Lately I have been feeling off. I happens every year when Chicago's winter hits (unofficially). The darkness at 4:30 p.m., the constant cloudiness, the frequent snow/ice/rain combine to kill my motivation and make me want to hibernate. I don't have the luxury of sitting around and doing nothing, though, so I needed to find my inspiration again. I needed to pull myself out of this rut. I've ... Read more
Inspiration From “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders
**This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise! My most recent Audible listen was "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders, who apparently also has a popular personal finance blog I was not familiar with. This book was in my Audible recommendations after listening to "Girl, Wash Your ... Read more
Free or Low-Cost Self-Care Methods
As much I love to use $6 to $8 bath bombs and natural masks as part of my self-care, I realize I and others don't always have the money to spend on these items. You can still practice self-care for little to no money. That's because self-care isn't about buying something to make yourself feel better (unless I guess that's what works for you?), it's about taking time for yourself and allowing ... Read more
What I Didn’t Know About the Fourth Trimester: Maternity Leave Lessons
Maternity leave is over. I'm back to work full time as an editor. A positive is that I can work from home, though returning to work was still depressing and overwhelming. But on my first day I realized I also felt something I didn't expect: relief. I felt relieved to be forced into a routine that is in some ways familiar. I felt more like myself than I have in months. Now that I am working again ... Read more
Spending Ban Update and Lessons
** This post was originally published in April but has since been updated. In March I shared my goal of doing a pre-baby spending ban on certain categories. I wanted to stop unnecessary spending, especially it comes to dining out, before our baby is born so I can focus on financial goals. Now I want to provide a spending ban update and lessons I learned in hopes of inspiring those who want to ... Read more
4 Lessons from My First Month With a Newborn
** This post was sponsored by DockATot. All opinions and photography are my own. It's hard for me to believe that Adelina has been with us nearly a month now! The days have been long but all too short at the same time. I've learned so much about taking care of a newborn and myself in the past four weeks, so I wanted to share four lessons I've realized in my first month as a mom of a newborn ... Read more
An Unforgettable Hawaii Beach Day | False Ballistic Missile Threat
When you wake up one morning, grab breakfast and begin to get ready for a beach day, you don't expect to hear what sounds like an Amber Alert ringing on your phone. I looked at my screen and read aloud the words I was seeing: Extreme alert BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL." This is not a drill. How could this be? I immediately suspected a ... Read more
Thoughts on the Self-Help Book “You Do You”
** This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Floradise. Last week I finished "You Do You: How to Be Who You Are And Use What You've Got to Get What You Want" by Sarah Knight. It's the third book I've listened to on Audible by the author of "Get Your Sh*t Together" and "The ... Read more
2018 Word of the Year, Plus Simplifying To-Do List
For the past few years I have chosen a word to guide the following 12 months. Each year I have watched that word change my life, sometimes in ways I didn't expect. When I saw the following word last week, it spoke to me. I knew this would be my chosen word for 2018, as well as an intention: Believe. Believe is my 2018 word of the year. I believe in myself and that I can make my goals a ... Read more
The First Dog I Loved
The Flora family lost a valuable member this week. Taylor, our sweet lab, died on Tuesday almost two weeks after she collapsed during her morning walk and we discovered she had a mass in her chest. Graham and I were by her side, petting her and telling her she was the best dog as she quietly took her last breath. I never had a dog of my own growing up; I didn't have that responsibility or ... Read more