marginalia and such

loves & latest: February 18, 2019

monday musings

Goals edition

Loves

Reads

Personal finance books

2019 is the year when I focus on building wealth. Yep. That’s the plan. I have a solid relationship with money and live relatively debt-free (which means, I pay off credit card debt within a reasonable amount of time, generally 1-3 cycles, depending on my budget). I have an emergency fund and committed to using a cash budget for regular expenses; now it’s time to focus on investing, so I’m reading all the things.

Video on my favorites coming in March.

Beauty

Project Pan 2019

More on this to come, but if you watched my makeup capsule, you’ll know that I want to use up what I own and pan at least 2-3 of my products. I have two lipsticks that I’m rotating at the moment (about 80% of the time), and a small eye shadow palette that I would like to hit pan on in the coming months. My goal is to use up what I have and repurchase what I love.

Habits

Using my French press at work

I’m a millennial. I’m destroying my future one latte at a time. (ha!) Jokes aside, $5 a day for my latte habit is not sustainable. To make up for it, I’ve been brewing my own coffee and adding an indulgent creamer (because this is also the year I stop caring about ingredients and start living my best life). Being on a cash budget certainly makes it harder to part with those $5.

Project management

In library land, I always say instruction doesn’t make sense until the point of need. That’s also how I feel about project management tools. I tried to use Trello a few years ago and found it incomprehensible. Now that I’m trying to balance blogging, youtube, podcasting, and writing, it suddenly makes sense. I am addicted and the customizable backgrounds make me happy.

Latest

Podcast

bluestocking-circle We’ve been busy with a season of sci-fi favorites 🙂

Our most recent episodes include:

Episode 17: Ancillary Justice
Episode 18: Futurama
Minisode 18.5 (where we announce our next selection)

If you want to hear three lady nerds talk about their favorite books and movies, give us a listen on Podomatic, Apple Podcasts,Google Play, or Spotify. Also available on YouTube.

video: current makeup capsule

My current makeup capsule and a preview of what I’m planning to pan in 2019. My goal is to learn is to fall in love with what I own and curb future beauty spending…

Sorry about the noise in the background. I live on a noisy street.

Are you on a no-buy or project pan? Comment below!

video: Happy Planner mini and budget planner – 1 month review

A look inside my Happy Planner mini (vertical) and Budget Planner sidekick – 1 month review.

I also have a review of the full-size Happy Planner [Girl] + other planners I used in 2018.

A note:
In the video, I say I’m using the “Jordan Sparks” method, what I really mean is the Jordan PAGE method. Whether or not Jordan Sparks has a budgeting method, I dunno.
You can learn more about her method here.

Have you used a vertical planner? How have you made it work? Let me know!

In case you’re wondering, I bought my planners at Michael’s.

life: January – month in review

Month in review January.png

I started a cash budget and managed to stick to it. I also learned that I needed to be more realistic and budget for expenses beyond groceries and outings. The result is a much better sense of where my money is going.

I was insanely busy! Between work commitments, writing goals, working out, and making time for blogging, podcasting, and going out, it’s a miracle I had any time to myself.

I read. A lot. Mostly because all my library books came in at the same time and I had a review to write.

I started documenting my outfits in an effort to get a better sense of my closet and find new ways to pair my clothes. Follow me @lifeingminor (this is the most curated I will ever be)

I started wearing eye shadow again. There is something my skin does not like, but I think I’m closer to finding the culprit after nearly a year without eye product.

How was your January?

If you want to learn more about any of these projects/goals/etc. and how I manage them, let me know.

video: The Four Tendencies

I became aware of Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies during the summer of 2018 and was fascinated by the idea that people respond to internal and external motivations in different ways. The Four Tendencies is not about changing your habits or personality, but about learning what drives you and how to work with people who respond differently to internal and/or external factors.

Gretchen Rubin offered a Four Tendencies course last fall and I was quick to sign up. I find the whole concept really interesting, and am looking into ways to apply the Tendencies in a work setting.

If you’re wondering, I’m an Upholder. My partner is a Questioner.

Have you heard of the Four Tendencies? If so, what are your thoughts? I’d love to know.

video: tieks! 2 & 1 year reviews

Can it be? Yes!

Here’s my long-awaited (much promised), 2-year review of the ballerina pink tieks, along with a 1-year review of the matte black.

Not sponsored, not an ad, just a happy, repeat customer. These are my favorite flats, and a major part of my curated wardrobe.

Good things in 2018

I got my promotion!
Celebrated 1 year of podcasting (The Bluestocking Circle Podcast)
Wrapped up another round of edits with the intention to start querying
Restarted my fitness “journey”
Committed to eating less meat and adopted a more plant-based diet
Committed to letting things go, both emotionally and physically
Discovered The Four Tendencies and learned a lot about myself (video to come!)

All good things indeed.

Goals for 2019

Continue to focus on health – dealing with PCOS and hypo symptoms, and using food to heal my body.
Start querying!
Work on a new (old) manuscript
Focus on mental health. I’ve been dealing with more stress than usual and it’s starting to manifest in physical symptoms (see goal 1).

I keep my goals simple. #1 and 4 will definitely affect my ability to accomplish 2 and 3, but I’m optimistic.