Despite being raised to mind my manners, I’ve come to accept that I’m hugely nosy — especially when it comes to money. In most cases, I draw the line at asking people how much money they make, but I’m always interested in talking about how they budget, what they spend, and how they save and/or…
Minimalism, KonMari, and living the “ideal” organized life
I’ve written before about how I accidentally became a minimalist in college. It started out as a logistical necessity, but in the last few years it’s become kind of an obsession. In 2017 I read Marie Kondo’s hit book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. While I think some aspects of her method are a…
3 Specific Ways I Wish I’d Fixed My Money Fears & Issues Sooner
When it comes to money, I spent the first several years of my adult life behaving like the proverbial ostrich. I kept my head buried in the sand, hoping my money fears would pass me by. Once I finally drummed up the courage to pop my head out and look around, I learned that there…
Review: Wildwood Dancing [Book club]
This review contains spoilers. Castle Piscul Dracului and the surrounding woods have a haunted and tragic reputation, but for Jena and her four sisters it’s their beloved home. They’ve spent their childhoods roaming the grounds and discovering the castle’s secrets — including a hidden portal only they can use. Through this portal lies the Other…
It’s Only Fear After All
Speech 10: Inspire Your Audience. The last speech of the Toastmasters Competent Communicator program challenges me to draw all my skills together to deliver a powerful inspirational message. I gave my Ice Breaker speech for Toastmasters on July 25, 2017. I started off that speech by saying, “I’ve spent most of my life fighting with…