When Temptation Strikes...

Today was definitely was one of those, and even though I let whimsy take me by the leash a little, there is a

So, what did the damage end up being?

I stayed under my $20 goal for a gift for a friend. Good Job!!!

Grocery shopping also ended up underneath the $20 limit and good staples. Woohoo another win!!!

Yet, as I was passing by, the clothes store just called my name. It beckoned me and there were the jeans. Jeans I had been looking for for weeks: those that fit properly, can be worn for work and were not an arm and a leg.

So, is my week ending up in financial disaster? No, not at all. Hopefully my situation isn't so bad that $22 worth of clothing sidetracks my retirement plans. (That would be very, very bad).

But I did make a financial mistake last week in picking up shoes for an event but also impulse purchasing a pair of beautiful but really unnecessary heels. They won't work for work, but they seem just nice, just something to add something or other to my life.

The more I look at them the more ridiculous they seem in terms of the lifestyle I live. A pair of black sneakers at this point would make a lot more sense.

So, will I return those shoes? Maybe and maybe not..They do look really cute on my feet, oh yes they do. And how about those jeans, well, they are for work aren't they? They can go as a work expense right, right???.

P.S Have you guys seen the show Life or Debt on Spike TV?! Oh, yeah, all over that...

What's Moving Me...03/20

Hello interwebs! How's the Sunday treating you? Do anything special or was it all back to the same old same old?

There's been quite a bit of action in the household lately. The boyfriend surprised me with cleaning up the basement which was quite a wreck on his day off. With a bit more time off, making the house clean for spring is the new goal. It's going to take only a bit more time but already we are feeling the effects of having more visual space than before.

Along with that, working on a few craft projects and of course, getting my resume out there for job opportunities. It's been great being able to stay home these past few days, but it is time. The amount of restlessness is really filling me up and at times keeps me awake at night.

Currently Reading:

So, being a big reader, I rarely share what I'm actually reading on this blog. Hmm, that's going to be changing real quick. What usually happens at the library is whatever catches my eye first is what comes home with me. Makes for a not so cohesive reading list but has opened me up to such a wide variety of books. Now let's start:

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About halfway through this book and am loving her witty nature. There's something about a women trying to juggle it all at the same time that caught me and kept me reading. Alice is so quirky and funny she makes me feel as though we've been on a journey with her for quite awhile. There are so many ups and downs that I felt I was on this intense roller coaster of life and looking around every corner. Can't wait to finish!!!

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For some reason, brightly colored books were catching my eye this time around at the library, but I'm glad for that. Usually, I'm looking to stick to long novels and deep intense story lines, but after reading a few of the short stories, my mind kept on asking for more. There's something deep in the superficiality at times and a calmness even at the most intense of moments that Berlin is able to convey. This is definitely a book I'm going to be buying for my bookshelf. 

And last but not least, tea!!! What day does not go by where I am drinking copious amounts of tea? A coconut vanilla chai with a touch of milk has been at my side at least once a day. With temperatures fluxing at the beginning and the end of the day, this mix gives me the warm feeling I need to keep moving on. 

One of my absolute favorites for spring and summer is Countess of Seville by David's Tea. Imagine early grey but with a hint of fruity notes, namely citrus. It doesn't grab you by the cuff, but gently leads you through the orange grove for a mid afternoon meander. 

This week will be a bit more of the usual, part time fall-back work and lots of reading, tea and artsy projects that are trying to be finished in a reasonable amount of time (aka under a year). 

What does your week hold in store for you?

Trusting the Path...

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What was interesting was there was going to be a post about dealing with how overwhelmed I was getting, with life and work and balancing it all. And for some reason, a week later, none of that is really relevant anymore. Well, it's not just for some reason, but for one main reason: being laid off.

There was really no anger at the situation, I understood and we were all informed that this could happen. Perhaps it was meant to be, written in the stars others might say.

It didn't all fall apart. I hope to look at it as though it is all coming together. That there is still something to obtain from the few months I worked there. And worked hard and did my best day in and day out. It was also a wonderful group of people that I only wish I could have spent more time picking their brains and learning more about them and their journeys.

So, what are the next few steps? Keep on applying, keep on looking. Things seem a bit more hopeful this time around though, so my head will be a bit higher.

But also enjoying the off time, the first few signs of spring, a few good books, finishing those craft projects, and best of all, keeping the home somewhat cleaner.

Yes, that list does not seem too exciting, especially to most 20-somethings. But to me, this routine will keep me going in a positive direction. There will be some of groundedness in it all, but movement forward.

Has there ever been a time that you felt that not the rug has been from under you, but just a slighter shift in motion? Like the wind was stronger than you expected and now you are on a slightly different path? That's what it is. A detour. Nothing more, nothing less. It's really unexpected but at this time in my life, it's welcomed.

When Laundry Day Comes Too Quick

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For most weekends include catching up on the household tasks that get life behind during the week. The floors get a little crumby, the tables a little dusty but these are easy fixes. There is probably a pile of something or other that needs to get sorted.

But then comes the laundry game. It's a mountain that needs scaling. You forgot about it over the week, as much as that rubber band was supposed to remind you, put one load in tonight while cooking dinner. You are not superhuman; you wish you could be but those stocks are staring you down and it looks like they are about to win.

I'm not saying this happens to me every weekend, but more often than not, the clothes that I enjoy wearing find themselves in the dirty pile. And Monday morning is the perfect time to realize that and get it all together.

And I'm learning slowly but surely that all these small tasks are endless. They come in between the moments of eating, sleeping, working, catching up with the family. So, as long as there is something else that can cover me and no dire need is present, I'll put it off just a bit longer. Being able to catch up on that book due next week that hasn't been cracked open is a better priority.

As of now, I'm taking this quiet morning moment to type out my thoughts and feelings but also to wash my jeans for the week. I only have enough pairs for a workweek, plus black pants for my restaurant job. It keeps the amount of clothes in my wardrobe to a minimum but makes these mornings a whole lot easier. Perhaps another pair or two are in my future, but that also means a trip to Goodwill because that mountain will not be allowed to get any larger on my watch.

What are those tasks that build up too quickly or that end up being done last minute? 

Getting Back On Track...

Changes lately have been derailing a lot of the usual important parts of my life. I keep on saying that my schedule is locked down, and the next week, things have turned into a sludgy mess once again.

There are a couple of objectives that really fell by the wayside the last couple of weeks of 2015. It was partly because of life, but also due to lack of focus and not enough habit built in. Something that can change with frequent participation on my part. And by that I mean truly focusing on what goals I would like to accomplish this year and what is most important in my priorities.

Reading! It was something I really made a concentrated effort to do the first 3/4 of 2015 and made almost no progress those last few months. Even now, I'm having trouble finding quiet time during the mornings to get in a few pages. There's a part of me that wants to wake up a bit earlier everyday for this, but I'm not all fully together at 8 am to truly understand and comprehend whatever it is I'm working on. I've been trying to bring a book with me to work and making lunch time a no phone area and sneaking in a tidbit, which helps me with wanting to read right before bedtime as well.

Being more positive about myself. This is a biggie. Like it should be the first thing I do everyday. Appreciating the wonderfulness of the day to day process of being human and becoming all that I can be. There seems to be a lot of inward negativity that takes hold of me as the day goes along, bringing me down and costing me a great deal of energy. Refocusing this negative into positive behaviors and attitudes will hopefully help me break out of this never ending cycle.

Really focusing on the debt payoff goal. My plan has been refocused with actual numbers and goals that make sense based on my current pay, which of course can fluctuate and is probably not a longterm possibility because 60 hours a week really isn't that sustainable in the long term. But anyway, my goal is to pay off my student loans in three years and my car in 2!

There are a lot of small details that I'm working on. Refinement almost seems like the perfect word, and yet it's not quite there yet. My life is still not smooth enough for the coarseness to be eliminated. It's still a work in progress that is still be hacked here and there and added to in other places. There are still some major parts that need quite a bit of attention, and it probably won't come this year, but maybe just maybe, they'll start hinting outward their greatness.

My Christmas List...

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Will be pretty short this year. And that's not unfortunately. For many years, I've always wanted a laundry list of things, not wants, but needs. I'd save myself up for them and then let it all out come November. New pjs, replace the makeup that ran out months ago, you get the idea.

However, this year has been different. Well, not really but still radical. All my desires lately have been squashed. No reason at all, just that there really isn't anything that catches me like it used to. And those needs? Well, they are met for the most part. Being able to pay for not only my wants and needs along with a hefty savings rate has finally made my heart fill with joy. It's no longer a balancing act. It's no longer a hassle to figure out what needs to be paid first.

So, this year my list is short because I don't have really anything to ask for. Perhaps a few candles would be nice. Maybe a gift card for a craft store. Perhaps a book store also?

Is this my move away from wanting? Is this the freeing sense of not desiring anything more? It actually feels kind of nice. To be able to go into a store, look at things, put them down, state how nice they are and walk away.

What I really desire can't really be bought at a store. A few more hours with the ones I love. Seeing them more often over a wonderful home cooked meal or having more time for board games. Those are the things that make me truly happy.

How Clean Does It Need to Be...

This past weekend my mom stopped in for a quick visit which was really quite wonderful. But in a way very nerve wracking. Now having to be an adult and call myself one means that I have to make sure she doesn't see me and the house we live in as an expansive teenage room.

With that I dug in a bit deeper as to what was causing so much anxiety.

1. I've been working non-stop lately along with another outside responsibility that was taking up hours of my day. All the hours of all the days. It almost feels like I come home to fall asleep and that's about it.

2. We do not communicate as to what has been done as much as we should. Sometimes we will even expect the other person to get a hint and help out or compliment on a job well done. Sometimes I'll notice it weeks later and wonder about how it got done and whether any little elves were involved.

3. Three pets does not lend to a clean house. End of story.

So my question was how clean does the house need to be before your family comes over? My mom stated that everything looked pleasant. Highly doubt she was lying, and I know the candle right when you walked in the door cleverly hid some of the pet smells.

Perhaps living in the house and knowing each and every nook and cranny that hasn't been cleaned leads me to have vivid nightmares of all the dust bunnies that share our abode. Yet, they don't seem that troublesome at all yet.

Cleaning worries to get off your chest? I've finally finished my outside commitment which has allowed me to gain a better balance in my life. There was a cleaning fest one morning and all fears were calmed.