Five Things In October 2021

Five Things In October 2021
Hello, my favourite month (read: November)! I can't believe I am actually sitting down to write my Five Things in October. It feels like just last week I sat down to write Five Things in August! But alas, another month has gone by and I want to share little things that made me happy in October.

October has been a somewhat busy month for me. A little overwhelming I would say so I came up with a schedule of balancing business and freelancing together. I have found that time management is my best friend at this point. To be honest, I looove my schedule so far and it's allowing me to have a little fun in between.

Five things that made me happy and grateful in October:

Focus feature on iPhone
To be honest, I don't really explore much about what goes into my iPhone — the settings, functions and stuff. When I took the plunge to upgrade from iOS 13 to iOS 15, I got a little curious and I found this Focus feature, which is a godsend.

Again, it started with it as a curiosity. I set the "Personal" focus mode and it was UGH-MAZING having some free time apart from notifications almost the whole day. Then, I thought this would be a great idea to personalize the "Work" focus mode because I hate getting interrupted while doing work on my phone. 

Focus mode on iPhone
Currently, I have four different Focus modes:

  • Of course, the one and only "Do Not Disturb" for any time I don't want anyone reaching me;
  • "Personal" so I can keep in contact with my friends and family without thinking about work;
  • "Work" to not be interrupted while doing work on my phone;
  • "Fitness" so I can't be disturbed while working out.
I should have upgraded a long time ago because I think this upgrade is more personal than ever. We received a lot of notifications throughout the day that we don't necessarily need to read and open right away. So, this is a great way to focus on what matters to me the most at the moment.


New blog, who dis?!
You may have noticed some changes (okay, big changes!) around here. I got a major blog makeover because it was a very much needed makeover. Honestly, a huge weight has lifted off my shoulder.

Something about my previous theme that didn't do it for me anymore. I love that theme (it was expensive, too) but I kept facing issues for days, maybe weeks. I was emailing back and forth with my blog's designer (she was very helpful though) but same old, same old. I thought this was a call for change and I didn't second guess it. 

I am in love with the simplicity of the current theme and there are a lot of selling points to it too. I can't believe it was just 9 dollars! I know by the look of it, it's nowhere near my previous one that's just extravaganza but I am getting old and all I want is some good, clean, minimalistic with a fresh twist blog. I think there's nothing wrong with that. Let me know how you feel about this new look!


October after-the-pen bullet journal flip through
Five Things In October 2021 bullet journal
October's theme was inspired by saraah.journaling on Instagram. But the colours were inspired by the beautiful autumn shades if you haven't picked that up. I think this spread spoke to me the most! These are all my favourite colours.

Five Things In October 2021 bullet journal
I added a new habit to track in October, which was the no-ramen simply because I am addicted to that Korean spicy ramen and I could eat that every day! It was nice to have a reminder like this to not eat too much of it. I think I did okay, for a first-timer. And as far as my emotions go, I was a wreck. I was going through tough times but all is well now, I guess.

Five Things In October 2021 bullet journal
I wouldn't say I did well as far as my spending habit goes. I still have to spend some money but I promise you I am still on a low-buy. These are mostly groceries and first-time buys. But I did spend lesser than September! I just hope I didn't burn the midnight oil too much and have quality sleep. 

Five Things In October 2021 bullet journal
You guys know the drill, I have to have a gratitude page. And yes, I added a new spread — the content planner. I LOVE THIS! It helps me to stay organized, it maintains consistency (which is crucial if you're a content creator), and this approach reduced my stress so much. I don't know why I slept on it this whole time. I used different coloured pens too to identify which is which and it certainly works well on me!

Five Things In October 2021 bullet journal
Boxed weekly spread > anything else. I am so happy when my weeklies are all in boxes like this because it looks clean and organized. I definitely have a thing for a boxed weekly spread. What about you?


Sisters & Brushes hit 600 Instagram followers! + giveaway
After four months of rebranding and relaunching, we finally hit 600 Instagram followers last week so we thought this was a great opportunity to give back to our followers. Honestly, this is my first time ever hosting a giveaway. I have never hosted a giveaway before and I am enjoying the experience so far. 

I can't believe we rebranded Sisters & Brushes and it wasn't a flop this time. It's more like a dream come true. Anyway, just want to say a huge shout out to everyone who made this possible and for supporting this little creative nook of ours. We can't wait to grow even bigger and successful-er!

Here's the link to the giveaway post: Sisters & Brushes Special 600 Followers Giveaway [GIVEAWAY CLOSED]


Instagram's new link sticker
Can you believe it, Instagram actually heard us. About time, Instagram.

For the longest time, I have always wanted the "Swipe Up" thingamajig but I can't since I don't have more than 10K followers. But now, anyone on Instagram — no matter their follower count — can add an external link to their stories! 

I was over the moon about it the whole day (and still am today) I can't stop using it. This is a huge deal for me and most nano and micro content creators. The fact that it's not exclusive to users with >10K followers anymore is just super! Tell me what you think about this link sticker. Do you love it? Do you hate it?
What are some little things that made you really happy in October?

20 comments

  1. I'm a massive fan of the new theme - and it's great you're not running into design issue anymore, I feel your pain there. Your bullet journal is forever inspiring me (I've definitely been slack with mine!) Also - WHAT! Instagram have given everyone links? That's awesome I might have to actually start using it again xx

    mia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com/

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    1. Thank you so much! Glad I'm not having design issue anymore. Thank you so much, Mia! My bullet journal is definitely a big part of me now. And yup! You heard me right. You can add external link to your stories now no matter your followers count! xx

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  2. I love your new blog design! It's elegant and chic just like you! I need to try those new Iphone settings, my phone is a huge distraction at times!

    Eileen | yesmissy.com

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    1. Oh my gosh! You're being too sweet! Thank you so much! Please give the Focus feature a try. It's awesome!

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  3. Your new blog design is so beautiful! I love how clean and minimalistic it is. Also, the sprinkled sparkles over the title in the graphic? A+ vibes. <3

    I recently updated my blog's theme, as well, and added a unique domain name, too. I definitely get how nice it is to refresh everything! Also, your bullet journal looks beautiful, as per usual. :)

    xoxo,
    Sydney

    The Lotus List

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    1. Aaaa thank you so much, Sydney!! <3 Love how we got some blog makeover for us! I love your blog, Sydney! Thank you so much for reading xx

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  4. I'm always in awe of how neat your bullet journal is! I haven't used the new sticker feature on Instagram yet, but need to! x

    Beautylymin

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    1. Oh gosh, thank you!! I'm definitely a clean freak. I love when everything is neat and clean-looking. Not everyone's cup of tea but definitely mine :) Been loving that sticker, it's so useful xx

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  5. It's great that Instagram finally added the link sticker! It was so silly/unfair to only allow it for those with >10k followers.

    Congrats on 600 with Sisters & Brushes!
    http://skylish.co.uk

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    1. IKR!! I was so happy when Instagram decided to give it to EVERYONE! Ahh thank you so much for reading, Kemi xx

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  6. I love your journal so much! Really want to change my blog design soon too! xx

    Danielle's Beauty Blog 

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    1. Aw thank you, Danielle! Can't wait for the new look xx

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  7. Your bullet journal looks so pretty! Pretty and neat! I'm definitely getting inspiration from your spreads for my next month's spreads!

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  8. Your October bullet journal theme is beautiful! I'll have to come back to it when I do my bujo next year. I need some clean designs just like this. I just found your blog and it's lovely, can't wait to read more! :)
    Happy Sunday!

    Julia x
    Last Post: Travel Guide To Krakow, Poland - The Best Autumn Destination in Europe! 🍂

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    1. Aww, I definitely have a thing for clean bujo! Thank you so much for reading, Julia! xx

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  9. Congrats on the 700+ followers! Those coasters are so, definitely adding it to my homeware wish list!
    Your bullet journal is so stunning, makes me want to go back to using one for general content :)
    minae ♡

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    1. Thank you so much, Minae! You're being so sweet! xx

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