finances – Invented Charm

Treat Yo’ Self Ideas

Published February 15, 2018 by Christina

I’ve been making great strides with my 2018 habit changes, but I have been struggling to find ways to treat myself. My favorite thing ever is a good ol’ Treat Yo Self day, but generally speaking, mimosas and fine leather goods are not sustainable or attainable healthy treats. On the Happier podcast, Gretchen Rubin often talks about how using food, drink, and shopping as treats undermines the positive habits changes we are trying to make. For example, one of my big goals this year is to stick to a budget and get back to saving monthly. My partner and I even started using the You Need a Budget app to better track our spending. It’s been going great so far, but the last thing I want to do is treat myself with shopping when what I want most is to save.

I think occasional planned indulgences that are food or shopping based are fine, I just want to get away from the notion that they are treats. We are all so busy with our daily lives that we may feel depleted and drained. That’s why treats are effective at staving off burn-out. I’ve pulled together a list of experiences that are very simple, low cost or free, pleasurable treats.

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Date Night Revisited

Published September 26, 2017 by Christina

I wrote about the importance of having a date night back in August of 2016, but more than a year has passed and I live in a new town, and a new house. Date nights look A LOT different now, so I thought I’d revisit the concept.

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Tudor House Progress and Move-In Tips

Published June 19, 2017 by Christina

I am back with an update about the Tudor House! I am going to come up with a catchy name for our new abode, I promise!

We FINALLY got to move in on Thursday night after the world’s most protracted water heater replacement saga ever. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say that it’s no fun spending 2,100 bucks on something that’s not exactly broken but not functioning either. But I do love having hot water!

Since it’s fresh in my mind, here are five things I learned from unpacking and moving into my new home. Think of this as a continuation of my Ten Tips for Moving.

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A True Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Published April 26, 2017 by Christina

Recently I wrote about my dress dilemma, and it really helped me clarify some of my insecurities about myself and my wardrobe. I can happily report that I did wear my boho shirt dress to Rory’s party, and for the most part I did feel confident about the look. The weather was all over the place that day—it started out hot and humid and then later was very overcast and cool—it was the perfect outfit. I did get compliments, and it made me acknowledge that it’s okay to have insecurities about my legs and still wear things that show them off anyway.

I’ve been living with my spring capsule since the beginning of the month, and it hasn’t really changed too much in structure, but it has grown a bit. I started off with less and realized that I was pulling quite a few items from storage because of weather issues, activities, and for practicality. I think we are experiencing a true spring in northern California, and to be honest, I find it a little jarring after so many years of drought.

I really like using the Unfancy capsule wardrobe planning worksheet because it reminds me to plan my wardrobe with specific events in mind. So far I’ve celebrated Rory’s birthday, Easter, had a girls only wine tasting trip to Healdsburg, and gone on a day trip to Yosemite. In May we have Mother’s Day, my husband’s birthday, and mine. I really need my wardrobe to do a lot.

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I Have Nothing to Wear vs. Minimalism

Published April 21, 2017 by Christina

I have been struggling with the worry about my clothes again. I have lots to choose from, and yet I feel like I just can’t re-wear certain things. I suspect this is just a problematic mind frame in need of shift and not an actual problem with my closet. It’s the battle between the I Have Nothing to Wear Syndrome versus Maintaining My Capsule Wardrobe.

I’ll break it all down for you.

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A Mid-Winter Capsule Wardrobe

Published February 13, 2017 by Christina

It’s already February, but I didn’t want to let that stop me from posting about my winter capsule wardrobe. Back in December I started working on my capsule by filling out Unfancy’s worksheets, and decided that this should last me through the month of March. I moved in late January to a colder and rainier region and had to revamp my capsule a bit, and this is the result.

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A Transitional Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Published October 6, 2016 by Christina

We don’t really have a true fall here in California, particularly here in southern California by the beach. We totally need Pumpkin Spice to mark the transition from summer to autumn. So this capsule really reflects my actual fall weather, and not the idealized fall capsule I started out with (which included a lot of flannel).

building your fall capsule with basics

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Lessons Learned from my First Capsule Wardrobe

Published September 16, 2016 by Christina

Back in July I posted about my casual summer capsule wardrobe. It was my first foray into building a capsule collection, and it was a huge learning lesson. Overall, I really enjoyed the simplicity of getting dressed everyday. I have already begun planning my fall capsule wardrobe, but before I share it, I want to reflect back on what I learned this summer.

lessons-from-a-summer-capsule-wardrobe

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Sometimes You Have to Pay Yourself in Lattes

Published August 9, 2016 by Christina

sometimes you have to pay yourself in lattes (1)

It’s been a challenging couple of weeks in my casa. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but a move has been in the works for a while now.

We’ve had some setbacks, and it’s been a real bummer. I think people mistake an unprompted move as a statement against the community or city in which you live. But my town is undeniably beautiful, with a lot of remarkable perks. If money were no object, we’d probably stay, but we live in the real world where things like the cost of housing, food, child care, and education are outpacing our earnings. We have a lot more family and friends in Northern California, the cost of living is more affordable, and my partner has the opportunity to work remotely. It makes perfect sense that we would sell our one bedroom condo and move, but that doesn’t mean that the process is easy or without considerable pain.

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The Importance of Date Night

Published August 5, 2016 by Christina

I always thought the phrase “date night” was really corny. Before I had a baby. Last week my husband and I had our first date night since April. I wore a dress. I bought new shoes, finally. We ate at one of our favorite Thai places (yes, we had a BOGO coupon, but whatever) and we actually got to eat our food without having to take care of a child. I didn’t have to make dinner, and no one had to clear the table and wipe up the floor. After dinner we went to see Star Trek. And last night we had another date night—this time it was Ghostbusters and food stands at Fiesta, an annual town festival. It’s incredibly decadent to get two date nights so close tother, but that’s just how things worked out with scheduling.

Creating a regular date night is my next goal, but for now I’m just grateful when we do manage to get out of the house and are able to line up child care!

Why You Need a Date Night. What it can do for your relationship, why couple friends are important, and why friendships should remain a priority.

Here is what a date night can do for your relationship, why couple friends with kids are such a commodity, and why your girlfriends have to be a priority, too.

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Here is what a date night can do for your relationship, why couple friends with kids are such a commodity, and why your girlfriends have to be a priority, too.