Tag Archives: Pictures

Traveling as Therapy – Denise

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Hi readers! As you can probably guess, I took a week or so off blogging to gather more stories from you guys to read and love/interact with. I have quite a few more bloggers coming your way, and that’s in a nutshell! A few of my guests have expressed interest in being a repeat guest with me, so I have taken the liberty to organize a few bloggers to post once or twice per month on The Unsanity and continue telling stories or forms of therapy that can help my readers and audience. Today, however, we have Denise, who will be talking about traveling as therapy for anxiety and depression. Thank you for sharing your post, and I look forward to working with you again in the future! On top of her blog link below, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram as well!

Hello everyone!

My name is Denise and I’m the person behind http://www.pieceofdenise.com/ – my blog where I share my life experience with you. One of my favorite things to write about are my trips; for my 25 years I realized how mentally enriching and healing that can be. That’s why today I’m going to tell you about why I think that travelling can be an amazing therapy.

Traveling gives us the opportunity to disconnect from our regular life. You get to forget your problems/issues for a few weeks, it can also help you figure things out that you would not have understood without the distance traveling can give you. We all have crazy schedules, work and a family to take care of, going away alone or with some friends can give you distance and perhaps even make you realize how important these people are for you. Like the saying says: we never know what we have until we lose it.

Another great benefit is the relaxation you get to do. It’s nice to live life to its fullest and enjoy a stress free time with yourself. Going on vacation lets us recharge our “batteries” by disconnecting us from our regular life. When we come back we feel invigorated and we are happy to be back in our day to day routine. It’s a very good stress remover that has a lot more to give than most people are willing to accept.

Traveling relieves the symptoms of depression. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, made in 2013, relieving tensions that we experience during travelling is partly a psychological result of the change in our environment. When we physically move from the places and activities that cause us stress, we allow our minds and bodies to recover and refresh themselves. People who travel once every two years are prone to suffer depression and stress much more than people who travel at least twice a year.

Where should I go?

If meetings and conversations with many people in a busy work environment cause the stress in your situation, then it is best to go to a peaceful place, surrounded nature – take a long walk, breathe fresh air, sleep in a hut even. Of course, you need to choose it according to your physical training and do not forget that you need an equipment in case you choose a mountain trip. If you don’t have one, try an easier route near a hut, guest house or hotel – safety’s first. If you spend a lot of time at home, you need social contact. It’s time to invite some friends and go on a journey. Day or two can recharge you completely. Visit a city you’ve never been to.

During travelling, you may experience the craziest, most exciting things, that will eventually become great stories that you can tell others. When you grow old and look back at your life and all your travel experiences, you will realize how much you have done in your life and your life was not in vain. It can provide you with happiness and satisfaction for the rest of your life.

Interested in being a guest on The Unsanity Blog? Send me an email to koral.novak@gmail.com – I would love to hear from you and collaborate!

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Getting Into the Holiday Spirit – A Holiday Guide – BeautyMePlease

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This Black Friday post comes to you from a fellow Washington resident! Briana reached out to me regarding guest posting, and lo and behold she lives only one hour from me in my new home state! I’m sure you’ll see more collaborating between her and I in the coming years as we can easily work together to come up with ideas. Without further hesitation, I present BeautyMePlease!

As the end of the year approaches faster than ever, every year we still face the same problem: Getting into the holiday vibe. True story! You must be thinking, “alright Bri, Good luck with that”, well GRINCH, I don’t need your input!

Before we get started let me introduce myself, My name is Briana and I am the owner/creator of Beauty me Please! I am a beauty blogger and freelance makeup artist that blog about beauty as long as it is cruelty free & vegan! I also do personal blogs and self care because we all need that reminder to take care of ourselves. If you want to see more of me don’t hesitate to visit me at beautymeplease.com

Coffee up and take a seat because we are getting festive!

1. Smell like a SNACK

Ever here the term “Smelling like a snack? Yeah I have too and I am not too fond of it but it is relevant for this topic. One way to get into the holiday spirit to to bathe in the scents and oh so good beauty products. I am talking candles, shower gels, lotions, hair products and maybe as far as toothpaste. That sounds like a cavity. But it is a start! If your tree is up, spray some pine, need some candles? Hit up Bath N Body works for some sugarcookie or vanilla scented candles to make your house smell like a bakery all day everyday! Something fun and relaxing is taking a bath and using a really good scented bath bomb and then lotion up afterwards. Usually with smells that go well together. Careful not to go overboard though, it happens.

2. Baking and baked goods make the heart whole 

At heart, if there are no sweets of any kind I am a very very sad soul and many others are too. It is literally the unofficial tradition for thanksgiving or Christmas. Sure you have your buffets of food but your holiday will not be complete without  some yummy baked goods. 

So you can go out an check out and support your local bake shops because usually they have the good stuff. Or checkout Pinterest because there are so many really good and healthy dishes and recipes but the search will be unlimited! Best believe Pinterest has millions of recipes and more more are added everyday and since the holidays are here, you are boundto find the perfect recipe.

 

3. Facebook events

If you are looking to save money this year because you blew it all on decorations or presents but still want something to do then this is for you. Around this time of year, your town or city have many events happening pertaining to the holiday or celebrations. There are dance events, events for family and children,concerts, special mall parties, whatever it may be you are bound to something really fun and worth the experience. A lot of the events depending on the area will be free and also depending on the area or event in general there are fees but nothing too crazy. Definitely doable. Facebook events are easily accessible in the app and on desktop. Give it a whirl and see what you find.

4. Decorate!

This is the simplest and easiest way to truly get festive and feel one with the spirit! Decorating is like the soul or the door to feeling happy and good spirited with the harsh winter fall and winter weather. It keeps you sain, and you don’t have to leave your house if you don’t want after you make your place a living museum of decorative vibes. And every year you get to spend time in looking for MORE decor to compliment what you already have. It is the truest form of satisfaction.

5. You’re the Grinch

If none of these are tickling you yet, I fear that it is too late for you! YOU GRINCH! Or possibly scrooge? You simply cannot be entertained! Getting festive and feeling the holiday is also wanting to really feel something else other than moping around and feeling unhappy. My advice? Go to that neighborhood where every house and lawn is decked out head-to-toe in decorations. Appreciate all the pretty lights and the effort that goes into that maintenance and dedication it took to get all that out. You know what I am talking about! When you were younger your family would drive around looking at all the homes that were bright and colorful SCREAMING for attention! If that STILL doesn’t get your blood flowing well, Netflix your problems until you feel better.

Well that is all I have for this year guys! I hope you guys enjoyed this read as much as I did but really, all seriousness aside you should really some of these out if you haven’t already, could make a difference, who knows. I’d like to thank Koral, for giving me the opportunity to reach out to you guys and give you some ideas and hopefully a laugh! She is a great person and I love her work as you do too! Thank you for having me, again my name is Briana and I hope you have the BEST Thanksgiving and Christmas and a Happy New year!

Five Tips for Creating Clickable Posts Your Audience Will Want to Share

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Hi everyone and welcome to the new renovated Unsanity Blog. I’ve changed a few things you might want to check out on the site, including the layout and URL – I have my own domain again! It’s been awhile and now that I have a bit more time to dedicate to my blog, I’m going to be updating regularly, scheduling posts and posting as much as I can, when I can. I’ve added some new widgets at the bottom, including a countdown and a link to my Facebook Page where you can find additional content and graphics I make for you to love and share.

Here, I wanted to highlight five tips for creating clickable posts your audience will want to share. This list is (or should be at least) known by all, but in case you don’t know this, feel free to share away! (Yes they still have my old website on them, since these were created awhile ago, and I am aware of that, but the website still works!) Each tip features a cute yet strong animal everyone can relate to in their own way.

  1. Be Relevant
  2. Use A Strong CTA (Call to Action)
  3. Use Smart Design Strategies
  4. Remember Each Platform is Different
  5. BE ORIGINAL (most important!)

    • Liebster Awards!

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    I was nominated many eons ago by Debs The Ninja on her blog. I’m super grateful, and never realized what it was until I read more up on it not too long ago (meaning like 3 months ago now, but still this was from back years ago… lol.) Since this is so old, I’m going to still answer the questions I was given by Debs, but I’m hoping this will translate into the 2018 version. The rules are simple and not hard to follow!

    These are the rules: 

    Thank the nominator and post a link to his/her blog
    Display the award on your blog
    Answer the questions provided by the nominator
    Include some random facts about yourself
    Nominate 5-11 blogs which have less than 1000 followers
    Prepare more questions

    The questions given to me go as follows:

    If you could visit any five countries in the world with no time or money constraints, where would you go and why?

    Wow, any 5? I’m not honestly sure. I know one would have to be Hungary because I’m Hungarian and Budapest is gorgeous in photos I see on the web. I know someone who lives there, and she’s a fellow Etsy seller (you can check out her stuff here!) My next would have to be Iceland. I’ve always wanted to head there and see the hot springs and mountains that I see so many photos of online and on Instagram. I was thinking possibly a honeymoon destination…. but I’d need to get the fiance on board first to go there, haha. Third would have to be Finland. My mom went some many years ago, and said it was gorgeous. Not to mention that the fact so much amazing music comes out of there… mainly Poets of the Fall which happens to be my favorite band. I have never seen them because they don’t have a presence over here in the states, sadly. But one day I hope to see them live. Also, northern lights, DUH! My last two would have to be Japan and Scotland. No real reason except that photos that I’ve seen are amazing. As someone who has an interest in photography and different food sometimes, I’d say it would be well worth it for me to explore more options. A lot of other countries are over played.. and make them more crowded. I’d like to go off the beaten path a bit and stay in locations that aren’t popular at these.

    What inspires or motivates you?

    Before my fiance… not much motivated me. I was in a crappy hole from break up after break up and didn’t want to do anything or be with anyone. Now, I like to think we inspire each other with ideas and we mesh well, making us both better people. I love nature and the organic shapes of flowers, leaves, and trees. In order to be surrounded by inspiration and find new inspiration, I think it’s important to get out of your office every day to take a short walk or find a new hiking path. I want to start to do this more, since the weather is starting to get amazing here in WA.

    How would you describe yourself in ten words?

    1. Outgoing 2. Loving 3. Crazy 4. Wine-Drinker 5. Passionate 6. Short-Tempered 7. Motivational 8. Understanding 9. SocialButterfly 10. Weird

    What is the craziest or awesomest thing you’ve ever done?

    Packed up and moved to the West Coast. No, seriously. I was living in PA and previously NJ, and was like you know what, I need a change. So I found a job out here and well, here I am! I decided that I wasn’t getting any younger and if I wanted to do something I had to do it. And thankfully my fiance came with me (LOL) or he’d be pretty sad back there without me.

    What is your spirit animal and why?

    The Wolf: A power animal symbolic of freedom

    The power of the wolf brings forth instinct, intelligence, appetite for freedom, and awareness of the importance of social connections. This animal can also symbolize fear of being threatened and lack of trust. When the wolf shows up in your life, pay attention to what your intuition is telling you. Wolf power or spirit animals point to an appetite for freedom and living life powerfully, guided by instincts. When a wolf manifests its presence as a guide in your life, it could be a call to live your life more freely, to bring the intensity of passion in your everyday endeavors. Wolves are wild animals that are not easily domesticated and when they appear as spirit guides, they could be an invitation to look at what supports your authentic self and the true expression of yourself. The wolf totem is a reminder to keep your spirit alive and trust your instincts to find the way that will best suit you. (Excerpt taken from here.)

    Do you remember your dreams? If so, what was your weirdest dream?

    Sometimes I do. That’s something I’ve always wanted to keep track of at least for a little while. I haven’t been dreaming lately though, since moving to Washington. Which I find a little odd. Back in PA I was always dreaming and I’ve had a few strange ones, but none that I can remember vividly to be honest. I’d like to keep a dream journal by my bed to start tracking those, if I ever have another dream.

    What is your favorite band/song/genre of music?

    I like to say I don’t have a favorite band or genre at all. I listen to anything from Pop to Rock to Death Metal to Opera so I don’t think I can give myself a category specifically. I feel like there are a lot of people like this in today’s day and age, along with this being perfectly normal.

    How would you describe a perfect day?

    If you want to check out my previous blog I wrote about this you can – it’s too long to write in here!

    Do you prefer cold weather or hot weather? 

    Cold! Well, sometimes. You can always put on more layers to get warm, but you can’t take off anymore layers without going past naked. At least, that’s how I view it… I’m not sure how the rest of you do. I’d much rather pile on the blankets to be comfortable than dripping sweat when you need electricity for a fan or something to help that out.

    What are you most afraid of?

    Existential Anxiety: According to existential theorists, a universal fear of the limits and responsibilities of one’s existence.

    What do you love more than anything else and why?

    1. Learning. Learning is not necessarily about knowledge per se but it is also about developing the ability to think critically, about using one’s imagination and many more things. Ghandi once declared that “the future depends on what we do in the present.” If we are to have a future, we need to evolve.
    2. Nature. “We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” ― Henry David Thoreau
    3. 27752368_1624846487622569_4065434429084898169_n
      Need I say more?

    Nominated Blogs:

    1. Delux Does Life
    2. Discovering Life with Appie
    3. Sweet Lemons
    4. Anna Merissa
    5. Bay Area Beauty Blogger
    6. 4 Little Fergusons
    7. Butterfly Samurai
    8. A Guy’s Guide to Wedding Planning

    Here are my new questions to answer:

    1. What is your favorite quote?
    2. If you could go anywhere in the world for 3 months, where would you go and why?
    3. What are some things you’re passionate about and why?
    4. That’s the weirdest thing you’ve done so far?
    5. Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
    6. What makes you feel accomplished?
    7. If you are in a bad mood, do you prefer to be left alone or have someone to cheer you up?
    8. Do you believe in second chances?
    9. What’s on your bucket list this year?
    10. What’s your biggest regret in life?

    Random Facts

    1. I’ve been to 26 states so far and hoping to do all 50 before 35.
    2. I have 21 tattoos.
    3. I’ve had my blog for 7+ years.
    4. If I go to a brewery, and they don’t have a pretzel and beer cheese sauce, they are immediately judged. It’s my go to.
    5. I drink wine like water sometimes.
    6. I’ve lived on both coasts now, and the weather on the West Coast is so far the winner even though I’ve only been here for 5 months.
    7. I hate flying.
    8. I work for the government.
    9. I’m marrying my best friend – someone who’s tried to get me for 4 years.
    10. I procrastinate everything in life … Except work most times.

    I’d Like a Drink

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    Sunday evening and I’ve spent about an hour and a half in the bath enjoying my “me” time making some designs. I remember today was Victor Hugo day and I chose something from Les Misérables because it’s my favorite movie.

    I’d like to watch it sometime here soon. I haven’t in about a year and a half, and that’s something I’d like to do usually once every few months. I’ve done it every year now for quite some time.

    We’ve been working on wedding stuff and it’s stressing me out, so I came up with this one for today! Enjoy.

    xoxoxo

    Koral Dawn

    Algebra Applies to the Clouds

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    “Algebra applies to the clouds, the radiance of the star benefits the rose–no thinker would dare to say that the perfume of the hawthorn is useless to the constellations. Who could ever calculate the path of a molecule? How do we know that the creations of worlds are not determined by falling grains of sand? Who can understand the reciprocal ebb and flow of the infinitely great and the infinitely small, the echoing of causes in the abyss of being and the avalanches of creation? A mite has value; the small is great, the great is small. All is balanced in necessity; frightening vision for the mind. There are marvelous relations between beings and things, in this inexhaustible whole, from sun to grub, there is no scorn, each needs the other. Light does not carry terrestrial perfumes into the azure depths without knowing what it does with them; night distributes the stellar essence to the sleeping plants. Every bird that flies has the thread of the infinite in its claw. Germination includes the hatching of a meteor and the tap of a swallow’s beak breaking the egg, and it guides the birth of the earthworm, and the advent of Socrates. Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which of the two has a greater view? Choose. A bit of mold is a pleiad of flowers; a nebula is an anthill of stars. The same promiscuity, and still more wonderful, between the things of the intellect and material things. Elements and principles are mingled, combined, espoused, multiplied one by another, to the point that the material world, and the moral world are brought into the same light. Phenomena are perpetually folded back on themselves. In the vast cosmic changes, universal life comes and goes in unknown quantities, rolling everything up in the invisible mystery of the emanations, using everything, losing no dream from any single sleep, sowing a microscopic animal here, crumbling a star there, oscillating and gyrating, making a force of light, and an element of thought, disseminated and indivisible dissolving all, that geometric point, the self; reducing everything to the soul-atom; making everything blossom into God; entangling from the highest to the lowest, all activities in the obscurity of a dizzying mechanism, linking the flight of an insect to the movement of the earth, subordinating–who knows, if only by the identity of the law–the evolutions of the comet in the firmament to the circling of the protozoa in the drop of water. A machine made of mind. Enormous gearing, whose first motor is the gnat, and whose last is the zodiac.”
    ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

    I recently found this quote from Les Misérables and I forgot how incredibly amazing of a writer Victor Hugo really was. Knowing the story in and out and seeing it on Broadway more than enough times to count on two hands .. I love this. I’m not sure where my book went but I really want to get my hands on it again. I’m hoping I still have it .. somewhere really. If not I’ll find another and buy it online.

    Anyway, today (Saturday) was fun. We went down to Centralia, WA. It’s nothing like Centralia, PA but it was a cute little town with a lot of antique shops and (best of all) frozen yogurt! A few bars and taverns and food places places in between and a breakfast place even right attached to the one antique mall. (Which actually turned out to be a hotel as well so that’s pretty cool also.)

    I hate being lazy though. I waste my weekends and never get anything done and want to be more productive if I can. I have no ambition so I feel what he’s going through with not having a job. But still. We have things to get done and things we want to do and keep talking about doing but we just don’t do them. Then I’m mad/upset they’re not done. I really need some motivation in order to be domestic. And it sucksssss.

    Any advice? Haha

    xoxoxo

    Koral Dawn

    Off to New Heights

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    About 2 weeks ago we had a pretty epic drive towards Mount Rainier. We didn’t hit it, but we got so close we couldn’t even see it anymore. It was a good winding drive from our home in Lacey, back roads meant for race cars and going fast .. as long as there’s not a motorcyclist in your way going half the actual speed limit and doesn’t know how to bike. Yes, we came across this as we turned around from the actual mountain to head to the lookout not far back towards home to take these shots. He was quite possibly the worst bike rider I’ve ever been behind, however, at least he was careful with the twisting turning roads.

    Anyway, you can see a bit of history with the first photo and amount Rainier. Definitely excited to call this place home once we actually get more settled, he has a job, and we can do way more that we want to. I’d like to buy a house within the next two years. By then we’ll be married and his credit score will be on its way up up up and for he better. Mines pretty decent right now, and I’m pretty excited for it. I hope it can stay that way and keep going up.

    The second photo is of the Hasselblad camera I actually grew quite fond of quickly. Seems though it was dirty and needs some cleaning in which we tried to do ourselves, but turns out the person before us had it taken apart and never put it back together correctly and we need to send it out for cleaning, fixing and new screws. There’s others like it that he has I can use, but this was my favorite.

    Enjoy the photos and gaze upon the beauty that is Rainier. I can’t wait for summer to go into the park! 🗻❤️🌷

    xoxox

    Koral Dawn

    C’mon Baby Light My Fire

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    I’ve been a little off the game lately with the move and haven’t been creating as much art as i should be. Here are a few Spark posts I’ve done since December/Christmas time. I was recently granted a Spark VIP pass to have access to Beta stuff and other features so that’s pretty cool! In other news – my BFF and love is coming to see me at the end of April and I hope I hope I hope that the weather holds up for us to have some fun and explore the area. I’m hoping for nice weather and sunshine so she can see the mountain.

    Enjoy some photos I did and let me know what you think!

    xoxo

    Koral Dawn

    To Start Is Not To Begin

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    Friday nights are usually spent in bed now with my iPad or now laptop working and reading. I’m perfectly okay with this. My Friday nights used to be going out and having fun or going to a bar with a friend or two. I’m glad, as I get older, that it’s died down a little bit. With so much life going on right now, this is what it needs to be.

    I actually… after all these years of crap jobs… enjoy my current job. I like what I do and I like where it’s going. The people I’m meeting and the things I’m doing are all I could ever dream of. I legitimately love the things I do for work now, and that makes me happy.

    Cut back two months ago, maybe a little bit more, and I was interviewing for this position I currently have — nervous as anything that I wasn’t going to get it, and nervous as anything that I would get it. I was kept waiting and waiting and almost a month went by. I started to get really apprehensive about everything knowing this is what I wanted and also… not what I wanted. I was terrified. If I got the position, I was going to have to move across the country — 2700 miles away from home. If I didn’t get it, I was going to be really upset that I wasn’t getting out of PA just yet.

    July 28th. It was that Friday at 9 in the morning that I got that email from the hiring manager who said in the title “Please give me a call ASAP!!” Right there, with that title, I knew it was something great. I started crying almost as I walked away from my desk to go call her from my car and cell phone. I was offered the position; at nearly triple my salary. My managers at my current project already knew and kept it from me for a day. They had made arrangements for me to start that Tuesday with the company and new pay period — and I was already headed down to Virginia and DC that same week to do on boarding for the company and meet with the primary. I was a nervous wreck.

    I was now the Social Media Marketing Specialist for the National Center for Telehealth and Tech (T2) project based out in Tacoma, Washington. I was an art director, content writer, image creator, blogger and head honcho for my social media content on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

    With the position comes relocation, and the start of a new life with my partner and best friend. We’ve always wanted to go to the mountains — and away we go. I’m so excited to start my life out there. Even though I will be far from home, I know I’ll still get to see my mom and important people in my life with them coming out there, or with me going back to PA and NJ where my family and friends are. There’s so much excitement, however, I’m still scared to death. I’m not freaking out yet… but I know it’s coming one of these days. With being that far from my friends and family; it’s going to take some time getting used to. Yes, I’ll have my best friend with me and of course we will meet new people out there together. But it won’t be the same comfort we’re used to at first.

    It’s September 15th today. September 16th if you want to get technical because it’s just passed midnight already. And we only have 70 days. 70 days until we make that drive across the country. 70 days until I don’t see my little kitties for close to 6 months. 70 days until we start our new life.

    Everything will all work out fine, I’m sure of it.