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Coming back for another weekly review! I rounded up all of the things I talked about last week so they can have a spot on my blog. From product reviews to zit remedies — I cover it all! Did you know you could search for things I talk about? I had no idea. Hahah. I just bought a WordPress template — did not know search was included. I am trying to get better at writing about the things I talk about so anyone could just search and find! If you are on a web browser, it is in the top right corner. If you are on your phone, you have to click on the three lines at the top and the search will come up. Damn. Who knew I was a web designer?
Showing off the search button functionality of my website that I did not know I had.
I am going to talk a little bit about my anxiety and goals, so if you want to skip that part, here is a jump to list.
I have had a lot of anxiety lately. I am working on a big work project at work and there is so much going on this quarter. Whenever I am busy on something I have never done before, I automatically assume I am doing everything wrong. And it just makes me spiral. It has made me revert back to old habits — working longer than I should, checking email before bed, checking email on the weekends. Add on the stress of My Sister Made Me Buy It, I just feel worn out.
The stress of My Sister Made Me Buy It is self-created stress. I have so many ideas and dreams for the blog and account, but not enough time to achieve them. As I grow and get more followers, I also get more DMs. And I miss more DMs, which as I said in the last post — I feel guilty about that. I took off posting Friday and Saturday this week. So I had a real day off from all work! I deleted the IG app off of my phone because it is not posting that is stressful as much as it is viewing others stories and think I could be doing more. Anyways, it was a good day. Did a little cleaning. A little fun with Rebecca and her friends. Brunch — which by the way — the pork carnitas burrito at First Watch is PHENOM.
I recently did our financials for the year to prepare for taxes, and we did really well! I am very proud of that. However, it is not enough for me to quit my job. Nor do I want to quit my job. I want the stability of a full-time job. and paid time off. I want to be able to take time off of Instagram without feeling guilty that I am not making money. My full-time job makes me happy because I am constantly learning about a complex industry (healthcare) and marketing every day. As long as I am challenged and learning, I enjoy my job. Which brings me to my #1 2022 goal…
#1 2022 Goal: Taking Time Off
When I was helping care for my dad, it was not as big of deal to have time off because I never had time off. It just became my way of life – work, help take care of my dad, coordinate care for my dad, take care of my family, My Sister Made Me Buy It (MSMMBI), etc. I was able to dedicate more time to MSMMBI because I did not have as many followers. I would spend two nights a week at my dad’s with just my dad and I (we alternated weekends).
After he went to sleep, I did not have to worry about putting Rebecca to bed, getting ready for school, homework, etc. My dad and I would eat dinner, talk, and then he wanted me to work on Instagram because he was really proud of it. He loved to shop, so he would always ask what people were buying. Then we would watch tv together and I would also be on my phone. I honestly miss those nights so much. Even though I never slept through the night, I miss hanging out with him before he got too sick. Damn. Had no idea I would end up crying this morning. That’s grief for you.
I spent the whole year after he passed adjusting to life without the adrenaline rush of the past two years. Not having every minute of my life scheduled. Navigating a pandemic. Cleaning up the mess I had no time to clean from the last two years. Working through the grief of my mom that I did not really have time to process once we started to care for my dad. Then working through my grief of missing my dad when I realized – oh its not just a hospital stay. And then resting. And then fighting depression. It has been a year and I just now feel like I can get back to a normal routine. Of course I miss my parents every day. But now I have to work on me. My family, health, career and business.
As a people pleaser, it is hard for me to put up boundaries. Especially because I do not want to disappoint anyone. And because you can make a lot of money with affiliate links, you feel like you have to be glued to your phone 14 hours a day. It is addicting — like gambling. However, at some point, I realized the money was not worth it. I still have a full time job. It is a good job, too. While I want to take nice vacations and remodel my kitchen that has not been touched since 1986, I also need to take time off.
Weekly Review/Summary
I felt like writing this morning, so I put together my weekly review while catching up on shows and finishing Harlem. Ugh. I am so sad I am done with Harlem. It is SO good. More people need to watch — it is available on Prime Video.
Food & Drinks
From left to right:
Starbucks Black or Green Iced Tea w/Peach Juice: They already have Iced Green Peach tea on the menu, but I prefer black tea. This is so good and is not too sweet. I do not usually like sweet tea, but have a soft spot for peach tea.
Garlic Expressions Garlic Vinaigrette: I had no idea this product was made in Ohio — it is one of my favorite dressings! Nothing else compares! Apparently it is sold throughout the U.S., so if you want to try, click the link to see where it is near you. Otherwise, you can find on Amazon, but will pay 3x the grocery store price.
Simple Truth Jasmine Rice: This is really a recommendation for any frozen rice. It just makes throwing together a lunch or dinner at home SO MUCH EASIER. I made a salmon bowl this week in under ten minutes just using the things I had in my fridge!
Garden Gourmet Spices: You can find these squeeze tube of herbs in the produce aisle. I always have basil, garlic, ginger and cilantro in my fridge. I hate chopping all of those things, so this just makes it easier to cook at home because I most likely have all the ingredients.
Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Seasoning: This seasoning is so good! I thought it would taste like Green Goddess dressing, which is usually basil forward, but it didn’t. I used it to season brussel sprouts and it was so good!
HouseOrganization & Cleaning
Dawn Powerwash Spray: (commissionable link) One of the first things I shared on my account two years ago! A co-worker was talking about how she used it to clean everything. I had only tried it on my dishes. Which is it is amazing with. But it is the best with as a glass cleaner — especially windows that have a lot of dirt and grime. Or shower doors. Or mirrors. Just spray. Wipe off with a wet cloth. Then buff dry with a dry cloth.
Youcopia Four Tiered Pantry Organizer: (commissionable link) I have been using general baskets from Target for pantry organization, and it seems like everything gets lost. I end up re-buying and then ending up with double. Which is not great if you have limited space. I saw these in the store and bought two (they are $15 each) to see how they would work. I LOVE THEM. Not only are they more narrow than the baskets I was using, it is tiered — so you can easily see what you have! I ended up buying two more and will probably keep gradually adding to my collection.
Oh Yuk Jacuzzi Jets Cleaner: I have used this for a few years to clean our jetted tub. I take a bath maybe once a year. It grosses me out too much and I can never fit in the whole tub from being so tall. But Rebecca loves the jets and would use them all the time. It gave me the creeps thinking about all that sitting water and mold, so I bought this because it was highly rated on Amazon. And IT WORKS. It is gross all the things it picks up.
Productivity/Work Stuff
Bear Focus Timer: This is only available on Iphone, which sucks because it is a top 2021 (even though I bought it in 2020) buy for me. It uses the pomodoro method – a time management system where you work for a block of time, short break for a block of time and repeat the cycle X times until you get a longer break. I like it because it makes me lay my phone down. If I pick it up – the timer stops. It also has white noise you can listen to while working, which seems to really help me concentrate. If you do not have Apple, I recommend a visual timer like this one — it is what I used to use!
Slidequest: Slidequest cost $50 for a lifetime membership to thousands of PowerPoint templates. I mean they have everything. I bought these for work before I realized we already had something like this we could use. So I gave my access to Missy, who is a consultant. She had a big presentation coming up and said it was so helpful!
Canva Design School: Along the same lines of PowerPoint design — I am bad at both. I just do not have an artistic mind. Canva Design School is a free resource for anyone who wants to improve their graphic design skills. They have a lot of basic courses on design that apply to more than just Canva — but they have you use Canva to practice the principles taught.
Cute Highlighters: I love these highlighters. I bought last year because I liked the pastel colors and how they were flat — like the ones Cher uses in Clueless. They are finally back in stock, and I just think they are a really good deal if you using them in planners, notes or to check off your to-do list.
Skincare
Hero Cosmetics Might Patch for Nose: I saw this on TikTok and was curious because my nose is full of blackheads and sebaceous filaments. It has been like that my whole life — I even notice them looking at pictures of myself as a kid. So I LOVED using pore strips. They are so satisfying. But after I learned they are not good for your skin because it takes so many layers off and they do not address the real issue, I stopped using them.
However, these patches are different. They are made up of the same stuff pimple patches are made up of –hydrocolloid. And the material is so good at sucking up liquids. I bought them because everyone was like — oh my gosh this is so gross!! And I was like — oohh is this going to be as satisfying as a nose strip? Where you can see the blackheads when you pull it off?
No, you cannot see the blackheads when you pull it off. However, it did absorb a TON of oil overnight — you could see it on the strip. And it was comfortable to wear and easily came off. My nose was noticeably less oily the day after. You get 10 for $18.00. I think they are worth it if you have oily skin. I would not use everyday, but I am thinking 2-3 times a week and the night before a big event.
Hero Blemish Balm: I love the Hero pimple patches (not the one with micro-darts – those did nothing for me) because they help absorb some of the pus when it forms a head and best of all — I won’t pick as much. However, the blemish balm was new to me. @Joldef recommended it use at the end stages of your zit. So I used it the week before on the last days of my zit. And by some sort of wizardry magic — I had no sign of there ever being a zit there within three days. Usually I have discoloration there for a few weeks! I do not know how or why it works – it just does.
Acnomel Pimple Cream: I found this in a skincare Reddit a few years ago — it is an old pimple remedy that contains sulfur and helps dry out zits. I mix this with Peter Thomas Roth Acne gel and BAM. It is gone. But it is really drying. So just remember — it works for me, but take your own risk if your skin is sensitive.
Well there we have it! I am going to spend the rest of the day going through sales, cleaning up the kitchen and starting to work on organizing my room. I hope you all have a lovely Sunday!
