Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 59)

We interviewed our bestie Mikaela on our podcast last weekend, all about what it’s like to be an Enneagram 1. I can’t wait to release this episode!

The high of my week was the grilled cheese I had at Mikaela’s house on Wednesday night. You guys, this was the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had. Mikaela made it on this delicious gluten-friendly sourdough bread that she got from a local bakery and she added a touch of garlic powder to the sandwich. It was so good that I’m still thinking about it. I’m a picky eater so I always get a little worried when a friend offers to make me food to eat. What if I hate it and can’t eat it? So, I was worried when Mikaela said she would make grilled cheese when I came over on Wednesday. What if the bread was too chewy or I didn’t like the type of cheese she used? Thankfully, I gobbled down this sandwich and wish I had room in my stomach for more. I may need to track down this bakery to get a sourdough loaf myself!

The low of my week was having a really itchy head. I have scalp psoriasis and I have to use my topical steroid a few times a week to keep it in check. But something was up this week as my head was so itchy around my psoriasis patches. Usually, I deal with dry skin buildup in this area, but this was something different. It was really affecting my quality of life as I felt so uncomfortable and every time I used my topical steroid, my head would burn for at least 15 minutes afterward. This isn’t unusual, but the length and severity of it was. Just not fun at all! Mikaela also has scalp psoriasis (we are soul sisters in every way, ha), and was telling me about how her scalp has been so itchy this week. And we finally realized: Duh. The weather. We had a cold snap last week and it probably affected our symptoms. I don’t think it affects them as severely as it would if we lived in a colder climate, but it’s still a factor I need to be aware of.

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was starting my closet re-organization process. I am so excited to do this project! I love organization so much that I would gladly come to anyone’s house specifically for this purpose. My closet is filled with boxes and bins and random items, and I’m starting small by pulling out one thing every day and removing it from my closet. Thankfully, I have a nice big space in the corner of my bedroom (where my cozy reading chair will eventually go!) so I’ve been corralling like items together in this space. Once everything has been removed, I am going to figure out how many of the SAME containers I need from Target so that they can be stacked up in my closet with labels. (Right now, the issue is that I have so many different types and sizes of containers and nothing is labeled, so it’s been hard to find things in my closet.) This way, I will know exactly where to find my cozy socks when it’s a cold day or my stash of extra pens when I’m running low.

A Reel I loved was this one that my friend Katie shared online: “What text messages mean to an anxious person.” YUP!

I’m currently reading Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake in print. It’s so good. AHB can’t write a bad sapphic romance, in my opinion. I also just started Cover Story by Susan Rigetti on audio. I’m only two hours in but it’s really good so far!

A podcast episode I enjoyed was A Crash Course in the Real Housewives of The Traitors. I’m watching the current season of The Traitors (one of the best reality TV shows – it’s on Peacock!) and there are a lot of Real Housewives on this season. I don’t watch RH so I’m unfamiliar with them, and this podcast episode helped me learn more about these women… and, um, they are terrible people. It didn’t make me want to root for any of them, that’s for sure.

The best money I spent was $12 on cream for my psoriasis itchiness. I was desperate so I searched Target’s app for a psoriasis cream and found this one from Gold Bond. The topical steroid just wasn’t doing the trick, so I decided to try something different. I slathered this on my scalp (my dry patches are right behind my ears on both sides of my scalp) all Saturday and by Sunday, I was feeling so much better. There’s still a touch of itchiness, but it’s much more manageable than it was.

My plans this weekend include getting my nose pierced tonight (!), a day of NO PLANS on Saturday (woohoo!), and a big day of football on Sunday. My brother’s team (49ers) is in the NFC Championship and my nephew’s team (Chiefs) is in the AFC Championship, so it will be a tense atmosphere. We need one of these teams to lose because the last time the Chiefs and 49ers met in the Super Bowl (2020), it was not a fun experience.

What was the high of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 58)

The high of my week was having a very productive Monday. It’s always nice to have a Monday off and I filled up my day with chores and errands. Not the most fun way to spend a Monday, of course, but it allowed me to start the work week feeling like I had all of my ducks in a row. That’s a great feeling!

The low of my week was the Dolphins pitiful performance in the playoffs. It’s been 24 years since the Dolphins won a playoff game, and I was really hoping that this team would break our playoff curse. Things seemed so promising at the beginning of the season! But, alas, we lost in embarrassing fashion. But at least my nephew was happy since he’s a Chiefs fan!

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was cleaning the floors. Why is it such a process to clean my floors? I’m not even talking about mopping (although I tried to do that and realized the cleaning solution I bought from Target was not the correct one for my Swiffer mop, so that was a disappointing discovery). But just running my robot vacuum feels like such a process. I have to dump out the dust bin and remove the rollers so I can clear out all the hair that got wrapped around them during the last cleaning cycle.I have to pick up everything from my floor: all the cat toys and cat beds and rugs and such, ensuring they’re ready for a thorough cleaning with the help of professionals like newport carpet cleaners, who specialize in restoring carpets to their pristine condition, leaving your home fresh and allergen-free. Also, the cleaning service by https://www.carpetcleaningboltonpro.co.uk/rug-cleaning/ is such a lifesaver. And then I have to try to direct the robot while it’s cleaning to make sure it doesn’t clean in the same spot over and over again. (This is what happens when you buy the more affordable vacuum, I guess. I can’t map it to specific rooms.) Is this saving me any time? IDK but I got it done on Sunday finally and I am really glad it’s done.

A Reel I loved was this precious cat video of a cat getting “makeup” put on by her mom.

I’m currently reading three books! I’m slowly working through The Honest Enneagram by Sarajane Case (reading one chapter per day). On audio, I’m listening to Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale. And I just started Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake last night!

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Nicole and Sasheer recounting their two-week trip to Africa on Best Friends. I don’t know how they continue to get themselves into the funniest shenanigans while traveling, but I live for these kinds of episodes from them!

The best money I spent was $30ish dollars on new rugs for my bathroom. Such a boring adult purchase but it has brought me immense joy to replace my dingy bathroom rugs that were driving me crazy. They were not very absorbent and didn’t take kindly to being washed, so they looked beat up no matter what condition they were in. My new rugs (bought on a whim at TJ Maxx) are so much better. Hooray for small purchases that make a world of difference!

My plans this weekend include book club tonight! We are doing a PowerPoint night where we’re all presenting on a topic of our choosing (I’ve been debating between 5-6 topics so it’s been hard to narrow it down!). Saturday, Bri and I are recording with Mikaela for a podcast episode and then I’m going to my mom’s to watch the playoff games. And Sunday, I plan on sleeping in and lumping around the apartment until it’s time to head to my mom’s for more playoff games. A good weekend ahead!

What was the high of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

Coffee Date Wednesday

If we were having coffee today… it would probably be through Zoom or Facetime since I wouldn’t want to get you sick! That’s right—with just a few weeks left of the year, I got my first illness. A good run, wouldn’t you say? Thankfully, it’s not Covid (I’ve tested twice); just your run-of-the-mill virus. I started feeling grody on Sunday afternoon with a slight sore throat and then when I decided to go to bed at 9:30 p.m., I knew something was up. I woke up on Monday with a severe sore throat, a runny nose, and an overall blah feeling. I worked for about an hour in the morning and then took a long nap in the afternoon, ordered Panera soup for an early dinner, and watched copious amounts of TV all day. (I’m loving Squid Games: The Challenge.) I felt a little better yesterday—no more sore throat but dealing with a stuffy nose, chest congestion, and cough. Nothing too terrible! I’m just not used to being sick, so I’m a bit of a baby about it.

If we were having coffee today… I’d talk to you about my uncle. Though we were all hoping he’d make it through the holidays, we do not have much longer with him. He is currently undergoing care in hospice and has stopped responding to his daughters, which is heartbreaking for them. He’s only 60 and they are only in their late 20s… far too young for him to die and for them to deal with his death. We are making preparations for his memorial service and what comes next. To that end, I’m going to leave a link for the GoFundMe that my cousins have set up for him. Death is an expensive endeavor, made even more expensive for someone who does not have health insurance or life insurance. They are looking at spending thousands just for the simplest cremation and service, and are hoping to offset some of those costs with this page. (An update here that I really didn’t expect to make: My uncle passed away early this morning.)

If we were having coffee today… I’d probably need a distraction from thinking about my uncle, so I’d tell you about the sweetest package I received from Daria, who was my Secret SANta this year! Everything I pulled out from the box she sent me made me gasp with pleasure! There was the sweetest cat mug that has a fun, unique shape, a slew of Korean sheet masks that I will definitely put to good use, a pair of turquoise earrings that are so pretty, a Homesick candle for New Jersey (where Daria lives!), and a great book called “Things to Look Forward To” that I’ve already enjoyed paging through. What a delightful gift! Thank you, Daria!

If we were having coffee today… I’d talk about how I’m a little stressed out about my editorial calendar for the last half of December and into January. Typically, I write all of my “Best Of” posts at the end of the year and into a week or two of the new year. I go through a lot of reflection posts: blogging, podcasts, books, memories, goals, etc. It’s a process! And it’s one I love. But since I’ll be on vacation the last week of the year, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get all of those posts written and scheduled before I leave. Which means January might be a big month of 2023 reflection! Get excitedddd.

If we were having coffee today… I’d have to talk about my cats, of course! They just started their 2023 advent calendar—I was happy to find a treat-based advent calendar at Target. The toy calendars are fun, but they don’t really play with the toys from those calendars all that much so I like this option much better. Other than that, the girls have been great! Eloise has been a wonderful nurse to me this week (on Monday, I went to sit at my desk in the afternoon after taking a nap and she came right up to me and put her paws on my leg as if to say, “Mom, you need to rest!!”) Lila has steered clear of me, haha, so I guess nursing is not her career path. 😉

If we were having coffee today, what would you talk about?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 57)

The high of my week was no more roofing work! Last week, my apartment building’s roof was being repaired by experts like Tampa roofing company, and let me tell you, being on the top floor of a building that’s getting roofing work done is no bueno. So much banging! And they started at 7am every morning (EVEN ON SATURDAY!!!). All of the loud noises scared Lila so much that she hid under the bed all day and only came out at night when they were gone—I missed having that little fluff around! I’m glad the roof is repaired, but even more glad that I don’t have to hear constant banging while I’m trying to get work done.

The low of my week was canceling my April vacation. Ugh. My mom and I decided to cancel our cruise/trip to California in April because I was feeling very stressed out about the expense. I’m not feeling great about where my finances are at right now (holidays + student loan payments unpausing + paying off LASIK = a lot on my plate), and I need a breather for the first half of the year to catch up on credit card payments and savings. We’ll still take a nice vacation next year, but it won’t be in April.

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was finally working through my “deal with it later” bin. I haven’t gone through this bin in months and it was overflowing with documents to file, random items to put in their correct spots, and more. It felt good to finally get it all cleared out!

A Reel I loved was this sweet video of a doggo making a build-a-bear. Heartwarming!

I’m currently reading three books. On audio, I’m listening to State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. (So far, I’m liking it! The premise is not enticing at all, but everyone I know who has read it has loved it.) In print, I’m reading The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. (Sooo good.) And my e-book is A Lot Like Love by Julie James, which is a reread for me.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was The Wreck of the Costa Concordia on Stuff You Should Know. I love it when they do deep dives on these random events in history, especially shipwrecks. And this one was fairly recent—2012!

The best money I spent was on gifts for my book club! We are having our book club Christmas party on Sunday and we are doing a “favorite things” gift exchange. I had a lot of fun figuring out what my “favorite thing” was going to be (we wanted to keep each gift around $10 since we had to have five of them), and I think I came up with a great one. We’ll see! (I’ll reveal what the gift was on Monday—don’t want any of my friends finding out ahead of time!)

My plans this weekend include so many things! Let’s review:

Today, Bri is taking me on my birthday adventure: A day at Disney for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! I haven’t been to Disney in so long and I’m excited to soak it all up. Plus, it’s going to be a gorgeous day: A high of 74!
Tomorrow, I’ll kick off my day by shipping off my Secret SANta Swap gift and then meet up with my friend Amber for her birthday present to me: brunch! We’re going to a place downtown that has a very delicious-sounding menu.
In the afternoon, I have a writing date with Mikaela and then I’m coming home and vegging on the couch for the rest of the night.
Sunday morning, it’s our book club Christmas party! Bri is making breakfast and we’ll play some fun games and swap gifts.
After the party, I’m headed straight to my mom’s for football with the fam.

Whew! It will be a busy weekend, but such a fun one. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for a long time!

What was the high of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently in November

Loving… the sweet package I received from Kim this weekend! She gave me the best cat-themed package with a cozy blanket, a rock she painted, an ornament, and a tote bag. Kim is such an excellent gift-giver and the package made my day. (Funny moment, the gift arrived in an Amazon package and when I got home on Saturday, I was like, “Wait, what did I order from Amazon?” and was racking my brain trying to remember… and then I saw the package slip!)

Loathing… cancer. While I saw my grandma go through cancer treatments for 8 years (she had colon cancer), there has been something different about seeing the way lung cancer has leveled my uncle. He is not the person he was even a few months ago, and I know it’s been so hard on my cousin and her family. Cancer is so brutal and unfair.

Reading… three books. On audio, I’m finishing up The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger, which has been quite the adventure. (A category 6 hurricane blows through Florida and wipes Miami completely off the map, eeeks.) In print, I’m reading Recursion by Blake Crouch and The Stand-In by Lily Chu.

Watching… Quarterback on Netflix. It’s a documentary following three quarterbacks during the 2022 season: Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota. I love it! I am a football fan, so I find the whole documentary to be fascinating, from how the players prepare each week to being in the huddle with them throughout each game. And it’s fun to get a glimpse into their home lives. I’ll admit that I never thought I would relate to an NFL quarterback but Marcus Mariota talking about how Sausage McMuffins are his favorite breakfast—kindred spirit.

Listening to… Christmas music. Is anyone surprised? I started listening to it sometime this month here and there, but now that we’re past Thanksgiving, it will be all Christmas music all the time!

Anticipating… the holiday season. My December has filled up with so many fun plans! There’s our annual book club Christmas party, a gingerbread house decorating event, Christmas cookie decorating with the fam, going to look at holiday lights with my mom, and even a casual Christmas hangout with work (our first since 2019!). Bri also gifted me a day at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas for my birthday, and I cannot wait for that! And I won’t even hit the after-Christmas lull because my mom, stepdad, the dogs, and I leave for Tennessee the day after Christmas!

Thinking about… my 2024 goals. I already have a few goals in mind to tackle next year and I’m not sure how I’ll organize them. Maybe 24 goals in ’24? That feels like a lot of goals, but I think I can sneak some fun one-off goals into this list. Right now, I have 4 goals for next year: Read 6 novels by Agatha Christie, go on a solo vacation, watch 5 movies that Knox and Jamie (of The Popcast) have green-lit, and launch a new blog theme with reorganized categories/tags. More to come, of course!

Buying… Christmas gifts! I am nearly done Christmas shopping, but still have a few more gifts to buy. And I have to go shopping for my Secret SANta Swap partner! I am excited to buy an assortment of fun gifts for my person. Yay!

Grateful… for a really fun birthday week ahead. I have a day date with my mom today and then dinner with Bri tonight, a full Day of Stephany planned tomorrow with dinner with my whole family in the evening, and book club on Thursday! It will be a great week filled with lots of love.

What are you currently watching and anticipating?