Category: Twenty-something

Sunday in the suburbs

Posted on by jplatt27

Sunday was a simple day and to some it may seem ordinary, but it was the kind of day I’d wished for for a while.

I spent the whole day yesterday with my friend Emily shopping in Rockville, Maryland.  I know, it sounds lame. Why am I writing a post about this?

Because it was wonderful.

Our husbands were playing golf and had an 11:30 tee time so we hit the stores while they hit the links. We stopped for Starbucks before starting at Michael’s and then heading to Ulta, Child’s Play, Buy Buy Baby, World Market, H&M, Target, and Ikea.  Ikea?? I know, right?? We were on a roll.

Reasons this was amazing:

  1. We were shopping for about 6 hours. We got everything done we wanted to do: supplies for a party I’m having this weekend, a gift for a friend’s baby, hair products and clothes for Em’s upcoming vacation, and a new piece of furniture for our kitchen.
  2. We were together one-on-one for 6 hours, just galavanting around.  As an adult how often does that happen?  And because we were together for so long, we were able to talk and talk and talk about topics both big and small—you know, girl talk.
  3. Being in the suburbs is a beautiful thing.  We went to more stores yesterday than I’ve been in the last 2 months. I’m not kidding you.  Part of the reason our apartment isn’t decorated after almost a full year is because getting to stores to buy things for my apartment seems like such a to-do. I know it’s not.  But it feels like such a production.
  4. Emily knew exactly where everything was and I was pretty much just along for the ride.  I said, I want to go here, here, and here and she took me there!  One reason shopping seems like such a production is because I don’t know where any of the stores are and if I’m going to go shopping in the suburbs I feel like I have go to at least 3 stores or it’s not worth the drive. But I would have to map out every stop beforehand and figure out the best route and that totally deters me from the whole thing.  It’s like when you go into a grocery store that’s not your usual store and you feel totally uncomfortable and lost.
  5. Shopping with a girlfriend is a wonderful thing.  So different than shopping with my husband.  When shopping with girlfriends, the conversation just continues as you move through the stores. You get actual opinions and pros and cons on your potential purchases. When I shop with my husband  he pretty much becomes a mute when we walk into a store and I feel immense pressure to get out of the store as soon as possible.

After our shopping marathon, we went back to Emily and Zach‘s for dinner.  We sat outside with a glass of wine while we waited for Mike and Zach to get back from golf and then Zach fired up the grill. It was a great end to a great day.

 

what i've learned about journaling

Posted on by jplatt27

I used to think journaling was like keeping a diary in elementary school.  Every night before bed you’d write about what you did that day:

“Dear Diary, today I went to the my friend’s house.  It was fun. We played…”

I knew there were benefits to journaling but writing in that way always seemed forced and rarely brought the therapeutic relief it is supposed to bring.

When I was planning my wedding I carried a small notebook around with me to take notes and jot down ideas, lists, etc. When I started blogging, I continued to carry the notebook around with me to jot down notes and post ideas, random thoughts, emotions, etc. And what began as drafting potential blog posts turned into an appreciation for exploring and expressing emotions through writing.

Now I write when I feel like writing: waiting for the bus on a Saturday afternoon (when this post was drafted), at 5am when I wake up with lots of thoughts, on the bus, when I waiting for my computer to re-boot at work.

I’m still finding my way, learning more about what I like to write, what prevents me from writing certain things, and how to get around those hang ups.

You may have noticed that I rarely write posts that recap a weekend or a day or a trip (Chicago part 1, part 2, part 3). It’s because for me writing posts like that is kind of excruciating.

Writing a timeline narrative is not my thing.  I like to explore feelings and events and I always feel like I go too off course. If the main idea is “what I did today,” I can’t do that because I feel like I have to get to the end of the day and list every single thing I did and until I get there it will not be over.  I also feel like I have to include every. single. detail or the post is somehow dishonest or inaccurate or I’m not telling the whole story. [I had to edit myself in the most recent what’s for dinner? wednesday post and assure myself that not sharing that I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things did not take away from the point of the story: I made lunch, then decided we should go on a picnic and made it happen.] And that makes me stressed. Journaling should not be stressful.

Here’s what I’ve learned, what I would share to beginners (and I advise that you all try journaling if you don’t already), and what I continually remind myself:

  • you don’t have to start at the “beginning”
  • you don’t have to get to the “end”
  • you don’t have to include every. single. detail.
  • remember how good it feels once you write (kind like how good it feels once you get your butt to the gym)
  • write when you feel inspired
  • it’s therapeutic to write about things that happened in the past
  • it’s energizing to write about hopes and dreams you have for the future…in detail

 

I’d love to know…

Do you keep a journal?

If so…

How often to do you write?  | When do you write? | What does journaling mean to you?

Have you had any issues journaling? | What have you learned through your journaling practice?

If not…

Why not? | Do you have concerns or blocks about journaling like I did? | What’s your favorite way to explore your emotions?

what's for dinner? wednesday: 2 for 1

Posted on by jplatt27

Saturday morning I put buffalo chicken in the crock pot. Isn’t making lunch on a weekend such an accomplishment?

After my favorite Saturday morning activities I went to the grocery store to get a few things for lunch and thought “we should go for a picnic!” I ran home, packed up everything for lunch, and called our friends John and Mindy to see if they wanted to meet us. They agreed! Isn’t calling a friend at the last minute and saying “hey-what-are-you-doing, do-you-want-to _____” and having it all work out just the best?

We had a picnic in Lafayette Park across from the White House. The weather was GORGEOUS. We had our buffalo chicken sandwiches, caught up, and then had a frisbee toss.

The next day was the 5k for Girls on the Run. When I got home we used the leftover buffalo chicken and made a pizza! Isn’t using leftovers in a different way so satisfying??

Between the 5k and eating a heavy pizza, I was kind of a zombie after that.  Regardless, the pizza was delicious and the sandwiches the day before were yummy!

Here are the recipes for both. (Do I owe you because it’s been so long since my last what’s for dinner wednesday? post?)

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Make this buffalo chicken recipe in the crockpot.

When the chicken is finished, put it on some nice big rolls.  Sesame seeds add a nice touch.

Serve with pickles, blue cheese, and maybe some potato chips.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Make this buffalo chicken recipe in the crockpot (or use leftovers from the sandwiches above).

Saute some about half a red onion, chopped.

Make a Pillsbury pizza crust according to package directions. After you pre-cook the crust it a bit, top with blue cheese dressing, onions, buffalo chicken, monterey jack cheese. Cook until the crust is done.

Top with watercress for a pop of freshness. Some chopped celery would add a nice crunch too!

Let’s chat:

What do you usually do for lunch on the weekends?

Have you turned leftovers into something special recently?

To see what we had for dinner tonight, like Things After the Rings on Facebook!

things i'm afraid to tell you

Posted on by jplatt27

A few months ago, Jess shared a list of things she was afraid to tell her readers over on Makeunder My Life. She didn’t know that in doing so she would inspire other bloggers to do the same, thus starting a movement that would be featured by the Huffington Post. Here’s my list…

Things I’m afraid to tell you

Sometimes I worry we won’t be able to buy a house until we’re 40.

I started taking anxiety medicine about a month ago.

       I have a simultaneous fear that I’ll get pregnant by accident and that I won’t be able to get pregnant down the road.

       I often don’t pull my weight at home. Mike and I both recognize this.

The second time I looked at our wedding photos I cried because I didn’t love them or how I looked in certain ones and berated myself for ruining our couple photos by not smiling.

I think I’ll be ready to have a baby sometime next year but I’m afraid of what my friends will think when I tell them that.

I really don’t want Mike to go bald.

 

Join in

What’s something you’re afraid to share with others?

 

 

 

what if it’s sunny?

Posted on by jplatt27

When Mike and I chose to have our wedding reception in a tent, we knew it felt right.   Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, PA is a picturesque property with lots of green.  Living in a city, the serenity of the sights and sounds of the property were something that instantly attracted us. It felt so peaceful, so free. This would be the best place for us to get married.

But our parents asked “what if it rains?”

My first thought in response to this was “what if it’s 75 and sunny?” Yes, there is the possibility of rain on our wedding day.  But there is also an equal possibility that it’s a gorgeous spring day. And that’s what I decided to focus on.

This is my natural reaction to things.  I think of best case.  I’m a true optimist.

Yesterday I was chatting with a friend about which grad school she should attend.  She’s deciding between two schools.  At one point she said something equivalent to “if it rains, will I wish I went to the other school?”

And my thought was the equivalent of “what if it’s sunny?” What if the exact opposite of that bad situation happens? You’ll be happy you chose the school you did.

I think it’s natural to ask “what if?” and consider the potential snags in a situation. It’s smart even.  Of course you want to consider less-than-ideal scenarios. But I think it’s best when we ask ourselves this question in a pragmatic way, in a way that opens your mind to a contingency plan in case x, y, or z happens. But don’t let the possibility of it not working out keep you from going after the best case, what you really want.

It’s kind of like that saying “don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” (ok, maybe that’s from A Cinderella Story 🙂 ).

Our wedding day was exactly as I pictured it.  A gorgeous spring day. Sun shining. Not too hot.  And as we sat on a picnic blanket on the grounds of Fonthill before the reception with the breeze blowing past us taking in the whole day, I was glad we followed our hearts and made decisions with the best possible scenario in mind.

What if we had taken our parents concerns to heart, let their fear of rain eclipse our hope of sun, and changed our plans to a more rain-friendly site? What if we booked a hotel ballroom instead and wished we were spending our sunny wedding day at Fonthill?

The next time you find yourself worrying “what if it rains?” ask yourself this:

what if it’s sunny?

Where I've been

Posted on by jplatt27

I’ve been away from the blog for the past few weeks.

Though nothing major has really happened, I feel like a lot is going on and I’m on the cusp of something big.

Here’s what I’ve been up to…

I’ve been soaking up as much information as I can about life coaching and starting a business. Literally all I want to do is read more. Though I’m technically “working” or “studying” when I do these things, it feels like I’m just reading for fun on a Sunday afternoon. This is how I’ve been spending most of my free time. I’m hooked and I just want more.

My best friends from college came to visit DC last weekend with significant others in tow. This is how I feel when I see these girls.

We had a full day Saturday–breakfast at The Diner in Adam’s Morgan; a walk through the Zoo; a picnic in Rock Creek Park with pizza, frisbee, and a round of stickball; delicious dinner and dessert at Kramerbooks and Afterwards; drinks at James Hoban’s. I loved playing stickball.  I was so impressed with myself during my time at bat and I think Mike was too. Sunday we had brunch at Founding Farmers (highly recommend) and some headed back to NYC while the rest of us went down for a walk on the National Mall. It was so fun for all of us to spend time together.

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about ABC’s new show Scandal. I’m absolutely obsessed.

source

Kerry Washington is a rockstar as Olivia Pope, a crisis manager for high profile/high scandal situations in Washington, DC. Created by the same woman behind Grey’s Anatomy and inspired by the life of a real Washingtonian, this show is a combination of drama and mystery that leaves me wanting more every. single. week. This is our new go-to show. Check it out.  It’s free On Demand on Comcast.

We’re home for the weekend for early Mother’s Day. We’ll have dinner with Mike’s family tonight and I’ll spend the day with my mom tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to seeing my mom.  I just want to give her a big hug.  And drag her to the mall.  Hope you have a great weekend!

I’d love to know:

What have you been up to?

Have you seen Scandal? I literally talk about this show all the time. I actually had a dream that I was telling someone about it last night.

A Wonderfully Ordinary Wednesday Evening

Posted on by jplatt27

Last night was a really good night.  It may seem like it’s nothing special because it was just a Wednesday night at home but these kinds of nights are kind of out-of-the-ordinary for me. So, this ordinary, run-of-the-mill Wednesday night filled with normal things and with a blend of relaxing and productivity is very special to me.

Warning: this post is full of digressions and small details.

I got home from work and immediately sat down at the computer to do some writing.  I even sat there with my jacket on for a little while.  Usually I come home and change my clothes first. thing. But I was motivated and wanted to jot my ideas down while they were fresh so I did.  I wrote for about 20 minutes or so until Mike got home.

I greeted him: “Hello! What are you doing?”

He responds: “Just walking in the door.”

Me: “Why are you laughing?”

Mike: “Because I just walked in the door, that’s what I’m doing.”

Riight.

Usually we get started on dinner right away but I suggested we get in bed for a bit. I took off my skirt and cardigan and climbed into bed in my underwear and blouse. It was one of those ahh, this bed is soo comfortable feelings where you just melt into the bed and your stress falls away. Mike changed out of his work clothes and joined me and had the exact same reaction until he said “can you move over? I’m not liking this…” I readjusted.

We basked in the glory of our comfortable bed and our little reprive. Mike said “My feet are cold, let me get in here” as he put his cold feet between mine.  We snuggled in together.

I was about to doze off when he asked me how my day was.

“It was good,” I said sleepily.

“Now’s not a good time to chat?”

“No, I’ll chat.  If I want to chat at all I better do it now since the Flyers are on tonight and you won’t be available then.”

I told him about my day, a small accomplishment at work. Then, he shared about his day.  Then…

“Do I still have that thing in my nose?” I ask holding my nose open and pointing.

“What thing? I don’t see anything.”

“Like right there. I can feel it, it hurts kinda.”

“Close your nostril.”

We stayed in bed for a while chatting briefly and cuddling.  This 30 minutes in bed was such a nice break from the usual.

I volunteered to make dinner while Mike relaxed on the couch. He was excited when I offered and I was happy to do it.

While making dinner I boiled some eggs, something I’d been meaning to do all week.  And when I cracked them for breakfast this morning they were perfect.

Here’s the method we used from Real Simple. Yes, we had to Google because neither of us knew the right way and when I called my mom she didn’t answer.

It’s funny–that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I imagine my mom not being here anymore and me wanting to call her for something. That I won’t be able to call her to tell me how to boil an egg. And I never wanted to Google it because of that. But as I was thinking about this last night I’m like I Google a million other things. It’s fine to Google things there’s a method for.  What will be really sad is when my mom isn’t there for me to call when I’m sick (like I did every day I was sick last week–she’s probably glad I’m better) or when I’m upset or need help with my future kids. It’s fine to Google how to boil an egg.

We watched an episode of Modern Family while we ate BLT’s.  We’re watching from the beginning on Netflix. It was the Valentine’s Day episode in the second season.

Then I hopped up to do my project: make chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter cups for book club on Friday. Mike did the dishes quick while I read through the recipe and collected the ingredients.

I worked happily on these little gems, squealing with delight as they started to come together. Mike was yelling in anger at the Flyers.

In between the three phases I wrote a blog post and did the dishes. I finished the peanut butter cups, finished the dishes, finished the blog post and got in bed to read.

Lights out at 9:55. Good. night.

I’d love to know:

What’s a great Wednesday night for you?

What are some things you call your mom for?

 

My Inspiration List

Posted on by jplatt27

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend.

I’ve been reading a great series by Hayley of Tiny Twig about how to find, grow, and keep your passion. In her post how to create your own inspiration, Hayley asks and answers “What makes me excited?” and then explains that we can use the answers to this question to create times of inspiration, motivation and creativity.

Here’s my list:

  • perusing a book store
  • going to a yoga class
  • happy hour/coffee/dinner with a friend
  • walking around the city on a weekend
  • making a new recipe
  • feeding people
  • riding the bus and looking out the window
  • sunny days
  • driving and singing to the radio
  • talking to strangers
  • a good workout
  • being out of the office during normal business hours
  • reading magazines
  • listening to others
  • being out and about in the morning
  • helping others

These are things that make me feel inspired, creative, motivated.They perk me up. They make me feel like me.  They get my creative juices flowing.  They get me out of a funk.  They stimulate me.  They calm me down.  They distract me. They help me de-stress and recharge. They make me happy and bubbly and excited.

The next time I’m looking for some inspiration or am feeling down, I’ll refer to this list to get me back to me.

Let’s hear it:

What’s on your list?  What gets you excited?

choose your thoughts

Posted on by jplatt27

For months, maybe even a year or more, after we got engaged, I still wondered when Mike would propose.  Things like surprises, dinner dates, random Tuesdays when he walked in the door after work, I’d still find myself thinking “maybe he’s going to propose.” I had been so accustomed to thinking this way, had been waiting for engagement longer than I’d been engaged and that thought pattern stuck.

The same thing happened with our first dance song.  After our wedding, whenever I heard our first dance song, “Just Say Yes,” my mind didn’t go to the dance floor at our reception, didn’t rejoice at how fun our first dance was even though it wasn’t planned at all.  I didn’t think about how Mike threw me out for a spin perfectly on cue as the song built up to the first chorus and everyone started cheering and whistling and we were both smiling from ear to ear.  No, when I heard “Just Say Yes” after our wedding I was taken back to my morning commute, walking up New Jersey Avenue to the metro, listening to the song on my iPod and daydreaming about my wedding.  I remembered my daydream—which was a little different than the real day (different hair, different dress)—because I had played that daydream, a montage of our wedding day, in my head over and over and over again for months leading up to the big day.

While these aren’t terribly detrimental thought patterns to have, more just strange, it makes me think about other thought patterns we can get caught up in and stay in even if realities change: body image, money worries, family concerns. “I need to lose weight” or “I have no money” or “My family makes me stressed.”

We can change our thought patterns.  We’re in control of our thoughts and what pops into our heads. In choosing different thoughts, we can re-train our minds and re-program our thought patterns. We can choose thoughts that build us up, make us feel happy or confident or comforted.

If every time you think “I need to lose weight” or “I’m fat,” you change your thought to “my body is beautiful” or “I’m strong” or “I have amazing arms/hair/eyes/insert favorite trait here,” that will become the prominent thought related to your appearance.

If when you worry “I don’t have enough money” or “I wish I made more” or “How will I pay for that?” you remind yourself that “the money always comes” or “I can re-work my spending plan to allocate money for that” you will believe that the money always comes when it needs to and/or you are in control of your money not the other way around.

If you anticipate “family get-togethers are overwhelming” or “my sister/uncle/mom drives me crazy” but then remember “last we time we laughed until we cried” or “my mom knows me better than I think she does” you’ll significantly decrease your chances of getting overwhelmed or irritable.

We can choose our thoughts so we might as well choose ones that work for us. It may take some time to get the new thought pattern to stick, to become the primary thought associated with an experience, a person, a stressor. But if we keep at it, we can re-program our minds.

Now I don’t catch myself holding my breath for the proposal that already happened because I look at my ring and remember the proposal and how wonderful it was.  That I have what I hoped for. And because I’ve started listening to Just Say Yes when I’m in the car alone and thinking back to our actual wedding, when I hear our first dance song, I remember our first dance and the happiness that is tied with the song. Mostly it makes me think of Mike.

Sometimes our thought patterns change because life changes.  Sometimes we have to help them get there. Sometimes we choose to change our thought patterns because that’s all we can control in the moment. And other times, our life changes because our thought patterns change.  But that’s a topic for another day.

Extra money: make it then make it work for you

Posted on by jplatt27

I had some pretty exciting financial accomplishments in the month of March. I paid off my credit card, paid off my smallest student loan to accelerate my debt snowball, and signed up for a business workshop that’s coming to DC next month (and paid in full!). While I paid off the student loan and half of the business workshop with my salary and regular budget, I paid off my credit card solely with money I earned outside my 9-5.

Here are some ways I’ve made extra money this year:

  • tutoring–I’ve been tutoring for the last three years.  I currently have two students that I see on a weekly basis for an hour.  I stack the appointments so they’re one right after the other so it only takes up one week night.
  • house/pet-sitting–Mike and I are house-sitting for the week for one of the families I tutor for.  Not only is this a mini-vacation in a beautiful house, it’s also great opportunity for us to make some extra $$. I also cat-sat for a week in February, visiting the cat during my lunch hour.
  • baby-sitting
  • sold an old text book on Amazon

Here are some other ways to make some extra money:

  •  sell clothes on e-Bay
  • start an etsy shop
  • monetize a skill.  For example, my friend Amanda has great organizing skills (remember when she organized us after the bed bugs?).  I keep telling her that she should start organizing on the side while she finishes up law school.

But simply making extra money isn’t all you have to do to truly make the most of it. I’ve been tutoring for the last three years.  I’m sure I’ve made a couple thousand dollars or more in that time but it wasn’t until recently that I started capitalizing on this side income.

To make your side income really work for you, you have to do two things: capture  and earmark.

Until last fall I would put the cash in my wallet and deposit the checks in my checking account but not really use it for anything in particular.  I’m pretty sure I spent most of that money on food–lunches, coffee, random snacks, breakfast, etc.  What a waste!

But in the fall I set a goal to pay off my credit card. I decided to use my tutoring money to do this.  I earmarked the weekly income from tutoring for my credit card–allocating it before it even came in to one specific goal.

I’d capture this income by knowing the exact total of what I earned and making sure it didn’t get used.  Every Tuesday, I’d walk to the bank and deposit the cash and the check into my checking account. Then I’d get back to my desk and make a payment on my credit card. To capture money for a goal that you have to buy outright (like the registration for the workshop, or a new bag), I still deposit in my checking account and just make sure that I subtract that money mentally when figuring out my balance.

I was amazed at how quickly this income added up when I began to capture  and earmark.

I try not to think about how much progress I could’ve made in the past 3 years if I would’ve done this the whole time.  What’s done is done.  Can only look forward.

I encourage you to try the capture  and earmark method for a few months and see how many goals you reach. Maybe you have some debt you want to pay down or maybe you want to build up a small amount in savings. With spring here and summer on the way, maybe you have weddings coming up, plans to travel to see friends, or have your eye on a cute spring dress. Working this method will make you feel empowered and relieve some of the stress that goes along with big money goals. Go for it! Work it girl!

Let’s chat:

What are some ways you’ve made extra money?

What money goals do you have right now? What would you earmark money for?

I love a good brainstorm–share your ideas for earning and capturing extra money in the comments.