October 2016 Budget

I thought I didn't buy much this month, buuuut that's just because I bought most of these things in the first week of the month! Whoops! 

1. Sketchers Go Step Sneaker (DSW): $60 on sale for $48
2. LipSense Bombshell, Glossy Gloss, and Oops Remover starter kit: $53
3. The Body Shop Chamomile Eye Makeup Remover (Amazon): $13
4. Mossimo Jeggings (Target): $30 - $19 (gift card) = $11

TOTAL: $125

I put "black and/or grey sneakers" on my Fall/Winter Wish List, so I can now cross that off, woo hoo! I really like the streamlined look of these Sketchers, but they're kind of weird to walk in, like, they're very springy? But they are comfy and look reasonably cute with skinny jeans, so I'm happy!

I've only had the LipSense for a week, but I really like it so far! I very rarely wear lip color anymore, largely because I am lazy--I can't be bothered with touch-ups throughout the day or, like, having to use a mirror. The fact that I can put on my LipSense color (the very neutral "Bombshell") at 10 AM and then just reapply the clear gloss throughout the day (so no mirror needed!) makes it totally perfect for me! I honestly put on the clear gloss at 9:30 the other night, and my "Bombshell" from 10 AM still looked flawless! If you're interested in trying out LipSense, Becky at byBMG is a consultant! (I got mine from her.)

The Body Shop Eye Makeup Remover is just a boring necessity purchase. I usually swear by Make Up Forever Sens'Eyes, but it had begun to sting my eyes in recent months. I'd used The Body Shop Eye Makeup Remover awhile ago after a friend gave it to me, and I found myself longing for it again as my Sens'Eyes ran out this month. So... yeah. 😴

I'd been wanting a pair of ripped jeans for awhile, but it seemed like an impractical purchase for fall/winter. Like, wouldn't you get cold in ripped jeans because, hello, gaping holes in your pants? (I may be too practical for grunge fashion.) Enter these PATCHED jeggings from Target! The deconstructed look without the fear of hypothermia? EXCELLENT. Bonus that I finally returned the grey jeggings from this post, which gave me the gift card that I put toward the ripped-up jeggings! 💯

Linking up with Fran's Budgeting Bloggers!

Where are you going, where have you been?

As I mentioned in my Day in the Life post, it's hard to see just how far you've come when you're caught in the day-to-day grind. I had a similar thought when I saw the band M83 a few weeks ago. Because I last saw them in 2012 (four whole years ago?!), it got me thinking about how much has changed in that time. It's so easy to focus on what we haven't done and to be disappointed with our lack of accomplishments when really, we're growing and changing all the time. The little things often turn out to be big things, right?

So in that spirit, let's revisit what I was doing in October 2012:

Hello, 2012 self with short hair and no make-up!

1. Living at home (ok, no change there!).

2. Working part-time in HR. (There's no way I would get a non-teaching job using my English degrees, right?)

Being very busy and important. 

3. Relying entirely on public transportation. (It helped that I was working much closer to home back then!)

4. Writing/editing chapter three of my MA thesis. I definitely remember listening to "Wait" by M83 on repeat while writing about gender and sexuality in Fun Home and Persepolis. Like, hearing it in concert took me right back there. (😭)

Getting those images properly formatted in my thesis was such a struggle! 

5. Going to a psychiatrist every so often but not being in therapy.

5 a. Spending a lot of time with friends to avoid being alone and anxious after work (since I would get done at 2 in the afternoon).

6. Being single.

7. Visiting Chicago for the second time! 

Casually holding up the Bean with Timmi, as one does.  

I think that I hate change, but a lot sure has changed (some of it almost imperceptibly) since 2012:

1. I lived in Philly! (2013)

1 a. ...And then I moved back home! 😂  (2014)

2. I got a full-time (non-teaching!) job that requires an English degree! (2013)

Before I left on day 1 of said job, Pops took a picture of me as if it were the first day of school. 👌

3. I started driving consistently for the first time in my life! (2015)

3 a. I BOUGHT A FREAKING CAR. I cannot overstate how unfathomable that would have been in 2012! (2016)

4. I finished my MA thesis and passed my defense! (Ok, that did happen in 2012, but after October. And I seriously wanted to give up the summer before I finished.)

5. I addressed my depression and recurring suicidal thoughts by going inpatient. (2013)

5 a. I started regularly going to therapy for the first time in my life. (2013)

5 b. I went to group therapy. (2013)

5 c. I started doing yoga and somatic healing. (2013)

5 d. I started EMDR. (2015)

6. My relationship with B started! (2013)

6 a. ...And ended 😔  (2016)

7. I visited Timmi in Chicago for the fifth time! 

8. I started this blog! (2014)

Ok so I haven't saved the world. Or written a best-seller. Or started a family. And some of my accomplishments were not exactly age-appropriate (like, say, driving). But if we constantly minimize the things that we do, what are we left with? Disappointment? Negativity? Let's instead celebrate the "little" things, the ways that we've grown. Let's celebrate how far we've come on this continuous journey forward. <3

High Five for Friday: October 21

Let's see what put the sparkle into this week! 

• I went out in nature (!!) on Saturday, and I made a new friend! Or so I thought... As I swooned over this precious chipmunk, he was intermittently chirping, which I thought was adorable... until I googled it and found out that chipmunks chirp when they feel threatened! Wahhh! Sorry little buddy!

How is this real life?! 😍😭😍

Hey there fall.

He got the last laugh though: the minute I got back to my car, I realized that my allergies had kicked in! YOU WIN THIS ROUND, CHIPMUNK.

• I had a super productive Saturday with my October goals! In addition to choosing an adventure (going to the state park above), I got out my fall clothes, put away my summer clothes, and framed this awesome poster! (It only took 14 months haha!)

🎶That thing, that thing, that thiiiiiiing🎶

• Luckily, I left out a few summer items because it was 80 here this week! What the what? The warm weather is definitely contributing to my allergies, but sandal weather with pretty fall leaves?! I ain't mad at it.

I love warm weather even if it doesn't love me!

• My LipSense order arrived, and I'm loving it!! I was very intimated by the application process (mainly because there is one--I tend to just wear clear lip balm and slap it on all willy-nilly!), but it turned out to be super easy. And it seems to be healing my chapped lips, while also keeping me from biting them (because it lasts so long)! I got the color "Bombshell," and it looks like I'm not wearing any lip gloss/stick at all, which is perfect for me!

• Lastly, I'm glad that my allergies are finally calming the eff down and that this is no longer my reality:

Anyone else love Meet the Robinsons?! 

Here's to a great weekend that I'm not allergic to! xo

A day in the life (vol. 2)

I've been wanting to do another Day in the Life post for awhile, but I couldn't remember how long it had been since I did it last year. Turns out I'd chronicled October 6, 2015--how convenient! So here's what the same date looks like one year later:

Good morning! Now that I'm driving, I can sleep in past 6:50--what a luxury! And on this particular day, I actually woke up when my alarm went off, instead of snoozing it five times! Here is my view upon awakening, including a Snuffles nose in my face (lol) and my white board (complete with my October goals and my 2015 spending total eek!).

Since it's Thursday, I worked on my H54F post for a little bit before getting ready for work.

All drugstore products, except for the Hera cushion compact (LOVE), which is from Memebox.

Remember the "Five-Minute Face" from What Not to Wear? That is definitely my philosophy towards makeup, haha! Concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and foundation--that's about all I can tolerate doing on a regular basis! 

Old Navy tulip-back sweater (2015) | Gap Legging Jean (2014) | Sketchers Go-Step Sneakers (2016)

What "Day in the Life" post would be complete without an OOTD?! (And yes, I committed to the Sketchers I got at DSW!)

While I keep next to nothing in my car, note the hand sanitizer and mala beads ha!

This is why I get home from work so late: something always happens the minute I try to leave. On this particular day, Pops (who was heading out at the same time as me) and I bumped into our neighbor, and you know that's never a quick chat!

Cats and flowers. Yep, this must be mine!

Hello work desk! I feel like not much has changed here since last year, except for the addition of a Sadness Tsum Tsum. :) And you know you're an editor when your Post-Its say things like "curly apostrophe"!

My current Bullet Journal-esque planner set-up. Complete with a breakdown of things to include in my H54F post and also notes of things to ask about in therapy next week!

I wrote 49 grammar questions at work today! Woo! #nerdalert

🎶I know that things can really get rough when you go it alone🎶 #OneTickettoFarhamptonPlease

Heading home... with some music from HIMYM. <3 I'm so sad that it's dark out when I leave work now, wahhh. I used to be treated to some gorgeous sunsets!

Finishing up my H54F post with Bailey and Ben while my dinner heats up. I haven't seen Grey's seasons 11 or 12 yet, but why not watch 13 in real time? Makes perfect sense!

Time to ice my foot after doing my foot exercises (hence the yoga mat and ball in the background!). Meanwhile, Pops is totally engrossed in the Million Dollar Listing season premiere. (Josh Flagg and Colton 😢)

Cup o' cotton balls | Tatcha Pure Camellia Cleansing Oil | Make-Up Forever Sens'Eyes | Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam

Current face wash/make-up remover routine. I used to love Sens'Eyes, but I'm kind of over it now. In fact, I started using The Body Shop's Chamomile eye make-up remover the next day and am liking that way more!

Bedtime rituals: diffusing essential oils, getting some white noise going, and cueing up a Grey's rerun. (I had been watching season 8, but I got to up to "Flight" and was like AW HELL NO I'M NOT GOING THROUGH THAT AGAIN, so I'm back to season 7 lol.)

What a difference a year makes! Last year, my day was basically running between modes of public transportation, with some work and therapy in between. It's wild to think of how much freedom having a car has given me in terms of structuring my workday. (My office has no set hours, so I've basically been working 11-7 these days. But pre-car, I had to work 8:30-4:30 in order to make all of my Septa connections. That may sound normal, but it meant getting up at 5:50 to catch bus #1 at 6:25. And I am not a morning person.) These changes just kind of sneak up on you, so it's good to stop and reflect on how far you've come sometimes. <3 

Linking up with Mattie for Weekly Lessons, finally! 

High Five for Friday: October 14

I can't believe it's Friday already! What the heck put the sparkle into this week?

• I was actually social last weekend! Hooray! I had a long overdue reunion with one of my buds from my old job, and it was so delightful to catch up with her! This was the first time I'd seen her since she got engaged a few months back, and I was so.excited. for her. Like, talking-color-schemes excited--and I'm not even a super wedding-y person! 

Despite the rainy weather, we had a lovely lunch on the rooftop deck at Revolution House in Old City.

Then we stopped at Franklin Fountain for some ice cream before hitting up a nearby pen/art supply store! #nerdalert

• I had a major city driving accomplishment on Monday when I successfully drove to my therapist's office near Chestnut Hill! I was totally confused by the ease of (non-parallel) parking, the wide streets, and the TREES! It was such a cute suburban/city area! Not to mention that I had a great session AND got a delish caramel latte from a nearby coffee shop! What an unexpectedly great start to the week!

Yep, this was me. 

• For whatever reason, this week's song on repeat has been "Dream On" by Aerosmith. I noticed recently that I'm able to pick out specific instruments (or models of instruments) in songs, which has made songs I've heard a million times so much more interesting. Plus, if you listen to "Dream On" with one earbud in (as I'm apt to do at work), you'll hear certain instruments more clearly and pick out things you could never hear before in the arrangement as a whole! (You can do this with a lot of classic rock songs, and it always enthralls me haha! #nerdalertround2)

• Whenever I get back into Supernatural (mainly because I can't quit Jensen Ackles, that beautiful bastard), I only watch the same few "funny" episodes. (I get easily spooked, so the supernatural is really not my friend!) So of course, I love (and can relate to!) over-the-top-scared Dean in the episode "Yellow Fever," especially when he refuses to drive over 20 MPH and has this reaction after being startled by a kitten: 

This is me every time I see a bug, basically. 

• I actually went to a concert this week! On a Thursday night! Who am I?! (That seems to be a theme!) I saw M83, a band I saw four years ago (back when I only knew "Midnight City") and totally fell in love with. The show was really great. It was especially interesting to revisit these songs that I had listened to so much at other times in my life (like when I was finishing my MA thesis or living in the city)--a lot has changed changed since then. I feel like a completely different person!

Hope you have a great weekend! xo