Week of Money: SNAFU

DAY ONE

??:?? — I wake up and Little Bun tells me he wants to go to playgroup.

6:00 a.m. — I make a cup of tea and start to get ready to go.

6:10 a.m. — I wash my face, and love using ORG Mineral Skincare Body DAILY to exfoliate all the dead skin off my face, and it works so well. I have also been using retinol every other night, and it is helping keep my skin clear.

6:11 a.m. — I use Paula’s Choice, but The Ordinary is FAR cheaper at $13 a bottle, and something I may try after I run out of PC which is closer to $50. In fact, a lot of The Ordinary items are very appealing, and I am thinking of putting in an order for things like Niacinamide and their Cold Pressed Rosehip Oil. The reviews from Paula’s Choice themselves, give pretty high marks to many of their items. This Buffet Anti-aging Serum gets PC’s highest rating and on my list next.

7:09 a.m. — My OOTD.

7:40 a.m. — What is this? It looks like they just painted a bunch of dirt GREEN. I poll Instagram and a follower tells me this is hydroseed and it is biodegradeable as a green marker to tell people where to plant grass.

8:59 a.m. — I drop him at playgroup and go have a bagel sandwich. My guilty pleasure with house-made ham and delicious, delicious egg… $5.25

10:14 a.m. — I drop by a thrift store and see a super cute mermaid like sequin skirt, but can’t figure out where the heck I’d wear this…. so I pass. It was originally $20, and selling for $14 in a THRIFT store. O_o

11:58 a.m. — After playgroup, we head home. Little Bun had a GREAT time but near to the end he was flagging. He doesn’t like a lot of children, noise or activity. Even as a little toddler when kids ran around the room, we have videos from the daycare of him just sitting in a corner quietly, watching them run by and shriek like banshees. He just never liked a lot of noise or activity, and likes low-key children, which is very similar to the way I was growing up.

12:40 p.m. — I feed him his lunch, or rather, he feeds himself and goes down for a nap.

1:29 p.m. — THIS CHILE. He be trying me today. First he wanted water. Then he wanted a cuddle. Now the bathroom. GO DOWN FOR YOUR DANG NAP. Mommy is trying to eat her coconut cookies!!! (True story)

2:33 p.m. — He ends up finally sleeping, but delayed so much he doesn’t sleep until about 2:30-ish

4:11 p.m. — He wakes up from his late nap. I do laundry and try to schedule up my Instagram until end of January. I know. I am overambitious.

6:28 p.m. — He and his father bake a cake together, and he is so excited.

8:45 p.m. — We read 12 books. TWELVE, after he brushes his teeth. I try to get away with only 4, but he looks up at me with those baby seal eyes and says: But we promised we’d read 12!

Spent: $4.25

DAY TWO

??:?? — He.

??:?? — Is.

??:?? — Waking.

??:?? — Me.

??:?? — Up.

??:?? — Every.

??:?? — Three.

??:?? — HOURS!!!!!!

??:?? — OMG. I have never been so tired in my life. He kept squealing and kicking off the blankets, then getting too cold, then getting too hot. O_o I am DEAD.

5:58 a.m. — I try and keep him quiet so we can let Daddy sleep in. No sense in two of us being grumpy AF.

7:17 a.m. — We have a slice of cake for breakfast after his father gets up. He made a banana cake last night with Daddy, and it is DELICIOUS. Our recipe for a great Banana Cake is here.

8:00 a.m. — My partner leaves to run errands, I hand him two packages to mail.

9:50 a.m. — I do the dishes, laundry, we make little holiday cards for the caretakers at playgroup, and he is very excited about buying gift cards to put in there, probably to Tim Horton’s.

12:15 p.m. — I get dressed and head out for the day. I am trying out these camo leggings by Spanx and I REALLY like them. They’re thick, comfy and very cool. Everything in the OOTD is secondhand except for the cuff which is a unique braided brass creation commissioned by a store but never put into production. The sweater has cool bishop sleeves, by Madewell.

1:30 p.m. — I get the sweetest message on Instagram:

Hi Sherry,
Just wanna share, I follow you for a couple of years, and by beginning of this year I finally followed your advices, moved to a new company and negotiated my salary like a boss
Not only I got the salary that I asked, but I also got promoted six months joining. One of the reasons, I believe because my salary is already on that range that allows for promotion to next position.
It was an after effect that I didn’t expected. But it’s fun because it help me to learn and grow faster with new responsibilities.
So, I just wanna say thank you! You inspired me (and so many people) to be our better selves.
Happy thanksgiving ️️

HOW GREAT IS THAT? I love hearing these messages from people.

4:28 p.m. — “Mommy. Your head is the size of a soccer ball. Mine was the size of a tennis ball when I was a baby!“….. LOL.. A soccer ball is HUGE. I am more the size of a football. But not as elongated… I hope.

5:08 p.m. — He begs for videos and I let him watch them. He wants me to sit and watch them with him but I have a whole kitchen to clean, dishes to do, and bank account transfers to sort out. I am trying to come up with a system or a flow for all of these little income amounts I keep getting from sales of Poshmark or from the blog, and to be ORGANIZED so I don’t screw myself over with an Insufficient Funds charge or something dumb AF for $8.

6:44 p.m. — Dishes done, I make a quick meal for myself. I didn’t want to eat, but I feel like I should seeing as I am a bit grumbly in my belly.

8:56 p.m. — Time for bed. My new thing is to challenge Little Bun to brush. He brushes and tells me he is winning and I brush with him. We have a ‘brushing competition’. WHATEVER WORKS to get him to brush without screaming.

Spent: $0

DAY THREE

??:?? — Little Bun squeals and is cold because he keeps kicking the blanket off and getting cold, but then overheats with a blanket. OMG

6:25 a.m. — Tea. LOTS OF TEA.

11:25 a.m. — I head off for the morning, going to yoga (will change there), and decide on something comfortable and simple. This Burberry coat is AWESOME. I am so glad I bought it so many years ago, even though it was almost $2000 and I changed the lining once, it has been such a classic, beautiful coat that makes me feel great.

10:25 a.m. — After class, I use my Starbucks stars (150) for a venti chai latte. Man.. I am never doing that again, because that is WAY too much to drink in the morning. I have a headache now. $0

11:45 a.m. — I get in the door fully expecting Little Bun but I see him napping ???? on the bed. I try to be quiet.

12:10 p.m. — Nope. He’s up now. SHOOT. I should have come back later. Maybe he’d be asleep on his own.

12:49 p.m. — Home, I have a little lunch of salad with mock chicken from a local salad shop, and try to get Little Bun to nap.

12:50 p.m. — My partner heads out to run errands.

12:51 p.m. — He is trying all sorts of delaying tactics – water, washroom, he can’t nap because the clock looks wrong, his stuffed animals can’t close their eyes either… OMG. I KNOW he needs a nap, he was almost sleeping on the pillow when I got home and in the door, he clearly needs to rest.

2:45 p.m. — STILL NOT NAPPING. Maybe his semi-nap at 11 screwed up for an afternoon nap.

3:01 p.m. — He knocks on the door to try and get out. *sigh* He didn’t nap. I have a headache from too much caffeine. FML.

3:15 p.m. — I start on dishes.

3:20 p.m. — I set him up with videos while I do dishes, and try to just numb my brain with random videos.

6:49 p.m. — My partner comes home, and it’s just nonsense until bedtime. Laundry, feeding him his vegetable stew so that he gets vegetables DAILY… and cleaning up, organizing, and I end up selling THREE items on Poshmark so he helps me pack up everything. <3

7:38 p.m. — I browse Poshmark and see a few things I want, but really I think I might save up all my credits with Poshmark for something nicer. Poshmark is seriously a game changer for those of us who want to get rid of stuff and buy new things for cheaper / are light thrifters, meaning we don’t go regularly to thrift stores to sort through the racks. Use code SHERRYISH for a $15 shopping credit, and here’s a short overview of how it works. I am 99% secondhand shopping now, I very VERY rarely buy anything new now.

8:50 p.m. — Time for bed after we cuddle and read about 6 books, brush our teeth in a competition.

Spent: $0

DAY FOUR

??:?? — I wake up.. and Little Bun basically pins me to the bed with his head on my stomach. His heavy, heavy bowling ball-sized head. I lie there, unable to move for about 30 minutes as he snores. I try to sleep some more but apparently I am so well rested that I cannot even fall back asleep! THIS IS GREAT!!!

8:20 a.m. — Squealing. He doesn’t want to go to daycare. I bribe him with two books I bought for him telling him they will come in the mail next week ONLY IF he goes to daycare this week and next week without whining: The Usborne Periodic Table, and the Usborne How Things Work (he has been hassling me for this one). It is really a trick because I needed to top it up to $35 to get free shipping, as I had to buy a replacement watch band for my watch that broke.

I have been looking for a few months now for a new watch band that is 20mm because that’s the size of the watch band that broke on my watch. I am super picky, and I wanted something interesting and cool, and ended up finding this EZCO leather band in rose gold leather with beautiful cutouts! It is going to look so pretty, and interesting, not heavy and bulky on my wrist. If it turns out to be as good as I hope it is, I’ll consider the other colours for my other watch bands because it would be a pretty strap. And it’s only $13. The books cost way more. $52.55

6:00 a.m. — I wrangle Little Bun to daycare. He reluctantly goes. Such a pouter.

7:08 a.m. — Off to work! I am wearing this today.

8:30 a.m. — Back to back calls all morning. I am basically waiting for lunch at this point. That’s the highlight of my day.

12:30 p.m. — LUNCH. I have quinoa, roasted peppers and I added a pre-made vegetable stew and vegan protein to it because I cannot just eat quinoa and red peppers. My partner lately, due to the stress and workload of his schooling, makes SIDES in my opinion, not actual meals anymore. Ugh.

1:45 p.m. — Back to work. Too short. It’s cold. I want to go home. The goal now is HOME.

4:32 p.m. — I pick up Little Bun from daycare, we get home, get undressed, wash our hands with soap and water (ALWAYS when entering the house), I put away his things, clean up a little, start laundry.

5:51 p.m. — So here’s something cute — He really likes yoghurt, and he knows to get it, he has to do two things: (A) eat his vegetable stew and (B) brush his teeth.

He always turns to me around this time and says: Mommy? Did I eat my soup yet? … and I always answer “No“, and he runs into the living room saying – I NEED TO EAT MY SOUPPPPP!  Now, sometimes eats his soup but he doesn’t brush his teeth (he gets whiny, whatever), and we don’t force him to do it, we just don’t give him the yoghurt the next day as a reminder that he needs to brush his teeth too.

So this happened tonight, and after he eats his vegetable stew, he runs to his father and asks for yoghurt (no sugar, seriously plain yoghurt). His father tells him he didn’t brush his teeth last night, so NO yoghurt today. He looks at me despondent and wails: THEN I SHOULDN’T HAVE EATEN MY SOUP THEN! Why did I eat my soup!?!?!?! …. OMG. LOL. Now, he brushes and eats his soup.

8:32 p.m. — I am TIRED. BONE TIRED. Bedtime.

Spent: $52.55

DAY FIVE

??:?? — Squealing. I pat him back to sleep and put the blanket over him.

6:00 a.m. — We’re up! I make tea, and we play a few little games before I log in to work.

8:08 a.m. — Work.

11:59 a.m. — I am working from home today, so I end up wearing a random outfit to head out to run errands. Leather leggings from The Row, velvet robe by Vibeke Scott, Helmut Lang dress, La Canadienne Boots, and a vintage necklace. Brass cuff is the same woven one from earlier this week.

 

12:38 p.m. — Errands done, I head home. Just dropped off more sales from Poshmark. Honestly, I sometimes Posh things off Poshmark, and they don’t fit, or I don’t quite like it, and I just resell it again. I also spied this beautiful gold jewellery box but I am sure it is $700 or something crazy, because the jewellery was $500…

Also saw this cute whale warming bag pack thing… I almost got it but decided I don’t need it.

12:50 p.m. — I log back in to work while I eat my lunch. We have cheese and avocado.

4:28 p.m. — I pick up Little Bun from daycare. He tells me I was TOO EARLY. *sigh* He wants me to always give him an exact time I will show up or be back home like some Amazon package. He hates it when I say “Noon” and come back at 11:50 a.m. … Or if I am late.

8:56 p.m. — Little Bun sleeps in the “Mommy Nest”. Basically it is in between my legs and he puts a pillow on my belly, and hugs my thigh while he sleeps. I can’t move in this position as I’m on my back, but it is so darn cute and cuddly…. and he feels so warm and secure being “cuddled” by my legs. He sleeps so well there but my back aches if I am in that position too long, so it can be hard to move him off/around…

Spent: $0

DAY SIX

??:?? — I try to shift his head down onto my thigh, off my belly so I can twist into a fetal position to give my back a break.

6:00 a.m. — I get up, quickly IG but then shun it for household chores:

• Vacuumed entire apartment
• Do 2 loads of laundry – soaked one in vinegar
• Cut my hair
• Showered
• Listed 4 more items on Poshmark

7:59 a.m. — We do a Starbucks for Life play (you can get free plays without a purchase!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5xcHNYnM3I/

12:08 p.m. — We eat bread, avocado and cheese.

12:28 p.m. — I head out for the afternoon and:

• Changed my new bank card PIN – FYI Laurentian Bank (for us Canadians) is giving 3.3% interest and not as a promo, it is permanent.
• Replace 3 watch batteries $51.75
• Buy a Starbucks drink with my free credit – I’m making it last..

12:56 p.m. — I wander listlessly around the mall. This all is very overwhelming. So many people. Shopping. Buying what exactly? Seems very stressful. I am too overwhelmed, I head home and just sit in the lobby, texting.

2:10 p.m. —I have been feeling very numb lately. Like my life is in a rut – wake up, work, come home, Little Bun. Wash, rinse, repeat. I don’t feel like there is any joy inside of me. I feel like I’ve wrung it out with trying to be too Alpha, and scheduling posts on this blog and Instagram until January and beyond. Is this burnout? I’m going to take a break and let myself relax a little. I always feel like my brain is going and I can’t stop the momentum.

2:16 p.m. — Maybe I need more sun. Vitamin D. I wake up and it is dark. I go to work, it’s dark. I come home, it’s dark. I see zero sun all day.

2:30 p.m. — I get a piece of apple cake, and eat it slowly. This is starting to make me feel much better. $4.35

4:25 p.m. — I head home, but just sit in the lobby, staring at the sun set. Somehow, the bright sun sort of warms me a little, I just stare into the bright bright sunlight (not too directly, I am not dumb), and just let it enter my brain. I message someone on Instagram, and we just chat back and forth about our lives as mothers, and it makes me feel better, just connecting with someone, even if I only know them online. It makes me feel a bit better.

5:00 p.m. — I head into the apartment, a little more refreshed, and Little Bun greets me. After I wash my hands and get dressed in home clothes, he makes up a game on the bed, where we sit with our legs as a V touching each others feet, and his stuffed animals kick a stuffed sock ball across, or toss it and we have to try and defend it. He is LOVING this game.

7:35 p.m. — After dinner (“burgers” but he only likes the dressed salad in between slices of bread, no meat….), I do all the dishes, and then.. he suddenly has a major temper tantrum. He wanted me to go back into the bedroom to play the Stuffed Toy Game again, and I wanted to do all the dishes and dry them so I COULD play with him. He just loses it.

7:47 p.m. — He finally calms down, after a lot of sobbing, and I set him up with some Tom and Jerry while I finish the dishes. My partner is of ZERO HELP and it frustrates the F out of me but I also see his point that he can’t actually do anything. He just makes it worse because Little Bun doesn’t want Daddy in this crisis, he is screaming for me to comfort him, Daddy is #2 on the list if I am not around. So.. he could “help” but it wouldn’t do anything, really. So I do all the dishes.

8:55 p.m. — Time for bed. We chat before bedtime and I explain to him how Mommy had to do her work first – dishes, and he had to behave, and wait. He couldn’t give me trouble because I wanted to work first, and then play. He nods, and says he understands why I got so angry.

Spent: $4.35

DAY SEVEN

7:09 a.m. — We wake up “late” and I get going to yoga. I stand there for 3 minutes in the lobby before I realize I never pressed the button to go down. I am an idiot.

8:08 a.m. — Yoga. Exact Alo Yoga Moto leggings on sale here. The small fits perfectly a 4/6 and they are MORE comfy than Lululemon!!! And the waist is nice and high as well.

10:15 a.m. — After yoga, I pick up a Starbucks chai latte and a turkey stuffing sandwich. I used my credits from Starbucks. IT IS SO DELICIOUS. $0

11:15 a.m. — I head home, and Little Bun is eating avocado, egg, bread and salad. I have a few bites as well.

2:28 p.m. — Little Bun won’t nap. He just isn’t tired, he slept so well this morning. I give him milk.

4:20 p.m. — My partner is home and I vacuum, do all the dishes, clean up, pack up 2 more Poshmark sales, and we get to writing Christmas cards.

5:18 p.m. — I honestly wish I could be doing this.

7:43 p.m. — We play his Stuffed Animal soccer game on the bed, I stretch out some more, and then we watch Tom and Jerry together. I am trying to be present and watch the cartoon with him, but I have so much going on in my head, I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO. I give up and just turn off my phone, and snuggle with him as he explains the cartoon to me as it unfolds. It is truly adorable.

8:29 p.m. — Time for bed.

Spent: $0

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Want more? Read all of my previous Week of Money Diaries.