What’s One Organizational Tip That Keeps You Sane?

Sunny Side Updates with TBIN || Week 43

Hey guys,

It’s August.

For those who live on a school schedule, you know it’s the hectic time of gearing up for that September start. Schools are opening up again, and by that I mean a) for edu-ma-cation, but also b) opening up for the first time since pandemic lockdown. So I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of uncertainty and stress regardless of whether you’re 5 and entering kindergarten or 27 and trying to finish your PhD (me).

So, to pre-emptively counteract that, I’m reaching out for help, advice and wisdom from the community. What’s one way that you organize your life to make it less hectic?

Even if it isn’t about school, please do share your wisdom! Sometimes, adapting the way that someone copes with organization or stress in their life in an entirely new way injects that much-needed creativity I need in my life.

My 💎 gem 💎 to share is here:

Before I wrap up this intro, I want to call attention to the August Interview Prompt! We’ve gotten quite a few responses already and I’m excited to get to know all of you better! 📝

(Scroll down the prompt section for a link to the interview!)

Until next week,

Lucy 🍳 EIC of The Brain is a Noodle* Podcast || Twitter || Instagram || Redbubble || Newsletter *This is factually incorrect. Please absolutely do not go out and eat brains.

✍ Active Challenges

August Interview Challenge How to join || #Aug2021TBINInterview Responses

Weekly Shortform Challenge How to join || Prompt Archive || Responses

This week’s shortform prompt
What's one organizational prompt that keeps you sane? 

Daily Poetry Challenge Prompt Archive || Responses || Subscribe for weekly reminders!

#OngoingAdventure Fiction Series Submit your chapter here || Start reading here

Noodle Book Club How to join || Prompt Archive & Responses

🍜 Piping Hot New(dle) Pieces of the Week

Challenge: *highlight* the ones you bookmarked/ read and make sure everyone gets highlighted at least once! ❤

🧠🍜 [1] The little things that matter by Sharing Randomly ‘I usually tend to have my space very tidy and clean since recently I cannot concentrate having a mess around. So you would find my desk with only the specific objects that I need at that moment.’

🧠🍜 [2] I Love the Smell of Jet Fuel in The Morning by Kevin Alexander ‘Commercial aviation is awash with myths. There is an idealized vision of people jetting off to glamorous parts of the world. That’s half true- you can, but only if there’s a seat. People talk about collecting passport stamps. Less so, the low-grade anxiety that starts & ends each trip.’

🧠🍜 [3] Can You Keep a Secret? No One Knows This is On My Bookshelf… by Nia Simone McLeod ‘On my miniature brown bookshelf, I have a copy of one of the greatest albums ever: Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. I love this album so much that I bought it on vinyl even though I don’t have a record player.’

🧠🍜 [4] The 2 Apps That Stopped Me Going Hungry by John Michael Rose‘I didn’t think I’d ever be able to share this… again. I had done prematurely earlier this year and I’m glad I deleted the story for unrelated reasons. I wasn’t ready to properly admit I once couldn’t afford to feed myself.’

🧠🍜 [5] Soulless Living by Tarun Gupta ‘Wide eyes open lying in bed missing you wondering what did I do to deserve you wanting to thank someone for letting you in my life’

🧠🍜 [6] Too Late to Say “Thank you” by Thalia Dunn‘Thank you for being my childhood hero, crafting Halloween costumes, and teaching me the fine art of fencing;’

🧠🍜 [7] A Midsummer Night’s Interview by Divina Grey‘#1 Tip — Damn it, woman! Share your passion for writing already! People want to hear what you have to say! (Also — “be cool, be cool. Make sure your head fits through the door at the end of the day.”)’

🧠🍜 [8] A Sliver Of Sky by VV Valentine‘A sliver of sky is all that I can spy through my bedroom window in the early light of dawn I yawn’

🧠🍜 [9] #Ongoing Adventure: Tell Your Ma To Invite Her Friends by Jennifer McDougall‘“Judy and Laura are going to eat their own bowels out with jealousy!” your mom blurts into the muffler-sized mouthpiece of her million-year-old phone.’

🧠🍜 [10] #Ongoing Adventure: Tell Your Ma To Bring Carl Along by Jennifer McDougall‘“I’m going to come along, okay, honey? And Carl, too. He adorrrres adventure!” shouts your mom into the phone. You can just imagine her belly ring and liver-level tattoo of John Lennon hanging out between layers of neon yoga gear.’

🧠🍜 [11] 10 new things to learn about me by Ashlea Morgan ‘I am still trying to figure out how to write a limerick. I might need to call on limerick master TC Hails (here and here) for help. I’ve gotten as far as “there once was a girl whose man wouldn’t shake / so all their fun times *something* fake … oh well I’ll keep plugging away at it.’

🧠🍜 [12] Light as a Feather by CARMEN F MICSA‘“Let’s go foraging for blackberries at Ancil Hoffman Park,” I told Alex and Sophia, who were about 8 and 6 at the time.’

🧠🍜 [13] August Q & A with The Brain Is a Noodle by Kevin Alexander‘I’d love to write more about aviation history. Specifically the development of airlines in the U.S. prior to deregulation; both the evolution of their networks, and the stories of the people behind each of those dots on the map.’

🧠🍜 [14] On Values, Beliefs, and Favorites by Rachella Angel Page‘August took me by surprise. In comparison to last year, where three months seemed like a year, this year is going by so quickly.’

🧠🍜 [15] A vision to keep in mind in distress time by Las siete y más ‘Since college, I have had a proper desk; the dining table was no longer an option when glue and paint appeared in the scenario. It isn’t big, so I try to keep just the essential objects in it.’

🧠🍜 [16] A Token From My Past by Rachella Angel Page‘I’ve had a few jobs that won’t allow you to decorate your desk. Even if you’re at the same desk every day for a year or more. My personal desk is another story though.’

🧠🍜 [17] A Traveling Tea Emporium by KSHernandez‘A jar of miscellaneous teas always sits prominently on my desk, atop a microwave, or as it is currently, on my window sill. Peppermint, dandelion, slimming tea, cinnamon, lemon, valerian — Earl Gray, apple-spice, you name it, is probably in my jar.’

🧠🍜 [18] The Melody of My Sea by Lisa Gerard Braun‘Ringed smoke did dance, Swirling in mid-air Translucent with love yet filled with despair.’

🧠🍜 [19] Ode to a Bit of Roadkill by Kim McKinney‘There once was an odor that flowed The scent was not pleasing and “growed”,’

🧠🍜 [20] I’m Spilling the Tea on my Future as a Writer, Important Values, and More by Nia Simone McLeod‘I would love to do more interviews. I’ve been interviewing people since I was 15, back when I used to work for my high school’s radio station. I try to spend each year doing my fair share of interviews to keep my skill sharp, but this year I haven’t done many.’

🧠🍜 [21] The Owl on Our Basketball by CARMEN F MICSA‘“What’s happening?” I asked, while calling the kids from upstairs. “There is an owl on our basketball.”’

🔊 Voices to Amplify

We don’t have to leave it to the algorithm to suggest our favourite pieces! Here are some of my archived faves!

Thank you to Ching Ching, Yi Shun Lai, Rebecca Stevens A., Haider Jamal, Nia Simone McLeod and Maya L, M.A. for writing these pieces!

🧠🍜 Thank you to the Noodle Team!

challenge: pick 3 writers you haven’t met yet and get acquainted with their pieces!

New writers: Lisa Gerard Braun | Nes Laidler | Reanna Szeszol | The Positive Journal | Medomfo Owusu | Sh*t Happens - Lost Girl Travel

Obinna Uruakpa | Sean Peck | Susan Alison | Kevin Alexander | Sharing Randomly | Brenda Covarrubias | Jimmy Misner Jr. | Stevie Wright | Disha Choksi | Roselyn Violet | Dazzling Shene | Jennifer Leth | John Gobins | Karen Falcon | America Zed | CARMEN F MICSA | Karen Schwartz | MIGHTY MISCELLANY | Ajah Hales | Gisel La Fleur | Roselyn Violet | Marcus Chan | Jennifer Dunne | Cameron Sidhe | Earl Grey Sea | Rakshita Upadhyay | O.M. Fernandes | Beth Nintzel | Barbara Dalton | George Cloake | Nhi Diep | Tarun Gupta | HerPrivateLife | Sohrab Khandelwal | Nerissa Talique | Gracia Kleijnen | Betsy Denson | KSHernandez | Luke DeLalio | Rachella Angel Page | Teressa P. | VV Valentine | Bhavya Mehta | Suntonu Bhadra | Noah Levy | Suzy Hazelwood | Ashlea Morgan | LS | Jessie Waddell | Dave Logan | Candy Marie | Himanshi B | Zihan | Elle How | K.S. | Sherry McGuinn | Diana Dee | Rambling Rose | Doran Lamb | Avi Kotzer | A.M. Radulescu | Laurie Perez | Paul Mansfield | B.R. Shenoy | Nada Chehade| Coco Joan | Bingz Huang | Shreya Badonia | Kimberly Carter | Las siete y más | Warren Brown | Trista Signe Ainswort | Kyomi O’Connor | Kay Bee | MaggieLaFae | Alex Godley | Haider Jamal | Josie Elbiry | Anthony Jackson | Hannah M. Moore | Michael Hollifield | Yana Bostongirl | TC Hails | Orla Kenny | Samedra Carter | Tatum Hamernik | Thalia Dunn | Nia Simone McLeod | Josie Elbiry | Keegan Roembke | Noorain Hassan, BMS | Humaira Iqbal | Zachary Burg | Bob Pepe | Will Hull | Jason | Courtenay S. Gray | Sahil Patel | Meenal Gupta | Amy Lee Kite | Evan Wildstein | Hilda Carroll | Chloe Hill | Paola Perez | Matt Ray | Wolfie Bain | Dena Ogden | Tasneem Kagalwalla | Yan Huang | Tree Langdon | Stuart Englander | Jennifer McDougall | Aaron Kemp | Rachel Ramkaran (she/her) | LS | Lori Welch Brown | Nicole Jiang | Crystalclearcandace | Em Unravelling | Jupiter Grant | Elle Beau ❇︎ | Suman Sandhu | Adam Deitsch | Mia Z. Edwards | David Majister | JF | Zach Neuman | Chris Mooney-Singh | Toya Qualls-Barnette | Karen Lappa Haas | Alan Henley | Michelle Bonfils | Zach Klebaner | Anna | Deepshikha Bhagat | Carlos Garbiras | Katrina Bos | Lisa Bolin | Sohaib Roomi | The Dozen | Malik Bellamy | Olivia Th | Shaista Malik | Emily Wilcox | Brajendra | Eva Rotolo | Bhavna Narula | Shannon Hugman | Ryan DeJonghe | Ryan DeJonghe | Dennett | Swagat Choudhury | Vivian | Mark Tulin | Arslan Mirza | Amber Carlson | Urfa | Whatsinanaim | Amy Pierovich, Ed.D. | Carolyn Riker | Tally | Shivangi Patel | Giulia | ScienceDuuude | Rachael Ann Sand | Divina Grey | Sarah Paris | DISHA GARG | Jen Kleinknecht | janny’s heart | Penofgold | Blank Voice | Kele Mogotsi | Jessie London | Indubala Kachhawa | Radhika Ghose | Mil H. | Zeno Faber | Maziar Ghaderi | Julia Appa | Campbell Christensen | Allison Gaines | Lori Lamothe | Tima Loku | Kim McKinney | Baye Amina | Tom Fenske | Johannes Mudi | Kasun Ranasinghe | Just a Slytherin hissing | Dr. Fatima Imam | Ntathu Allen | Somsubhra Banerjee | Veronica Georgieva | Life is Amazing with Books and Writers | Dandy Lioness 🌻 | Mindsmatter | Michael Ranjitsingh | Anjali Samaraweera | Krupesh Raikar | Rusty Alderson | Dr. Preeti Singh | Punch Drunk Cola | Melissa Speed | Ntathu Allen | Denise G | Carolyn Hastings | Tej | Vijini Mallawaarachchi | Amy Marley | Jac Gautreau | Erivaldo Ricardo | Roz Warren | Melissa Bee | Pretheesh Presannan | Daniel A. Teo | Anuradha Wickramarachchi | Niru | Priyanka Mane | Em Hoccane | Synthia S. | Alexandra Forsyth | R. Rangan PhD | Jacobo the First | Connie Song | Fathiyah Zb | Not quite Steve Fisher | Amna Asif | Aimée Gramblin | A Fresh Pot of Coffee | Rebecca Stevens A. | Imad | James G Brennan | Mary Keating | Jay Avery | h.a wadi | Pablo Pereyra | Isaac | jenine bsharah baines | Rochelle Silva | Jade-Ceres Violet D. Munoz | Ruchi Thalwal | Clare Almand | Dana Sanford | Naomi Leilani Acosta | Dr. Jackie Greenwood | Fathiyah Zb |

Ps, if any of these links are outdated, please leave a note to let me know!