Friday Fix!

     Just a quick recap of what has caught my attention this week, in case you have some downtime this weekend and need some inspo.  

My currently podcast obsession., Almost 30. They have so many amazing guests and discuss so many amazing topics... I cannot get enough.  I skip around the episodes to whatever strikes my fancy, highly recommend plugging in for your next listen.  

These leggings are currently hanging out in my Amazon cart.  I love the single pair I have.  They are affordable and have an athletic quality to them, but the seems are not nearly as intense and they have a more matte finish so I can wear them out and about.  Obsessed and I need every color.  My athletic leisure look needs to be on point!

The leggings on my body.

Only Cats and Food. Because honestly, what else am I on Instagram for?

Whatever, I am late to the party.  But the nearest SoulCycle is an hour away from my apartment. But a local studio just opened up and I am loving.  Boutique workout studios just add a certain something with their specialization (and the black lights).

This coffee scrub will cause me to brave the mall. All Lush locations are in malls, which I don't care for... especially on weekends.  But I drink coffee because it is delicious, smells amazing, and that caffeine boost spikes my day.  This face mask does the same to my skin after late nights... or for no reason at all.  

I could not read Troublemaker by Leah Remini quick enough.  If you love a good get out of a cult story this is a great one.  The honesty of knowing something is wrong, but it happens anyway is something that is refreshing as a reader.  I've never been in a cult myself so I've always wondered how does that happen? How do you let it get that far?

Book Cover

I have my normal weekend errands to run... but I would love to stay on my couch and binge watch The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (season 2). Because it may be April, but we all know October will always have my heart. Also, is it weird to covet a 16-year-old half witch's wardrobe and hair?

I hope your weekend is somehow both productive and relaxing! Wish me luck! 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

     Isn't that the theme of all those cheesy after show specials that talk about landfills and show you videos of really dirty beaches?

     Growing up my family never really paid much attention to recycling or how much we wasted, except for the effects on our budget.  We drank can soda and water bottles, ate snacks from individual packs, did not recycle, and honestly could have built a second home from discarded plastic bags.  So it didn't register much about my impact.

    And I wish I could say that I was the outcast and cared about seat turtles.. but that isn't the case.  I just didn't think about it until probably my mid-twenties.  I recycled because the home I was renting had recycling and I knew enough to not be that jerk.  Then after moving in with my now husband and I stated that we needed trash bags he replied that we made a lot of garbage.

    So I started thinking about how much waste we really do create.  And how does that affect the environment and my wallet?  How can I be better? So we are no saints of sea creatures (yet), but we do try and have found new ways to save both cash and the environment.

Bee's Wax Over Plastic Wrap
I just grabbed these off the shelf because I hate plastic wrap.  And honestly, they work, look a little cuter, and even take up less space than the box of plastic wrap.  Win.

Reusable sandwich/snack bags.
So I bought this set from Amazon.  I just purchased one after I realized how many zip locks we use.  We do have to wash them and let them dry, but honestly, one set is more than enough for just Husband and I.  If you have kiddos or frequently pack a lot of snacks might want to grab a second set.

Reusable Shopping Bags
Literally the easiest and simplest trick of them all.  I keep a stash in my car and the hall closet.  Most of ours were just freebies from the Auto Show or other events.  They add up! I bring these whenever I shop.  And most places give you a small discount for bringing your own bag! We do occasionally take the plastic bags if we forget to bring ours in.  We try to reuse them for cat litter, packing away seasonal decor, or just bring them to our local grocery store and put them in the recycling bin there.

E-bills.
Pretty much everything we pay is online and gives the option of e-billing.  This cuts down on the amount of paper mailed to our home each month. Plus its never just the bill. But three sheets explaining the bill, general information, maybe a return envelope.  That is a lot of paper! At tax time we just log onto our account and they have a payment summary sheet for the year we print in and give to our accountant.  1 page over 500!

No plastic straws.
I love straws.  I must drink everything with a lid and straw.  But ever since I saw the poor little sea turtle with a straw up his nose I have passed.  I bought these metal straws for home use and this stash of paper straws to keep in my car for when I go places.

No paper plates
We do not use paper plates (in fact, I have never bought any). We also don't use disposable cups or napkins.  We do use paper towels in place of napkins, which I want to get better about.  But we use dish towels and rags in place of almost all paper towel needs.  Which includes spills, cleaning, and wiping off counters.

     So nothing crazy over here.  Unfortunately, our apartment complex doesn't recycle so that isn't an option.  And with no lawn means no compost.  But I can dream, right? What else can I do? What do you do to help save money and sea turtles?!

Job Hunt

     Ah, hello there from the land of job hunting. I've learned so much over these last few weeks about where to search, resumes, cover letters, and answering interview questions.  Honestly, this is the first time in my entire adult life I have ever needed to search for a job.  I've always been lucky enough to have another (better) position lined up prior to leaving my last.  So while I am always grateful for a chance to learn, I'll just say it's been hella stressful.

     With that, I feel like I should be sharing a few tips and tricks I've learned and also how I've grown during this process.  So read on job hunters!

     Your resume will most likely be put up against applicant tracking software or ATS.  This basically means human eyes will not see your application but will be relying on an algorithm similar to what dating sites use to match you with the position.  The top matches will then actually be reviewed by HR and from there the phone interviews will be scheduled.  Which I cannot blame companies for using this software, I mean who honestly wants to read 100 resumes when maybe 10 are worth a callback?

What if?

     So here is the thing... that software may miss you even if you are qualified for a variety of reasons.  You have "copywriting" listed and they want "writing blogs and educational articles". Not that same phrase so you won't get that point so to speak.  I spent a lot of time identifying what it is I want to do.  And when I found a job that I knew I would be a fit for I read the job posting and highlighted the key skills, education requirement, experience requirements, and any software proficiencies desired. Then I made sure these terms were in my resume and cover letter.  This greatly helped for positions I was applying for that were in high demand.  I also used jobscan.co to really help learn how to identify these factors.

     Cover letters are honestly the bane of my job hunting existence. A good cover letter can take you a long way, but a mediocre one can sink you. No one wants a repeat of your resume.  We can all see the key competencies there.  So instead, be sure to include a few stories that explain your success with the top one or two skills needed for this position. Tell them about a new marketing campaign you launched or program you designed.  Or even the story of how you went above and beyond for a client.

     And please, on all this, include measurements.  Are you in fund development... tell them what you raised.  Are you a project manager? Then explain how many accounts or projects you worked with.  Sales? Let's hear those numbers.  If you are good at your job then you most likely have some metric you were graded on.  Share that information. This will explain why you are ready for a promotion!

My Interview Look... Trying to be an adult here

     I know this may seem like common sense for a lot of people. But for those of us who have been out of the game for a while, or just don't seem to have any luck... I hope these tips help! Fingers crossed my interview skills are on par with my resume skills!

Monday Musings

     Happy Monday ya'll! Don't worry, I won't bore you with a million motivational quotes or stories (those are saved for my Facebook Group).  But I have been stuck in my head this weekend and wanted to spend some time getting it all down on (virtual) paper.

     Mostly my thoughts keep coming back to relationships and boundaries.  Where do you draw that line? And who do you know what lines to draw? Being a closed off castle with high walls, a mot, a gator to protect yourself isn't the most fulfilling lifestyle. I wouldn't say I'm a super social person by any means.  I love to stay in alone or with my husband and cats and just mind my own business.  I love reading books and wondering about the library and prefer working out solo.

Me, all by myself and unbothered. 

     But relationships are so important to me.  Even if they don't look exactly like what people think when they say "I LOVE MY FRIENDS".  No, I will not be hugging you goodbye.  And no, I will not be dying to come over every day of the week.  But that doesn't mean my relationships are any less valid.  I love spending time with my friends, they are honestly my chosen family.

     In fact, I probably have one of the closest groups of friends I've ever had in my entire life.  We are in constant contact.  And if you saw my last post, you can clearly see they are always there for me with flowers or cards or even job offers.  I am a ridiculous amount of lucky to have these people.  People I know I can trust and people that don't gossip or share mean stories behind my back.  Because even as we entire our 30's I still see that happening on the regular.

     But that doesn't mean I still don't need boundaries in check.  I've learned that if I give too much I will develop expectations, which are unfair to me and the person.  That I need to find that comfortable level of taking care of Sam better than anyone before I can really care for others around me.  It's also been about taking that step back and really evaluating who cares. Who notices when you are in a slump? Who is worried about your well being and state of mind? Who is going through a hard time themselves but still wants you to take care of you?

     Sometimes this means you make some really hard decisions and learn to really put people at a distance.  Sometimes it means you are pleasantly surprised and find out there are way more people there for you then you thought. It's learning that others have a different love language than you.  I don't really care for gifts or physical affection.  But someone wants to help a girl out and run an errand when I'm swamped or tell me how much I mean to them I swoon. But I do my best to really ensure I understand others love languages and give back where I can (but not physically... don't touch me).

     So here is to navigating relationships with friends, family, and lovers.  Cause that shit is hard.

Change Of Plans

     Isn't it funny that just when we think we have a plan something happens and changes the direction on us? That was me.  I had this long term plan of what trips husband and I were going to take, paying off debt, moving, upgrading our apartment even...

     Then life came and kicked me in the face.

     The Monday after my 30th birthday I was called into my boss's office and told I was being laid off.

     Three months after I just received all excellent reviews and a decent raise.  Just days after I finally relaxed a touch about money and treated myself.  Hours after a really good Monday morning routine.

     All smashed that quickly.

     I took the rest of the day and I went home.  I was feeling all the emotions.  All of them.

    Sad- I loved my job and wanted to stay, I wasn't ready to move on yet.

    Anger- this was a 10 billion dollar company cutting people to increase profits just a hair more?!
    Fear- what if I can't find another job? What if I never get back into my field?
    Optimism- maybe this is a great thing? I can finally take some time off and get into all the things I've always wanted to do but never had time for? Maybe I will find an even better job?

     I admittedly cried pretty much all Monday.  And was still emotionally raw until much later that week.  And it still doesn't feel good.  However, I do have to believe that I will find something better in a timely manner and this was just the push I needed.

    I'm a girl with goals.  I have plans.  Places I want to travel to.  Dreams to accomplish.  So I am taking this as a test of my own determination.  I've applied for a ton of jobs, heard back from a few, and am scheduling interviews.  I also went to the gym and slept in today.  A friend made me dinner and I got to spend time with my husband.

     I can always find that one scuff on a shinney penny, but now I am working on trusting myself and abilities.  I am learning my self-worth isn't tied into this position or with any company.  Oh, and I am learning exactly how amazing my friends are.  I've had friends reach out to me about positions at their companies, send flowers, send junk food (honestly, this is brilliant), send cards, and just listen to me be sad or angry or scared.

 So thank you to my amazing friends who reminded me of what really matters.  Honestly, you are the real heroes of this story.