I’ve been enjoying hearing your Instagram posts playing the piano. I’ve gotten in a rut with my piano music and wondered if you would consider a blog post sharing some of your favourite piano music/books to play through? Ahh, that all depends what mood I’m in. Generally, I’m looking for something that’s not too hard to play, though; when I’m playing just for fun, I’m not trying to learn a college-level classical piece! Sometimes I pull out soundtrack books (I like Pearl Harbor and The Piano!), sometimes I pull out classical pieces that I’ve learned in the past, and I’ve mentioned recently t ..read more

My formica countertops make three appearances in this post. I’m out here being a formica influencer. ? Ok, four formica pictures, counting this one Do you all wanna run out and exchange your granite countertops so you can match me?? In all seriousness, I do actually kind of like their practicality, even if they are not the latest and greatest in kitchen styles. 1. I listed two items on eBay As I was cleaning up my room this weekend, I came across a book I finished, and also a promotional item that came with my perfume (Burberry Her, in case you wanted to know!) So, I listed both of them on ..read more

It’s not stream of consciousness today…it’s more of a miscellany collection, because I have a bunch of small things I want to share with you! Would you go into debt to have fun? The How to Money podcast recently highlighted a Bankrate survey that asked people this question, their results said that 27 percent would take on debt to travel and 14 percent would take on debt to dine out. (That last one surprised me! Debt for dining out??) Since I’m only willing to take on debt in very specific situations (to fund things like a house or an education), my answer is an obvious, “Nope!” to this quest ..read more

What I Spent I put this post together and realized that I have eaten a version of a sandwich almost every night. And I did not even notice that all week. That’s how much I like sandwiches. ?  It was a pretty random week with the spending!  I spent: $5 at Aldi $30 at Five Guys $16 at Safeway $36 at Sam’s Club Soo, $87 for me. What We Ate Saturday Zoe and I got Five Guys and watched Gilmore Girls together. ? We are on a serious Gilmore Girls kick of late. Sunday Zoe was at work, and this was the night I got my almost-free Mezeh bowl with my birthday discount. Monday This was my 12 ..read more

Hey guys! I have an exam in 45 minutes (as of this typing), so I do not have time to do a full-on Thankful Thursday post right at this moment.  And I have an appointment shortly after my exam. But I know that you guys are used to sharing your lists here as a habit, so I didn’t want to not post before I go! I’ll pop back in when I get a minute and fill out my list, but this way at least you all can do your usual routine. ? And for now I’ll say: I’m thankful that I have a lot of leeway in this class (my maternal/newborn/women’s health class). I’m sitting at a 99.3%, so I do not feel a lot ..read more

The gray hair in question: In the inadvertently selfie-heavy Five Frugal Things post yesterday, reader Crystal left this comment: I especially love your hair! Lovely! My hair is going gray and I find that people are uncomfortable with it. I am 50 and I am just weary of coloring my hair. Maybe you could do a blog post about this? Aww, I am sorry to hear that other people are foisting their gray-hair opinions on you. I really dislike the cultural narrative around aging, especially for women, and I wrote a fairly long post on the whole topic of aging. A lot of what I wrote in that post is rel ..read more

I didn’t realize until I put this post together that it was gonna have so many pictures of me. So, it’s the Inadvertent Selfie Edition. 1. I got another $10 symphony ticket Last Friday, I ducked out to the college parking lot on lunch break and bought a student ticket over the phone ($10 for a $77 ticket!). And that night I went to the symphony. I’d been wearing my student scrubs all week, so it was nice to wear something else for a change. I wore my black $25 Target dress again, because I have decided no one at the symphony cares if I repeat outfits. I met a new retired friend, and I also s ..read more

As you guys know, I am a big fan of sauces. In my book, pretty much everything is better with a sauce, especially if the sauce is creamy in some way. And as you’ve seen, a lot of my egg/potato/veggie bowls have sauces on them. So, on a recent post, a reader asked for sauce suggestions, especially if they can be made at home. You can buy sauces at the store, of course, and I would not judge you for that. Anything you buy at the grocery store is gonna be cheaper than eating out, and if a jar of sauce helps you eat at home, go for it. But if you do want to try making your own sauces, here are a ..read more

This week, I am thankful: for the green that’s spreading through the trees I know this happens every spring, but my goodness, every year I am amazed at just how quickly the trees go from bare and brown to having a visible green tinge to being decidedly green. I love to watch this! for a lovely day yesterday The weather was perfect (70s and sunny!). I had an OB lecture all morning, and once I got home, I went for a walk in the lovely sunshine. Then I lifted some weights, showered, and ate my lunch on my front steps. While I ate, I watched the bumblebees, who are currently obsessed with a bus ..read more

On a podcast, I recently heard Ira Glass mention that sometimes, he finds himself eating meals and paying no attention to what he’s eating at all. You know how sometimes you drive somewhere, arrive, and have basically no memory of getting there? What he’s describing is kinda like that!  This statement of his piqued my interest, mainly because I almost never experience life this way.  For better or for worse, I am generally very IN whatever moment I’m experiencing. I notice the good, the bad, and everything in between.  As I thought about this more, I wondered if this is a key ..read more