Hello, hello friends! I have my last regular Med Surg exam this morning, and unfortunately, this was preceded by two long days of OB presentations (during which we were understandably not allowed to study). So, last night I was busy studying instead of writing a post. study buddy And I’m doing a little extra cramming right now. I’ll be back mid-morning, and I’ll update this post with my list then! But for now, those of you who are morning people can make your lists in the comments. ? What are you thankful for this week? The post Thankful Thursday | in two parts again appeared first on The F ..read more

Am I still redeeming birthday freebies? YES, YES I AM. 1. I got gold spray paint for $2.11 So, remember my scuffed table? Well, I needed to make two screws (for the drawer hardware) a gold color, so I wanted some spray paint for that. Ace Hardware had sent me a $5/any purchase coupon for my birthday, so I stopped in and found a mini can of spray paint for $6.99. And with my birthday coupon, it was only $2.11. Don’t get too excited about finally seeing the finished table, though; I’d say the odds of me doing any work on the scuffed table are super low until school is done (May 17, if we are c ..read more

I’m thinking about this question specifically in terms of buying things. Basically, do you appreciate purchases more when you’ve had to wait for them? For me, it’s a yes. When I have to patiently wait to save up for something, or find something on sale/secondhand/free, then when I do finally get that thing, I really, really appreciate it. And if I had enough money to buy whatever I want, whenever I want it, I think that would reduce my level of appreciation for those purchases. For example, I saved up for years and years to be able to buy my minivan without a car loan. I do remember being a ..read more

What I Spent If you get the “flying to pieces” reference, then you’ve probably read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books as many times as I have. ? I spent: $26 at Sam’s Club $29 at Lidl $20 on pizza $10 at Chick-fil-A Sooo, $85, which is not too shabby for an end-of-semester week when I pressed the easy button a few times. ? my brain feels about as organized as my office floor ? What We Ate Saturday Zoe and I shared some pizza. ? Sunday French toast with berries and whipped cream. Monday This was my last 12-hour clinical shift for the semester, and I remember that Zoe got home from her work s ..read more

This week, I am thankful: for a lovely, cool morning As I type this, my office window is open and there’s some delightful air coming in. It’s been a little on the hot side this week (high 80s, which is a bit unusual for early May) but we’re still having some wonderfully cool mornings. for beautiful natureI’m always, always grateful for that! that the bridges on my trail are getting fixed The nearby trail that I can walk to has had dilapidated bridges ever since I moved here. Passable, but dilapidated. However, in the last few weeks, these have all been getting repaired. Woohoo! for how much ..read more

Today, we have the pleasure of meeting a reader who has never commented (despite being a very, very longtime reader!). And if you are a cat person, you will smile many times as you read this post; the first cat picture made me giggle out loud, actually. ? 1. Tell us a little about yourself My name is Robin, and I am a longtime reader but never commenter. I live in southeastern Wisconsin with my daughter, a high school senior, and 3 cats: Meowy, Tabitha and Pumpkin. I am in my sandwich generation era; my parents and in-laws have reached the point where they need assistance with house and yard ..read more

(see below for the toast issue) This week, I am thankful: for a clinical bag from a sweet reader A blog reader messaged me letting me know she had a clinical bag that she no longer needed, and she offered to mail it to me. Yay! So sweet of her. Chiquita approved of both the box and the bag. ? that I went to the board of nursing in person If you saw my Instagram stories yesterday you already know this: I’ve been trying to get a license to get a student nursing job, but the process has been a little hiccup-y. And the board of nursing does not answer phone calls, respond to phone messages, or r ..read more

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