Thursday, January 23, 2025

AOT: Broke in Your 30s vs Your 20s

I brought this up with my husband the other day, and then more recently with my friends who all seemed to echo similar sentiments.  I'm approaching 40, and as I think back on my 20s and 30s, one thing seemed odd to me in a way I hadn't anticipated.  I've always been prone to stressing about my finances, every since my mom died and we were thrown into the very real pool of being incredibly broke without her income and with her medical (and other) bills to pay off.  It happened when I was 21 and ever since then you could almost say I've been hyper vigilant about staying out of debt and above water since then.  Yes, there is some debt I had to undertake (student loans, mortgage) but my husband and I steer clear of other debt like CC debt, the kind that comes with an interest rate.  Even my student loans were a beast to pay off.

So as we were walking the other day I looked at him and said, "You know, it's funny.  I thought my 30s would be awesome because we'd 'have more money and freedom,' but like, no.  I'm not broke like I was in my 20s, but I'm broke in a new way, in an 'I'm trying to save for the future and not go into debt while also not living on ramen and saltines only and everyday' kind of way, and it's utterly exhausting."

To my surprise, he and my friends have all echoed similar scenarios back.  Yes, compound that with COVID in 2020 and a slew of other mishaps that peppered the last two decades for millennials, and it almost seems odd that we would have or should have expected anything else.  But between trying to plan for a retirement that may or may not exist and may or may not include social security, pay off student debt which feels like digging yourself out of quicksand, and for some of my friends looking at raising kids and/or going through divorce, and/or losing parents and paying estate fees and attorney fees and moving fees...it's all quite berating.  It makes me realize I should give myself and other people within a decade of my age more grace to feel numb or annoyed or frustrated or, or or...more often.  

Anyway, I hope you're finding things are going well for you, but if you feel like you're spinning in a vortex of Groundhog's Day (like the movie) and wondering when your bank account will read a number that makes you think "hey, I could splurge and not be at zero!", just know you're not alone.  Wishing you some peace in what's started as a very chaotic year as well.

Friday, January 17, 2025

LMOH: Long Weekend Vibes

 Mmmm, waking up today and realizing a long weekend is ahead is one of the best feelings.  I already love waking up on Fridays because it means it's "special coffee" day (aka we save our Nespresso for the weekends based on a long tradition of making Fridays and weekends special).  And then waking up AND realizing that on top of Special Coffee Friday it's also going to be a long weekend?!  Hello, happiness!

What special things do you have planned (or enjoy doing) on long weekends?

Friday, January 10, 2025

Food: Chicken Wings FTW

So, for the holidays we had a houseful of 7 for 6 days.  I had a lot to make so one day I just got a bunch of chicken wings to bake.  Yes bake.  And they were a HUGE hit.  Everyone kept asking what I did because they tasted great, and one of the people at the house, like me, doesn't love when chicken wings are dipped or slathered in sauce.  We like them simple and yummy.

Now, the recipe seems too simple, but I promise if you bake them long enough, they taste fantastic!

Ingredients:

- Chicken wings

- Salt


Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 425

- Lay chicken wings skin side up on a pan (which I also covered in parchment paper because it makes for easier clean up, but that's your call)

- Sprinkle salt on the top of all chicken wings

- Put in oven for 40 min

- At 40 min, pull them out of the oven and with tongs flip them all over so the skin side is facing down, then flip them back over so the skin side is facing up 

        - I usually go from one side of the pan flipping them over (e.g. left to right) and then back the same way again (e.g. left to right)

        - This is essentially a "quick baste" - it gets some of the juices that have seeped off them back onto the skin to create a crispiness.  No waiting, this whole process should take like 2-3 minutes.

- Place back in oven for 20 more minutes

- Remove and enjoy at the temperature you prefer (I usually have to let mine sit for ~5 min to cool a bit)



Simple.  But amazing!  Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

LMOH: Ringing in the New Year

 Happy New Year!  If you’re like me you’ve approached this new year with a little trepidation.  Last year was a lot and while there were some high points for sure, I just find I’m not (to date myself here) “psyched” about celebrating as I used to be.  

That said, I awoke this morning feeling happy and light.  Then I stepped outside into a clear, brisk, and refreshing morning as I let the dogs out.  Then I found my foster, Jet, and our dog, Faye, playing together (which is a rare occurrence - Faye is a corgi and corgi legs are short so Jet, in trying to play, usually swipes her with his long legs and she gets annoyed, so they don’t play much).  But there they were, happy and playing, and I found it warmed my heart.

So who knows?  Maybe this will be an excellent year.  For all of us.