Wednesday Happenings

First of all, what is happening with recruiters? I've had three calls scheduled (this is over several months) where recruiters just don't show up. No reschedule, no cancellation email, no apology. It's so unprofessional. I get that things come up, but as someone who has interviewed hundreds of people over the course of my career, I've never bailed without notice or an email. So bizarre. Anyway, suffice it to say my interview yesterday didn't happen. I had one hilarious situation where an exec was reaching out to my LinkedIn, really wanting me to apply for a role. 1) I'd already replied. 2) the recruiter blew me off not once, but twice for a call. When I let him know about #2, he was mortified. I let him know, because clearly the recruiter was disappointing plenty of potential candidates out there.

Anyway, on to other things. 

I'm hiking with a friend this morning. We live near a nature preserve (one of my absolutely favorite parts of our location) & I have a great trail we take often. But, I found another loop of it (actually, Nick showed me a few weeks ago) that extends it a bit & ends with a gorgeous view. Maybe we will try that out.

I also didn't finish my volunteer work yesterday, so that's on the agenda for today.

And, job searching. I feel blessed that I've never had to job search like this before. I got my first job via an internship in college, and had a full time offer before I graduated. Then, when we moved to California, the company that hired M asked to interview me as well & I got an offer without trying. I swapped jobs within the first company I worked for, but that process was very easy & low risk. I do not enjoy the current job search process. I've made it to three final interviews where the company decided not to fill the role (very common right now, as companies are posting 3-4 jobs for every head count, and then seeing which they fill first & then cancelling the other roles). I'm also trying to make a bit of a pivot, industry wise, which is much harder than applying for the most logical next job from a resume perspective. Anyway, it's a lot of time & emotional energy. I have a lot of compassion for folks who are frantically job searching & are desperate to replace their income, because it's so rough out there. 

As always, plenty of yard work awaits me. And, maybe some muffin baking. Today feels like a day to make cranberry muffins (M's favorites), or, work through the glut of bananas. We're going to have to stop buying them. Nick eats maybe one a week. Definitely not enough to keep buying bunches. Maybe I'll buy the occasional solo banana at Trader Joes moving forward. 

What are you up to today? Inspire me with all of your fun or creative pursuits!

Distraction Tuesday

I'm trying to make sure I have plenty of healthy things to do today, so I don't doom scroll the news all day/evening. 

Here's what's on my list:

1. Sort out car title/transfer (we sold our extra car! Hurrah!)
2. Morning work out class
3. Daily chores (meditate, language lesson, journal)
4. Work in the yard for an hour
5. Get in 12k steps
6. Work on job applications
7. Puzzle or read
8. Come up with 10 things to sell or donate
9. Fill out coach's reports & complete all monthly tasks for volunteering role

What about you? What are your plans for today? Also, in the US, props to all of you who are poll workers, helping to ensure everyone can safely cast their vote!

Menu Plan Monday

 It's time to get back on the wagon with menu planning. October was a busy month with traveling, and having lots of house guests. We need to get back on track!

Here's what's on the menu for the week:

• Friday - ravioli (me) + leftover fajita chicken (M)
• Saturday - creamy dijon chicken
• Sunday - slow cooker potato soup
• Monday - leftover dijon chicken
• Tuesday - Swedish meatballs
• Wednesday - garlic noodles with beef & broccoli
• Thursday - leftover meatballs
• Friday - leftover garlic noodles

What about you? Do you have any new recipes on your list? The Swedish meatballs are new for us. I'm also looking forward to freezing the potato soup leftovers, so I can have easy lunches! I love soup for lunch in fall & winter. 

Sunday Happenings

Yesterday was a good day. I try & take at least one day a week to have a much easier workout (or, none at all, if we're traveling or the like.) I went for a morning walk, & then M & I played a quick game of pickle ball. It was very fun & the weather was perfect for both. It was super chilly for my walk, but the leaves were gorgeous. It warmed up enough for pickle ball that I played in a tank top & pants. 

I hustled home, and ate lunch & then headed off to watch Nick's soccer game. They pulled out a win, despite quite a few injuries and a few questionable calls. Nick gave me a ride home from the game, and we chatted about the fact that his club soccer season is ending in just a few weeks. Nick has been playing club soccer for 11 years, so this will be quite a milestone! I can't believe it. School soccer tryouts start tomorrow. You can't play games for both teams at the same time due to youth athletic regulations, so they are quickly winding down club soccer, so school sports can begin. 

I made a new to us recipe last night, and it was delicious. Highly recommend this creamy dijon chicken recipe. I chose it because it uses heavy cream, which I needed for a slow cooker baked potato soup recipe I'm trying tonight. And, we always have spinach to use up! 

As for today, here's my plan:

• Go to a workout class
• Make slow cooker soup
• Laundry
• Apply for two jobs
• Meet a friend for a hike
• Pay Nick's physics tutor
• Work with Nick on last college application
• Buy thank you gifts for the teachers who wrote Nick's college letters of recommendation
• Drop off Halloween candy at BN contact who is collecting it for a shelter
• Find 5 items to donate
• Talk to the boys about our plans for New Year's/winter break

What about you? What are you up to today?

October Goals Recap

 October was not a great month for goals, and it was not a great month for my health. I had a lupus flare, was diagnosed with another autoimmune disease, and the lupus (they think) is triggering a lot of anemia. All of that to say, I didn't have much energy in October.  I did have a fantastic vacation with M, and I'm on medicine for the lupus again, so fingers crossed I'm feeling more like myself in November.

Financial:

• Save $2500 this month. - We were reimbursed for a car we bought for my special needs aunt (I'm not counting that in our savings, as it just repays our account & we knew we'd be getting the money back - it just impacted our cash flow). We managed to save $1684 this month, falling short of our goal, as we paid for Nick's orthodontia work. 
• Freezer goal: - I accomplished neither of these goals
• Eat 1/2 of the leftover pizza 
• Use up the cranberries 
• Get car sold - nope. M has shown it a few times, but it's not sold yet. 
• Update CD that is renewing - yes! Moved it to a different term that was paying far better.
• Sell Sam's old bike & my old fitness watch - sold the old bike. However, I did manage to finally sell my old jewelry (a goal from wayyyyy back this year), & a few other higher value items & made $2630 in October, which is a big win. 

Family:

• Help Nick with college applications & essays, & achieve all school deadlines - Yes, & he's heard back from a few schools already. We have just one application & one scholarship form due in the next four weeks.
• Adjust menu plan for 3 diners - eh, I did okay on this. October wasn't a great cooking month, but we did manage to avoid tossing food, and are being better about food planning, purchasing & cooking. 
• Have a great trip to Costa Rica - yes, it was fabulous!

Fitness:

• Continue PT for hip - I haven't been consistent about this, but as long as I'm keeping an eye on my running pace, speed & frequency, my hip pain has been pretty manageable. 
• 15 strength workouts - I got in 14/15 workouts, so close! 
• Follow the No S diet 15 days & track calories daily - I lost track. I'm guessing I had about 10 days of No S, and I tracked calories about 75% of the time
• Successfully run the 10k with my sister & friend - yes, and I PR'd vs the same race last year. I'm very pleased, given how I was feeling leading up to the race.
• See the doctor about lack of energy & overall health - I had three doctor's appointments, plus a CT scan, and two rounds of lab work in order to figure out what's going on, as well as additional appointments next month. It was no shortage of effort to manage my health in October. 
• Lose 2 lbs - I maintained my weight, which I'm fine with, given all of the above. 

Personal:

• Complete daily tasks 20 times (meditate, language lesson, journal) - I didn't track this, and wasn't particularly consistent this month. I'd estimate I managed around 10 times.
• Get together with friends - yes, saw friends for hikes, coffee, & working out, not to mention my girls trip to Portland for the 10k.
• Declutter 25 items - 24/25 items 
• Network 2x - yes, I met an old friend for a hike, and one for lunch. 
• Continue exploring jobs. Apply for two jobs in a "pivot" field. - Yes, I probably applied to about 10. 
• Spend time on volunteering role - yes, I've continued to mentor the three students I'm helping with the college process. 
• Play pickleball 3x. - nope! Didn't happen this month. I thought we might play in Costa Rica, but it was a bit too hot & humid for us. 

What about you? How did you do with your October goals? Let us know so we can cheer you on!

Frugal Friday

 It's been a busy week, as we've had guests (my parents, then my uncle, and finally just my mom, after my dad & uncle left). Here are a few wins we cobbled together. 

Savings on things we buy

• Submitted receipts to Fetch & iBotta, and saved $1.60 on a grocery store purchase

Earning money

• Filled out a health care survey for a $10 Door Dash gift card. (I will combine with my credit card Door Dash offers.) 
• Sold a watch on eBay

Avoiding spending

• Considered taking my mom out to lunch one day, but we'd already had quite a few meals out over the past few weeks, so I picked up sandwich fixings, and we sat outside in the sun & enjoyed our lunch together. 

Eating what we have

• Had leftover fajitas for dinner one night
• Planned meals for our visitors (chicken & rice, burgers, etc) to keep costs under control
• My mom & I had salads with chicken for lunch one day, and leftover soup another day

For others

• Had a call with the one of the students I'm mentoring. 

What about you? Any wins to share? 

November goals

 I'll be back with an October goal recap soon. For now, here are my November goals! 

Financial:

• Achieve savings goal. If we sell a car, that will get added on top of the savings goal.
• Mini freezer clean out:
• Eat 1/2 of the pizza in the freezer
• Use up the cranberries
• Sell the white car
• Sell fitness watch

Family:

• Help Nick with final college application & scholarship essay
• Sort out plans for winter break
• Finalize all travel plans for Sam
• One fun activity with the boys, while Sam is in town for Thanksgiving
• 2 dates with M

Fitness:

• 15 strength workouts
• Follow the No S diet 15 days & track calories daily
• Schedule MRI
• Lose 2 lbs

Personal:

• Complete daily tasks 20 times (meditate, language lesson, journal)
• Get together with friends
• Declutter 25 items
• Network 2x
• Continue exploring jobs. 
• Spend time on volunteer role
• Come up with more structure in my daily routine

What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish in November? 

Costa Rica Trip Cost

 I like to add up the cost of trips, and track them for myself. I also share here, in case it's of interest. 

Photo of the beach at our hotel, for visual interest. 

Expenses for the trip:

• Two business class tickets from San Francisco to Costa Rica - covered using credits from previously cancelled Turkey trip & travel credits. One of the reasons we planned this trip was to use these credits before they expired. 
• Six nights at an all inclusive hotel - free with Hyatt points
• Tips during the trip - $200
• Cash left for my parents to spend on food, etc - $500
• Cost of my parents flights from Portland to San Jose - $60 (the rest was covered with miles)
• Hotel charges (this was a massage for me, and two nicer bottles of wine) - $374
• Airport purchases: local treats for the boys + rum for my dad & a drink for myself - $22.50
• Excursion for two to the rain forest, waterfalls & hot springs - $290
• Cost for parking at the SFO airport during our trip (priced out, and cheaper than Uber) - $126
• Transportation to & from the airport in Costa Rica to our hotel - $134

Total spent = $1706.50. My original estimate was $1260. Transportation was a bit more than expected, and we hadn't factored in tipping, which was a miss. The massage & wine were also unplanned (but enjoyed!)

How do you track your travel planning expenses? 

I'm back

Costa Rica was absolutely fabulous. We had such a great time together, and really enjoyed all of the adventures. 

Photo of a sunset hike we took near our hotel.

We got back late on Friday, and my parents & uncle were staying with us for a few nights. My dad & uncle drove a car to Washington, so left yesterday, with a stop to see Sam at college. My mom will stay with us until Wednesday, as she was looking for a bit of a break from some care giving at home. She's been enjoying the time, hanging out with me, M & Nick. 

In terms of a menu plan, we've been flying by the seat of our pants. M grilled chicken & made rice on Saturday, and then grilled absolutely delicious burgers yesterday. I think we will defrost chicken fajitas to have for dinner tonight, and then have leftover burgers tomorrow. 

Hope you are all doing well!

Frugal Friday

 It's been a relatively quiet week around here, but a few wins to share.

Saving on things we buy

• Ordered a few things Sam needs for college. Debated having it sent to us, and having my dad take it to him (they are visiting), but remembered that anything delivered in Oregon is tax free, so went that route. 

Earning money

• Nothing much happening here. I completed a survey for $50. 

Avoiding spending

• Ate at the lounge on Friday for free, vs buying food at the airport. 
• Used Southwest credits for our flights home for Christmas. I had a combination of gift cards (purchased at a discount at Costco) & a flight credit we had for Nick for something I can't recall at the moment. 

Eating what we have

• I planned two dinners at my sister's house (at her request, she's been really busy), and made sure they had coordinating sides. (Mexican chicken skillet one night, nachos the next). 
• Had Sunday brunch leftovers for brunch on Monday, ahead of our flights.
• Made dinner ahead of a few appointments & picking up my parents, so we didn't have to do takeout. 

For others

• Fed all of the random teens who showed up at my house this week for impromptu study sessions. ;-) 

What about you? Any frugal wins to share at your house?

Menu Plan Tuesday

 I flew back from Portland yesterday, so I'm a little late to the party. Here's what's on the menu at our house.

• Friday - I ate at the airport lounge, and then had a glass of wine when I got to my sister's house
• Saturday - my sister's partner made us Mexican chicken rice skillet, which was delicious.
• Sunday - we celebrated our 10k run with nachos, which I try to only have on special occasions, because they are a true indulgence. These were delicious, with carne asada on top. Yum!
• Monday - I got home from the airport & scrambled a bit to figure out dinner. M grilled salmon & I made a spinach salad to go with it.
• Tuesday - tonight will be grilled chicken over salads
• Wednesday - likely pasta & meatballs, if Nick is going to be home. It's his favorite.
• Thursday - I'm making chicken fajitas, after we pick up my parents at the airport
• Friday - tacos, so we can use up the rest of the chicken fajita fixings

What about you? What's on your menu this week? 

Frugal Friday

Sometimes it feels like my frugal "wins" are drops in the bucket compared to expenses, but I keep on keeping on. Because, what's the point of spending more than you have to, and all of the savings adds up. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway. ;-)  

Saving on things we buy

• Saved $134 by paying upfront for Nick's orthodontia
• Saved $6 on a cash back offer I'd forgotten about (on our credit card) for the pizza we ordered for Nick's VP debate watching party last week. 
• Uploaded grocery receipts to Fetch
• Used CVS rewards to pick up Nick's preferred brand of deodorant, and used an iBotta/CVS offer to save another couple of bucks. 

Earning money

• Sold Sam's old bike, & made $300
• Sold a pair of sunglasses & made ~$90

Avoiding spending

• Arranged for a friend to drive Nick to a far away soccer game (Nick drives him to all of the practices), so we both share on gas costs

Eating what we have

• Picked out first few pomegranates and have had those for a snack in the evening (largely Nick)
• Continued eating basil, peppers & tomatoes from the garden, but the heat has killed everything else. 
• Brought home leftovers from date night, and had that for two lunches (veggie risotto, which was so delicious)
• Made Nick & his friend snacks while they were studying at our house, saving them the cost of eating out or grabbing snacks
• I'm working on eating a huge container of spinach, so I've been trying to incorporate it into all of my meals. Had the last of the veggie risotto over a bed of spinach. I just heated it in the microwave, which helped the spinach soften a bit. It was delicious & just the right amount of spinach to risotto ratio to be healthy while not overwhelming tasting like warm spinach. ;-) 

For others

• This is a busy time for seniors applying to colleges, so I've been spending quite a bit of time helping my volunteer students with their tasks, answering questions & generally providing guidance. 
• Stayed after a soccer game to collect the goals, flags & shade/bench to put away in the shed with another parent. There is no assigned roster of people to help, so unfortunately, one parent does most of the heavy lifting on this. I was able to help & streamline it all, which was great since it was unbearably hot. 

What about you? Any wins to share?

Thursday Happenings

I've had lots of medical appointments over the past few weeks, so that's been keeping me busier than usual. I'm having a lupus flare, and trying to figure out the best way to manage that. It's no fun, I do not recommend. 

That said, I have a bunch of fun things lined up for the upcoming few weeks, including my trip to Portland tomorrow (running, or more likely walking + a little running a 10k with my sister & BFF). I'll also get a chance to see my parents for brunch. My parents are flying here in a week, and then we're heading to Costa Rica. The weather looks pretty terrible for our trip, and we've gone back & forth between going & just enjoying what we can between rain storms, or going somewhere else. I think we've decided to just make the best of Costa Rica. 

The final college application has opened up (this is the complicated international one, that has to be hand mailed in), so Nick & I need to get started on that, as it will take the longest. That will be it! Otherwise, he has scholarship essays to work on, and a few other small tasks, but nothing quite like the bigger application process, which he will have finished. We will both be thrilled once we're done. ;-)

As for today:

• Attend workout class
• Stop by Trader Joes on my way home
• Laundry
• PT exercises
• Check in for tomorrow's flight
• Pack
• Daily chores (language, meditate, journal)
• Work in the yard (I'm especially loving this, as the weather has cooled way off)
• Clean the shower. We have very hard water, so this is my most dreaded chore of all.
• Call with Nick's orthodontist. I don't really understand what it's for, but it's required ahead of kicking off treatment.
• Work on job search stuff for ~1 hour

That's it on my side. Hope all of you in Florida are staying safe & escaped the storm(s) with minimal damage. Thinking of you all.