To Sparkle Punch...

2017 and January Goals

JessComment
How fantastic is this confetti thrower that Timmi got me for Christmas?!

How fantastic is this confetti thrower that Timmi got me for Christmas?!

I don't think I ever talked about my goals for 2016 ~the year~ on here, which is fitting because I ignored them! Well, except for "buy a car," but I wasn't talking to anyone in advance about that! Aside from that terrifying goal, the others didn't interest me much, so they were easy to ignore. My 2017 goals aren't exactly thrilling, but I have enough energy around them to WANT to do them on some level, so that seems promising:

Plus "out of hiding," which I plan to acknowledge in future goal updates. 💜

Plus "out of hiding," which I plan to acknowledge in future goal updates. 💜

Like, "Hey, not being broke after I pay my bills would be awesome." And "It would be sweet to get home from work before 8 PM." Seeing tangible benefits like that seems to really motivate me. That was certainly the case when I attempted driving again. When I got my license (reluctantly, of course) at 19, driving was easy to avoid because I was in college and living on campus. Driving only intrigued me ten years later when I clearly had something to gain from it--like a greatly reduced commute. So now we'll see if this motivation theory holds true for my 2017 goals!

My two goals for January are both related to my bigger goals for the year:

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1.) Switching to a bank that doesn't charge those annoying monthly fees would be one way to save a little money--getting closer to my "Stop living paycheck to paycheck" goal. I've also been trying to find a budgeting app or program that I don't hate, but the search has been unsuccessful thus far. I can never stick with Mint, and I found YNAB super-frustrating to set up. Any suggestions? (Maybe the problem is that I don't know what I'm really looking to gain from one of those apps, since I already track my bills and spending on paper.)

2.) Getting to work before 11 is a start towards working more normal hours. Anxiety usually keeps me from leaving the house earlier, and, as I mentioned here, my anxiety typically only signs off on obligations, so by making getting to work earlier an obligation--in baby steps--there's a prayer that I might actually do it. I usually get to work between like 10:50 and 11:10, so my thought process here is to nudge that time back. Like, if I am able to get to work consistently before 11 this month, then I want to try to get in by 10:45 next month, etc., until I'm sort of naturally on a better schedule.

Pro tip: Understanding how to trick yourself into doing things is key. 😝

What are you working on this month, or in 2017 as a whole?

Linking up with Nicole at Writes Like a Girl!

High Five for Friday: January 6

JessComment

Let's see what put the sparkle into this first week of the new year!

  • Last Friday, Pops and I finally got our act together to go the Macy's Christmas Light Show! It's so crazy how there's this whole Light Brite-esque display just in the middle of a huge department store, all nbd. 
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  • My lovely, lazy Christmas vacation is sadly over. But basically wearing a blanket with sleeves made the transition back to work a little better!
So cozy! 

So cozy! 

  • I got my first-ever Christmas card from Australia this week! How cute are these sunbathing penguins?! (I wish it were still summer here!) Thank you Mica! Your card and message were so sweet and really made my day! 💖
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  • In keeping with the blogger love theme, the lovely Nicole at Writes Like a Girl really helped me to push through some anxiety this week and get my "Phrase of the Year" post up on Wednesday! Her positivity and pretty pictures definitely energize me and make me want to write/post more! 
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  • Lastly, I ended the week with an impromptu reunion with some old work pals, which was just delightful! My initial reaction to the last-minute invite was going to be "no," of course (I'm not the most spontaneous person--surprise!), but then I remembered my mantra for 2017 and my resolution to just consider saying yes to things. So I considered it. And I realized that, under my reflexive anxiety, I actually did want to go! So I did! And it was great! HUZZAH! 

Happy first weekend of 2017 to you! xo

The "Phrase of the Year" that chose me

JessComment
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Have you guys heard about this "Word of the Year" thing? The idea is easy enough: you pick a word that resonates with you to use as inspiration and motivation throughout the new year.

My initial reaction to that lovely concept was BLEH. (Although, to be fair, BLEH is my initial reaction to most things.) 

That is, until a word chose me. Or rather, a whole phrase chose me. It came to me out of the blue sometime in December, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. It just struck me as the perfect theme for how I'd like to grow in 2017:

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Because, confession: I feel scared most of the time. And when I feel scared, I retreat into hiding. 

My knee-jerk reaction to most invitations or opportunities is "NO" (or "BLEH"), and I have a hard time getting out of the house for anything other than work or appointments. My anxiety seems to only sign off on obligations (particularly those that ward off conflict); it dismisses everything else as optional or frivolous. According to my anxiety, not much is worth the risk of venturing out into the dangerous, unpredictable world... so that leaves my house as the only safe place. Hiding also takes the form of silence, as my anxiety often causes me to second-guess myself, killing my enthusiasm for blogging and other forms of expression. None of this is new for me--I'm just able to see it now. To see that being a slave to anxiety makes for a pretty dull life. It doesn't rejuvenate or inspire me, and that's not good enough anymore. (Even though just writing that sentence spooks me!) I plan to use "out of hiding" as a reminder to question my anxiety and consider doing the scary thing, rather than automatically avoiding it.

As much as I also BLEH at New Year's resolutions, I can't deny that I need to do some things differently in 2017, so I bought myself the Commit 30 planner as a Christmas gift. My hope is that its focus on weekly and monthly goals will keep me from becoming a routine robot. (In 2016, I felt like I numbed out on routine a lot and hardly noticed the days, weeks, and months flying by.) 

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Am I absolutely petrified to attempt to come "out of hiding"? Uh, YEAH. Especially because the first thing I want to do when I'm scared is to go INTO hiding! But my life in hiding is not very fulfilling, so I guess it's time to try something different. 💜

What do you hope to do differently in 2017?

Linking up with Nicole at Writes Like a Girl

High Five for Friday: December 30

JessComment

Here we go, the last week of the year. (YIKES.) What put the sparkle into my lazy holiday week?

  • Even though I think I'm allergic to it (wah), I've been loving our Christmas tree! As soon as I step into the living room, I just have to turn on the lights for maximum festiveness! 
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  • Christmas Day was pretty low-key (aside from mourning George Michael 😩), complete with some Love Actually and comfy Christmas leggings! 
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I got some awesome gifts, including cat slippers, cozy (purple!) sheets, and a Neko Atsume plushie of my own! 

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  • On Monday, I was reunited with Timmi for copious snacking, puppy-snuggling, and movie-watching! (I successfully coerced her into watching the The Mighty Ducks for the first time and can only hope that "cake eater" factors into her future snaps of The Great British Bake Off.) How freakin' cute are these lapel pins she got me for Christmas?! I still can't get over the Polly Pocket one! 
  • I celebrated the most important holiday of them all this week: Catsmas! I got some more bumps and rubs from Calico Pinky aka Edie on Friday! Just looking at her sweet little face makes me want to squeal incoherently.
I'm sexy and I know it.

I'm sexy and I know it.

Then on Christmas, I got to hang out with my aunt's two crazy cats! One had a grand time trying invade a giant gift bag, while the other went bonkers for the catnip carrots I got them!

Before annnd after the bag fell on her.

Before annnd after the bag fell on her.

RAWR.

RAWR.

  • Since I've been off all week, I've gotten to do some out-of-the-ordinary things, like going to TJ Maxx on a Tuesday afternoon and finding the decorative tiered organizer of my dreams!
😍

😍

I usually dread New Year's Eve, but I am so ready to say goodbye to 2016. Here's to a sparkly start to 2017! xo

December 2016 budget

JessComment

Last December, I was totally horrified to add up my spending and see just how much I had spent on clothing and accessories in 2015. This December, I'm not horrified at all... because I cut my 2015 total IN HALF (actually, more than half!)! I spent $2,768 in 2015 and $1,142 in 2016, a difference of $1,626! That's crazy!!

If you're looking to cut back on your spending, here are two things that helped me:

  1. Reprioritizing. Getting a car (and all of the expenses that go with it) sort of forced me into this, but you simply can't shop as much if most of your disposable income has been reallocated.
  2. Keeping last year's spending total posted where I could see it (like on my white board and on my computer), as a reminder of what I was trying to avoid doing this year.

I'm so proud of myself! High-five, 2016 Jess! 🎉

As for this month (which is included in the 2016 total above), here's what I bought: 

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  1. SOLO Mio Sonic Face Cleaner and Massager Brush (Amazon): $38
  2. LuLaRoe leggings: $25
  3. LipSense Lip Balm: $20
  4. DevaCurl Travel Size Ultra Hold Gel (Ulta): $10 - coupon = $8

TOTAL: $91

I had been toying with the idea of getting a sonic cleanser for awhile. For some reason, the idea of a cleansing brush like the Clarisonic kind of weirds me out, so I was drawn to a silicone device like the Foreo Luna. But that's $100+ (oy), so I was hesitant to pull the trigger... until I stumbled upon a similar one with great reviews on Amazon for less than $40! Sold! I've never used a device like this before, so I'm curious to see how my skin reacts to it.

After my initial LuLaRoe binge in September, I hadn't been too excited by any pattern I'd seen since. But I legit freaked over these leggings. Yellow umbrellas?! "One ticket to Farhampton, please!" 💛

The LipSense Lip Balm was finally back in stock this month, and I'm loving it! It makes my lips feel so soft and is a great alternative for days when I just can't be bothered to put on lipstick.

And the DevaCurl gel was just something I needed to get more of. 😴

Linking up with Fran's Budgeting Bloggers!