Stephany Writes

Categories: Recurring Series

Snapshot of My Day: Monday, February 19, 2024

Time I woke up: 6:59 a.m., one minute before my alarm was set to go off. Ha!

First thing I did upon waking: After a quick pee, I got Chip and Lucy out of their cages! I was on dog-sitting duty this weekend (my mom and stepdad arrived back in town yesterday), which meant sleeping over at my mom’s place. It’s always fun to wake up with Chip and Lucy because they’re always so happy to see me!

Today’s weather: Very cold this morning (low 50s, lol) and then it warmed up to 63 in the afternoon. And it was sunny, which was a nice break from the two days of nonstop rain we had this weekend.

Something I spent money on today: Groceries! I took a pit stop at Publix on my way home from dog-sitting to pick up some groceries for the week.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: Working in two separate locations! I was hoping to do a lot of work from my mom’s house on my Chromebook but I literally couldn’t remember the passwords for any of my accounts. We have everything stored in LastPass, but I couldn’t get it to download correctly and finally called it quits after a few failed attempts to log into my work email. I hightailed it over to my apartment where I worked for most of the morning, and then I grabbed my work laptop and went back to my mom’s for a few hours in the afternoon to work. It was a weird Monday!

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks

Last thing I read (on the Internet): This Reddit thread about Taylor Swift and the cease-and-desist letter she sent to the guy tracking her private jet usage. (I love TS, but this is not a great look for her.)

Last text I sent: “No problem. They gave me extra snuggles.” I sent this to my mom!

Last text I received: “Long drive.” It took my mom and stepdad five hours to get home tonight, so they were tired!

Last website I visited: Goodreads, to grab the author of the book I’m reading.

Last show I watched: The Circle. I’m obsessed.

Last podcast I listened to: An older episode of Behind the Bastards. I’m going through the archives!

Last thing I said: “I can hear her… but I can’t see her.” I was in my bedroom and I could plainly hear Lila snoring somewhere, but I didn’t know where it was coming from. (I’m guessing she was under my bed.)

Last thing I ate: An ice cream sandwich!

What I was doing an hour ago: I was talking to my mom on FaceTime!

What I will be doing an hour from now: Most likely, I will be curled up in bed with the cats, either reading or trying to fall asleep to an ASMR video.

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: I’m sitting at my dining room table. Lila and Ellie are playing chase around the apartment. They keep hiding around corners and then popping out when the other cat prowls near them. It’s very cute!

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: Honestly, I didn’t get much done today, especially work-wise. I find it hard to get into a groove when I’m moving from one location to the next. But I am glad I got my grocery shopping done for the week, so there’s that!

Snapshot of My Day is inspired by Torrie at To Love and To Learn

What was your weather like yesterday?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 60)

The high of my week was spending Valentine’s Day with Bri! Thankfully, her husband doesn’t mind that I steal her for the evening so she came over to my place for cheesy bread, pizza, and a fun 90s rom-com (Never Been Kissed). It was a lovely, low-key evening with my favorite lady! I couldn’t ask for anything better.

The low of my week was having an allergic reaction to the topical anesthetic I got for my dental filling. Yesterday was quite the day! First, I had to get a filling in the morning, which was not a fun experience but I got through it and everything felt fine. The right side of my mouth was super numb, but that’s to be expected. What I did not expect was for the right side of my upper lip to balloon three times its normal size over the next few hours. It started to feel alarming to me—even after icing it and taking Advil, it was still puffy and stung when I touched it. So I called a dentist and they asked me to to get it checked out. The dentist affirmed that I was not dying, but was likely having an allergic reaction. I could take Benedryl but my body doesn’t react well to that medication (it makes me very loopy), so I’m just taking ibuprofen and praying I wake up with a normal-size lip.

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was scheduling a doctor’s appointment! That had been on my to-do list all of 2023, so I’m very proud of myself for finally getting it done. My dietician really wants me to have updated blood work done (and so do I!) so that put a fire in my belly to schedule that appointment. Plus, I have some pressing concerns that I want to talk to my doctor about. My appointment is Tuesday morning, so hooray!

I’m currently reading three books. On audio, I’m a few hours into A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson and I’m very much enjoying it. I’m also reading The Art of Scandal by Regina Black in print, and I can’t get enough of it. So good! And, of course, I’m slowly making my way through My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante for the Cool Bloggers Book Club. I don’t love it so far, but I’m trudging through for the book club discussions.

A blog post I loved was this one from Nicole, since she started a discussion about hobbies based on our podcast episode about the subject! It was so fun reading through the responses of people ruminating about what makes something a hobby (is reading a hobby if it’s something that feels more like a necessity for you than something you do “just for fun”?) and what kinds of hobbies people have. I love that our podcast—and Nicole’s always eloquent words—sparked such an interesting discussion!

A podcast episode I enjoyed was How We Rate Books on Sarah’s Book Shelves Live Patreon feed. I found this episode so fascinating as Sarah and her two guest co-hosts Susie and Catherine had a long discussion on their rating systems, what makes a book 5 stars, DNF-ing books, and so much more. This was a gold mine of nerdy bookish talk and I couldn’t get enough of it!

The best money I spent was on new underwear. How exciting, eh? I always like to refresh my underwear drawer once a year—and by refresh, I just mean throwing out any underwear that has holes or is losing its elastic and buying a few new pieces to replace what I got rid of—and it was time to do that, considering I was having to do emergency laundry at least once a week. (Emergency laundry = I’m down to my last pair of underwear!) I’ve also realized I’ve reached the “underwear is for comfort, not style” phase of my life. I want full coverage!

My plans this weekend include dog-sitting for the pups! My mom and her husband are taking a quick weekend trip so I will be on Chip and Lucy duty, and I am very much looking forward to it. I love hanging with my besties! I am also recording a podcast episode with Bri (and a special guest!) on Saturday morning and doing a writing date with Mikaela afterward. It should be a good weekend!

Do you replace your underwear regularly? What are your plans this weekend?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently in January

Loving… my nose piercing! I finally did it, friends. I got my nose pierced. I went with Bri on Friday night and now I have a delicate little stud in my nose. I love it so much! I am hoping to get a hoop in a few months, once the piercing has healed fully. I’m going to be completely honest and tell you that this piercing hurt like hell. I mean, duh. They’re stabbing a needle through my nose cartilage, of course that’s going to hurt! But whew… it was painful! I teared up a little from the pain but managed to hold myself together. Is it more painful than a tattoo? I mean, I’m willing to get more tattoos but not sure I’m willing to get more piercings so take from that what you will.

Loathing… this upcoming political year. I’m not excited, friends, and I know that’s a sentiment shared by so many of us. It’s obvious that Trump is going to be the Republican candidate and it’s terrifying to think he could be back in office in 2025. I am not looking forward to all of the political ads and texts and mailers. Or the debates and fights and spats. Recently, I started listening to Pantsuit Politics, which I heard about for years but I was committed to my Pod Save America bros and didn’t want to listen to two different political podcasts. But I needed something that was a bit more hopeful than PSA can be, and PP has definitely delivered in that regard. You can feel their anger at times, but they also deliver the news in a much more straightforward way that I need right now.

Reading… Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, which is the second Christie novel I’ve read (I read And Then There Were None a few years ago). I think I’m going to watch the movie after I’ve finished this mystery. I don’t know if it’s a great adaptation, but I think it will be fun to see it captured in film. (I’m also still listening to Cover Story by Susan Rigetti, which is riveting.)

Watching… The Traitors! I am so glad this series got renewed for a second season. If you haven’t watched the show, I highly recommend it. The premise is that a group of people are brought to a castle in Scotland to participate in a reality TV show. A handful of those people are chosen to be “Traitors,” which means they “murder” one contestant every night. The rest of the group are known as “Faithfuls,” and they must work together to figure out who the traitors are. But if any traitor makes it to the end… the $250,000 is all theirs. It is a game of intense strategy and social skills, and it’s so fascinating to see how the game affects people differently.

Listening to… Guts by Olivia Rodridgo. I have a 2024 goal to listen to one new album every month, and I started with a great one! During my first listen, I was kinda “meh” on it and wondered if I just couldn’t vibe with a Gen Z singer, but I gave it another few listens and I’m loving it actually. Her songs are just fun to sing along to, even if I can’t totally relate to the words anymore. Heh.

Anticipating… some really fun plans in February! I’m going to a strawberry farm market with friends this weekend, have my annual Galentine’s date with Bri, and I’m doing a game night with friends later in the month. Plus, there’s the Super Bowl and restarting family game night once football is over. And Bri and I are finally going to get our moms behind the mics for the podcast, and I’m looking forward to that. It should be a really good month!

Thinking about… routines. Developing a regular daily routine has been a constant struggle for me, as is well-documented on this blog. I really want 2024 to be the year where I finally figure out a daily routine that works for me. Is it starting my day with a long walk (even if it’s dark outside)? Is it starting my day on the couch with coffee and games on my phone to slowly wake up? Is it hopping onto my computer early to clear out emails and set my to-do list before starting my morning routine? Honestly, all of those sound nice, ha! It’s a work in progress.

Buying… not much these days! I have a few things in my Amazon cart (a new computer bag, a sling purse, a kitchen organizing rack) but I haven’t pushed purchase on anything yet. And that’s because I am only allowed to buy things from Amazon if I earn an A or B average with my weekly habits. Sometimes, you have to treat yourself like a 5-year-old with a sticker chore chart in order to get things done. On this habit list is taking five walks a week, taking my meds regularly, doing my skincare routine morning and night, doing one 15-minute standing session per day, and get to bed by 10:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. I have yet to earn an A or B, so I’m a work in progress but it just means it’s going to be really exciting when I finally do get to buy something special from Amazon!

Grateful… to have graduated from therapy! I have felt ready to end this round of therapy for a few months now, but kept scheduling appointments because a) I’m an Enneagram 9 and didn’t want her to be mad at me for ending our sessions and b) I wanted to feel really, really sure it was time. I am not someone who needs continuous therapy. I like going when things start feeling unmanageable and my usual coping skills aren’t working anymore. I have been seeing this particular therapist for almost two years now, and I finally feel in a good spot to handle life without these regular check-ins. I know my anxiety—and especially anxiety about my mom—will always be a part of my life, but I have better insight around why I have this type of anxiety and how to challenge it when it occurs. I will still see my psychiatrist regularly (I have those appointments once a quarter) but it feels good to be in a stable place after feeling so unstable in 2021 and 2022.

What’s something you’re grateful for today?

Categories: 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?