Hi! It’s been a week over here. Not a bad one but just a lot of moving pieces. My biggest accomplishment of the week was getting my taxes off to my accountant. I always forget that business taxes are due a month before personal so I was scrambling to pull everything together ASAP. Taxes can be quite the challenge when you are self-employed and receiving income from various sources but I have a pretty good system in place these days to streamline the process a bit. 🙂
I have always been pretty reasonable and responsible about my finances but since Finn was born, I have felt extra motivated to get really serious about understanding and managing them. Being self-employed definitely adds a more complex layer to everything from taxes to saving for retirement to mine and Finn’s health insurance but I’m really proud to say that I am figuring it out. It feels pretty awesome to be standing on my own two feet and providing for myself and my child.
I wanted to share a couple of podcasts that have helped me lately with my money mindset:
- Oprah and Suze Orman: Live at the Apollo, Women and Money. Live show here, podcast here. I listened to this last fall on a drive to Tennessee for yoga teacher training and it is full of spot-on insight and useful takeaways.
- Zura Health Podcast: Selina Gray on Standing in Your Worth and Becoming a Money Boss. The Zura Health Podcast is hands-down my favorite podcast discovery of late. This episode on self-sabotage was incredible.
I didn’t mean to go on that tangent but I’m often surprised by how “the sprit moves me” when I sit down to start a post! I know money/finance stuff can be weird/hard to talk about, and extremely personal.
Speaking of getting feedback from you guys, WOW! I asked on Instagram this week if there are blog topics that you’d like me to cover and received well over 100 responses and requests. Not going to lie, they were very Finn/motherhood heavy but also lots of yoga/food/life stuff too. If you’d like to add a topic request, please leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list. 🙂
Ahh it’s taken me a while to get to what I actually intended to share in this post. How about some recent favorites? That was also a requested regular blog topic!
THE COMFIEST PAJAMA PANTS
I am wearing these crazy soft and comfy PJ pants as I type this post. I picked them up at Target about a month ago and have basically lived in them ever since. You can’t get much more comfortable than this for $19.99.
PIPES HATE WIPES
This section of Loving Lately is sponsored by Charlotte Water.
The crew at Charlotte Water has been on a mission to educate our city that PIPES HATE WIPES and I love this campaign so much. As a mom, it’s relevant to me and I had no idea that wipes were so bad for our sewer systems!!! File this as a random but important blog PSA!
Some stats to back it up (haha, pun wasn’t intended):
- There were 164 sanitary sewer overflows in Charlotte last year. 40% of these overflows were caused by debris, which includes wipes. This number is increasing each year with more people in Charlotte using and flushing wipes.
- “Flushable” products like wipes do not readily break down upon flushing like toilet paper does and actually remain in a solid state while traveling through the sewer system. This can cause blockages and sanitary overflows on our streets, neighborhoods, creeks, and streams.
- Only flush the three P’s down the toilet (pee, poo, and (toilet) paper). Put wipes and other items like tampons, q-tips, and tissue in the trash.
Now you know! Only flush the Ps 😉
FINN’S NINE MONTH PHOTOS
A couple of weeks ago Finn and I had a session with Amanda James Photography for his nine month photos. Y’all…I want to share every single one of the 100 photos that Mandy sent to me with you but I will spare you. I feel so grateful to have connected with Mandy and that she has helped to document my first year with Finn in such a beautiful and true way. We have done newborn, three month and nine month photos together.
This was from our last photo shoot at three months. Gosh, look at how much he’s changed…and stayed exactly the same. This little guy has my whole heart.
ALL THINGS DAVE’S KILLER BREAD
To end on a slightly lighter note, I am so in love with all things Dave’s Killer Bread. I haven’t met a Dave’s product that I don’t like yet from their sandwich bread to their bagels to their English muffins. This morning I had a cinnamon raisin remix bagel with butter and cream cheese on my way to teach yoga. It was so good! I have also been eating their Rockin’ Grains English Muffins with butter and cream cheese this week.
One more because I just cannot help myself.
Have the happiest Friday friends! xxoo
Drop a comment below if you have topic requests.
Anything you are loving lately?
Let’s talk about money/finances? How can we better support each other around it as women?
Oh my goodness!! Those pictures. Absolutely precious and to be cherished forever.
I need to have a better understanding of my finances, retirement, etc. I feel like I need a crash course!
LOVE THAT LAST PIC! I listened to Suze’s podcast but also listen to Dave Ramsey almost daily. He has a “tough love” approach but it always motivates me to plan for the future instead of right now. I also make a monthly budget and use Mint.
I just started seeing commercials about preventing fatbergs (google that for some gross images haha). The commercial also mentioned not pouring cooking fat down the drains. I had no idea how large of an issue this is. Easy things we can do to prevent costly repairs!
I love love loooooove that you’re talking about money. I always leave open and honest conversations around money with friends feeling so much better.
I’m so excited for you to take control of your financial life! Having financial planning for your long term is one of the best gifts you can give your child. I think it’s so important that women don’t put their head in the sand, I think that’s really changing with our generation.
Finances are something I could definitely be better at.
I guilty of flushing things I shouldn’t. It’s a good reminder to get out to people.
I would love a new total body strength (with dumbbells) workout routine to follow.
Some financial podcasts I love are Fairer Cents and HerMoney. I find that the more you talk about money or listen to others talk about it, the easier it gets.
I just love those baby photos! I don’t have kids, but I think 9 months is such a fun age. They can really interact with you but they’re still all babyish and sweet.
I love the idea of talking about finances! Im roughly following Dave Ramsey and it definitely has inspired me to be more knowledgable about investments and handling money.
I’d also be interested to read about workout routines that balance running, yoga and lifting. Im trying to figure out a good spacing whilebstill getting solid/strong days and good rest days. I think you may have talked about supplements before but I have read back to see. Im specifically interested in collagen or anything that you might take while breastfeeding too? I’ve been following your blog since the early Big Green Egg days when I was in college and have felt like Ive grown with you too! Im thankful for your blog/IG posts!
Hi Jen,
I would love to hear about any great products for anyone who has to work out on the fly. For instance, I find myself changing in the car in between preschool/kid or work obligations. Do you have any good suggestions for products that can help you freshen up QUICK?? What about some really good on the go snacks. I also find that if I don’t preplan I am stuck eating random snacks from the kids, any good quality snacks to have on the go?
I am an accountant and love finances! I love tax strategy, including how to best invest and take advantage of the best tax friendly way to invest for you future!
Sam
I work for a financial planning firm so discussing money/financial situation/financial future is near and dear to my heart. It is SUPER awesome to hear you’re handling it for you and Finn! ❤️
Also, this pics of him ??
Those* haha!
Literally wearing those exact same PJ pants right— that picture came up and I was like wait a minute…. those look awfully familiar ?? (actually I have the whole pj set— can couch for the shirt as well!)
Finn is so cute ❤️
Yes! I feel like I need another pair of them. And maybe the shirt too!