Close up of Cherry’s Famous Rugelah from the farmer’s market. They’re even tastier than they look!
📷 Day one of the Feb 2021 Photo Challenge
Shop Local
I took a day off of work to do some local gift shopping around my town. It was exhausting, but it felt good to put some money into the local economy instead of just shopping on Amazon. There are a lot of cool places around here, and I hope they survive and thrive. My gift boxes are partially assembled!
Also, I got to shower affection on a chonky store cat named Butch. Can’t get that on the Internet 🥰
Today we set out to find what was over the saddle we could see while hiking last weekend. Expecting to find more hills, I was pleasantly surprised to find this view only 1.5 miles up the trail. 🥾
First hike in the new neighborhood! Trying to make the most of living next to a National Park 🥾 📍 West Loop Trail, Joshua Tree NP 📷 iPhone SE
Watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 🎥 reminiscing about midnight showings and wondering if deposits at Gringott’s collect interest 🧙🏻♀️
Goals Check In: June 2020
I am focusing on intentional living to better align how I spend my time and energy with my values. Creating and tracking goals are helping me feel like myself through the pandemic. Here is my (belated) June update!
💰 Financial Wellbeing
Save, Save SaveSpend Less Specifically in the categories Restaurants and Mindless Online Purchases.
🧠📚 Personal Development
Read Every Day & Finish 44 Books in 2020 & Read More Diverse Voices I completed five books, bringing my total to 26.- The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
- The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
- SKY Breathing by Art of Living - I started this breathwork class offered by my employer, and am finding it somewhat odd. Another coworker mentioned that it felt like a pyramid scheme. I would not be surprised if we were nudged into a teacher training program at the end. I am not planning on sticking with it, but it’s a good reminder of the value I got out of regular meditation.
- Started Photography Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Photography on Udemy.
Complete Predictive Analytics Certificate Program by EOY ‘20 No classes in June - they resume in July.
🧘🌲 Fitness & Outdoor Activity
Spend 1 hr/Week in Nature This month I went camping and scuba diving. It was all in the same week, but it was so wonderful to be outdoors in the forest and by the sea. I camped at a secluded HipCamp site, where I was able to safely physical distance from one other camper on the 125-acre property.Do Yoga 15x/Month I did yoga 9 times in June.
Home Exercise Routine Fail. I was a potato in June. Such a potato.
💻🤳 Digital Life
Reduce Social Media Use I got an iPhone and I’m still trying to figure out how best to use the Screen Time report. I averaged 41 minutes per day on the category “Social Networking” which appears to include Instagram and Gluon. I removed Instagram from my phone for nearly a week and it was glorious - until I missed messages from my friend who is currently in Iraq. I need to find out how to keep in touch with her without IG!Goals Check In: May 2020
I am focusing on intentional living to better align how I spend my time and energy with my values. Here is my (very late) May Update!
💰 Financial Wellbeing
Save, Save SaveSpend Less Specifically in the categories Restaurants and Mindless Online Purchases.
🧠📚 Personal Development
Read Every Day & Finish 44 Books in 2020 & Read More Diverse Voices I completed two books, bringing my total to 21. A few more are nearly done too!- Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons
- Cocktail How-To with Spirit Guides, covering some home cocktail mixing basics and a few recipes. We’ve been making the Gold Rush at home, super tasty!
- Completed Playing Big with Tara Mohr, a 4-part women’s leadership development program offered by my company.
Complete Predictive Analytics Certificate Program by EOY ‘20I finished two classes in May and registered for a summer course that starts after a much needed six-week break. The double class load was tough. I kept telling myself that it was worth it to finish by EOY. But honestly, the added load took away from time I desperately needed to rest and take care of myself.
🧘🌲 Fitness & Outdoor Activity
Spend 1 hr/Week in Nature I spent a little bit more time outdoors this month, including a (socially distanced) day at the outdoor civilian rifle range on Camp Pendleton.Do Yoga 15x/Month I did yoga 13 times this month! This might be my record. The studio re-opens next month, but indoor practice with strangers does not fit in with my COVID risk management strategy.
Home Exercise RoutineI did such a great job getting in a routine in April, then fell off the wagon mid-May. This was due in part to wrist pain preventing me from doing push-ups.
💻🤳 Digital Life
Reduce Social Media Use This was absolutely terrible in May. I spent far too many hours scrolling through social feeds and news sites.Goals Check In: April 2020
I am focusing on intentional living to better align how I spend my time and energy with my values. Here is my April Update!
💰 Financial Wellbeing
Save, Save SaveSpend Less Specifically in the categories Restaurants and Mindless Online Purchases.
🧠📚 Personal Development
Read Every Day & Finish 44 Books in 2020 & Read More Diverse Voices I read every day this month, completing four books including two Hugo winners.- Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
- Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre
- The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
- The Stone Sky by N.K Jemisin
- Plant Basics - Can You Dig It with Lord Fierce - a Houseplants 101 workshop covering light, water, soil, and other basics. I am very interested in acquiring more houseplants after we move and took LOTS of notes!
- Playing Big with Tara Mohr, a 4-part women’s leadership development program offered by my company.
Complete Predictive Analytics Certificate Program by EOY ‘20 Currently enrolled in two classes. My program canceled one of the core classes at the last minute due to low enrollment. I hoped to knock out the requirements this quarter, but the advisor assured me it will return in the Fall.
🧘🌲 Fitness & Outdoor Activity
Spend 1 hr/Week in Nature I barely spent time outdoors this month besides a few walks with my husband and dog. My mental health is suffering because of this.Do Yoga 15x/Month I did yoga 7 times this month, all Yin or Restorative. These have not been my go-to styles in the past, but my body is craving the slower pace and deep stretching.
Home Exercise Routine Thanks to DAREBEE, I’m finding a routine that works for me. In the morning, I do wall push-ups and an ab workout. After work, I do a low impact bodyweight program and yoga. I found my stride in the second half of the month in making this a daily habit. When I complete these 30-day programs I’ll roll right into the next level.
💻🤳 Digital Life
Reduce Social Media Use I reigned in my social media usage this month. My daily average is now around 40 minutes, down from 60+ last month.Reflecting on Eight Weeks in Place
Eight weeks have passed since we began our stay at home confinement.
I signed up for two classes this quarter because I thought, “What else would I be doing right now? I should be productive!” It turns out that I would very much like to have time to relax, read, watch TV, and generally do nothing. I enjoy the coursework, but reading, homework, discussion boards, and quizzes are gobbling up the free hours that I desperately need to recharge. On the bright side, I look forward to finishing my certificate program before the end of the year.
On the subject of doing nothing - I decided to take two personal days next week. My plan? Read no news, do no homework, stay off Facebook. Maybe I’ll go for a long walk or binge on B-movies. I will dedicate two full days to listening to my mind and body and taking care of myself.
As we approach the transition to “Phase 2” of re-opening life on the west coast, I am encountering a whole new type of anxiety. I oscillate between feeling we’re moving too slowly or too quickly to return to some sense of normalcy. I hope we never find out if Southern California or any other region had or has the potential to have an outbreak on the scale of NY/NJ. Yet, the impacts on the economy and mental health affect everyone. Coming out of this I will deliberately shop local, shop small, and savor hugs with friends.
📽️ Movies this past week:
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) - fun story, characters, and critters.
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) - not great, it seemed to lack a purpose.
- The VelociPastor (2017) - silly trash and I loved it!
📚 Finished reading The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin, the final book in The Broken Earth Trilogy. I generally liked how it wrapped up and felt that things were explained to my satisfaction, without veering off into too much historical detail. I think I liked the first book best.
I realized this morning that I have not been using an alarm. In the past 46 days, sunrise has shifted from 7:09 to 6:10, and my natural waking time has followed. The day has streched from 11h44m to 13h18m in lengh, providing an extra 1h34m of daylight. I love this time of year! 🌞
Reflecting on Six Weeks in Place
I am finding alternatives to procure groceries and supplies without stressful in-store visits. A pickup order from Pavilions supplemented by milk and cheese from a local restuarant will get us through this week. We will run out of TP this week though, so a Target trip is in the cards. Masks from Etsy are in the mail so I can retire my improvised bandana mask. I also ordered two olive drab masks that my husband can wear to work and two fun brightly colored masks for my mom. I think we’ll be wearing these for a while, so I’ll be happy when we all have good ones.
Goals Check In: March 2020
I have been focusing on intentional living in order to better align how I spend my time and energy with my values. Obviously the world is not what it was a few weeks ago. Plans and routines are disrupted. I found restaurant spending and reading much easier this month, while social media and time in nature were a challenge.
Anyways, Here is my March Update!
💰 Financial Wellbeing
Save, Save SaveSpend Less Specifically in the categories Restaurants and Mindless Online Purchases.
🧠📚 Personal Development
Improve Photography Skills It looks like we won’t be traveling in June or much this year at all, which was a main motivator for this.Complete Predictive Analytics Certificate Program by EOY ‘20 Starting two more classes next week! On track to finish in December.
Read Every Day & Finish 44 Books in 2020 & Read More Diverse Voices I successfully read 30 out of 31 days in March and completed five books, including two Hugo winners.
- The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
- The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
- The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin
- Waking Up by Sam Harris
- Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
🧘🌲 Fitness & Outdoor Activity
Spend Time in Nature Spent 3 days snowboarding in Park City, Utah before everything shut down. Also took Peppy to zoom around at a baseball diamond before they locked the gates.Do Yoga 15x/Month I did yoga 9 times this month. Not great, but I’m adjusting since my yoga studio closed.
💻🤳 Digital Life
Reduce Social Media Use Social media use is through the roof, much to my detriment. I’m averaging ~1hr/day on Instragram and probably similar on Facebook. I’m also reading way too much news.Now is a great time to look at where you are not spending money while sheltering in place and stash it away in a high interest savings account. An emergency fund covering 6-12 months is “best,” but new research from JP Morgan Chase shows 6 weeks should be enough to weather volitility in income and expenses (they also made this handy calculator).
My monthly expenses in March were significantly lower since I’m not currently paying for gas, tolls, restaurants, or a yoga studio membership. While I am currently employed, my job is not very recession-proof, so every extra dollar is going into emergency cash savings.
Playing 🎲 Throw Throw Burrito, watching 📺 Dracula (2020), and daydreaming about grocery shopping like things were normal.
Forced myself to take the dog for a longer walk and do “Gentle Yoga” 🧘♂️ on Down Dog. Sunshine and movement do wonders for my mood, which needs all the help it can get these days.
