A Day in My Life - Day 6 @RRBC_Org 2023 #RRBC 30-Day #Blogging Challenge #GetToKnowMe @YvetteMCalleiro #ADayInMyLife #RWISA @RRBC_RWISA @Tweets4RWISA #Poetry #FoodShopping #Chores

Hello, beautiful readers! Today is Day 6 of the #RRBC 30-Day Blogging Challenge, and so far, I have written every day. Today was another busy day for me. 

First, last night I wrote my first syllabic poem in a long time. I am part of a group of online poets who enjoy writing syllabic poetry. One of the poets, Colleen Chesebro, gives us a challenge every Tuesday to write a different type of poem or to write on a different theme. I was writing a poem almost every week until school started in September, and then I just found I didn't have enough time to write anything, including poetry. :'(

I also didn't have time to interact with the other poets. I'm not the type of person who posts and expects everyone to give me attention without reciprocating. If you've been following my blog, you know I'm quite the opposite. I'm the perpetual giver. I don't crave attention and prefer to shine the light on others. I find great joy in uplifting others, so when I found that I did not have the time to read/comment/share the other poets' great poems, I didn't feel it was right to post mine (even if I had had the time to write).

I still visited their pages and tweeted out their poems and Colleen's challenges even though I could not participate. I just no longer had time to interact, and I missed those interactions. Some may think, "Oh, come on! How much time could it actually take to leave a comment?" Well, I follow many authors and even more poets. There are currently 16 poets who have posted poems for the current challenge. I would need to read each post for each author's blogs and each poet's post and comment on each one. Just reading and commenting on the participants of this RRBC challenge takes easily a half hour to over an hour sometimes. And when you have very little time to spare, something has to give.

Still, I wrote a poem that you can read here. It's a simple Tanka poem, nothing out of this world, but I wrote it and posted it, and I'm happy to be back in that world again. I hope to get around to reading the other poems that have been written (along with the other RRBC blog posts) before I go to bed, and I hope to be able to continue to participate in reading posts and writing my own long after this challenge ends.

Now, onto the rest of my day. After breakfast, which consisted of organic steel cut oatmeal with organic strawberry and blueberries, flax seeds, and cinnamon, I read and commented on some of my fellow RRBC posts and tweeted out some of the blogs that I follow. Then, I worked my part-time job for another three hours. That lead to lunch. I make my own version of a chicken salad which has chicken (obviously), diced onions, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, curry, and a dab of avocado oil. I love it because it's so delicious and because it makes three servings when I make it, so less cooking for me! :-) 

Food shopping came next. I shop at three different stores because I refuse to pay more than I need to. I start at BJs Wholesale Club, which now has a large variety of organic foods. I try to eat as much organic foods as possible because I am a firm believer that my body is my temple, and it is my job to keep it as pristine as possible. I also get my gas at BJs because it is always cheaper than anywhere else. From there, I go to Aldi. They also have a good selection of organic foods, and their prices are great! If BJs doesn't have it, I look to Aldi next. Lastly, I go to Publix, our local supermarket. Their prices have skyrocketed so they are no longer my go-to store. I only buy there what I cannot find at the other locations. So, food shopping takes a bit of time, but I'd rather eat healthy and save money than do a quick shop, spend more, and not find healthy options.

After food shopping, I made my son peanut butter cookies. It's nothing fancy - just the Betty Crocker bag with Reese's peanut butter cups added in the mix for a little more yumminess. He loves them, and it's really the only sweets he eats, mostly because it's all I allow in the house. Of course, I have one or two (okay, maybe three) cookies but only on the day I bake them. It's my reward for making them. Yes, I am very strict with my diet and try to eat mostly organic, but I am also a firm believer in moderation. It's okay to treat yourself every now and then, and this is my weekly treat. :-)

Then, my son and I spent time taking down the Christmas tree and holiday decorations. Afterward, we cleaned the house. Yes, you read that correctly - WE. From the time my son could walk, I taught him to pick up after himself. As the years progressed, I added more chores to his plate. I am a single mom raising a well-adjusted, responsible, independent young man who understands that a relationship is a partnership and each person must do his/her part. Now, his chores include taking out the trash, washing his own dishes, getting the mail, cleaning his own bathroom, washing/drying/putting away his own clothes, organizing his room and office, vacuuming, and mopping. And he almost never complains. He sees how much I do on a daily basis and appreciates the life I've given him, so he does his part to help out.

After cleaning the house, I went for a walk. Although cleaning is a workout in itself, I wanted a bit of outdoors, especially since it was a beautiful day. Plus, I had to burn off those cookies. ;-)

Then, I finally made time to read the book I've been reading for a while since I haven't had much time to read. I'm eager to finish it because it's really good, and I want to know the ending. Plus, my fellow RRBC authors just released a bunch of books during the RRBC Holiday PUBS event, and I'm eager to read the ones I've purchased. By the way, if you are looking for some great stories to read, the event is still open. Click here to see all the books you can get!

And then, it was time to make dinner and watch a show with my son. :-)

Do you shop at multiple locations to save money, or are you a one-stop shop type of shopper? I'd love to hear from you. :-)