A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

blogging challenge

Photo Blogging Challenge: April 2020’s theme is …

Well, 2020 has been wonderful so far, hasn’t it?

And we are already into April. Heck, with everything going on in the world, I see people on social media saying “April Fool’s Day is canceled.” I mean, I guess if people think they have some sort of power, but who are they to tell anybody anything during this time? We all cope differently.

PBC logo

Our world is in uncharted waters. We are battling so much right now, and mix all that with the amount of hate in this world and it’s even worse. Somehow, our current situation is hitting every person in this world, be it direct or indirect. The numbers climb and we stay glued — watching and wondering.

Alas, I will probably touch upon this in another post I am working on. No need to clog it all up here. But, photography — along with laughter and whatever else you need to do to get through these times — is here to help. And this challenge will continue, though I did change up the theme for April from my original plan.

So take this theme that is posted below and think about it; interpret it; and make it yours. If you know other bloggers who could use something to join, have them check out this post and take part with us. Let’s use this to help us.

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

  • See the theme (first day of the month);
  • Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
  • Select five photos and create a blog post;
  • Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
  • Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
  • Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Your World. Whether you are inside or outside, or being isolated somewhere else, show us your world. Maybe it’s a walk on empty streets. Maybe it’s something inside. But show us your world as we all go through this together. Please make sure your blog post publishes Thursday, April 30. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!



Photo Blogging Challenge (March 2020): Seven

To say that this theme changed a bit for me this month would be an understatement. Though I didn’t have a full plan of attack when we first started, I really didn’t have a plan once everything went full-on crazy throughout the world.

So this was a bit tough for me in regard to what should I come up with for this theme. Numbers aren’t always easy for me to figure photos for.

I did my best to capture seven … we’ll see how it comes out though!

Let me first take a moment to talk about this challenge. When we first started, the idea was to have a place of creativity — and it still is. But it was a sense of community and a way to grow people’s reach. Blogging over those seven years has changed, and maybe not all for the better. Blogging is still out there and great, but over those seven years, things have changed in how people do it. I still try and keep things the way they were when I started this blog — personal blog telling stories that I feel like sharing. I don’t have ads or anything like that and it’s rare I do sponsored posts (though I will sometimes … I mean, money is money), so I try to keep to the roots.

This challenge has always been a lot of fun and I hope it continues that way. I’ve started getting back into blogging more (as people I hope have seen) and I’m doing my best to visit more (though, sometimes I’m slower with the challenges… I have been catching up!) and see what everybody else is up to.

Seven years.

This challenge has gone through a lot over the years. It doesn’t always draw a lot of people, but I keep hoping maybe people will join and we will grow. If not, we have a great group of people who make it a lot of fun!

Thank you all for being part of this challenge and here’s to many more years of fun!

With all of that in mind, here are my five for March!

1. Thank you!

I’m not much of an artist, so this will have to work! Thank you for seven years of this challenge, no matter if you’ve done one month or been around since the beginning!

2. Seven letters

This used to be a car wash in my town. Though it’s changed, I love that this sign has remained.

3. Seven treats

Being diabetic, I’ve had to find ways to have a sweet treat when I crave it. Turns out Hershey Kisses are good because you can have just one or two and it fills the need. Even better is how many different types of Kisses are out there!

4. Pathtags

If you are a geocacher, you likely know about Pathtags. These collectible “coins” are small and really nice things to find or trade for. Some have holes, so you can attach to a keychain or something like that. Others are more like shaped coins. These are seven of my personal ones. The top one can only be won via contests on my blog or social media. Keep watching as I’ll have a contest coming soon. You don’t have to be a geocacher to win!

5. Dice

I had to bring out some dice. There’s seven of them, of course. And then there’s the seven showing on them!

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see April’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: March 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Reading, writing, and learning to journal in middle age

Throughout my life, I’ve always been a writer.

Sometimes it was professionally. Sometimes it was personal stuff. But I’ve always been that writer.

The one thing I haven’t been good at … was journaling.

That being said, one could argue that blogging is a way to journal — but I wanted it a little more traditional. The idea of bullet journaling has interested me for a while. I love seeing spreads and ideas on what people do. What I like about it is how it can work not just as a version of a traditional journal, but as a guide for life. I don’t look at it as a planner as many might. I look at it as a tool to document your doings, while still kind of keeping with your current life and staying on task. 

It’s funny, though. Sometimes one has to watch where they say things like this. Much like every other thing a person can do, when you get out in social media, things can get rather nasty – even with something like a bullet journal. Not to get on a soapbox – and I will keep this brief – but as I was learning about the different aspects and facets of bullet journaling, there are people who get downright forceful in their belief that their way; or maybe that of the originator’s way; or some other way – is the only way to do this. And if you go off that path, you are doing it wrong and so many internet people will lash into you over it. 

It’s a journal. Nothing more, nothing less. People will make it their own and do it their own way. Deal with it and move on. Better yet, if you feel the need to slam people over how they do things – move along. 

Anyway, I digress. 

I don’t need a lot of room for daily thoughts. I just need to make sure I stick with it!

I’ve never been successful with journals. I didn’t keep up or I didn’t get a flow. A bullet journal seemed to be something that could help me. (I have been working on a larger post about my path in bullet journaling in more detail and that will be coming out soon). I think it’s more about sitting down and trying to put personal thoughts to pen and paper more than anything, 

Reality is, the world is a crazy place, It can be amazingly good or shockingly bad. There’s a lot of middle ground, too. There’s heartbreak and joy. So much goes right and wrong in this world. But in the end, it’s not a bad time to be alive. Keeping that in mind, it’s also a time when the world needs to focus on people, be it good or be it topics like mental health. 

I work in schools and see a lot about mental health issues and what we can do about it. I’m very cognizant of my own mental health and realize sometimes you can’t keep things bottled up. I also know there needs to be an outlet of sorts where I can get thoughts out and understand my own path in life. 

Hence the journal. 

I like other aspects of journaling, which theoretically should help keep me on task.

Let me say that I’m a bit jealous of people who have journaled for years and who have created their own style and way of doing things. I’d love to go back and read my own writing about issues or successes in the past. I’d love to see my thoughts on a more personal level, and not just on my blog. Though I’ve shared some life-altering things in life on this blog, I tend not to get way too personal with a lot of other things. 

So this journey for me, is just starting. I read a lot about how journaling has helped. I’m trying to define a style and a schedule to keep. I haven’t done too well, so far. February was OK, but I haven’t done basically anything in March. April will be a new month and I’ll try to find that flow once again. So far, reading how others have done this is helping, but then I need to get to the doing part of things. 

It’s even harder doing this, though, as a middle age guy. I have so many other things I’m invested in, at times it feels like a burden, and that’s something I don’t want this to be. I’d like it to be something good. Just like anything else, I know I need to make it a routine and find a rhythm. I think if I can do that, I’ll start to feel that flow more. It might be where I need to do it every other day. My memory is good enough where I won’t forget all the good from the day before if I do it every couple of days. I’m not one who wants to do it whenever I think about something as it will then consume me. It needs to be real and organic for it to really work for me. 

I do feel that rhythm will be found, eventually, A few months from now, I’m sure I will look back and know there were just a few speed bumps in the way of getting things the way I need them to be. 

So how about all of you out there? Do you journal (and what form? Regular, BUJO) and, if so, how long have you been doing it? And what kind of routine do you have for journaling?

Blog With Friends: March 2020

Blog with Friends is a themed collaboration challenge where a group of bloggers get together and publish a project based on a theme. Please see the others who have taken part for this month’s theme “Read Across America.” Links to their posts can be found below the image!

Check out what the others did with Read Across America!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen at A ‘lil HooHaa, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! We also have the Food Photo Challenge (current theme listed at end of post) and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge: March 2020’s theme is …

March?

Yikes! Next thing you know, we’ll be moving our clocks ahead and having longer days! That means more time for taking photos and, hopefully, other things for you!

PBC logo

March, each year, is a good time for this challenge as it marks another year we have been doing it. Of course over the years, we’ve seen fewer people take part. That being said, I do enjoy doing it, so we keep moving along and see what happens with it.

So as we celebrate our anniversary, let’s hope we find a way to grow the challenge and maybe get other people involved. I know there are a lot of challenges out there and people take part, but the beauty of this one is it’s all about interpretation and very open-ended. So let your blogging friends know and maybe we can grow!

Here’s the thing to always remember about this challenge: It doesn’t matter what you use to take the photos. It can be a DSLR, your phone, a compact camera, or heck, if you can get things set and scanned in time, a film camera! Just have fun and try and challenge yourself.

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

  • See the theme (first day of the month);
  • Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
  • Select five photos and create a blog post;
  • Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
  • Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
  • Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Seven. If you’ve been with us for a while, I’m sure you had an idea what was coming for this month’s theme! Please make sure your blog post publishes Tuesday, March 31. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge (February 2020): Money

Money. 

I mean, down deep, we all want it. Heck, we need it. Some people want more than others. But money makes the world go around, that’s for sure. 

And though they say money can’t provide happiness, I always say it’s a pretty good start. Think about how often money makes things tough or hurts relationships and lives. 

It’s taken me a few years to understand finances a bit. I’m getting better with it and am actually looking to be somewhat debt free (outside of student loans) within the next three years. Of course, I know there could be major purchases that would interfere with that; and then all the normal bills … but I’m talking about things such as credit cards and debt like that.

Anyway, money. 

When I first posted this theme, I had some ideas. I kind of went with said ideas, but the photos aren’t as … exciting … as I hoped. But they will do the job. 

For those of us who live in the states, you know our money is boring. It’s green, and it is just there. The coins are OK, but nothing special. 

If you look around the world, money is different. 

It’s colorful. It’s nice to look at or to use. The denominations are even quite different, as you’ll see. It’s something cool to see color with money and designs that make the money a bit more friendly, so to speak. 

What I set out to do was find some money that was nice to look at and share. eBay proved to be the spot as I found a place that sold some good stuff, so that’s what I am sharing. 

With all of that in mind, here are my five for February!

1. One billion!

Imagine having the largest bill? Yowza! These bills are from the former Yugoslavia. I couldn’t resist saying I was a billionaire, though!

2. Funky!

I love when the bills from other countries just have an interesting look, or what I would refer to as funky. Agree?

3. The colors!

When I look at these bills, from Madagascar, all I can think is the colors! I love how colorful the money is and how it just stands out. It’s so nice to look at. 

4. One with nature!

How nice are these bills? The nature is front and center as well. And I like the intricate details. 

5. Coins

Even coins from afar have such a nice look to them. The coins in the US aren’t bad, depending what you get. But some coins are just older and just don’t feel exciting.

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see March’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: February 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!