Add A Little More Luxury To Your Life

 

I add simple and inexpensive little luxuries to my life to enjoy on a daily basis.  Many of these things may seem like no brainers to many, but for me it has been a long time in the making.  After a lifetime of scrimping, saving and making every penny stretch so I could raise my children and give them a good life, keep a roof over our heads all while making sure I had savings in the bank for emergencies and a retirement to look forward to I am at the point in life where I can indulge myself a bit.  What a true blessing that is for me.

 

Good Quality Coffee 

One of my greatest pleasures is the one thing I look forward to most every single day and that is my coffee.  Despite the rise in coffee prices I am able to make sure that I have plenty of good coffee choices for me to enjoy.  Most of my coffee these days is gifted to me, but if I find something I want to buy I am fortunate to be able to afford that extra luxury in my life.

 

Good Meat & Produce 

Recently I decided, after much thought and research, to subscribe to Butcher Box and enjoy good quality grass fed beef, wild caught seafood and higher quality cuts of meat.  I also eat more meat than I have in the past as it is important as we age to make sure we boost our protein intake.  I am also spending more for better quality produce, either fresh or frozen, and using vacuum seal bags to store and better keep my frozen meats and produce.

 

A Simple Wardrobe 

One of the best decisions I have made since retiring was to completely go through my wardrobe and really simplify it.  I got rid of everything I did not like, was worn out and anything that was uncomfortable or did not fit.  Now it is super easy to get dressed each day and because I keep far less clothing on hand even the laundry process is easier too.  Each year I plan for and purchase one new outfit and replace any worn out under garments or socks.  I also go through and declutter anything I no longer like or wear as well as anything that has faded and worn out.

 

Matching Hangers 

Several years ago I pulled out all of my hangers, collected together all of the hangers that matched and got rid of the rest.  I was amazed at how much that changed the look and feel of my closet.  It was surprisingly calming.  Once I retired and culled my wardrobe I kept only enough hangers to hold my current wardrobe and let go of the rest so I am no longer allowing “clutter creep” to occur in my closet.

 

Nice Bedding 

Good quality Egyptian cotton sheets are my go-to when it comes to comfortable sheets in the warmer months and good quality flannel sheets in the wintertime.  I also have really nice and comfortable pillows that are washable as well as a thick washable mattress pad.  Nothing provides me with a better night of sleep then the cozy and comfortable feel of good quality bedding.

 

A Little Analog In My Life 

Unplugging and disengaging from digital life is key to improving my daily quality of life.  Unlike most people I, in no way, need to know what is going on all day, every day.  I just don’t.  I do not take my phone with me when I go to bed or to the bathroom (eww), in fact I treat it like a landline and keep it in a specific place in my home.  I read actual books, listen to CDs and watch DVDs.  I go outside and breathe fresh air, I enjoy my pets, I sit in silence and spend time alone.  My favorite places to be are wherever there is no cell service so I try to go camping and take daytrips as much as I can.

 

Simple little luxuries don’t need to be expensive or even take up much time.  But having them enhances my life and makes me feel good.  I am very fortunate to be able to have what I do and I feel very blessed.  What are some of your luxuries?

 

 

Please Protect Your Mental Health

 

Nothing is more important to our overall safety and wellbeing than to protect our mental health and sometimes we need some help to maintain that.  There is absolutely no shame in that whatsoever.  I want to make that abundantly clear.  It doesn’t make us weak to reach out and ask for professional help, in fact, quite the opposite is true.  By seeking help you are acknowledging how strong you are by recognizing when you are in over your head.  We wouldn’t perform our own surgeries or a tooth extraction.  No, we would go to the doctor or dentist for that type of care, right?  So no one should ever feel that it is up to them to take care of their mental health on their own either.

 

I have shared with you lately that we have been dealing with a toxic co-worker and the damage that has been done by this person is immense.  I personally have never dealt with someone this extreme and while I was able to stave off a lot of the abuse she was dishing out, unfortunately I had to witness a lot of the damage done to my co-workers, especially the aftermath of emotions, confusion and utter disbelief.  That takes its own kind of toll on a person, especially if you happen to have even an ounce of empathy for your fellow humans.

 

Because I have been in therapy the entire time I’ve held this job I had the benefit of dealing with this stuff from the get go and I had the tools to deal with most of this crap.  However, things began to escalate back in August as this person became much more aggressive and manipulative making her far more abusive, not to just one at a time as in the past, but to all of us at once.  She was out of control.  Thankfully, my therapist was able to advise me on what to do and helped me get the ball rolling as far as putting an end to the abuse.

 

And!  Because I keep a daily journal, and have been for four years now, I was able to go back through past journals and pull out dates, names and details to write up a fourteen page document to back up what I was reporting when I ended up meeting with our HR department.  My own human resources background came in clutch as well as did my BFF’s professional credentials along with my therapist.  It was definitely a combined effort.  Needless to say, when I showed up at HR I had the goods.

 

Journaling didn’t just help me to document the bullshit, but it was super beneficial in that I was able to write it all down and get it out of my head so I didn’t’ ruminate on it the entire time.  Between my journaling and therapy sessions I was able to keep my own emotions in check and see things with clarity and that allowed me to be the voice of reason and credibility while also being able to be supportive of my fellow abused co-workers.

 

I recognize that this toxic co-worker has issues and that she needs to own that.  I do not take any responsibility for her abusive behavior.  She is on her own.  I also have the tools to deal with this situation and do or say the things I need to in order to protect myself.  With coaching from my therapist I was completely prepared when the toxic one attempted to pick a fight with me (ironically the same day as my appointment with HR) and things came to a head.  I was able to use these tools which netted the expected results.  It worked!  I was then able to go to my meeting and present myself in a professional and pragmatic manner.  My credibility was not even questioned, especially when I presented my detailed and well composed documentation to further support my claims.

 

Regardless of whether you are dealing with abuse, grief, insecurity and worry or whatever, it doesn’t matter.  If you were in pain you would go to the doctor for help.  It you are in emotional pain seek help for that as well.  I have far more clarity and understanding of so much I have experienced in my life and the tools to go forward to enjoy a far better quality of life in the future.  It is well worth it!

 

2026 Grocery Shopping Goals

  

While this year I am trying out not having a set grocery budget I do want to be mindful about my spending.  I’m not going hog wild or anything and I don’t want to get myself into a situation where I end up with a lot of food waste.  This year I am focusing on better quality whole foods as well as trying out a Butcher Box subscription.

 

I really like Butcher Box and their meats are fabulous, however I may at some point have to put my subscription on pause for a bit as I’m nearly out of freezer space and I am not eating as much as they are sending me before my next box arrives.  I know, first world problems.  If you have room in your budget and want to give it a try I think you would really enjoy it.  They get an A+ rating from me.

 

My pantry list has allowed me to make sure I have at least one of each items, more likely two or more, on my shelf and in my fridge and freezers so I am blessed to be very well stocked up.  After my most recent inventory I was able to sit down with my list of my basic 20 items I tend to purchase on a regular basis and highlight all of the item categories (in pink, because why not?) I will not need to buy this year.  How about that?

 

This year I don’t need to purchase anything for myself in category 10 or 12 through 20 because I am very well stocked up.  Knowing this I am able to simply focus on the remaining categories, in particular, 1 through 7.  The remaining categories, 8,9 and 11, I am well stocked up too, but I imagine I will need to purchase replacements for these items as the year goes along (pull and replace).

 

Having solid goals and a strategy for my 2026 grocery shopping this year helps me to stay on track, save time and save a lot of money while in the process curbing potential waste.  More importantly it allows me to create delicious and healthy meals I enjoy eating.

 

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 204

 

Hello everyone!  I hope your week was wonderful.  Mine went better than expected, thankfully.  It started out a little bumpy with one of my poor co-workers having an emotional breakdown with all the stress we’ve been under, but we all rallied around her and got her shored back up.  I am tremendously grateful to be working with such a great group of women, strong and supportive, as we are meeting this challenge head on and not backing down.  We are definitely a cohesive unit.  One of you mentioned how you’d been in a situation where you thought you were the only one until you all began to talk to one another and realized it was happening to all of you.  Well, in December that is what took place with us.  Now we are all pissed off and determined.  I will keep you posted as we navigate this rough chunk of road.

 

Eggs on toast is comfort food for me

This past week I gave myself a lot of grace.  My appetite has been off so I ate what sounded good when I felt hungry and didn’t worry too much about it.  Taking that pressure off and not forcing myself, seemed to help a lot as my appetite is now steadily returning.  I have also been struggling with sleep so I made sure to go to bed early, read and relax, sleep as much as I could and then take a catnap (I literally had a cat in my lap) when I felt sleepy.  I am feeling things turn around for me sleep wise too as I am not able to get a full night of sleep once again.

 

Friday I took a group of seniors to my neighborhood candy shop for a tour of the inner workings and they got to dip some of their own chocolates to take home.  They seemed to really enjoy it and it was a lot of fun.

 

Homemade sausage & black olive pizza

Saturday I got my laundry done and then spent some time in the afternoon paper crafting some pretty bookmarks and making dragonfly die cuts using some new dies I got myself for Valentine’s Day.  It was super fun.  I also made myself a healthy pizza with wholesome ingredients and my own homemade dough for supper.  On Sunday I got out a 500 piece puzzle and worked on that all day.  I completely decompressed and disengaged from the outside world.  It was a perfect and very relaxing weekend.  I am going to focus on having far more of these.

 

Me & Jack

Monday I worked side by side with “Little Miss Toxic” and it was quite a ride, but I didn’t take any shit off of her and it was exhausting.  By the time I left for the day I was so tired, but I was happy to get home and cuddle with Jack.  He is the best therapy.

 

I put a puzzle together

I did not work on Tuesday or Wednesday and enjoyed rainy weather, my lovely home, good food and hot coffee, my fur babies and my own company.  I am putting a lot of focus on loving and taking good care of myself.  After a good night’s sleep I stayed home all day in my pajamas Tuesday and watched it rain all day.  I just enjoyed the simple things while I relaxed.  I did a little declutter in my closet and pulled out several well worn items and a couple things I no longer wear.  The worn items went in the trash and the rest in the donation bag I had going in the garage.

 

Stella!

Wednesday morning I got dressed, had my therapy appointment and then headed off to run errands.  I dropped off a very full bag of donations at the thrift store, dropped off my glass recycling at my neighborhood drop-off site and stopped at Fred Meyer to top up the fuel tank in my car.  Next I headed off to the feed store nearby to pick up a bale of Timothy hay for little Miss Daisy before going back to Fred Meyer to pick up a few items from the grocery store.  At home I was able to restock the bunny’s hay bins, sweep out the garage, clear debris from the storm drain and get the trash wheelie set at the curb.  It felt really good to get a bunch of stuff done.

 

I made some bookmarks and did a lot of reading

Before going to the grocery store I did clear out some old food from the fridge and checked for spills.  I rarely, if ever have food waste, but lately my tummy hasn’t been very happy and I know that is due to stress.  I tend to carry my stress in my gut.  Near the end of the week however, I was feeling much better and back to eating good healthy food.  Getting my stress under control has been very helpful as I have been contemplating my future and what 2026 might look like for me.  Do I work fewer hours, do I work at all?  Or, do I tough it out?

 

Breakfast for dinner is always a winner!

Thursday morning I ran a load of laundry and then worked that afternoon for a few closing out the week uneventfully.  I hope you all enjoyed a good week and have a fabulous weekend.  Take care my friends and let me know what has been keeping you busy lately.

 

This Month's 2026 Grocery Spending – February

 

Often, at this time of year, I find myself still cleaning up leftovers from all of the holiday cooking, baking and entertaining so it is easy to do a pantry challenge, even if I’m not intending to.  This month I was busy clearing out readymade meals I had squirreled away in the freezer in my kitchen before anything languished in there long enough to become frost bitten.

 

This month I shopped only twice, once at Fred Meyer to restock the donation shelf in my LTFS, and picked up a few items on my list and then second to pick up items on my list at Costco.  Super easy!

 

Items for donating

While I was shopping at Costco I took some time to wander through the meat department and take a really good look at the varieties and prices to compare to my Butcher Box subscription. 

My latest Butcher Box delivery

My meat subscription for organic grass fed beef and wild caught salmon comes in much less than if I had purchased those very same items at Costco and most Costco meat is not grass fed or organic.

 

My latest meat delivery fully filled up my freezer.  I was easily able to fill in a few gaps with my other purchases this month too so my fridge and pantry are well stocked too.  A good sale on Crest toothpaste at Costco netted me a year plus supply of toothpaste for $10.99 which I added to the linen closet.

 

I put the donation items in italics

Total spent on groceries this month came in at $83.97, well below my 2025 monthly grocery budget and definitely a lot lower than the USDA Thrifty Budget Plan.  Yes!

 

 

Let's Get Happy!!

 

I want to encourage you if you happen to be one of those that suffers with Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD) or is greatly affected by all the ugliness going on in America to seek out joy and get happy.  We need to enjoy ourselves and find reasons to laugh, even when it might feel overwhelming and hopeless at times.

I’ve been putting a lot of focus on really enjoying each day to the best of my ability and, while I am not affected by SAD myself, I do know people who are.  Plus, regardless of which way your politics lean or even if you aren’t all that political the things going on in our country do weigh on anyone who cares and has empathy for their fellow man.  I’m finding that by connecting with my circle as well as plenty of downtime to rest, relax and enjoy my own solo activities I feel rejuvenated and content.

 

Staying connected and spending time with people we love is one of the best ways to recharge our batteries.  I recommend a lot of laughing.  Doing things we enjoy, even if it is something simple like working a crossword puzzle or reading a good book allow us to concentrate on something else, giving a much needed break from all that is going on in the world around us.  Being grateful helps a lot too.  It is difficult to be sad when you are taking inventory of all your blessings.

 

Are you making sure you are taking time out to seek joy and happiness?  What are some of the things you enjoy doing?

 

 

Healthy & Delicious Meals From My Pantry #2

 

I don’t have a whole lot to share with you this month because I literally spent February clearing out the readymade meals from the freezer so I didn’t end up with a bunch of freezer burned food.  As it turned out it was the best time for me to do this because I was super busy with work and other commitments.

 

I had squirreled away a nice variety of different meals from burritos to chicken fried rice, as well as some Thanksgiving leftovers and some pizza pasta.  A couple frozen pizzas were baked in the oven for quick and easy meals too.

 

I had picked up a rotisserie chicken last month when I went to Costco and some of that meat was used as entrees with sides and to make sandwiches with my Hero bread.  Salads and frozen vegetables I steamed and then seasoned with garlic, spices and butter were my go-to sides.

 

Now that my freezer is cleared out I plan go back to making two entrees about every five or six days placing one or two meals into the freezer each week to have on hand for days or weeks or even months that get busy like my month of February has been.  Funny enough, I really enjoyed simply eating out of the freezer like that and seeing everything I had put away from meals past.

 

BTW - Those pizzas got used up over a two month period 😁

Time to get cooking again!