For a long time, I despised breaks because I had nothing to do. For me, it was just an empty slot of time that my parents took advantage of to push me towards more workbooks, study my foreign language, or to play piano. But now, I've been finding other ways to occupy myself during this one week.

1. Make Your Wishlist
I know this is really controversial (it's thanksgiving break), but it's a way to fill up loose time. You could also plan Christmas presents for your family or friends.

2. Bake Cookies
Winter always meant that I was allowed to bake again. My father didn't like me baking in the summer because he said that it was too hot to bake anything. During the fall and winter season I produce batch after batch of chocolate chip-cookies. 
For the longest time I've been using this one recipie from APinchofYum for the perfect chocolate chip cookies. 
For an easier, not-much-hassle instant dessert with as much gratification as something homemade, you could go for microwave desserts. Buzzfeed gives you a list of Microwaveable Desserts in a Mug and I've tried this one microwave cake. 

3. Start reading a book. And hopefully finish it.
Ever since school started, I've been having less and less time to read books. During breaks, I use this time to attack the library and hoard books. Even though I know that most will be returned without being touched or kept in the corner until the overdue fines suffocate me, I still like the feeling of having a good story on my bedside table. 

 4. Start a Workout
Go running. Do scrunches. I don't have a set workout plan since my daily Phys. Ed. class usually does the trick, but during breaks I like to keep that up.
I usually run a mile a week, 25 sit-ups, and do some wall sits while reading a book. 
Although my 'workout' may not seem thorough enough, it's enough to keep me feeling alive and healthy. 
Begin your day with a quick 5 minute work-out, or even something at your desk. If you have a little bit more time, you could go 10 minutes with this 'Victoria Secret Workout'. 

5. DIY Some of Your Items
Lately, I've been all about mason jars. Even though I haven't gotten around to buying a few, but anything you put in them could possibly come out adorable. This is a list of DIYs you could make (and then put in Mason Jars). 
Washi tape has also been really big lately, especially when Back-To-School season was here. It's an easier alternative to spray painting or designing. Here is a compilation of Washi Tape DIYs you could tackle this thanksgiving break. 

~~Or Maybe..

6. Tackle Homework
We all know how much High School teachers love to pile on homework during breaks. Might as well get it done earlier than on Sunday night...

7. Play Video Games
What else are breaks for then?

8. Finish up the rest of your Halloween Candy
If you didn't go trick-or-treating, finish up all the sweets in your house.

9. Play Clicking Games.
Lately I've been getting addicted to Clicker Heros. It runs in your cookies, so it should still be working even if your wifi is down.
(I have ascended twice!) 

10. Sleep
Of course. 






For some reason, this year I'm so excited for the holiday season. It might be because everyday has been consistently too warm for my liking and I'm desperately waiting for December in hopes that it actually rains for once.
I've been hoping to do the DIY Sharpie Mugs that I've been seeing everywhere on Pinterest and I'll post something about that closer to Christmas time.

But since this project is going to take significantly longer time, I had decided to start it now.




B e g i n n i n g  N o t e s :
My How-To book is on how to draw Anime or Manga characters (in a very 'Audrey-like way'). So for this purpose, I bought a sketch book.
Your How-To book can be on anything. You don't have to buy a sketch book, you can create your own book, use a notebook, or just bind a few sheets of copy paper together.



I bought my sketch books from Barnes and Noble. Their sketch books are cute and are usually under 15 bucks.

M A T E R I A L S :

For this project I used these colorful gel pens, a standard black pen, a pencil and an eraser. 

The reason why I'm using a wooden pencil is that it usually writes lighter, so it erases better. It also produces thicker lines, which I think would be helpful for the reader to see and understand. 
The black pen is used to write paragraphs of information. Whereas the color pens I use to color code certain words, or just to make the page look brighter and more welcoming. 
You also might want to throw in a ruler or straightedge if you can't write straight or you require one to work on your book.

What I did: 

Since this is a very individualized, creative present, I can't exactly give you a set of steps to follow. Instead, I can offer you a list of tips. 

Decorate The Front Cover: Make it fancy, colorful and inviting. Since my cover was originally black and white, I filled in some white space with some Sharpies.
An Intro Page and Table of Contents: Easy navigation is always a helpful thing. If you're out of ideas, you can use the ToC to take up some space. In the Intro, you can leave a small little note of happy holidays or give a reason to why you made the book. 
Separate Sections with Tabs: Use colorful tabs to make a statement. I'm using neon colored paper tabs to color code certain areas. I couldn't find the exact one that I bought myself, but there is a similar more durable type here.
Quick DIY/Alternate Idea: 
Buy colored post-it notes and cut them in thirds. 
Have Sections and Sub-Sections: Organize your thoughts into categories, make large general sections and set smaller more detailed spaces



As sort of a little tid-bit: 
My mother brought home some Beijing Yogurt, and they're one of the best things you'll try. They're sweet unlike the plain yogurt that you buy here. If you buy them in Beijing, they sell them with straws (I know it's kind of weird) but you actually 'drink' your yogurt. 

I'll be posting within a few weeks on possibly more DIYs for Christmas presents!

XX, Audrey







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