Think Twice, Say Nothing?

The more I learn, the less I know—because I continue to learn just how much is out there. You don’t know what you don’t know, but you have to listen to learn.

Choose Yourself

Live your best life.

Wizards and Broomsticks

Do I want to be a wizard? Heck yes, I want to be a wizard! And money (and poor choices?) allowed me the opportunity to throw spells at enemies, explore the wizarding world, and become the magical creature I was always meant to be. #winning

Caution: Will Brake for Breaks

In the office environment, I was forced to take regular breaks from staring at my screen.  Distractions came in the form of coworkers stopping to say hello, long walks down to the campus Starbucks and in-person meetings.  A commute signaled the start and the end of the day, making it easy to shut everything off.  Working from home took away all of those automatic triggers for a mental break.  It's now on you to own your time.

Am I Still Relevant?

Frugality is always relevant, of course.

So much of my successful adventures boiled down to timing. What’s still relevant? Am I just an interesting story, a footnote, riding off into the ether?

Lay Off My Latte (and Other Millennial Musings)

To preface, millennials were born between approximately 1980 and 1999.  The oldest are mid 40s, and the youngest are in their 20s.  It's not just "anyone younger than me."

Today's Episode of Cognitive Dissonance

Sometimes life hands you a lot of great things, and you know you should be happy and grateful, but you can't help feeling something just isn't quite right.

I wish I had more time to...

Every time you say yes, you are saying no to a million other things.

Frugal Friends Spending Symposium

There are times in life where I have been padding along, existing on autopilot.  I need something to shake things up and keep things interesting.  Sometimes that's cycling in and out of hobbies, looking at my career, reaching out to friends, or trying something new.  This week, it was the Frugal Friends Symposium.

Wonderful as always, Jen and Jill!

Little Free Libraries Update

Passion projects are so important for mental health and wellness.  My Little Free Library project took over our garage and front yard for almost an entire year.  Today, I'm excited to share that I was awarded the Todd H. Bol Awards for Outstanding Achievement in recognition of all my hard work spreading books to my community. 

Planning for Death

The title of this post sounds depressing.  That's because it is.  It's also really important.

5 Years of Cat Lessons

Our cat died last week at the ripe old age of 17. I feel the loss, but I am also relieved to no longer be a cat owner. The cat came with my partner, a two-for-one package deal. After five years of cat life, I may not have enjoyed every moment, but I learned a lot from her.

It's a Boutique Fitness Life for Me

I'm not a failure for not using our home gym.

Spice Up Your Life

You know when you're a kid in a candy story, and you want one of everything, but your parents know what's best for you, so then you have to choose because they know you shouldn't eat one of everything?  Then later, when you're an adult, you go back and are allowed to buy one of everything, but you know you really shouldn't because diabetes and cavities?

How the Word is Passed

Clint Smith's empathy in "How the Word is Passed" stunned me.  The books is extremely well organized, thoroughly researched, and well written.  I don't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Scarcity Mindset

 Our local Buy Nothing Group has sprouted, and I was surprised by the overwhelming scarcity mindset.

A scarcity mindset is when you are so obsessed with a lack of something — usually time or money — that you can’t seem to focus on anything else, no matter how hard you try.

Acknowledging Privilege

Content Warnings: This post contains references to racism and death.

White privilege denotes both obvious and less obvious passive advantages that white people may not recognize they have, which distinguishes it from overt bias or prejudice. These include cultural affirmations of one's own worth; presumed greater social status; and freedom to move, buy, work, play, and speak freely. The effects can be seen in professional, educational, and personal contexts.

Right Time, Right Place

I'm about to turn another year wiser, so clearly I am feeling philosophical in my old age.

Life Lessons from Baby Yoda

"Life Lessons from The Child" as another acceptable title for this post, but as I'm a white pumpkin-spice-loving female, I have a preference. We've been watching Baby Yoda take on space in "The Mandalorian" from the comfort of our couch, and it's clear this kid knows his stuff.

My Low Information Diet

I've been appreciating the calmness of a Low-Information Diet.  It seemed like the next logical place to practice minimalism.