Things Worth Reading

So my last post was a little depressing.  I could have waited until I was in a better mood before writing it, but I firmly believe in posting the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I know that typically, life online is all about the "highlights," and I like celebrating the highs, but I also think it's important to give some time to the lows.  Maybe not quite as whiny and as in-detail as last week's post, but I think this post by Windtraveler sums it up nicely:  "Most of us share only the best and bury the rest which leads to a bunch of people seeing our "ideal" lives and feeling inadequate or insecure, or worse - making those of us who suffer feel tremendously alone in our pain."  Sometimes you just need someone to commiserate, especially when a lot of the people I'm close to (emotionally) are so far away (physically).

The world according to social media is perfect and it is total bull-crap.

I had a business trip last week!  That means I ate really good food.  I was pretty pleased to return home and find that the scale hadn't slipped upward, despite what I'm certain were a couple 4000 calorie days.  Luckily, I've read this article by Coach Calorie and so I try not to stress about a day or two of crazy eating.  The article is titled "How to Turn a Dietary Slip Up Into Weight Loss Gold," but even if you aren't trying to diet and lose weight, it's a nice reminder that you can't gain five pounds in a day.

While I was in Michigan, I gathered tons of fresh produce to cart home to South Carolina.  This means STIR FRY!  And conveniently, one of the blogs I subscribe to posted a bunch of really delicious looking stir fry recipes.  I can't wait to try a few.

I've been looking at our finances pretty closely lately - our cost of living has gone up immensely - and came across this article by The Simple Dollar.  It outlines the four stages of financial independence:  freedom from the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, freedom from debt, freedom from your job, and freedom from employment.  These are definitely in line with where I want to take my life!  It's exciting stuff.

In my efforts to cut our spending I've been looking into some unconventional methods.  This article outlines some awesome ideas that also reduce your environmental impact.  For instance, the author decided to stop buying single-use convenience items:

If I couldn't think of a suitable reusable replacement, I called my mom and dad and asked what they used when they were growing up instead of Saran Wrap (a plastic shower cap) or a to-go coffee mug (a jar with a tight fitting lid). Every single use item has its reusable counter part. Often it took just a few moments of looking around the house to find a suitable reusable replacement — a practice that is actually way more convenient than driving to the store to buy consumables.

And lastly, while writing this post I got a call from my dad.  My grandma passed away today, so if you're in the mood, sing a hymn in memory of my sharp-witted, travel-inclined grandma.  Heaven is a little brighter today.

She took a couple of my cousins and I on a trip to the British Isles.  Here is what she thought of the haggis that we tried while in Scotland!

 

She will be missed, but I'm grateful that we made the trip up to Michigan in time to see her again.