Blogging is one of those things where the more you put into it, the more you get out. On a similar note, once you take some time off, you start feeling a little rusty and it’s hard to get back into it. I’ve definitely taken a long break from blogging over the past year. And I’ve gone back and forth a lot on how much I want to jump back in. A big component of taking such a long break has been due to my job being incredibly demanding. But it has also largely been due to my new outlook on time and productivity.

When you look around, you can’t help but wonder how many of us are just constantly on the go, living incredibly busy lives, and feeling either proud of how productive we are, or just burned out and overwhelmed? It took me a while to realize that I was constantly obsessed over how I was spending my time and if I was being “productive enough.” Although this year has been so far from what I had initially planned or expected. Some positives have come from it. This pandemic has really forced me to slow down and reevaluate how I spend my time.

What Happened When I Stopped Obsessing Over Productivity

Before quarantine and working from home, my days started at 5am and I would typically not get home until after 8pm, whether I was working or trying to squeeze in a blog event. My weekends were similarly packed with catching up on blogging, errands, and working out. And trying to squeeze out some semblance of a social life. I felt like I always had to be in two different places at once. And could never get everything done that I needed to in a day.

I don’t share this because I’m proud of this. I don’t think this should be normal, or how we should all be living our lives. And I truly believe it’s incredibly unhealthy. In fact, looking back and reflecting on how nonstop my lifestyle was pre-pandemic, I’m honestly confused how I had anything left in the tank by the end of the day. The truth is, I didn’t. Many days I would be running from West Hollywood to Manhattan Beach to Beverly Hills to home. I was running on 5-6 hours of sleep and way too much caffeine. Barely saw my fiancé, was rarely home, and always felt exhausted. My body was begging me to stop. And I only stopped when I would get sick and forced to stay in bed for a few days. As soon as I recovered, I’d resume my regular schedule.

Looking back, I took a lot of pride in pushing my limits – mentally and physically.

I really wanted to be able to do it all. And prove to myself that I was capable of doing anything I put my mind to. I was relentless in my pursuit of balancing everything. Because I really did believe that we should be able to have it all if we work hard. My perspective completely changed this year. Now I’m so much more about working smarter, NOT harder.

Once the pandemic hit, I no longer had to commute 2 hours a day. That was time that I gained back that I could put into sleeping, cooking, spending quality time at home. I also gave up 6am workouts in favor of long walks. And afternoon/evening Zoom or streaming workouts. I don’t always have as much energy towards the end of the day. So if I can only do half of the workout or need a day off, I allow myself that rest. I paused blogging for a long time because to be honest, it just didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right to be promoting beauty products and skincare, or expensive clothes when there was so much going on in the world that just felt bigger.

I know I was personally terrified for a long time, and still am, about what the future holds. I didn’t want to come off as tone deaf, or vapid, or insensitive. (< this is a post for another day, but I’ve really spent a long time thinking about how much we should care about what other people think of us). I felt really stumped on what to write or share, and in most cases it was easier to not say anything at all.

Now my days are much more leisurely – it’s a much simpler life.

There aren’t as many blog or social events, I don’t see many people, and I haven’t travelled anywhere since March. But I finally feel well rested, calm, and content. I cook most of my meals and nourish my body with whole foods, read a lot, put down my phone, spend time outdoors, and I get so much more quality time with my fiancé, AJ. I never realized how little quality time we actually got together during the week – and it’s been such a welcome change, albeit an adjustment. On that note, I do feel fortunate that my full-time job is not content creation. So I CAN unwind and not post or create content if I’m having an off week or two.

These days, I don’t beat myself up if I’m not up before the sun, or if I don’t workout first thing in the morning. I make my to-do lists much more manageable and try to focus on the one or two things that I need to get done in a day. I’m very selective about how I spend my time and refuse to sacrifice time that I need to recharge or rest to please others. I definitely still get anxious if I feel like I did “nothing” in a day – but I’m working on being okay with that and just going with the flow. To be honest, it’s been really, really nice.

Who knows what the next few months or even year will bring – but I do hope I can hold onto this feeling of calm and living in the present and carry it with me moving forward.

How have you seen your productivity or lifestyle change since the pandemic?

Let’s talk about downtherecare… specifically, the skin that we don’t show or ever talk about. Yep, we’re going there. Intimate wellness shouldn’t be taboo! In fact, almost half of Americans have a routine for their skincare down there. That’s why I’m excited to be partnering with Cottonelle® today – a brand that I’ve had in my household since I was a kid – to talk to you about how downtherecare has made a positive impact on my overall wellness. We talk so much about skincare for our face, but rarely talk about taking care of our skin down there!

DownThereCare With Cottonelle – Why You Need a Routine

Staying home has really forced me to re-evaluate my entire wellness routine from top to bottom. Working, exercising, and living at home – it’s all happening in the same space! I’ve never had to think so much about keeping the bathroom clean and fully stocked at all times. My days have picked up and I’ve found myself needing to establish a beauty and wellness routine that I can stick to. The times for me specifically that I need to refresh – after working out and during that time of the month. It’s even more important than usual to take care of your entire body and make sure you feel clean and refreshed.

I started pairing the combination of Cottonelle’s toilet paper and flushable wipes (yes, they really are flushable and don’t clog your toilet!). It makes staying clean and refreshed at home SO easy. The wipes especially are a game-changer! I even threw a pack of these in my gym bag as well for when I do start leaving the house more. Don’t knock them until you’ve tried them! I had never used wipes before but the added cleaning power makes my morning routine so much better. Especially for women during your period, or if you do any sort of waxing/hair maintenance down there, it’s so so important to take care of your skin and make sure you’re always clean.

Taking care of my entire body – from head to toe – has been key to staying confident and feeling healthy during these uncertain times.

What I’ve learned is that I can’t control every aspect of my life. Instead, I’ve learned to let go of what I can’t control, and focus on what I can. Which is myself, and treating myself when I need to. Whether it’s cooking my favorite meal or buying a new beauty product, I’ve been giving myself more self-care than ever before. I really view self-care as essential to my overall wellbeing, and every little bit counts. Thanks for introducing me to #downtherecare and partnering with me on this campaign, Cottonelle!

Follow me on Instagram for more updates.

Personal finance has been a longtime passion of mine, but because money is such a “taboo” subject (I feel like even more so than politics, sex, alcohol, etc.) I’ve always shied away from talking about it on the blog. That’s why I really love the Refinery29 series Money Diaries – I started reading the daily posts a few years back and thought it was so illuminating to see how much other women were earning and spending, and really made me think about why this isn’t a topic we talk about more openly.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of research on personal finance and having a lot of conversations with my fiancé on how we plan to combine finances after we get married. If anything, this pandemic has really shined a light on personal finance and led to a lot of candid conversations around money. I’m not the only one – personal saving levels reached record highs in the United States during the pandemic. I think this is a topic that is on a lot of peoples’ minds. And I really believe there should be more transparency and candid discussions around personal finance.

As tempting as it’s been to buy ALL the new loungewear and home decor, I’ve been making an effort to find ways to save money while still spending on the things I love. If you’re trying to do the same, here are my easiest tips on how to save money this year and get your personal finances in check.

Tips to Save Money This Year

+ Set a goal

If this sounds basic, it’s because it is! Setting a goal enables you to have a bigger picture in mind and understand why you’re trying to save money. Whether it’s saving for a vacation, a future wedding, house, babies, retirement, setting concrete goals helps you track your progress and stay on course. It’s easy to set “saving money” as a goal (because you need it for all the things!) but without a number or purpose in mind, it can feel daunting. Having a vision for your money also helps when you’re tempted by something in the now. You can think to yourself, “do I really need that new handbag? Or would I rather put that money towards X”? And cut down on impulse purchases.

+ Make a budget and track your finances

So many of us just spend our money and check our account from time to time. But do you really know where your money is going? A basic rule of thumb is the 50/30/20 rule. 50% of your income should go towards necessities (housing, food, transportation). 30% should go towards wants (think of this as your “fun money”). And 20% should go towards savings and tackling debt. Take inventory of your monthly income and use this split as a general rule of thumb. It can be hard to follow if you’re living in high cost of living city. But having even a framework for what you want your budget to look like will go a long way.

If you’ve never done this before, I would suggest looking at your spending from the past 3 months and adding up your spending in different categories – things like groceries, shopping, subscription services. Once you have a general sense of how much you spend on different categories every month, you can match that with your budget and set a guideline for how much you can spend in each area.

+ Cut down in one area

If you feel like you’re living paycheck to paycheck or don’t know where all your money is going, instead of having an “all or nothing” mindset, pick just one area to cut down on for a month. A really easy one to do, especially now, is coffee. Maybe you find yourself eating out every single meal. If this is the case, challenge yourself to cook at least 1 meal a day at home. Think of this as a “Marie Kondo” exercise for your budget. If buying a latte every day makes you really happy, then add coffee to your budget. But maybe consider making lunch at home.

+ Sell used items

Now is the best time to purge your closet and home. One man’s trash is another’s treasure. And you’d be surprised how much activity there is on resale sites right now. I’ve been selling my clothes on Poshmark for years. And recently I’ve taken an even more ruthless approach in getting rid of clothing and accessories I no longer love. I realized I get sick of stuff pretty easily. So now I donate or sell items from my closet as soon as I’m ready to move on. I’ve really tried to stick to a rule of “one out, one in” when it comes to my closet. For every new item I purchase, I have to get rid of something.

On a similar note, decluttering your home seems to be a popular theme of the pandemic – so I would really recommend looking at everything in your house and donating or selling items you’ve outgrown on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or OfferUp. You might be surprised at how much you can make through purging items you no longer love. And you can easily put this money towards your savings goal.

+ Open the right accounts

Think of various accounts as tools in your personal finance kit. I like to have a checking account where I only keep enough to pay my bills and then put the rest of my paycheck in other accounts. If you keep most of your money in cash in a checking account, you are literally losing money to inflation. Interest rates are super low right now, so savings accounts are not as attractive as they were a year ago – but even earning 0.8% interest on your money is better than nothing!

If you work a corporate job, you most likely have access to tax-advantaged retirement accounts like a 401k. Ask your HR department or employer about these – at the bare minimum, put enough into these accounts to get a free match if your employer offers one. Many people are also eligible for Roth IRAs, which allow you to invest and withdraw your money tax-free. If you’re self-employed or a freelancer, you might want to consider a SEP IRA. Educate yourself on the different types of retirement accounts to learn about which ones are right for you. These accounts will help you save on taxes and help tremendously with retirement and other financial goals you may have.

+ Educate yourself

There are SO many free or close to free resources out there on personal finance. If you’re just starting to learn about personal finance, I highly recommend doing research on the internet, reading books, and learning about basic accounts and financial terms before spending money on a financial advisor or paying for advice.

How are you finding ways to save money right now?

 

It’s been a while since my last post, between COVID, work, and a big move last month there has been a lot going on! In case you missed it, we moved last month to a new neighborhood. We’re still in LA, but living in a different part of town. So far we are loving it and taking every chance we have to walk around our new hood and explore everything this part of town has to offer. Because we are staying home more than ever, we knew we wanted a space that would be large enough for AJ and me to have our own space to work from home. (The competing Zoom calls at the same time got to be a bit much.) And after living in Hollywood/West Hollywood since I moved to LA six years ago, it was time for a change.

I thought finding a new spot to rent would be easy with the pandemic. But the housing market is surprisingly competitive for renting and owning! As much as we were hoping we’d find a great deal, we focused instead on the neighborhood and fell in love with our current spot. Since we rarely leave the house anymore, I’ve shifted all of my attention to home goods and making our new place feel like home as much as possible. Decorating is a process and takes a lot of time – and money – hence why I’ve been a little MIA! Ever since COVID hit I really haven’t been in the mood to shop for clothes. So home goods and furniture have filled the shopping void for me – from little pieces such as serving trays and throw blankets, all the way to outdoor furniture!

Where to Buy Affordable Outdoor Furniture

The best part of our new place is the private rooftop with incredible views of the city stretching from Century City to DTLA and beyond. Shopping for outdoor furniture was surprisingly difficult because we weren’t the only ones looking for it! Outdoor furniture is one of the winning categories during COVID (along with at-home fitness equipment, gardening supplies, and toilet paper) which makes it tough to get your hands on at times. We finally got our outdoor couch (which is unfortunately sold out now) but are still waiting on our outdoor rug and some additional seating, which was all back-ordered.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about my outdoor furniture so I wanted to share where we’ve been shopping for outdoor furniture and how you can furnish an outdoor space without breaking the bank. Outdoor furniture can be tough. If you go too cheap it will break easily. But price is not always indicative of quality, and higher-priced pieces can still be ruined by Mother Nature.

Where to shop for affordable outdoor furniture

+ Target

I’ve been really pleasantly surprised by Target’s home decor. They have a great variety of home items at great prices and their patio furniture has rave reviews. The set we wanted was sold out when we were shopping for our outdoor furniture (to be honest, a LOT of their furniture is sold out) but it came highly recommended by several people. This egg chair seems to be a crowd favorite, although I really love their conversation sets and sofas as well. If you’re looking for outdoor decor as well (think throw pillows, blankets, rugs, etc.) I highly recommend Target.

+ Wayfair

Wayfair has great prices, although the quality can be hit or miss. Be sure to read the reviews and take measurements before ordering anything. We ordered this couch and despite some so-so reviews we really love it! I would also suggest getting a cover or treatment for your outdoor furniture in the event of bad weather.

+ Ikea

I say this somewhat cautiously because a few weekends ago we tried to go to Ikea. And the line to get into the store was an hour long. And we had gotten to the store 30 minutes before it opened. I don’t recommend Ikea for most things. But they do have some items that are great. If this were pre-COVID times and you could walk in and leisurely stroll through the store, I would say it might be worth it. We specifically had our eye on these stools and chairs. But decided they weren’t waiting in line for almost 2 hours to buy. You really can’t beat Ikea prices. But chances of their outdoor furniture lasting longer than a couple of years is probably slim.

+ Resale

If you need something sooner, it’s always worth checking out a resale app or site. I’ve found great items on Craigslist, OfferUp, and Facebook Marketplace. It’s worth checking all of those sites and putting up alerts if there is anything you want in particular. You can find great items from Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and even Restoration Hardware at a steep discount if you’re patient and willing to take a drive. Always negotiate, but know that popular items will go quickly!

+ Vintage Stores & Flea Markets

This takes a bit more effort and time, but it can be oh so worth it. I’m not the best at thrifting, but now that the flea markets are open again I want to swing by to find a bistro set for the patio and some other pieces for indoor as well. Vintage is the way to go when you want something unique that will make your place stand out. Flea markets also often have local furniture makers that will build things custom for you – another great option if you want something a little different. Personally, I like to mix some big box store pieces with more unique finds.

Where do you like to buy affordable outdoor furniture?

 

The 2020 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is currently happening for select cardmembers only. I’ll admit I don’t have a Nordstrom card. And I don’t know if I will in the near future. I don’t usually do these posts as I find the Nordstrom sales to be slightly underwhelming for the most part. I was actually pleasantly surprised by some of the items this year. But due to the tiered structure of when you can shop the sale, most of the items I had in my cart are already sold out! With that said there are still some items I have my eye on to buy when the sale opens to everyone on August 19. I just hope some of these will still be in stock!

9 Items Worth Buying from the 2020 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

To be honest I am a very picky shopper, especially when it comes to sales. I have always been more about quality over quantity, and refuse to buy something just because it’s on sale. If I wouldn’t have paid full price for it, I try to avoid buying simply because there’s a 30% off discount. The items below are from brands that I actually purchase from regularly. And many of the items are the exact ones I’ve paid full price for. If you do a little research you can quickly figure out if 1. the items are available the rest of the year and 2. if you’re actually getting a discount on the bundle.

I don’t usually shop the Nordstrom Anniversary sale for clothing and accessories (I’m skeptical of the items that seem like they were made purely for the sale, and aren’t available during other times), but you can find some great deals on home & beauty products. See below for my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks and the items I’m actually planning on buying!

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