Five things that make me happy:
- My son and I were craving a fresh re-watch of the original Wallace and Gromit short movies, and were able to find them for free through my mother’s Amazon Prime account! (This was after using a RedBox code to watch Shaun The Sheep, which I highly recommend.)
- Clark Howard published another one of my pieces, this time about “How choosing to buy used saves both time and money.”
- The Portland Timbers soccer team, who just won the MLS national championship. Rose City ’til I die! #RCTID
- Hot sweet Red Rose tea, energizing and 2.5-4¢ per cup!
- Looking forward to visiting my sister in New York City next week to share in celebrating her 50th birthday! Gretchen Rubin writes about the important role of having things to look forward to in The Happiness Project, and I happily agree!
One thing that’s pissing me off:
- My NYC trip coincides with my son being home from college, which means I’ll miss out on hanging out with him for five days of his winter break. Oh well, I guess I can’t have it both ways . . . .
Now your turn. What’s making you happy, and conversely what’s been pissing you off?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
1. I was able to use $40 of ibotta rebates to buy socks for the office holiday sock drive.
2. I was surprised with a small Christmas bonus this year which I will use to purchase some MUCH NEEDED new bras.
3. Yesterday I found a lap desk for a laptop at the thrift store for $5. My boyfriend didn’t want to buy it because he thought $5 was too expensive but it retails for over $30 new. PLUS it frees my cutting board back up (what he’s been using as a lap desk for the past few weeks).
4. Listening to Carole King. <3
5. I decorated for Christmas yesterday. It was such a joy to see all of my favorite ornaments from my childhood (including some that I made). Bonus: the cat hasn't climbed my tree (yet).
One thing that's pissing me off:
I'm making a stash-busting crocheted afghan for my boyfriend for Christmas this year and I ran out of red yarn about 15 stitches too early. Instead of spending my lunch break crocheting, I spent it navigating the crowds and parking lots trying to get more yarn. I walked but still almost got hit about 10 times. Sigh. I hate going to stores this time of year! Oh well. At least I was able to buy the yarn with a gift card. 🙂
I love Carole King as well, especially her Nutshell Library companion songs! “Hot chicken soup with rice!!!”
She’s SO GOOD!!!
I’m down to one bra, it’s getting serious here.
I’ve done the padded moleskin trick on ALL of my bras at this point. 3/5 bras had the underwire come out THROUGH the moleskin. I don’t know. I guess I’m just wearing the wrong size? Although when I measured myself it’s the RIGHT size. I think it’s just the quality of the bras I bought (VS) is complete CRAP.
My bras just seem to fail in all areas. Currently, the one I have on(the only one) the elastic is failing. It seems to be getting bigger and bigger. I don’t dry them but they over time they just weaken. Pretty much all brands fail over time for me. They unfortunately have a pretty big job to do so I guess it’s to be expected.
The last time I had the wire poke through a bra, I took it back to Kohls.
Because I had used my charge card, they could tell it had been less than
a year and I received a credit for it. I normally hate to charge items, but in this case it worked out well, and good customer service to boot!
I bought a bunch from Victoria’s Secret because they USED to have that deal where if the underwire popped out they would exchange them for you. I bought 5 bras for $120 and two of them had the underwire pop out in the first two months. At the time I was taking the bus everywhere so it took me another month to actually get to the store. The manager told me they could only accept bras with defects within 30 DAYS!!! I was PISSED and have been bitter about it forever. Haha
my VS bras used to have the underwire poke out EVERY time. I’ve been buying Warner’s bras at Kohl’s for the past couple of years, instead, and I have yet to have any underwires escape.
Good to know! Thanks!
1. I found bras that are the perfect compromise between public decency and going braless as a “bigger” lady…. And they’re only $5 apiece at Walmart.
2. At the end of the week, I get to visit family for the holidays. Hooray!
3. I nailed my audition last weekend, even though I chose a notoriously difficult piece of music.
4. Wool by Hugh Howey. So much better than I expected it to be.
5. I have a washing machine, now. Some people wouldn’t say this is non-consumer enough, but if they saw my house, they would understand that I consume very little. It’s making me very happy to not be hand-washing my laundry. 🙂
And for one thing that’s pissing me off:
– Maybe it’s more “anxious” than “pissed off”, but I’m a free-lancer, and my main client has unexpectedly stopped ordering work without word or explanation. No idea if/when they will start up again. Hello stress! 😛
I don’t normally comment on things like this, but I feel like this was an exercise I needed to do today.
WAIT — bras are $5 at Walmart? How’s the support? If I buy them, will I be bouncing all over the place? LOL. I’m a 36DD if that helps.
I’m SUPER happy for you and your washing machine!!! I go to the laundry mat (no patience for hand washing laundry!) and last weekend there was only ONE washing machine available. Turns out my (alcoholic) neighbor was using the one next to it. She comes in to tell me (AFTER I started my load) “oh, I was feeling a little relaxed and poured a bunch of Downy into that machine so YAY free Downy for you!” I’m incredibly allergic to Downy. But at least I know what caused my rash! So, be happy and proud and grateful for your washing machine! 🙂
1. Surprising mominlaw with cake at the bowling alley with her friends. She is a doll. Finding the cake for half price..enough to give all 24 ppl a nice slice.
2.. Even with the furnace still broken, were staying comfortably warm. I worked for Biederlak several years ago when they were closing down the plant and was given at least 15 blankets. I gave many away but have a few left that we are happy to have at night!
3. Learning a lot about myself from the NCA group. It’s been a revelation and one I’m glad for.
4. Hearing the old steam engine that runs through town blow its whistle. What a sound! So much history breathes through that whistle.
5. I havent had more than a few cents in my pocket for over two years. I’m disabled and can’t work and we don’t have enough discretionary income to give me an allowance. Finding the work around has been valuable even in my old age.
The mad thing…I won’t see my mom again till spring
After a wonderful Thanksgiving with BOTH of our children, SO, and all FOUR grandsons, my husband and I saw them all safely on their way home on Monday.
We both woke up Tuesday morning with coughs! It’s what we expect after almost a week with four little germ factories. We hadn’t seen two of the boys for 18 months, and the youngest turned two while here!
DIY remedies seem to allow for minimal function and there’s plenty of food in the house to sustain us.
All this down time has helped me realize 90% of planned holiday gifts are just waiting for wrapping!
1. Found so many markdowns at the grocery store this morning. Purchased several 1/2 gallons of milk, 2 pkgs of cheese, 3 packs of yogurt, a loaf of french bread, and 2, yes 2, dozen eggs. May not mean much to some but in my area eggs have been pricey.
2. Did a super cute Christmas craft with my kids. They got red paint all over the counter but since its old scratched Formica, I didn’t really care. Another perk of not having a brand new kitchen.
3. Made sloppy joes even though I told my husband we were having a cereal night. Pleasant surprise for him, raging heartburn for me.
4. Still nursing a bit of a sore throat. I refuse to give in to paying a copay only to here, “it’s viral”. Hot lemon-honey-ginger tea is such a treat.
My brother quit his job. He is constantly picked on for being,we will just say, ” kinda different”. So,yeah, it is pissing me off. He is not able to work most jobs so chances of getting another is bleak. I hope you all take time to stand up for someone that may appear lesser than you are even when others are dragging them down.
Jennifer, I’m so sorry your brother experience workplace bullying! I was just listening to a podcast at OnBeing where a neuroscientist talked about the very positive physiological changes we undergo when we practice compassion. I wish everyone -including your brother’s former co-workers – would learn that secret and put it into practice!
5 things I am happy about:
* An amazing massage received today and covered at 80% (so will cost me 18$ out of pocket)… and just having health and dental insurance through my husband in general.
* That my daughter’s ear infection is finally clearing and she’s not suffering anymore
* Good books borrowed from the library
* My house!! I love my house!
* That my 5yo made a good friend at school who happens to live 3 houses from us, so they can spend a lot of time together and we made kind-of-friends with the parents too.
1 thing that is pissing me off :
– The old house still unsold, even being marketed 9000$ below evaluation price….. grrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Getting a lot accomplished this weekend in the yard with my 12 year-old daughter. She cleaned the gutters which really saved on the old knees. My fav quote from her yesterday “lets get it done!” Where have I heard that before, lol.
2. The white twinkle lights we put up this weekend all around the porch and my old fashion plug in candle lights in all the front windows.
3. Playing Christmas music at work and at home.
4. Snuggling on the couch this weekend watching movies with my daughter.
5. Giving Christmas gifts as thank yous to those who have helped us this year. 🙂
6. Being chastised at work today for something I had not been told about when I was trained on a few months ago and being asked to produce things without any notice or training.
1. I made Dulce de Ajonjoli (sesame candy) to give as gifts. I was already a fan of the Asian, Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern and European versions of sesame candy, but ajonjoli is the one I tried while in Puerto Rico earlier this year and it flooded me with happiness when I ate a piece (or three).
2. My four hens laid four perfect eggs today.
3. Facebook reminded me of a ‘memory’ from last year and there was ice on the tree branches. Today it was in the high 50s.
4. I’ve been reading the Humans of New York (HONY) stories of Syrian (soon to be American) refugees and the stories make me cry, but sometimes the tears are good ones. I’ve decided to gift my brother and sister with the HONY book (which supports his mission).
5. I received notification that one of the library books I put on hold is in. I haunted the used book store for months with no luck and all of this time I could have checked it out from our wonderful library.
Pissing me off: Wow, I must be pretty peaceful right now as I can’t think of anything specific to my life, so I will say I really am pissed off at all the hate and intolerance in the world. It really sucks.
Did you see the most recent story on HONY about thendoctir and her husband? It was fantastic 🙂
*doctor
I did. I tear up so much when I read those stories!
1. That Thanksgiving went so well this year.
2. That my informally adopted daughter and granddaughter like to spend time with me, and that the little one gave me a hug and said, “I love you!” last time we were together.
3. That it’s really foggy out, so there may be a fog cancellation tomorrow = no school for me!!
4. That my husband pitched in tonight and did most of the dishes, after our sons trashed the kitchen making their own dinner. (When I make dinner, they eat better, cheaper, and with less mess….)
5. My new heating pad, a gift from my husband to treat my hip pain.
Pissed off…. read the above comment about a trashed kitchen GRRR
The pissed off about one comes out first: I went to the big Galleria Mall today for Christmas shopping. It’s two floors and it’s a long walk from one end to the other. I was there for about 3 1/2 hours, walked until I could walk no more, and bought……absolutely nothing!! Not finding what I want when I do have ideas, and not finding ideas when I’m looking just for ideas. So frustrating.
Things making me happy:
1. Going back to yoga class–tomorrow will be the second time–since my recent illness knocked me out of the running for nearly a month. I love that class.
2. Hoping to get a haircut on my way home tomorrow, and possibly stop in one or two stores in town for further shopping. Small doses for arthritic hips and back.
3. Going to lunch with my sisters on Wednesday–we try to do it once a month and didn’t make it last month at all.
4. Husband has been helping me more than usual lately, and I’ve needed the help! Makes me feel like rewarding him with better meals/desserts when I have the time.
5. Really have been enjoying staying inside more with the cooler weather, and trying to get more done indoors. Not sure that’s really happening, but we are making the effort!
1. Three papers to write and one section of exams to grade and I am done for the semester!
2. Found a new cleaning lady who shows lots of promise, but is still competitively priced at $65 per cleaning.
3. Our church’s new preacher and his wife are quickly becoming friends. I can’t wait to have them over for dinner.
4. Our newborn is now five weeks old and starting to ease into a schedule.
5. Things are going really well financially. Somehow we are finding money left over at the end of each month lately. I don’t know what we have done differently but I will take it.
1. See number one above. These papers sure would be easier if I wasn’t sleep deprived and simultaneously caring for an infant 24/7. I’m not complaining, just venting.
1) I went consignment shopping and to Goodwill yesterday. With consignment credit applied, I got a new pair of pants, 4 new tops, and a new dress for $18. And I need new work clothes for a big event in January. Can’t work from home all the time.
2) Flowers from my friends have lasted 2+ weeks in our home. Yay!
3) New rain jacket. I looked high and low for used, with no luck. And going without is not an option in Seattle. Nordstrom was price matching so I got a new all-seasons rain jacket for $80. Hardly frugal, very necessary. And triple points day. I save my rewards for new bras.
4) Back to my yoga practice. Wondering why I stayed away.
5) My husband has 11 weeks PTO. He’s going to start working 4 day weeks for a bit to burn some PTO. I work from home and can keep most of my work to 4 days as well!
….
1) This weather. Pass the Vitamin D.
1. My daughters and my nephew and niece just love each other so much. We did not have little cousins for my kids for a long time, and now we have two little ones and they all just adore each other. It’s lovely.
2. Once again managed to avoid buying the dreaded latte today (actually, the Aussie version, which is a flat white). I have a serious coffee addiction – I am not breaking the caffeine habit, just the coffee that I am drinking.
3. I booked my daughter in for a free soccer day in the holidays with her two friends. It will be a fun day for them – food and drinks provided.
4. I was explaining the true greatness of the Beatles to my daughter on the way home from work today. Today is the anniversary of John Lennon’s death, and although he died when I was just small, I am still sad that he died, but happy that I was able to explain how amazing the Beatles were to her. “Better than Taylor Swift?” she asked. “Well, Taylor Swift is pretty good, but the Beatles were better.” Lol. Kids are so much fun.
5. I am reading a great book called Nudge. It is about Behavioural Economics. When I don’t feel like reading that, I am reading an Unauthorised Biography of Superman. Ya gotta be in the mood for Behavioural Economics 🙂
The thing that is bugging me…aside from the aforementioned anniversary of John Lennon’s death…I have put on 2kg right before Xmas and now I have to work on getting rid of it. 2kg is about 4 pounds. I am one of those people that if I don’t reverse it now, I will look up in three months time and it will be 10kg – sure as sugar, as Marge Simpson would say.
1) Received an assortment of non-perishables from my local buy-nothing group. I’m having fun figuring out what to do with lychee butter and teff (not in the same dish!).
2) We are pretty much done with Christmas shopping/ crafting. Lots of thrift store shopping and closet shopping this year.
3) My husband sold some of his “collectables” and comic books. More space and it loosened up the Christmas budget a tad.
4) I’m thawing out the bonus Thanksgiving turkey for a 2-generation, three-birthday-boy celebration (my two boys and my dad- all within 5 days). Good food, and good company!
5) I’m looking forward to seeing my sister, her wife, and their baby when they visit next week.
One thing pissing me off. . . Recent politics around the San Bernardino shootings. I’ve been limiting my news consumption to avoid yelling at the radio in the morning.
I have to cut myself off from the news channels after a while. They cause me to feel depressed.
Same here, I got so anxious with all the scary news that I had trouble functioning, so I put myself on a total news ban and I feel much better now.
1. I’m thankful for the sunshine. We need some rain, but we’ve had so many days of solidly gray skies and high humidity but no rain, that I welcome the sun.
2. I’m happy that my youngest grandchild finally decided that her Nana is great and was content to sit with me. She’s 20 months old and she’s been exclusively stuck on men — her daddy and grandfathers — since birth, but she is finally coming to see her mama and aunt and Nana as worthy of her attention as well.
3. Happy that Katy gave me the idea to pick up abandoned hair bands and wash them so I can use them. I’m wearing one today. Why did I never think of that?
4. Happy that I am paying bills, because it means I have the money to pay them. That hasn’t always been the case.
5. Happy that Christmas for our family means gathering together and sharing a Christmas Eve service, a great meal the next day, and fun opening presents. What a blessing that is!
Pissing me off: Christmas Eve marks the 10th anniversary of the death of the entire family of one of my daughter’s friends. He lost his parents and only sibling to a drunk driver when he was only 19. He had to work Christmas Eve, so he wasn’t with them when they crashed. Why do people drink and drive? Yet there will be a bunch of people doing just that over the holidays, more than usual. It makes me furious.
1. I am making great progress on my Christmas shopping. We only buy for the kids in our extended family, which I am thankful for.
2. A lot of my ebay listings are being sold, which I attribute to people buying more than usual this time of year. Love hearing the cha-ching sound from my tablet with every buy it now.
3. My office is having a snack dish type potluck tomorrow. These are always pretty fun.
4. Dug out my Christmas CDs to listen to while at work.
5. Happy that our public library is a block from my office, so I can walk over every week to pick up holds or browse. Our post office is also only a couple blocks away, so I can walk over to drop off packages.
Bad 1. Annoyed by how inconsiderate and/or clueless people are on the local FB sale boards. It isn’t that hard to send a message to meet, or read a message and respond.
1. I was given a new old car and a pair of small diamond stud earrings by my aunt this week.
2. A big social obligation that I’d been dreading is now done, and it went well.
3. I spent time babysitting my little niece today. We napped together, which is about the sweetest thing I can imagine.
4. The transition for my aunt from home to hospital to skilled nursing to hospice care has gone about as seamlessly as possible, and I feel she is being well cared for.
5. The free Physical Therapy continues, and it makes me feel so good.
The thing that pisses me off is that with all this extra stress and activity, my fibromyalgia is killing me with an exacerbation of pain and fatigue and mental confusion.