I hope you guys enjoy this printable I made for annotation! ☺️
YouTube Video that pairs with post:
Author: myaznook
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Chapter Summary Annotation Printable
How to immerse yourself in books & enjoy reading with a phone addicted mind | my annotation process -
Half Year Point Oracle Reading 2025
Hello everyone! I was in the midst of conducting my halfway mark oracle reading when I had the thought, why not turn it into a collective reading? So, here is our oracle reading for the next six months of 2025! May it bring you peace, confidence, and an uplifting boost of energy.
Deck used: The Green Witch Oracle Deck by Arin Murphy-Hiscock and Illustrated by Sara Richard!
Link to cards: https://amzn.to/40aG8zg
Note: I absolutely love this deck!!! The art style resonates with me so well as it is very whimsical and detailed! The summary of each card feels enlightening to read. I also love how after each description of the card, a reflective question is asked to further connect to the energy of the card.
Card Descriptions are credits to the authors of the deck!! The summary and overall message will be from my own analysis! Thank you for reading!
Cards:
I never really do readings unless I am super calm and in good energy! I woke up in a very good mood today, went for a walk, and made a delicious smoothie with the idea that I wanted to do a reading today!!
Here are the cards we pulled:
Roots: Healthy, patterns, growth
Moss Agate: Positive, change
Fruit: Achievement, success
Summer: Expansion, growth
Card Descriptions (authors words)
Roots: “Create a foundation, stability, and strength.”
Reminder: Make sure your project has good roots. Take your time and build a healthy foundation for success. (pg. 99)
Moss Agate: Stagnant energy may be safe but is restricting you from the growth that is needed. Plan and trust you are supported. Even in the feeling of unpreparedness, positive energy is flowing around you. Call on this stone for emotional security and you will receive it. (pg. 33)
Fruit: Proof of an achievement. Hard work has yielded satisfying results or is about to! Be joyful! Things take time, energy, and attention. Even if work is invisible to others or behind the scenes, the fruit of that labor, however, is proof that energy was invested. Catch your breath and celebrate! (pg. 107)
Summer: Boost of energy! Increased attention is needed to manage projects to ensure everything unfolds properly. Optimal time for expansion but keep an eye on the energies in your life so they stay focused and productive. Tend to the garden within you so your plant does not become overgrown. Some endeavors will fail as others overshadow them. (pg. 117)
Group Message (my words):
On your journey, you are being asked to start projects that will allow you to secure a strong foundation for your current and future self. Filter out any projects that are keeping you stuck in a cycle of stagnancy. Ask yourself, “In the start/ continuation of this project is it building strength, stability, and a foundation for my future self?” If not, take the steps to remove it. Think deeply about this, reflect everything in your life, whether that be work, projects, relationships, etc. This is a new start and now you can act on it if the first half of the year wasn’t ideal for you. Now is not the time to procrastinate if you wish to manifest change into your life! You are being asked to take a leap of faith and trust in your vision. The energy of positivity and emotional security is flowing through you! In this energy, you will begin to yield the results of your hard work. Even if that is internal. Allow yourself to sit in gratitude and truly celebrate your wins but don’t forget to keep supporting your garden to keep the energy and gifts flowing.
Mya’s Reminder to You: Even if things seem scary or uncomfortable, you got this!! You would not have the vision if it was not meant to be executed by you! Let your dreams become a “when” rather than “if”. Ignore the negativity and keep going <3
My Summary/ Analysis:
Wow what beautiful reading this is!! I hope it resonated with you all as much as it resonated with me! It is interesting how in my current phase of life, I am in a season of a lot of change. I am trying as much as I can to build a stable foundation for myself. The roots card explains my current moment of life very well. Even though I cannot see exactly where my vision is taking me, it’s more of this inner knowing that I am on a good path. I know that the steps I am taking are aligning well with my future. As someone who could be known as the “chaotic friend”, I honestly grew tired of that label. As a teen, I didn’t really care but now as an adult, chaos doesn’t feel very safe. It is very stressful and an energy I don’t want to live in. So, it does make me feel peaceful knowing that I am allowing myself the ability to build that stability. As for moss agate, I fear this card may have called me out. Mm… is there someone recording my thoughts? Weird. I often do feel this feeling. The thing is, I feel we often view stagnancy as just no movement. When stagnancy can be simple things we keep in our lives as well. You know, that “oh, I’ll just scroll for 30 minutes”, then it turns into 3 hours. Lol. Sometimes, we don’t notice the things that keep us stagnant because they aren’t large. As I’ve been on this small journey of just creating, I stopped letting the feeling of unpreparedness stop me because realistically, we do have the things we need to start. I can give an example, My blog… If you notice, you’ll see I don’t own my URL yet… emphasis on yet because I will. Sure, money is one reason, but another is because I just want to ensure I show up WITHOUT the investment pressure. I show up and write on this website because I want to and I don’t have to worry about any pressures. I also wanted to be an example that you can start a blog at any time without the money restrictions in the beginning. You must try the thing, the longer you keep the mindset of “I’m not ready” or “I’ll start when I get (random item)” the longer you’ll continue to procrastinate. Trust yourself. As for fruit and summer, well, I believe these might be future cards!! I can’t see into the future, but I can trust in myself and that makes me happy!!
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Summer Read!!
I realized that after so many blog post I’ve YET to post one on my media page! So, here is my current summer read.
Book: Wings of Starlight ❄️
Summary: This story focuses on Queen Clarion, a young fairy on the verge of becoming a Queen, and her relationship with Lord Milori!
Setting: Pixie Hollow
Plot: In Clarions journey into proving her worthiness of leading Pixie Hollow, she comes across the truth of the division of the seasons. Overtime, a forbidden relationship begins to bubble up, which leads to a heartbreaking story. ( or does it🤭)
Note: This book for Tinkerbell fans is the prequel of the movie ‘ Secret of the Wings. Which told the story of two sisters, Tinkerbll and Periwinkle trying to rekindle after being separated at birth. In the movie, we learn a bit about why their rekindling is hard by the story of Queen Clarion and Lord Milori.
My current thoughts before reading the book: honestly, I think I’m going to love it!! I love the Tinkerbell series and it seems like an overall easy read!❄️🌞
Wings of Starlight Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4kqS07v
Barnes and Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wings-of-starlight-allison-saft/1145552828
Amazon link is affiliated so I can possibly earn commission from purchase, thank you for supporting my blog!!
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Gentle Self-Care Tips for When Life Feels Heavy
Some days just feel heavy. Today is one of those days for me. I feel sad, not for one specific reason, just life in general.
But even in the sadness, I’ve been learning how to care for myself in small, gentle ways. I’m not trying to fix my mood or force myself to be okay. Instead, I focus on reconnecting with myself through things that feel peaceful, comforting, or creatively fulfilling.
Here are some of the things that help me connect back to myself when life feels rough:
1. Baking
Baking helps me get out of my head and into something simple. Mixing ingredients, putting something in the oven, and waiting for a warm treat to come out brings me comfort.
When I’m feeling a little more creative, like today, I’ll try developing a new recipe. I’ll set up my phone to film the process and jot notes in a notebook. It doesn’t take much out of me, but it makes me feel present and peaceful.
What I baked Today: Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe Video linked here: https://myascottage18.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/delicious-cinnamon-rolls-a-quick-and-easy-recipe/ 2. Meditating
Meditation didn’t always come naturally to me. In the beginning, it felt a little awkward, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing.
But once I found what works for me—headphones, a neck pillow, and frequency music—it became a way to slow down and hear my thoughts without judgment.
As someone who overthinks a lot, I’ve realized how important meditation is, especially for creatives. We carry so much in our minds and bodies. Meditation helps us sort through that and actually connect with our vision.
3. Writing
In person, I tend to trip over my words or blank out. I leave things unsaid without meaning to.
But when I write, I can finally express what I’m trying to say. Writing is how I process things and how I find clarity.
It’s the reason I started this blog. I needed a space to speak freely in my own way. Writing is also where I get most of my video ideas from, especially when I’m stuck in a creative block.
4. Creating with My Hands
I love anything that lets me get my hands messy. Clay, painting, drawing, anything creative.
On sad days, I don’t force myself to make anything perfect. I just let myself explore. Sometimes I go for something super chill and simple, other days I try something new. Either way, I always feel a little more energized afterward.
5. Watching Slow and Beautiful Films
There’s something about slow, peaceful movies that helps calm my mind.
Studio Ghibli movies are my go-to. They’re soft, immersive, and beautifully animated. They don’t feel like background noise. I actually have to sit and watch. When I do, I leave feeling inspired and re-centered.
6. Moving My Body
Sometimes the best thing I can do is just move.
Whether it’s dancing around my room( which I can do for hours), stretching for five minutes, or doing a super light workout, movement helps me release tension.
I don’t push myself too hard. I just let my body move the way it wants to. The goal is to shake off the stress and feel more grounded.
7. Nourishing Myself
Taking care of my body helps me feel safe and supported.
That could mean doing my skincare routine, breathing deeply, or gently parenting myself through a tough emotion. These little acts of care remind me that I’m allowed to slow down. I don’t have to push through everything.
8. Doing What I Want to Do
So much of life is spent doing things out of survival. Jobs we don’t like, routines we never chose.
But when I let myself create the way I want to, live how I want to, and follow what feels aligned for me, I start to feel like I’m actually living intentionally.
The day-to-day doesn’t feel as draining when I give myself permission to build a life that reflects who I am. Not someone else’s version. Not society’s idea. Just mine. Currently, doing what I want is me creating on Youtube and my blog. No hassle no expectation just creation.
9. Rethinking My Phone Habits
Yes, it really is the phone sometimes.
But instead of forcing a full disconnect, I’ve learned to reprogram the way I use it.
I unfollow people who drain me. I follow accounts that make me feel inspired and uplifted. I delete apps that flood my mind with negativity. For me, that’s TikTok.
One app I’ve been loving lately is Substack. It gives me something nourishing to read each morning, which is helping me get back into long-form content.
Here are a couple of Substack Post that i have been loving:
- just do it : https://open.substack.com/pub/erifili/p/literally-just-do-things?r=4vaf4b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
- how to actually remember what you read: https://www.theculturist.io/p/how-to-remember-everything-you-read?r=4vaf4b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Even if I can’t take a month off social media, I try to unplug for just one week out of the month. During that time, I only use my phone to talk to the people I care about. That small change makes a big difference in how I feel.
10. Resting and Sleeping
Sleep is the reset button I forget to press.
Sometimes I feel guilty for resting, like I should be doing something more productive first. But I’m learning that without rest, my body has no fuel. And without fuel, I can’t build the life I want.
You don’t have to earn your rest. You don’t have to stay up one more hour to check something off your list. Just sleep. Let your body recharge so you can wake up with new energy and a clear mind.
Lately, I’ve been trying to take the moment to sleep slightly longer or just take power naps. Honestly, It’s something I have to grow used to, just giving myself the space to sit and do nothing for a bit.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be perfect to deserve peace. You don’t need to always be happy to care for yourself.
On hard days, you’re allowed to move slowly. You’re allowed to pause and tend to your spirit.
These rituals are what help me reconnect with myself. Gently, honestly, and without pressure. I hope they remind you that you’re allowed to return home to yourself too.
Questions: How do you make yourself feel better when you are in a slump? What methods works for you that you would love to share?
YouTube video that pairs with the article:
10 Gentle Ways to Reconnect With Yourself When Life Feels Heavy -
Delicious Cinnamon Rolls: A Quick and Easy Recipe
Quantity: 5
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 30-40 minutes
Dough: Pillsbury Buttermilk Southern Homestyle Biscuits
Cinnamon Sugar Spread
- 2 ½ tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter (room temp)
- Splash of vanilla extract
- ½ tbsp cinnamon (I just followed my gut, add more if you like it extra cinnamony!)
Instructions:
Mix everything together until the butter is soft and everything’s nicely combined.Cream Cheese Frosting
(I totally eyeballed this, but here’s my best guess 😭)
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Splash of vanilla
Instructions:
Mix it all up until smooth and creamy.Quick Tip + Baking Info:
When assembling, I spread a layer of the cinnamon sugar inside the biscuit dough, then folded it hot dog style to seal it in. Place it seam side down, cinnamon sugar side up! Any extra mix will drip down and make a delicious sugary crust at the bottom. Bake the biscuits based on the instructions on the can!🤎
Enjoy!!! This is small batch recipe for those who want a quick treat☺️
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How I annotate books with an interactive mind
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What made me write this post:
As a kid, I really loved reading, especially in my English classes. I remember how engaged we’d get with the books: dissecting characters, analyzing storylines, imagining the locations. I loved it all. Somewhere along the way, as I got older, that passion began to fade. I stopped reading regularly, mostly because I didn’t have to anymore. Without the structure of school, I didn’t feel compelled to just pick up a book and read.
Over time, I started noticing changing in myself, especially in my speech. My vocabulary felt limited, and I found myself struggling to recall words or express myself the way I used to. It frustrated me. That is when I decided to try reading again. Something was blocking me. I could not fully immerse myself in the books like I once did. Especially in this age of constant stimulation and scrolling, it was hard to just sit with a story. Everything shifted when I stumbled across a video on book annotation. It opened up a new world!! One that made reading interactive again. I already had highlighters and a pencil, so I grabbed some annotation tabs and a dictionary… and started.
That dictionary by the way is one of my favorite tools and one I rarely see mentioned in annotation content. It’s made such a huge difference. I’ll explain why later in the post, but I wanted to share a quick backstory on how I reconnected with reading. How annotation helped me read books in a more immersive way.
Why I annotate:
- Helps with memory retention:
One thing people don’t talk about enough when it comes to burnout or stress is memory loss. Over time, things that were once easy to remember became a huge strain. For me, this showed up with words. I started mixing up phrases or forgetting the exact word I wanted to use, and it became frustrating. That all began to heal when I started annotating. I noticed my memory, especially with vocabulary, began improving. I even started having little vocabulary sessions with myself, looking up words I didn’t know, unlinking them, using a dictionary. Over time, I started remembering the little things again. Word and clarity came back to me.
2. Deepens connection with characters and world
Now I love putting myself into storylines, imaging what I’d do in a characters place. If I could live as Elizabeth Darcy for a day? 10/10 would. That’s what annotating gives me, a deeper sense of emotional immersion. I feel like I’m living through the characters. Their experiences become my own. I laugh with them, ache with them, and feel for them. Its refreshing.
3. It feels like journaling, but with a book.
If you enjoy journaling like I do, annotation is going to feel similar. Its like writing your thoughts, reactions, and emotions into the book itself. Instead of using a separate notebook you’re chatting directly with the author, the characters, and the themes.
My annotation tools:
Links Provided
- Mechanical Pencil 0.7 Pencil
- Dictionary
- Tabs ( https://amzn.to/4kDMUph )
- Pastel Highlighters ( https://amzn.to/4jEFW1U )
I personally write directly in my books, but it that’s not your style, you can use transparent sticky notes, they’re great if you want to preserve your pages and still take notes.
My color code system:
- Yellow: Lines I loved (strong quotes or moments that made me pause and reflect)
- Dark Blue: Chapter Summaries (I jot down these at the start or end of a section)
- Green: Random Reactions (a laugh, a sudden realization, emotional response)
- Red: Unfamiliar words (these go straight to the dictionary and into my vocab list)
Why I use a Dictionary: Instead of grabbing my phone, which usually ends up in me doom scrolling, I use a physical dictionary. It keeps me in the reading zone and helps me truly remember the new words I encounter.
How I annotate:
Highlighting: If there’s a quote I want to return to, I highlight it and mark it with a tab.
Example (In Pride and Prejudice)
“Women’s class status is traditionally determined by their father or husband.” I marked this line because it still reflects societal dynamics today. It made me stop and think.
Stars: If something really hits, I’ll draw a little star besides it for emphasis.
Example:
“A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” This line caught my attention as it highlights that a person can have a strong sense of self respect without needing constant external validation. It made me think of Elizabeth and Darcy’s self-awareness, and Mary’s tendency to over-intellectualize.
My annotation ritual:
To be honest, I can’t annotate unless I’m in a cozy, quiet space, no chaos, no distractions. I need to feel present and aware.
Music: I enjoy nice jazz or very soft music! Song like Polaroid love by Enhypen
Pomodoro Timer: Helps me stay focused without rushing
Link to pomodoro timer I use: https://youtu.be/b47w3f5PQJI?si=J4gOMrOVbYsTh9N-
Reflection: After reading, I enjoy reading a brief summary of what I read! It helps me refresh my mind and close out my reading session in a nice mood.
That’s all for my annotating post!! I hope this post gives you some inspiration to reconnect with reading in a creative and mindful way. Your copy doesn’t have to be perfect or pretty, it just has to reflect you. Let your notes be messy, emotional, and honest.
Question:
Do you annotate? If so, what is your ideal method? If not, would you want to try it this way?
Some links provided are affiliated and I do make a small commission, Thank you!
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Homemade Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup + Iced Latte Recipe
Today, I’m excited to share one of my favorite coffee recipes with you! I’ve created a delicious brown sugar cinnamon syrup and paired it with my go-to method for making the perfect iced latte. If you’re a fan of brown sugar shaken espressos, you’re going to love this recipe!
So yummy Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Splash of vanilla extract
For the Iced Latte:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Café Bustelo instant espresso
- 30 ml hot water
- Ice (enough to fill your glass)
- 80 grams Chobani oat milk (or milk of your choice)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar cinnamon syrup
Instructions
Making the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup:
- Combine water, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
- Allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the syrup cool for approximately 30 minutes.
- Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Preparing the Espresso:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 teaspoons of Café Bustelo instant espresso with 30 ml of hot water until smooth.
Assembling the Iced Latte:
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Pour the prepared espresso over the ice.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar cinnamon syrup to the glass.
- Top with 80 grams of Chobani oat milk (or your preferred milk).
- Stir gently to combine and enjoy immediately!
Tips:
- Adjust the syrup’s sweetness by adding more or less brown sugar to suit your taste. I add 2 tablespoons just for the perfect taste.
- For a frothy finish, shake the milk in a mason jar or frother before adding it to the coffee.
- This syrup also pairs beautifully with hot lattes, teas, or drizzled over pancakes.
Savor your homemade iced latte and the cozy flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar. Let me know how it turned out. – mya
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