How to Slow Down Time

☆ WARNING! DO NOT USE THESE TIPS DURING THE MONTHS OF AUGUST TO MAY!

Can Doctor Strange manipulate time? It seems like he can do everything. That's why I was looking forward to his latest movie, which was just released on Disney+. Sadly, my entire family and I were disappointed. The plot wasn't very interesting, but that's okay. I moved on. Now, I'm looking forward to volume 2 of Stranger Things, coming to Netflix this Friday, July 1st. July 1st! Can you believe it? It's already basically July, which is basically August, which is basically when school starts. In other words, school basically starts tomorrow. It's going pretty fast but don't worry! There are many ways to slow down summer. You can manipulate time like Doctor Strange...can he do that? It was so bad I stopped paying attention.

How to Make Summer Last Longer

1. Put Down the Phone

Set aside your cellphone and other electronic devices. Do something else. Anything else. You'll be surprised how much longer the day feels. 

2. Take a Walk Outside

I like wandering around my backyard and kicking up dirt and mulch with my feet. I really like the wind, the smell of pollen, and the warmth of the sunshine on my skin.

3. Wake Up Earlier

You don't have to wake up early, just a little earlier if you feel like you're sleeping the day away. Instead of waking up at 1 pm, try noon. This way, you literally have more time.

4. Read a Good Book

Find a book you'll actually enjoy. It's weird. Time is supposed to go fast when you're having fun. And to me, reading is fun. But it's the one fun thing that actually makes time feel slower. Give it a try...Also! Do you want free books whenever you want? Try Libby! You can connect your library card with the app and download free books, audiobooks, magazines, and journals to read with the app or with a kindle. #notsponsored

5. Be Present and Mindful

Many times, my thoughts feel like they're moving too fast. I like to stop and be mindful of where I am and what's around me. I also look at myself, like at my hands. Sometimes I think, I actually have fingers? These weird bones are attached to my hand. They're covered in skin. Woah, what even is skin? It's smooth and it's just keeping everything from spilling out of me. Me. Who even is me? Why are we here? What was here before us? What if I am in a simulation? What is the purpose of anything? Anyways...!

6. Try Something New

Step outside your comfort zone! Try to learn a new skill or maybe start your own blog! The summer is a great time to just explore your interests and learn more about yourself. 

7. Spend Time with Friends or Family

I'm not trying to say that time will feel slower because they're boring or something. Sometimes, socializing is like cinnamon in oatmeal. It helps spice up the day. It makes the day feel more complete or full. I'll feel like I did more. It'll feel like time was slower.

Hopefully, these tips will help you better enjoy your summer! My kitties are enjoying it! They like seeing their hoomans all day, every day. 

Scroll down to see how the cats are doing!

Thanks for visiting!

10 School Tips (Part 1)

1. Buy a Planner and Actually Use It

My planner is the most important item in my backpack. It keeps me organized. I recommend planners like the "Dated Middle High School Student Planner 2022 - 2023 Academic School Year" on Amazon. There's space to write homework, goals, and other notes for every day of the week (some planners even come with stickers).

How to Watch Scary Movies

Tips & Tricks to Staying Happy and Safe During and After Scary Movies

1. Keep All Lights On

Imagine watching a scary movie and then realizing, "Oh no, I need to make it all the way to the light switch in the dark." Who knows what's out there? You'll start seeing faces. What's underneath the coffee table? Darkness. What's in the darkness? Bloody hands. Pennywise, mouth gaping open, eyes fixed on the blood pulsating through the veins in your wrists (or maybe it's just a cat sitting in a bread loaf dreaming about tuna). It could be anything (It)!

2. Keep All Curtains Closed

If all the lights are on, this means you can't see anything outside but anything can see you inside. Who knows what's watching, waiting for your most vulnerable moment to break in and attack? Or...kill? Also, make sure to tape the curtains down. What if they start moving? A person might be hiding behind and peeking around. Oh no. They're moving right now. Oh...it's just the cat.

3. Watch with Company

Always watch movies with friends and/or family. You can share the stress among yourselves. Remember, always make sure to share it equally. Somebody might feel left out. Be considerate and kind. Somehow, it feels less scary when others personally know what you've been through. 

4. Keep Blankets Handy

Some people say that the most important item to keep close to you during a movie is food. Popcorn. Sour Patch Kids. Hershey chocolate. Or maybe you still need to eat dinner. Pizza. Grilled cheese. Chicken salad. ALL WRONG. A blanket is most important, for both warmth and for hiding during stressful scenes. Remember this lesson (it is useful in the real world, too): If you can't see somebody, they can't see you.

5. Pet Kitties and Watch YouTube Videos

Watching scary movies is like running. Sometimes it's a challenge. Make sure to "cool down" afterward. Pet your animals and watch videos like "Top 10 Most Dangerous Waterslides." You can also watch Teen Beach Movie on Disney+ or sing along to fun rhymes with Cocomelon on TV. This is a crucial step in recovery. You need to return back to reality, back to the real world. Unless the movie was also...real.

6. Keep Subtitles On

I don't know why subtitles help, they just do. Reading descriptions like "weird ominous sounds in the distance" and "ominous music now playing" just completely breaks the tension. 

7. Edit the Movie With Your Imagination

You are more powerful than you realize. Trick your mind. Pretend the scary monster wasn't really all that scary. For example, I bet you didn't know that Pennywise the Clown was actually just a cat in a sweater (It)? Shocking!

8. Make DIY Crafts

Get crafty! Hammer nails into a bat and keep it close in case a Demogorgon enters through a portal in the wall (Stranger Things).

9. Bring Handcuffs

Lock up your friends in case they become possessed during the movie.

10. Bring Kitchen Staples

You'll need a few pounds of salt handy in case you need to make a circle of salt for protection against demons (Supernatural).

11. Learn How to Garden

A few weeks prior to the movie, ask your dad how to grow wolfsbane (Teen Wolf). Arrange it nicely in a flower pot and put it on your table in the living room. Finally. Practical decor. 

12. Call Up Doctor Who

Make sure to call him and rent the Tardis for a couple of days (Doctor Who). You might need a fast escape. Anything could happen. A zombie appears. A lady with long black hair in a white gown tries to grab you through the TV screen. A person flies to the ceiling, their bones start breaking, and their eyes pop (Stranger Things). Somebody cuts the cheese.

13. Wear Ear Plugs

Make sure to wear ear plugs. If you don't, you might hear the grandfather clock chime (Stranger Things).

14. Wear a Blindfold

Make sure to wear a blindfold. If you don't, you might see the black mist and start to go crazy (Bird Box).

Summary of tips 12 & 13: Do not look at anything and do not listen to anything. Enjoy the movie!

I hope these tips help you become A-Person-Who-Watches-Scary-Movies-And-Actually-Enjoys-Them-And-Actually-Sleeps-Well-Afterwards. Thanks for visiting!

Bao The Little Lady

I adopted Bao the same day as Mochi.

It was a hot summer afternoon. After entering the shelter, my family and I split off in pairs, looking for 2 kitties that would make our family complete. We didn't even know if we were going to find any. I couldn't stand leaving empty-handed. We had been searching all summer, routinely checking the shelter every week. 

I searched for 10 minutes with no luck. I started to feel the hope drain out of me (12-year-old me was very impatient). But then my brother spotted her. Through the window of one little room, there was a little grey cat with little green eyes. She was the cutest cat I'd ever seen (I'm sorry Mochi). My mom and I visited her. Kneeling down to coax her out of her corner, my mom poured treats onto the palm of my hand. I extended it towards her. Suddenly, her roommate, a large orange tabby, leaped from his cat tree and curiously walked up to sniff my hand. Springing out of her corner, Bao hissed at him, scaring him off. Then she started to eat her treats. That's one thing I love about Bao: she's fierce. She's perfect.

Bao is a petite American Shorthair with thick grey fur. She has a white belly and white socks. Nobody ever sneaks up on her. Her piercing green eyes see all and her sensitive ears hear all. Sometimes, I try to prepare her tuna silently to see if she'll notice. It shouldn't be that hard, right? WRONG. The spoon scrapes the side of the can. The bowl clicks against the countertop. I hear a distant THUMP from the other room. She's dropped down from the kitty condo. Oh no. A few seconds later, I hear the door creak open. OH NO. SHE'S HERE. SHE'S UPON US. She pops up around the corner. AHHHHHHHHH!! Mission failed. Try again in 24 hours.

Bao's naturally adorable. Her little grey nose is always wet. I don't know why but that makes her 10x cuter. It doesn't really make sense because it's either water or snot. Also, she likes to scratch nothing. After exiting the litter box, she makes swiping motions in the air. Later, she swipes nothing on newspapers and hardwood floors. She also loves boxes. She jumps into them and just sits there like a little lady. Her tail wraps neatly around her feet. Sometimes, my brother picks up the box with her in it. She starts to go crazy. Bad idea.  

Bao's sweet but sometimes scary. Terrifying. At night, I separate Bao and Mochi. Mochi stays in one room. Bao must leave. But Bao, the Queen, doesn't want to. I try to coax her out of the cat tree with treats so I can pick her up but then I see the wild look in her eyes. I can't stick my hand near her and risk scratches and bites, so I must take extreme measures. If she's in the condo, I tilt it until it's parallel to the ground. She digs her claws in and grips on for dear life, but gravity always wins. She spills out and I snatch her up before she runs back to the condo for cover. Haha.

She's even scarier later at night. Sometimes, I'm getting ready for bed and the lights downstairs are all off. I leave my room and, passing by the stairs, I see 2 little green lights in the darkness, 10 feet away. Eyes. I continue on to the bathroom. A minute later, I walk back to my room and look down the stairs. 2 little green lights, 7 feet away. Oh no. Hiding behind a corner, I wait a few seconds then I peer around it. 2 little green lights, 4 feet away. OH NO. I hide again. I wait again. I peer out again. 2 little green lights, 1 foot away. OH NO. SHE'S HERE. SHE'S UPON US. RUN! I dash into my room. From behind the door, I hear a questioning, "Meow?"

Anyways, she's great. Scroll down to see a few of my favorite Bao Memories.

(P.S. Mochi, I'm sorry I wrote more about Bao than about you. Forgive me please. Thanks.)

Good eating.

BOXES AND STRINGS,

MY FAVORITE THINGS.

You will never escape me.

Get. It. Off. NOW!

GET. IT. OFF. NOW!!!!!!

Hisssss!

#notimpressed

Bao Bao Burrito.

Duh!

Looks like your work's done for today. Butt warmer. Mine now.

Thanks for visiting!

Mochi The Pee Monster

I have 2 cats, Bao and Mochi. Mochi's my favorite (I'm sorry Bao). She's an American Shorthair with brown tabby coloring. There's a dark brown spot on her side, like a little target. Her belly is a lighter creme. It sags. When she walks, her tummy swings back and forth. Apparently, it's called a primordial pouch. This loose layer of skin protects her bones and organs from predators (1). 

Although she's almost 4 years old, she still acts like a kitten. Actually, she's more like a puppy. For one, she gets into trouble. She refuses to scratch her scratching posts and cat trees. Instead, she prefers the couches, chair cushions, curtains, floor mats, and carpets. Of course, they barely trim her claws. If I painted them, she'd look like she was wearing long acrylics. They're sharp and loud. I always hear her walking toward me. 

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

I don't know if there's a nice way to say this but she's not a very clean kitty. Cats usually wash themselves for a total of 1 hour every day (2). Cats usually wash everywhere. Mochi does not. The little ring of pink on her bottom isn't...pink. She also sullies her water bowl. Bao's bowl. Every bowl. She dips for paw in the water and then quickly pulls it back and shakes it, flinging water everywhere and leaving chunks of litter and dirt in the bowl. That's not all. She is a Pee Monster. The Pee Monster. Every night and sometimes during the day, she goes to the bathroom on our couch. Fortunately, its cover is washable. Maybe I should get her diapers. 

We're not sure why she pees. No bladder control? Doubtful. She pees in the same exact spot. Mochi knows what she's doing. Guilty. We assume it's because she feels threatened by Bao. The first night at her new home, Bao broke through the cloth barrier separating her from Mochi. They were trapped together in a locked room. That night, Bao established her role: the Queen. I feel bad. Mochi doesn't deserve to feel this way. During feeding time, I put Mochi's bowl of tuna down for her first. But usually, she waits for me to put Bao's down. She wants to let the Queen eat first. Lately, I've been encouraging her to eat first. I snatch her up from hiding and plop her down next to her food before feeding Bao. She needs to stand up for herself and hold her ground. But I think it's working too well...

Recently, Mochi discovered a new hobby. It's called the Smack and Walk Away. Out of nowhere, she walks up to Bao, smacks her head with her paw, then walks away. Now, the roles are reversed. Mochi bullies Bao. That wasn't my plan.

Despite everything, I love Mochi. Always will. She's adorable. She chirps at the birds. She gallops like a little horse up and down the stairs. When I see her, I kneel and lower my head for a head-butt. We also play hide-and-seek. I run around the corner, call out her name, and wait for her. When she finds me, she talks to me and greets me with another head-butt. 

Scroll down to see a few of my favorite Mochi Memories!

Stop sniffing my paws!!

I will end you.

Aggressive lick!

You're mine now.

Homework time done. Mochi time.

Nap time.

Just got them done. Still drying.

Nothing is safe. Mine now.

AHH!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Thanks for visiting!

10 Types of Domestic Cats (Part 1)

What's great about life is that you'll always be able to find cats no matter where you go. They're everywhere. In many shapes and sizes. In a variety of colors. With different talents and different behaviors. Some are elegant, clean, and sophisticated (e.g., Bao - The Little Lady). Others are...not (e.g., Mochi - The Pee Monster). Let's take a look at 10 different breeds of domestic felines around the world! 

1. The Persian Cat

Origin: Mesopotamia/Persia (modern-day Iran)

Coloring: White, cream, chocolate, red, blue, black

Size: Medium (7 - 12 Ib., 10" - 15'' tall)

Other: Snub noses, "pushed-in" face, round cheeks, 2 coats of fur

Personality: Quiet, reserved, loving, lazy

Needs: Daily grooming with brushes and/or combs

Fun fact: Most Persians do not like jumping.

2. The Maine Coon

Origin: The United States

Coloring: Black, cream, brown, white, smoky grey

Size: Large (10 - 18 lb.)

Other: Muscular body, tall pointed ears, long thick coat

Personality: Social, affectionate, playful, energetic

Needs: Outdoor living (space)

Fun fact: They're partly named after raccoons. Both raccoons and Maine Coons have long striped bushy tails.

3. The British Shorthair

Origin: Great Britain

Coloring: Grey, white, creme, tan

Size: Medium/large (7 - 17 Ib., 12" - 14'' tall)

Other: Thick short fur, round face, broad chest

Personality: Calm, intelligent, loyal, friendly

Needs: Equal amounts of attention and personal space

Fun fact: People describe British Shorthairs as real-life teddy bears.

4. The Bengal Cat  

Origin: The United States

Coloring: Brown, silver, charcoal, black, gold

Size: Medium/large

Other: Muscular build, spotted or marbled coat, spotted belly

Personality: Athletic, energetic, playful, curious, affectionate

Needs: Access to water (baths, faucets) and plenty of living space

Fun fact: People describe Bengals as "miniature leopards."

5. The Siamese Cat

Origin: Siam (modern-day Thailand)

Coloring: Dark brown, chocolate, blue, tan, creme

Size: Small/medium (6 - 14 Ib., 15" - 20'' in length)

Other: Blue eyes, muscular body, "wedged-shaped" head, large ears

Personality: Energetic, affectionate, social, intelligent

Needs: Plenty of (human and/or pet) company, entertainment, and attention

Fun fact: These Siamese kitties love to talk and talk and talk! They'll always share their opinions.

6. The Sphynx Cat

Origin: Canada

Coloring: (Almost) completely hairless

Size: Small (5.5 - 12 Ib.)

Other: Loose skin, wrinkles, "wedged-shaped" head, big eyes, long legs

Personality: Outgoing, intelligent, affectionate, curious, energetic

Needs: Calm, quiet, indoor environment (preferably no children) and lots of warm blankets

Fun fact: The first hairless cat was a result of a genetic mutation in 1966.

7. The Ragdoll Cat

Origin: The United States

Coloring: Grey, black, chocolate, tan, creme, white

Size: Medium/large (10 - 20 Ib., 17" - 21" in length)

Other: Semi-long coat, blue eyes, bushy tail, large paws

Personality: Kid and pet-friendly, easygoing, affectionate, docile

Needs: Combing twice a week and butt-wiping after bathroom trips

Fun fact: Ragdolls tend to be well-mannered and easy to train.

8. The Scottish Fold

Origin: Scotland

Coloring: White, red, grey, tan, creme

Size: Small/medium (6 - 13 Ib., 10" - 12'' in length)

Other: Folded ears, amber eyes, soft dense coat, round head

Personality: Kid-friendly, active, vocal, intelligent

Needs: Weekly ear-checks (clean dirt with wipes and/or swabs)

Fun fact: Scottish Folds often sit or sleep in interesting positions. They like resting on their backs and sitting upright on 2 feet like a meerkat.

9. Norwegian Forest Cat

Origin: Norway

Coloring: Orange, chocolate, tan, creme, white, grey, black

Size: Medium/large (13 - 22 Ib., 12" - 18'' in length)

Other: Very long thick fur, waterproof coat, bushy tail

Personality: Friendly with family, gentle, quiet, reserved, athletic, independent

Needs: Daily grooming with a brush and/or comb

Fun fact: Norwegian Forest cats finish growing at 5 years old and love climbing trees.

10. Abyssinian Cat

Origin: Southeast Asia

Coloring: Red, orange, chocolate, tan, creme, white

Size: Small/Medium (6 - 10 Ib., 12" - 16'' in length)

Other: Ticked coat, broad ears, almond-shaped eyes

Personality: Kid and pet-friendly, intelligent, playful, adventurous

Needs: High cat condos (trees), toys, water, space to run around

Fun fact: Abyssinians love to climb as high as possible and unlike most cats, enjoy swimming.

Thanks for visiting!