Recently my friend Kristen at TheFrugalGirl blogged about how to save money on mental health. I wrote a comment and realized it should be an entire post, so I’m expanding on it here. Note, the most important tip is the very last, so don’t skip it! Investing in my mental health has been non-negotiable as […]
30 Days of Beans
I love a good monthlong challenge and have done quite a few through the years. For the next month, I’m going to do 30 days of beans – eating some type of legume as my protein source for at least one meal each day. A month is just long enough to establish new habits, but […]
Eat the Freezer Challenge
When my small (apartment-sized even though I live in a large house with a ton of people) freezer looks like this, it’s time for an eat the freezer challenge. Not only can I get my freezer cleaned out, but I can save some money on groceries this week too. One of the ways I’ve been […]
Five Frugal Things: mental health version
I’ve hinted at my efforts to take advantage of credit card bonus offers, aka “churning” before. This isn’t a new account, but it offers cash back bonuses all the time, not just for new customers. Here’s a recent redemption from my CapitalOne Quicksilver card. I use credit cards to pay my bills, pay them before […]
Navel gazing and gratitude(ish)
Since I started EMDR therapy a few weeks ago, a lot of stuff has been coming up. As a result, it’s been hard for me to write here. Yesterday was a really tough day. I cried for most of it. I’m not depressed per se, but I have days where I cry a lot, as […]
8 captivating books I’ve devoured lately
Books are one of my favorite things in the world, and it’s high time I did a post sharing my recent reads. Here are a few of the books I’ve read in July and August. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. More info here. Wired for Love: A Neuroscientist’s Journey Through Romance, Loss, and the […]
Tuesday Gratitude
Yesterday I got a text from my daughter-in-love (who lives in the apartment downstairs) sweetly asking if I was up. When she awoke, several rooms downstairs were underwater. There’s nothing quite like starting the day with a flood! It’s a yucky, helpless feeling. As a new female head of household, I find this especially stressful. […]
The One Question That Will Change Your Life (and Finances)
(Post contains affiliate links. More info here.) One of the most important, life-changing books I’ve read is Playing with Fire: (Financial Independence Retire Early). There’s a simple exercise in the book, where you’re challenged to answer this question: What are the top 10 things that make you happiest on a weekly basis? Pretty simple. 10 […]
How I Stop Anxiety Attacks with Mindfulness
I’m happy to say that my anxiety has gone from an “8” to a manageable “2” intensity, in just a few months. Why? What changed? It wasn’t my life’s circumstances. I didn’t wrap myself in a cocoon and avoid all triggers. I learned how to stop anxiety attacks with mindfulness. I’ve had anxiety all my […]
Thankful Thursday
Yesterday I cried when I heard that Heather Armstrong, the writer known as Dooce, died by suicide. She was 47, the same age as me. Dooce was the first mega-popular mom blogger I (and many other people) had ever known. Unbeknownst to her, she likely inspired thousands of other women to tell their stories online. […]