Week of Money: Where I threaten to quit

DAY ONE

??:?? — I wake up before Little Bun and try to sleep again but I can’t. I get up eagerly when he gets up too.

6:10 a.m. — I didn’t pick out my work outfit (forgot) so I quickly decide on a lipstick red dress. I waffle between flats (boring) or boots (too slouchy) or heels (too predictable) and end up on booties (love!!)… the look is perfect, because the dress is shorter so with heels it would have been a bit too sexy.

7:21 a.m. — At work, I have noise-cancelling headphones on and I work. I try not to tune in to other conversations (I can still hear murmurs) and this is very distracting when you’re trying to concentrate. I know I’m mumbling to myself as well while I work which I’m sure is annoying but it helps when I talk to myself.

9:07 a.m. — Meeting. I’m late, I was too engrossed.

9:25 a.m. — Back to my desk and I keep plugging away.

11:58 a.m. — I go to lunch, have duck confit cassoulet with white rice (so good!) and I throw some hot sauce on there.

12:16 p.m. — We chat a bit about stocks but I can see people are not quite as enthusiastic as I am.

12:59 p.m. — My colleague corners me with girl problems. He is having issues. I tell him bluntly how it should go. (Drop the girls with no future potential…!)

1:20 p.m. — Back to work.

4:27 p.m. — I don’t stop until it is time to go. My brain is mush.

4:58 p.m. — At home, I check the mail – my dermaroller is in!! 0.5mm and not $250 USD thankyouverymuch.

5:03 p.m. — Little Bun squeals in happiness at me when I get in through the door and tells me happily that his stuffed toy only just started eating today. I’m not sure what to say.. I didn’t think his toy had an eating disorder we didn’t discuss, we didn’t put his stuffed toy on a milk diet (for babies) or talk about how toddlers move on to soft solids later after they stop being babies ….am I overthinking this?!? How did he learn this stuff?!?

5:07 p.m. — He clarifies that his stuffed toy was eating DADDY. He grabs it and gleefully makes it “miam miam miam” (French way of saying “yum yum yum”) all over his father’s shoulders and arms while my partner pretends to be surprised at how ravenous his toy is and how much he is being eaten away.

5:08 p.m. — Oh. I get it now. LOL.

5:14 p.m. — I excitedly rip the dermaroller open and right after cleansing I roll (after disinfecting in alcohol of course).

5:16 p.m. — Umm.. it isn’t pleasant. I’ll say that. It doesn’t hurt much on the cheeks or fleshy bits – just uncomfortable but near the eye area and on the forehead where the skin is thin and right on bone? Definitely slightly more than uncomfortable. I can only roll around there once as a pass and then I’m done. I’m too intolerant to pain for this and I have given birth!!! If this S&M device for the skin doesn’t work out…. to give me better skin (rolling 1X – 3X a week), I’m tossing it. O_o

Other things I do for my skin: Vitamin C & E pills, BioSil pills, green tea matcha lattes in the morning (antioxidants) and a whole regimen of BHA, AHA, niacinamide, and serums… the whole thing about drinking water to hydrate your insides is bunk by the way. Drink as much as you are thirsty. Don’t over drink thinking you’re helping your body – you aren’t.

5:34 p.m. — I study my skin – it is light pink like it has been through something (it has). I layer on serums .. and stupidly do hydroquinone (dark spot eraser) WITH benzoyl peroxide for acne and then later when I google it I realize it causes temporary skin stains!!! ACK. I rewash my face again, dermaroll again (I’m one of those Type A overachievers) and redo the serums sans benzoyl peroxide.

6:30 p.m. — I also obsessively google how long it takes for dermaroller and hydroquinone to work.

6:45 p.m. — “Mommy! Little Toy BELCHED from eating so much Daddy!!!!”… LOL .. his vocabulary is getting good.

6:50 p.m. — We read through a few pages of Computers and Coding and he seems to remember a bit of it but it might be more interesting as he ages.

7:28 p.m. — Time for getting ready for bed. I make an appointment to sell my unused pair of Erika sunglasses. It has no nose pad or anything so it doesn’t fit well on my face with no nose bridge…

8:18 p.m. — Bedtime

Spent: $0

DAY TWO

??:?? — I wake up before Little Bun again. What is wrong with me?

5:06 a.m. — Early. Yep. I am awake and not tired. I think the stress of this project is making me lose sleep, I keep thinking…. I log in immediately and work.

6:21 a.m. — My partner leaves for work, I make a green tea while taking a break from work.

7:24 a.m. — I am peckish. I want to eat. I feed Little Bun a banana first and have to feed him his lunch later or else he will want to eat mine…

10:59 a.m. — Off my call (I do the dishes while on conference calls, WIN WIN!)….

11:08 a.m. — Lunchtime.

11:22 a.m. — We get ready to leave.

12:08 p.m. — SOLD! +$90

12:15 p.m. — I play with Little Bun upstairs (he removes his boots and runs around the carpeted lobby in his socks) while we take intermittent selfies.

12:39 p.m. — While he is playing I buy a stock of Vitamin C and E because it works together to help promote collagen and antioxidant support. Can’t hurt. I’m really trying everything I can short of drinking the blood of virgins to stay as youthful as possible while aging gracefully … by aging as slowly as possible $47.37

12:46 p.m. — I wrangle Little Bun back in the car and head home.

12:47 p.m. — DANG IT IS COLD. I take his coat off so he is comfy but I’m shivering as I buckle him into his seat. These buckles are so finicky…

1:13 p.m. — Back at home and working.

1:57 p.m. — People are idiots. That is all I am going to say. They follow a checklist of things but don’t spend time thinking about the situation at all, so they are surprised when it doesn’t work out — “but we did the checklist!“… it was #%(%’ing rubber stamped and worthless, so what did you expect?

2:20 p.m. — I snap a KitKat into 9 pieces to eat slowly to calm down. I feel like I am putting on weight from stress (likely) but this could just be in my head because I have almost finished all the KitKats in my stash.

4:15 p.m. — Done for the day. I sometimes really hate this job when they put so much unreasonable pressure on me. DO THE JOB YOURSELF THEN IF IT IS SO FRICKING EASY.

4:22 p.m. — On the way home I start thinking about my future and current budget, and apparently I have NEEDS. Just my basic living expenses today, is $4000 a month which includes only things like condo fees, groceries, utilities and Little Bun needs. Then I need another $5000 apparently for my own PERSONAL needs. OMG. Well. If I don’t want to cut back, this is what it is.

4:56 p.m. — PACKAGES!! MY SEPHORA STUFF FINALLY SHIPPED!!!! Paid $57 for this lip sample set (let’s face it that is what it is), and again, if I only like 6 of them out of the whole range (very likely), at least they would only have been $10 each which, considering these brands and Sephora pricing, would be a heck of a deal.

5:02 p.m. — Little Bun (possible future makeup artist??) squeals excitedly when he sees me: MOMMY MOMMY!!!! YOU HAVE GIFTS!!! … (LOL)…. I came in with a handful of packages (concierge helped me bring them up). He jumps around and dances, excited to help me open them. He INSISTS on opening the lip package right away, trying all the colours, and re-arranging them, etc…. He very impatiently waits as I remove makeup, get into loungewear.. etc

5:07 p.m. — Okay, so for SURE I hate the 4th one from the left — Sephora Cream Lip Stain in colour 40 Made in Italy…I love the texture and the creaminess of it, but the colour. OMG. THE COLOUR. Like light brown cocoa, and my lips disappeared from my face and looked like I put hot cocoa all over the lips.

I also don’t like this one – Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Marsala. It is WAY too dark for me, and is giving me Bride of Chucky vibes. I love the texture of it though, but man, it is DARK. I am not into vampy lipsticks. I like a mid-range peach pink to a sort of plum shade, but this is DARK.

5:15 p.m. — Little Bun wants to do more but I can’t. I can only do a few a day, or my lips will dry out!

8:20 p.m. — Time for bed. My partner is going through and seeing what (if anything) we can get for Black Friday sales. I am only eying Glossier’s Boy Brow during their 20% of sale (only sale during the year), and that’s it. I’ll buy 3 tubes in black, I really like it, having gotten used to knowing how to apply it now.

Earned: $90

Spent: $47.37

DAY THREE

??:?? — I can’t sleep. Wide awake.

??:?? — Little Bun wakes up squealing: NOOOOO!!!!! .. I felt fine an hour ago but then I dozed back off to sleep and when he woke up screaming, I was in the middle of REM.. so.. yep. Now I am tired.

5:51 a.m. — I grab his milk, and my partner tells me he saw the bookcase he has been stalking from Mobilia on for 10% off. I sleepily tell him to wait until Friday, there might be another sale. I log in and start working.

7:34 a.m. — Made a cup of tea, said goodbye to my partner, and I am catching up on answering emails. Yesterday was stressful AF.

8:08 a.m. — I check to see if they have shearling earmuffs/headband and a pair of gloves on sale — I hate mismatching these colours and I am finally going to try and find pairs so I can wear them as sets. I’m really THAT person. I can’t wear grey earmuffs with brown gloves. I just.. I feel awkward all day, even if it only matters to me, I want the matching set. So far, I am not seeing anything. I’m going to check out a recycled shearling shop I know to see if I can find something there that is reasonably priced.

9:36 a.m. — Fighting a fire right now. Figuratively. People are losing their #%)* on this project. I’m glad I am at home.

10:22 a.m. — I can never wait for lunch time. I am hungry NOW.

10:45 a.m. — A phone is buzzing and annoying the eff out of me. I listen carefully in all the rooms and realize it is the NEIGHBOUR above who has a phone or something vibrating loud enough for me to hear it through the concrete…

12:15 p.m. — Little Bun refuses to go down for a nap. I give him a choice between napping or eating his nutritious vegetable stew. He chooses the stew. 😛

1:26 p.m. — I eat my last KitKat. LAST ONE. I won’t buy any more. Maybe some fruit juice gummies but this stuff will end up making me sluggish.

1:37 p.m. — I scarf down my lunch.

1:51 p.m. — I finally remember to exfoliate and wash my face, and then I dermaroll again, this time doing it slightly longer than the first time. Still feels like little needles are pricking the skin. There’s no way around it unless you put on numbing cream before but that takes an extra product, step and time, so I am sucking it up as long as this is only twice or three times a week.

1:56 p.m. — I also do my neck. THAT turns bright pink almost instantly, but I am noticing little turkey neck lines happening and let’s try and keep that from forming….

2:14 p.m. — I plug in my Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones to charge – I am walking to go sell the sweaters tomorrow, return a few items…. yeah this is going to be a day where I’ll need headphones. I still love them after all this time, and I think they are a definite “worth it” splurge that is practical.

2:36 p.m. — Ooo.. my neck is really not well. It feels a tiny bit itchy, like I put some wool on the neck and now there is a slight allergy. Won’t be doing THIS again… I wrap a soft scarf around it to soothe it.

2:47 p.m. — Feeling peckish. I feel like some noodles I think.

3:21 p.m. — I sort of stop working and start repairing my things. I already started so early today.

4:35 p.m. — This is Us’s character Beth has the BEST outfits. I covet pretty much her entire wardrobe, and she is making me want an off-the-shoulder sweater but I am certain I would not look as good as she does in it..

5:57 p.m. — I pick up a essentials for my aunt and have them shipped to her. I use the Rogers World Elite Mastercard because you get 4% back on foreign purchases which covers any forex fee they may charge you…. $175.77

6:45 p.m. — My partner comes home from having shopped Grey Thursday (?) …. I also check online for sales but resist things like oversized chunky turtlenecks in grey and so on because….. BECAUSE. I have so many sweaters. I’ll tuck in another chunky sweater and it will look just as good. I didn’t have this blogger’s exact designer bag or coat, but I twinned her anyway 😉

And I didn’t have Meghan Markle’s designer bag but I made it work…

7:59 p.m. — WHAT!!! A BAG I WANT IS (USED) AND ON SALE 30% OFF?.. I quickly submit an offer to buy it for $650 USD. If I get it for that, it’s deal, normally $2000 USD in stores.. (Use my referral code from TheRealReal for a $25 USD credit to get started .. you just need to buy something within a week – 7 days)…

8:40 p.m. — ACCEPTED!!!!!! Just wait… it’s coming. 😉

Spent: $945.77

DAY FOUR

??:?? — I wake up early. Stupid snow plows scraping the roads. I know they have to do it so I can drive safely to work but they are effing LOUD.

??:?? — I can’t fall back asleep.

??:?? — Little Bun wakes up crying: Mommy Nest. I want to sleep on my Mommy Nest.… (he means being sandwiched in between my legs, with his head on my belly)…

5:56 a.m. — Little Bun calms down after I pull him up to hug him tight to me, and I get up to grab his milk. I do my skincare routine and….. I look for my marionette lines by my mouth (I smile A LOT..) and I can’t see them. I’m a little surprised. Is it just the lighting? … Maybe it is the dermaroller but.. I doubt it. Probably lighting.

6:25 a.m. — I dress in my hastily tossed together outfit from the night before. I was thinking of 9to5chic because she is really into mixing looser sweaters with midi skirts which I always shied away from because loose + loose in an outfit doesn’t seem to make sense and yet she looks stunning. The trick I realized later is to tuck in the sweater so it gives definition at the waist (though not always if it is a monochromatic look), and to wear HIGH heels or else it looks flat.

6:37 a.m. — “Mommy, I am going to eat cheese and bread today!”…. “Who is going to give you bread and cheese, Little Bun?”….. and he points to the bedroom door and declares: “The one who is sleeping!!!!”….. LOL… We are starting to add dramatic flourishes to our sentences. He really is my baby…

7:22 a.m. — At work, I start immediately. Nonstop.

11:59 a.m. — Lunch. My only mental break. I get interrupted there TOO. WTF.

12:40 p.m. — Eating my lunch now.

1:08 p.m. — Back from “lunch”…

2:44 p.m. — Will you people stop bothering me? It will get done when it gets done. Leave me the eff alone. 4 directors/managers/chiefs.. why don’t you talk to each other, freak the eff out on each other and leave me alone.

4:15 p.m. — I am out. I make plans to sell two BR sweaters I never wear (I love the colours but I own so many tops that I reach for instead that these basics get overlooked). I also make a note to return a few Sephora items (not the lip things)…

4:45 p.m. — At home. My boots are in! … and they have a white paint stain. WTF.. I email the seller from eBay. Jimmy Choo or not, this is not in “very good condition”.

6:07 p.m. — Bread and cheese. NOM NOM NOM…

6:32 p.m. — “MOMMY! My iPod is too bright.” ….. I go to grab it to lower the brightness and he says: “Mommy, you go into Settings, and then Brightness…“…. I KNOW, LITTLE BUN. LOL…… It begins early. He is obsessed with this app Happy Colour (he loves the numbers and colours), and crawls underneath the sheets where my legs are half up and covered as I am browsing online. He calls this the “Mommy Tent”…. His little foot sticking out is beyond adorable for me.

8:20 p.m. — TIME FOR BED. My partner and I are chatting.

Spent: $0

DAY FIVE

??:?? — Early. It’s early.

5:20 a.m. — Little Bun starts wailing he wants Mommy to stay at home with him all day. I calm him down with the promise (I saw the oranges) of orange juice from his father if he behaves… he quiets down and then chirps: OHHH-KAYY!!! BYE BYE MOMMY! BYE BYE! SEE YOU LATER!!!!… Juice is like crack for these kids at this age.

6:35 a.m. — This Maybelline Stay Matte stuff is PHENOMENAL. I bought Pioneer (a bluish-red which makes your yellow-ish teeth look whiter in contrast), was applied in a thin coat in the morning, with clean lines, and it did not budge the ENTIRE DAY with perfect lines through eating, and everything. Even when I tried to use cleansers but I needed this LaRoche Posay Micellar Water and scrubbing to remove the colour. I will say it is not 10000% comfortable like a cream lipstick, but it is matte, slightly dry, and don’t apply too much or you’ll feel this kind of sticky tacky feeling. One thin swipe is best, don’t go over it again and again.

6:55 a.m. — I leave for work. I have to return those Jimmy Choo 38 boots (I am a US 7, 38 just barely fit), because of three main things (A) the boots need to be half a size bigger so I can put in insoles as there is no padding whatsoever (B) I did not love the seam going up the front of the boot in leather, in the photos it did not look like that but she used a stock picture… and (C) there was a white paint splat on the heel near the back. This is not “very good condition”. I’d rather have my $197 USD back, so I suck it up and will pay the $30-ish shipping with tracking back.

9:25 a.m. — I log in and start working. I am slowly thinking as I am going through the documents line by line and I find an error. Apparently everything has already been submitted and now everyone around me is freaking out that it has to go through a VP for approval “how did we miss this” will be her question and they’re all freaking out. I don’t see what the big deal is. I would be happy that I found it before it went out officially, wouldn’t you? You all need to see things in perspective and calm the F down.

9:54 a.m. — I log in to browse Anthropologie (dangerous!) and see a very pretty fox skirt but decide it is too whimsical for my current style. I wouldn’t wear it as often at that price but if it was $20 I could…

10:59 a.m. — I put this Cloth & Stone white patterned button-down shirt and this super cute white dress in my cart and then close the window. It isn’t special enough and I have plenty of white shirts and dresses. (mental self pat)

10:47 a.m. — OK. So. Since it is “VP APPROVAL” only for this document change, my colleague (the one I intensely dislike) was the one who made the error but tells me I have to be the one to fix it because it is in my section. *eye roll*… I basically subtly throw her under the bus for not having done her job right AND turn a screw into management by telling them this is why I don’t rush through documents and have to think as I am doing each piece. When you put pressure on me, and I rush, I will skip over things I think are not as important but then fine-tooth comb them later to be sure (I always make notes when I do this).

11:23 a.m. — I buy two joggers from Aerie at one cashier (they wouldn’t adjust the price on my receipt to give me the $10 difference based on the sales happening today), take those two pants I just bought, go downstairs to another register and return them on the old receipt. I bought them LESS THAN A WEEK AGO, and you should just honour it and give me the difference. But if you want to play this game, I can too. -$11.31

11:51 a.m. — I sell my two cashmere and silk sweaters (too basic and I never wear them). +$60

12:08 p.m. — I get pulled aside and told I cannot work remotely any more because it is causing discord on the team and he doesn’t want to tell the other ones they can also work remotely one or two days a week. I tell him I quit. He asks “But why?“… and I told him it is because I pulled Little Bun out of preschool for personal reasons and it is none of your business. He backtracks and says: “Well at least there is a reason!“… what? I need to start giving reasons now? I am not your employee I am a contractor. I don’t need to justify anything to you because as long as I deliver results and my work, I don’t see where I work being an issue. If you want a fake reason, fine. I’ll give you one every month.

1:15 p.m. — I finish my lunch and get back to work. Lips still look incredible. Can’t believe this stuff – Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink. They literally looked like this, perfectly lined ALL. DAY.

3:06 p.m. — I leave for my massage. I need it. My whole right side of the back hurts, and the bottom left of my body and calf hurts. She works on it and I a whimper in pain.

4:11 p.m. — My therapist gives me a “dead bug” pose to try out to work on my core, and I promise to try it. I need a stronger core. $86.71

4:24 p.m. — I check my email, find another problem that may not be a problem and I leave it for Monday. I am not working overtime for people who don’t care or understand anything about quality.

5:07 p.m. — I mail off the boots with a tracking number. $30.24

5:11 p.m. — I buy 2 lottery tickets. Can’t hurt. I do this once every 2 years if that. $10

5:33 p.m. — I am home. Little Bun is so happy. We sit down and have dinner, I announce that I almost quit today, and my partner is pleased. He loves it when I stand up to people. He encourages me, but I am also seeing the long-term to not make waves and make $$$$$$…. I have goals now. $2 million at the time of retiring at 55, lowering expenses in general will be easier now that I have an actual goal to work towards. I have $279K in liquid assets, about $1.721M to go. I can do this and I need to save at least $50,000 a year on average to crush it (and I will).

6:41 p.m. — Dinner done, I stretch and go to lie down. Today was a long ass day.

8:22 p.m. — Time for bed.

Earned: $60

Saved: $11.31

Spent: $126.95

DAY SIX

??:?? — OMG. It is early….

4:22 a.m. — Yep. . I am dead

4:58 a.m. — I get up with a grumpy Little Bun who has a mini meltdown and I am trying to field the LOUD PROTESTING that is happening.

5:13 a.m. — Calm. After having his milk he wakes up with us. I’m making notes of what to do today — I have another laser appointment and a pedicure… plus I want to try and sell a leather tank top but I’m pretty sure I’ll get ghosted.

6:05 a.m. — Little Bun has another meltdown. I haul him off to the bedroom screaming and crying and tell him to stop. I just look at him crying and reach out, wait for him to come into my arms and I hug him saying: “Shhhhhh” and explain that he is grumpy because he is missing an hour of sleep. He starts wailing again about how he wants to wake up at 4:30 EVERY DAY. I yawn and tell him Mommy is also grumpy too, because she didn’t sleep.

6:11 a.m. — He is calm and giggling now, showing me his “babies” which are just his hands that he nicknamed as baby dolphins named Dot and Dash. Dot is the girl, Dash is the boy and I have to kiss them daily and do fingertip kisses as well.

7:04 a.m. — He runs out and informs me that Daddy put a fruit that doesn’t match (a green apple in a bowl of oranges). He insists it is another colour and it doesn’t belong. I tell him they’re all fruits even if they are different colours and they can still be friends. I feel like there is a deeper racial and cultural lesson to be learned here — kids are taught to identify the odd thing out in a group and say why it doesn’t belong — maybe this contributes to bullying. Food for thought.

7:08 a.m. — My partner eyes him and makes a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice which makes him excited. He is happy again.

7:10 a.m. — Little Bun eyes the Google wallpaper (American sign language spelling out GOOGLE) and insists on learning the alphabet hands, so I find the image and let him practice.

8:22 a.m. — I browse Etsy and almost ALMOST buy this necklace on sale…. BUT THEN —->

8:33 a.m. — I start on the dishes and kind of am craving comfort noodles. The kind where the sauce is a vegan one (1/4 cup of nutritional yeast + 8 drops of soy sauce + a teaspoon of sesame oil <— RIDICULOUSLY YUMMY)….

9:47 a.m. — Dishes done and dried, food eaten…

9:56 a.m. — I call to schedule the delivery of the bookcase.

11:33 a.m. — Lunch.

12:08 p.m. —And I head off for laser treatment and a pedicure in OPI Passion – perfect nude sort of pink and is half off right now.. 

2:28 p.m. — I also end up trying out the Dermalogica Pre-cleanse at ($62!!!) because it actually EASILY removes my long-wearing Maybelline Matte Ink lipstick.. which I love but hate scrubbing off my lips. I add that to my total. I am only using a little bit to remove the lipstick…. $566.73

3:56 p.m. — I decide to head home instead of going to Sephora. It will be too far, I just had my toes painted… I’ll do it next week.

6:34 p.m. — Dinner. Delicious… and yummy. A light salad, avocado on bread…

7:15 p.m. — I organize my tasks, arrange my things….

8:11 p.m. — Time to sleep.

Spent: $566.73

DAY SEVEN

??:?? — I wake up. Tired. Little Bun after having his milk, crawls around on top of me and I pretend to be a Mommy Mountain…. I’m not sleeping but this is the best I’m going to get so I’ll take it.

5:56 a.m. — He finally asks me to get up. I make a tea and he demands that I do fraction math with him. I tell him I’m going to drink my tea first and then we will do math. He throws a massive, screaming temper tantrum complete with: No, no, no, NO, NOOOOOOOOOOOO….. ear-splitting shrieks. I lose my temper (I’m tired too) and he bursts into even more tears and then is quiet-ish after he sees me start to rage into Very Effing Pissed Off territory. He stills sobs on my chest squealing “No, no, no…” but I Mommy Shush him and he quiets down.

6:21 a.m. — Eff me.

6:37 a.m. — I tell him I already promised I’d drink tea and then do fraction math and he just listens. We cuddle until I feel like he is fine and I get up, drink my tea, he sits beside me and eyes me as I drink each drop down and to his credit he doesn’t say a word.

6:40 a.m. — I look at him, hold out a hand, and we go to sit down and do math fractions as my partner comes out dressed to cook for the week.

7:01 a.m. — We do about 15 problems and then he runs around playing.

7:22 a.m. — I start to get ready to leave and even put on sunscreen but my partner is incredulous and nixes my leaving because it is freezing rain and my brain was so tired I didn’t even compute how dangerous it would be to leave and go out today. I slowly get undressed.

7:51 a.m. — Might as well dermaroll. I’m not going anyway. I soak the roller in rubbing alcohol and then set the timer for 5 minutes. Once it is up, I remove my mineral sunscreen (COOLA is the best and very matte) and then leisurely dermaroll.. I still hate the feeling of it on my forehead but I’m committed to trying this crazy beauty routine to see if I see a difference or not.

8:00 a.m. — I then apply all the serums from Paula’s Choice: BHA, niacinamide, Brightening Essence, AHA … Her products are phenomenal for the price. I mean, compared to the Dermalogica Pre-cleanse I bought at $60-ish bucks, these other products are far more tech-y and high-end, and yet reasonably priced for the product. You cannot get a better deal than Paula’s Choice.

8:19 a.m. — Little Bun grabs the mini iPad and starts to play Happy Colour (I prepped a few new pictures for him in anticipation of leaving today .. but oh well.) This is what the app sort of looks like:

10:00 a.m. — I am half dozing in and out of sleep as he hides his stuffed toy underneath my legs, dances him on top of my head…

10:46 a.m. — I am finally roused to wake up and go try and feed him. He eats a banana and asks for more food.

11:05 a.m. — Lunch. Salad, avocado on bread, eggs… really simple and easy.

1:06 p.m. — Little Bun goes down for his nap. Sort of. I shut the door firmly and make him sleep with his father without me, and I log in to study stocks and work.

2:28 p.m. — He’s up from his nap.

3:12 p.m. — I do half the dishes (leaving it for after dinner), and make noodles. Am too hungry, the salad was not enough.

4:15 p.m. — “Mommy I want to use my Magic Bag” — it is a cotton bag filled with rice my mother made for him when he was a baby to place on his chest while he slept to make him feel secure (it worked on us as babies, apparently)… and he realized it was a lot like Mommy’s Magic Bag that I heat up in the microwave and use on my shoulders and back. He runs eagerly to the microwave, and struggles to pull down the microwave lid to place it in there, so I tell him: “Let Mommy help you! Your arms are too short.” and he replies back:”….like a dinosaur!!!” … yeah, exactly like a T-Rex.

4:51 p.m. — I exercise my flabby sense of willpower and delete a watched item — Jimmy Choo boots for $350 USD — I already have short boots and heels I can wear in place of them if I want something with a heel, and I’d rather keep that money and invest it now that I have a money goal. *pats self on back*

5:45 p.m. — Dinner. Just bread and cheese. Not that hungry especially after my bowl of noodles.

6:49 p.m. — He insists on doing math with me, fraction equivalents (e.g. is 5/10 the same as 1/2 ?) and then wants a “bar graph chart afterwards with animals“…. so I comply.

7:28 p.m. — We start our bedtime routine. I start by brushing my teeth, and he goes to do his teeth with Daddy.. I hear from the other bathroom “I am done!” after 2 seconds, and his father replies back: “No you’re not, keep going.”

8:20 p.m. — Bedtime.

Spent: $0

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