Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 135)

1) Working with strangers

I am slowly becoming addicted to “study with me” and “work with me” videos on YouTube. I really struggle with focus, especially in the afternoons, and I’ve tried so many different productivity methods to help me stay on task and get shit done. Most of these videos use the Pomodoro Technique, which is my favorite productivity method, but I don’t use it nearly as much as I should. But for the past few weeks, when I have a long stretch of work ahead of me without meetings, I’ve pulled up one of these videos and gotten to work. And it really does help me focus! These videos usually have someone either studying or working at a desk (and their surroundings are usually #goals) with soft, ambient music playing in the background and a timer on the screen. You might hear sounds like keyboard tapping, papers shuffling, or pen scratches, so it also satisfies the ASMR part of my brain. I don’t know why they work so well for me, but I’ve become addicted and wanted to pass along this tip to anyone else who may struggle with focus! (I think it would come in clutch for people with ADHD!)

2) Hermit time

Bri and I were supposed to meet up on Sunday afternoon to record a few episodes of our podcast. After getting way ahead in our recording schedule, we are suddenly at a place where we have no episodes ready to go in the queue. Eeps! So, I spent Friday and Saturday working diligently on our outlines and preparing for a few hours of recording time on Sunday afternoon. And then Saturday night happened, and I got the worst night of sleep I’ve had in a really long time. My Oura app was very worried about me. (I should note that I went to bed at 11 p.m., but didn’t fall asleep until 2:30 a.m., sigh.)

I also started my period and was not feeling all that great. I sent Bri a message about how things were going for me that morning, and she told me to do what feels best, whether we record later in the day or skip it entirely. I sat with myself and thought about what I really wanted, and to nobody’s surprise, it was to stay home and hermit. I didn’t want to pack up my things and make the 25-minute drive to Bri’s house, and while being with Bri and recording our podcast isn’t a huge emotional lift for me, it’s still something to do. And I really didn’t want to do anything, much less try to be chipper on the mic. So, even though it meant we wouldn’t have an episode to release on time, I stayed home, and we rescheduled our recording date. Womp, womp. We’ll only miss one episode, though, as we’re getting together next weekend to record, so all will be okay. No episode this Tuesday, but we will be back in your feeds on August 18th!

3) The steroid taper that wasn’t

Ughhhhhh. I was doing so well with my steroid taper. Or at least, physically, I felt like I was. Last week, I dropped down to 4mg, which would be the last test to see if I could officially stop taking steroids, but alas, it wasn’t to be. Over the weekend, I started experiencing pain that I haven’t had to deal with in months. It hurt to stand up, it hurt to cross my legs, it hurt to grip things, and it hurt to get out of bed in the morning. I told myself that if I woke up on Sunday with my shoulder hurting, then I knew it was time to talk to my rheumatologist. Sure enough, I woke up on Sunday with the same annoying shoulder pain that took forever to respond to meds. At least I was able to see how much those steroids have been helping my pain! (And also how little methotrexate has been helping – the pain definitely wasn’t as bad as before I started treatment, but it was getting there.) I talked to my rheum, who wants me to go back to 8mg for the next few weeks, and then try tapering down again after I’ve had two doses of my new med.

Speaking of my new med, it finally arrived this week so I can start the next stage of my treatment journey. Hurrah! I definitely feel precious about these syringes, though, because each one is at least a thousand dollars without insurance. Liquid gold, baby!

4) Another three years of blogging

I always forget that I have to pay blog hosting fees. I only pay them every three years, and it’s always quite the hit to the ol’ pocketbook. This year, the hit was substantial because HostGator wanted me to upgrade to one of their more expensive plans based on the size of my website. Ughhhh. Rude! I need to start a sinking fund for these fees, so I’m not surprised when 2029 rolls around and HostGator comes asking for money again. But hey, this means I’m dedicated to another three years of blogging so I get my money’s worth! You’re welcome?

5) Weekend plans

I don’t have too much happening this weekend! Today, I have a massage scheduled at 5 p.m. Tomorrow, I have game night with the fam. And Sunday, my mom and I might take the dogs for their semi-weekly dog park visit. Next weekend is going to be super busy, so I’m happy to have a low-key weekend ahead of me.

How do you stay focused at work?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday: Big Purchases on My Mind

I’m always saving for some kind of big purchase. And by big purchase, I mean anything over $100. Sure, I could afford to buy these things without saving up for them, but there’s something fun about having a savings account devoted to these “big” purchases. I have a very specific method for saving for these items, which I’ll talk about soon, but for today, let’s discuss some of the big purchases I have in mind.

1) A new reading chair

This is the next big purchase on my list, as I am really sad to be without a reading chair in my office. Reading on the couch is fine, but as we’ll discuss later, not ideal. The chair can’t be too big because I need it to tuck into a corner of the office, but it does have to have an ottoman. What I really want is one of those “chair and a half” deals because they look like the coziest place to read (or nap, let’s be honest, a lot of napping would be happening). But those are way too large for my office so I have to settle for something smaller but just as cozy! Below is what I have in mind – it’s a little over $300 but I’m not sure about the shipping fees. It’s from Wayfair and last time they shipped me furniture, they just dropped it off at the bottom of the stairs and expected me to bring a 100+ lb box up four flights of stairs myself. (I’ll stop venting about this one day.) However, I think I can select some sort of special “doorstep” shipping for a fee, which is what I’ll definitely be doing.

2) A walking pad

I’ve gone back and forth on getting a walking pad for my office. In my old place, it was a space issue. I know myself well enough to know that my walking pad needs to be within easy reach–if I stored it in my bedroom closet, I would never use it. So it would need to be stored near my desk, but my desk was in my living room and I didn’t want a walking pad hanging out there.

In the new place, it’s more of a, “Will I even use this?” quandary. I’m still not sure. I have a standing desk, although I rarely stand and work because I’m a lazy bitch. And I find it hard to just… stand and work. I think walking while I respond to emails or call into a meeting would be easier, in a sense? That’s what I’m telling myself, at least. And it would ensure I’m actually getting more than… checks Oura app… 3,000 steps a day. (This is not a joke.)

It’s something that’s on my mind, but I need to do a lot more research. I don’t want to spend too much money on this purchase because I’m still not sure I’m going to use it as much as I should, Maybe the key is to buy something that’s on the cheaper side (under $100) and if I can prove to myself that I’m capable of using it the way I envision, then I can treat myself to a more expensive version.

3) Litter Robot

I want one so badly. Everyone who owns one talks about how life-changing it is, and while I don’t necessarily find scooping the litter to be a terrible task, it is a task that I would like to move off my daily to-do list, please and thank you. Alas, these babies are expensive (the one I want is $800) so I’m waiting for it to go on super sale. However, did you know Litter Robot is also FSA/HSA eligible? You just have to obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity for one of their qualifying conditions (and I definitely qualify for a few of them, lolz). It’s something I’m thinking about… not this year, as my FSA is quickly being depleted (wah), but when it’s time to sign up for 2027 health insurance, I might consider increasing my FSA limit so I can buy one.

4) A new bedframe

This isn’t a super pressing need, as I just bought this bedframe a few years ago, but those adorable daughters of mine have ruined it with their precious little claws. They like to stretch and use the headboard on their front paws, and Eloise especially loves using the headboard as leverage to climb on top and then use the top of the headboard as another prime scratching location. They also use the side rail – they get on their backs, hook their claws into the side rail, and then pull themselves down the length of the rail while scratching as much of the material as possible.

What did I expect, though, when I bought a bedframe that doubles as a perfect scratching post for cats? It’s my own fault, really.

Anyway, at some point, I will need a new bedframe and I will probably opt for something that they can’t destroy so easily.

5) New living room furniture

It is time to replace my sectional. It’s a beautiful sectional that I love oh-so-very much, but the cushions are starting to sag and lose their shape. They’re sewn into the couch completely, so it’s not like I can try to reshape them. I can only sit on certain parts of the couch because other sections have no support. And now that I’m in a bigger space, I can also look at buying a bigger sectional. I’d love a U-shaped sectional and definitely something with removable cushions. (I can’t even put one of those couch covers on because of the way the cushions are sewn in!) This purchase will be going on my 2027 goals list, for sure!

Any big purchases on your wishlist?

Categories: Recurring Series

A Wednesday Morning Coffee Date

If we were having coffee today… I’d start by sharing the BEST news of the month: Olive is officially in remission! Many readers may not remember Baby Olive, but she’s my best friend’s daughter, her rainbow baby after numerous miscarriages. Then, at 13 months old, Olive was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Less than ten people worldwide have ever had this type of cancer, and none of them were as young as Olive. She was given a 9% chance of surviving. It was a scary, scary time. But Olive made it through an incredibly dangerous surgery (her only chance of survival, and only one surgeon in the country was willing to do it; they had to travel to Boston, in the middle of Covid, with an immunocompromised baby for the procedure) and so many rounds of chemo, and nothing stopped her. And now, she’s six years old! Mikaela says all the time that watching Olive grow up doesn’t make her sad because there was a very real possibility she would never grow up. And here she is: in remission and one of the lucky ones.

If we were having coffee today… we might need to wipe away some tears before we move on to our next topic of conversation! You might wonder how my psoriatic arthritis journey is going. The good news is that I continue to taper off my steroids with no side effects. Every now and then, I’ll wake up, and my finger will be stiff, or the inside of my elbow will hurt, but it generally goes away within a few hours. I tapered down to 4mg this week, and I’m starting to notice a little hip pain. Nothing terrible yet, but I’m keeping an eye on it. Getting approved for Humira has been a process, though. Of course, insurance denied the prescription, which my rheum told me would likely happen since they want me to try the generic version first. Here’s how long this process has been: my rheum sent the script on June 25, it was denied on July 3, so my rheum sent the generic script on July 6, and it was finally approved on July 16. But does that mean I have the medication? Nope! The specialty pharmacy has to process the prescription, and yesterday, I spent almost half an hour on the phone to set up copay assistance for this med through my insurance. And that’s because this med is expensive (my copay for a one-month supply would have been almost $1,000 without this extra assistance), but now it will be zero dollars. Yay! I’m just hoping I can start my new med before July is over. I don’t feel like that’s too much to ask our healthcare system, is it?!

If we were having coffee today… you might ask about my upcoming New England road trip! I am slowly crafting our itinerary, and it’s mostly complete. I just need to put some finishing touches on the final part of our journey. We have booked our accommodations, which were pricey because a) we are bougie travelers and b) peak foliage season means higher rates. We’re staying at a hotel in Boston (Back Bay area), the cutest B&B in Maine (in Bar Harbor), and a glorious two-bedroom Airbnb in Vermont (near Stowe). We fly into Boston, spend three nights there, and then pick up the rental car and road trip up to Maine. After two nights in Maine, we’ll mosey our way over to Vermont by way of New Hampshire, and then spend four nights in Vermont. Keep your fingers crossed that all those gorgeous fall colors show off for these Florida girls!

If we were having coffee today… I’d be happy to tell you all about the research I’ve been doing to figure out the right hair routine. I have very fine hair with very oily roots. As in, I can take a shower in the morning and by the evening, my roots already look greasy. It’s very frustrating! I spent a full year trying to train my hair to need less washing, but that’s just not how fine hair works, unfortunately. So, if I ever want to wear my hair down, I have to wash it first. (Dry shampoo helps, but it also makes it really flat and lifeless.) The biggest things I’ve learned so far:

Only shampoo my scalp (it’ll clean the rest of my hair when I rinse it out)
Add clarifying shampoo to my routine (especially useful for those of us with oily roots and/or hard water)
Use probably 75% less conditioner than I think I need (I know this, but I kinda go crazy on the conditioner when my hair really only needs a tiny bit at the very ends)

Even with all these changes, though, I’m trying to accept the fact that I’m never going to be someone who can go days without washing my hair and still have it look bouncy and beautiful. My hair just needs a little extra TLC, and that’s okay!

If we were having coffee today… I’d confide that I’m planning on moving forward with an endometrial ablation. I guess I needed a year to come to terms with the fact that it means I’ll likely never experience pregnancy, but since I’m positive I do not want to have children, I know it’s the right decision. I have to get another transvaginal ultrasound to measure my fibroids (it’s been a year since I had the original ultrasound, so I have to go through the process again), and then I’ll meet with a specialist for an endometrial biopsy. After that, the procedure will be scheduled! They only do this procedure once a month, but I’m hoping to get in by the end of the year.

If we were having coffee today… I couldn’t leave our time together without talking about the loves of my life! Eloise and Lila continue to be the most perfect babies there ever were. The cutest thing Lila does now is that she knows when it’s time for her food to be dispensed in her automatic feeder. She will either sit in front of it a few minutes beforehand or come running into the living room when she hears those little pieces of kibble hitting her bowl! A girl after my own heart. Eloise just had bloodwork done and her teefers cleaned, and she’s in perfect health. She also gained a little weight over the last six months, which is great news. She is still under 8 lbs, my little peanut!

What would you tell me during our coffee date?

Categories: Recurring Series

Snapshot of My Day: Sunday, July 19, 2026

Time I woke up: 7:00 a.m.

First thing I did upon waking: I fed the girls and then sat on the couch to play my NYT games.

First app I opened this morning: Gmail.

Today’s weather: Gloomy and rainy! We’ve had a few days of nonstop rain, and we need it so badly.

Today’s mood: I was in a pretty good mood all day. I got to have some social time, some alone time, and some productive time, so that filled my cup.

Something I spent money on today: Groceries. Nothing exciting!

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: I was at my writing date with Mikaela, and this girl and her boyfriend came to sit near us. She engaged us in convo, and we found out she’s a self-published author of dark romance and very active in the BookTok community. We got to talking about writing and publishing, and she had some very interesting suggestions for us!

Something weird I said to my cats today: “I need to let you know that this little paw sticking out would earn you a deduction in the Cat Loaf Olympics.” Eloise was loafing on a pillow next to me, but I could see one of her paws sticking out, so I had to let her know it was an unacceptable cat loaf position if she wants to become a champion someday.

One minor annoyance from my day: Having to take my trash to the trash compactor myself. I emailed my leasing office last week to tell them about the raccoon problem, and I’m not sure if it’s been dealt with yet, so I’m still not using our valet trash service. I need to follow up and find out if it’s safe again!

A much more appropriate cat loaf position. 10/10

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Last thing I read (on the Internet): J’s blog!

Last text I sent: “Mikaela stole my photo, buuuut here’s another one. Antisocial dogs with their antisocial people.” Every Sunday, we do a “Sunday Photo Share” on our book club group chat, where we share one photo from our week with an explanation. I love it so much! I shared a photo I took on Sunday.

Last text I received: My mom sent me a “pin” of a Vermont itinerary.

Last website I visited: Instagram to find the link to Penny’s cat loaf championship! (Technically an app, but I used the web version to find the link to insert.)

Last show I watched: The Challenge

Last podcast I listened to: A Big Brother live feed update on my beloved Rob Has a Podcast

Last thing I said: “Love you, bye!” I had a lovely phone chat with my Brieber as she was driving home from the airport.

Last thing I ate: Popcorn

What I was doing an hour ago: I was doing chores.

What I will be doing an hour from now: I will be watching tonight’s episode of Big Brother!

What I need to do before bed: I need to clean my tub, sigh. Not my favorite chore, but it needs to be done!

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: Eloise is curled up on a pillow on the couch (she has switched from a loaf to a bagel) and Lila is napping in her basket.

Tell me a recent minor annoyance in your world!

Categories: Recurring Series

One Photo Per Day: June 20 – July 3

I have two weeks’ worth of photos for you guys today! There is an impressive amount of cat photos in this batch, so… you’re welcome?

June 20, 2026 – Sweet girl. She’s gathered an impressive assortment of catnip mats and toys for herself.

June 21, 2026 – I enjoyed some time on the patio in the morning with my book and my girl. Eloise runs to the patio whenever I open the door. She loves that fresh air!

June 22, 2026 – The crepe myrtles lining the street where I do my walks make me so, so happy!

June 23, 2026 – Kim was in town! We had such a great day together: a cat cafe, a food hall for lunch (followed by ice cream), and then a romance bookstore before we decided to head back to her Airbnb and chill until dinner time. We went to downtown Safety Harbor for dinner, and Kim’s husband and my mom joined us. Yay!

June 24, 2026 – This is Kim’s photo, but I’m stealing it for this photo project. Thanks, Kim! We had another fun day together, and this time, we visited a cat cafe near me that recently opened. They had a quiet room for all of their skittish kitties, and this little tortie stole my heart. After Kim and I sat down at a table in the room, she cautiously came up to us for pets and then bumped her head against my hand just like Lila does. She even splayed herself out on the floor and showed me her belly! I’m in love. I desperately want to adopt her. Are three cats too many for one person???

June 25, 2026 – Speaking of cute cats… this girl. I love that she’s using this tower next to my desk more and more! It makes me so happy to have her next to me while I’m working.

June 26, 2026 – Book club weekend! We arrived early on Friday, so we couldn’t check in. Instead, we checked out the clubhouse pool! (I also really failed at getting almost any photos on Friday. I don’t know what was wrong with me!)

June 27, 2026 – Celebrating 16 years of this wonderful book club!

June 28, 2026 – A few of us were keen to get home early on Sunday, so I was so happy to be back in my space and with my girls by 11 a.m.! Look at these sweet little bebes. We missed each other. <3

June 29, 2026 – I woke up from a nap on the couch to see Lila posed like this. WHY IS SHE SO CUTE THO

June 30, 2026 – I took this photo while on a walk and then received a warning that my phone was too hot and needed to cool down before I could use it. Lovely. It’s going to be a long summer.

July 1, 2026 – The pink toe beans, the soft belly, the look of contentment on her face… all of it settles something inside me. <3

July 2, 2026 – I named her “Eloise Joy” but maybe “Eloise Murder Eyes” would have been a better moniker.

July 3, 2026 – Let the birthday festivities commence! My mom’s birthday is next week, and we kicked things off with game night and chocolate cake last night. 🙂 (Also, please appreciate how Lucy is using her tail to hide her girly parts in this photo. How ladylike!)