Recurring Series

A Monday Morning Coffee Date

If we were having coffee today, I might start by talking about Olive! I’m pleased to report that she’s doing wonderful! She will be starting her fifth round of chemo treatments this week and will have three more rounds after this one. She recently had a scan that was COMPLETELY CLEAR. Can you even believe it? It’s a miracle. Her odd-numbered chemo treatments seem to hit her a lot harder than her even-numbered ones (she usually has to be admitted to the hospital in the middle of them), so this one coming up might be a bit more difficult for her, but she’s a goddamn trooper and I’m so thrilled that she’s getting through this thing.

If we were having coffee today, I might lament that I feel like my reading pace has taken a dip lately. I’ve been trying not to worry about it too much because I’m still reading and enjoying myself when I do make the time to read. But I barely find any time to read during the week; work has been crazy and intense lately and when I log off for the day, I just want to turn off my brain, so I either play Candy Crush on my phone or watch Netflix (or both). I’ve also been using my work breaks to go for walks rather than sit on the couch and read, so that’s limiting my reading time, too. And it’s not like my reading pace really picks up on the weekends, either. Sometimes it does, but not always. Anyway, I don’t really have a point to this, it’s just something I’ve noticed. I’m always impressed by how people with much busier schedules than me carve out reading time; it’s truly something you have to fight for during some seasons in your life. This is just one of those seasons where I have to make more of an effort to find reading time. But I want to because I’m always happiest when reading.

If we were having coffee today, I might bring up my search for a new office chair. I bought my current office chair sometime in late March 2020, back when I figured I’d be working from home for at least a few months. It was something cheap from Wal-Mart that has done its job, but now I want to invest in something more ergonomically friendly and comfortable. I’ve spent hours scouring Amazon and Office Depot for the perfect office chair, and I still haven’t figured out what to get. Do you have an office chair you love? Right now, I have my eye on this gaming chair or this velvet chair that looks exceedingly comfortable.

If we were having coffee today, I’d talk about how difficult healthy eating has been for me. I just can’t seem to get my shit together with it. I’m eating way too many convenience foods and way too little fresh foods and lean meats. And don’t even get me started on how little water I drink on a daily basis. I’m trying to give myself grace because healthy eating has never been intuitive for me and it’s been a hard year, but I also want to feel better (and yes, lose some weight). I definitely need to get into a habit of logging my food on My Fitness Pal, because I know that will go a long way in helping me make better choices when it comes to what I eat. And maybe I just need to get back to the basics—even the tiniest change is forward progress, right?

If we were having coffee today, I might talk about the identity crisis I’m having with Instagram. This feels really silly, considering I don’t use Instagram for anything other than personal use, but alas. I don’t really know how I want to use Instagram anymore. All I really seem to post about is my cats and books, with the occasional life update thrown in. And I guess that’s okay—it’s my Instagram after all!—but I’m wondering if starting a Bookstagram would be a good outlet for me, a way for me to talk about books in a concentrated space, considering the people who follow me on my personal Instagram aren’t really there for that content. I’m also considering moving all cat content (mostly the videos I post on Stories) to their Instagram page. Then it would leave my personal Instagram for just random life updates. I’m still noodling on the idea, so I’m not making any crazy plans yet. Maybe I need an Instagram break so I can figure out how I want to use the space going forward.

If we were having coffee today, I’d definitely talk about my girls for a bit. Saturday is Eloise’s birthday and then, two weeks from that is Lila’s! They are both turning three this year—my little babies! They are the best companions. Ellie’s new thing is to meow loudly if she wakes up from a nap and doesn’t know where I am. I swear that it sounds like she’s saying, “Mama? Mama?” So I respond, “Mama’s over here! Follow the sound of my voice.” And then she runs over to me and meows at me like she’s having a full conversation with me about how she couldn’t find me. I melt every time. I love that girl! Lila has always been my skittish lady and it has taken years for her to be comfortable with me. She used to run away if I walked by her when she was eating or using a scratching post, and she’d also run away if I tried to pet her when she was curled on on the couch or on one of her beds. But she’s stopped doing that, which makes me so happy! She always wants to sit on my chest if I’m lying down with a blanket on me (but won’t sit on me if I don’t have a blanket, silly girl!) and loves making biscuits on me. She’s also started meowing a lot more, and she has the cutest squeaky voice. It’s my favorite. They’re my best friends and I love them so much!

Okay, that’s enough talking from me! Tell me what you would want to talk about during our coffee date!

Categories: Recurring Series

Weekly Wrap-Up (v. 6)

Highs and Lows

The high of my week was seeing the most adorable videos of Lucy (my soon-to-be fur-sister). She’s just over two weeks old now and still so teeny-tiny that she doesn’t do much more than sleep, but I still delight in videos of her! She’s not yet opening her eyes but her ears are starting to flop over. I just can’t wait to bring her home! (And then enjoy all of the benefits of having a puppy without actually having a puppy, hehe.)

The low of my week was dealing with some tooth pain. Ever since I got a cavity filled, that area of my mouth has been sensitive whenever I’m eating. I brought it up to the dental hygienist I saw last Friday and she cleaned the area really well, thinking it might be due to inflammation, but that didn’t solve the issue. Ugh. I’ll call the dentist today to see if I can get an appointment soon.

What I Read

Playing with Fire by Kate Meader (★★★☆☆)

This romance follows the love story of Alex, a female firefighter, and Eli, the mayor of Chicago. In a previous book, Eli is written as a sexist who doesn’t believe women should be firefighters. I was curious as to how the author would rehabilitate Eli and make me believe in this romance, and while I think Eli made some strides to become less sexist and recognize the value of female firefighters, I don’t think he groveled nearly enough. And it was only after he was “saved” by Alex in a fire that he started to realize the error of his ways. All that aside, I did enjoy many parts of this book, especially Alex’s character and the way she comes into her feminine side and sexuality with Eli. A solid romance, but not one I’m rushing out to recommend. (Open-door romance.)

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (★★★★★)

I really enjoyed this book! In fact, it was a five-star read for me, which was surprising. Maybe because I went into the story with low expectations, but it truly captivated me from the beginning. In this story, Addie is a girl born in the late 1600s who makes a deal with a god that she will be able to live forever. He accepts, but with one stipulation: nobody will remember her. And it’s true that nobody does: not her parents, not her best friend, not the men she sleeps with. Three hundred years later, though, a man named Henry is the first person to remember her. But why? It’s a truly sensational story (a bit too long, but alas) with so many intricate details. The story jumps back and forth in time, between present day (2014) and the past (starting with 1714 when Addie made the deal). I just loved the world Schwab created with this story, and it’s one that will stick with me for a long time.

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (★★★★★)

The 12th book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series may be my favorite yet! One of the things I loved most about this book is the budding friendship of three women in their 50s—it’s not very often we see older women and their friendships as a plot point, so I just loved watching these three ladies support each other, tease each other, etc. The mystery itself was a really good one that had me on the edge of my seat until the end. I honestly had no idea who the murderer was, and there was a delicious twist near the end that added to my satisfaction with the ending. Louise Penny is a master storyteller.

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert (★★☆☆☆)

This story is about Duke and Marva, both of whom are 18 and voting in their first election. Marva is first to vote at her polling location and sails through without issue, but Duke is told he cannot vote because he’s “not on the list.” The whole thrust of this plot hinges on Duke not knowing why he can’t vote at this specific polling location, and Duke and Marva working together to figure it out. And I guess now that I know the ins and outs of being a poll worker, I just couldn’t get past all of the inaccuracies in the book. (Like the polling location using paper lists to mark voters in; it’s all automated now, and a voter who is ineligible to vote at a polling place receives a ticket that explains why.) It’s obvious that the author didn’t talk to a single poll worker or learn anything about the ins and outs of polling locations. There were quite a few other inaccuracies that I won’t get into because they are spoilers. But suffice it to say, it was hard for me to really enjoy this YA novel because of my knowledge. However, there were a lot of good things about it, and I found the scene of Marva and Duke being stopped by a cop to be incredibly powerful. Colbert brought up a lot of important topics of race, voting, and justice, but I just wish the voting part had been written more realistic.

What I Spent

Friday, April 9

Takeout (pizza): $22

Saturday, April 10

Steak n Shake: $16
TJ Maxx (a new purse for me, gifts/cards for friends): $51
Pedicure: $64
Ubereats: $23

Sunday, April 11

Groceries: $43
Ubereats: $19
Maple Street Biscuit Co (lunch): $10
Sans Market (a set of four bamboo toothbrushes, a set of reusable facial rounds): $30

Monday, April 12

Amazon (cadence sensor, strapless bra, food storage containers, a book): $100 (<– I used the money saved in my “no-spend fund”)
Amazon (e-book): $2

Tuesday, April 13

No-spend day!

Wednesday, April 14

No-spend day!

Thursday, April 15

Paula’s Choice (toner): $22
Ubereats: $17

Final Tallies:

Food: $150
Shopping: $132
Spa: $64
Toiletries: $30
Beauty: $22
Gifts: $21
Savings: $10

Monthly Goals Progress

Log 10 Peloton workouts. I’m at 4 workouts for the month, so that’s 6 workouts to do in two weeks, eeks. Let’s see if I can do it!
Walk 4,000 steps every day. I’m finding this to be a little challenging some days, but mostly easy to accomplish. If anything, it forces me to get outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine at least once a day!
Become Google Analytics certified. I haven’t even opened the program to start the second unit yet! And there are two more units after that one. Maybe my goal should be to do one unit a month? Ha.
Drink water with dinner every night. Oof. I am not doing this every night. Maybe half of the time? I’m going to try to make this a priority for the last half of the month.

What I’m Recommending

In the wake of yet another Black man murdered at the hands of the police, I’d like to mention the Anti-Racism Daily again. I started reading this e-newsletter (which has since grown into a podcast, online community, and more!) when it was first formed right after the murder of George Floyd, and it’s an incredible resource. The work that Nicole Cardoza and her team do to educate us on all of the blatant and insidious ways that racism infects our society is amazing. She sends out a daily newsletter covering different topics, such as over-policing, qualified immunity, supporting the mental health of students of color, colorism in the fashion industry, bias against Asian cuisine, exploitative internships, etc. I have learned so much from her and her contributors.

What was the highlight of your week? Did you finish any good books this week?

Categories: Recurring Series

A Weekend in Pictures: Lady Dates, Glass Museums & Rainy Days

My weekend kicked off with a dentist appointment—man, I love that fresh-from-the-dentist clean feeling in my mouth! And I love how quick dental cleanings go. The last time I was at the dentist (for X-rays and a cavity filling), I was there for over an hour and a half! I got home, did a little more work to wrap up the week, and then took a nap. It wasn’t the most restful of naps, as Eloise kept coming into the room and loudly meowing at me but didn’t want to get on the bed, but it did the trick. Afterward, I took a long walk outside (it was gorgeous outside!) and came home to mail! My Paula’s Choice order arrived, a gift I ordered for a friend on Etsy, and my Book of the Month order (I got three books this month!) Happy mail day to meeee. My evening was relaxing: I ordered pizza for dinner, watched an episode of The Crown, and finished my book.

Saturday was a Mom date! We planned to do a little shopping, get pedicures, and then go swimming. Unfortunately, the swimming didn’t happen because right as we finished our shopping and pedicures, a thunderstorm rolled in. Womp! Oh, well. We still had a lovely day together. We got Steak n Shake for lunch (their peanut butter chocolate shake is to die for), and then went to TJ Maxx so I could look at their purses (happy to report I found a new purse!), and later HomeGoods to just look around. I also wanted to test out the office chairs at Office Depot, but the one by us somehow shut down over the last few months. What the what? What a bummer! We tried a different Office Depot location, but it didn’t have that many chairs to test out. So I guess I’m going to have to buy one online and cross my fingers it’s a good fit. Afterward, we got pedicures to round out our day. I got home around 6, ordered Tijuana Flats for dinner, did two loads of laundry, and watched multiple episodes of Schitt’s Creek. A great day, indeed!

Sunday was another lady date, this time with Briana! She picked me up at 11:30 as we had a noon appointment at Imagine Museum, yay! We both love museums and have made it our mission to see all of the ones within driving distance around us. Imagine Museum is a glass museum showcasing contemporary American and international art by seriously talented artists. There were so many incredible works! I was so impressed by everything I saw. What a delightful gallery!

After our stroll through the museum, we stopped by a plant store so Bri could pick up a new plant (she has recently become a plant mom), and within the store was Sans Market, a shop filled with items to encourage living a zero-waste life. There were lots of kitchen items, period products, soaps, natural deodorant, reusable cloths, candles, and just like… everything you could think of to live more eco-friendly! I could have spent hundreds of dollars there! Instead, I settled on a set of reusable facial rounds and a set of four bamboo toothbrushes. I’ll definitely be back, though, and can’t wait to try out all of their other products.

Our lady date concluded with lunch at Maple Street Biscuit Co. where I enjoyed an incredibly delicious chicken biscuit. Mmm! Nothing like a buttery biscuit with gravy, amirite? Bri dropped me home around 2 and I quickly joined Eloise on the bed for a nap. Perfection. And then I didn’t do all that much else with my night! I started a new book, watched more episodes of Schitt’s Creek, and talked with my mom on Facetime.

All in all, a lovely weekend full of socializing, shopping, naps, and museum strolling.

How was your weekend?

Categories: Recurring Series

Weekly Wrap-Up (v. 5)

Highs & Lows

The high of my week was getting my COVID vaccine! It was so incredibly easy—I was done in less than a half hour! I went to my county’s vaccination site, and they had it down to a science. It was so great to see so many people getting their vaccines—lots of young people, too! I got the Pfizer vaccine and, right now, I’m mostly just experiencing soreness in the arm that got the shot but no other symptoms. My second shot is scheduled for the 29th. Woohoo!

The low of my week was accidentally paying my rent twice. SIGH. The system my apartment complex uses for rent payments is not very user-friendly, and doesn’t let you know when you last paid your rent. I thought I had paid it on the 1st, but I didn’t remember getting an email confirmation. So I woke up in a panic on the 3rd (we have until the 3rd to pay rent), worried I hadn’t completed the process when paying rent. And when I logged onto the system, it said my last payment date was 3/1. So, I went through the entire process again and, this time, I saw the email confirmation right away. Then, on Wednesday, I got a “low balance” alert from my bank, which was strange because I should have had plenty of money in my account (I have the alert set up to ping me when there’s $50 or less in my account). Lo and behold, there were two rent payments in my account. UGH. Thankfully, I was able to talk to my front office and get it straightened out, but it will take a few days for the process to revert. In the meantime, I am very happy that I had the foresight to keep a good amount of money in my bank’s savings accounts (which is different from my other savings account, which I keep with Capital One) so that I didn’t overdraft when this happened! I’m also grateful that this is more of a minor annoyance and not the financial catastrophe it would have been in the past.

What I Read

Would you believe it? I didn’t finish a single book this week! I got 30% into Otherwise Engaged by Lindsay J. Palmer and abandoned it because I hated all the characters (it has a super low Goodreads rating so I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t enjoy it). And now I’m in the middle of three books:

Playing with Fire by Kate Meader – I’m nearly finished with this contemporary romance, just about 50 pages to go. I like it a lot!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab – I am loving this book! It’s such an interesting plot and I love all the details that the author included to strengthen the curse that was placed on Addie. This is our April book club pick, and we’re off to a great (re)start, I think!
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny – I’m halfway through the audiobook of this novel, the 12th in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, and it’s so propulsive. All I want to do is listen to it!

What I Spent

Friday, April 2nd

No-spend day!

Saturday, April 3rd

Candy Crush: $7
Paula’s Choice (skincare products): $100
Etsy (birthday present for a friend): $22
Library card (for the Charlotte Mecklenbury Library System!): $45
Groceries: $71
Book of the Month (add-ons): $20
Savings: $575
Phone bill: $122
Netflix: $13
Water bill: $51

Sunday, April 4th

No-spend day!

Monday, April 5th

No-spend day!

Tuesday, April 6th

No-spend day!

Wednesday, April 7th

No-spend day!

Thursday, April 8th

Groceries: $20
Spotify: $12

Final Tallies:

Savings: $600
Bills: $173
Beauty: $100
Food: $71
Shopping: $65
Subscriptions: $25
Gifts: $22
Entertainment: $7

Monthly Goals Progress

Rearrange my desk – Done! I did this last weekend, and I am so happy with the change. Now that I’m facing my big window, I can enjoy the sunshine, and the girls love sitting on my desk to look out the window. Plus, it makes my living room feel so much bigger!
Walk 4,000 steps every day – I have done this every day except for yesterday because I just felt like being lazy, lol. I’ve been scheduling a 20-minute break every day to take a walk around my apartment complex, and it’s been so nice!
Create a daily schedule to use Monday-Thursday – I started using a schedule this week and it’s been transformative. I feel like it allows me to focus better while I’m working and take shorter breaks so that I can log off at a normal time (lately, it’s been before 5:30, which is such a treat!)
Log 10 Peloton workouts – I only logged one this week, eeks! I am hoping to do a strength workout today and a spin workout this weekend to keep me on track with this goal.

What I’m Recommending

Skinnytaste’s healthy baked chicken nuggets – This is one of my go-to recipes. It is so easy to make and so delicious, too! I’m sure I’ve shared this recipe before, but if so, it’s been a long time, so please make these and tell me what you think.
Don’t Stop Meowing – I found this TikToker (I follow them on Instagram) when scrolling through Reels. I sent this Reel to Kim, who told me they have a whole slew of funny Reels with their cats. And then I fell down a rabbit hole of watching all of their Reels, and they’re now my favorite.

What was a highlight of your week?

Categories: Recurring Series

Everyday Moments of March

1 – My stepdad coming over to help me put together my spin bike. There was a piece that I just couldn’t get to slide into the right spot and he figured it out. Woohoo! I was really worried about it and so grateful he was in town when my bike arrived and could help me put it together.

2 – My first spin workout in yeeears! I woke up excited to get on the bike and was just so happy during the easy 20-minute ride.

3 – Giggling like a crazy person while scrolling through Instagram Reels on my phone. I don’t ever think I’ll make a Reel myself (never say never, I guess?), but I am so delighted by all of the funny ones from other people.

4 – A fun meeting to discuss a creative project for work that I am so excited to kick off. We brainstormed so well together and brought lots of great ideas to the table.

5 – Getting two surprise shout-outs from colleagues during our monthly company-wide meeting. I was really touched by their comments!

6 – A sleepover with Chip! (I always go over to my mom’s when she needs me to watch Chip overnight. The cats and him do not get along, haha.) He had a grand time chasing ducks around the backyard, barking at anyone who dared to walk down the sidewalk, and enjoying a bully stick while cuddling next to me.

7 – Seeing my cats when I came home from my mom’s! They were very happy to see me. 🙂

8 – Using my new planner for the first time! (I’m attempting, once again, to use a paper planner. We’ll see if this goes well, eeks.)

9 – A really excellent spin workout to start my day. I had to force myself to get on the bike today (I started my period yesterday, so I’m feeling a bit blah and tired and unmotivated as a result), but I’m so glad I did it. It felt great!

10 – A great walk outside in the sunshine (trying to get those steps in!)

11 – A fun time playing with the girls in the evening. They go nuts for this $2 wire teaser more than any other toy, and they’re always beside themselves when I bring it out to play.

12 – Getting my stimulus check!

13 – A day at the Florida Strawberry Festival with Bri. And family game night with my mom, my brother, and my nephew J.

14 – Sleeping in until 11 and then a gloriously lazy day.

15 – Taking a midday walk with my mom at her work. It was beautiful outside and lifted my spirits!

16 – Celebrating Chip’s birthday. He turned 3 and we celebrated with lots of presents and a cupcake.

Baby Chip!

17 – A productive day at work and being able to log off muuuuch earlier than I usually can. (It made my night feel so much longer! I should try to be more productive in the morning than I typically am so I’m not still working at 7pm, lol.)

18 – Getting Starbucks for breakfast. I haven’t had Starbucks in a while, so I was vastly overdue!

19 – A low-key Friday evening spent reading. I read 200+ pages today!

20 – Today was hard. I felt lonely and sad, but I forced myself to get outside and go for a walk. It was a good decision, and I also sent a Marco Polo to Mikaela during the walk, voicing my lonely feelings, which helped.

21 – Going over to my mom’s to take pictures of my Stitch Fix items. I had such great success with my first box!

22 – Doing a virtual escape room with my department at work. It was really fun and a great distraction.

23 – Laying on the couch and reading for 45 minutes after finishing work. It’s very rare that I can do that and such a treat.

24 – BOOK CLUB! What a fun evening with my favorite ladies! We met in a park, socially distanced on our own blankets, and brought our own food to eat. It was so nice to catch up with them and reminisce about book club vacations and the year that had passed.

25 – Working on a really intense work project. It required a lot of focus and using my brain in an entirely different way than I am used to. It was good for me!

26 – Finishing the intense work project! I thought I was going to have to work on it all weekend long, but I wrote it much more quickly than I imagined. Woohoo! Another positive about today was logging into Netflix to find a new season of Nailed It waiting for me. Hooray!

27 – Game night with the fam. We laughed so hard we cried and it was just so nice to have family time.

28 – Finally doing a deep clean of my car: it got a great wash, a full vacuum, and then I wiped down the interior and inside of the windows. It looks so nice now!

29 – Receiving wonderful feedback from the client about my intense work project. I was so nervous that they weren’t going to like it! My love language is positive affirmations, so receiving such positive feedback from the client was really great for my self-esteem.

30 – Looking at dachshund puppies with my mom.

31 – Meeting my new fur-sister! That’s right—my mom decided that Chip needs a sister. She was born yesterday so she is teeny-tiny and isn’t even able to open her eyes yet. It’s going to be so fun watching her grow!