As you advance in your career, the onus will be on you to call the shots. Sometimes, that involves rejecting perfectly good applicants from a program they are overqualified for. In these situations, it’s really important to remember how you felt in the past so that you can help them move forward in the future. …
Some conveniences are worth paying for, but some conveniences end up paying for themselves. …
There is no way to sugar coat it. Guests don’t read the house manual provided online, and often they ignore the house rules section, too. The number one way to combat this is to have instructions in a guidebook at your house (and posted notices as necessary). Hopefully that gets the point across to the guests who are harder to communicate with than an alien from outer space. …
The best thing you can do for yourself is to increase your efficiency by developing some new habits to make things easier. You will be faster and will expend less energy to accomplish your daily tasks because many aspects of your life will be on auto pilot. It saves your brain space for new and more fun things. …
As I was roaming the aisles aimlessly at Marshall’s, one of my favorite discount home goods stores, I stumbled across a Keratin shampoo and conditioner. I thought about all the articles I’ve read saying Keratin is great for keeping hair healthy and strong, and the ends of my hair were a bit dry, so I thought it might be worth the $12 per bottle. Not exactly an expensive experiment, especially since my usual Aussie is $5 per bottle for approximately the same size. So onward, for science! …
Huge kudos to my partner for nailing my ring. Having never been engagement ring shopping before, I had no idea of what I wanted. I like clean lines and delicate details. I definitely wanted something durable (I’m accident prone, although my partner kindly calls me all-terrain). Most importantly, I knew that I wanted something custom that came from the heart. …
Or maybe dessert, although there isn’t any icing on this silver cake. I’ve bought myself lovely rings from Tiffany & Co. that I wear on a daily basis (and expect to for quite some time), and the cost per use is dwindling. I keep the boxes, ribbons and bags lined up on my window sill in my bedroom. Although I don’t do it often, I happened to give a house tour to my guests when they arrived for a game night last month. Later during the Game of Things, “What’s something to be jealous of” prompted a response of “Tiffany’s” and all eyes turned to me. What?! No! Absolutely not me! There’s no need to be jealous! …
Part of knowing yourself is knowing your motivations and your strengths. I’m an “Achiever,” so “checking off the boxes” really motivates me. Enter coloring projects, where you color one piece of your picture for every time you make a small step toward your goal. …
2017 was a big year! Now that it’s coming to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on goals from the past year and decide on some new ones. …
I genuinely enjoy traveling alone. It allows me complete control over every aspect of my trip, including date flexibility for maximum trip-planning frugality, the experiences I have, and the option to spend exactly the amount I’m making from my weekend of house hacking. I am better able to maximize spending for my personal happiness, even though there is no one to “cost-share” with. If I’m not enjoying an activity, it’s OK to just move on. I can go to bed and wake up when I want to, and I’m the one who sets the pace of the day. I don’t have to wait around for my companion to get ready or pack up. It’s a chance to really learn about new cultures since I’m focused on the world around me instead of my companion. I actually find it easier to blend in with the crowd. It makes the trip so much more personal, and it’s immensely satisfying to know you don’t have to rely on anyone else to get where you want to go. …