The high of my week was having dinner with my friend Amber, who happens to have a thriving travel planning business, to talk about a potential trip my mom and I want to take in the fall: Paris and London. I have wanted to do a trip like this for so long, and I think it’s finally time to make it happen! My mom and I chatted with Amber about the things we want to do in each city and she gave us so many recommendations on how to build an itinerary that will work for us. I am so glad to have Amber’s expertise to help us create an ideal itinerary and handle all of those annoying tasks of planning a trip like booking accommodations and excursions. She is going to be an invaluable resource for us!
The low of my week was finding out that I owe on my taxes for the first time ever! I had a feeling this was coming since I’ve been getting less and less back every year (it’s usually enough to cover the cost of TurboTax, but nothing more, lol). It wasn’t too bad ($182) but it was quite the bummer. I miss those years when I got a four-figure tax refund, but I also enjoy making a decent salary now, so ya win some, ya lose some.
I’m currently reading three books! On audio, I’m halfway done with Summer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell and I am loving it so much! It’s the kind of audiobook I don’t want to stop listening to, which very rarely happens. In print, I’ve got about 100 pages left of Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom, which has also been an excellent read. And my e-book right now is Caught Up by Liz Tomforde, which has also been a good read. So my reading life is BANGIN’ right now!
A recommendation I have for you is the Big Feelings Substack by Sarah Jacobson. I’m not even sure how I started following this Substack, but I love Sarah’s honesty about life as a single, childless woman at 39, setting boundaries at her corporate job, and more. She has a beautiful writing style and I look forward to reading her words every week!
A podcast episode I enjoyed was Behind the Scenes of a Book-to-Screen Adaptation with Georgia Hunter on Sarah’s Book Shelves Live. This was a really fun conversation with Sarah and Georgia. Georgia wrote We Were the Lucky Ones, which is now a Hulu miniseries, and she talks all about what it was like trying to get her book adapted and being an executive producer for the show. It was an excellent discussion!
The best money I spent was $3,048.81 to pay off my LASIK bill! While it felt really scary to make such a large one-time payment (and I had to do it over the phone to an automated system), it feels so good to finally have this debt paid off and not looming over my head anymore. I’m so, so, so happy I got LASIK (it has been LIFE-CHANGING) and even happier that I paid off the surgery within 18 months!
My plans this weekend include a very low-key Friday (I think I’m going to finally curl up on the couch and watch Dirty Dancing!) and then a very busy Saturday (an early-morning gym workout, a writing date with Mikaela, recording two podcast episodes with Bri, and then game night!). And I’ll follow it up with a restorative Sunday – the only things on my agenda are yoga and grocery shopping.
What was the high of your week?
YOU’RE FINALLY WATCHING DIRTY DANCING! God, I love that movie so much. I’ll be over here quoting it “I carried a watermelon.” It’s so subversive! Not the watermelon part.
I also really enjoyed Summer Fridays – Lisa told me about it and it was just kind of perfect for a nice light read.
I follow that Substack and like you, have no idea how or why. I think it had to do with following the Bad on Paper girls’ Substacks. I think I accidentally clicked follow on “others you might like.” But I do like it, it’s an interesting perspective for me, since it’s not really similar to my life in any way.
I’m going to Paris in the fall! It’s only a short stop because it’s ON THE WAY TO MOROCCO! It’s long been a dream of mine to go to Morocco and we are going! Via Paris! I’m brushing up on my French now, and learning a bit of Arabic too.
Maybe that’s how I got connected to this Substack, too, since I follow the BOP girls’ substacks. That would make sense!
OMG – Morocco. You are living your BEST LIFE, Nicole!
Ok, Sarah Jacobson is officially my first substack follow. I haven’t listened to the Georgia Hunter episode yet but it’s coming up in my podcast queue.
I remember so well when things flipped fom always getting refunds to always having to pay (and eventually bumping up my withholdings so that I didn’t get fined for under withholding – that $10 fine was a real come to Jesus moment, I’m telling ya). It just meant that I was earning more, so it’s a good problem to have and all, but still…
Yay! I hope you love her writing. I get a lot from her Substack newsletters.
It was very nice to get a nice chunk of change every February, but it’s ALSO nice to earn a decent living. Who knew!
First things first- Elisabeth and Kae are simultaneously posting about their trips to London and Paris!!! That should get you excited. I’ve been to both those cities, but it was a long time ago. It should be an amazing trip.
I’m breaking out in a cold sweat at your mention of taxes. Out taxes our complicated (my husband has multiple sources of income and itemizes his deductions) and last year we unexpectedly got KILLED. This year we’re finding a different accountant. Fingers crossed.
That substack sounds great- I’m going to check it out. And- your weekend sounds perfect!!!
I’ve gotten so many fun tips from reading their posts. What great timing!
I’m sorry that taxes are so complicated for you guys – and expensive! I hope you’re able to find a better accountant this year!
Bu-buy LASIK bill!!!! WELL done, friend!
The high of the week… Not sure since work is a bit of a dumpster fire right now… Life is also a little meh.. I think the highlight will be TONIGHT- Lyra and I have an Irish dancing performance in Morristown. She loves Irish dancing and so do I, so it’s a mommy and me date, while Tony and R are having bro time lol
Lowlight- expensive. We will go out to dinner in Morristown so that’ll be prolly around$60, plus parking plus the tickets ($150).
It’s so good to have that huge debt paid off. I’m so glad I was able to do that!
Why is having fun so expensive sometimes? Bah humbug!
Oof, that is a large payment for your LASIK surgery, but doesn’t it feel good to have it “off your list” of things to pay off! Go you!
Owing taxes sucks but I guess you could bump up your withholding a bit to not have that happen again? Best way is to come out even, THEN you really played the system well 🙂
Funny thing is, that was the discounted price for LASIK! I probably would have waited until 2024 to get the surgery (so I could put it all on my FSA card!) but they were offering $1,000 off for a limited time and I just couldn’t pass that up.
I feel like owing less than $200 is about as even as it gets these days! I’m not mad about that.
Congrats on paying of that bill. I bet it feels amazing and it was such a meaningful purchase. Double win.
I hope you enjoy your low key weekend.
My high: a 3.5 hour phone call with my best friend and a visit to a farmers market in the making at the neighborhood as well as a lunch by myself in the sun outside.
Yes, I don’t regret getting LASIK for a single second and I am so glad I was able to pay off the debt quickly.
A long phone call with a friend, the farmer’s market, AND lunch outside? That’s the makings for a lovely week!
Your upcoming trip sounds very exciting! It’s always nice to have something to look forward to. And it’s always nice to have something paid off! I hope you’re having a relaxing Sunday!
It’s so nice to have something super exciting like this to look forward to! It will be a lot of fun to plan, especially with my friend helping us with all the logistics!
Oh! Paris and London! How exciting! I really loved London! I need to give Paris a second chance when I am not sick and with someone I like. LOL.
I should look up Summer Fridays! I need a good audiobook! (It was available and I downloaded it! Yay!)
Congrats on paying off your LASIK!!!
We are really excited about the trip! And yes, Paris when you’re not feeling well and not with someone you love would be a bummer. I hope you can revisit it at some point!