Financial Fitness: Debt Free!

{via Instagram}

We are consumer debt free!

After eleven months, we have completed our second major financial goal:

• Goal One: Set up Emergency Savings Fund // Completed 


• Goal Two: Payoff Consumer Debt // Completed


• Goal Three: Payoff Student Loan Debt // In Progress

We have decided to stay living with my parents, and plan to continue our financial fitness efforts. I'll be posting an update of our next financial goals and steps shortly. For now, I'm going to bask in the satisfaction of reaching a major milestone!

Yippee!!

xo,

PJ

Be Kind to Yourself

{via Pinterest}

Though living with my parents has been an incredible blessing for our financial well being, it has been difficult.

Difficult in the sense that we're married {have been for almost 6 years}, and living with my parents.

Difficult in the sense that everyone around us seems to be on the next chapter of their lives including home-owning, baby-making, second baby-making, etc.

I try to focus on the good things: the money-saving, debt-freeing, quality time moments. But who am I kidding? We are living. with. my. parents.

If I'm not careful, it easily becomes a pity party - feeling sorry for myself and my perceived regression of "normal" life stages ultimately leading down a destructive path I call the "if onlys".

Are you familiar with the "if onlys"? As in "if only (fill in the blank) my life would be so much better". {My favorite fill-in-the blanks: more money, a better job, a child, a house, a car, a different career.} If you've ever been there, you know this: It's a dark, lonely place.

The truth is that we always want the things that we don't have. Jealousy brews just beneath the surface of well-intentioned joy sharing accomplishments of even the closest friends.

I am not proud of this. I am however, realistic. Realistic about recognizing my own tendencies to compare myself to others. It takes a lot of effort to keep my jealousy in check and to live in my own accomplishments.

Not only have these past several months fostered growth in financial maturity, they have served a ginormous lesson in personal growth. I am grateful for this.

I'm learning to be kind to myself, to accept my life for what it truly is: mine.

xo,

PJ

Weekend Recap

Events of this past weekend included:

• One 6-mile run with dad


• One theater trip to see THE HUNGER GAMES with my book club friends*


• One hot yoga class


• One girls' night out with former co-workers


• One Chipotle burrito for lunch


• One bike ride with Hubby


• One dinner at a favorite Mediterranean spot: Andie's in Andersonville

Nourishment to my soul.

Quality time with family and friends.

'Twas a great weekend, indeed.

xoxo,

PJ

*we were first in line for our show, and proud of it!

Review: Clarisonic Mia

I bought the Clarisonic Mia in January after months of reading reviews and lusting after the boasts of "superior cleansing". Shortly after I replaced my sheer tinted moisturizer with a SPF clay foundation, I realized that I needed to amp up my facial cleansing routine. After a few washes with the Clarisonic, my face felt significantly cleaner. Using it on my face twice a day was a little much. Currently, I use it in the evenings to deep cleanse and remove makeup.

Pros:

• An automatic 60-second timer ensures that skin will not be scrubbed raw


• Any cleanser works, so it's not specific to the Clarisonic cleanser


• Rechargeable, completely waterproof {I'm not afraid of electrocuting myself while I wash my face in the shower}

Cons:

• The Mia does not alert when it's time to move to a different face zone, so it's important to keep track of how long you spend on the different areas of your face


• Financial investment of $119 still feels a little steep

Overall, I wouldn't deem it "life changing" but I am satisfied with my purchase.

 

Do any of you use the Clarisonic skin cleansing system? What do you think?

 

xoxo,

PJ

True or False

Source: google.com via Brittany on Pinterest

 

 Question (True or False): You know your friends are quality when they allow you to show up for Trivia Night at the favorite neighborhood spot in post-workout sweaty clothes. And they don't judge. Instead, they praise you for your workout efforts, and feed you pizza.

Answer: True.