Illusen's Plan, Preparation, and Get Ready

     Well, look no further because I wrote an article for the Neopian Times for anyone who would like to know all about that!

     I will take you on my journey through this article and show you how I plan, prepare, and get ready for Illusen Day, which comes every year on the 17th of March.

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     There are three parts to this article:

     Part 1 - Planning/Preparation

     Part 2 - De-stress and Getting Ready

     Bonus Part 3 - Questions and Answers

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     Part 1 - Planning/Preparation

     Illusen Pencil Set

     Being an Earth Faerie is a great responsibility and sometimes my mental to-do list gets overwhelmingly long in my head, so a great way for me to organize my ideas and plans would be to write everything down on paper so that I wouldn't have to remember everything or worry about forgetting something really important. I use the Illusen Pencil Set to write down the plans and ideas I have in mind for Illusen Day. By doing this, I can easily keep track of what has been done and what still needs to be done. This pencil set comes with erasers that are supposed to be my faerie wings. How neat is that!? I write my plans down on paper about a year prior to Illusen Day. Planning ahead of time and getting things down as soon as possible will reduce the overall workload and stress in the future when we're nearing Illusen Day.

     Illusen Poster

     I order thousands of copies of the Illusen Poster. You can find this poster at the Faerie Furniture shop. These posters will be sent out all over Neopia to inform Neopians that Illusen Day will be celebrated on March 17th. This celebration is held on the same day every year, but I mail out these posters anyway to remind everyone to come out and celebrate with me on my special day. I genuinely love Neopia and everyone in it and I can't imagine celebrating my day without them.

     Illusen Stamp

     I mail out the posters to all the locations of Neopia about a month before March 17th. I use the Illusen Stamps to mail out the posters. Any stamp will do, but I use the Illusen Stamp because the Postal Weewoos will know that my special day is coming in the very near future and they will work extra hard to deliver all of my posters in time including the other letters they have to deliver.

     Not to worry! The Postal Weewoos are not being overworked. I would never do such a thing to them! An interesting fact is that during this time they feel more productive and energized.

     Illusens Harp

     I practice playing the Illusens Harp for an hour each day ever since I was a child. I still do up to this day. I have to maintain the skills I have by continuing to use them and always trying to be better at what I can do. Not just doing spells because I'm a faerie, but also playing music too. Practice makes perfect! Playing the harp is one of my musical talents. This year, for music entertainment, I will be playing the harp for everyone to enjoy. The sound of the harp is so beautiful and peaceful which symbolizes my wish for Neopia to always live in peace and harmony. My way of encouraging the spread of kindness is by playing this harp on Illusen Day because I have enchanted this Illusens Harp to bring forth that message through the sound waves that this harp produces each time I play.

     Illusen Lunch Box

     Every year, one of my faerie sisters, the Soup Faerie, volunteers to prepare lunch for all guests. The Soup Faerie would prepare lunch in the Soup Kitchen and step out of her comfort zone by making something that's not soup. Whatever she makes, I know will be delicious. She's a great cook and baker! This year, I wanted to do something different and surprise everyone. This is the finished product. A lunch box for everyone! This was designed with me at the front of the lunch box and the Soup Faerie will prepare the lunch inside. When the guests open their lunch boxes on Illusen Day, inside each lunch box they will find a delicious Forest Fruits Sandwich and an Illusen Flask filled to the top with their favourite beverage. The Illusen Flasks have been enchanted to read the guests' minds and they will know what the guests want to drink. The Soup Faerie will be handing out these lunch boxes on Illusen Day.

     Illusen Kite

     Every year on Illusen Day, I host two games. One of the games I'm going to host this year is the kite flying and running contest. Each participant will get an Illusen Kite to fly. The participants have to fly their kites while running and racing the other participants. The first to make it to the finish line wins the race, but only if their kite is still flying in the air. If the participant is the first to make it to the finish line, but the kite is no longer flying... then that participant will be disqualified.

     Illusen Glider

     The first-place winner in the kite flying and running contest will win this Illusen Glider. This Illusen Glider looks like the ones you can find in toy stores. However, the one that the first-place winner gets is a special one because I have enchanted it to never break no matter how many times you play with it. No damage can be done to this particular glider I'm giving out! You definitely don't want to pass on this prize!

     Toy Illusen Bow and Arrow Set

     The second game that I'm hosting this year on Illusen Day in collaboration with the Turtum is Ultimate Bullseye. We will be hosting this game live and in person, so there won't be any need to adjust your ballista using the up and down arrow keys on your computer keyboard to aim and shoot at the bullseye like you normally would for the computer game version. No more need for computer keys because this is the real thing! Test your aiming skills by participating in this game! Since this game will be in person, a ballista will not be used. The Toy Illusen Bow and Arrow Set will be used instead in this game. Everyone who participates in this game will get to keep the Toy Illusen Bow and Arrow Set given to them.

     Turtum

     The Ultimate Bullseye game that the Turtum and I will be hosting will consist of five rounds. In each round, the participant will get five tries to hit the bullseye. At the end of five rounds, the participant with the highest score will get to keep the Turtum that hosted this game with me. This Turtum said that he wanted to be someone's Petpet and have a place to go to and call home.

     Illusens Glade Treehouse

     This Illusens Glade Treehouse is still under construction at the time I'm writing this guide. However, by the time Illusen Day comes, this treehouse will be built and completely finished. The construction builders have promised me that they will finish building this treehouse at least two weeks before Illusen Day. This treehouse will be the place that'll host a very special event that I'm extremely excited to share. This treehouse will host the last event of Illusen Day at nighttime. I have a very special guest hosting this event. I'm happy to share that Alstaf the Poogle will be the guest star at this last event. He has volunteered to host a poetry event in the Illusens Glade Treehouse. Fifty Neopians from the guests list will be randomly selected to create poems about Illusen (me!) and present their poems to Alstaf and all attendees on the night of Illusen Day. This will not be a contest, but an event for everyone to enjoy!

     Illusens Nature Lanterns

     All Neopians are important and mean so much to me! It is my duty to make safety a number-one priority on Illusen Day especially when night falls. The Illusens Nature Lanterns will light the roads and paths that Neopians walk on as they go home so that nobody gets hurt or bump into anything or anyone.

     Illusen in a Snowglobe

     This year's souvenir for Illusen Day will be the Illusen in a Snowglobe. All attendees will each leave with this snowglobe as a thank-you gift for celebrating Illusen Day with me.

     Illusen Tea

     You may be wondering how I'm able to get so much work done. Well, the Illusen Tea helps me get work done. This tea is like no other because it just warms you up with the tantalizing aroma of the forest. Just a perfect boost of energy to get you through the day! The amazing thing about this tea is that you won't have trouble falling asleep at night.

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     Part 2 - De-stress and Getting Ready

     Illusen Chair

     Sometimes doing so much can be overwhelming. It is expected by all faeries that being a faerie would mean dealing with stress often. With managing our duties as faeries to make Neopia great along with contributing to society, it's easy to get so caught up with work that we forget ourselves. One of the things I do to de-stress is breathing and focusing on each breath. I like to sit on my Illusen Chair when I take a breather. I meditate for fifteen minutes on this chair and try to clear my mind. It's quite impossible to clear the mind as long as we're still existing, but meditating brings my attention back to the present moment and reminds me that whatever thoughts pop up in my head are just thoughts. They are just thoughts and are harmless. Meditation has taught me to not live in my past and it has made me a better faerie to always strive to be the better version of myself, to keep moving forward, and never look back. Meditation allows me to live in the present and it reminds me that my heart is to contribute, help, and serve others.

     Illusen Canopy Bed

     Sleep is essential. A good night's rest allows me to recharge for the next day. No one can go on without sleep, at least not for long. You need sleep to function and to perform at your optimum. During the months of planning and preparing for Illusen Day, I try to get at least eight hours of sleep.

     Illusen Wardrobe

     My style never changes. This Illusen Wardrobe stores the clothes that I will be wearing on Illusen Day. The clothes in this wardrobe will only be worn on Illusen Day even though they look identical to what I wear every day. I have to wear the clothes in the Illusen Wardrobe for Illusen Day and not from my other wardrobes. It's a superstition that I follow to ensure that Illusen Day will be a success without mishappenings.

     Bright Green Lipstick

     One of my beauty essentials is the Bright Green Lipstick. I never leave my Glade without wearing my Bright Green Lipstick. I am known for my earthy fashion style, but I am more famous for being the only faerie who sports a bright green lip. Without sporting a bright green lip, I don't even feel like I'm Illusen. That is why I can never leave my home without putting this lipstick on.

     Illusen Organic Replenishing Shampoo

     For smooth, shiny, healthy hair and to look my best on Illusen Day, I use the Illusen Organic Replenishing Shampoo. Stress can make you lose hair. This shampoo will slow down hair loss and encourage hair growth. It will make your hair so much healthier. It has a pleasant smell that's very light and won't cause headaches.

     Illusens Ukalalie

     No matter how busy life can get, I always make time for myself to do the things I enjoy. Making time for yourself to do the things you enjoy is important and healthy. One of the things I do to de-stress and zone out is play music. I can play a few musical instruments. One of my favourites would the Illusens Ukalalie. It's lightweight to hold and the strings are gentle on the fingers. I love playing the Illusens Ukalalie. It's such a beautiful-sounding instrument and always soothing to listen to when I play.

     Illusens Potted Orchid

     My absolute favourite plant! I have an Illusens Potted Orchid in my home. I can't live without it. Sometimes life can be chaotic and super busy leaving me no time to go outside. I'm an Earth Faerie. I love all things nature. If I can't go outside to be in touch with nature and get some fresh air, I'll just bring nature to my home. This Illusens Potted Orchid is gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing to look at. It releases more oxygen into the atmosphere than any other plant I know. It just fills my heart with joy looking at the Illusens Potted Orchid and I feel even happier knowing that it gets rid of environmental toxins and cleanses the air I breathe in.

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     Bonus Part 3 - Questions and Answers

     Now let's wrap up this article! Before we say goodbye, I would like to present to you a bonus part 3! I have selected five questions that I get asked frequently by Neopians and will answer these questions now as a bonus.

     Q1: Would you like to be something else other than a faerie? If yes, what would you like to be?

     A1: I love being a faerie. It's hard work and a big responsibility. I am under pressure a lot because my duty as a faerie is to look after Neopia and if there's a problem in Neopia, it becomes my problem too. On top of all that, I run other projects. One project that I can never stop doing is giving out quests to Neopians who stop by Illusen's Glade. This takes up a lot of time and patience but is so worth it. I am very giving. My favourite part of this project is rewarding the ones who help me. So, to answer this question... I wouldn't change anything or want to be something else other than a faerie because I love what I do. What I do brings me closer to my beloved Neopians and I hope my acts of service and the work I put into Neopia will show everyone that kindness always wins. Kindness creates unity, strength, and strong bonds.

     Q2: What is your favourite colour?

     A2: Green, of course. I am an Earth Faerie after all!

     Q3: Do you like flying more than walking?

     A3: Interesting question! Many would assume that anyone with wings would prefer flying over walking. Flying takes up less time to reach our destinations and we can skip traffic. These are the advantages, but I actually prefer walking over flying if time allows it. Walking allows me to enjoy the time I have on Neopia. I get to enjoy breathing in the fresh air of nature and take in the moment of true bliss. However, with flying it seems like I can't enjoy my time out as much since I can't fly too close to the ground or else I'll bump into things. I would have to fly at a high elevation to be safe and for everyone's safety. Flying at a high elevation, I can't appreciate the beauty of nature as much as walking because with walking I get to see everything up close.

     Q4: You're the only faerie who has freckles in Neopia. Do you like having freckles?

     A4: I love my freckles! Since I'm a faerie, I'll use my voice to spread awareness to everyone. I think it's very important and healthy to love yourself unconditionally inside and out. Your features do not define who you are as an individual. You should embrace yourself just the way you are because beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Beauty is undefined and being different from others just means that you're one-of-a-kind and unique.

     Q5: What do you look forward to the most on Illusen Day?

     A5: I look forward to so many things on Illusen Day, but the number one thing that I look forward to the most is seeing all the Neopians celebrating Illusen Day with me. It may sound weird, but they are my family and when anyone has a special day coming up... they would always want to spend that day with those who mean the most to them. My Neopians are my number one. I hold them dear to my heart and I will protect them at all costs. This was an oath that I made before joining the faerie society.

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     Well, there you have it, folks!

     I hope you enjoyed reading my article on how I plan, prepare, and get ready for Illusen Day.

     My plans, routines, and the items I use may differ from time to time and are always subject to change, but this was the behind-the-scenes for Illusen Day in 2023.

     I also hope you enjoyed the bonus section at the very end of this article.

     Thanks for reading!