November 27, 2020

I LOVE LISTS

How much money can you make on YouTube?
What to look for when buying olive oil.
Why do we have so many turkeys in the Bay Area.
Worst day ever for these people.
British business puns!
What the US looked like in the 1950s.
Manhattan made of legos.
What will the future of cities be like?
Indigenous people’s portraits are beautiful.
This kitchen cupboard is a work of art.
Bart Simpson’s chalkboard gags.
If 2020 was…
What a book cover can do.
A candid interview with David Chang.
These ice formations are bonkers.
Celebrities who had COVID share their experiences.
Loved reading this article about Deb!
Blanket love: one / two / three / four
Don’t miss my Favorite Things 2020 Guide!
I always love looking at Oprah’s Favorite Things too.
You should make this sandwich with your leftovers.

favorites, featured, gift guide, Inspiration

November 25, 2020

Favorite Things Gift Guide 2020

Continuing my yearly tradition of sharing my Favorite Things Gift Guide (Oprah style!).

Here’s a roundup of things that brought a lot of value to my life this year.

LISTS

November 23, 2020

Intentions for the Week

Intentions for the Week- Week 48 of 2020

Happy Monday, friends! This week is a busy one. We have Thanksgiving ahead of us. So many TO-DO lists swirling around in my head! Time to write it down.

Cooper has the week off of school so I am putting him to work. Our Thanksgiving is going to be just us three and my Dad. We decided to stay up here & stay put for the holidays.

Our weekend was nice. We went on a family driving adventure to Pt. Reyes and I made buttermilk doughnuts this weekend and they were delicious.

I am slowly going through some of my old recipes and reshooting pictures because I can! Let’s figure out what we need to get done this week. Here are my Intentions for the Week!

Intentions for the Week:

STAY HEALTHY
EAT HEALTHY
DRINK WATER
MOVE MY BODY
mend my overalls
pick up rx
laundry
therapy
do something to honor my Mom’s death
pay medical bills
go for a long walk
cut down caffeine consumption
do some meal prep for Thanksgiving
straighten up the deck
get rid of clutter around the house
fill out my Intentions for the Week printable
make a grocery list/grocery shop
package/ship for The Handwriting Club
track my steps on my fitbit
paint my nails
do a facemask
send snail mail to friends
catch up on writing
catch up on social media
track what I eat in my food journal this week
facetime with family + friends
return a few orders by mail
go to Post Office
read horoscope
ask for help when I need it
pull cards and write in my sketchbook
water indoor plants
work in the yard
edit photos
make artwork for post
build some time in to meditate
get good sleep
go on a driving adventure with my family
watch how much time I spend on the phone
find some time to do some leisure reading

Last Week’s Intentions:

~~STAY HEALTHY~~
get covid tests for the whole family (our plans changed!)
~~EAT HEALTHY~~
~~DRINK WATER~~
~~MOVE MY BODY~~
research jewelry repair
mend my overalls
~~laundry~~
~~therapy~~
~~pull out fall/winter clothes~~
pay medical bills
make fresh rolls
~~get packaging & shipping ready~~
~~cut down caffeine consumption~~
do some meal prep
~~clean out the fridge~~
~~straighten up the deck~~
~~place Imperfect Produce order~~
~~get rid of clutter around the house~~
~~fill out my Intentions for the Week printable~~
~~make a grocery list/grocery shop~~
~~recipe testing~~
post new recipe/work on post
~~bookkeeping work~~
~~make kombucha~~
~~package/ship food journals The Handwriting Club~~
~~track my steps on my fitbit~~
~~work on holiday offerings in my Etsy shop~~
~~paint my nails~~
~~do a facemask~~
~~send snail mail to friends~~
~~catch up on writing~~
~~catch up on social media~~
track what I eat in my food journal this week
~~facetime with friends~~
~~go to Post Office~~
~~read horoscope~~
~~ask for help when I need it~~
~~pull cards and write in my sketchbook~~
~~water indoor plants~~
~~work in the yard~~
~~harvest the rest of the tomatoes (I still have more!!!)~~
~~edit photos~~
~~make artwork for post~~
~~build some time in to meditate~~
~~get good sleep~~
~~watch how much time I spend on the phone~~

Recipes to Try:

How to make a fancy pants cheeseboard!

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

If you make a recipe from Shutterbean, tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your creations!

Pump Jam for the Week:

Mantra for the week!

Feeling stuck? Make a list! Write down your intentions for the week to help hold you accountable for action.

My Intentions for the Week template is available for purchase if you’re interested in joining me!

I’m rooting for you!

Sending sparkles,

my everyday life, Photography

November 22, 2020

My Everyday Life Week 47

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 47

SUNDAY TO DO LIST!

Look at how tall my boo boo is!! He’s almost my Mom’s height. I wish she could see this!

Testing my photography/styling skills to keep things sharp.

Unfortunately, he cannot read my sign.

LISTS

November 20, 2020

I LOVE LISTS

My Currently Workbook for 2021 is for sale in my shop! Order yours so we can play together!

Inspiration

November 19, 2020

Currently 2021 Workbook

Hello friends! Exciting news! My Currently 2021 Workbook is available for sale in my Etsy shop!

Since 2016, I’ve been sharing a breakdown of my months in a column I call CURRENTLY.— You can look back at all of them here.

In 2019, I designed my first currently workbook so I could practice my handwriting and creativity WITH my readers. I wanted to spend a little more time offline and this was the best way for me to do it!

And then 2020 came… and I continued writing in it because it was the best way for me to channel my feelings into something productive! Plus, I had a whole bunch of people working on it with me in my private Facebook group. It has BEEN so inspiring to see how other people use it. I’m so grateful for the practice.

It’s what I’ve always wanted- to build a community for self-reflection through creativity.

This is the cover for the Currently 2021 workbook!

Let me show you inside!

In the Currently 2021 Workbook for, you will have a place to write down your WORD FOR THE YEAR as well as map out your Intentions for 2021

Each month has its own spread. You’re invited to color and play in the pages.

This is what my creative journal has looked like in 2020:

With each month, there’s an opportunity to write things down!

Every month has this guide for you to fill in:

Here’s an example of how I fill in these pages:

Each season has it’s own spread & includes a place for you to write out your seasonal bucket list.

There’s a page to fill in whatever inspired you each season. It’s a chance to make a list or draw in your favorite things.

We start with Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter!

I added a section for you to paste self-portraits in your journal.

I print a photo out and place it in the back each month. I like to see all my different hairstyles.

Currently 2021 Workbook by Tracy Benjamin

72 pages total!

Join me in self-reflection in 2021. Buy one for yourself, for your friends and family. Do it with your kids! Make self-reflecting FUN and therapeutic.

Order here

An international option can be found here.

I can’t wait to work with you in 2020.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

You can follow my adventures here on my monthly Currently posts and follow @thehandwritingclub to see my handwriting in practice.

recipes

November 18, 2020

Sausage Mushroom Stuffing

We all have our opinions of stuffing, don’t we? My mom always used packages of bread cubes for her stuffing and while I really enjoyed her version, I didn’t like how mushy it was. She did serve two options at our Thanksgiving table-one batch of stuffing she stuffed in the turkey and the other batch, she baked in a baking dish that had a crispy crust. I opted for the crispy crust version, fighting my brothers over the crispiest edge pieces. This year, I’m making Sausage Mushroom Stuffing and I’m doing it my own way.

As a lifelong lover of bread, I believe that bread needs a little more reverence in the stuffing. I like a stuffing that has a bread pudding-like vibe with crispy toasted bits on top. Have you ever had the bread salad with the roasted chicken from Zuni in San Francisco? Think THAT.

I want something that will hold up to some gravy and give me a little crunch when I need it. So, in the spirit of borrowing from the past, I used my Mom’s secret weapon in her stuffing- breakfast sausage! It provides a nice hit of sage. It’s what makes all the men in my family reach for another spoonful. I also added mushrooms because I’m a fan of sausage and mushrooms. I’ll add them wherever I can!

So buy some good bread, dig into one of the edge pieces and save the rest for this Mushroom Sausage Stuffing at your Thanksgiving table. The leftovers the next day with eggs…oh boy!