The high of my week was the 49ers winning their playoff game! My brother is a diehard 49ers fan—he still has his Steve Young jersey from when he was 8! It’s been a really fun season for his team and they have been looking like a strong Super Bowl contender. You never know what can happen in the playoffs (seriously, who saw the sixth-seed Titans beating the unstoppable Ravens?!), so I was definitely nervous about the game, but they pulled off a strong win! Now I have to root against the Packers on Sunday, which will be difficult for me considering how deeply I love Aaron Rodgers. 😉

The low of my week was dealing with some personal issues. It’s hard when the low of my week is something I can’t talk about since it’s not my story to tell. But I’ve been trying to help someone through a really difficult time and it’s hard to feel so helpless. All I can do is give as much of my love and support as possible, while also protecting my own mental health. It’s a struggle.

A blog post I loved was My Evening Routine to Wind Down by Kelsey. I used to have my evening routine down pat, falling asleep between 9:00 and 9:30, but for the past few years, I find myself on the struggle bus when it comes to bedtime. A lot of nights, I find myself working on my laptop until 9 or 10 and then rushing through my evening routine to try to get to bed before 11. I’m really inspired by this post, though, and I’m going to start brainstorming how I can have more peaceful evenings like hers.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was There Will Be Bananas on Throughline. Who knew that there was such a troubled history about bananas? This episode was fascinating and definitely made me look at the banana industry a lot differently.

The best money I spent was $15 that I put into my “no-spend fund.” I heard about this idea from a blogger who has a savings account that she puts money into on the days she doesn’t spend any money. I think she puts $10 in every time. I chose $5 and I had three days this week where I didn’t spend any money, so into the savings account it goes. I’m not sure what I’m going to use this money for—maybe a Sephora or Old Navy shopping spree when the fund is over $100? Or maybe I’ll use it to save up for something I really want like a new Chromebook (mine is so old that it’s no longer updating, eeks). But, for now, I’m just going to put away tiny amounts of money and see how it adds up. It really motivates me to have spend-free days!

My plans this weekend include an eye appointment this afternoon followed by a friend date. We’re not sure what we’re doing yet, either reading by the pool, taking a trip to the beach, or doing some adventuring in a nearby city. Tomorrow, I have a hair appointment and then I’m dog-sitting for a friend. And Sunday is a writing date and watching the NFL championship games. 🙂 A busy, full, lovely weekend ahead!

Tell me the high of your week!

The high of my week was meeting up with my friends to discuss our trip to Boston next week! We don’t have a super strict itinerary because a lot of what we’ll be doing is just walking around to see the sights. We are planning a day at an apple orchard, a food tour, and potentially a trip to Salem, and I have expressed my strong desire to do the Freedom Trail. We’re going to have fun no matter what! The weather looks great (highs in the low to mid 60s so cold enough for this Florida girl) and I’m just hoping for lots of beautiful fall foliage.

The low of my week was the four-year anniversary of my grandma’s death. The date snuck up on me this year. It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since that horrific day in her hospital room, all of us saying goodbye to this woman who meant so much and lived so fully. My mom and I met for dinner because I think we both needed to be with each other. And, as it turned out, it was free pizookie day at the restaurant (pizookies are basically big cookies served in a deep-dish pizza pan, and it’s the best dessert in the world). I’d like to think that was the perfect way to celebrate my grandma who loved dessert like no other.

An article I loved was… What is Idiopathic Hypersomnia? My Life with a Rare Sleep Disorder by Greatest Escapist. My friend Kate was recently diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia after years and years of feeling perpetually tired and like she could fall asleep at any moment. In this post, the first of a series talking about this disorder, Kate talks about what IH is and how it has affected her life.

“Imagine yourself at your tiredest, right before bedtime, & now imagine that you feel like that frequently, midday, at random, & at times when you almost assuredly can not go take a nap. That’s me. And yes, it’s pretty problematic.”

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Votes for Women on Call Your Girlfriend. I’m about a week+ behind in my podcast queue so I just listened to this episode a few days ago and it was excellent. One of the hosts talked with a bunch of different people about voting rights, both for women and for marginalized people. I found the interviews with the activists (one from Mississippi Votes and one from Woke Vote) to be the most intriguing.

The best money I spent was $156 for the Airbnb we’re staying at in Boston. My friend found us a fabulous place in Southie that looks darling. We won’t be spending a ton of time there since we have a full itinerary planned for our four days but it will be a nice little space to come home to at the end of all our activities.

My plans this weekend include not much of anything! I am meeting up with a friend for a gym date this evening, want to take a trip to HomeGoods to see their fall decor, and need to put together my bookcase. And, of course, there’s football with the fam on Sunday! Should be a nice, low-key weekend. 🙂

Tell me the high of your week!

The high of my week was a bowling date with a friend. She invited me to hang out on Sunday evening, knowing how hard Father’s Day is for me. It touched me so much! I spent a long time not really talking about my dad to my friends because I didn’t want to bum them out, but I’ve started to open up more and be more honest about how hard it is to be estranged from someone I love. And in doing so, I don’t have to spend days like Father’s Day alone and stuck in my own thoughts. We went to a nearby bowling alley where we played three games of bowling and a round of pool. We definitely want to make these bowling dates a regular thing!

The low of my week was finding out that Ellie has an ear infection. 🙁 I took Ellie for her biyearly comprehensive exam, only to find out my poor girl has a slight ear infection in both ears! She hasn’t really been bothered by her ears (that I’ve noticed), so it was quite a shock. Thankfully, Ellie takes the ear drops like a pro. She sits still and lets me put the drops in without any fussing or clawing. (There is no way I would be able to do this with Lila!) The vet recommended using an ear-cleaning solution weekly with her – any other cat mamas do this?

An article I loved was 5 Ingenious Tips to Make Your Fresh Produce Last Longer. I know, I know. The title isn’t all that exciting and the tips weren’t brand new information, but the writing! The writing tickled me so much that I had to share it.

For baby spinach, mixed greens, or that pesky arugula, open the package right away. Fluff it up a little to show it you mean business. Then place a paper towel inside. This not only soaks up excess moisture, but it also reassures the lettuce that you’re no tyrant and, in fact, care for its comfort level.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Lisa Kudrow on Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. I’m currently bingeing on previous episodes of this show after I kept hearing people rave about it, and I really like it! It’s not as funny as I expected, but that’s okay. There’s an earnestness to it that I really appreciate. And I most definitely loved this episode with Conan and Lisa, who actually have a long friendship history. It was such a sweet, fun episode!

The best money I spent was $23 on a cardigan from Amazon. I am on the hunt for a great-fitting cardigan with 3/4th-length sleeves (that’s also reasonably priced. I’m not paying $50 for a cardigan.) I don’t like long sleeves because I have short arms, so long sleeves always go a few inches past my hands and I have to continually push them up. Anyway, it is remarkably hard to find cardigans with 3/4th-length sleeves. I have a white cardigan from Target that’s the perfect sleeve length, but they don’t sell it anymore. (I’ve had this cardigan for years, too, so it’s really held up!) Anyway, I’m hoping this cardigan I just bought meets my standards because this hunt has gone on for far too long. Why are cardigans with shorter sleeves so elusive?

My plans this weekend include a pool party tomorrow and family game night tomorrow night! My Saturday will be packed as I will be at the pool party in the afternoon and game night right after it, so I’m blocking off Friday and Sunday as “me days.” 🙂 I don’t have any plans for tonight other than ordering in pizza and watching a silly Netflix movie (I’ve got Murder Mystery queued up!) and Sunday will be for sleeping in, running errands, and reading. I know how to self-care, ha.

What are your plans this weekend? What was the high of your week?

The high of my week was receiving the clothes I ordered from Old Navy! After the disappointing ThredUp order (made even more disappointing when I found out they have a super strict return policy and I wouldn’t be able to return anything I got, ugh), I decided to place a small order at Old Navy (and hooray, they were having a 30% off sale when I did!) and got some new shirts that will be perfect for work. Even better – they fit perfectly and make me feel great. What can be better than that?! (Oh, I know – if any of the shirts didn’t fit right, I could easily return them at my local Old Navy.)

The low of my week was all the crappy food I ate. I just didn’t plan my meals well this week, and you know what they say: fail to plan and your plan will fail. So, I’m just taking this week as a loss and going to spend some time this weekend scoping out some healthy meals and spending Sunday in the kitchen meal prepping. (Please send me your ideas for healthy breakfasts and lunches! I’m in a huge rut.)

An article I loved was Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I’m His Uncle. by David S. Glosser. Hoo boy, was this a great article. (And can we say, family drama?! That’ll be a fun Thanksgiving table, ha.) But it really drove home the point that being against immigration is honestly hypocritical for just about everyone in the Trump administration because you’re being prejudiced against your own family history.

Trump wants to make us believe that these desperate migrants are an existential threat to the United States; the most powerful nation in world history and a nation made strong by immigrants. Trump and my nephew both know their immigrant and refugee roots. Yet, they repeat the insults and false accusations of earlier generations against these refugees to make them seem less than human. 

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Jon Favreau on Armchair Expert. No, not that Jon Favreau. The political speechwriter Jon Favreau! You know, the one who is basically BFFs with Barack Obama. I’m obsessed with him and basically fan-girled hard when I saw him at Pod Tours America a few months ago. (He’s just so dreamy! And so damn smart and genuine it hurts.) If you love Favs as much as I do, please do yourself a favor and listen to this episode. Also, I found it super informative about how to talk to people who may hold similar political beliefs, but are more cynical and apathetic about them. Jon did a great job of really cutting to the heart of why politics should matter to everyone.

The best money I spent was $21 on dinner with some girlfriends. We went to a new-to-us taco place where I had some of the best tacos of my life, as well as chips, queso, and guac for the table. But as good as the food was, the conversation was even better and I left feeling oh-so-happy for these women in my life. They’re good ones.

My plans this weekend include working on some freelance assignments, a hair appointment where I’m hoping to get a much darker auburn color, game night with the fam, and enjoying a book club meeting at a friend’s pool. It should be a really, really great weekend and I’m looking forward to it so much!

What was the high of your week? The low?

The high of my week was meeting my baby brother! My mom and I took a short road trip on Sunday to meet the most beautiful dachshund puppy and he’ll be hers on May 12. I am so, so excited for her (and for me because, let’s face it, I’m going to love that little baby so much), and I cannot wait until he joins our family. My mom is naming him Chip and I’m already so in love with him. (And yeah, I have puppy fever like mad right now.)

The low of my week was not feeling the healthy living lifestyle. Ugh, it’s been a struggle, friends. At one point this week, I texted my mom the below message because I was so over it. I know I just need to switch up some of the food I’ve been eating (probably getting stuck in a rut) because six weeks straight of having two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast is enough to make anyone go crazy, amirite?

An article I loved was Why I Am (Still) Using YNAB by San from The In Between is Mine. Currently, the way I budget is with a plain old Excel spreadsheet, even though I know there are tons of apps that could be super helpful in helping me better categorize my expenses and build a stronger budget. But I’ve yet to do that because I get a little overwhelmed by the thought of setting it up (I always figure it will take me a while) and scared at the thought of actually taking a long, hard look at my budget (I am a very loose budgeter right now). But this post by San lays out the You Need a Budget system in such a way that I feel like I could maybe give it a try, even if it is overwhelming.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was How Paramedics Work by Stuff You Should Know. This episode was fascinating, like the fact that standards for paramedics didn’t come out until the 1970s (!) and explaining the difference between EMTs and paramedics. Give it a listen!

The best money I spent was $20 on a new pair of sandals. My current pair of sandals are just about near the end of its life and it has been time for a new pair for a while, but I’m an underbuyer, so it was hard for me to commit to a new pair. But finally, I did and I’m happy with my purchase!

My plans this weekend include a pedicure date with my mom on Saturday, my friend’s 90s-themed 30th birthday party on Saturday evening, and a writing date on Sunday morning. I am particularly looking forward to my friend’s party because we’ve been encouraged to dress up for it. I am not the most creative person when it comes to dressing up (see also: why I hate Halloween), but I figured out a fun outfit for the party and I’m interested if people will “get it.”

What was the high of your week?