Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 77)

1) Bloodwork Results

Last Friday, I got bloodwork done. (As expected, they had to bring in their “expert” phlebotomist because I have really deep veins.) I got my results on Wednesday and I was relieved to see that my glucose and A1C levels are normal. I definitely want to improve my numbers (my glucose has remained steady on the high end of normal for two years now), but I’m glad I don’t need to be too concerned about prediabetes. What was super concerning, though, were my triglycerides which were astonishingly high. Triglycerides are part of the cholesterol panel that determines one’s risk for heart disease. While my total cholesterol was normal, my triglycerides were not. Thankfully, all of my other cholesterol numbers improved, even if some of them still aren’t in the normal range (HDL and non-HDL, but they are just a few points away from normal). Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of research about lowering one’s triglycerides levels and I’m trying to come up with a plan where I can work towards healthier cholesterol without putting myself on a strict diet. I know I will need to continue limiting sugar as well as red meat and carbs, and I want to make sure I’m doing so in a way that aligns with my values and isn’t seen as a punishment. Lots more to come on this!

2) Eczema

I am pleased to report that my eczema/dermatitis (whatever this thing is) seems to be improving. I’ve been applying hydrocortisone cream twice a day and I’ve started to notice a real difference in the way my skin looks and feels. Hooray! I’ll keep applying the cream until the flare-up is gone, but I’m hoping I can restart my skincare routine sometime in February. I’ve really missed doing my skincare routine and I’m excited to get back to it.

3) My Backup Supplies Shelf

Look at my new backup supplies shelf in my hall closet! I am so proud of this little area of my home. I was running low on a lot of my supplies—conditioner, mouthwash, tampons, eyeglass wipes, laundry detergent, and the special sensitive laundry detergent I use when I wash my bras—and it was quite scary to see how much money I was going to spend to double-up on everything I needed. And then Target was running a sale—if I bought 3 boxes of tampons, I could get a $5 coupon; and if I bought 4 bottles of shampoo/conditioner, I could get a $5 coupon. Normally, I would say “no way!” Three boxes of tampons?? What am I, the queen of England?! But I took a deep breath and added 3 boxes of tampons, 2 bottles of conditioner, and 2 bottles of shampoo to my cart and pushed the purchase button. It was scary, but I did it! I’m proud of myself and I feel a lot of joy in looking at my shelf filled with supplies. Lisa commented on my post last week where I talked about the under-buyer/over-buyer conundrum, and said she sees herself as a “just-right buyer” and I think that’s what I’m aiming for. I’ve been an under-buyer because spending a lot of money at one time scares me, and my goal is to become a just-right buyer who has backups of her normal supplies and toiletries, but I’m not, like, stockpiling for the end of the world out of panic.

4) Niagara Falls

My mom and I have started planning our 2022 trip! We thought about taking a cruise, but neither of us is totally comfortable going that route just yet. Maybe in 2023? Instead, I did some research and presented her with three options: Arizona to visit Sedona and the Grand Canyon, Canada to visit Niagara Falls, or an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica. I was so pleased when my mom picked Niagara Falls! Of course, it all depends on the COVID situation, but we’re not planning on going until the summer so we should be okay. (Hopefully.) My plan is for us to fly into Buffalo, rent a car and drive over to the Canada side of the Falls, spend a few days in Canada exploring the Falls (and possibly a day trip to Toronto?), and then driving back over to Buffalo to explore the Falls from the U.S. side. I’ve always wanted to visit Niagara Falls, and I’m excited to tick a new state (New York) and a new country (Canada) off my list, too! Seasoned travelers, please let me know if my loose itinerary sounds ridiculous. 🙂

5) Weekend Plans

I don’t have a lot going on this weekend, which I’m taking to be a good thing. This afternoon, I’m meeting up with my mom so that we can take the dogs to go get their paw prints done. One of the artist studios near us is offering this fun event where pets can come into the studio, get a clay impression of their paws, and then the studio will make a custom painting incorporating their paw prints. Isn’t that such a great idea? I can’t wait to see what they do for Chip and Lucy! (And no, I’m not taking my girls because I think it would be way too traumatizing for them, haha.)

Saturday, I have no plans other than getting caught up on blog stuff and work stuff. And then, on Sunday, it’s the AFC/NFC championship games! I am so excited! While my team didn’t even make the playoffs, both my brother’s favorite team (the 49ers) and my nephew’s favorite team (the Chiefs) are playing. A few years ago, the 49ers and the Chiefs were in the Super Bowl, and that got very contentious, so while I want both of their teams to make it back to the Super Bowl, I don’t know if I want another tense game like that! So we’ll see how it goes.

Have you ever been to Niagara Falls? What are your weekend plans?

Categories: Recurring Series

Snapshot of my Day | January 25, 2022

Happy Wednesday, friends. I think we’re overdue for a quick Snapshot of My Day post, don’t you? This post idea was conceived by Torrie and I included a new addition this time around, inspired by NGS.

Here’s how Tuesday looked in my world.

Time I woke up: 6:20 a.m. My alarm went off right at 6am, but I snoozed it twice so I could snuggle Ellie, who was sitting on my belly.

First thing I did upon waking: I got dressed for a workout and then tried streaming a spin workout on my laptop (my spin bike is near my bed, so I usually prop my laptop on my bed and stream a Peloton workout from there), but I couldn’t get the Peloton website to work this morning. I contemplated going for a long walk instead, but my weather app told me it was lightly raining and that just didn’t seem fun. I also contemplated skipping my workout but I was already up and dressed, and that felt like a waste of an early alarm. In the end, I opted to stream a spin workout through my Peloton app on my phone. It’s not ideal since I can’t keep track of my cadence (I use an app on my phone to track my cadence during workouts), but I’m proud of myself for still getting in my workout when everything was against me! ALSO, I GUESS THIS MEANS I JUST NEED TO BUY A REAL PELOTON BIKE, RIGHT???

Today’s weather: Rainy and cold! The high is 57F and with the gloomy weather, it feels extra chilly for this Florida girl.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: I had dinner plans today with my mom, my cousin, and my cousin’s daughter Mia, and I arrived a full 30 minutes early. We were eating at a restaurant in a big shopping plaza with a Target, so I meandered around there for 25 minutes, where I could do nothing more than window shop since I’m on a spending freeze for January. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I imagined to just look around and leave without buying anything.

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger.

Last thing I read (on the Internet): I believe it was Nicole’s latest blog post!

Last text I sent: “Nice! Twinning!” which I sent to my mom.

Last text I received: A picture from my mom of her try at today’s Wordle puzzle—we both got it in four tries. I’ve gotten both of us hooked on Wordle after resisting the temptation for weeks.

Last website I visited: I think it was the workflow system my company uses to keep track of content projects. Fun, I know.

Last show I watched: Only Murders in the Building (<– which should come with a “dead cat” warning, FYI.)

Last thing I said: “Hi, my love. How are you?” which I said to Lila when she jumped up next to me.

Last thing I ate: A pizookie! (A pizookie is a cookie cooked in a deep dish pizza tin. It comes out hot and gooey and yummy.)

What I was doing an hour ago: Finishing up dinner with my mom, my cousin, and Mia! Mia sat super close to me throughout the meal, which was adorable. I love the way she loves me!

What I will be doing an hour from now: Hopefully, I will be snuggled up in bed with my book! I still need to run through my nighttime routine (clean the litter boxes, tidy the apartment, and brush my teeth), but that shouldn’t take too long.

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: Lila is eating a late dinner and Eloise is hiding in her tunnel. (I think she’s waiting for Lila to walk by so she can pounce on her!)

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: I finished up one of my clients’ January content and sent it off to be proofed. That was a relief to cross off my list!

What’s the first thing you did when you woke up this morning?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 76)

Happy Friday, friends! I want to take a moment to say a great, big thank you to those who left comments on my last post. My anxiety has started to feel a bit more stable in the past week—closer to that “6” number on my scale—and it feels good to feel good. I really appreciate everyone who read that post and reached out with supportive comments, even if you’ve never dealt with the kind of anxiety I experience. It’s not easy to write about my anxiety episodes, but the only way we will destigmatize mental illness is by talking about it and bringing other people into our world, and thank you for giving me the space to do that.

Now, onto some much lighter topics for today’s Five for Friday post!

1) Dermatitis vs eczema

So, I’m still dealing with my annoying facial rash. When I saw a doctor about this rash in November, she wasn’t sure if it was a case of dermatitis or eczema, but since it wasn’t itchy, she figured it was dermatitis and prescribed me steroid cream (which was, shockingly, $100 for a small tube). The rash seemed to go away after about a week of using the cream but it came back around the end of December. Ughhh. A part of me wonders if I’m allergic to something in my skincare routine, so I haven’t done anything skincare-related for many weeks. I also bought a bottle of hydrocortisone cream that’s formulated for eczema and dermatitis flare-ups, and while I haven’t been the best at applying it regularly (I only remember when my rash itches, which isn’t all the time), it did clear up part of the rash. Progress! I need to get better at applying it at least three times a day to see if it takes care of the rest of my rash. And then I’ll slowly restart my skincare routine, one item at a time, just to see if it was something I was using that caused the flare-up.

2) Lunchtime reading

I started a new habit this year: eating breakfast and lunch at my dining room table and reading my book! Previously, I would usually eat breakfast at my dining room table but play a game on my phone. And for lunch, I would always eat at my desk while scrolling through Reddit forums. I used to read on my lunch break when I was working in an office, and I want to get back into that habit. It is such a pleasant way to pass 20-30 minutes in the morning and afternoon. I feel like it sets the right tone at the beginning of my day and gives me an actual break from screens in the middle of my day. Plus, I can usually knock out at least 50 pages of whatever book I’m reading during these breaks and that leaves me feeling super accomplished!

3) From an under-buyer to an over-buyer

Have you heard of the “under-buyer/over-buyer” personality from Gretchen Rubin? It’s fascinating to me. I am a chronic under-buyer. As in, I run out of much-needed household items frequently. There have been days when I haven’t been able to wash the dishes in the sink because I’ve run out of dish soap. There was a week when I had to keep running into the kitchen to wash my hands after using the bathroom because I ran out of bathroom hand soap and only had a bottle next to the kitchen sink. There were the few days I ran out of toothpaste and, um, had to settle for mouthwash. (Gross, I know.) I’ve run out of toilet paper, conditioner, trash bags, you name it. It’s a personality flaw of mine, and I am turning over a new leaf in 2022.

Now, every time I start running low on something, I’m buying two products at one time. When I finally replaced my bathroom hand soap, I bought two—one to use now and one to store in my bathroom closet to pull out when this bottle runs out. I also bought a backup bottle for my kitchen. I have a backup roll of paper towels and a backup package of Clorox wipes. It’s a wild and crazy world I’m living in now! The second step of this plan is to always replace my backup whenever I pull it out of the cabinet to use it. When that happens, I will immediately add the item to my Target cart. (Target curbside pickup is life, so I usually keep an open cart on the Target app where I add items regularly to pick up when I have the time.) Ideally, I’d have more than one backup but apartment living doesn’t exactly give me a ton of storage space, so alas, one backup per item it is!

I’m not exactly sure what causes someone to be an under-buyer, but I think growing up poor definitely contributed to it for me. I’m not used to buying extras of things just to have them around and make my life easier… that’s just not the way things work when you’re poor and living paycheck to paycheck. But I don’t have to live that way any longer (which is something I do not take for granted) and I’m on a mission to unlearn some of my habits that developed as a result of being poor. Like under-buying! There’s such a sense of wealth and freedom in knowing I can have backups of anything I want and running out of something won’t be a crisis anymore.

4) Beautiful weather

After having a super warm December, Florida has been showing up with its January weather. This week, we even got into the low 40s! We’re staying in the upper 60s/low 70s during the day with chilly nights, and I even had to turn on my heat one day this week. I know that for those of you in the north, this weather sounds like fall to you, but hey, Florida does its own thing when it comes to winter weather. (And, well, everything else it seems. Sigh.) I’m happy with it! I can barely handle weather below 55 degrees, haha, so this is just about perfect for me.

5) The StoryGraph

Have you guys heard of The StoryGraph? It’s a Goodreads alternative, and I’ve been hesitant to join because I feel like there are so many apps that come and go, touting themselves as the “next Goodreads.” But The StoryGraph has had some staying power and I’ve noticed more and more friends joining it, so I decided to take the plunge last weekend. It was nice that I was able to import my entire Goodreads library (I have 11 years of data and nearly 1,600 books so there was no way I was going to manually do all that) and I like the ability to give quarter-star ratings, add content warnings, and see more stats. I don’t think it is as user-friendly as Goodreads (it’s really hard to find friends who use the app and I always forget where to click to add my rating and review when I finish a book), but I do love the clean, modern interface. I think I will still primarily use Goodreads (especially since that’s what most of my friends use and I like the community aspect of the app), but I’m excited to dip my toe into The StoryGraph a little more to see what it’s all about. If you want to follow me, I’m stephanywrites on both Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Are you an under-buyer or an over-buyer? What’s the weather like where you are?

Categories: Recurring Series

My Final 2021 Budget

Hi friends and happy Monday. It’s Martin Luther King, Jr., day here in the U.S. and I am very grateful that my company gives us the day off. (I’m planning on doing my January 5K today with my mom and the dogs!)

Today, I’m here to wrap up my 2021 budget with some final numbers. For the past few years, I’ve been keeping a detailed spreadsheet about my spending and while it can be a lot to keep up with, I’ve gotten into a habit of inputting my numbers once a week. I used to be so bad at keeping track of my spending, so I am proof that you can change your ways. 🙂

Overall Bills (40%; -1.1% from 2020) – I spent $12,810 on rent (+$1,637 from 2020), $1,329 on electric (+$296 from 2020), $553 on water and utilities (-$37 from 2020), $960 on Internet (no change), $1,302 on my phone bill (-$94 from 2020), and $1,260 on my student loan (+$100 from 2020).

Food (14.9%; +.6% from 2020) – My food spending was right about on par with what I spent in 2020, so it’s good to know that the food budget I set for myself ($600 per month) is my sweet spot. Ideally, I’d like to bring down this number but it’s not something I’m too worried about. This year, I spent $3,184 on restaurants/Ubereats orders/fast food (+$197), $3,503 on groceries (-$168), and $175 at Starbucks (-$49).

Savings (8.9%; +2.8% from 2020) – Just as I did in 2020, I stopped adding to my savings in the latter half of the year. While I should have an automatic savings fund set up, there’s something I like about manually moving money into my savings. I saved a little bit more this year than last (+$674) with an average of $301 per month.

Home (5.3%; +2.7% from 2020) – My home purchases took up a bigger slice of the pie this year, mainly because I bought a sectional at the beginning of the year ($1,124). This category is also comprised of home decor ($352), things for my home office ($312, which includes my comfy new office chair), home goods ($136), accessories ($102), and tech ($405, which includes a new TV).

Auto (4.9%; +1.5% from 2020) – I spent a little more on gas (+$48) and car repairs (+$102). I spent less on car insurance (-$16). And I also spent money on a car down payment. I had saved some money for the down payment but also had to pull $500 out of my account to ensure I could put $4,000 down. I expect this area of my budget to be a much bigger piece of the pie in 2022.

Shopping (4.7%; +.7% from 2020) – I’m still trying to figure out how to properly categorize and track my shopping habits. I spent $853 on clothing (+$415), $601 on books (+$189), $243 on accessories (+$154), and $107 on hobbies (+$21). Workout accessories ($126), kitchen tools ($77), and other ($134) round out this category.

Spa (4.4%; +2.2% from 2020) – This category comprises massages ($896), hair appointments ($677), and pedicures ($477).

Beauty (2.1%; +1.4% from 2020) – My beauty category definitely grew in 2021, which I was expecting. I didn’t itemize my beauty spending, which I’ll probably do in 2022, but this category comprises my skincare products (I use Paula’s Choice), makeup, and face masks (the skincare kind).

Pets (2.1%; +.1% from 2020) – This category remained stable from 2020 to 2021, woohoo! I spent $256 on vet appointments (+$108), $180 on litter (+$33), $146 on food (-$52), $128 on treats (+$13), $91 on toys (+$5), and $159 on supplies like a new water fountain and new beds.

Travel (2%; +1.1% from 2020) – Last year, the only travel expense I had was a plane ticket that had to be canceled. I was able to use my plane credit this year for a fun trip to Chicago with my mom. Our biggest expense that trip was on our adventures, with food a close second.

Supplies/Toiletries (2%; +.2% from 2020) – I budget $100 per month for supplies/toiletries and usually come well under budget. In 2021, I averaged $75 a month.

Subscriptions (2%; +.6% from 2020) – Another category that increased a bit from 2020, but not by too much. This category comprises Patreon subscriptions, Netflix, Spotify, an air filter subscription, and other streaming services. I averaged $78 per month on subscriptions.

Entertainment (2%; +1.6% from 2020) – My entertainment budget was definitely up in 2021, as expected. I spent $508 on adventuring with friends, $262 on dates, and $147 on in-app purchases.

Christmas (1.7%; -.2% from 2020) – I spent a little less on Christmas this year, although I still feel like I spent so. much. money. I spent $164 less, but last year’s budget also included buying a new Christmas tree so I’m guessing I need to budget around $700-$800 every year.

Health (1.4%; +1% from 2020) – I spent 1% more on health purchases in 2021, but the majority of this category comprises the spin bike I bought in early 2021.

Gifts (1.3%; +.3% from 2020) – In 2021, I averaged around $50 per month on gifts.

Charity (.3%; -.4% from 2020) – My goal at the beginning of 2021 was to pick one charity a month and donate $25. I quickly fell off the bandwagon, though. Ugh.

And there you have it! I really love writing these quarterly budget posts, so I plan to continue them throughout 2022. This year, I’m making some changes to how I track my spending—mostly, itemizing all of my shopping/home purchases so that I have a better idea of what I’m spending my discretionary money on. I am also going to break up my food purchases into 5 categories: groceries, fast food, restaurants, Starbucks, Uber Eats (with a separate category for tips).

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 75)

1) BOOSTED

I got my Covid booster last Friday, and I’m happy to report that I didn’t have any side effects, aside from a sore arm. Woohoo! While I didn’t experience any symptoms after my first Covid shot, I seemed to get every single side effect from the second shot. I was really nervous the same thing was going to happen with the booster, which is why I got it right before a weekend when I didn’t have any plans. Throughout the day on Saturday, I kept thinking, “I’m so glad I feel good!” I was truly expecting I would spend the entire weekend feeling crummy. I started taking Tylenol right after getting the shot, and who knows if that was the magic sauce to feeling good, but at the very least, it didn’t hurt!

2) A Fun Holiday Weekend

Most of my weekend plans were tentative (see above), so I was so grateful to be feeling good and able to have a big holiday weekend with my mom! We hit up Bath & Body Works since it was $10 candle day (woop!) and then went to a Christmas tree lot to pick out a real tree for my mom’s home. We found a beautiful one pretty easily! My stepdad handled getting the tree situated in the stand (the worst part!) and my mom and I handled stringing the lights. The dogs were really excited about the tree (Lucy mainly liked eating the pine needles that kept falling, haha.)

On Sunday, my mom and I had a shopping extravaganza! We hit up Petsmart, Homegoods, TJ Maxx, and Target for presents and holiday decor. And now… I think I’m finished with all of my Christmas shopping??? Maybe?! It feels crazy to be finished so early in December, but I’m glad I can stop stressing about holiday gift-giving and just enjoy the magic of the Christmas season.

3) December Happenings

I have so many exciting holiday events coming up this month! This time of year just makes me so, so happy. Here’s what’s going down:

Saturday, December 11th: Photos with Santa with the dogs! I would bring the cats, but Lila would hate me forever. I think Chip and Lucy will be much less traumatized, hehe. Later on, I’m meeting up with a few coworkers for a small holiday get-together. We’re going to decorate gingerbread houses!
Monday, December 13th: Last year, my brother told us about a neighborhood that basically exists for its Christmas light display. Every home in this neighborhood is decked out, Griswold-style. We had to go! So we did and we were just completely stunned and enamored by it. On Monday, we’re going to grab dinner together and then drive through this fantastic display. I can’t wait!
Thursday, December 17th: My work holiday party! We’re shutting down at 3 pm so we can all get together on Zoom to celebrate together. There is a rumor that our company may be sending us food and booze to celebrate in style.
Sunday, December 19th: A holiday get-together with book club! Briana, the cutest human to ever exist, is organizing this, which she is calling “Holiday Brunch with Books.” We’ve been instructed to bring a wrapped book that we can exchange, blind-date style! I cannot wait for this!
Tuesday, December 21st: Our annual cookie decorating extravaganza! Every year, my mom hosts me, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my nephews to make and decorate sugar cookies. We always make way too many cookies and have the best time (mostly laughing at our terrible decorating skillz). It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions.
December 24th: My stepdad, my mom, and I started this tradition of going to a fancy steakhouse for dinner every Christmas Eve. This year, my stepdad stayed up late to get us reservations at Bern’s, a Tampa landmark that has won a slew of awards, as soon as they opened up Christmas Eve reservations. I am so excited! I’ve only been to Bern’s once before (reservations are notoriously difficult!) and I cannot wait to repeat the experience. (That dessert room, tho.)
December 25th: Christmas Day! I will be going over to my mom’s house sometime in the late morning/early afternoon. My brother and his family usually come in the afternoon and we open presents, eat a big dinner, and hang out. We don’t really do a big family gathering on Christmas Day, which is something I’m really grateful for. I like that we have a low-key Christmas!

Look at all that fun coming up for me! What a full, blessed life I have. I do not take any of this for granted. <3

4) Best of 2021

My favorite thing to do every December is to look back on the year with a series of “Best of…” posts. It seems like I just keep adding more posts to this series, so much so that I decided to start this series earlier in December than usual! (I usually wait until after Christmas.) Here are the posts you can expect from Best of 2021:

My favorite podcasts of the year
My 2021 blogging stats/favorite posts
An end-of-year survey (here’s a link to my 2020 survey, if you want to fill it out yourself!)
A month-by-month recap of the year
A review of my 2021 goals
My favorite reads of the year (in superlative form!)
My 2021 reading stats

5) Daily Activity December

On a whim, I decided to challenge myself to do 30 minutes of activity every day in December. One of the reasons I started this challenge is to better enjoy this beautiful time of year in Florida. It’s hot, of course, but much more manageable than the summertime temps. (80 degrees vs 110 degrees with 50% humidity…) Plus, sunshine and activity help me sleep better at night. My plan is to go for a 30-minute walk every day and do a 20-minute Peloton spin workout every few days. I have my own personal issues with daily exercise/workout challenges, which is why I’m using the term “daily activity.” (I’m not doing this to “earn my holiday treats!” or “keep off the holiday pounds!” No. If you use this verbiage, please stop. It’s fatphobic and honestly, pure nonsense.) I just want to move my body in a way that feels good to me (walking is my favorite form of exercise) and try to build a habit of getting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather once a day, even on my busiest days.

What’s a fun holiday event you’re looking forward to?