Munchies, Money, and Mumblings

First of all, I hope everyone is healthy and well, both physically and mentally. It's wild that a month ago, I wrote a post about life on the road, then a few weeks later, I wrote about working from home. And here we are, social distancing and adjusting to this new normal. A big shout-out to my Triple M Facebook group - thank you for joining and continuing the conversation about this blog. You voted, I heard you. Keep reading! One of the ways I am coping with this whole situation is by baking. I've always loved baking; I get it from both parents. But it has given me such comfort in the last few weeks. Something about the methodical gathering and preparation of ingredients, the cleaning up, and enjoying the finished product just makes everything better for a little while. I even have had the chance to share some of the spoils with people, ding-dong-ditch style with doorstep delivery! The sharing is really the best part. Since I cannot actually share the baked goods with al

     These days, you cannot scroll through Instagram or listen to a podcast without hearing ads. I mean, if you're a fan of the Bachelor franchise like I am, then you know that the only post-Bachelor career trajectory is Instagram Influencer. I'm not shitting on that as a way to make money: do you and collect your paychecks! Hell, if I could get paid to try products and talk about them on social media, I would totally do it (you hear that, companies?). Some people also hate the ads in their favorite podcasts but podcasts are a lot of work, so I'm all about them collecting money however they can so I can keep listening to my favorite episodes. All of this is to say, that for a long time I was skeptical of anything I heard or saw in one of those ads. Until I wasn't.      Over the past couple of years in an attempt to save money, I finally tried some products and I want to share my favorites with you. All of what I am about to show you gets delivered to my mailbox; it

Where to even begin? It seems like day by day-hell, hour by hour, there are more closings, updates and articles about Covid-19. It's almost hard to keep up. As you can tell from my last post, I, an extroverted people-lover am struggling hard with a social distancing situation. I feel slightly useless. Normally March is my busy season; it's why I wrote my travel hacks post. But, this isn't  the first time I'm working from home. In fact, for my job, I work from home unless I am on the road. So, for the last 2.5 years, I've been a remote employee. In my quest to feel less useless and restless when traditional work hours are done, I thought I'd share some working from home tips with those of you for whom it may be new. I hope they help you feel motivated and productive.       Set Up a Home Office Space  This is a crucial  piece to start with. I keep seeing things circulate like "working from couch" which is technically do-able but may not help with

I know it's been a little bit. When I started this, I wanted to post weekly. At first, it was time. My busy travel season at work had started and  food and sleep were on the agenda primarily. Now, it's anxiety. Until just this moment, I wasn't really inspired to write. What on Earth could possibly be on my mind other than Coronavirus? I'm not a panic person. I've been through enough crises in my life that my coping skills are excellent. I am  a planner. This is where my anxiety is stemming from. I am a full Type-A-sometimes neurotic- perfectionist planner. I live and die by my calendar, I plan ahead. Spontaneous things are fun to me, and I love surprises, but especially where work is concerned, I like to be organized, know what's next etc. Naturally, current circumstances have thrown that all out of whack. A cascade of cancellations: -Work events I had scheduled at some schools -Colleges moving online -National and regional conferences, including a nationa