All things Becky15 Higgins/beggy Higgins

bwahahaha!!! and 'Buckeye Haggans' ... good one! enjoy the wine!!

Please, please, PLEASE make sure to wear the proper PPE!!  We don't want you having residual bad effects from this exposure... if you feel yourself wanting to buy an overpriced notebook, or have the urge to wear an ankle-length sack dress with bell sleeves in a dull olive color, please seek medical attention immediately!!!  

I love him!! now I think I need to go find some Laff Olympics cartoons to watch...

I know it’s petty, but the Shine people are doing her no favors with the eye makeup and the lip gloss. The eye makeup looks so damn harsh and then she has no lips with that pink. I also still think the hair looks like shit. Just call me petty Betty.

I’m pretty sure French labor laws are even stricter

Lesson 2 | How to Get Started (continued)

04:15 We're starting "super simple and light" for the first story to add to the album. Now we're being guided through the Project Life app process. Open the app, tap 'Create', go to the 'Editorial Templates' and pick your template. Our "official assignment" is to create a page about "3 points of joy". Becky goes on to say we need to select a template that allows to add 3 pictures (no way, José). If you don't have a photo of these three things, you're supposed to go photograph them today. There's some more typical BH talk about not trying to make it perfect. If you've ever watched one of the many Project Life videos, you've heard this all before.

05:40 "From here, you're going to tap on this little icon that represents template options and if you haven't already purchased some sets [...]" Ka-ching #2, ladies. You just paid for an album and page protectors, now you're going to drop some cash on extremely basic templates which you can absolutely make yourself in any basic photo editing or even word processing software. There is nothing special to these templates from what I can tell. If you plan on printing a photobook rather than going the album + PP way (say, for a chronological year), just use the free templates provided in most printing companies' free photobook software like BookSmart and BookWright in Blurb. They look exactly the same. "And we'll be adding of course more sets over time!" Oh good, I was afraid my spending would be done here!



06:01 "And trust me, you'll be using these templates over and over and over. You'll definitely get your money's worth!" Oh yes, always trust a salesperson, especially when they preface their claim by saying: "Trust me."

06:15 Pick your three points of joy. Becky's very clear: RIGHT NOW. Not last week, not last month. I guess the points of joy of the past are not worth documenting? Or maybe they will be in the next lesson? "You can focus on specific people and that's great but you can also dig a little deeper and not make it about people too." I wasn't thinking of other people nor was I seeking your approval, Mrs Haggans, but mmmkay? I've decided I'll play along mentally. My three points of joy right now are: sitting in my underwear (brand new Savage x Fenty, please! I fancied up for this lesson) watching this course because it's hot af in the apartment and we don't have AC, the glass of wine I'm sipping on watching this video because Booty needs it after half an hour of this course, the fact that we're likely 1/3 of the pandemic in and only have 2/3 to go before a vaccine/multiple vaccines is/are available for the public (hey, glass 1/3rd full attitude). Ok, wait, apparently, I should've waited. Becky's listing ideas now: bubble bath, acing a test, a win at work, book or podcast or TV series. "Have you visited a place this week that you just love?" Between the wins at work and places visited, I've got to wonder if Becky's experiencing the same pandemic as I am. "Are you working on a new habit that is setting your soul on fire?" Oh great, here we go with the fire and soul references again. Also, soul on fire, isn't that hell? I no longer know. But I'm suddenly reminded that season 5 of Lucifer is coming to Netflix later this month. Yay, that can be one of my 3 points of joy later this month. Thank you for the inspo, Becks!

06:58 We're now being shown how to select images from our phone's camera roll and add them to a template in the PL app. I'm learning so much, you guys. This is hard. Anyhoo, more tapping to show how to rearrange photos by dragging and dropping them to another block in the template. Anyone who's ever had a smartphone knows how to intuitively do this.

07:58 "Do NOT get hung up on the title! There's no need this needs to be a creative part of the process. You simply want to identify what you're talking about and that's it." Girl, are you freakin' kidding me? I typed out the crazy long list of ever bonkers-going-bonkerser titles you posted in the previous lesson's PDF. You're trolling us right now, aren't you? Also, this is the point in the lesson where you can clearly see her glancing to her left ro read off the cue cards. Becky, you're tired. I'm tired. Why did you have to make such a simple thing so long? Anyhoo, Becky suggests we title this page: "3 points of joy". Who saw that one coming? I'm almost disappointed we're not being given dozens of examples like "depth and breadth of my current 3 points of joy"!

08:15 We're back to showing how to edit templates in the app (it's all about tapping, you guys!). I am chuckling like a fat seagull who scared away tourists and got their fries because there's a typo in Becky's example page in the app. "3 pints of joy" And yes, I'm absolutely down with documenting my favourite pints! Brewery of Latter-Day Spirits, anyone?



In case anyone's wondering how simple this process is if you're focusing on the stories like it's intended: Becky takes out her computer, starts it up, types out the story on her laptop, sends them to herself via email, opens the email on her phone and copies + pastes the text from the email into the template on the app. Easy peasy! Couldn't be more straightforward.

09:10 Another gem from Becky which she learned from her mother: "date everything you make." Gah, this is a first in the world of documenting and scrapbooking! The example shown here is a story page Becky made about a blooming cactus. It's titled "Parable of the Prickly Pear". You can't make this shit up, I tell ya. This course will be the end of me (and of the bottle of wine). Also, I've lost count of the amount of times Becky has said: "trust me" in this course so far. I feel like I'm in a skeevy used car lot or something. "Trust me, once you're on the highway, this bizarre engine noise will disappear!"

10:10 We're moving on to sample pages from various people. This is the bit where Becky introduces each person and their 3 points of joy. I mean, if you've done any type of documenting over the past few years, particularly of the storytelling kind à la Ali Edwards, you've seen similar and more inspiring stuff all over IG, design team blog entries and elsewhere. "Autumn is a middle school teacher who believes that kindness is magic. She focused on a recent passion project of making face coverings, recent exploring in her area and rock painting with her son. Monique is an attorney and mum of five. She focused on family time, needlework and technology. Tim is a twenty-something who loves cookies, coffee and crafting. His page is about some DIY projects leading up to his wedding, the Hunger Games series and family get-togethers at his aunt's house. Michelle is a fitness resort owner and mum of six. [...]" MOVARA IS IN DA HOUSE, Y'ALL! One of Michelle's joys is about her son preparing to serve his LDS mission. I mean, this is just the continuation of the Mormon promo circle jerk within the infomercial. You can't script this, I swear. If this course is anything, it's 100% Becky Higgins.
In true 100% BH spirit, she also features her dad (Wayne) as one of her sample page people. Ah yes, good ol' always satisfied customer daddy Haggans. In case you're wondering, his 3 points of joy (I'm so over the phrase "points of joy" at this stage, just call it "joys" and stop trying to be so special, Becks): going to Daniels, Maryland for a day, researching the internet for 3 days about Daniels, Maryland and "publishing" his book about the history of Daniels, Maryland (I kid you not). His conclusion: "Daniels, Maryland, has become a part of my life." Oh, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. In case you're wondering, Becky's mother (Vicki) is also featured. And the person who designed the graphics for this course. Everyone featured seems connected to Becky in some way. I can't be bothered reporting more on these sample pages. Nothing interesting. I believe all of these are shown on the MMS account anyway. Knock your pretty self out on IG if you're curious! One thing I will note and point out in my serious voice here is that there are several photos of family/friends gatherings with absolutely no face masks or social distancing, including multiple generations hudled around Becky's mother without a care in the world. I'm shocked by this absolute nonchalance in the face of the pandemic. Her father and husband are physicians! These pages are all dated and from the current summer so it's not some 2019 fluke or something. Very irresponsible samples to include when the entire world is begging people to be careful and respect important social distancing measures to save lives. I guess she better have her parents document their present right now if that's how they're going about their daily lives because yes, indeed, death can be just around the corner... I'm not saying this in my usual joking manner, just to be clear. Some of these example "points of joy" are completely irresponsible moments to share so publicly.

14:22 Done with the samples, finally. Becky says some of the sample page designers were already documenters, some not but that something as simple as *her* app and *her* templates can make anyone a documenter, "Isn't that so cool?" Becky, the revolutionary we don't deserve, the Hamilton of documenting... I'm hearing her Project Life schtick videos from 2013 all over again except we're swapping out core kits for templates.

14:54 And what does one do when they've made a "BUNCH" of story pages, one has to get them printed. Fear not, peasant, Becky's got your back! There's a flat fee for shipping pages printed through the app (US only). And now we ever so generously get walked through on how to order prints through the app. Ka-ching #3 right there.

15:59 Becky latches on the problem everyone is reporting back to her apparently: finding stuff to write about. We're now descending a little further into the copy-what-all-the-other-major-documenters-have-been-offering-over-the-past-years cave. Sorry, wait, first there's a placement for the MMS Instagram account with the "whoooole community of people there"! Go follow it, you guys.

16:40 "What I'd like to do right now is just get big picture with you. Open your mind and allow yourself to be totally receptive." Trademarked Movara speech? Let me cut through the spiritual nonsense and give you the types of stories she suggests adding to your album, using her own words: pivotal moments, experiences that have changed you, different aspects of who you are and your core, who you are trying to be, hardship, perseverance, happy moments, sad moments - OF COURSE BECKY TURNED ONE OF HER INSTAGRAM CRYING SELFIES INTO A "STORY PAGE"! [continued below]



grateful moments, hopes and dreams, successes, failures, stories about your grandparents that resonate with you, current events ("Holy cow, right?!" yeah, Becky, don't go all wide-eyed on us now after showing so much lack of social distancing and safe measures in your sample pages!), what it means to you to cultivate a good life (oh dear, here we go again), lyrics that have a special meaning for you - OH MY DOG, THERE IS A PROPHET NELSON PAGE! THE LDS BINGO CARD IS COMPLETE! [continued below]




[continued] favourite take-aways from a talk or a book (girl, I am *so* not making a page about this course, lemme tell ya), tough decisions, your faith, where you stand on different issues, the essence of who you are, morning and nighttime routines, how you got into your field of work, personal observations, feelings about specific loved ones, life advice.

19:40 "In essence, I'm encouraging you to not just document about the things you do but, really, who you are." *big grin close-up shot* Now she goes into a diatribe about how this project is different from the family yearbooks she makes because it "really gets to the deeper parts of your heart and soul". Something-something about making a list of all the stories you're making per category so you can see what's missing or which category is missing compared to the rest so you can make up for it and give a complete overview of who you are, yadda yadda. This sounds like a chore, frankly.

20:45 "Ok, two more things in this lesson." Good 'cause I'm about to nope out of this course, lady. I am hungry. I'm tired. And I didn't learn anything so far. Teach me something, my great "documenting guide" (she's changed her bio on IG again, you guys, we've gone from Yoda to guru to guide - and so its power lessens). Thing n°1: naming the project. Oh FFS, not this again. That was your PDF in the previous lesson, Becky, let's not bring it up again. Great, more title ideas. Wait, now she claims she's included a bonus PDF with title ideas for the project. This was the bonus in lesson 1, this is lesson 2. *double-checks the course to confirm the title page idea PDF is currently offered in lesson 1* Sort your shit, Becky, this doesn't look as pro as you're hoping for between the mixed-up bonus PDF material and parents featured as guest designers. Thing n°2: "Consistency breeds momentum." Basically, ya gotta keep going at it. Like, you know, all of us have been doing for years as we scrap, journal and fill albums. "Busy, yah, we're all busy!" Ok, no need to take such a condescending tone with your audience, lady, particularly from your position of privilege. Dafuq. But hey, in case you needed to hear how to do it: literally put it in your calendar and keep the appointment to fill a story page template every week! Chore work, I tell you, not pleasure.

Ugh. Take it from me. There are far, far better sources for inspiration and encouragement out there. I'd rather sit through hours of Ali's vocal fry than Becky's rambles and I really struggle with listening to the vocal fry register. Can't believe I've only finished lesson 2. That's not even halfway through this mess! Blessed be the bottle of ice cold vodka next because I'm going to need to up the alcohol content to survive whatver this is...

I don't know how to quote something that's only a part of the post. But did you see her typo?? 3 PINTS of joy
Bwa-ha-ha-ha !!!! Yeah...3 pints...That's about as much joy I got right now...
Anyway, thank you! Enjoy your wine, and le boyfriend...

I'm doing this sitting in my non-magic underwear. I think that's the appropriate PPE when dealing with Mormon business? Does anyone have the regulations to check? 

I deserve at least *two* ice cream bars to recalibrate my chakras and detoxify my brain cells after this exposure! 

You have got to be kidding me with that Instagram crying page.

I would never type out a long story on my phone... I want a real keyboard! BUT... the notes app syncs seamlessly from the computer to the phone so you can just type in there on your computer and it's magically on your phone seconds later... seems so much simpler. 

oh, no. nope, nope, nope. you can't make me. <steps BACKWARDS, to leave someone ELSE to be the volunteer>

I know people.

Gmail just syncs, no need to actually send it to your self, or use Google docs. Google notes works the same way too. 🤦🏻‍♀️