After searching for a kit to make a christmas ornament for my pet (and failing), I came upon the idea of salt dough ornaments. It is an easy inexpensive way to create memories this Christmas, especially since we are all looking for things to do while staying same at home this year.

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 1 cup of water
• cookie cutters (optional)
• straw
• mod podge
• string
• paint
• rolling pin

- XO The Creative Mouse

Online shopping is even more important this year to keep us as safe as possible and Black Friday sales are just a few days away if not already going on. The CDC recommends you limit visiting stores in person and to order groceries and other items online for delivery or curbside pickup if possible, or check to see if pre-order and drive-up options are available. Here are a few sales you should not miss out on online so you can get your shopping done from the comfort of your home.

1. Mercevii is having 40% off on their entire store all week long and free shipping to the US and Puerto Rico. They sell sterling silver, stainless steel, zamak, and fashion fantasy jewelry at great prices for women and kids. 

2. Amazon is having different sales depending on the day you make your purchase. So head on over and take a look for yourself. 

1. Stretch! I cannot stress this enough. It is important to warm up before going on a run. 

2. Running is not like riding a bike. Running used to come naturally to me and I did not have to make much of an effort. But as an adult, running is different. It is more of a challenge. My joints can confirm that for you.

3. Running in the rain is funner than it looks. Just be ready for all the dirt to sip into your sneakers and to wash them once you are done.

4. Speaking about shoes, do not forget to replace them about every 300 to 500 miles. Your joints will appreciate it. 

5. Listen to your body. If you need a rest day, TAKE IT.

6. Listen to your body, but always try to push it.

7. Pushing yourself to be better than the day before is a reward in itself.

8. The best part of running outdoors is getting out, being out in nature and not glued to technology or stuck at home.

9. Find a buddy to push you. Some days I did not want to run, but having someone else to motivate you to do it will help you overcome it.

10. You will start meeting neighbors you had never even seen and notice things you usually drive through and had never noticed before. 

11. If you like stats and are able to, track your running. This will make it so that you can later compare stats and see how far you have come.

12. Do NOT listen to a podcast or audiobook while running. I tried this once and had to listen to it over again once I was done running because I was not able to concentrate enough to get anything from it. Music is a better companion.

13. Do NOT eat or drink anything 2 hours before running, you might get cramps that will tempt you to stop as soon as the pain kicks in. 

14. If you are worried you will not be good at it, don't. No one is good at anything in the beginning.

15. If you are thinking about starting, go for it. Maybe start walking and then jogging short distances. You can increase the running distance when you feel like you are ready or when you are up for the challenge.

16. 30 mins goes a long way. You do not have to run for hours or many miles. Showing up is enough.

17. The secret? It is just one step in front of the other, that's it.

18. YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK

19. You can do it.

Even though 2020 made me go back to running, I am glad it did. It has been a tough year for most, but it brought me back to a passion I used to have. I was reminded of what the sport did to my soul, more than what it did to my physical health. The freedom, the breeze rushing against my skin, the adrenaline of wanting to be first and pushing yourself to do so. I  hope I keep running even after the pandemic ends and hope this post motivates you too. Staying active is very important for your physical and mental health. It gives you time to think, reflect, and work on yourself. Running has brought out a lot of good in me. Good that life had tried to get rid of, but that the world's current situation restored in me, and for that I am grateful.

- XO The Creative Mouse

I am sure you have all heard the sad news about the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but do you know everything she did throughout her career and life? Being a female in this world is not an easy task, but I am hopeful for people like Ginsburg who work tirelessly every day to fight for our rights. As a female in this world, I am passionate about women's equality and am definitely inspired by her life and work.

Joan Ruth Bader was born in New York in 1933 and grew up in a low-income, working-class neighborhood in Brooklyn. She excelled in high school, but sadly, her mother lost her battle with cancer and died days before her graduation. She then went on to Cornell University and got her bachelor's degree in 1954, finishing first in her class. She married law student Martin D. Ginsburg a few days later and had their daughter Jane just after her husband was drafted into the military in 1954. He served for two years and after, they both went to Harvard Law School, where she faced a hostile, male-dominated environment where there were eight women among  five hundred men. Despite this, she excelled academically and became the first female member of the Harvard Law Review.

In 1956, her husband was diagnosed with cancer and she balanced motherhood, taking care of her husband, and school. She took notes for him in class while she continued her own law studies and after his recovery, he graduated and went on to work at a New York law firm, so she transferred to Columbia Law School and was elected to the school's law review. In 1959 she graduated first in her class. 

Because of her gender, her outstanding academic record did not matter and she struggled to find employment. She clerked for U.S. District Judge Edmund L. Palmieri and published Civil Procedure in Sweden in 1965. She taught at Rutgers University Law School where she was forced to accept a low salary because of her husband's well-paying job and had to hide her pregnancy with their second child, James, out of fear that her contract would not be renewed. 

In 1971 she partnered with the American Civil Liberties Union, also known as the ACLU, to write briefs in two cases. The first case was about a provision of the federal tax code which was denying single men to have a tax deduction if they were caregivers to anyone in their family. The second case, known as the Reed vs Reed case, was about an Idaho law that preferred men over women when determining who should administer the estates of those who died without a will. 

The following year she became the founding counsel of the ACLU's Women's Rights Project and wrote a casebook on gender discrimination, and dozens of law review articles and Supreme Court briefs on gender discrimination. That same year, she taught at Columbia, where she became the school's first female tenured professor.

She was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1980 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993, where she was always in favor of gender equality, the rights of workers, and the separation of church and state. Here, she started wearing jabots with her judicial robes and in 1996, she wrote the Supreme Court's landmark decision in United States v. Virginia, which stated that the Virginia Military Institute could not refuse to admit women.

In 2007, in regards to the Gonzales vs Carhart case, she argued that it “cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right (the right of women to choose to have an abortion) declared again and again by this Court.” Also, in the Ledbetter vs Goodyear Tire, she argued that the decision was not consistent with the U.S. Congress by favoring that women could not bring a federal civil suit against their employer for having paid her less than it paid men.

In 2012, in regards to the Affordable Care Act cases, she criticized the decision which stated that the commerce clause did not empower Congress to require most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a fine. In 2013, in Shelby County v. Holder, she criticized and said it did not make sense to get rid of something that has worked and was continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes, that it was like "throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.” In 2014 she also criticized the decision in the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. , opposing corporations' rights to refuse paying for certain contraceptive drugs and devices in their employees’ health insurance plans based on religious grounds.

During the Obama administration years, from 2009 to 2017, she became known for her outspokenness and being a progressive and feminist hero. On the other hand, some people worried that because of her age and health that she should retire, but she wanted to work for as long as she was able to. 

In 2015, she sided with the majority in the Affordable Care Act and in making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. In 2016 she released her memoir, My Own Words, and it became a New York Times Best Seller and in January 2018 she appeared at the Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of the documentary RBG. She also participated on the #MeToo movement by sharing her story of having to put up with the advances from a professor during her years at Cornell University. That same year she opposed Donald Trump's presidency in 2016 and in January 2018, she signaled she was not going anywhere by hiring a full slate of clerks through 2020.

Ginsburg was a colon, pancreatic, and lung cancer survivor and in July 2020 she received chemotherapy for liver cancer. She remained on the Court, but later that year, on September 18, 2020, she died from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. 

As sad as her death was, let us remember her for her inspiring life story, the warrior she was, and all she did for everyone's rights, especially women. Let's raise a new generation of women like her, who believe and fight for equality.

Sources:

B. (Ed.). (2020, September 25). Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://www.biography.com/law-figure/ruth-bader-ginsburg

Smentkowski, B., & Houck, A. (2020, September 22). Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruth-Bader-Ginsburg

     Sometimes, the answers to our problems already exist, we just do not know about them yet. Whenever I think I want to find the solution to something, I start by looking on Amazon. Most of the time, you will find what you are looking for, usually, for a good deal. These next items have been great for my needs and I hope they solve some of yours too. 

1. Anker 6ft Nylon Lightning Cable: Everyone knows how annoying it can be to have to sit or stand really close to your phone to use it while it is charging. This 6-foot charger allows you to move more freely and use your phone while you wait for it to charge.

2. Gooseneck Phone Holder: Perfect for watching streaming services in bed.

3. Sport Band for Apple Watch: A cheap and colorful option to change up your sports band. It is a perfect match to the original band.

4. 3-Pack Webcam Cover: Keep your privacy protected with this cheap cover for your computer, tablet, or phone.

5. AirPods Case with Keychain: One of the first problems you face when getting AirPods is how easily the case slips from your pocket. I love that this case includes a keychain, which will prevent the case from slipping and getting lost.

6. Fuji Instax Mini Album: If you own an instant camera, you probably have many photos lying around. Organize them into this cute mini photo album so they do not get lost or misplaced. 

7. Necklace Fan: This portable handheld fan has many uses, especially during the summer, and the necklace makes it so easy to carry.

8. Travalo: This container is the perfect size for travel or your pocket or purse. It is easy to refill and is leak-free.

9. Compartment Travel Pill Case with Splitter: This case can be used to store pills for travel, but it can also help you store tiny items other than pills while traveling. It is also good to store all your pills in one place at home, to avoid storing all those different pill bottles. Just label the tops and you are set.

10. Collapsible Water Bottles: The uses for these are endless. They are ideal for saving space and have a keychain to secure it to almost anything.

11. Violin Mute: So I understand this may not be for everyone, but it is still a great purchase for rehearsing without bothering your neighbors.

- XO The Creative Mouse

  

• Plate
• Aluminum foil
• ½ cup of vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• ½ cup of boiling water

• Printer
• Paper
• Scissors
• Pen or marker
• Felt or any fabric of choice
• Fabric glue, tape, or needle and thread the same color as your fabric of choice
• Clothing item you want to showcase your bound on (dress, shirt, etc)

Jack Skellington

Storm Trooper

The possibilities are endless! Get creative and enjoy making your own one-of-a kind bound.

- XO The Creative Mouse