my 5 favorite movies to watch on a self-care day

Hi there!

As you guys know, I love movies. I always have. The first movie I saw in the theaters was Lilo & Stitch (2001). I was amazed at how a story could be told on a screen, and not just in a book. In just two hours or less, when you watch a movie, you can be immersed in someone else’s story. And sometimes, there’s this magical moment where a movie really imprints on you and affects for the better. I’m still pretty traditional in that I cherish my DVDs. Don’t get me wrong, I love Netflix and I love the portability of Netflix. But my DVDs are forever. I’m the type of person that will see a movie a million times, and still buy the DVD. (Just as I’ll read a book at a library, love it, and will buy my own copy.) I picked five of my favorites to watch on a self-care day. Each day I take a few hours to myself to watch a movie with popcorn (see my disability morning routine) as it gives me a chance to rest my body and immerse myself in another narrative that isn’t me and my chronic illness/disability.

The Fault in Our Stars

Out of any and all of the movies I’ve ever seen in my life, I always go back to The Fault in Our Stars. I watch it at least once a month, I swear. It’s just something about that movie that’s so hopeful and magical, yet raw and real. It’s witty, and sad. I watch this movie when I’m happy or feeling low, in any mood. I love Shailene Woodley and pretty much every movie that she’s ever done. (See below to The Spectacular Now) I long to go to Amsterdam, because of this beautiful movie.

Me, Earl, and The Dying Girl

I watch this movie when I need a good laugh. But from the title, it doesn’t seem as if this movie is a laughing matter. But RJ Cyler as “Earl” keeps the movie lighthearted and fun, even when the topic of the movie is far from fun. The quick one-liners and awkward moments of silence depicts the reality of painfully quirky high school friendships. I first watched this movie after a friend recommended it in 2015 when it was first released and I bought the DVD winter break of that year. Ever since then, it’s stayed in my permanent collection and I just watched it last week!

The Spectacular Now

Another Shailene Woodley classic. I first saw the trailer for this movie on a cruise ship (while on family vacation) and I couldn’t wait to get back to the States to watch it. But when I got back to the States, I probably forgot to go see it. That was until I was in Wal-Mart and huzzah! There was The Spectacular Now movie on DVD. I got TSN DVD at the same time as getting the Me, Earl, and The Dying Girl DVD, and it was a tough decision–honestly-to pick which one to watch first. This movie also has an emotional place in my heart as I can relate to Shailene’s character, “Amy” on a few personal levels.

Up

I usually don’t cry in movies, but I teared up when I first watched Up. I also watched this movie in theaters with my mom and my best friend at the time. Sadly, we stopped being friends after we saw this movie (we didn’t have problems, but our families clashed for reasons we couldn’t control). I find this movie so pretty and colorful. I recently watched this movie with a close friend when I was at a low in my life, and it helped me. So, I guess this movie represents friendship and healing for me! And the ending is so satisfying.

Toy Story 3

All of my friends know that I have an obsession with Lotso (the bear that smells like strawberries. I know he’s evil. I know he’s the bad guy, but he’s my favorite. I have two plushies of him and a ton of Lotso merch!). Toy Story 3 just gives me the warm fuzzies, because of the ending. Woody and the gang just fight so hard, always stick together, prevailing against Lotso. I just find it to be so cute at the end when Andy gives the toys to Bonnie before he goes off to college. I thought it was the perfect ending. I like Toy Story 4, but I enjoyed Toy Story 3 much more.

Comment down below some of your favorite movies!

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Love always,

-TPC

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what i eat in a day | healthy + easy meals for psoriatic skin

Hi there!

While I am currently struggling a bit with my mental health, and sometimes eating seems like a big task, I realized I had to find joy in the little things. Such as getting creative with food. I just recently quit my job for my health, so now I have more time to focus on myself. I don’t live on my own, because I attempted to do so last year, and it negatively impacted both my physical and mental health. So, I’ve moved back home. On this day, my mom and I decided to get creative with lunch and it turned out surprisingly good!

Breakfast

Breakfast is relatively the same every day. When I was working, all I’d have time for in the morning was cereal. But then as soon as I’d leave my house (at 5:30 a.m.) I’d already be starving on the drive to work. I’ve been wanting to add more to my breakfasts, so this morning I made a green smoothie. I first started making smoothies last year when I used to live on my own. I was obsessed, and would drink one three times a day with my meals. My roommate even started making them with me. I use Dole frozen fruit, which I find to be the most convenient. This one is a mix of pineapple, apples, mangos, spinach, and pineapple juice (my go-to combo). I added a vegan protein powder that sort of ruined the smoothie, was gritty, and I wasn’t used to the texture. But without the powder, it’s very good. When I was a kid I loved the Rice Krispie Treats cereal, but I haven’t found it in years! Frosted Krispies is similar, but definitely not the same.

Lunch

baked beans, ground beef, rice, and corn

Lunch got a little interesting as we decided to experiment. For years, my mom has always made plain baked beans with hot dogs. That was a go-to meal for us. But I dated a boy who’s family used to always put ground beef in their baked beans for special dinners at their house on Sunday. I tried it once and instantly fell in love. Years later, I convinced my mom to do the same. I was reminiscing about when we always used to go to a restaurant called Rosa Mexicana and gorge on their Mexican street corn. We didn’t have all of the tools to make it, but we improvised. It ended up being a hit and we ate it so quickly. No leftovers here! Beans + meat provide protein!

Dinner

Fruits, veggies, and fish all have anti-inflammatory properties that help tame psoriasis. Fish has omega-3 fatty acids that help build a weakened immune system. I’ve always loved the flavor of fish, peas, and mac + cheese. I’ve been eating this same meal since I was a kid. There’s just something about it that gives me a warm and cozy feeling. Knowing that it’s helping me tame my psoriasis is even better. Did you notice that we drink a lot of lemonade?

Thank you so much for reading this post! Hopefully, this will give you some meal ideas if you have psoriasis, or just looking for some healthier meal options versus going out to eat. Comment down below some of your favorite childhood meals.