As I sat down to write this, I thought I should do a quick Google search to see how others define simplifying. But you know what? I didn’t, because it doesn’t matter how other people define it. Here’s what I mean when I say simplifying, and how it’s improving my life. Play & Passion Don’t […]
Continue readingSupposed To: Why It’s Time to Abandon Some Family Traditions
When I was a kid, getting to go out for a restaurant meal was usually a special occasion. Either that, or it was Wednesday night pizza night after soccer practice. Either way, it was something to look forward to, and something that’s somehow carried over into my own family in capital letters. In my mind, […]
Continue readingThe Decluttering Mindset: The FIFO Approach to Household Projects
I don’t know about you, but we frequently have a stack of Amazon boxes on the table near the front door, because parts were ordered for some project we haven’t tackled yet. So, these parts sit there in their boxes, awaiting the day that we get around to that particular project. Last week, I wrote […]
Continue readingChanging Habits: 3 Shifts to Adopt a Decluttering Mindset
We hear about mindset everywhere these days – mindset for losing weight, mindset for making more money…and I tend to believe it’s true, that you have to change the underlying beliefs that are driving your actions in order to create long-term change. So, today I want to talk about adopting a mindset that automatically reduces […]
Continue readingTwo Days & 11 Can’t-Miss Activities for Your First Trip to the Florida Keys
If you’ve never been to the Florida Keys and you’re within a reasonable driving distance (say, most of the South Eastern US) – why on earth not? Besides being the inspiration for this blog, the Keys contain: The only living coral barrier reef in the United States (and third-largest in the world!) The easiest-to-access tropical […]
Continue readingScrew the Joneses: Why We Choose Not to Own Our Home
A couple of weeks ago, my mother sent me, my aunt, and one of my cousins this article from USA Today: “Why your home is a worse investment than you think.” Right now, my mother is renting a house while she figures out where she wants to live next. Last August, she sold her two-story […]
Continue reading“Supposed To” is a Lie: Rediscover the Life You Were Meant to Live
My 5 year old self wanted to be a marine biologist. Visits to the aquarium and the ocean had convinced me, quite solidly, that I would be happy working with animals in the water. So did my 15 year old self. Now a certified scuba diver and a volunteer for animal rescue, I wanted nothing more […]
Continue reading$100,000 & Buried in Discontentment
It’s tax time, and that means statements arriving in the mail for everything from interest income to student loan interest expenses. And yes, that means, for 9-to-5 employees, the arrival of the annual W-2, showing the wages we earned last year. In August, I turned 35. And this month, for the first time, my W-2 showed […]
Continue reading#FailedIt: 2 Debt Payoff Mistakes I Won’t Make Again
Before success frequently comes failure. Frequently, in fact, before success comes many failures, as in Edison’s oft-quoted 1,000 failed attempts at inventing the lightbulb. If you are anywhere on the journey of paying off debt, know that you learn from each and every mistake. Oddly, failing is good news – growing, and changing, requires failing […]
Continue readingInspire Your Debt Payoff Journey – With Decor?
This week, I can feel the saltwater drying on my skin every day after I head in from scuba diving. I can see the bottom from my perch on the tip of the bow, looking for fish (and sharks!) as we sail. We’re getting closer to the goal, and I’m starting to be able to feel it […]
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