Sharing Two Cents

Every Day Advice For Everyday People

Girl, wash your face

If you haven’t read this #1 New York Times Bestseller – you should! Rachel Hollis offers a simple, honest approach motivating women to love ourselves and to show ourselves a little grace.

Hollis reveals the top 20 lies she thinks women tell themselves everyday…

I am not good enough.

I am defined by my weight.

I am not a good enough mom.

Blah, blah, blah.

You know that hits home! What’s the first thing you say to yourself in the morning when you look in the mirror? Let me guess… My eyes are puffy. My skin looks horrible today. This is a bad hair day and so on and so on.

Hollis suggests we start telling ourselves that we are good enough. In fact, we are better than good enough – WE ARE KICK ASS! We are smart, beautiful and caring. We are no longer victims – instead WE ARE VICTORIOUS!

She shares openly about her victories, failures, and trauma she has suffered. It is an easy read and feels like you are having a conversation with a dear friend instead of reading her book.

To make sure I keep reminding myself that I am KICK ASS, I am going to post some notes around my morning mirror – I am smart. I am worthy. I am not a victim. I am beautiful. I am strong. I don’t want my own negative lies to plot the course of my day.

Is there anything you have done to stop your own negative thoughts? Please share below. I would love to hear your brilliant ideas, because you are BRILLIANT.

~Simone

Emergency Fund

Last time, I shared my news of quitting my job that was affecting my well-being and then five tips on what I do to stay focused and motivated through this period of transition. All of these tips apply to anyone who was laid off, quit, or furloughed from their positions.

One thing that has kept me afloat is having an emergency fund. You may be wondering what that means. A savings account? Kind of. A fund for emergencies only? Close. An emergency fund is a type of savings account (outside of an actual savings account) you keep on hand for emergencies such as sudden unemployment, car repairs, medical bills that resulted from spur of the moment visits, and so on. Based on Dave Ramsey’s baby steps, you and I should have an emergency fund of at least $1,000 to start. This is his baby step number one and one I really took to heart. Of course, $1,000 is not enough for us to live on if something happens, but it’s a start.

How many of us live paycheck to paycheck? This was me. In reality, this is many of us. Start with $1,000 and you’ll feel yourself become more at peace knowing you have cash on hand to handle emergencies. Over time, you should continue to build your emergency fund until it equals at least three months of all living expenses. Adjust accordingly based on your needs and responsibilities. I’ve dipped into my emergency fund while I’m unemployed to pay a few bills and it has made me even more thankful to have a cushion to fall back on.

Do you currently have an emergency fund? If not, what is preventing you from starting one?

-Maria

I Quit My Job. Now What?

In my previous post I confessed that I quit my job. Honestly, it’s not something I’m proud of because it was a job I took with a lot of hope in seeing my future there. Turns out, looks can be deceiving even when it comes to being hired.

Just because I left on my own free will doesn’t mean I have a huge emergency fund to let me do whatever I want or that I should be spending time relaxing. I still need to “work” while I’m looking for work. I know it may be difficult for some of you out there in a similar position. You may have chosen to leave or you may have been forced out. What I’m about to share applies to either side of the coin.

It’s easy to sleep in when you’re not committed to a 9-5. When I was working I woke up at 5:30am or 6am and started my morning. Now, I can wake up at 12 if I really wanted to. I could, but it doesn’t mean I should. Check out my tips below for staying motivated, job searching, and feeling accomplished despite being in a kind of limbo in your life right now.

Maria’s Tips:

  1. Get up early. My wake up time is now between 7am-8am and I do set my alarm. This helps keep you ready for a shift back into the working world.
  2. Get ready as if you were going somewhere to set your mood and mind. For me this means showering in the morning, drying my hair, putting on comfy clothes such as jeans and a top, and doing light make up.
  3. Buy yourself a cheap planner or use your phone calendar. I schedule things each day. I do this even if it’s repetitive. Example: job search. I job search every day. It could be ten minutes or an hour, but I need to be doing it. By scheduling things like reading a few chapters from your book, cleaning, or grocery shopping, it helps us “put it in stone” and we exercise our discipline to complete these items to check them off.
  4. Take time to do what you’ve wanted to do, but haven’t done for whatever reason. Volunteer, organize your important papers, do a home project you’ve put off, declutter, sell your things on various apps such as the Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or LetGo.
  5. Revise your resume and apply everywhere that suits you. I also recommend going to every job interview possible even if you may not be interested. This keeps your interview skills sharp and helps you plan better for the next interview you encounter.

Stay tuned to my next post where I will be discussing emergency funds.

What other recommendations do you have for staying motivated and proactive during a period of transition in your life?

-Maria

I Quit My Job

I quit my job at the end of 2018 with no other job lined up. Crazy, right? You may be in a similar position or you’re miserable at work and have considered leaving. I was working at a small marketing company and felt like I had no direction whatsoever. I started to resent the way I was being treated and didn’t believe in anything the company was doing. My body began responding negatively to my experiences at work. Normally, I’m up early and as time continued, it became more difficult to wake up on time even with an alarm. It was a drag.

In November, I was told my hours would involuntarily be reduced to part-time for about three weeks in December. It was then that my gears started moving towards an exit. The thought of being at this job any longer seriously depressed me, but the thought of running away without a job lined up scared me. It ultimately came down to money versus my well-being.

I chose my well-being though it didn’t mean I could go on a vacation or not put in work to look for another job. I’m currently unemployed and if you find yourself in a similar position for whatever reason then I have a few things to share with you during this journey. Stay tuned to my next post to find out how I stay motivated and on top of my job search.

-Maria

Same Me, Better Attitude

Happy 2019! I started my new year with no new resolutions, no crazy weight loss goals, and no outrageous business goals. I decided to start my new year with a better attitude.

Why? I think I have tortured my family enough with my expectations of them and of myself, my frustration and anxiety that hits when expectations are not met, and my chaos I create when I try to do it all. Being a married, once-divorced, mother of six kids is an ever changing role. Over the years I have worked on becoming a great self-checker – learning to check myself before I go around checking others.

My self-checking revealed many attitudes needed adjustment. One of the adjustments was towards housework. Not just cleaning (of course cleaning!), but also paying bills, cooking and meal prepping, keeping track of everyone’s schedules, and just “mom” stuff.

I recently read a very small book called “The Christmas Apron” by Rachelle Pace Castor. It was given to me as a gift from a family friend who is a mother and also a grandmother. It’s a quick, easy read. The story ultimately reminds us to wear an apron while we are doing the most important work there is – family work, the work that says “I love you”.

It’s weird that by just wearing an apron while you are doing things that are tedious and mundane, can help motivate you. The apron reminds me that the work I am doing (even scrubbing those pesky rounds things at the bottom of the toilet) is because I love my family. I want our home to be our refuge that is clean, organized, and safe for us to just be us. So put on an apron, jam to your favorite playlist on your phone, and change your attitude with me!

Post your apron pics on our Twitter and Instagram using our hashtag #sharingtwocents

~Simone

New Year, Same Me

Happy New Year to you all! We have officially rolled into 2019 with a lot of excitement, hope, and ideas. I know it’s typical for most of us to create some kind of resolutions for the new year. Did you make yours? I used to be on board with a host of resolutions including working out more and grand ideas of somehow overhauling my entire life as soon as possible. Then, I failed and failed again. I lost steam, fell off the wagon, and continued to be my typical self without crossing off a single resolution I had made for the year.

I read a quote today that summarizes my approach to this year. I’d like to share it with you because I believe it can help each of us put things into perspective.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao Tzu

What does this mean? For me, it means that while I do want to accomplish some goals, I don’t have to pressure myself to complete something within a specific amount of time. If a goal or task seems daunting then just taking the first step puts you on the correct path to accomplish something in your life.

What personal goals or resolutions did you set for yourself this year?

-Maria

Welcome Everyone!

Welcome to our brand new, shiny blog! We are Simone and Maria – neighbors & friends – and we’re your go-to gurus for various life advice, helpful worksheets for organization, budget bundles, and planners. There’s a lot of wonderful things in the works so pull up a seat and join our table of projects.

 

-Maria