Category: simple living

What I learned by doing a Walk Challenge

In February, I decided to do a walk challenge. The challenge was pretty simple—to walk 30 miles in a month. I have been extremely dormant during COVID, and I haven’t gotten much better now that things are returning to normal. I had been taking walks on occasion, and I love when I take them, but I decided in February to challenge myself to be more consistent.

This is an extremely doable goal, but the key to me being successful was consistency. 

And consistency is something I have struggled with.

This isn’t just total daily mileage on my fitness tracker which included my walks to the bathroom or the kitchen, but the time I set aside in my day to intentionally walk.

I’ll skip to the end and tell you that I achieved my goal and walked 30.49 miles in February.  But in addition to achieving my goal, I also walked away with some lessons/outcomes.

Here’s what I walked away with:

The health benefits of walking every day are outstanding.  A few benefits include: it increases blood circulation, lowers blood sugar levels, aids with digestion, cuts bad cholesterol, lowers risks of certain cancers, slows risk of alzheimers, and helps with weight loss.

There is time in my day to walk.  I always felt like I just could not find the 30 minutes to walk (or do any exercise for that matter) but I have proved that, while there may be days that it is hard or not possible to squeeze it in, on most days there is time to walk.

A short walk is better than nothing.  Even walking as little as 5 to 10 minutes outside has proven mental health benefits, such as boosting your mood, improving creative thinking, and reducing anxiety.

I prefer walking outdoors over the treadmill.  One day I was out of town, and I just did not find time during the day to walk outdoors.  But I was able to run down to the hotel gym for 20 minutes that night and walk on the treadmill.  And after the first minute, I was completely over it.  For some reason it just felt like a total struggle, whereas walking outside feels easier and less daunting.

Routine and planning were the keys to my success.  Having a consistent daily routine of working, walking, and showering removed a lot of excuses.  I may not have known the exact time each day that I would walk, but I knew it would be while the sun was out.  I knew that it would likely be in the afternoon or evening. So, I planned to have my shower each day after my walk. Rinse and repeat for each workday.

Keep it un-fussy.  I realize that nobody, and I mean nobody, cares what I wear, or really how I look.  Getting caught up in what I was going to wear when I walked was an easy way to get stuck and do nothing.  I threw on a coat and some sneakers and got outside.  Sometimes I even had on pants that I normally only wear as pj’s.  I may have taken an effort to match my outfits but that was about it.  As long as I was warm and had pockets to carry what I needed, that was all that mattered.  It is nice to have on a cute outfit and sometimes that can be very motivating, but it can also be a hindrance or a stumbling block, and I realized it just was not more important than my goal.

I finally understand that accountability matters.  I always see people doing various challenges and they say that putting it on social media helps to keep them accountable.  So, I did the same.  I don’t have a ton of followers, and most probably really could care less about me and my challenge, but in my mind, there was something about putting my daily reports in my IG stories that made me feel like I had to accomplish my mission.  And I wanted people to see that I set a goal and accomplished it.  No matter how insignificant the goal may have been or how few people even paid attention.

Walking is a good way to explore the neighborhood. I actually moved a few months ago, and while I know the main roads of my area pretty well, I never explored any side streets or back roads. But walking was a good way to go a different way and see what my neighborhood has to offer.

I learned and entertained myself while I walked. I recently got into podcasts. Having a dedicated time in my day to listen to the podcasts that I enjoyed really made the time feel like it was “my” time. Learning something while I walked helped me to feel mentally enriched while also being physically active.

I breathe better. Lung issues run in my family, and honestly, I feel like I can catch my breath just a little bit better just from the simple act of taking a slow walk in the sun every day and letting my lungs do some work.

I am hoping this consistency sticks. I truly enjoyed the challenge, and I felt the benefits in doing it. I may not walk every single day, but I plan to walk most days.

If you want to see how the month went for me, here is a link to my Insta walk diary.

Have you done a walk challenge? Did you have any takeaways? I’d love to hear about it!

justamarylandgirl2 Comments

I Created Habits Instead of Resolutions

Photo by Miesha Renae Maiden on Pexels.com

I did not make any resolutions this year. Honestly, it just feels so phony for me to do it. I know myself very well and I know that creating this new version of myself on the 1st of the year, with lofty goals and dreams of perfection, is just not realistic or honest.

I will not miraculously start doing things that I’ve never done in the past, and that I have not taken the time to create a pathway of success for.

I didn’t create a vision board, because honestly, for me, it’s just cool pictures and no action plan.

But I did say to myself that I’d like to do better with my finances this year, I’d like to not wake up super hung over after happy hours, and I’d love to stop relying so much on coffee. I decided to try out some new habits, I didn’t set any timelines or expectations, and I just decided to see if I liked these things and if they were things I wanted to continue doing.

So long as I like doing them, I will continue to do them. If I decide that they no longer serve me or that they are of no interest to me, I will stop. I am not going to pressure myself about any of it.

Here are six things I have tried in January, that have now become regular habits.

  • Balance my checkbook daily: How old school can I get, right? I’ve tried various ways to track my finances over the years. I’ve used various excel spreadsheets and I’ve used a planners and paper, but I still felt like I was sort of caught off guard by some payments that came out of my account. I wanted to get back to entering purchases and bills into my bank register, and reconciling the difference with the amount in my account. For me, there is power in looking at my account in this way every single day. Every day, it got easier to go through the reconciliation process. And then it became something that I couldn’t wait to do each night. So now it’s just part of my nighttime routine, just like brushing my teeth and taking my medications.
  • Not drinking alcohol: I went into this one knowing that it would not be a forever habit. Lately I have noticed that my body was not springing back after happy hour the way it had always done. I noticed I was not sleeping well on nights when I drank, and I was starting to make some bad decisions when I was drinking. Nothing super major, just maybe saying things I wouldn’t otherwise say, or being a little more rambunctious than I would prefer. So I decided to stop drinking for a while, and then make a decision about the relationship I want to have with alcohol going forward. So for now, drinking is on a pause for me. I have been leaning on mocktails, apple juice and ginger beer when I do go out, though I did have some wine this week.
  • Drinking tea instead of coffee: I had already managed to scale back to decaf coffee with zero sugar creamer a few months ago. This was already a huge step for me. But for January, I gave up coffee all together. This was actually not an intentional habit, but I got sick the first week of January and drank tea during that time. Once I got better, I did not go back to coffee, and surprisingly, I’m actually ok with it. So I believe this is a habit I will stick with. My daily hot beverage will be tea, and I will have coffee occasionally when I’m in the mood for it.
  • Listening to podcasts: I finally took the plunge and found some podcasts that interest me. I’ve now found intentional space in my day for podcasts. I have found a few podcasts that I absolutely love ranging from budgeting to mindfulness to true crime stories. I feel motivated to take action or inspired to think differently about something every time I listen. They really give me food for thought, or at the very least, I get some entertainment out of it.
  • Taking walks: At some point in January, I realized that neighborhood walks were the perfect time to listen to podcasts. So I started really looking forward to daily walks just so I could zone out and listen to podcasts. The walks aren’t anything major–usually about 20 minutes or so, and about a mile and some change. I don’t walk super fast, and I didn’t start off with any sort of fitness expectations. I just wanted to get out of the house, get some sun on my face, and get some fresh air into my lungs. But in January, I really leaned into the activity, and I decided to challenge myself to walk 30 miles in February.
  • Attending church (virtually): A local church was recommended to me, so I decided to attend virtually in January. I truly enjoy it and I take so many notes during each sermon. And I even refer back to them throughout the week. I love having practical action items and I love feeling like I am taking steps to being a better person.

Did you make any resolutions this year? How are they going for you?

justamarylandgirl2 Comments

January Diary Entry: TV, Podcasts, Crafts, and Tap

Photo by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com

It’s been a good start to 2023. January has been all about trying to keep my mind and body active and entertained. I’ve been taking lots of notes about random things, and I’ve finally gotten into this podcast craze I have been missing out on. I’ve found some cool things to watch on tv and even took a tap class. Here’s my round-up for the month:

What I watched:

  • Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Tubi) – a woman goes back to her small hometown for a class reunion and reunites with her friend. It is a low-key movie but there are a few themes that are relevant, especially if you come from a small town
  • Becoming Abi (Netflix) – a cute workplace show set at a marketing agency in Nigeria, which follows Abi as she navigates her career and dating life
  • Perfect Bid (Netflix) – a documentary series about a Price is Right fanatic and his perfect bid that caused a scandal
  • Schmigadoon (Apple+) – stars Key (from Key & Peele) and is about a couple that gets stuck in a fictional musical town. So funny!
  • Fleishman is in Trouble (Hulu) – This series starring Claire Danes, explores the relationship between a man and the wife that he separates from after a 15-year marriage, and the course that their relationship takes post-marriage. The series touches on dating, marriage, kids, career changes, postpartum depression, and separation. This is a powerful story about love, friends, and family that will make you laugh and cry.
  • Breaking Fast (Hulu) – an LGBTQ rom-com about a Muslim-American man who meets an American man and starts sharing meals during the holy month of Ramadan
  • The Housewife and the Hustler (Hulu) – a documentary series that follows the story of attorney Tom Girardi and his “Housewives of Beverly Hills” wife, Erika Jayne, as they lived lavishly off the proceeds gained from clients that he scammed
  • Starstruck (HBOMax) – funny show set in London about a woman who unknowingly has a one-night-stand with a movie star and then sorta kinda dates him. So awkwardly funny
  • McMillion$ (HBOMax) – documentary series about the McDonald’s Monopoly game and the $24 million scam in the 90s by a mastermind and his accomplices

Podcasts I’ve Listened To:

I have been wanting to get into podcasts for some time. I got a new phone recently and decided this was the time to dive in. Initially, I bookmarked a ton of true crime podcasts but I haven’t really been feeling true crime as much lately. I kinda noticed that true crime stories put me in a mood, and made me jittery and nervous all the time, so I decided to stop absorbing so much violent, sensational, scary stuff. I’ve totally limited my intake of murder mysteries and crime shows and have, for now, steered clear of true crime podcasts. I will admit though, I have a lot of scam podcasts on my list, so that will probably be what I get into next. But this is what I’ve been listening to for the last few weeks:

Photo by Lum3n on Pexels.com
  • The Minimalists – If you have not heard of the concept of minimalism or the two guys ,The Minimalists, who are a big part of this movement, do yourself a favor and google their website, watch their documentary, or listen to one of their podcasts. They give the most amazing motivational viewpoints on removing clutter from your life, be it physical, mental, technological, or emotional clutter. I have tangible takeaways every time I watch or listen to whatever they have to say.
  • Bitch I’m Budgeting – I started following this IG account, and then realized she had a podcast. I have become sort of obsessed with tracking my finances and staying on top of my budget lately. Her IG posts and her podcasts really help me to maintain the enthusiasm for tracking my money.
  • A Mindful Moment – I love to listen to this one mostly when I go for walks. Being out in nature, clearing my mind, and taking a few minutes to have a literal mindful moment, really makes me breathe deep and fully appreciate life, health, and gratitude. The episodes are usually just a few minutes long, but they really help me to feel grounded and centered.
  • Erotic Stories – Sometimes you just really need to zone out and trust me, these do the trick. lol.
  • The Professional Creative– This one is great for anyone who wants to use their creative talents to make money. She gives some great tips and a lot of food for thought for people who use their craft as a primary source of income or as a side hustle.
  • Therapy for Black Girls – I was actually pleasantly surprised that this podcast was more than chats about mental wellness. This podcast delves into topics such as workplace issues, tv shows, personal development, as well as topics around mental health. This podcast definitely has some moments that have me wanting to take notes.

What else I’ve been up to:

  • Saw Ne-Yo perform with the National Symphony Orchestra: This girl loves a concert. And with COVID, it has been something that I’ve really missed. When I saw that Ne-Yo was performing with the National Symphony Orchestra, and that tickets were super reasonable, I jumped. The show was fabulous! Having a date night, getting dressed up, and having a night out in the city…it was all so wonderful. Ne-Yo has an extensive catalog so he couldn’t sing everything. But seeing him perform with the accompaniment of the orchestra did something for my inner band geek.
  • Took a Tap Class: I took a couple of tap classes a few years ago and loved it. I needed to get some physical activity into my life so I thought it was time to dust off the tap shoes. But finding adult tap classes is a struggle. I found one close to me and decided to give it a try, but unfortunately, this class wasn’t a good fit for me. It was a little more advance than what I was looking for, and the instructor indicated that his plan was to not slow down because he got too bored going slow. OK… So, I had definite feelings about that being the attitude for a beginner class, and ultimately, I didn’t care enough for the instructor to really debate it. So I’m still on the lookout for a class, and in the meantime, I will set up a practice board at home and do some online instructional videos.
  • Attended a new church (virtually): A nearby church was recommended to me, and I wanted to check it out. So I have been attending virtually all month and taking lots and lots of notes, which I plan to blog about.
  • Started a new craft: I saw fabric button earrings on IG and just had to learn how to make them. I am pretty sure I’m going to go entirely too far and make trillions of these adorable things. Here are a few of my creations photographed in one of my past obsessive craft creations, the clay trinket dish.
  • Sold some items on Poshmark: I have a ton of stuff to get rid of, and I love selling my items on poshmark. Every time someone buys something, it makes me kinda giddy.

What did you get into in January? Let me know if you made anything cool or did anything fun. And definitely let me know if you have any tv shows, movies, or podcasts that I should check out!

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My Thoughts on The Great Resignation

The pandemic and working from home has led to quite a revolution in the workforce.  People are realizing that life as we had been living it before the pandemic is not where it’s at.  Priorities have changed and this has led to people being fed up. People are feeling empowered to make changes.  People are realizing their worth, realizing what they want, and realizing that employment as we’ve known it is for the birds. And though I didn’t get it at first, I NOW GET IT!

Personally, I have had some realizations about work and life during this pandemic, and I cannot see going back to life as I knew it before this all happened. I feel like my life’s priorities do not line up with working the way I did before the pandemic.  And I feel like I just cannot see going back to the way things were.

People are realizing their worth, realizing what they want, and realizing that employment as we’ve known it is for the birds. And though I didn’t get it at first, I NOW GET IT!

I’m sure that along with the rest of the world, after two years of remote working, I now realize that going to an office every single day is for the birds. Don’t get me wrong, I know for some occupations, it’s required. I wouldn’t expect my dentist to virtually clean my teeth, no more than I’d expect my mechanic to virtually change my oil. I know for a lot of people, there was no such thing as working from home.

But for the millions of office workers and paper pushers like myself, working from home is what we did during the pandemic. Once upon a time, working 100% remotely once seemed like an impossibility–like…we really felt like there’s no way in earth we could fully operate without stepping foot into an office space.

What about our files and our print-outs and faxes and mail???

But obviously, we did it. And we did it darn well. And while doing it, we discovered a lot of things about what’s important in life and what’s not. Spending more time at home helping kids with school work easily outweighs devoting that same time to being in a car commuting. We’ve discovered hobbies and recipes, we’ve enhanced relationships and we’ve explored and vacationed more than normal–things that were at the very least made more difficult when we had a requirement to be physically present in an office.

I realize that I have it good when it comes to work.  I get paid very well, I have a lot of flexibility, before the pandemic, I did work three days from home, and when it comes to work-related stress, that really is quite low.  So, I have no plans to resign.

HOWEVER…there are some things I also have no interest in doing again. Ever. And I hope I can align my life up to these preferences in the near future.

So now that the return-to-work announcement seems imminent, I’m realizing that there are some things I haven’t missed and that I have no interest in returning to.

  • Spending 20 hours of my work week in a car fussing about my commute and crazy @ss drivers
  • Fussing over work outfits
  • Carrying around flat shoe and a work shoe (and a gym shoe if I plan to work out during lunch)
  • Mentally allocating hours and hours preparing for work and the associated logistics of getting to the office
  • Living my life around when traffic starts and ends
  • Spending money on just getting to, and being in, the office. (Gas, car wear and tear, meals out, coffee on the go, etc.)
  • Missing out on things because I can’t get there in time if I’m coming from work
  • Feeling like a race starts the moment I hit the door in the evenings (because things I’ve done during the workday during the pandemic, I’m unable to do if I’m in the office…such as running an errand that takes 10 minutes from your home but that’s not possible to do in a reasonable timeframe from the office, marinating chicken, doing laundry, prepping meals, going to a fitness class by my home that I can’t make it to in time from the office)
  • Attending meetings in person that could be an email, a phone call, Teams/Skype message, or a virtual meeting
  • Constantly being in a state of meal planning because I have to take lunch and breakfast to the office and then have an easy-to-make meal at home for dinner because I have to go to bed in two hours.
  • Going to bed two hours after I get home
  • Living off of convenient meals because there’s no time to cook and prep
  • Waking up before 8am. I literally cannot believe that I woke up at 6am and often didn’t start working until 9.  THREE HOURS wasted every single day.
  • Dealing with work drama.  So much of that disappears when you don’t have to deal with in-person foolishness.  I don’t see you, you don’t see me, and at the end of the day, I sign off and live my life. 
  • Not focusing on my side hustle and other interests because all of my free time and mental space is devoted to work things.
  • Spending money on clothing just to go to the office
  • Shoveling snow or dealing with inclement weather just to get to or from the office.
  • Awkward pot lucks
  • Paying for dry cleaning
  • The ability to zone out in the middle of the day which is not possible in the office because you always have to be “on”

This is just my starter list. There are so many more things I have no interest in dealing with once we are required to return to work. What have you not missed since being on full-time remote work? Anything on my list? What are your thoughts on the Great Resignation?

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Intentional Spending: Frugal vs. Cheap

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

I’m in a facebook group for frugal living and a question came up regarding personal care spending.  The question went something like this: 

“Do you spend a lot for your shampoo?  I believe mine is making my hair fall out. “

The responses ranged from “do not skimp on caring for yourself” to “this could be related to something other than shampoo, such as thyroid issues or vitamin deficiencies.”  But the responses were consistently and unanimously on the side of not skimping on personal care items when choosing frugality could possibly cause you harm.

Obviously there’s no way for the internet congregation to know whether cheap shampoo is actually the cause of her issues, but assuming it is, then the group definitely sided with self-care over being cheap.

It made me realize that sometimes choosing a positive lifestyle choice, be it with your finances, your fitness or anything in between, being so extreme that it’s causing more harm than good is not the way to go.  While I can’t say that this is or isn’t the case for this particular person, there are many times that people put a goal over safety or good decision-making.  And that can be dangerous. 

I love being in groups sometimes because they do often bring out interesting discussions, and this group did bring up some pretty good points.  Here are some thinkable moments that came out of the discussion:

You only get one body.  Take care of it.  This should be a no-brainer but it’s a good mantra to keep in mind for so many reasons.  I know that I take my body for granted every single day.  And I need to stop that. 

Skimp in other areas so that you can pamper yourself and your body.  I think this is a great idea.  I have never been an every-two-weeks mani/pedi girl, and I don’t go to the hair salon often at all, but I do believe that you should figure out how to set aside money to pamper your body from time to time.  Massages, hair treatments, whatever is important to you…figure out how to incorporate it into your life in a way that makes sense financially.  Sinking funds or cash envelopes are a great way to budget for these items.

I don’t go to salons, but I buy nice quality items to give myself nice at-home hair treatments and manicures.  There are great products in the store that are affordable.  Figure out those great products that work for your hair and your skin.  Look for them when they are on sale, grab a coupon, or take advantage of specials.  And honestly, this is possibly a splurge area for me.  I have a face cream that I love, but I’ve also found a good store brand knock-off, so I alternate each time I purchase face cream:  one month cheap stuff, one month good stuff.  But for me, I’d rather spend the money to do upkeep versus spend a lot of money down the road trying to correct issues that could have been avoided. 

You should see a doctor/dermatologist/nutritionist/etc.  Let’s face it.  There are a lot of people who only go to the doctor if they are truly debilitated.  Things that are labeled as small, cosmetic, or discretionary are often overlooked until it spirals into a more serious issue.  I’m not sure if this is a frugal thing or not.  For some, it could be, but for others, it may be a hassle that just doesn’t rise to the occasion of a doctor’s appointment.  These “small” symptoms can often be the piece of a larger puzzle.  Squeeze those doctor’s appointments into your schedule.  They could be crucial for catching something before it’s too late.  Quick story which I plan to blog about later…a visit to the dermatologist for something I chalked up to my own vanity ended up catching a malignant tumor for me in November of this past year.  It wasn’t causing me pain, it was just annoying and I hated looking at it.  Even the dermatologist told me it was nothing, and said I didn’t have to do anything unless I wanted to.  And when it was removed and biopsied, the result was skin cancer.  So yeah, that’s my quick lesson about getting “little” things checked out. You just never know.

Try a different product. Many people in the group provided product suggestions.  Sometimes people feel like there’s only one product that works for them.  And while there’s no real way to tell if something that works for an internet stranger will also work for you, at least it does get you into thinking about other options.  Some people have been buying the same shampoo since the 90’s.  It’s routine and it’s comfortable.  But it could also be time to venture out to something new.  Our bodies change over time, hair included, and another product could be a better option for you.  Doing a little research and trial and error could be the answer.

I agreed with all of these points, but I question how frugal someone is living if it means that something as dramatic as hair loss still makes them question whether they should spend a few extra dollars.  In the days of extreme couponing and store discount cards, there are a lot of people that make big decisions based on price—even if the price difference is insignificantly small and does not justify buying the cheap product over the more expensive option. I shop based on price comparisons quite a bit, and a lot of times I regret skimping. 

Where do you stand on the issue? I have often times opted for cheap when I should have splurged, and vice versa. Sometimes it’s hard to know what is right, but I definitely feel like you should spend money when the cheap way is causing you harm.

What’s something you’re always cheap on? What do you always splurge for?

justamarylandgirl1 Comment