Happy holidays!
Here is a recipe you can use as a side dish or make it more crispy for an appetizer for your holiday feasting!
Easy Healthy Appetizer
Cut a head of broccoli into pretty big florets.
• Boil your broccoli for roughly 10-15 minutes, until it’s slightly soft, drain then leave one side.
• Drizzle some olive oil on baking paper and sprinkle on some seasoning. Try oregano, garlic, pepper, salt, cumin, paprika and lots of parmesan.
• Place the broccoli on top and smash it! Use something flat, like the bottom of the glass. Add a bit more parmesan.
• Cook in the oven or air fryer at 185°C for about 15-30 minutes.
You want to cook them so they are just slightly crispy and to your liking. Keep an eye on it while it’s cooking.
🎁 Buy the Cooking With Claudia Christian class series for someone you think would enjoy this awesome and unusual gift idea! Instant Access! Click here to read all the details. Happy Healthy and Delicious Feasting!
Your Morning Motivation
This section will be a thought to help you set yourself up for a more purposeful day. It can be a very simple thing to add a bit of focused intention to your day.
How to use this section:
- Pick one thing to focus on today. I’ll make a suggestion below, but it can be whatever is right for you.
- Write it down somewhere you’ll see it several times a day. Bonus if you add in why you chose it and how it will make a change in your day/life.
- Set a timer on your phone, 4x today to look at your intention.
- At the end of the day write down how it went, what did you notice, and what you might want to try tomorrow.
“So, you’re telling me that every time you thought you couldn’t get through something difficult, you did. And now you’re back here thinking you won’t succeed? Trust your track record my friend.” ~ Vex King
You have survived 100% of the time. Now, eventually all humans leave their bodies. So live life fully now! TRUST!
Article of the Month
Level Up Your Life: A Sci-Fi fan’s Guide to Decluttering Magic
Ever wonder why the heroes in our favorite stories rarely seem bogged down by stuff? Luke Skywalker left Tatooine with basically a lightsaber and the clothes on his back. Frodo embarked on his quest with little more than a ring and a rucksack (okay, that one was complicated). There’s a powerful lesson here about how lightening our physical load can open us up to adventure and transformation.
You know how a Star Trek teleporter needs empty space to beam something in? That’s basically how attracting new things into your life works. By clearing out the old, you’re creating a vacuum that naturally wants to be filled with something new. It’s less “law of attraction” and more “law of quantum possibilities.”
Your Side Quests to Success
Quest 1: Define Your Character Build
Before you start your decluttering campaign, get clear on what kind of character you’re trying to build. Are you speccing for a career change? A relationship upgrade? Your space should support your character development, not anchor you to habits.
Who are you aspiring to be? What does that actually look like? Start where you are and not only get rid of but clean what’s underneath.
Quest 2: Clear the Decks
Start small – tackle one area at a time. That drawer full of old charging cables? That shelf of old files? Bin them! Those clothes you haven’t equipped since 2019? Time to donate them to the needy!
Quest 3: Mental Inventory Management
A cluttered space is like running too many background processes – it slows down your mental CPU. Psychology experts have found that an organized space can boost your mental processing power and even improve your sleep! Allow some room for your burgeoning creativity!
Quest 4: Confronting the Boss Battles
Let’s be real – some items are tied to emotional questlines we haven’t completed. That gift from an ex? Those unused hobby supplies from an abandoned skill tree? These aren’t just items; they’re story arcs waiting for resolution. If it doesn’t make you feel really good, why are they in your life, taking up space? Open that space for what will fulfill your dream goals!
Quest 5: Optimize Your Resource Management
After decluttering, you’ll likely level up your approach to acquiring new items. Instead of random loot grabs, you’ll make more strategic choices about what deserves inventory space in your life.
The Unexpected Easter Eggs
Sometimes, the empty space itself is the reward. Like discovering a secret room in a game, you might find that clearing out a physical space unlocks new mental pathways. Those newly empty shelves might inspire you to finally write that sci-fi novel or design that game you’ve been dreaming about.
The Final Boss: Living Authentically
Sorting through what we own can be a catalyst for personal growth and self-awareness. We gain insight into our habits, preferences, and emotional triggers.
By questioning what we are feeling about the things we have gathered and stored in closets and under the bed, we can attune to what we want now.
The ultimate reward isn’t just a tidier space – it’s discovering and creating your true character.
Those aspirational items gathering dust might be holding you back from who you really are. There is freedom and fresh energy that comes from releasing these items that now only serve to make us feel guilty, wasteful, even a failure.
Remember: This isn’t about following someone else’s walkthrough. It’s about creating space for your own unique questline to unfold. Now, Padawan, it’s time to start this decluttering adventure!
Our Quest Travel Adventures
One of the most frequent questions I get about our travels is “when are you going to settle down?” Hahaha. I understand that question! I wonder about it myself! At this moment, I have no desire to stop traveling. There’s so much to see and do, and the USA is a scary mess. We can move about as we want or need to. I’d like to keep going as long as we can.
How do you stay as long as you do in another country? We apply for extended visas. There are a variety of visas you can be right for. So far, we have been retirees traveling for a holiday. We could switch to Digital Nomad status and stay even longer once we find a place we’d really like to do that.
How do you pack for traveling for so long? We travel with a lot of luggage, I’ll admit. Clothes are the easy part! I shop in thrift shops and donate when we are moving to another climate. I’ll buy an important item like I had to have some nicer clothes for a series of ComicCons I did in Oz and NZ. I bought shoes too that are more convention appropriate. (I have waterproof walking sports shoes, flip flops and a pair of sandals in my suitcase).
But usually you can get by with basics and buy a good sweater and jacket if need be. We replace worn out clothes and shoes along the way too. We have invested in great waterproof walking shoes, good jackets, and other items that are more meaningful like protective hats, swim gear (we are divers) and yes some souvenirs. We have 4 checked bags. One bag is exclusively electronics. We added a 4th bag, (a duffel) in Australia that has a lot of things like beach towels, some kitchen gear, extra shoes and random things I’ll throw in because we have the room. I’ll donate the lot when we leave NZ. We have bags of medicine we cannot get everywhere because we are on the road for so long. It all adds up!
How do you afford to travel so much? I work on the road. I have an online business. So does Glenn. I sold my house and no longer have that expense. It’s something we have to be careful about, of course! I find Airbnbs that are within our tight budget. And we cook like we would at home. We very rarely eat out. We find a long term car rental that gives us much better rates. In the Philippines, we rented a motorbike/scooter and that was very cheap. In Australia we rented used, cheaper cars, a motor home for 2 weeks, and in the cities traveled by bus. In NZ we found a long term car rental guy who has a fleet of 10 yr old Nissans he rents. We almost bought a car but this was a better option for us this time.
Airfare is expensive. Staying longer in any country is more cost effective.
More about Airbnbs: The longer you stay in a place, the better the deals you can get. I always ask if there is more of a discount, for example I find many don’t show a discount unless they are a brand new listing and need some reviews. So I ask. You can negotiate. I know this isn’t often mentioned. I have also paid the owners directly when they see my reviews as a renter, that we are older, and they are happy to have the place rented for longer terms. So we both avoid the AirBnB fees. Sometimes Glenn and I decide we’d love to stay longer and then we negotiate a direct payment. By then the owners know and like us.
We have had less than great BNBs. It happens. The most frequent, non-disclosed discomfort at a BNB is noise and bad wi-fi. We have experienced severe traffic noise that was hard or impossible to discern from their listing. (Airbnb doesn’t care, btw. I have had to get Airbnb to help me with the owners and they really didn’t do anything.) We have also experienced undisclosed construction right next door. That’s really awful. But the owner let us out of the contract and we had to find another place in a hurry. One place had mold and the owner let us out of the contract, too. They really don’t want a bad review.
I am very nice about almost everything. I do push back but I also am aware of what they can control and what they can’t. I also take responsibility for making the choice I did. Now, I am very experienced at reading listings and can see in between the lines. But I still may make a mistake and pick a place that’s too remote, for example. Then we eat up rental car mileage going back and forth for supplies. When I don’t know the lay of the land, it’s tricky!
Tips for choosing a BnB:
~Read the reviews! Look for noise issues, lumpy beds, cleanliness, ornery owners, bad smells… And be VERY cautious renting a new place without at least 5 reviews.
~Ask questions, for example if the flat is in a small building but it doesn’t say there’s an elevator, ASK! (Tall buildings over 5 stories will have one, unless you are in Turkiye or Egypt. ASK.)
Made that mistake. ONCE. If you are traveling light and are super fit it’s not a big deal.
~Ask for a discount if you are staying a week or longer.
~I find that places that are managed by a corporation might as well be a hotel room. They are clean, but cold. They won’t have basic kitchen supplies. Or the sweet touches some owners supply. And they often have a long list of demands for the renters!
~If you are allergic to cats or dogs, ask if they are allowed. Or notice they say pets are welcome!
~Ask if the wi-fi is strong. For you digital nomads, believe me, they will tell you it’s great. I now have to ask them to check the upload and download speed. Most think their wi-fi is fine, but they don’t do what I do with online events. Now I have to tell them if they can’t run a speedtest and take a snapshot of it, I won’t rent their place.
~Look for what’s important to you, like a washer, a TV, air con, comfy beds, cleanliness.
I also look for a dedicated workspace. We need room for both of us to work and I can’t be in the same room with Glenn because I am so easily distracted. Even with headphones! Know your needs!
~ Be adventurous! Adapt best you can. It’s hard to have a BNB, so be willing to try to work things out.
~ Always be respectful. Be like Dumbledore. It’s a matter of self respect to me. If you are upset, take some time to compose your messages. You’ll get better results.
~ Check out on time and leave the place super clean. Good reviews are important to you too.
~ Usually the house rules are available to look at before you commit to renting. Make sure you are okay with them.
~ Communicate clearly and be honest. If you broke something or stained the carpet, let them know and see what you can do to make it right. Once I was so tired I put the electric kettle on the stove top and set it on fire. We were in Istanbul, fleeing from a disgusting hotel, and our hostess was so sweet she invited us to come a day early at no charge. The Turks are incredible hosts. I felt SO awful and dumb! She was completely gracious and just asked that I replaced it. Of course I was happy to, and grateful she wasn’t offended.
~ Leave a nice review, if warranted, and mention why you liked the place. Mention any tips for the area like a great walk, or restaurant. Anything less than a 5 star review is hard for the owner. You can give a 5 star review and still give lower scores for a specific topic like Cleanliness, Location, Communication etc.
Let me know if this helps and ask me your questions!
Do you have any requests? Places I’ve been you want to hear more about? Email me at Pat@QuestRetreats.com! I love hearing from you.
Journal Prompt
(Each month I will give you a thought to fire up your mind. Use journaling prompts over and over again and see how the result changes.)
What does Trust look like to you? When have you trusted and it worked out in the end? When have you trusted and were let down but learned something positive? You survived. Where can you open to life, joy and trust more fully?
Member result of the month – Testimonial
Each month we feature results and feedback from one of our Magical Living community members!
“I discovered Pat Tallman’s Workshops after attending some of her delightful B5 Events. I was at a crossroads in my life, unsure of my next steps, and whether I could avoid the mistakes and pitfalls I’d made before. Working with Pat helped me recognize why, and how, things had gone astray. I’m now on a much better path…and more satisfying, progress.” – E., USA
Store
Any of the Magical Living Programs and workshops make great gifts. Here are a few giftable options!
🎇 Practical Practice: Make the Next Season the BEST Season: https://magicalliving.mykajabi.com/offers/F22wJvk6
🎁 Practical Practice: Full Bundle of 4 Workshops https://magicalliving.mykajabi.com/offers/2nYL5p8S/checkout
🍽️ Cooking with Claudia: https://magicalliving.mykajabi.com/cooking-with-claudia
Personal Development books I love:
You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero https://amzn.to/3NaxPgK
High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard https://amzn.to/3oG5O7p
My book Pleasure Thresholds is on Amazon! You can get it here: https://amzn.to/3TUBily
Dark Legacies Double Issue, both autographed! https://b5events.com/store-2/comic-dark-legacies-bundle-autographed-by-claudia-christian/
Get a personal video message from me! https://b5events.com/store-2/a-message-from-patricia/
Babylon 5 Series on Blu Ray HERE: https://amzn.to/3tDABnO
Babylon 5 : The Road Home (animated- various formats): https://amzn.to/47icXe7
❣️We get a little percentage from Amazon when you use our link for shopping. Thank you!
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Love,
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