March 23 We drive to Long Beach, Washington for a weekend on the beach. In Vancouver, we buy gas ($40) fast food ($25) and coffees/Italian sodas for the kids ($14). In Astoria we stop at the local bookshop and I agree to buy my 9 year-old the new Dog Man book and another book that […]

March 17 Spring has come to the Pacific Northwest and we are beginning to spend more time outdoors. Following the purchase of our kids’ secondhand kayaks, Nate had a long and frustrating process of loading the 2 smaller water crafts into the back of the Pilot, and trying to tie 2 of them safely to […]

March 9 Back in January, we made a list of things we would be allowed to purchase this year. Today we drive to NE Portland to pick up 2 kids’ used kayaks Nate found on craigslist. They are a gorgeous shade of bright turquoise and look brand new. At $75 each we are saving about […]

I am home after 10 days with my parents. It is so nice to be home. I feel relieved but also uncomfortable, and still worried about my parents. I am off my routine, haven’t exercised in nearly a week, haven’t meal planned or grocery shopped. I’m feeling guilty for leaving before my mom is home […]

My mom’s surgery is over. We wait from 8am-noon patiently, understanding that 3-4 hours is the standard length of time for a valve repair of this kind. It is the wait from 12-1:15 that is excruciating. We are in the “Surgery Waiting Area” we’ve been instructed to sit in so we know we’re in the […]

February 19: I continue to long for clothes I actually love, instead of continuing to buy the same old soccer mom sweaters and jeans. (I’m sure it has nothing to do with the interaction I just had while trying to make a few dollars selling clothing at a higher-end consignment store, “In the future, we […]

February 13: Today is the day it happens: I have a shopping urge. I am getting dressed for work and feel annoyed with my clothing, thinking all my shirts are old and worn out and boring. I have six pairs of jeans but wish I had a better pair. Thoughts like “Why can’t I have […]

February 5: At work, we are finally “going live” with a new Electronic Health Record system. In our morning huddle the vibe is intense. The teams are anxious, wide-eyed and seem to be barely breathing. I am running up and down stairs, between the lobby and our team rooms all morning to help solve equipment […]

There is no shortage of information out there about morning routines. Zealous celebrities will tell you they rise at 4:30 after sleeping for 9 hours, meditate for an hour, and mix a special vitamin supplement into a glass of filtered water which gives them more energy for their 5:30am yoga workout. The question is, should […]

Or, how using a new budget app got my no-spend year off to a great start. Like millions of people in early January, I made some resolutions this year to reduce my spending and pay down credit card debt this year. I also determined to reduce the sheer number of things taking up space in […]