cleolinda | Good afternoon to you all

~~Peoples of the internet!~~ So I have read over your de-stressing suggestions--a lot of them were what I expected, but I was curious as to what people would recommend most often, and also the more unusual suggestions. (This is related, but I'll go ahead and ask up front where people will see it: does anyone have BPAL/TAL imps of Milk & Honey and/or Blinding Glory of Love they'd be willing to sell me? I kind of want to put off buying entire bottles at $25 each until I've tried them, and also, until I have the second e-book out.) So, I present to you some--not all, but some--of y'all's suggestions, with additions of my own where applicable:

Aromatherapy: Hence the request for imps. Actually, lavender gives me headaches, as do many florals. But I like citrus, fruit, vanilla, ginger/cinnamon, and generally sweet/foody scents, which is why I got the solid perfume of Honey I Washed the Kids at Lush (and raided their candy-scented soap selection). The TAL scents also supposedly have some kind of "ritual" benefit, which I tend to take more as "I feel like this will make things more positive, so therefore I feel more positive." White Light is the one I have, and I try to use it sparingly; it's kind of a warm white cinnamon floral, possibly with a bit of lemon? I don't really know how else to describe it.

Meditation: Still figuring out how to do that effectively. I mean, y'all had a lot of helpful suggestions. It's just something you have to practice.

Yoga: Yeah... I don't really know how to do that. Again, y'all had a lot of helpful online instruction/video recommendations, though.

Walking: Yeah, I should definitely do this more.

Tea: Well, I did get those tea cups at the Christmas swap, didn't I?

Alcohol: "WOOOOOOOOOO!"

Coloring: I can't believe I had forgotten about this, considering that this is the reason I have Emergency Crayons. Doodling freehand works, but I personally enjoy coloring books--I really liked them in college--and my favorites are the more intricate, grown-up variety: historical costumes from Bellerophon Books. This is probably the only place you will ever find a paper doll of Messalina with a handy description of her sexual exploits.

Retail therapy: I have just enough money now to get myself in trouble on this one, but I am trying to be good. However, I had not bought anything new to wear (aside from the dress I wore to The Lovely Emily's wedding) in five years (you may commence being appalled), so I feel like I should be forgiven for buying multiples of new sweaters I liked in different colors. (This is why the Cosmo horoscope made me laugh.) I am also struggling to refrain from buying Tonner Prom Bella and Edward off Amazon because I don't even want them (and Prom Edward weirds me out really bad, and considering that I already have an Edward and I feel bad enough about that, in a "Twilight fandom is insane and you are part of the problem" kind of way, and

queenanthai bet her husband five dollars that I couldn't sleep through the night with Tonner Edward posed "watching" me but I TOTALLY DID, BECAUSE IT IS JUST A DOLL, PEOPLE, so getting weirded out over this one is really saying something), but they are marked down fro $140 to $40, let me repeat that for you, they are marked down a hundred dollars, and the part of me that is genetically predisposed to hunt bargains for sport is really suffering over here. But what would I DO with them? There are no proms in Shelfia! I don't even like the dress! Financial responsibility is hard.

Makeup/Makeovers: This is also where the retail therapy comes in; I have tried to refrain from buying samples of every single thing on the Aromaleigh site (SO CHEAP), but again: so hard. And I know I can't wear blue eyeshadow. I know this. But when you tell me that Plush Romantic is "Mysterious smudged indigo with brilliant bright sparks of blue. This beauty can't be captured by camera!," I have to know. For a dollar, I want to see it for myself. And it is really, really pretty. I'm just not sure I can actually wear it. Fortunately, a lot of the browns, light pinks, beiges and peaches look pretty good. I have entire Google Documents devoted to cataloguing which shades I have and which combinations work, because...

Sorting: ... sorting things is relaxing. I hate cleaning, but I love organizing. This is why I never get very far with cleaning, because I get hung up on arranging the books on that one shelf by some weird subject-related criteria known only to myself.

Art therapy: Actually, magazine collages were my thing when I was in high school and college. In fact, the clipping and sorting (speaking of which) was my favorite part. I did some interesting things with boxes, like decoupage or something, but it was the act of clipping and sorting that I found so relaxing (and keep in mind that I had not yet been diagnosed with or treated for bipolar depression. I think this may have been part of how I coped with it). My family, particularly my mother, was not fond of this, however, as my collection of magazine clippings took up several large boxes and a whole lot of space. I still have piles of unclipped fashion magazines under my bed that I can't quite bear to part with.

You know, now that I think about it, this may be why I love The Littlest Edward so much: I've got the clippings and he's got the scrapbooks. We are meant for each other, in an action figure/delusional writer kind of way.

Knitting: I still have that starter kit from Christmas four years ago. I really should get started on that.

Games: I spent the worst winter exam period of my college career playing Free Cell and Neopets games as often as I could. (Let us not even get into my iPhone solitaire addiction during the Compocalypse.) I actually read A Study Somewhere (You Know, One of Those Studies) that said there's a correlation between feeling depressed and playing computer games--not that games cause depression, but that people who are depressed often seek comfort in or distraction from playing relatively mindless, repetitive games. And I am here to tell you: Yes. They do. They totally, totally do.

Music: I am totally already on top of this one. I listen to single songs obsessively on repeat anyway; I tend to prefer uptempo pop or rock with lots of drums and electric guitars. Slow ballads are right out, although angsty/shouty power ballads can be okay. The tempo I prefer tends to inversely match my mood--I can handle slower, moodier stuff when I feel good, but I seek refuge in the cheesiest, boppiest music you've got when I'm depressed. It's to a point where my family knows that if early Britney Spears goes on repeat, it's time to call my doctor.

Sometimes, however, I do like quieter, more meditative songs. The three that come to mind are Neneh Cherry's "Move with Me," Lori Carson's "Fall in the Light" (from the Strange Days soundtrack, and may I recommend that movie to you for New Year's if you have not already seen it), and Chicane's "Saltwater."

And with that, I leave you, so as to get ready to--brace yourselves--leave the house.