in gameplay fighting a bunch of monsters you’re not going to be giving full beautiful hair to all the characters and the monsters, as it will cost too much. (Having a helmet on is a convenient way to get rid of hair.) But if it’s a cinematic scene, with 2 characters talking to each other in a dramatic context, there’s a better budget for nice hair allocated

Some of the hair in Anthem was quite expensive in cinematics. They kept getting bugs from QA saying (for example) that a character’s hair was tripling the performance cost in the scene, so it would go back to character art so they could take away some of the hair cards. “Tough balance, quality versus cost”

“I wish all the characters could have beautiful strand hair”

For p-cap, a lot of the time they don’t want to be too prescriptive in terms of the direction that they’re giving the actors, as the actors know what they’re doing and have a lot of experience, so they give them vague instructions that they then riff off of

[sounded like DA4] They recently did a mocap shoot

[sounded like DA4] There’s a bit more productivity happening now in the pandemic situation; now that the animators are not all going to the capture lab in Vancouver in person for shoots, if it’s not their turn to direct a shot they can instead be working on something else on their computers (multi-tasking). ((Lead DA4 Producer Scylla Costa recently gave a talk at a games festival on the challenges of DA production during the pandemic. In part of this talk he talked about various benefits and drawbacks to the remote-working situation. He also talked about and showed some behind-the-scenes stuff for p-cap and mocap. Notes, images and link here))

[sounded like DA4] Special mocap suits were sent out that they can use with a laptop to go anywhere and shoot motion capture. It’s not as high fidelity as what comes out of the capture lab, but it’s really good for prototyping stuff. Before the pandemic they did some of this (going to a park and shooting some running around)

[sounded like DA4] In one of the shoots they had some actors who were really well-trained in dancing. They were trying to get them to do some combat stuff. This was a bit challenging in the pandemic situation as there’s only so much they can demonstrate/portray as an example to the actors from a distance on camera. “It’s hard to describe what a ‘dodge to attack’ is through the camera to somebody who has no idea what combat looks like in video games”

[not sure if re: DA4 work specifically, another project or a general comment on the craft] The pandemic has really affected performance capture for the face side of things badly, as in order to record, the actor gets dots painted on their face in specific locations by a makeup artist. They can’t do that right now because of social distancing/restrictions, so they haven’t been recording faces at the moment

The more detailed a face, the more joints it has, the more the cost to performance is

---

There was also the Writers’ Block panel, featuring DA writers Mary Kirby, Sheryl Chee and Patrick Weekes, and DA editor Karin Weekes. The timestamps for this segment are ~2:37:50 - 3:26:20. Some notes:

PW has never been weirder than when they were writing Cole on DAI

PW thinks that they accidentally wrote part of “Timber” by Kesha into Solas at one point and they were like “Well, okay, I have to stop listening to Kesha”

For Sheryl, after a while Blackwall’s VA always nailed doing his lines. She loved the quality of his voice and so after a while would always hear his voice while she was writing. This really worked out

^ Mary had this with Merrill. As soon as they cast Eve Myles she listened to several hours of her in Torchwood, and then just wrote to the way that she spoke as much as possible

^ PW had this with GDL as Solas and FPJ as Bull. As soon as they heard FPJ’s delivery, they were like “Oh, okay, I have to write some lines differently, because Bull is smarter than I realized”. With GDL they were like “Okay, he’s going to put poetry into anything I say, in the best way possible”. In early drafts of Solas lines there were parts where they [PW] wondered “Is this too melodramatic? Is this too tragically-angstful?” and then they would hear GDL and be like “Oh! [It’s fine] Game on!”

For localization, German words are often quite long so they often have to make sure that everything fits on the GUI

They think scenes like the romance scenes sound prettier in the Italian versions

Behind the curtain in creating the in-world languages: PW: “There are some awesome websites that have every elven word, like ‘Here are the translations and verb tenses and conjugations’ [etc], [...] and usually Mary and I get very sad slightly looking at those pages going like ‘Does that mean that we have to stick to that?’ [...] The rule is, if I’ve looked at the Wiki and the words, and I go ‘Here’s the correct grammatical way to do it’, and if that turns out to be too long or too many disconnected syllables and it just looks bad or sounds bad, then we shorten it to something simpler, because the key is we want to give the flavor of a foreign language, but we don’t have the world-building budget and capacity to make something that is going to be dictionary-real [in a way that] someone could go through and translate all the background things written on the old temple walls”. Part of the reason for this is the consideration for VAs, who already have to act while bearing lots of things in mind, like the cues in the script for each line

Mary: “For building a language, the first things that I started with for qunlat, elven and dwarven, was what words do we need to use the most? Greetings, farewells, words for friend and enemy, basic things that will come up easily in conversation. After that it’s ‘How difficult is this for other writers to use?’ Can they just pick it off the Wiki? Do they need just one word? Do they need to write whole sentences, and how does that work? Qunlat has almost no grammar to it because asking anyone to learn how to use Qunari grammar and conjugate verbs in a pretend language is impossible, and then once you’ve done that a human being has to be able to read it, while not knowing what any of it means”

PW: “One thing that I was really impressed with with Mary in particular doing, Mary was one of the big lore people across the entire DA series; I can look at a word and go like, ‘That has two A’s in a row, that’s definitely a Qunari word. That word is kind of long and maybe has some apostrophes and has a couple of flowy vowel sounds, that’s probably elven’, I think that’s what’s important. You want players to be able to look at a word, players want to feel smart, [like] ‘Oh I don’t know what that means but I totally know that’s a word from the Qunari people!’”. Mary: “Every language has its own set of phonemes, the sounds that they make, and the sort of word structure and spelling so that it gives a flavor to that language. Hopefully that is always chosen to be pronounceable, because again, very important that the words can be said by human beings :D”

Sheryl: “One of the fun things to do is to make up swear words in the fake languages [...] Recently Brianne wanted a word, I don’t know if she managed to find one”

The origin of bosh’tet in ME: it’s just saying “bastard” and slurring it

PW: “I feel like there are times when past writers kind of leave traps for future writers, where past writers will go ‘Okay, I’m going to write this detailed phrase in a codex entry but don’t worry, it doesn’t matter if it can never be said aloud, because it’ll never have to be voiced!’ and then, next game, guess what guys! Look what you have to make someone [a VA] say! And you’re like [facepalm], c’mon!”

Karin: “Now, four games in, we have pages and pages of all these examples, and I wanna say this, well that’s how we said something before, well that’s ridiculous, I don’t wanna say that, but now we’ve said it and it’s out there, so it’s like, how do we, y’know, how do we evolve, and sometimes we just go ‘Screw it! Languages are living languages! We’ll just say it like this now!’”

PW's favorite is the sarcastic Mythal’enaste, “Because it’s the sarcastic Mythal's blessing that basically means you’re getting screwed over somehow. I love it because Mythal nasty! Whoever wrote that clearly never thought that someone would have to say this out loud”

Sheryl wrote Bull’s joke icicles line. She also wrote Isabela’s big boats line - Jennifer took it out but then DG was like “No it has to come back”

They have a pun test, they get a few of them and have to allot them wisely so as not to oversaturate on the puns. “Is this good/bad enough to be one of the times that we pull the trigger? We did have one of those recently, I obviously can’t talk about it, but it was pronounced Okay to go ahead”

The ‘baby-est’ writer is Brianne, who’s been there 8 years

It makes PW sad that the players never get to see the writers’ temp-text [placeholder text when portions are a WIP]. “People have the best temp-text". Mary: “The number of conversations that I’ve temped in like ‘WELL. I hope nothing BAD happens HERE’”

Q. If you could bring in anybody from outside of gamedev, who would you like to work with and do a writer’s session with? PW: “I will say romance novelist Nora Roberts, she is really smart and also she knows how to write inside a genre, and do wonders within it. Her structure is so good. If you pick up one of her books, you know here’s when this is gonna happen, here’s when they’re gonna meet, here’s when this first moment will happen. We’re all experienced and I feel pretty good about that but I really like all of the things she does that way, and also I am a sucker for romance so I would love to bring a romance novelist in and just have them look at our scenes and go ‘Okay here, no, they should pull the tie so that the article of clothing comes open, we need a sense of how warm the skin is here’ - something like that. I’d wanna see what they could do with that”

“Luke writes the best worst lines”

“I’m always impressed with Mary getting away with lines. There are lines that I look at like, wow, you buried that one. [...] The only players who get that line, I feel like they earned it if they went that far into it. [...] And then Varric or Merrill says a ridiculous line in a one-time throwaway”

Karin: “The group dynamic, you’ll see conversations or snippets of a lunch chat or a thing we’ve been joking about and you’ll see it get pulled in, and how all of you [the writers] are able to take a normal kind of thing - as normal as we get as a group anyway - and then turn it into a moment, and use it to further the plot or use it to further a character. It’s just the cleverest thing and it happens in so many different ways. [...] The little snippet of life, then how you crafted it into this very cool thing”

Quartermaster Threnn was written by PW in half a day. “When I was writing Threnn, ‘Okay, this is a good-hearted [person], I was doing a little bit of Steel Magnolias, southern, no-nonsense, but like, blue collar Steel Magnolias’. This is someone accustomed to the ways of the world so she’s going to call a spade a spade. If you come up to her and you’re an elf she doesn’t recognize you and says ‘Buckets are over there’ because she thinks you’re there to clean, [but] ‘Anyone calls you a knife-ear you come to me I’ll take care of it’. It’s problematic but she’s trying - the good-hearted person rooted for the wrong group on every occasion. She was a proud Loghain supporter, she gets really exited if he comes to Skyhold. That was a fun character for me to write because I had a viewpoint in my mind. I remember someone was like ‘Threnn is really important to me’. And you have to honor that, cause you’re like ‘Cool, it means so much to me that this connected with some part of you’”

---

Also of interest was the Mass Affection panel, in which BioWare devs looked back in over a decade of history to remaster a classic. It featured devs who worked on MELE. The timestamps for this segment are ~3:36:09 - 4:24:37. Some notes:

When the pandemic hit the MELE team were in a relatively awkward spot. They were really entering into what they consider full production and were on-boarding a bunch of teams, as well as training and on-boarding third-party external partner specialized teams worldwide. When the pandemic hit, BioWare and EA were super on top of it. They were tracking it weeks beforehand, getting everyone their computers ready, and getting everything encrypted. When the middle of March 2020 hit they were home rightaway. EA were nothing but supportive throughout the entire thing. They got money every quarter for stuff. It functionally ‘hit’ at 4-6 different times for them as the pandemic occurred in different places throughout the world at different times depending on each country’s response plan (and their external partners were in different countries). “So it was one of those things where it was just like, every day we’d come in like can we still work with this company anymore? Do we need to find someone else? Do we need to pull people in off the other projects at BioWare to fill gaps here and there?”

There was a bug on Virmire at the part when you’re coming into the STG camp. If the Mako had its new boosters on and you came hurtling in really fast, it cut to the cutscene, but the Mako hit a jump and when Ash was like “What do we do now?” the Mako ended up literally flying around in the background sideways and then crashing into the camp

Another bug: when they were re-tuning the guns, the physics force on some of the guns with Hammerhead rounds was so high that when you were fighting some of the Thorian Creepers, you could ragdoll them so hard that you could basically embed them in the roof. They’d be moving so fast that they’d penetrate all the walls with their legs dangling out. It was so easy to do and you could do it to everybody. You could launch a geth halfway across an Uncharted World

Another bug: with Shepard’s casual appearance in ME3, if you didn’t have it set up perfectly correctly it would default to Grunt for some reason. You’d be walking around as Grunt, going on dates as Grunt, and your face would be all scrunched up because it was all mapped to human bones still, so it was just, like, Nightmare Fuel of Grunt

Another bug: in ME2 on Illium when trying to recruit Samara, the Asari enemies just would not stop screaming - regardless of whether they were hit or not, it was endless screaming. Later one of the devs got an audio file of the scream, endless and looped, and now one of the devs has it on their phone and uses it for their morning alarm tone

“Shepard would come up to characters and they’d just be screaming”

---

There was also the Programming Variables panel, talking about what hurdles game programmers face. Some [or all?] of the devs that were part of this panel are currently working on DA4. They talked a bit about their day-to-day work and about the craft of game dev programming in general. The timestamps for this segment are ~ 4:24:46 - 5:06:02.

[source]

[insights/notes from Gamers For Groceries 1]

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

#dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #in case this is of interest to anyone #mass effect #anthem #covid mention #cole #spirit boy #solas #lul

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sadclearance · 4 years

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red nail polish

pairing(s): mukuro ikusaba x female!reader, junko enoshima x female!reader

summary: y/n loves junko enoshima.

category: fluff(?) angst(?) idk what this is

warning(s): tiniest mention of blood and a knife

word count: 1691

voluminous pink hair covered y/n's vision as she blinked her eyes awake.

"junko," she smiled, pressing her face further into the strawberry blonde goodness. "waking up to you is the best."

"y/n! i told you not to mess with my hair! i'm the ultimate fashionista," junko sat up quickly and backed away, giving a dramatic pout to y/n.

"you never cared about your fashionista title before," y/n pouted but let her beloved have her space.

"we're adults now. we have to care," junko puffed up her cheeks and got out of bed. "it's how i bring in money!"

"i know, i know," y/n smiled, getting out of the bed with her. "and i appreciate all of the hard work you do."

y/n pressed her lips to junko's cheek before being abruptly pushed away.

"did i make you mad?" y/n frowned.

"no," junko sighed, pressing her own lips onto y/n's cheek. "but i'm running late! i have to get ready!"

"okay, okay," y/n laughed. "i won't interrupt you anymore. go get ready."

junko was in the bathroom before y/n could even finish her sentence, almost knocking over a white cabinet. y/n spotted the red nail polish stains. she'd have to search up how to get rid of that later.

"amazing how serious she's gotten," y/n smiled to herself as she prepared breakfast. "how much she's... changed..."

y/n tried to pinpoint when junko changed, but she couldn't remember. the more she tried to focus on the timeline of their relationship, the less of a grasp she had on time.

she didn't dislike the present junko. she liked how serious and motivated she was, especially about her career. before, y/n couldn't get junko to be passionate about anything no matter what. junko was always talking about how predictable everything was and how uninteresting the world had become. something about...

"i can't remember," y/n sighed as she turned down the heat of the stove. she licked her lips as she tried to focus on the task at hand but paused when she tasted something bitter and acidic.

she moved to the closest mirror and saw that the part of her lips that she hadn't licked look paler and beige than the part that she had.

"junko! did you fall asleep in your makeup again?" y/n giggled at the thought. she never would've imagined junko to be so careless. well, it just made her a thousand times cuter. "so even you have these clumsy sides..."

"yeah, yeah. my skin's too good to be affected by makeup," junko winked and posed with a peace sign as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"i know, i know. my lover's just too perfect," y/n said as she set down the plates. "your hair even dries super fast for how thick it is."

"it--it's a hairdryer, stupid. try it some time," junko stuck out her tongue childishly before digging into her meal. "thank you for the food!"

"it sure does feel nice being appreciated," y/n sighed exasperatedly as she took the seat across from her. "you used to not even look at the food i made for you!"

"... i must've been real stupid, then," junko said after another bite, "because this is the best food in the world."

"should we start up our own restaurant then?" y/n suggested playfully. "that way i won't have to be jealous of all the people that get to see you in your commercials."

"don't be silly," junko waved her hand exaggeratedly. "no way i'm cut out for restaurant work!"

"yeah, i guess that'll have to wait until you get old and wrinkly," y/n scrunched up her nose buoyantly.

"yeah, i guess," junko said, stuffing her mouth with the rest of the food on her plate. "i'm seriously running late!"

"don't choke!" y/n said as she took the plate from her.

"i'll be back later tonight!" junko waved quickly before running out the front door.

y/n smiled at her work ethic before washing the dishes.

"night, huh?" y/n pouted. "well, i guess i could get groceries."

she left the cozy apartment and walked to the local grocery store.

"what?" she frowned when she got to the place that she thought the store was supposed to be.

she was sure she had taken the correct route, so why was she standing in front of an apartment complex?

"did i walk in a circle? apartments look similar and all..." y/n tried walking around more, only to find more tall buildings, both for housing and for companies. it was nothing like the remote street that she was used to.

there were billboards and big lights, as if she was in some busy district.

"maybe i got lost in my thoughts and wandered off somewhere..."

everything about this place was unfamiliar.

"excuse me, where am i?"

"what do you mean?"

"where is this place?"

"you mean... tokyo?" the stranger looked at her with a confused expression.

"tokyo? no, that can't possibly be right," y/n shook her head.

"lunatic..." the stranger frowned before walking away.

y/n took a deep breath. there was no way that she had walked all the way from her mediocre town to tokyo.

"i can't believe that was banned."

"i know! it's already been two years. plus, it's not like junko enoshima's the one reaping the profits of the sales for her clothes, anyway! she's long gone. i don't see why it's such a big deal to wear her stuff."

"she was a terrible person, but she made the cutest things!"

two years? long gone?

what did all of these things mean?

and why were they saying such terrible things about her?

"they're probably just jealous since she's such a pretty model..." y/n shook her head, keeping herself from defending her lover. she was a celebrity, so of course junko was going to get hate. y/n shouldn't let it get to her.

she refocused on the problem at hand. she didn't understand how she was in tokyo.

"maybe if i try going back the way i came from..."

she eventually made it back to the door of her apartment. the building and hall didn't look familiar at all, the only thing she recognized being the door.

she cautiously turned the doorknob and peaked inside. it was indeed her apartment. she could see her kitchen and parts of her living room.

"home sweet home!" y/n sighed blissfully as she closed the door behind her. she didn't understand anything else that had happened, but seeing something familiar again made her feel better.

"y/n?! where were you?!" junko shrieked in a panic when she saw y/n.

"i wanted to get some groceries, but i couldn't find the store i always go to. i swear it was just there last week," y/n hummed.

"i told you. we have people to deliver that stuff for us," junko shook her head.

"well, it's boring not to have anything to do. i wanna be useful sometimes, too, you know?" y/n pouted. "and it's no fun being inside all the time."

"thanks for trying then," junko embraced y/n. "but don't go out like that again! you scared me!"

"yeah, i was scared, too," y/n shivered just remembering. "you won't believe the day i had! there was this crazy person who thought we were in tokyo! no way i could've walked all the way to tokyo. and, they looked at me like i was the crazy one."

"you're not crazy, baby," junko kissed y/n's forehead.

"i know, it was just a weird day," y/n sighed into junko's touch.

"you look tired. you should take a nap," junko ran her fingers through y/n's hair.

"that's a good idea," y/n agreed, closing her eyes and letting her weight fall onto junko.

"i didn't mean on me," junko rolled her eyes playfully.

"but i wanna," y/n whined.

junko bent down, snuck her arm behind y/n's knees, and used her other arm to carry y/n's back.

"well, this is new," y/n giggled. "i could get used to being carried like a princess."

"in your dreams," junko said, unable to hide her smile.

"i love you," y/n said as junko set her down on the bed.

junko's smile faltered, and the joy in her eyes was replaced by some indistinguishable faraway look. nonetheless, she whispered back, "i love you, too."

"join me in bed?" y/n asked.

"in a sec," junko promised as she went into the bathroom.

y/n kept her eyes open, waiting for junko to come back. as tired as she was, she wanted to wait until she could fall asleep in junko's warm embrace.

her eyes wandered to the dresser, where something red was dripping out of the white cabinet. she got up from the bed and pulled it, gasping to find a bloody knife.

"make-up is so... i hate... no, i have to--"

"junko!" y/n said as she threw open the bathroom door.

her mouth fell open to the sight of a woman with short black hair, rubbing vigorously at her face with a soaked cotton pad, revealing the soft brown freckles that were once hidden by foundation.

"jun... ko?" y/n stumbled.

"i took a real long time, huh? i'd be impatient, too, if i were you," the woman dropped her cotton pad. "c'mon, let's go to bed."

she took a hold of y/n's hand and pulled her to bed, putting her thin arms around y/n's frozen body.

"sorry for making you wait so long..." she sounded sad, even with her voice muffled by her face being buried in y/n's hair.

"don't sound so defeated," y/n pulled away to look at her in the eyes, voice soft and careful. "purple suits you..."

mukuro's eyes went wide with shock.

"after all, blue and red make purple[1], right? i love you no matter what color your eyes are, junko."

mukuro froze before letting a somber smile settle into place as y/n snuggled back closer, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

the bunched up abundance of strawberry blonde strands obscured y/n's vision as she slowly opened her eyes.

she smiled, pressing her face further into the nest of pink strands. "waking up to you is the best, junko."

❥๑━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━๑❥

a/n;

[1] apparently junko's real eye color is red and she just wears blue contacts idk i haven't watched it since i stopped writing three years ago.

just another shitty work. i thought this would be a good idea, but i once again didn't know how to execute it.

i also wanna do one where it's the inverse as in junko pretends to be mukuro, but i might not since i'm discouraged by how shitty this one turned out. well, we'll see.

also i once again didn't know what to title this

#mukuro ikusaba #ikusaba mukuro #mukuro ikusaba x female reader #ikusaba mukuro x female reader #x female reader #x female!reader #female reader insert #danganronpa #junko enoshima #enoshima junko #junko enoshima x female reader #junko enoshima x female!reader #enoshima junko x female reader #enoshima junko x female!reader #mukuro ikusaba x female!reader #ikusaba mukuro x female!reader #don't mind how i can't tag #wlw

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toomanysurveys9 · 6 years

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Is your window in your room open? no, it is not open. we always have the a/c on so that would be pointless. Do you like blue cheese? i’ve never actually tried it but it doesn’t sound appealing. Have you ever smoked? nope. Do you own a gun? i do not. my dad and jacob own several, though.

Do you like the American or British way of spelling words? american i guess. that’s probably just because it’s what i’m used to though.

Do you get nervous before going to a doctors appointment? yeah. especially when pregnant. i’m always nervous until i hear ellie’s heartbeat. and until i know i don’t have to get undressed from the waist down. those appointments will be here before i know it.. What do you think of hot dogs? i don’t really like them. but i’ll eat them if i have no other options. Favorite Christmas movie? oh man. i don’t even know. there are so many good ones. What do you prefer to drink in the morning or nothing? usually milk or orange juice. Do you hate celebrities with big boobs and have had plastic surgery? no, i do not hate them. it literally has zero effect on me.

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry? wedding and engagement ring, which did end up being found. Favorite hobby? my only hobby these days seems to be hanging out with wy. lol. which is definitely a favorite! also i love reading. i want to get a library card again soon. What’s the one thing you hate about yourself? the awkward/anxious/shy parts of my personality. Current worry? if i should confront vanessa or not and whether that would piss her off. but letting people think jacob and i are horrible to her, or are keeping wyatt away from her when we’re not, is going to seriously piss me off. every time she asks us to go over, i go. most of the time when i dropped off money when we were staying in her trailer, i would take wyatt in to see her and/or tom. i didn’t have to. i didn’t have to go over when she asked. she never came to see him really since he was a newborn. always me going there. i’m not doing it anymore. Do you own slippers? i do not. i don’t see the point. Would you ever want to be a pirate? i did once upon a time (i was a lot younger and going through a phase). i don’t want to be anymore though. Where would you like to go? italy would be cool.. What type of songs do you sing in the shower? whatever song comes on my ipod that i know the words to. If you could make everything on earth one color, what would you choose? that would be horrible. and boring. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? i’ve never slept on them so can’t say. How do you bring in the new year? with my family (jacob and wyatt at least, but usually my parents, siblings, and grandparents are also there). Favorite place to be? anywhere with wyatt is really okay with me. Would you rather live in 1980 or 2080? 2080 seems.. i don’t know. so unfathomable. i guess i would rather live in 1980... Favorite color? black, blue, and i still like gray. What color of shirt are you wearing? mostly a dark gray color. What’s the last thing that made you laugh? wyatt made a cute little sound when he woke up for a minute. What artist to do you find yourself singing a lot of? there’s not really one i sing more than the others... Can you whistle? not well, no. Where do you wish you were right now? i wish i could fall asleep but my mind is racing so i can’t. When you were younger, did you ever have cartoon sheets? yes. i know i had barney and winnie the pooh when i was super young. and i remember scooby doo as well. What’s in your pocket right now? no pockets. i’m in pajama pants. Do you love where you live? not the city, but i do love our house quite a bit. Do you care what strangers think about you? i mean.. i guess to some extent, but mostly no. Do you use any acne medication? i do not. Do you know when it’s just a little crush vs. true love? yeah. it’s a pretty obvious difference. Have you picked out flower petals, saying, ‘He loves me, he loves me not? lol, when i was a lot younger than i am now. Are you a small town girl, or from the big city? closer to a small town girl. Do you ever look in the mirror and are surprised by how good you look? no. i can’t say i’ve ever had that experience.

Do you ever look in the mirror and feel revolted? ugh. yes. story of my life. only thing i don’t hate about my appearance is my baby bump. Do you have a hard time talking to people? yes. which is why i don’t really have friends. Is anybody in your family schizophrenic? If so, what is their life like? yeah. my grandpa’s brother is. he lives in a group home and is on a bunch of medications. he’s pretty out of it most of the time because of them, and you don’t always know what he’s talking about when he speaks. he plays guitar really well though and makes his own songs up, and it’s so much fun to listen to him. What’s something somebody can do to make you hate them instantly? say something horrible about my kids. Do you like it when you find yourself in a conflict? definitely not. yet i keep finding myself in it because people can’t move on from shit a year ago. Are you emotional or very stoic? definitely emotional. How late do you go to bed during summer nights? i’m usually in bed by like now. but i can’t make my mind stop tonight. Are you feminine, masculine, or quite androgynous? i guess i’m more feminine but i don’t know. What’s the first red object you see in the room? wyatt’s red shirt that he is wearing. Who did you last have a text conversation with and what was it about? the last actual conversation was about my one year old cousin’s birthday party with my mom. she was asking how it went. i have texted jade since then (about the situation with jacob’s mom and basically that entire side of the family) but she was probably sleeping so she didn’t reply. i also texted jake asking if he was coming up to bed soon so i could go bathroom, but he didn’t respond by text. he just came upstairs. Are there regular trains in and out of your town/city? yup. Do you have a mailbox or do you collect your mail from the post office? we have a mailbox again! What was the last animal you saw, and was it a pet? phe. she’s my pup. :) Have you ever had an ear infection? yes. i was getting them pretty often for a little bit right before and after i had wyatt. If you could watch any TV series right now, what would it be? eh. don’t really care about watching tv right now. Would you have any clue when your best friend last got their hair cut? nope. tonight (on facebook) was the most we’ve talked in awhile. Someone messages you just as you’re about to go to sleep. Do you reply? depends who it is and what it’s about. but probably not. Is there anything you need to remember to do before the day ends? the day is pretty well over, so no. Do your parents have any authority over who you date? as an adult, no. How many different shades of nail polish do you have? none. i got rid of all my old makeup, including the few nail polishes i did have. What did you have for breakfast this morning? yesterday (it’s 12:08 am which is way too early for breakfast), i didn’t eat breakfast. Are you lucky enough to have an ice maker in your refrigerator door? we actually do now. Are you the type to wake up before the sun has even risen? noooooo. Have you ever watched an anime series, start to finish? i have not.

Do you feel the need to rant about anything right now? If so, go for it. i could but i already did a little mini rant so we’ll just leave it at that. Have you seen any films with Judy Garland in them?: the wizard of oz. that is all though. How did you feel when you woke up today? Why? i was tired yesterday. i haven’t slept yet since then. Who was the last person you messaged on Facebook? kayla. When was the last time you saw them? july 14th for erin’s 16th birthday party. Do you have a friend named Nick? What’s his favourite food? not really friends... What are you listening to? jake is watching youtube videos. i don’t know what about. Do you prefer non-diet or diet soda? regular. i don’t really like any diet sodas. Do you like seafood? i do not. Are you craving anything right now? eh. nothing super specific, no.

Do you dress appropriately for your age? i think so. with the exception of some of my shirts maybe. today i wore a five nights at freddy’s shirt... If McDonald’s sold hot dogs, would you buy them? noooo. How long is your hair? if it’s totallly straight it goes slightly past my breasts. if not, it kind of just rests on them. Do you like your neighbors? don’t really know my neighbors. my grandparents have talked to them and seem to like them though. What’s your school motto? no longer in school. Has a bird ever flown into your window? when we lived in the house before the trailers one did. Which word did you say first, mama or dada? dada i think my mom has said. How old were you when you learned to walk? i don’t know. What was your first pet’s name? first pet that was actually mine was named angel. How many kids were in your class in kindergarten? i don’t remember. Who was your best friend in elementary? leslie. juliet. ariel. those were the three main ones.. Who was the best athlete in your freshman class? don’t know. i’ve never been into sports really. Where do you see yourself in a year? here. taking care of my kiddos. If you were able to change one thing about yourself, what would it be? this is stupid, but i would want to be more attractive for jacob so he wouldn’t tell his playstation friends that they wouldn’t find me attractive. Are you content just blending in with the crowd? yeah. i definitely don’t like standing out much.

#survey #surveys #personal #question #questions #random

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jacobj865200017-blog · 5 years

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Home Organization Hacks You'll Probably End Up Regretting

We live in the age of the “hack”: life hacks that solve every small, mundane inconvenience you could ever come across, shopping hacks to save money, sleep hacks, food hacks (also known as “recipes”), even health hacks.

The problem is, a lot of the tips that parade as little-known tricks that will make your life infinitely better aren't really hacks. In fact, they often end up being more trouble than they're worth, especially if they involve a high-effort project for a low-impact problem.

Home organization is a popular topic for the people who create these hacks, and you may be wondering if the ones you've seen are worth your time.

As someone who believes that home organization means that every object should have a place, even if that place is at the bottom of the junk drawer or cluttering the top of your dresser, I may not be the best person to tell other people that their organization tips are bad. However, what I lack in organizational skills, I make up for in being able to spot a bad life hack from a mile away. As a bona fide lazy person, I love things that make my life easier, so I'm pretty good at knowing what makes a good hack and what's a waste of time.

So, which of these hacks are more DI-why than DIY?

Chalkboard Wall

Every few years, I get the urge to paint a wall of my bedroom with chalkboard paint. This always spawns from fantasies of me drawing beautiful, colorful murals in chalk and writing motivational sayings in attractive script, all at the whim of my mood that day.

But because I know myself, I refrain. And you should, too. Here's why.

Sure, all those pictures of successful chalkboard walls you've seen paint a picture of a beautifully organized life where your family always knows the weekly dinner menu because you've drawn pictures of each meticulously planned meal on the kitchen wall and nobody wonders whose turn it is to walk the dog because your chore chart spells it out in big, chalky lettering.

However, getting organized should make your life simpler, not add to your list of things to do. Because this hack hinges on you carving out time each week to create a new masterpiece, your chalkboard wall will likely fall into dusty disuse in a week or two. You just won't want to keep up with it. And if there's one thing that makes you look disorganized, it's a faded, several-months-old chore calendar displayed for all to see.

What to Do Instead

Use a pen and a notepad to write out your plans for the week or keep track of chores. If your family is asking for a week's notice when it comes to dinner plans, start a group text chat or remind them to be thankful that they have someone who provides meals for them and let dinner remain a mystery until it is served.

Reusable Containers for Things That Came in a Container

The internet would have you believe that adorably labeled, hipster-style glass containers are a great spot for you to keep your dry goods, and maybe they are, in the world of lifestyle blogs and certain image-sharing sites, where everything looks good, but nothing is practical. However, the time you spend cleaning up the flour you tried pouring into a chalk-labelled mason jar will make you rue the day you decided it would be cuter to fill your cabinets with these monstrosities rather than keep your food items in the containers they were sold in.

While this hack certainly gives your cabinets a uniform look and can help you keep track of your pantry's inventory, it's not necessarily a more organized route, especially since the bigger containers can be kind of unwieldy if you need to use them frequently. Constantly having to wedge them in and out of your pantry is going to get really old, really fast.

What to Do Instead

If you dream of having super-organized shelves or just have a problem with buying items you already have hidden in the back of your cabinet, a better option is to corral these items together using shelf organizers or baskets, so you can group like-items together and make sure that everything has a place and is visible.

Cookie Jar Bathroom Storage

Organization hackers love to take random objects and repurpose them as storage. Apparently, the latest hack is to use cookie or candy jars to store nail polish, lip gloss and other beauty items. While it might look adorable – and invite a fun comparison between picking out a makeup shade and choosing a treat in a candy shop – it's not super-helpful if the color you want is at the bottom of the jar. It also means that if you ever want to take stock of the colors you own before making a decision, you'll likely have to remove them all from the jar first, which is incredibly inconvenient.

What to Do Instead

If you must keep confectionery containers in your bathroom, stock them with something you won't need to dig through, like cotton balls.

Wall Displays of Clutter

Whether it be with a magnetic makeup board, your spice collection mounted to the side of your fridge, a pegboard in your kitchen for hanging utensils or jewelry pinned to a corkboard, more and more people are utilizing the vertical space in their homes to store and display their stuff.

While it may be clever, it's not necessarily good for organization. Flipping a mess vertically and hanging it on a wall doesn't change the fact that you've still got clutter scattered about. If I keep all my kitchen utensils splayed out on the counter, it's considered messy. But if I stick them up on the wall in the same formation, suddenly I'm an organizational genius?

If it makes your life easier to have your most-used items within reach, maybe this hack will work for you, but it's a hack of convenience, not organization, so if you want a way to make your home look more orderly, this ain't it. In general, making your home look organized involves putting things away, not leaving them out.

What to Do Instead

Walls often have a lot of untapped potential for storage space. However, the key is to make it look neat and minimize visual clutter. This means hanging up something that actually belongs on the wall, like a shelf, and displaying a few choice items on it, rather than sticking each individual makeup palette or rubber spatula up for everyone to see.

Putting Lots of Effort into Organizing Kids' Stuff

The kids will appreciate all your hard work with pom-poms and the hot-glue gun for approximately zero seconds before destroying it in almost the same amount of time.

There are countless mommy-bloggers with abundant ideas for fun, cutesy ways to keep their kiddos' living spaces nice and organized. The results are definitely worthy of a lifestyle-magazine spread. But are they really worth all that effort when the tots will be just as happy with a few plain, cheapo storage bins that don't require a complex organization system likely to be undone the first time they put their toys away?

If you've ever interacted with children, you know that they don't tend to be super into organization. Which is why these types of hacks are especially baffling, because they don't seem to benefit anyone. It's nice for the kids' space to be tidy, but many of these tips seem to be more about making their room photoshoot-ready – one suggests sorting Legos by color into separate bins!

What to Do Instead

Kids don't care if the container that holds their toys is nicely decorated or cutely labelled. Kids are better than we are in that way – they care about what's on the inside. Save yourself an afternoon of crafting and buy a big canvas bin for all their favorite stuffed animals. As they get older, let them take the lead on organizing their stuff, but even when they're young, don't feel the need to micromanage all of their belongings. Let them sort their own Legos. It builds character.

Takeaway

There are a lot of organizational tips and tricks out there, and while some of them are more “hacky” than “hack,” if they end up working for you, hey, don't let this article stop you. However, after poring over many of the hacks the internet has to offer, I have two thoughts for those who feel the need to organize their homes into oblivion:

Your home is never going to look like a magazine cover or the beautiful pictures you have on your online pinboard because your home, unlike the ones in those pictures, is lived in. Relax with this knowledge and aim for manageable imperfection.

Those beautiful magazine homes are overrated, anyway. Ultimately, organization should be about making your home easier and more soothing to live in. You don't need a bunch of clever hacks. Just put your stuff away and get rid of clutter. Done.

Do you have any hacks that ended up not being so helpful? Share your story in the comments!

The post Home Organization Hacks You'll Probably End Up Regretting appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

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dark128 · 7 years

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KNOCKOUT - chapter 10 (part 1)

Warning for mentions of assault/sexual assault.

Thank you for reading!!!

Bo almost loses her “hat” as she tips her head to inspect her feet. She should have gone with the black shoes, she thinks, performing a Dorothy knock to her heels before wrinkling her nose.

“Crap.”

The people lined up ahead move forward and there’s a confusing atmosphere in the shadows before blinding lights, a muddle of excitement and almost paralysing nerves. Bo dutifully follows the person in front, noting that this form of conga line is dramatically different than the one she was forced into at her cousin’s wedding.

Bo’s never been under so much instruction before, follow me, sit here, stand up, clap, shake hands. And she’s reminded of this when beckoned forward by a man with worry lines patterned in waves across his forehead. There’s a trickle of sweat running just past his temple, and all it does is remind Bo of the layers of dark fabric currently draped over her feverous body.

Her name is scratched out a little aggressively from the list pinned to his clipboard and he gives her a serious looking nod to the side.

“Go.”

Fingers trail down the deep, red velvet curtains separating the audience from the hordes of achievers. She takes a customary deep breath. It’s with apprehensive steps and a nauseating roll to her stomach that Bo’s name is called and she takes to the stage, one glittery heel at a time.

Please don’t trip. Please don’t fall and embarrass yourself.

Her heart is thundering like a summer storm, she feels the pressure of it through her tight dress and the damp palms she wipes on her robes that skirt the wooden stage. Bo doesn’t dare look out to the audience, just focusing ahead where the chancellor is offering a smile and a hand to shake.

Bo’s head shoots up at the echoing whistles and overly enthusiastic clapping. Seated on the next level up are two people she recognises and one more person who she distinctly remembers said they couldn’t make it. Bo had been anguished but respectful at the time, telling them not to worry about it. How could she demand attendance from someone she exchanged infrequent texts with and birthday phone calls twice a year.

Her mum flashes a camera and even with the distance Bo can tell she already has tears tracking her cheeks. Aunt Grace is faring a little better, although the wild clapping has Bo thinking that over displays of emotion are a family trait. They’re both in eye-catching floral dresses, a bright addition to the occasion compared to Bo’s compulsory dark coloured ensemble.

She gives a small wave, descending the steps from the stage with one hand gripping her degree and the other clinging to the rail. Harry’s grinning as he lowers his hands from his mouth.

There’s no time to assess his appearance, her heart slamming her ribcage, but Bo can tell just from the fleeting glance she gets that there’s no longer hair tumbling past his shoulders.

She sits through the ceremony for another two subjects, politely clapping with an impatient bobbing of her knee. It’s far too warm in the old venue, and Bo prays that someone will turn on the air conditioning or open a damn window somewhere. The few times she’s glanced up to the circle seats above, she’s caught a watery smile from her mum. Her aunt applauds every graduate with an enthusiasm not seen anywhere else in the audience. Before the ceremony, she’d grabbed Bo’s hand and told her how overwhelmed she was to be amongst a new generation of graduates.

It’s Harry that seems to know when eyes are upon him, and Bo receives a smile and a cheeky wink. When they’re released, she’s one of the first up and out of her seat, hustling to try and jostle between some of the slower individuals.

Freshly graduated, Bo tumbles through the back doors in her haste, out of the main venue and into the reception where friends and family are waiting with full glasses from the bar. Weaving through a large group just beyond her, Bo emerges to scan the rest of the room.

He’s stood chatting to her mum and aunt, dressed in a navy suit with considerably less hair than when she’d seen him last.

“Harry!”

Turning, he’s quick about taking the glasses off, ready for her when she barrels into him. Her arms tightly wrap his waist as she blurs the lines between them and squeezes. For Bo, the engaging of their bodies doesn’t last nearly as long as she’d like. Harry’s peeling away from her even as her fingers tighten to his jacket. He levers her away slightly by Bo’s shoulders, quite possibly so he can see her face as he laughs.

“I didn’t think you were able to come,” her voice quivers slightly, making a grab for his hand.

“I wasn’t going to miss your graduation, Bo.”

He leans in a little and Bo feels almost as though it’s a secret.

“But you said -“

“Surprise.”

Harry’s grinning at her like a child telling an awful joke. And it will do awful things to her eye makeup if she dwells on the fact that he’s actually here. “Well, it certainly is a surprise to see your new look,” she fondly smiles, reaching up to touch the short length of his hair.

“Thought I’d change it up a bit. More presentable for such an auspicious occasion.”

“It certainly is different.”

It’s shorter up the sides and longer on top. Funny, she never noticed how cute his ears were.

“You look very handsome. And these are adorable,” she says, taking the glasses from his pocket, folding out the arms and placing them back on his nose.

“Really?”

“You’re adorable.”

He sighs.

“That’s not really the look I was going for.”

“Congratulations on your adorableness.”

“Congratulations on being massively brainy and getting your degree. Although you look like you’ve just graduated from Hogwarts,” he teases, lightly fluttering her robes.

“Thanks.”

Bo had forgotten about the graduation cap before she tips her head to peer down at her attire. She catches it just as it starts to slip.

“Oh, these are for you.”

Seemingly out of thin air, a bouquet of prettily tied flowers is produced from somewhere behind him and Harry swaps the bunch for the cap in her hand. Bo’s bashful in her appreciation, hiding behind them whilst speaking her thanks. She thinks she’ll have to ask the restaurant to put them in water whilst they eat.

“Hey Bo!”

They both turn and Bo smiles back at the group of friends from her course. Max and Ali have identical grins as they wave a bottle of fizz at her and beckon. A kiss is pressed to her mum and aunt’s cheeks, kicking off her heels and wriggling from the heavy robe.

“I’ll be back in a minute.”

Her promise to Harry is accompanied with more of a kiss to his jaw than his cheek on account that he didn’t bend down far enough. Bo’s taken a few steps away from Harry before she thinks better of it and rounds on him again. He’s still smiling.

“You look really well, Harry.”

She nods, suddenly becoming unable to keep from blushing as she shakes her head and retreats towards her friends, leaving him to watch after her.

***

There’s already family members trying to hustle groups of graduating friends into keepsake photographs. It’s Ali’s younger sister, with her dark plaited hair swinging around her shoulders that ultimately breaks up their little gathering. She beams up at him, two teeth less than in the family picture Ali had up in his room. He makes a show of trying to resist the youngster tugging on his hand.

“We’ll organise something over the summer, right?” he rushes before being whisked away. “We could all meet in London, or have a weekend at the beach?”

“Sounds great.”

“I’m up for it.”

“You’re up for anything,” Jose elbows Max in the ribs.

He proceeds to play injured as Jose catches something of greater interest.

“You should go.”

The words are countered with a tilt to her head, nodding past Bo’s shoulder.

“You trying to get rid of me?” Bo jokes.

“No, I just think your boyfriend wants you back.”

Bo turns to see Harry stood with her mum and aunt. He’s still got her robe draped over his forearm, and it’s a second before he notices her attention, in which his frown transforms to fondness.

She wriggles her toes on the balding carpet as her stomach does an odd affectionate squirm at the fact Harry’s also holding her heels.

“Oh, he’s not - my boyfriend.”

“Really? Is he single then?”

“Shut up,” Bo hushes, playfully pushing her friend away.

She keeps on her toes on the meandering route back to him, cautious of pointy heels and polished dress shoes. There’s even a moment Bo resorts to a hop and shuffle rather than taking critical damage to blue polished nails.

“You should probably put them back on if we’re going outside,” Harry gestures to her shoes.

“I was hoping someone would carry me. They might look pretty, but they’re killing my feet.”

Regardless, she slips into them anyway, taking hold of Harry’s arm to steady herself.

“I would offer to put you over my shoulder, but I don’t think your mum would like it much.”

Bo would take a fireman’s lift even if it meant a disapproving look from her mother. After today she’d quite happily get shot of the sparkly, monster shoes down the charity shop.

“You’d carry me?”

“Course.”

“I’m really proud of you. And just to clarify, I would offer to carry you anyway, even if you hadn’t just graduated.”

She places her hand on her heart somewhat dramatically.

“Thank you for coming.”

***

Posing for pictures, throwing graduation caps and saying her goodbyes drains Bo of the energy she started the day with. Her mum and aunt are waiting for her on the outskirts of the garden and Bo could just about drop to her knees with exhaustion, anything to get the weight off her feet. But before she can join them, Harry approaches, pocketing his phone and standing in front of her.

“I’m gunna head off now,” he tells her and Bo’s joy takes a nosedive into disappointment.

“Really? Aren’t you coming to dinner with us?”

She can tell by the sour pinch to his mouth that he didn’t want to make a big thing about it. Probably just wanted to kiss her on the cheek and slip away. Again.

“You can stay. We’ll ask them to just set another place at the table. I can -“

Bo starts to turn away to her mum because she’ll know what to do. Mum’s always know; like it’s programmed into them the moment they give birth. Bo doesn’t need to vie for her attention though, her mum and aunt are already watching after the couple across the grass.

Bo catches her eye long enough for her mother to mouth, ‘Let him go.”

It’s Harry’s hand on Bo’s shoulder that gently anchors her and she can feel a phantom twist of emotion in her gut. It hurts. Reminiscent of a juncture in their shared past when he told her he was leaving. But this time she doesn’t cry. Bo holds her nerve and his eye contact.

“It’s ok, you celebrate with your family.”

She remains tightlipped to refrain from saying something silly. Harry kisses her cheek but Bo can already feel him stepping out and away, creating a distance that prevents her from clutching at him. And she doesn’t understand why.

“Harry?”

He smiles, still moving to cut their connection.

“It’s ok, I’ll talk to you soon.”

It’s with a heavy heart that she tortures herself further, watching as he politely slips between the remaining friends and relatives and exits the garden through the stone archway.

On the walk to the restaurant, her mum strides ahead taking a congratulatory phonecall on Bo’s behalf from a relative she’s never even heard of.

“I wonder if they’ll have a vegan menu?”

Bo’s aunt has slipped an arm through hers as they wander through familiar streets admiring shop windows.

“You’re not even a vegan though.”

“I know, but the whole diet intrigues me.”

Bo shakes her head, laughing as they round another corner. They’re serenaded by a busker whilst they wait outside the restaurant for her mum to finish the call. He’s young, strumming away at chords and singing along to an early Ed Sheeran track that Bo’s having trouble with naming.

“It’s a shame Harry couldn’t stay,” her aunt comments as they watch.

“Yeah,” Bo hums, because she’s not really in the mood to discuss it.

“You shouldn’t worry.”

“About what?”

Little Bird, Bo thinks. That’s the song.

“He said he’s still trying to sort things out. He didn’t feel ready for it yet.”

***

“Meet me at the corner of Angle Rd at 6, wear something sporty. H x”

She scans over the message again, before chucking her phone back on the unmade bed. Her insides do an involuntary sweep as it bounces before settling inches from edge of the mattress.

“Wear something sporty, what does that even mean?”

Bo confronts the mess in her wardrobe, hands on hips paired with a scrutinising gaze. Hangers are pushed back and forth on her rail as she contemplates if her jeggings constitute anything remotely sporty. She decides they don’t meet the grade.

A glance at the time makes the decision for her, making grabby hands at a pair of patterned leggings and a “Save The Bees” t-shirt she received from Tiff as a birthday present. She’s out the door in less than two minutes.

Bo’s not really one for arriving early to anywhere, but it’s Harry and his cryptic message that has prompted something similar to nerves in her belly. Similar, but it’s definitely not nerves. No.

“I said something sporty.”

She whirls to see Harry approach from the other side of the road. He’s in sport shorts and a t-shirt with a duffle bag slung over his right shoulder. The tautness in his arms blinkers her vision, not the sort of arms attached to a chiseled model with flowing hair on a cheesy romance novel. But more the solid build of an athlete, of someone who actually uses their body as a tool rather than just flaunting it at the gym.

She refuses to acknowledge the small clench in her lower tummy.

“This is what I do yoga in,” Bo explains, glancing down at the bright yellow top and leggings.

“You do yoga?”

“Yeah, me and a girl from work take a class on Wednesday. We end up giggly through most of it, but I think I’ve got the warrior pose down.”

Bo gives a little demonstration in the middle of the path, much to Harry’s amusement.

“How’s work going?”

Bo moves along beside him as he starts to walk back down the road.

“Alright thanks, hopefully I won’t be there much longer. I have an interview next Friday with an NGO that I’m doing some prep for.”

“Fingers crossed.”

They chat for the remainder of the mystery walk until they near a building that Bo’s vaguely familiar with.

“Are we working out? I thought we were going for a run.”

“Not quite.”

Harry leads the way through the reception where he’s cheerfully greeted by a muscled man behind the desk. Bo waits as Harry digs a card out from his wallet before swiping it in front of a screen. The barriers ahead of them swing open and she’s encouraged through them with a hand to her lower back.

They’re met with a wall of warmth and excited shrieks as they press through the heavy doors. Children delight in the water of the fun pool and Bo watches toddlers splash around in fountains spurting from the tiled floor.

“I brought my niece the other week,” Harry says, leaning against the rail beside her.

“Here?” Bo asks. “To the pool of screaming children.”

There’s a mother standing on the side of the water’s edge, beckoning for three children to get out and dry off, to which they duck under the surface with grinning, goggled faces. It’s a reminiscent scene of her own childhood that amuses Bo as she continues to listen.

“She loves it. Bit clingy to start off with and we stayed in the shallows mostly, but she wanted to go in deeper.”

“How old is she now?”

“Two and a half,” he replies with a soft sort of smile.

There’s adoration and pride blooming as Harry talks about his niece. And Bo knows for certain that the toddler had him wrapped around her finger from the moment he first held her. And the idea of Harry with a baby, how gentle and soft spoken he’d be whilst informing her of how he’d spoil her rotten despite what her mum says. It’s enough to have Bo pining to witness first hand how someone barely past Harry’s knee could turn him to complete mush.

“It’s bit of a nightmare after getting out of the water though, she wriggled around so much I didn’t bother changing either of us.”

Bo laughs, gripping the rail.

“Just wrapped her in the towel like a burrito and walked out.”

“Are we here to swim, because I didn’t bring anything to change into.”

“Not today. I have something else planned.”

It’s as they bypass the locker rooms and then the training hall that Bo’s curiosity bubbles over with questions.

She’s left unsatisfied with an answer of, “Wait and see.”

Following along closely behind him, Bo’s introduced to a brightly lit room through a set of double doors.

“Stay here a minute.”

He offloads his bag to the floor by Bo’s feet which she huffs at before nudging it to the wall with her foot.

It’s difficult not to notice the female chatter in the sweeping room. The majority are ladies, dressed in sporty attire with hair pulled back and smiles on their faces. There’s a bar running around the circumference, walls which are lined with floor to ceiling length mirrors. If Bo didn’t know any better she’d say they were here to dance, the space perfect for observing and participating in routines to music. But she certainly doesn’t think that’s the case as Harry’s now jogging over to the main group, his presence drawing in the smaller clusters formed on the outskirts.

The space is relatively bare when taking into account it’s located in a gym. The floor is a patchwork of large blue mats laid out to face the space at the far end of the room.

“Hi, thanks for continuing to come back,” Harry begins which elicits a murmur of laughter. “I’m pleased to see all the slots are filled for this self defence class. And I hope we can achieve a lot whilst we’re here.”

Bo’s eyebrows shoot up in response, still a little unsure as to what the hell is going on. That is until their eyes meet and Harry beckons Bo from the back of the room to where he’s stood in front of a class of about twenty-five.

“This is my –“ Harry pauses. “She’s um –“

“Bo,” she intercepts.

She’s never found public speaking to come with ease, and this feels a lot like a presentation she’s massively underprepared for.

“She’s going to be helping me demonstrate,” Harry explains as Bo absorbs the information for the first time with the rest of the class. “Bo’s a beginner, too. So this will be new for everyone.”

And that’s pretty much it before Bo is thrown into a class she didn’t sign up for. But what stuns her more is how at ease he is whilst advising people on their foot stance and how to position their shoulders. Well, that and Harry’s surprising repertoire of encouraging phrases he dishes out when making the rounds.

They run through exercises performed in the previous class, actions Bo has to catch up on with a partner as Harry wanders the floor. Once she’s mastered the art of evading a wrist lock, Harry calls her back up to the front again as the women gather.

Bo stands to the side of Harry.

“What do you think puts Bo at a disadvantage in a physical confrontation between the two of us?”

The question is posed to the group before murmurs hum around the room and people begin to speak up.

“You’re huge,” one of the women at the front comments.

Harry laughs as Bo scans him from her eye-level and up. He is considerably taller, broader and heavier than the rest of the room’s occupants.

“Yeah, I’m bigger than Bo.”

“Stronger,” someone else suggests.

“Unless she’s an athlete, I don’t think she could outrun you.”

The answers begin to lose steam and Bo is left with an unnerving list of attributes that put her in an inferior physical position. And honestly, it doesn’t do much for her confidence.

The group conversation is still in free flow as Harry gestures for Bo to approach the mat.

“Do you mind doing a demonstration with me?” he asks quietly with his back partially to the class.

“What kind?”

“If you’re not comfortable, you can say no and I’ll ask one of the trainers - it’s defence against sexual assault.”

Bo’s stomach instantly drops as she thickly swallows.

“Wow, heavy stuff,” she tries and unfortunately fails to make light of it.

“It’s important to -“

“Ok.”

“You sure?” he asks, raising his brows.

“If it will help the people here, then of course.”

His smile is infectious and Bo actually has to prompt him to continue with the class. Giving him a little shove towards the waiting group so she can hide the grin he’s responsible for.

“Will you lay down for me please?”

She gives him a look before taking his hand and sitting on their own patchwork of blue in the room. Bo regathers her hair in a tie before flicking it out above her head and laying back.

“Today, we’re going to be learning to defend and evade against a position known for sexual assault.”

As Bo’s regard flicks from face to face, trying to decipher people’s initial reaction, she’s surprised to find that there’s no shock or uneasiness, instead an openness to listen and learn.

***

Bo’s a little perplexed at the position she finds herself in, only the mat separating her body from the floor and Harry hovering over her like they’re in the privacy of a home and not at the front of a class full of keen, observing eyes.

He’s on hands and knees, those knees pressing up under her butt as her bent legs widen. But it’s the nature of the subject matter that, despite the positioning, cancels out any romantic stirrings for Bo, and she’s pretty sure Harry isn’t feeling it either. There’s something sort of remote about it all.

“With sexual assault, this is most likely going to be the position a victim would end up in. I know it might feel a bit awkward to start off with,” Harry continues to speak to the class. “But it’s important to remember that in reality, if something does happen, it’s not going to be from a distance. It’ll be close.”

As if to emphasise the point, he leans down onto Bo until their chests are almost touching. And then his body heat is gone as he straightens once again.

“Don’t think that once you’re on the floor, that’s it. There’s a lot of moves you can perform to get out of the position. And that’s what we’re going to begin learning today.”

Harry’s full attention returns to Bo and along with it, everybody else’s. She’s forced to peer up at his face, ready for his next instruction. But he doesn’t address her as such, instead throwing another question out to the group.

“What do you think Bo can do to get out of this?”

He’s almost fully on top of her, his forearms place by her head and Bo can feel her cheeks bloom with warmth.

There’s mutterings of suggestions between people that have paired off before someone calls out from the back.

“Head-butt you?”

Laughter flutters around the room.

“Not quite,” Harry admits with a smile. “Try and push me away.”

Simple.

Bo presses up, palms making contact with Harry’s chest and shoving. But it’s with slight alarm that she discovers all three attempts end with Harry buckling her elbows and powering down. And it’s then, with a whisper of breath between them that Harry asks, “How do you feel?”

Bo thickly swallows.

“Powerless.”

And it’s true because the thought of being so easily trapped is turning Bo’s stomach over. If it was anyone but Harry performing the demonstration there’s a strong possibility that she’d ask to remove herself from the situation to melt back into the gathering of people watching over. But it is Harry, Harry with his short hair, scarred face and easy smile. And she trusts him.

One woman clears her throat and Harry rolls smoothly back into professional instructor.

“This class is about learning to effectively gain control in situations like this.” With her hands pressed to Harry’s shoulders, not his chest, Bo’s told to lock her arms in place. It ensures that despite his efforts, his upper body is prevented from crushing hers.

“See,” Harry keeps up his running commentary. “With your arms like this, I can’t get anywhere near you. She could take my whole body weight and still hold the position.”

“Try,” one of the women sat down at the front suggests.

It’s never been an audience that Bo imagined she’d ever be in front of, especially in a situation like this. But the more moves they perform together, the more she feels empowered and comfortable in a strange sort of way.

Harry looks to Bo and she nods.

He’d been holding back in the demonstration before now, careful not to show full brawn. But as Harry surrenders his weight Bo’s joyfully surprised that she can take it and hold.

“Are you really -“

“Yeah, good job,” he praises.

A second more and his body’s burden is removed and they roll right into the next action in the sequence.

Harry is patient as they try different moves according to both of their leg positions. In between repeating new moves he just simply slides Bo back to him, aided by the ease of the mat, much to her surprise the first couple of times. He still holds her firm but the more they practise the easier Bo finds it to perform. She’s particularly pleased to perfect, “shrimping out”, a sequence that ends with freeing her legs.

“Bo’s gunna put her feet on my hips to give her leverage for the next move.” She does so, allowing Harry to adjust her placement before falling back into their position.

“Whilst doing this you can remove your palms from my chest and grip my elbows.”

Fingers wrap tight to his elbows as his hair flops over his eyes.

“And then you push, extending your legs.”

She doesn't exert herself because Harry’s going easy.

“An attacker’s natural reaction will be to pull away, and you use this to your full advantage. When this happens, I want you to move your grip down to the wrists and hold.”

Harry’s presence backs up and away from Bo at a casual pace so she can get used to the transforming hold. Hands sliding all the way down his forearms until she does as instructed and catches his wrists.

“Good.”

They’re taking it slowly, step by step with Harry reassuring the group that they’ll repeat the demonstration as many times as needed. He’s a patient tutor, happy to answer any questions put forward by some of the quieter women. It’s as Bo’s grinning stupidly up at him that her chest fills with pride and she thinks that maybe this is what he’s supposed to do; to help people, use his knowledge and experience of fighting and turn it on its head. Because he knows how to use another’s brute force in his favour, how to block attacks, how to escape a hold, deflect a punch and how to tactically overcome threat. Bo’s seen him do it, and now it’s time for him to teach others.

“When you get to this stage, it’s time to fight back. This is where I want you to kick the shit out of them.”

The women laugh at his choice of words as Bo’s eyes widen.

“What?” she blurts.

“Groin, solar plexus and chin,” he gestures respectively to each. “The aim is to incapacitate, knock him back and then you run.”

Bo’s grip tightens on his wrists. She doesn’t want to hurt him and she voices this worry whilst Harry takes hold of Bo’s calfs, lifting them so her feet are near his shoulders.

“This is when you have a chance to kick me in the face.”

Bo teasingly tests the strength of his grip which Harry responds to with a raised brow and comical smile.

“Think of cycling without the bike, that’s the motion you’re looking for.”

She practises her kicks with Harry tilting his head to the side, out of harms way.

“Then you can roll out from under me and run.”

Once they finish up with their little demo, it’s clear to see some of the women are itching to try out the sequence. They run through the steps once more slowly and then with speed before they disband and try the routine in pairs. Bo watches as Harry weaves through the mats talking to each pair and helping with any placement problems they’re having.

It’s Bo’s turn to sit back and watch whilst swigging out of her water bottle. Despite the more sinister underlying need for the class, there’s a few eruptions of giggles between friends when getting into positions. And Bo has to admit that she’s had fun.

Forty minutes more and the participants in the class are collecting their belongings from the back of the room. There’s accomplished smiles and fervent chatting upon exit, one woman even asks if there will be any more slots open for future classes, explaining the interest given when she’d told her friends. The proud smile she displays transforms upon a new arrival to her little area at the back.

“Were you here for the combat class?”

Bo turns to see a guy in shorts and a t-shirt with the sweat drenched neckline. He’s handsome in a boyish kind of way and that makes Bo think he’s probably not as old as the muscled body lets on.

“It’s a defence class,” she replies.

He nods with a smile.

“I’ve met the instructor.”

“Yeah?”

He hums.

“Yeah, but have you seen his face,” he gestures vaguely to his own left eye and Bo’s tolerance for this meaningless conversation shuts down. Prick. There’s no obligation to entertain such topics, and the fact that this man thought it was an appropriate icebreaker is beyond Bo.

“I dunno, I think he’s kinda cute,” she playfully cocks her head at Harry.

Harry’s still chatting with a few of the women but he’s definitely noticed her interaction with the man stood to her left. His posture changes, and there’s a moment where Bo thinks he might approach.

“Oh.”

“Mmm, looks like he could look after a woman. And he’s obviously hugely respectful of them for leading a class that empowers them in situations where we’re oppressed and demeaned in some of the worst ways imaginable.”

This guy is nodding but Bo’s not really sure he follows.

“I’m Jake,” he holds out his hand to shake.

She could almost laugh at the blatant urge to change the conversation.

“Bo.”

An instant before she sees him, Bo knows Harry is with her. She can already feel the heat of him as he stands partially behind her.

“Who’s this?”

Straight to the point and in a tone she hasn’t heard for a long time. Bo would be embarrassed to admit that it sends her body into a turmoil that results in a flushed chest and that hot little clench in her stomach. She pushes back into him almost on instinct.

“Jack.”

“It’s Jake,” the guy corrects, irritably.

“Oh, sorry,” Bo lightly laughs, fully aware of her mistake. “We were just talking about you.”

“You were?” Harry asks slightly warily.

He steps more to her right side as Bo fights the urge to push away the flopping curls from his face.

“Yeah, how successful the class is, and how pretty you are.”

Harry blinks down at her as Bo gives him her best smile.

“I’m gunna go.”

Jake leaves without any acknowledgement from the pair.

*** Bo helps with putting the mats away in the cupboard at the back. Well, helping in a sense that she lays in a starfish on the mat as Harry drags it across the floor. A hilarity that proceeds upon switching places, judging that Bo can barely move the mat a foot with Harry sprawled across it.

“Thanks for coming along, I think it really helps to have someone to demonstrate with. I don’t think I could have taken a volunteer for that sort of routine in the first couple of classes.”

They’re making their way out through the length of corridors to the reception.

“Oh, I’m not sure. I’m pretty certain there would have been a few hands go up if you’d have asked.”

He’s bashful about it, but Bo definitely sees the grin as he turns away to hold the door.

“So, how did it all happen?”

“When we were together, I remember you talking about it, teaching women defence.”

It’s a conversation Bo remembers having but it was flippant, she hadn’t dreamed he would acted on it.

“I got trained and became certified as an instructor. It’s only one night a week at the moment, but the manager’s told me that they were turning people away who wanted to enrol in the second class. And it’s not just women, it’s only a small turnout at the moment,” Harry frowns, “but we’re hoping to encourage more of the young LGBT community to enrol.”

“Lucky I got my spot then.”

“You’re an exception.”

“I think you mean, exceptional.”

It’s laughter that opens out onto the street.

“They’re hoping to fit in some more classes during the week.”

“That’s brilliant.”

“Then I wouldn’t have to do gym training in the day, it would just be the defence classes.”

Bo’s delighted to see that he looks proud and he should be.

“So, are you gunna show me your new place, or what?”

#FUCKING FINALLY #KNOCKOUT #HARRY AND BO

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aaronsniderus · 5 years

Text

Home Organization Hacks You’ll Probably End Up Regretting

The problem is, a lot of the tips that parade as little-known tricks that will make your life infinitely better aren’t really hacks. In fact, they often end up being more trouble than they’re worth, especially if they involve a high-effort project for a low-impact problem.

Home organization is a popular topic for the people who create these hacks, and you may be wondering if the ones you’ve seen are worth your time.

As someone who believes that home organization means that every object should have a place, even if that place is at the bottom of the junk drawer or cluttering the top of your dresser, I may not be the best person to tell other people that their organization tips are bad. However, what I lack in organizational skills, I make up for in being able to spot a bad life hack from a mile away. As a bona fide lazy person, I love things that make my life easier, so I’m pretty good at knowing what makes a good hack and what’s a waste of time.

So, which of these hacks are more DI-why than DIY?

Chalkboard Wall

But because I know myself, I refrain. And you should, too. Here’s why.

Sure, all those pictures of successful chalkboard walls you’ve seen paint a picture of a beautifully organized life where your family always knows the weekly dinner menu because you’ve drawn pictures of each meticulously planned meal on the kitchen wall and nobody wonders whose turn it is to walk the dog because your chore chart spells it out in big, chalky lettering.

However, getting organized should make your life simpler, not add to your list of things to do. Because this hack hinges on you carving out time each week to create a new masterpiece, your chalkboard wall will likely fall into dusty disuse in a week or two. You just won’t want to keep up with it. And if there’s one thing that makes you look disorganized, it’s a faded, several-months-old chore calendar displayed for all to see.

What to Do Instead

Use a pen and a notepad to write out your plans for the week or keep track of chores. If your family is asking for a week’s notice when it comes to dinner plans, start a group text chat or remind them to be thankful that they have someone who provides meals for them and let dinner remain a mystery until it is served.

Reusable Containers for Things That Came in a Container

While this hack certainly gives your cabinets a uniform look and can help you keep track of your pantry’s inventory, it’s not necessarily a more organized route, especially since the bigger containers can be kind of unwieldy if you need to use them frequently. Constantly having to wedge them in and out of your pantry is going to get really old, really fast.

What to Do Instead

Cookie Jar Bathroom Storage

Organization hackers love to take random objects and repurpose them as storage. Apparently, the latest hack is to use cookie or candy jars to store nail polish, lip gloss and other beauty items. While it might look adorable – and invite a fun comparison between picking out a makeup shade and choosing a treat in a candy shop – it’s not super-helpful if the color you want is at the bottom of the jar. It also means that if you ever want to take stock of the colors you own before making a decision, you’ll likely have to remove them all from the jar first, which is incredibly inconvenient.

What to Do Instead

If you must keep confectionery containers in your bathroom, stock them with something you won’t need to dig through, like cotton balls.

Wall Displays of Clutter

While it may be clever, it’s not necessarily good for organization. Flipping a mess vertically and hanging it on a wall doesn’t change the fact that you’ve still got clutter scattered about. If I keep all my kitchen utensils splayed out on the counter, it’s considered messy. But if I stick them up on the wall in the same formation, suddenly I’m an organizational genius?

If it makes your life easier to have your most-used items within reach, maybe this hack will work for you, but it’s a hack of convenience, not organization, so if you want a way to make your home look more orderly, this ain’t it. In general, making your home look organized involves putting things away, not leaving them out.

What to Do Instead

Putting Lots of Effort into Organizing Kids’ Stuff

The kids will appreciate all your hard work with pom-poms and the hot-glue gun for approximately zero seconds before destroying it in almost the same amount of time.

There are countless mommy-bloggers with abundant ideas for fun, cutesy ways to keep their kiddos’ living spaces nice and organized. The results are definitely worthy of a lifestyle-magazine spread. But are they really worth all that effort when the tots will be just as happy with a few plain, cheapo storage bins that don’t require a complex organization system likely to be undone the first time they put their toys away?

If you’ve ever interacted with children, you know that they don’t tend to be super into organization. Which is why these types of hacks are especially baffling, because they don’t seem to benefit anyone. It’s nice for the kids’ space to be tidy, but many of these tips seem to be more about making their room photoshoot-ready – one suggests sorting Legos by color into separate bins!

What to Do Instead

Kids don’t care if the container that holds their toys is nicely decorated or cutely labelled. Kids are better than we are in that way – they care about what’s on the inside. Save yourself an afternoon of crafting and buy a big canvas bin for all their favorite stuffed animals. As they get older, let them take the lead on organizing their stuff, but even when they’re young, don’t feel the need to micromanage all of their belongings. Let them sort their own Legos. It builds character.

Takeaway

There are a lot of organizational tips and tricks out there, and while some of them are more “hacky” than “hack,” if they end up working for you, hey, don’t let this article stop you. However, after poring over many of the hacks the internet has to offer, I have two thoughts for those who feel the need to organize their homes into oblivion:

Those beautiful magazine homes are overrated, anyway. Ultimately, organization should be about making your home easier and more soothing to live in. You don’t need a bunch of clever hacks. Just put your stuff away and get rid of clutter. Done.

Do you have any hacks that ended up not being so helpful? Share your story in the comments!

The post Home Organization Hacks You’ll Probably End Up Regretting appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/home-organization-hacks-youll-probably-end-regretting

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mikebrackett · 5 years

Text

Home Organization Hacks You’ll Probably End Up Regretting

Home organization is a popular topic for the people who create these hacks, and you may be wondering if the ones you’ve seen are worth your time.

As someone who believes that home organization means that every object should have a place, even if that place is at the bottom of the junk drawer or cluttering the top of your dresser, I may not be the best person to tell other people that their organization tips are bad. However, what I lack in organizational skills, I make up for in being able to spot a bad life hack from a mile away. As a bona fide lazy person, I love things that make my life easier, so I’m pretty good at knowing what makes a good hack and what’s a waste of time.

So, which of these hacks are more DI-why than DIY?

Chalkboard Wall

But because I know myself, I refrain. And you should, too. Here’s why.

However, getting organized should make your life simpler, not add to your list of things to do. Because this hack hinges on you carving out time each week to create a new masterpiece, your chalkboard wall will likely fall into dusty disuse in a week or two. You just won’t want to keep up with it. And if there’s one thing that makes you look disorganized, it’s a faded, several-months-old chore calendar displayed for all to see.

What to Do Instead

Reusable Containers for Things That Came in a Container

What to Do Instead

Cookie Jar Bathroom Storage

Organization hackers love to take random objects and repurpose them as storage. Apparently, the latest hack is to use cookie or candy jars to store nail polish, lip gloss and other beauty items. While it might look adorable – and invite a fun comparison between picking out a makeup shade and choosing a treat in a candy shop – it’s not super-helpful if the color you want is at the bottom of the jar. It also means that if you ever want to take stock of the colors you own before making a decision, you’ll likely have to remove them all from the jar first, which is incredibly inconvenient.

What to Do Instead

If you must keep confectionery containers in your bathroom, stock them with something you won’t need to dig through, like cotton balls.

Wall Displays of Clutter

What to Do Instead

Putting Lots of Effort into Organizing Kids’ Stuff

The kids will appreciate all your hard work with pom-poms and the hot-glue gun for approximately zero seconds before destroying it in almost the same amount of time.

What to Do Instead

Takeaway

Do you have any hacks that ended up not being so helpful? Share your story in the comments!

The post Home Organization Hacks You’ll Probably End Up Regretting appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/home-organization-hacks-youll-probably-end-regretting

0 notes

aaltjebarisca · 5 years

Text

Home Organization Hacks You’ll Probably End Up Regretting

Home organization is a popular topic for the people who create these hacks, and you may be wondering if the ones you’ve seen are worth your time.

As someone who believes that home organization means that every object should have a place, even if that place is at the bottom of the junk drawer or cluttering the top of your dresser, I may not be the best person to tell other people that their organization tips are bad. However, what I lack in organizational skills, I make up for in being able to spot a bad life hack from a mile away. As a bona fide lazy person, I love things that make my life easier, so I’m pretty good at knowing what makes a good hack and what’s a waste of time.

So, which of these hacks are more DI-why than DIY?

Chalkboard Wall

But because I know myself, I refrain. And you should, too. Here’s why.

However, getting organized should make your life simpler, not add to your list of things to do. Because this hack hinges on you carving out time each week to create a new masterpiece, your chalkboard wall will likely fall into dusty disuse in a week or two. You just won’t want to keep up with it. And if there’s one thing that makes you look disorganized, it’s a faded, several-months-old chore calendar displayed for all to see.

What to Do Instead

Reusable Containers for Things That Came in a Container

What to Do Instead

Cookie Jar Bathroom Storage

Organization hackers love to take random objects and repurpose them as storage. Apparently, the latest hack is to use cookie or candy jars to store nail polish, lip gloss and other beauty items. While it might look adorable – and invite a fun comparison between picking out a makeup shade and choosing a treat in a candy shop – it’s not super-helpful if the color you want is at the bottom of the jar. It also means that if you ever want to take stock of the colors you own before making a decision, you’ll likely have to remove them all from the jar first, which is incredibly inconvenient.

What to Do Instead

If you must keep confectionery containers in your bathroom, stock them with something you won’t need to dig through, like cotton balls.

Wall Displays of Clutter

What to Do Instead

Putting Lots of Effort into Organizing Kids’ Stuff

The kids will appreciate all your hard work with pom-poms and the hot-glue gun for approximately zero seconds before destroying it in almost the same amount of time.

What to Do Instead

Takeaway

Do you have any hacks that ended up not being so helpful? Share your story in the comments!

The post Home Organization Hacks You’ll Probably End Up Regretting appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/home-organization-hacks-youll-probably-end-regretting

0 notes