Stephany Writes

Categories: Recurring Series

Monthly Recap | February 2023

Good Stuff

Less anxiety. Oh, it feels so good to be at a place where my anxiety feels stable and manageable. I am so glad that I’m now seeing a psychiatrist who recommended simply upping my dose of Lexapro from 20mg to 30mg, which has seemed to do the trick. Of course, sometimes I start spiraling that it seems like every few years, I need to up my Lexapro dose by 5-10mg. What happens when I can’t up it anymore? But that’s a bridge I’ll cross if I come to it.

Jim Gaffigan. It was so much fun having a night out with my mom and brother to see Jim Gaffigan live. Netflix was actually at the show to film his standup for a new special, which was cool! He was hysterical, as always, and we were all in tears.

Super Bowl Sunday. The Super Bowl was so great, wasn’t it? (Well, unless you’re an Eagles fan.) We had a great party with lots of good food and really, really enjoyed the game. My older nephew has been a Chiefs fan his whole life, so this was a great game for him.

Amazing book club experiences. We had two really wonderful book club meetings this month (we had to push back our January meeting to early February due to scheduling issues). Our January meeting entailed getting permanent jewelry. I love having a tangible reminder of my friendship with these ladies! Our February meeting was last weekend and we had a pajama party/nacho night at my friend Amber’s house! Honestly, I think it might have been my favorite book club in a long, long time. The nachos were delicious, I was crying from laughter during a game, and I just felt so happy being around my friends.

Galentine’s Day. Bri and I have been doing a Galentine’s Day celebration for 8 years now! Usually, we order pizza and snuggle on the couch watching a rom-com. This year, we decided to take things up a notch and get dressed up and have dinner at The Library, a super-cute restaurant downtown. It was a good time and we both mentioned how we have gotten out of the habit of our monthly lady dates because we are doing the podcast. We are determined to get back to our lady dates this year!

Hard Stuff

Lila gaining 2 lbs in a year. Eeks. I know Lila is very, very fluffy but I was rather shocked when she clocked in at 14.3 lbs at her annual vet visit. (For reference, Eloise is usually around 9 lbs.) It’s time to start taking a look at what/how she’s eating to see if I can get her down to a manageable weight. I think her body trends toward fluffiness, but I’d like to keep her around 11-12 lbs if possible. The girls are free feeders, which means they always have access to their food 24/7 and I know that’s an easy change I can make. Right now, I’m cutting off food from 9pm-7am (I have a strong suspicion that Lila is a middle-of-the-night eater) and working on limiting treats. They still get their treats, but just a few fewer nibbles than usual. Hopefully, that does the trick for my fluffy lady!

Scalp problems. I have been dealing with quite the annoying scalp issue: itchiness! There are two spots, right above my ears on my lower scalp, that have been so, so itchy. I don’t know what’s causing it. It’s not dandruff. I think it might be some weird eczema flare. Right now, I’ve been using a very gentle shampoo/conditioner that is supposed to help with scalp eczema (it’s also sooo very expensive, ugh) and making sure I wash my hair every other day. Thankfully, I was able to snag an appointment with my dermatologist to have it looked at.

A disappointing tax refund. I got my lowest tax refund in years. Wah! I know I can’t complain because at least I got something. My refund was $80 and since I had to pay TurboTax $40 to file, it was really only $40. Oh, well. It could have been worse, next year I’ll be doing a finance company registration so hopefully it’s a lot better.

Stuff I Recommend

  • Jewelry organizer ($27) – I mentioned on Monday that I bought a new jewelry organizer that’s working really well for my earring collection. This is the one I have. It has so many more holes for earrings than my other jewelry organizer! I just need to figure out a better system for organizing my ring keeper necklace uk necklaces and I’ll be set.
  • The Climb – My mom found this reality TV show on HBO Max about a group of rock climbers who set out to find out who is the most well-rounded rock climber. They do all sorts of different styles of rock climbing and it was super interesting, even to someone like me who is not a climber and does not desire to be one. It was just cool to learn more about the rock climbing community and enjoy the competition aspect of this show.
  • Lazy Susan caddy ($22) – I’m using this caddy to keep things organized on my dining room table, which is used less for eating and more for blogging these days, ha. I keep a bunch of things organized in this caddy so they’re easy to access. Stuff like my phone and Fitbit chargers, mail I need to deal with, coasters, etc. I wish some of the slots were bigger, but overall, it’s working out.

Bookish Stuff

  • # of books/pages read: 9 books (3,198 pages)
  • Favorite book of the month: Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon
  • Least favorite book of the month: Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
  • Books I abandoned
    • Unwinding Anxiety by Judson A. Brewer – I was reading a chapter a day of this book, but it started becoming mostly about habit formation than it was about anxiety. It started off so good and I was taking pages and pages of notes, but then it just devolved into stories about people who “overeat” or chain-smoke and how he helped them form better habits. Blah.
    • My Lovely Wife by Samantha A. Downing – This could barely be called a DNF because I only read about 20-30 pages when I realized I didn’t care to be in the head of murderers.
  • Format breakdown: print books (2), e-books (3), and audiobooks (4)
  • Genre breakdown: Romance (4), nonfiction (2), historical fiction (2), thriller (1)
  • Most recent book acquired: Maame by Jessica George and Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn, which were my February Book of the Month selections

Goal Stuff

  • Go for a walk every day (17/28) – I did 2 fewer walks in February than I did in January, but we also had 3 fewer days so doesn’t it all work out the same in the end?
  • Drink a bottle of water every day (10/28) – I’m at a -3 with this goal, as I had 13 days of drinking water in January. But again! A short month! Ok ok, fine. This should be much higher and I’m working on it.
  • Complete 100 Peloton workouts (16/100) – I am one workout short of my goal but considering I had to take a few days off when I hurt my knee (falling in my bathroom, lol), I’m okay with where I’m at. March is a long month and I am feeling good about getting 9 workouts done this month.
  • Watch 6 movies and 6 standup specials – I’m counting seeing Jim Gaffigan live toward one of my standup specials, so I’ve watched 1 movie (Glass Onion) and 1 standup special so far.
  • Redo my entryway – In progress! I have acquired a new key hook with shelf and I am planning on buying the mirror that will be placed above the shelf this weekend. Then I’ll be good to go with this goal, yay!

Tell me a bright spot of your February!

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently in February

Feeling… much less anxious. Hooray! I started my new regimen of 30mg of Lexapro in early January so I’m finally over that 6-week hump of waiting for the dosage boost to kick in. I have had so many nights where I think to myself, “Hey! You’re not having any anxiety tonight!” I’m still having small moments of panic, but they are usually caused by something (like my mom not answering her phone, lol). But the unending weight of anxiety is not my constant companion anymore and holy fuck, that feels so good.

Watching… season 3 of Brooklyn 99. I’m doing another rewatch because apparently, it’s all about comfort TV for me these days. Problematic glorification of cops aside, I love this show so much. It makes me laugh and makes me feel good.

Listening to… Sounds Like a Cult. This is such a fun podcast! Amanda Montell (who wrote the book Cultish) and her friend Isa sit down every week to talk about a different mainstream “cult.” And most of these cults aren’t true cults, but rather pop culture phenomenons that can be a little cult-like. For example, fraternities and sororities, flat earthers, astrology, Disney adults, etc. I recently listened to an episode about Trader Joe’s that was enlightening about the company’s corporate practices. Anyway, give it a listen if you care!

Grateful… that I didn’t break my neck when I slipped and fell getting into my tub to take a shower last week. Ugh, I felt like such a dweeb falling in the shower. I ended up banging my knee and shin really hard against the edge of the tub. It was so painful! I was really worried I had done something awful to my knee. Thankfully, it’s fine but a nice, 4-inch bruise has bloomed and it’s very sore and painful to the touch. I’m taking things easy while I heal and may invest in a non-slip mat because apparently, I’m too geriatric to be taking a shower on my own.

Anticipating… doing time logging next month! I did my first time-logging week last year and it was really interesting to see where my time goes during a typical week. I set a reminder in my phone to log the same week in 2023, and it will be interesting to see how things compare! Be on the lookout for the past sometime in late March or early April.

Loathing… that it’s already getting hot here in Florida. The high on Saturday was 83! When I got into my car in the morning, the temperature inside was 98 degrees. That is unacceptable for the end of February. I am not ready for shorts and tanktops and pool parties just yet.

Thinking about… how to use my wellness reimbursement. This year, my company has given us $500 to use on all kinds of wellness-related products. From Apple Watches and massage memberships to books and audiobook subscriptions. I am very tempted to spend my entire $500 on books alone, but I’ve been trying to think about the best way to use this reimbursement. One of my colleagues got a Peloton bike and between a sale they were running and the reimbursement, she’s only paying $700 out of pocket for the bike! Can you imagine? And they were also offering no-interest financing for a year so she has the entire year to pay that $700. I’ve also been thinking about seeing a nutritionist, so that’s another option. What to do, what to do…

Needing… to figure out my necklace storage options. I recently bought a new jewelry organizer (different than the one I had a few months ago, which wasn’t working for me) and I love it for the way it holds my earrings, but it doesn’t have enough spaces for my necklaces (nor are the spaces tall enough to hold my longer necklaces). So I guess I need a separate jewelry organizer for my necklaces and Antique rings. I love having them displayed since that helps me see what I have and make sure I’m not wearing the same few necklaces over and over again. How do you keep your necklaces organized?

Buying… breakfast every Friday morning. This has become a new little treat for me that I am loving. I already look forward to Fridays, but now I look forward to them even more! Most Fridays, I stop into Einstein’s Bagels for an everything bagel and an iced vanilla latte, but I will admit that I have been known to get a sausage egg mcmuffin from McDonald’s some Fridays. It’s my favorite breakfast of all! (I eat like a child.)

Loving… being able to check in on my cats when I’m out. I love having a pet camera to do a quick peek on the girls when I’m not home. I can get anxious when I’m away from them, just worrying that I left the straightener on or something silly like that. So it’s nice to see that a) the apartment hasn’t burned down in my absence and b) the girls are just fine.

What are you currently anticipating and watching?

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 49)

The high of my week was having dinner with my cousin and her family on Monday. We haven’t gotten together for dinner since November! It was so nice to see them and catch up about life.

The low of my week was getting my Ubereats order canceled. Oh, I was so excited about this order and so very disappointed when I got the alert on the app that the delivery driver could no longer deliver my order, so it was canceled. NOOOOOO! I ended up having popcorn for dinner. What a disappointment!

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was mopping my floors. Why is this task the one I dread the most? There is just something about the process of getting everything off the floors, letting my robot vacuum zip around my apartment for an hour, and then going back to mop the floors and let things dry before putting everything back in place that drives me crazy. But then, my floors look SO GOOD when they have been freshly mopped and I promise myself I will not let another month lapse between moppings (LIES). My mom got so tired of mopping that she bought a robot mopper. I am very tempted to do the same.

I’m currently reading three books! On audio, I’m listening to The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya. My romance book right now is After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez and I also just started Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng yesterday.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Favored or Forsaken: Marriage on The Bible Binge. I felt so seen and validated in this conversation between Jamie, Erin, and Evan. Jamie and Evan are part of the “never-married” group while Erin has been married for 17 years. Marriage and singleness can be a fraught topic when it comes to the church setting (most churches don’t really know what to do with single adults over the age of 25, honestly), and I really loved the discussion they had. Marriage isn’t for everyone, and it’s time we come to terms with that. (My favorite part of this conversation is when Jamie was talking about how married people look at single people and say, “Oh, but you’re such a catch! It’s such a shame you’re not married.” And Jamie said that she often looks at married people and thinks, “Oh, but you’re such a catch! It’s a shame you got married.” HA.)

An Internet find I loved was this hilarious Reel a woman did about her “rules” for her funeral, using Barbies. I laugh every time I watch it!

The best money I spent this week was $15 on a key holder shelf. This is part of one of my 2023 goals to upgrade my entryway wall with a new shelf/key holder and mirror. I was originally planning on buying a different key holder shelf that was $30 from Target but it’s out of stock and I’m not sure when it will be in stock. So I’m taking a chance on this option from Amazon. I hope it works out!

My plans this weekend include all of the things! Tonight is book club. We’re having a pajama/nacho party at a friend’s house, and I am very much looking forward to it! Tomorrow, I am recording podcast episodes with Bri and also meeting up with Mikaela for a writing date. And Sunday is my younger nephew’s birthday party. He turned eight on Tuesday! It will be a busy weekend, but all things I’m looking forward to.

What was the high of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

Snapshot of My Day: Sunday, February 19, 2023

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

First thing I did upon waking: I turned off my alarm and then read a few chapters of my romance novel before getting out of bed and making myself a bowl of cereal.

Today’s weather: Super nice! The high was 79F and it stayed in the low 70s and sunny for most of the day. I love this time of year!

Something I spent money on today: Coffee this morning at the coffeeshop I went to for Silent Book Club.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: Silent Book Club! It was our February meeting and it was fun to see some new and old faces. And I zipped through nearly 100 pages of my book while I was there, which was exciting.

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon. It’s excellent!

Last thing I read (on the Internet): One of the daily e-newsletters sent to me by The Anti-Racism Daily.

Last text I sent: “Hmm, I’m always down for Italian or Mexican! Can’t go wrong there.” This is in reference to finding a good option for dinner this week, lol.

Last text I received: “Awesome! I will think up some options.” In response to the above text.

Last website I visited: Elisabeth’s blog!

Last show I watched: Brooklyn 99.

Last thing I said: “Hey, honey bunny.” To Eloise, as she was twirling around my legs while I was prepping my pizza to put it in the oven.

Last thing I ate: Samoas! Girl Scout season is my favorite season!

What I was doing an hour ago: I was taking a nice, hot bubble bath. I listened to the latest episode of Maintenance Phase and played Happy Color on my phone. It was divine!

What I will be doing an hour from now: I will probably be watching something on TV and eating a bowl of ice cream. Yum, yum!

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: I believe Lila is now under the couch (she usually goes under the couch for an hour or two this time of night). Whenever she army crawls out from under the couch, I exclaim, “There you are! I missed you!” Eloise is currently sitting right next to me as I type up this post!

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: I grocery shopped for this week, which really wasn’t a big deal since I have dinner plans three nights this week (!). But I needed a few items, so I’m glad I did that after Silent Book Club.

Tell me one out-of-the-ordinary thing about your Sunday!

Categories: Recurring Series

Three Things Thursday (v. 10)

Three confessions

  • I’m thinking about going back to brunette. Every time I see a picture of myself as a brunette, it makes me want to immediately book an appointment with my hairstylist. It was a good color for me! I started transitioning to blonde in September of 2019 and haven’t looked back, but those brunette locks are calling to me.
  • It’s been a bit triggering to read posts I wrote in 2011/2012 because I was sooo focused on my weight and I spent so much time being so damn mean to myself. I thought I was fat and ugly and unwanted, and I was none of those things. It’s hard for me to read some of the words I wrote about myself back then. And it’s hard because I did gain a lot of weight in the years since, but I wish I knew then that it didn’t mean I was a failure
  • I’m starting to worry that I’ve developed plantar fasciitis. When I wake up in the morning or after I’ve had a long nap, the heels of my feet hurt a lot and I have to hobble around for a bit before I feel okay. Dr. Google tells me it’s plantar fasciitis and to see a podiatrist but I DON’T WANNA.

Three podcasts I recently listened to

Three things I’m looking forward to this year

  • A Christmas trip to the mountains – We did it! We booked a Tennessee cabin for the week after Christmas. It’s a gorgeous cabin that gets great reviews on VRBO, and we are so excited. It will be my mom, my stepdad, me, and the dogs. I can’t wait!
  • Getting a new bed – I am just so ready to get rid of my old mattress and bedframe and have something new! It is more than time for this change, but there are so many different things I need to do before that happens (selling my old bedframe, ordering my new bedframe, ordering my new sheets and quilt, figuring out the mattress and box spring I want , etc.) And then when everything is ready, I need to coordinate with my brother because he will be delivering my mattress/box spring and offered to put together my new bedframe when it arrives. Ahhh! Logistics is something that I struggle with, so I need to just write down everything I need to do and start marking off the tasks one by one.
  • TAYLOR SWIFT – I feel so lucky and grateful that Bri was able to handle the Ticketmaster site and get us tickets to see Taylor Swift in April. I can’t believe I get to see her!

Three destinations I want to visit before I die

  • Paris, France – I am hoping to make this trip a reality in 2024 if I can get my act together to save up for it. It’s a city I’ve always wanted to visit!
  • Hawaii – This is one of those trips that just seems so out of reach for me. Tickets to Hawaii are expensive and so are hotels and food and excursions while on the island. Why is traveling so cost-prohibitive? Argh.
  • Italy – I’d love to do a Mediterranean cruise around Italy. Wouldn’t that be amazing? One day!

Three recent Amazon purchases

  • Seamless bra in black ($22) – I have a seamless bra from this same brand that I love. It’s so comfortable that I wear it almost daily. I finally bought a second bra in another color, and I’ll probably end up buying a few more because why not?!
  • Spa headband, pack of three ($9) – I don’t wear a headband to keep back my hair when I’m doing my skincare routine, but it would be nice to have this as an option. These were pretty cheap and get great reviews!
  • Caress body wash, pack of six ($29) – Recently, I realized I could save a whole lot of money if I stopped buying my body wash (which I use in my bubble baths that I take nearly daily) at Target or Publix. Each bottle can be $6 or $7! This pack of six brings down that price to $4.83/bottle.

Three toys the cats love

  • Crumpled-up pieces of paper that they steal off my desk
  • Elastic hair ties that I leave on my dresser
  • Bottle caps that fall off my kitchen counter

Three books I’ll be reading soon

Three of my most-used apps yesterday

  • Happy Color
  • Instagram
  • Overcast

Three things that made me happy this week

  • Having Monday off – I always take the Monday after the Super Bowl off, and it was so nice to be able to watch the game and not fret about work in the morning! I got to sleep in, get some appointments done, and take a long nap in the afternoon, which was so nice.
  • Galentine’s with Bri – Bri and I have been doing a fun Galentine’s celebration for many, many years now. I think this was year 9? Crazy! Usually, we order pizza and snuggle on the couch while watching a rom-com. This year, we decided to be fancy and we got dinner at an adorable restaurant in town called The Library. It was fun!
  • Girl Scout cookies – My mom’s next-door neighbor has a kid who is a Girl Scout, so we happily ordered a nice little array of cookies from them! I got two boxes of Thin Mints and two boxes of Samoas, and I am one happy camper.

Three things I’m doing this weekend

  • Attending the February meeting for the Silent Book Club – I had so much fun at the January meeting, so I’m excited to make this group a regular thing!
  • Having a writing date with Mikaela – As always! I think I’ll work on podcast outlines during this writing date, as Bri and I will start recording episodes for season 4 next week.
  • A coffee date at The Blend – The Blend is one of my most favorite coffee spots near me, mostly because they do coffee flights that are so much fun! I haven’t had a coffee flight in a while, so I think I’ll get one this weekend. 🙂