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About Me

Hello! I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for personal finance and healthy living. Join me as a I explore budgetting, eco-friendly brands, gluten-free recipes, capsule wardrobes, and everything in between! Want to learn more about me? Subscribe below and check out the About tab!

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It’s been the cloudiest, rainiest week around these parts, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at my front door. I’ve had this pineapple door knocker forever, and I finally got around to attaching it this week. I am officially obsessed with how much character it adds; we’re not a big wreath/door knocker kind-of-family in the first place so this is the perfect welcome sign for us. But back to the rainy week. I’ve been thinking about how parallel my growth runs to the seasons, and I am never not surprised by how we mirror our surroundings. It’s been cold and gloomy, the winter is coming to an end, and we know spring is right around the corner. There is so much happening under the surface in nature in preparation for things to grow and bloom. And in support of that, the sky has just opened up with rain. And a few pockets of sunshine here and there to give the plants just enough of what they need to keep going, a preview of things to come. And in turn, I’m over here, personally, doing the same thing. I’m hard at work, keeping my nose to the grindstone, giving myself rest and fuel in abundance so when the clouds part and the sun shines, I can bloom in all my glory. Hoping you all are getting a chance to recharge this February as well.

We went out of town for the weekend, and it was the perfect opportunity for some fiction reading which I don’t normally delve into. @higirlsnextdoor is reading this for their book club and while I don’t normally participate, I heard Benedict Cumberbatch was attached to film adaptation, and that was all I needed to know to start reading. Not surprisingly the last fiction I finished was “Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty, about 3 months before the miniseries premiered on HBO. I have trouble getting into any fiction unless I can envision the main characters as actors I’m already familiar with. But I wasn’t expecting to be so entranced by this book that I finished it in less than 12 hours. Hence the inclusion of this photo of my watch which was encouraging me to get off my butt after sitting around the day before. A quick synopsis is that the story follows the main character who has a condition that makes him age incredibly slowly and gives him immunity against life-threatening illnesses. The novel is written from present-day (2017) and jumps to flashbacks ranging from the start of the main character’s life in 16th century London to 1920’s France to 19th century Tahiti to numerous other points in history, including some points in time with famous historical figures. I rarely feel strongly about a fiction book so I can’t necessarily say this is a must read, but if you like historical fiction and you bore easily, the quick pace of this novel makes it really enjoyable and worth a read. #laurenreadinglately

If I ever have to conjure a patronus, these will be the moments I’ll remember ❤️⚡️🦁🏰

Perfect timing on a new @higirlsnextdoor podcast about getting motivated to work [write] because I just set up a dedicated desk space today, and I’m already feeling so good about tackling homework assignments and studying for exams. Not pictured is the candle I’m burning as a treat for getting down to business (great tip, @ladderica!). Next up is scheduling “desk hours” and guarding them like I would an actual class. Here I come 4.0!

Today was a “snow day”, but instead it’s a sunny 35 degrees Fahrenheit so I’ve moved all my plants into one room, opened the windows to air out the house, poured myself a big mug of peppermint tea, and am cooling a loaf of bread made by my friend @theberryvine. And did I mention the kids are napping? 🙌🏻

Details from last night’s celebration! Ryan and I’s first real date was dinner at Bento and “UP” in theaters. So we settled on PF Chang’s takeout and a viewing of “UP” on DVD for the evening. But in between dinner and movie, we reminisced over the small collection of things we’ve saved from our wedding (cake stand, 1 set of invitations, a program, cufflinks, garter, wine glass, and photo album) while enjoying some chocolate angel food cake (the same recipe from our wedding + my GF customization). Looking back on our wedding 7 years ago, I wouldn’t change a thing about that experience. At the time, I had no understanding of minimalism as a lifestyle, yet I didn’t go overboard and made sure the day was true to Ryan and I. Our rehearsal dinner was just takeout from a local BBQ spot and all our guests were invited. My dress was clearance and the 1st of 3 dresses I tried on. The reception music was a playlist I made the night before on my iPad and played through my own speakers. The centerpieces, programs, and invitations were designed by me. Ryan’s uncle was our photographer and gifted us a beautiful album afterwards. I’m so happy I can truthfully look back on that day, even with the mindset changes I’ve experienced, and know it was exactly what it should have been - a celebration with close friends and family that we didn’t go into debt for. And for your viewing pleasure, the last 2 photos are of the wedding programs I crafted, including the contents with are the first and last time I’ve been clever 😂

Living my best life with a new full-length I purchased using my Christmas money, and wearing a variation of my uniform (see previous post). I think I’ve narrowed it down to (in winter) a button up shirt that in a size above my normal size and slightly longer in the back, a crewneck sweater in my normal size that hits at a few inches below my hips, mid rise skinny jeans long enough to cuff once, and pointed or peep toe flats (when it’s warm enough to not wear riding boots). And just lip color for makeup. Also today’s Ryan and I’s 7th wedding anniversary so that’s been putting some pep in my step all day!!! 🤵🏼👰🏻❤️

I think my backyard is mistaken because it is not warm enough to justify all the green. But I braved the cold just for y’all to snap this #ootd of my #preppycapsule . I feel like I’m in a bit of a crisis about my wardrobe. Part of that crisis is me asking myself why I spend so much time worrying about what I’m wearing. It feels very privileged and superficial, but so are most of my problems. “My kids wont play with all their toys” and “I have to go to 3 different groceries to buy all the food we like”.....how do I survive this life?!?! But in all honesty, I think I spend so much time curating and planning and analyzing is because I eventually don’t want to have to think about clothing at all. I want to focus on big problems that require complex solutions that will benefit great sums of people for long periods of time. And I’m starting to notice more and more that the people around me who are doing great things are wearing the same types of clothing over and over. They have a uniform in the sense that it’s not a job-required outfit, but a combination that they wear a variation of over and over. I’ve read articles before about this trend with men (Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, etc.), but seeing women I know in real life in their uniforms has left me feeling really inspired. Has anyone else ever thought about utilizing a uniform or do you do a variation of this already?

Updates on two challenges I’m in the midst of this month! First, the kids’ “use it or loss it challenge” we’re doing with their toys is not going how I would have hoped. They’ve only requested the items shown, but, besides, the board games everything else has only been played with once. Not shown are all the stuffed animals and Emma’s Anna doll that live on their bed that they sleep with every night; those were all requested pretty quickly. The rest of the time, they’re just following me around the house asking to watch TV or playing with something random - a ballon from school, a toy James got from the speech therapist, rocks, fuzz, etc. I may have to institute a TV ban which is going to be harder on me than it is on them. But I’ve got to do something to get them back to playing independently for long periods of time. And my second challenge to record how often I wear items from my wardrobe has shown some clear winners. My grey joggers, white tee, and pink sweatshirt are all getting most of the love. Especially on the work days that start in the studio, I have no interest in changing into something that isn’t as comfy as the athleisure apparel I teach in. And since I’m dressing like a lazy bum, I’m acting like a lazy bum. So I’m working on some ways to keep myself motivated to wear actual clothing every day. Hopefully by the end of the month, I’ll have some good news to report on both challenges!

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