Recurring Series

One Photo a Day: February 21 – 27

February 21, 2026 – My youngest nephew is 11! That’s so wild. Why do these kids keep getting big? Also, why does everyone in my family want cookie cake for their birthdays? COOKIE CAKE IS NOT GOOD.

Today’s FIG: I’m so thankful that Saturday night game night is back AND that D specifically requested that we start back on his birthday. We had a great time!

February 22, 2026 – I had book club today but we forgot to take a picture! What is wrong with us?! In place of that, you get Eloise in her favorite spot. Sometimes she lets me use her napping chair as a reading chair.

Today’s FIG: It was nice to see all my friends (minus one!) at book club today, although I felt like I was a bit crabby to my friends. Prednisone side effect?!

February 23, 2026 – My lovely walking path. I’m excited to see what blooms on those naked trees!

Today’s FIG: It was so nice to wake up to a cold front this morning! It’s probably our last one until November or December, so I enjoyed turning off my AC and bundling up!

February 24, 2026 – I couldn’t find Lila this morning… until I peeked over the side of my bed to see her stretched out on the rug in a sunbeam. Look how round and perfect she is!

Today’s FIG: I’m thankful for homemade nachos. Such a simple, delicious (albeit not-very-healthy) meal!

February 25, 2026 – I can’t believe it’s finally here! Survivor 50! My mom came over to watch the premiere episode with me, and Lila even emerged from her hiding place for some pets later in the night. (Eloise was hanging out with us, but Lila keeps her distance when I have people over.)

Today’s FIG: I’m thankful that I did not have a heart attack this morning! I kept imagining rushing myself to the ER and having to stay overnight at the hospital and deal with all sorts of unpleasant things. Hooray for heartburn?

February 26, 2027 – Lucy snuggles! I went over to my mom’s house so we could watch The Traitors finale together, and Lucy didn’t want me to put her down. I tried at one point and she climbed back up into my arms. Such a sweetheart!

Today’s FIG: I’m thankful for my fur-siblings. They make me so happy! I don’t know what I would do without them.

February 27, 2026 – Sometimes you have back-to-back meetings in the middle of lunch hour, and suddenly, it’s 3 pm, and you haven’t had lunch, so you make popcorn in the air popper. (My eating habits are fantastic and so super healthy, why do you ask?!)

Today’s FIG: I am thankful that I have a whole season of The Traitors UK to watch! Finishing season 4 of The Traitors US was immensely satisfying, and I am ready for more treachery and murder!

What was the last TV show you watched?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 81)

The high of my week was winning a Goodreads giveaway! I enter these giveaways all the time because it takes, like, two seconds, and why not?! I was pleasantly surprised to get an email from Goodreads on Wednesday that told me I won a copy of Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven! I haven’t won one of these giveaways in years.

The low of my week was heartburn. I haven’t isolated which of my meds gives me heartburn (the likely culprit is my iron supplement) and it doesn’t always give me heartburn, but when it does, it really makes me feel like I’m dying. On Wednesday morning, I was convinced I was having a heart attack because the burning in my chest was so bad. (I always think the heartburn is actually chest pain and if I don’t get to the ER immediately, I’m going to die alone at home. My mind is a wonderful place to be!) Anyway, it always eases after an hour or so, but it definitely sucks. I’m going to try taking my iron supplement separately from my other pills and see if that helps.

I’m currently reading two books! I’m reading After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles, and I am loving both of them so very much!

A blog post I loved was Nicole telling us all about her process to publishing her novel. I’m so proud of her, and I love the non-traditional route she took! I haven’t read Inhale, Exhale yet, but it’s one of the next books on my list to read! I’ve heard excellent things, and if Nicole’s blog writing is anything to go by, I know I’m going to love it.

A show I watched this week was Survivor 50! It’s hard to believe this show is on it’s fiftieth season. There is one contestant on this season who was on the second season when he was 25. Now, he’s in his fifties and mentoring one of the younger contestants who is 25! Full circle moment. Anyway, the premiere episode was excellent and I am very much looking forward to what awaits us this season!

The best money I spent this week was $25 for a ticket to Bri’s performance. My best friend and podcast co-host Bri was cast in a play at one of our local community theatres! Isn’t that so cool?! I’m so excited to see her play! I bought second-row tickets for my mom and me.

My plans this weekend include some fun things! Tonight, it’s a night to myself, and I plan on watching a movie to fulfill one of my 2026 goals (I’m thinking The Martian). Tomorrow, I have my younger nephew’s birthday party and then a shopping date with my mom. And on Sunday, I have a morning writing date with Mikaela and the rest of the day to myself (I think a nap will be in order).

What was the best money you spent this week? What are your weekend plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

One Photo a Day | February 14 – 20 (With FIGs!)

February 14, 2026 – Happy Valentine’s Day to meeee! I used to really hate Valentine’s Day as a perpetually single girl, but these days, I try to see it as a fun way to celebrate friendship and my relationship with myself.

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful that I have had a burst of inspiration for a novel! It’s been really fun to brainstorm about my idea and start imagining a whole new world and characters.

February 15, 2026 – A day where not much happened, so thankfully, I have a very adorable cat who doesn’t mind posing for photos. She’s so happy to have her hammock back by the window!

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful for a day to myself! I slept in, got some errands and chores done, and allowed myself some laziness, too. A perfect day!

February 16, 2026 – I bought this new lamp at Target, and I can’t even begin to describe how much I love it. It’s adorable, for one, and I love the way it casts my living room with the coziest light in the evening.

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful for simple joys like this lamp and that I was able to put together my new office chair pretty easily.

February 17, 2026 – Lila meow-deling the new office chair! I love it so much. It glides much more smoothly and is super comfortable.

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful for good books. Today, I finished an excellent romance and couldn’t stop thinking about the characters all day! A sign of a great story.

February 18, 2026 – It’s been a hot minute since I took a selfie, so here you go! A busy meeting day means I did my hair and makeup, and put on real clothes.

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful for Kim! She sent me the sweetest gift in the mail, and it really touched me. I’m so glad she’s part of my life!

February 19, 2026 – The girls were being nosy neighbors this morning! I tried to get Eloise to look at me, but she refused.

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful for feeling good! I went on a walk in the afternoon, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt this strong desire to turn my walk into a run. I did not do that because I know my joints are not ready for more strenuous exercise (even a light jog!), but what a difference a few weeks on steroids makes. From “It would be nice to be able to stand up without pain,” to “Should I turn this walk into a run?”

February 20, 2026 – Did you know that Eloise is solar-powered? Every morning, she lies in this specific spot on my desk to ensure she garners enough energy to make it through the day.

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful for my new coffee table! It was super easy to put together, and it makes me stupidly happy.

What’s something you’re grateful for today?

Categories: Recurring Series

Three Things Thursday (v. 16)

Three confessions

1) I’ve been off Instagram for a little over three weeks now, and I don’t miss it at all. I really thought this would be a short break, and I’d go back in a month, feeling refreshed. But I don’t know if I want to. I even have the app on my phone now (so I can post to our podcast Instagram), but I never open it up on my own. I only open it to schedule posts. There’s a freedom in being away, although I do miss watching some of my favorite funny Instagram accounts. Maybe I’ll just bookmark them and check on them once a week?

2) I haven’t started my new PsA medication because it was just filled yesterday. For some reason, the pharmacy couldn’t get a hold of my doctor to clarify a drug interaction (they thought I was still taking meloxicam, which I stopped when I started on prednisone), but luckily, I was able to sort it out myself. But I’m picking up the prescription today!

3) I’m finding my goal of texting two friends every day to be really difficult. There are some friends I text naturally throughout the week, but then there are friends whom I rarely reach out to unless it’s for a specific purpose. I need to be better at just texting them to check in, but it feels forced. I think I just need to get out of my own head.

Three of the lowest-rated books on my Goodreads TBR

1) My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner (3.22 stars) – I’m not sure how this book made it onto my TBR, but this is an astonishingly low Goodreads rating for a romance! Apparently, there are a lot of sexytimes, but not enough emotional resonance. I’m probably going to delete this one.

2) The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell (3.43 stars) – I’ve read two of Amanda Montell’s books and liked both of them well enough, but this one is getting resoundingly panned on Goodreads. It’s more memoir than social science, which the title or blurb doesn’t lead me to believe. Hmm.

3) Follow Me by Elizabeth Rose Quinn (3.46 stars) – I added this book to my TBR based on Kim’s recommendation. It’s definitely getting mixed reviews, but I’m going to try it on audio and see how I feel about it.

Three things I’m looking forward to

1) My solo reading retreat – I booked it! I’ll be spending April 16-19 at a sweet Airbnb in North Port, FL (about an hour and a half south of me) and I’m so excited!

2) A weekend trip to Boston with my mom – I went to Boston in 2019 with book club, and I loved the city so much! My mom expressed interest in visiting, so we’re planning a weekend trip in late March. Yay!

3) Resuming game nights with the fam – During football season, we pause our biweekly game nights since we spend the entirety of Sunday at my mom’s house watching the games. But now that football season is over, it’s time for game nights once again! Our first one of the year is next weekend.

Three things I said to my cats this week (presented without comment)

1) “You’re so cute, I want to eat your face off.”

2) “Do you love me as much as I love you?”

3) “Are you hanging out with me? You’re hanging out with your mommy? I love you!”

Three of my most-used apps yesterday

1) Happy Color (duh)

2) Car Jam (this incredibly silly phone game that I’m high-key obsessed with)

3) Overcast (podcasts)

Three snacks I had this week

1) Girl Scout cookies! I have five boxes in my apartment right now (three Thin Mints, two Samoas) and I am one happy girlie.

2) Peanut butter crackers

3) Built Puff protein bars (the mint chip flavor is to die for!)

Three things on my to-do list

1) Cancel my ASPCA donation – This has been on my to-do list for weeks. I have to call to cancel; it’s not something I can do online. Which is very annoying! While I appreciate the work that the ASPCA does, I would like to funnel my donation to a local animal shelter.

2) Deal with Eloise’s tag situation – I got a card in the mail a few months ago saying that Eloise’s tag is expired. It’s not. They just have her tag number inputted wrong in their system (I get these notifications regularly). I just need to send them the proper tag information, but it keeps falling off my to-do list, argh.

3) Buy more Mixtiles – My friend Amber gave me a Mixtiles gift card for my birthday, and I have yet to use it! I keep waiting for the perfect sale.

Three podcast episodes I listened to yesterday

1) American History Tellers

2) Currently Reading

3) The Friendship Paradox (yes, I listen to my own podcast)

Three recent purchases

1) A new lamp – It’s so cute, you guys. I’ll show it to you in this week’s Saturday photo roundup!

2) Kerasal ointment – My heels need some intense TLC. They are so cracked and rough! This ointment is pretty heavy-duty, so I’m hoping slathering it on my heels nightly will help.

3) Birthday cards – I bought a whole bunch of cute birthday cards at Home Goods this weekend. Yay!

Three things I’m doing this weekend

1) Book club – We have book club on Sunday morning. We’re planning on doing brunch and board games at a friend’s house.

2) A writing date – I’m spending one hour of each writing date working on blogging or podcasting stuff, and then the second hour working on my novel idea. It’s been so fun to brainstorm!

3) Napping – What’s a weekend if it doesn’t include a few naps?

What is something you’re looking forward to, a recent snack you’ve had, and something you’re doing this weekend?

Categories: Recurring Series

One Photo a Day | February 7 – 13 (with FIGs!)

Saturday, February 7, 2026 – Podcasting date! Bri and I planned to record three episodes, but we got tired after two, ha. The dogs were our sleepy producers.

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful to Bri’s husband who made a delicious dinner for the three of us, and watching Olympics coverage with them! A lovely, cozy night in.

Sunday, February 8, 2026 – I didn’t take a single photo at my Super Bowl party, oops. Thankfully, Eloise was a willing participant for today’s photo. God, she’s cute.

Today’s FIG: I’m thankful for a wonderful Super Bowl party and truly excellent halftime show. Bad Bunny was everything!

Monday, February 9, 2026 – I moved Lila’s favorite hammock to the living room and she couldn’t be happier! (I had it in the living room originally, but she wasn’t using it, even though she slept in it all the time at the old apartment. So I moved it into my office, but she still wouldn’t use it. I moved it back to the living room, thinking that maybe now that she’s more comfortable in our new home, she’ll be more apt to use it and I was right. She spends alllll her time napping in this hammock now!)

Today’s FIG: I’m grateful for a proactive and caring rheumatologist. She called in a different steroid since the prednisone wasn’t working as effectively as we hoped.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 – This is a very pet-centric post this week! Here is my dearest Eloise Joy, who is the apple of my eye.

Today’s FIG: A walk in the sunshine. I was filled with this overwhelming sense of gratitude and contentment that I get to live in this beautiful place!

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 – I finished this book in three sittings. It was sensational!

Today’s FIG: Another fun trivia night with Mom. We did much worse this week, but we had a good time together!

Thursday, February 12, 2026 – Chipwich and The Traitors, an excellent Thursday night combination!

Today’s FIG: I’m glad I have a flexible job where my every moment isn’t monitored. It’s nice to be able to pop out for appointments and such without it being a huge deal!

Friday, February 13, 2026 – It’s Galentine’s Day! My mom, Bri, and I saw & Juliet at the Straz, and you guys, I am still not over how much I loved this show. It was beautifully queer and so campy! And the lead is straight out of high school, which is mind-boggling to me. Can you imagine being 18 or 19 and headlining a national tour?! WILD.

Today’s FIG: I am so grateful for my friendship with Bri. I’m glad she took a chance on this shy, introverted girl and forced her to be her friend! My life is so much better with her in it!

What is something you’re grateful for today?