Much has been said about the understated struggle of a SAHM as well as a working mom’s juggle of the sometimes-conflicting responsibilities. Many women in the first year of their baby’s life make the transition to go from one role to the other, or vice versa. But not much has been said about this unique process, i.e. one of the toughest transitions a woman goes through in life.

Recently, I made the life decision to go back to work after being home for a year since my daughter was born. We thought it was a timely decision because of the nature of the opportunity, the commute, my mental readiness, and how baby S seemed developmentally ready to have more than just mom and dad as primary caretakers. It was a decision that we made together as a family with a lot of discussion, thinking, and planning for the changes to come.

I had about 3 weeks between accepting the job offer and starting the job. During this time, the husband and I went through so much preparation and communication to make sure we, especially baby S, were prepared for this new way of life and that we would all continue to thrive.

Some of these decisions were difficult to make, and the conversation that we had to have in order to make the decisions was no easier.

In today’s post, I wanted to share with you the various aspects of our lives we had to modify in order to meet the demands of a household with a working mom, and how we went about having these conversations and the things that made our communications successful.

1.      Budget do-over

Personal finance and being debt-free are big in our family. I’ve written a few blog posts on this topic (how fashion blogging ruined my finances, becoming debt-free, living a financially responsible life) if you’re curious. With starting a new job, I was going to be driving more, eating out more, probably shopping for little stuff more, even though I was also going to make more money. We spent a couple of family meetings to create a new family budget based on our new combined income but also changed the budget amount for not only the mundane things like transportation and restaurant but also fun things like shopping and coffee. 

The one brand new budget category we had to create was for an in-home nanny. We made the decision not to send Baby S to daycare because my parents and my husband’s parents offered help out a few days a week. This makes it so that the cost for a nanny (3 days a week) is relatively affordable. We also wanted to be able to keep Baby S home so we don’t have to drop her off/pick her up, and also minimize her exposure (therefore our exposure) to sickness/germs. It took some shuffling of allocations and we made it work within our budget.

2.      Simplifying things – wardrobe

One thing I was semi-worried about was getting my wardrobe in line again. It’s been almost two years since I’ve needed to go into a corporate office where “PJ all day” does not meet the dress code. So, imagine how elated I was when a web-based styling service company, Allume, reached out and asked me to try out their service.  

Once you sign up for Allume, they take a $20 fee for you to work 1:1 with a stylist that will learn about your wardrobe needs & styles through a questionnaire, and create three looks that you can purchase directly through vendors that are selling the pieces. The $20 styling fee also goes towards any purchases you make through Allume. They have kindly agreed to give my readers a 50% discount code to the styling fee – use “CHIC50” to use the service for only $10!

The below was the winning lookbook that my stylist, Michelle, created for me. I ended up purchasing the striped top through Neiman Marcus and the pair of gold chain earrings through the LOFT outlet. I wore them for my new brand photos and have been wearing them at work regularly! 

Due to COVID-19 and the number of us trying to work from home and practice social distancing, I can only imagine the Allume service will come in handy for many of us since shopping in any retail location is out of the picture at this point.

3.      Simplifying things – communicating things to do, buy, and take care of 

I’m sure this sounds very familiar to those of us that live in a house with a domestic partner of any kind. You are constantly trying to fit each other’s schedule and activities together, and despite all your efforts there still are times when one of you goes “we’re doing WHAT tomorrow??” Or you’re at the grocery store, standing in the dairy aisle trying to remember what kind of cheese your spouse told you to get, three times. 

The system that the husband and I have been leaning on is Google Keep. It’s a simple note-sharing app that you can both edit and see each other’s edits in real-time. We keep multiple shopping lists (Costco, local organic store, Trader Joes each has their own list) at all times, cross things out when we get them at the store, and re-build the list as we notice things that we need around the house. It’s made grocery shopping so much easier.  We also have packing lists for when we have to travel (not doing that for a while). Lastly, we use these Google Keep lists to keep track of the general house chores that need to be taken care of – like hanging up framed photos, donating old clothes, or rolling over my old 401K plan, etc. 

4.      Simplifying things – meal planning

To some of you, this may be a no-brainer or something you’ve been doing for a long time. It wasn’t for us. In the last few months we started to have more “crap, what can I make with a pack of sausage, celery, and half a cabbage?” moments than we liked in the middle of the week, an hour before dinner time. My husband usually shops for groceries with a recipe in mind. It’s me, the free spirit in the house, that tends to pick up some bell peppers and eggplant because they both look fresh and think “I’ll figure it out later” and end up not knowing what to do with them. And they both go bad. So, we decided to change that.

We curated a list of recipes with pictures of things that we have made in the past and know that we like eating. This repository of images and recipes is what we default to when we grocery shop and don’t have new ideas or time to find new ideas on what to cook. 

5.     Communicating better and more frequently

This is something that, as married couples, we should all be improving on, regardless of employment situation or if you’re a stay at home mom vs. working mom.  The truth is, when we get busy and get pulled in multiple directions toward things that all feel like priorities, we get so lost in our minds and we forget to simply talk to our spouse. Yes, you can use all these tools and tricks I mentioned above, but if you and your spouse are not communicating and communicating well, no tools will make you feel like you are rowing in the same direction and speed in this little boat we call life. So, how do you improve communication with your spouse?

Start out with intentions. Get on the same page with the need for better communication – you have to both acknowledge that you need to hear each other out! Once you’re in agreement, then set pre-determined times when you sit down with each other and talk it out.

Secondly, remove distractions. When you talk with each other, make sure it happens after most of the chores of the day have been completed, kids are in bed, and there aren’t other priorities tugging at you. Put the phone away, and yes, it’s hard, but do it. I still have to keep reminding myself to put my phone away when I talk to my husband about important stuff.

“No one wants to talk to a person who is always 50% focused on something else.”

Lastly, when you are talking about things on your mind, especially when it comes to feelings, start with the way that you feel, as opposed to what our partner did that made you feel that way. The truth is our intentions are usually good, but when we are reacting or panicking or just plain autopiloting sometimes, we aren’t aware of the consequences of our behavior or action. So when we start by the way we feel, we sound less accusatory. And what we really want is to stop feeling this way, not so much to make our spouse feel bad that they made us feel that way, right?

I hope my advice on how we transitioned, as a family, from me being a stay at home mom to a working mom. Really, whatever you do as a mom, let’s just take a moment and agree that it’s a hard job. And being a dad is also a hard job. We are stronger, better, and happier when we are in this together. Can you share your experience on how you and your partner made things work more efficiently and smoothly in your family life?

The post 5 Lifestyle Changes I Made to Transition from a SAHM to Working Mom appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Last week (just a few days shy of turning 1 year), Baby S picked her book from the shelf, toddled toward me and sat down in my lap so I could read the book she just picked out. As she did this, I think I heard angels singing. It felt like this is the reason I exist and have built my whole life for. As I shared this incident with friends and family, I got this comment from a few:

“you’re so lucky you got a reader of a baby!”

And it got me thinking about writing a blog post to tell a story. I am grateful for how compliant Baby S has been with the reading program. Yet this wasn’t an accident. We have made concerted efforts in cultivating her interest in books. Today, I’d like to share that with dads and moms that would like to do the same with their kiddo!

We All Want Them To Read

Let’s all come clean for a second. As parents, we want everything good for our kids. Sometimes selfishly so. We watch our kids’ sugar and junk food consumption like hawks and indulge in soda and chips ourselves. We limit their screen time and after they’re asleep we spend hours Netflixing. Getting kids to read often falls under one of these contradicting categories that we, as parents, too often engage in. We as parents go on months sometimes years without picking up a book, and we hope our kids turn out to be the most voracious readers. Except, to get kids to read is different from limiting sugar or watching TV while they sleep – they have to WANT to read!

They say parenting is caught not taught. At some points, all we can do as parents is to try to model what we think is best for our kids, instead of telling them what the right thing to do is. When kids are young, it’s easy to control their life choices and dictate their actions. But one day they will go on in life being the agent of their own body and life. I can’t imagine that just yet with my one-year-old, but I know it’s real! So our best bet is simply to model the behavior we want them to have… which brings me to my first point.

*Disclaimer*: I am not a medical professional or child development expert. I am, however, what you would call an active reader. And with my sample size of 1 child, please consider this post a case study with my best effort and intention!

1. Be a reader yourself (even if it’s just a magazine)

Create a habit of finding some form of reading material, sit down, and engage your full mind with it for at least 10-15 minutes. It would be even better if the reading material is something you are interested in, so you don’t feel like you’re being forced to read. What you’re doing is that you are modeling this: the commitment and discipline of reading despite life (busy schedule, lots of other entertainment forms to choose from, etc.) I think the first time Sophia picked up a book and flipped through it, she was honestly imitating me. She would look at me, and flip through the book, and look at me again, as if asking “am I doing it right?” It was the cutest thing.

2. Read with them & make it FUN

In the early days (under 12 months), keep spending time reading to your kids even if they don’t seem to “get it”. They may treat books like teethers. They may only pay attention for 2 seconds and move onto other things. They may even be destructive with the books you have for them. It’s okay! It’s all part of their learning about what books are! Even if the time spent “reading” to your kids may not match what you’re imagining, keep at it. Sing to them, dance with them, make it a game involving books… whatever you do, remember, it’s supposeed to be fun! So tailor it to their age level! One day when you least expect it, your little one turns around and be asking you to read a book to them!

3. Have a variety of books to choose from

To make it easier to “keep going” even though they don’t get it, keep trying new kinds of books to see what if they respond to ones more than others. Find books that have pop-up features, books that are abundant in colors, books that have different textures, books that play music, or books that have flaps that they can play with. They may not know the concept of “books” yet, but they are sure to know the concept of “toys”! Books are supposed to be fun. So don’t take the fun out of reading for them!

4. Make it a habit

This one is a no brainer. The point is to persist even if they don’t seem interested or don’t seem to “get it.” Just like any good habits you may want to cultivate in your kids, it takes time to make reading a “thing.” Also, it’s a fact that kids thrive on having routines. So make reading with them a regular thing. Make it a point to read 3-5 books a day at least. That’s what I did with Baby S starting at 6/7 months of age, around the time she started crawling.

5. Limit screen time & toys

It’s generally a good practice to limit  screen time to zero for kids under 18 months (as the American Pediatric Association recommends.) But outside of the physiological damage to kids’ developing eyes and brain, watching TV/iPads/hones has a more hidden and indirect side effect. When they’re watching something on a screen, they’re not spending time with YOU or anything that interacts with them. Human contact and communication are what fosters growth in kids’ mental development and not the one-way-communication they get from screens. It doesn’t matter how educational the video makers claim their production is… the truth is you or another caregiver is always a better alternative.

So, it’s not that screen time in and of itself is bad. It’s that it takea away something better – time spent interacting with you!

In conclusion…

At the onset of our parenting journey, I knew I want books to be an imporrtant part of Baby S’s life. In a way, I am trying to replicate my childhood here with Baby S. I think I am lucky in that my mother raised me with not a lot of toys but always an abundance of books. I knew I may not be allowed to have barbies but I could have as many books as I wanted very early on. I think what my parents were teaching us was how to value things in life.  Toys are fun but the entertainment is short-lived. Books take patience, effort, and sometimes commitment to get to, but the values they provide could last for a life-time. It made a writer out of me, at the very least.

The post How I Get My One-year-old to Read On Her Own appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

It’s been 7 months since I last opened my WordPress editor. Let’s just let that sink in a little bit……

Before this hiatus, I blogged almost non-stop for 4 years. What a strange seven months it’s been, with me not having produced a single article. Today, it’s with a heavy heart that I share this with you guys, my dear readers…

I’ve had nothing to say.

Did you think I was gonna say I’m shutting the blog down?  Oh, no. Never. I worked too hard all those years for Cubicle Chic to suffer the death of unknown causes. Sure, being a full-time Mom takes up all the time and energy I can muster. Sure, I set out to become a full-time blogger 2 years ago and have come short in every way imaginable. Sure, I’ve had a major case of an identity crisis because of owning a blog name Cubicle Chic and having no cubicle to call mine. But here’s the thing…

Even when I had nothing to say, I still have this burning desire to write. To create. To produce. To leave something behind. Call me crazy.

All of this got me thinking about something tangential yet sobering. People say social media is for the superficial and that it’s all about showing off. It’s easy to categorize it all as egotistical Millenials putting up a glamorous front by curating every envy-worthy detail of their life and neatly packing them into the 9 squares accompanied by carefully researched hashtags. It’s not a wrong statement to make and most of us are guilty of it at least at some points. But I think it taps into something deeper and more primal.

A poet writes, a sculptor creates, a photographer captures what he/she sees in the world and a writer writes. When it’s a singular, recognizable, and “respectable” skill (the kind that takes time and effort to develop), the output of it is deemed artistic and productive.  The problem with creating anything on social media when you are a layman is that it seems like it takes no effort. It’s easy because Facebook has made it easy for you to showcase photos, writings, art or anything that you want to share with the world. And after the post becomes public, you receive “likes”. The Godforsaken likes. Likes that ruin everything. Likes that taint the purest of intentions. Likes that mask the desire to create and make it look like you’re groveling for attention.

But it’s not that simple. At least not for me. There is joy in the act of creating something. Choosing the right word to convey my thoughts. Putting phrases together that sound beautiful. Obsessing over the order of sentences for more clarity. This is why I write.

Which brings me to the future of Cubicle Chic.

I still want to add value and be of service to my readers. But going forward, I’m going to write things that I have personal interests in. Books that inspire me. Ideas that invigorate me. People and stories that bring me to tears. I want to write about things that uplift me, and hopefully, through my writing, I can uplift you, too.

In the meantime, I’d like to share a few things that have been enriching my soul lately.

Four Things That Brought Me to Tears Last Month

It’s a collection of a book, a Facebook clip, a TV series, and a movie. If you enjoy things that make you think while shedding a few tears, click on each of the thumbnails below or just bookmark them. You don’t regret it, I promise.

1. Call Me American; 2. Ray Chen – The Swan; 3. Modern Love; 4. Last Christmas

Stay tuned for more. Thank you for reading!

The post A New Season In Life (Update After a 7 Month Hiatus) appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

• I started and finished an online class on Child Development through our local community college.
• The husband and I traveled to Hamburg, Germany for my cousin’s wedding ceremony for a week and spent a lot of time with families from all over the world.

• Earlier this month, I finished doing a maternity shoot with my trusted photographer friend Natalie (NatalieAlvarado.com) it was a ton of fun! Stay tuned for the photos later <3 but here are some low-resolution sneak peaks!

• Last weekend, we just wrapped up our baby shower with our dear friends (35 adults and 12 kids and 3 infants lol) and had a blast. I’m very proud of coming up with the idea of hiring a florist (Flowers A La Carte in this case) to have a flower arrangement workshop as my party favor!

Now, I am back today with a new post! In view of our recent trip to Hamburg, Germany, I learned of many hacks (some through painful lessons) that make a pregnant woman’s travel much more comfortable & easier.  That’s what I’d like to talk about today:

6 Pregnancy Travel Must-Have’s for Flying

1. Compression Socks ($15.98 via Amazon)

This is a common and self-explanatory tip. Get them anywhere you can, just not last minute at the airport because they’re always a rip-off at the airport. The reason behind wearing compression socks is to keep your pregnant lower limbs from accumulating so much fluid and from swelling. When you have a lot of swelling combined with long periods of inactivity, that’s when you risk for developing a DVT  (deep vein thrombosis) goes up.

2. Resistance Bands ($25.97 via Amazon)

If you read up online, you will find that it’s commonly recommended that you get up and walk around when you board a flight. Really, you should do that from prolonged periods of sitting, regardless of whether you’re on a flight. But space is limited when you are in flight, and that’s why the resistance bands come in super handy! To get some exercise (especially leg and quad exercise), you simply have to pop one of these on. In the discreet comfort of your own seat, you can get some leg exercise in without troubling your fellow passengers!

3. Babymoov Pregnancy Belt ($30.75  via Amazon)

This is maybe the SINGLE MOST LIFE-CHANGING pregnancy product I’ve purchased so far. It’s my most recommended pregnancy travel must-have. After about 28/29 weeks, I haven’t been able to live without it (outside of flying too). But when we went to Hamburg, I found this belt to make all the difference when I was trying to get comfortable in flight. What it does it make you ROUND around the middle of your torso so that it’s easier for you to lean against any surface. We had the luxury and privilege to board the flight in business class this time (thank you, United points!) and to my surprise, I still needed the Babymoov belt and was not comfortable without it. Now in my 33 weeks, I cannot sleep without this belt around my waist, and I have been able to do without a pregnancy pillow which is much bulkier and harder to store post-pregnancy!

4. Evian Mineral Water Spray ($12.75 for two via Amazon)  (1.7 oz, TSA compliant)

This water spray serves two functions, one more obvious than the other. It helps with moisturizing your skin during the ever-so-drying cabin air (and always works better in conjunction with lotion). But the pregnant body (at least mine) goes through these fluctuating temperatures… on our flight to Hamburg, I woke up multiple times feeling super hot, which never happened before I was pregnant. So the spray actually helped to cool my skin temperature down, and in turn, had an overall cooling effect.

5. Wired Headband (4 pack for $9.99 via Amazon) 

There’s no other time than during pregnancy that you need simple, easy-to-use, and quick methods to look put together. These wired headbands happen to be one of these shortcuts! I can totally see myself carrying this into my post-partum days. Basically, this is a way to keep your hair (esp. the pregnancy hormone induced little whispy hairs!) out of your face. It’s a little bit of a something that adds a bit glam to your ensemble. For me, I couldn’t wear my usual clothes anymore, so I needed new ways to add more glam to my looks.

6. Slippers/Sandals ($40 via ASOS)

Again, one of those no-brainers because you will probably not fit into anything else at this point. You lower limbs will also swell to some extent while you are in the air, due to the reduced gravity and cabin pressure change. Get comfortable shoes that you can slip in and out of easily. You will appreciate it so much… One additional thing is that if you expect a lot of walking on your trip like my Hamburg trip turned out to be (which I was not anticipating), get shoes with cushions. I didn’t, and I was OK the first day (we walked at least 10K steps around the city center in Hamburg). But on the second day, my lower back started to hurt and it was not fun…

7. Means of hydrating + access to snacks

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes around my 26th week of pregnancy. So on top of all the forbidden food and drinks for pregnant ladies, I’ve had to REALLY watch the type of food I consume. But even if you are lucky to have avoided GD, keeping yourself hydrated and fed is super critical during pregnancy. When traveling via flights during your pregnancy, I would definitely encourage you to pack granola bars, protein bars, dried fruits, anything that are small and compact and can provide some quick calories. And of course, bring a water bottle. Many airports are equipped with water fountain these days, so you don’t have to worry about buying water or finishing it quickly before passing through security.

Make sure you do before departing for your trip:

• Check your airline’s policy and limitation on when you may not be able to travel with them anymore
• Obtain a doctor’s note, depending on the stage of your pregnancy
• Check to make sure there are no on-going epidemic like Zika
• Get an aisle seat, if possible.

The post Pregnancy Travel Must-Haves for Flying appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

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The post Keeping Things Clean in the Office, at Home & Everywhere Iin Between appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

To a lot of my newer friends, I probably seem like I have it together when it comes to personal finance. However, what I’m sharing today about the untold realities of living a financially responsible life will introduce you to a different side of me. Oh and in case you’re interested about more personal finance articles I’ve written as a fashion blogger, here’s the 9 ways fashion blogging ruined my finances.

Hello, My Name Is Jessica. I Am A Shopaholic.  (This is where you say “Hi, Jessica.”)

Do you know someone who you’re pretty sure has a shopping addiction? If you knew me before 2016, you’d probably think that I was one of them. Perhaps the word addiction is a bit of a hyperbole, and I certainly never received a clinical diagnosis. But the impulsivity, utter disorganization, and unending appetite that I shopped with indicated something was, at the very least, behaviorally wrong with me on the personal finance front. And yes, something was indeed wrong – I had no idea what I was doing wrong!

An Incarnation Ago

I knew all the common knowledge – you need to save, and you shouldn’t spend more than you make, start investing in retirement early, etc. But I was still shopping the way I did anyway because I worked hard. I was living a privileged life, sure – I lived in my parents’ house and they were kind enough to not charge me rent, I didn’t have a student loan to deal with also thanks to my parents, and didn’t have anyone that I was responsible for financially. But I also worked hard at my budding marketing career, putting in all the hours and oftentimes overtime work too. So, I spent pretty much all my hard-earned money on fun – eating out, traveling, and of course, shopping. And I’m talking about designer shopping – $600 a pair of shoes and $2000 handbags kind of shopping. I think my record year was $30K spent on online shopping. Over a period of 3 years of having a full-time job, I had no savings, retirement or cash, and racked up about $5000 in credit card debt along the way.

The Change

2015 was a transformative year for me. It was the year that I moved in with my then boyfriend (husband now) and we started merging our finances together. I attribute most of my transformative progress in becoming a financially responsible person to my husband. He patintly showed me the way and shouldered our expenses together as I paid off my debt in 2016.  Another positive influence came from personal finance expert Dave Ramsey and his $100, 9-week course Financial Peace University which my husband and I took together. We often tell people it was our version of pre-marital counseling sessions. It was a difficult year to say the least, filled with many trials and tribulations and a lot of growing pains. I had to change my problematic shopping behavior and tendencies and most importantly of all, my money mindset. I can write a book on this process. Leave me a comment if you’re curious!

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

Fast Forward To The Present, 2018

A wedding, a new house, and 2 new jobs later, we are living a married life that I couldn’t possibly have imagined before. We have a budget we share and hold each other accountable for. We have a mortgage but are on a 10-year track to pay it off. We are a one-car household (that’s a rarity in California) but we make it work. I sometimes wonder how would the 2014-Jessica view my current life, if she could travel ahead in time and peer into it now? I think she would be puzzled, confused, and overall questioning how it works. So that leads me to what I’m here to write about today…

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

The Realities of Living a Financially Responsible Life

There’s the good and, of course, there’s the bad. What I would say is that all the bad is completely worth the good. And in the end, the bad isn’t so bad when you accept it as a way of life.

The less-than-glamorous side of living a financially responsible life:

1. It’s not just about the budget anymore. 

It’s about sticking to the budget, and checking and re-checking, aligning and re-aligning month after month. It does not stop. The only time when the budget feels like it’s not there anymore is when you and your budget are so in-synch, you don’t need to rely on it to know when to spend or when not to spend. But then life throws curve-balls at you. A flat tire. A leaky water heater. A friend who you haven’t seen decided to visit you last minute. Any of these things might put you in front of your budget again. I had to learn to be good friends with my budget and know that it means well so I don’t get sick of seeing it again and again.

2. The impromptu Target cosmetic-aisle shopping-spree is no longer.

This used to be my cure-it-all whenever I was having a bad day or just feeling down. The fluorescent lighting, plethora of new cosmetic and skincare products, and the HOPE of perfect skin almost always lifted my mood when I was down. But it was nevertheless a temporary solution. After the novelty and excitement wore off, the neon-orange shopping bag (when the remedy was the Ulta sort instead of Target) would scream at me and remind me how and irresponsible I was with my money. Then I’d feel worse. Not to mention, I only have a $250 shopping budget now. If I walked out of Target with $150 in purchases…. I’d only have $100 left!!

3. Designer things are a dream-like, remote possibility.

OK, guys, please don’t judge me or hate me for this fact. But I have a confession to make. I have 5 Chanel, 4 Louis Vuitton, 3 Gucci and 1 Proenza Schouler purses/handbags. Some of them came as gifts, but most of them I bought. I no longer owe any debt on any of them, but a few of them I did put on credit card when I bought them at the time. I have a weakness for luxury goods, obvi. But the last designer bag I purchased was in 2016. Ever since I went through the personal finance transformation, it’s become clear that designer goods purchase cannot be a frequent occurrence in my life anymore. It’s questionable whether there would be an occurrence at all. Unless I find another job where I make 6 figure again, I need to eliminate this reality from my life. No more designer bag purchases in the near future.

4. I have learned to either say NO, or wait patiently to save up for what I want which is not within my budget.

Saying no to things I want is hard. But it’s even harder to say no to things that feel like they are a need.  For example, my hair. You see my long & super grown-out roots? They’re so grown out they’re barely roots anymore. But I have been waiting for a time when I have $200-$300 so I can fix it. I am also contemplating going black again. Because that perfectly ashy brown color? VERY expensive to maintain. Another example is our unfurnished master bedroom. We just completed a $25K master bedroom renovation in December. We went over budget. The next thing on the list to do was to furnish our bedroom (the only thing in it now is a queen-sized bed on a box spring and nothing else) but since we went over budget, we decided to wait a few months to replenish our cash reserve before shopping for our master bedroom furniture.

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

The unexpected UPSIDE of a living a financially responsible life:

1. I appreciate things now for what they are, and not what they represent.

I still enjoy designer products, but they don’t mean the same thing to me anymore. When it comes to the things that I use in my daily life now, I am much much more about quality than the brand. For example, this pink little handbag I am carrying in the photos in this post – it’s made by a company called Palla. This is the A-bag and it’s made of natural leather and is the most versatile bag I’ve had for as long as I’ve had this blog. It can be worn crossbody, on the shoulder, it’s got a little point pouch attached, and it’s reversible so it can be pink or it can be gray. Palla has generously agreed to give me a unique discount code for Cubicle Chic readers “@cubicle_chic” – use it to get 15% off if you wind up purchasing one of the Palla bags. And if you do, can you do me a favor and tell me about what you think??

2. I am living life fuller than ever now because owning material things is no longer an excuse I can use to feel like I am living well. 

Like I mentioned above, a shopping spree at Target or Ulta is no longer a viable option as a pick-me-up when I feel uninspired or just down. So, I started going to the library. Cleaning the house. Picking a playlist on Spotify and have a one-person dance party. Binging on an oldie-but-goodie favorite audiobook like When Breath Becomes Air. Calling and talking to a friend who I haven’t spoken to in a long time. Reading a book that’s been sitting on my desk for months. I started LIVING more.

3. Financial peace is a real thing and it’s awesome.

One of my cats was diagnosed with cancer in October last year. She is 14-years old and to say she is the love of my life would be an understatement. Sometimes I even question how much I’d love my future kids because it doesn’t feel like it’s possible to love anything else more in this world. And when she was diagnosed with cancer, we actually caught it early and were lucky to have a few treatment options available. We decided to go for the treatments even though it costs about $500 a month. But even before we decided to move forward with the treatment plan, we’d already spent a couple of thousands just in the test we ran to get the right diagnoses. If it wasn’t for the cash reserve we built up in our emergency fund, this sure was going to put us in panic mode, needing to scrounge up this kind of cash. It was enough of an emotional roller coaster to go through the process of finding out the love of my life has cancer. We really appreciated not having to worry about the financial aspect of putting her through the treatment.

4. We are able to be more generous.

My husband and I love having friends and family over. We LOVE hosting parties. We love preparing delicious food and entertaining our guests. We both derive a lot of joy and pleasure out of ensuring our guests have a good time in our home. For example, we threw a Friendsmas party this Christmas and we had the most fun having 12 grown-ups and 5 kids over – it was such a blast! But hosting people comes with some real financial commitment. And having a budget with flexibility within it so we can be generous in providing hospitality when we want to – is a real joy.

Conclusion…

So, now that I’ve shared my life story with you… it’s your turn! Tell me: where are you on your personal finance journey? What’s your biggest obstacle right now, budgeting, saving, making more income, or something else? If you can travel through a time machine and ask your future-have-it-together-self, what would you ask him/her?

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

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Hearts of Gold Blog | Simply Classy | Rose Gold Lining | Ruthie Ridley Blog

Coming Up Roses | Well and Worthy Life | Cubicle Chic | SheShe Show | Lizzie in Lace

Kiss Me Darling | by Brittani Lauren | Heart of Chic | The Blue Hydrangeas | Alicia Tenise

To Thine Own Style Be True | Uptown Fashion by Jess | Lauren Mazzei Blog | The Steele Maiden

Lifestyles By Lauren | Life Lutzurious | Kate Loves Makeup | Kelly Towart Blog | Blush and Blooms

Pretty In Pink Megan | Belle by Laurelle | cute & little | Street Style Squad |

L. Avenue | With Love Lily Rose | The-Middle Page

This $500 Nordstrom Gift Card giveaway is brought to you by the amazing bloggers above. Enter by performing the actions below in the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a shopping spree that will kick your 2018 wardrobe into high gear!

Make sure to do the actions in the Rafflecopter before marking they are done! Marking done doesn’t automatically perform the action.

(We do verify entries!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway runs from Jan 16, 2018 to Jan 30, 2018 (concludes at 12:00 AM on the last day). Open to the US, UK and CAN. Winner will be announced within 10 days of the conclusion of the giveaway and entries will be verified by the hosts. Thanks for participating, I can’t wait for you to go check out these bloggers pages!

The post The Untold Realities of Living a Financially Responsible Life appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Happy 2018! How’s your new year going so far? Are you hitting the gym, reading a lot, knocking stuff off of your to-do list every day, like I wish I was but definitely am not? LOL. In the first week of 2018, I hit a productivity lull. Maybe December was too productive for me (I wrote 8 blog posts, EIGHT!!). Or, maybe the holiday eating and slothing around finally took a toll on the creative part of my brain and it went into a food coma… But today, I’m here with a new giveaway, a 2018 planner review, and to talk about things that I’m going to do differently on this blog in 2018. Because Cubicle Chic is constantly evolving and so am I. Oh, and because Albert Einstein said this:

One of the biggest themes in 2018 on Cubicle Chic is: how can I better serve you?

Host More Giveaways

The few giveaway I did toward the end of 2017 allowed me to get to know more of my readers and really got the chance to give back & thank you for caring about the content I create on Cubicle Chic. I plan on doing more of this in the future. Today’s post is definitely one of them! Scroll to the bottom of the post to find out how to win one of the 3 planners!

Offer Free Career Counseling Service

I launched a free service on Cubicle Chic last month called What Would Cubicle Chic Do. This is your chance to ask me any question career related – career rut, job search stagnation, inter-personal conflicts/issues at work… anything! Click on the tab below (it’s also hosted on the home page of this blog) and you can expect a personal answer from me within 2-3 days!

Post at Least 6 Times a Month

This is my promise to you, but also a challenge to me. I promise will not just create more content, but create more content that is useful, relevant, interesting and insightful.

Share More Raw, Behind the Scene Content

As a blogger, one of the dilemmas I always have is… am I creating an illusion of false reality for my readers and followers? On the one hand, I know for a fact that no one wants to see me in PJ’s with bed hair going about my morning routine. But at the same time, if I’m wearing a full face of makeup when I do a “just got out of bed” post, that’s creating a reality that doesn’t exist, and I’m not willing to go there. So, in the spirit of being raw, here’s a funny photo from a recent shoot that was a total blooper. LOL.

Now, onto the 2018 planner review!

I found three 2018 planners from Amazon all under $20. I picked them based on popularity in reviews, aesthetics, and size. I don’t believe in the huge & bulky planners and think mobility is a very important factor in selecting a planner. So without further ado, here’s my 2018 planner review of 3 planners all under $20:

 01.13.2018 Update: The winners have been selected. Please see the contest widget below to see if you are one of the 3 winners! I will contact you one by one to claim your prize. Thank you for entering!!

Orange Circle Studio 2018 Do It All Planner $17.99

Pros:

• The aesthetic design of this planner is SO pretty.
• The front cover doubles as a little pocket and the back cover has 3 slots as card holders!
• Comes with stickers for decoration and personalization

Cons:

• The bulkiest of the three
• The interior pages are not as colorful as the exterior

Day Designer for Blue Sky 2018 Weekly & Monthly Planner, $14.99

Pros:

• The aesthetic design of this planner is ON POINT inside and out!
• The most compact one of the three
• It feels very sturdy and durable

Cons

• No pockets or folders to contain loose paper/documents
• Doesn’t offer any customization option

Bloom Daily Planner 2018 Calendar $15.95

Pros:

• Guys… marble for life, right?
• Front and back cover both double as pockets

Cons:

• The design of the writing pages is a little bland
• The front and back covers are made of paper. Good quality paper. But the paper material may not sustain wear and tear as well as the plastic ones.

Now, I am giving all three planners away in this post!

Read the instruction below on how to enter… the giveaway ends at the end of the day on Friday 1/12/18.

2018 Planner Giveaway

The post What I’m Doing Differently This Year || 2018 Planner Review appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

We are literally a couple of days away from Christmas. Most of us have been enjoying our holiday and/or Christmas decoration probably since the beginning of the month. But in case you are having guests over this weekend and are looking for some last minute ideas, I got a few for you!

I literally whipped these decorations together last week right before my Friendsmas Party. So they are VERY, very easy to source and put together. Places you’d have to go to source these materials: Dollar Tree, Home Depot, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, and as always, Target!

1. Buy a Christmas Wreath: OK I know this isn’t exactly an insightful tip. But Christmas wreaths really are those decorations that just set the tone for your entire house or apartment! There are many inexpensive options from the stores I mentioned above. But if you want something that’s just a little more exquisite, Silk Plants Direct offers beautifully crafted holiday wreaths on their website. I was blown away when I received it in the mail… the colors are gorgeous, the decorative pieces are intricately strewn together, and it looks amazing. The only downside was that a couple of the pine cones had fallen off during shipping. It didn’t take much effort to glue them back on, but I thought I would mention that.
   

   Silk Plants Direct (c/0): Hydrangea, Helleborus, Pine Cone Wreath – Green Red 

2. Table Centerpiece: This centerpiece features a $1 religious candle from Dollar Tree and miniature Christmas wreath from Trader Joe’s with a few festive bows with wires. If you’re in a cat household like I am and cannot have a Christmas tree (see the reason why here), having a little wreath like the one I got from Trader Joe’s makes up for it a lot. It’s made of real fir leaves and pine cones so it has the lovely tree fragrance! 
3. Fireplace mantel decoration: This entire area features some holiday faux-fur knit stockings from Target, lighted (with Philips string lights) metal Christmas tree and other faux-plants from Michael’s. Remember, a lot of these items go on sale right after Christmas… so if you are the kind fo plan ahead, don’t forget to snatch up some of these super cute decorations comes December 26th!  
4. Lighted glass wine carafe with Christmas Ornament: This is probably my proudest creation. The glass water carafe was something we just had hanging around the house. I shoved a set of Philips battery operate dewdrop lights we bought from either Target or Home Depot.. can’t remember. Lastly, I added some Christmas ornament/decoration branches from Michaels that I bought a few weeks ago for a photoshoot. Voila – I have a lighted Christmas vase!  
5. Lighted cork board for collecting holiday cards from friends and family: This is a similar trick to #4. All I did here was lined our bulletin board with the same battery operated Philips battery operate dewdrop lights and it instantly gave the board a holiday vibe!

That’s it. I hope my last minute and inexpensive holiday decoration tips were helpful. Show me a picture of you used any of these tips… I might feature them on Cubicle Chic Instagram page!

The post Last Minute & Inexpensive Ideas For Holiday Home Decoration appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Let me just say, planning a holiday party as an adult is so different than how it used to be when we were younger and single. In our early 20’s, music, alcohol, and some food were enough to kick off a party or to attract a crowd of people. Heck, if I’m totally being honest, maybe alcohol alone was enough, LOL.

But something changed between or 20’s and 30’s. Maybe it’s homeownership. Maybe it’s the multiple weddings we’ve gone to and our own wedding that we’ve planned. Maybe it’s the fact that #adulting is a thing and we need to take conscious effort towards mastering it. Hosting a holiday as a 30-something takes on a different level of planning and foresight. Not only do I want our guests to feel the holiday joy, enjoy great food and drinks, I’d love for our guests to leave our Holiday Friendsmas Party feeling a bit uplifted and inspired! So here’s how I planned our Holiday Friendsmas Party that’s coming up this weekend…

Start with a Holiday Party Invitation

This may be a result of having too much fun from planning our wedding back in March, but I LOVE getting personalized invitations designed and printed! When Basic Invite reached out to me to try out their customization service for holiday party cards, I knew I had to say yes!

Unique from other customized card printing service companies, Basic Invite provides customized card samples (with other companies you only receive standard/non-customized samples), over 180 colors in their card stocks, and 40 colors for envelope paper. For this holiday, Basic Invite is offering a 30% discount code holi30 for Cubicle Chic readers and their holiday card designing needs! They have other Christmas party invites and printed Christmas cards available if you are interested!

Plan & Prep the Menu in Advance

Once you’ve set your guest list and checked the holiday party invitation box, you’re ready to take the next step! I consulted with my most trusted homemaking friend, Martha Stewart and good ole Pinterest.

Prepping the main course for a 16 people party is hard work but looking online for menu options is actually quite enjoyable! Martha Stewart never disappoints with her suggestions:

Photo credit: Martha Stewart

Like we already mentioned above, alcoholic beverages (that look pretty) are key as well:

Photo credit: Such the Spot, Bunsen Burner Bakery, and Half Baked Harvest 

If you’re one of my 16 guests reading this, I hope you’re getting excited!

Keeping Your Guests Entertained

//Music//

This part of the planning is more for after the guests have arrived at your house. What music playlist are you using for this holiday season? My usual is Michael Bublé. But this year I’ve discovered a new artist whose Christmas songs I absolutely adore – Broadway musician Leslie Odom Jr. and his Simply Christmas album. If you like jazz, you will LOVE this album.

//Games for Kids//

Another unique thing about hosting holiday parties in your 30’s, is that more often than not you have little people on your invite list. I have the plan on keeping them entertained (more like occupied LOL). Pinterest offers lots of ideas on this front:

Photo credit: Play Party Plan, Playground Parkbench, Housing a Forest

Delegate If you Need To

Remember to keep the planning process fun for yourself too. No one wants a grumpy and exhausted host when they ring your doorbell! I have been playing Leslie Odom Jr.’s Simply Christmas album as I wrote this, it puts me in the holiday spirit and definitely made the writing process even more fun! Keep these tips in mind as you flesh out your plan:

• Have a potluck if you’d rather not cook for such a large group
• If you anticipate left-overs, remind guests to bring their own Tupperware
• If there are little things like paper plates, napkins, beers, and wine that you don’t have just yet, why not ask some of your guests to bring them?
• Email/phone everyone a week before to remind your guests of the party

That’s it! Tune into Instagram to see how my Holiday Friendsmas Party goes. I can’t wait!!

Disclaimer: This post is kindly sponsored by Basic Invite through compensation and provided me with the samples above at a very low cost to me. All review is based my experience and opinion.

The post Hosting a Holiday Friendsmas Party as a 30-Something appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Updated 12/1, 7:04AM –> winners have been selected! If you see how I chose them, tune into my Instagram stories for the next 24 hours! It’s completely random… Google number randomizer was very helpful

As I wind down from a hectically busy and filled day from my day job to work on this post, I can’t help but feel so grateful for everything I have. Yes, I’m working against a tight deadline with a headache, an empty, growling stomach, and a neck pain from not sleeping well the night before. But I’m HERE. I’m sitting in this chair, typing on this Mac notebook, with an orange tabby cat named Miles sitting next to me. When this reality of where I am physically and mentally registers in my head, and I am instantly overcome with gratitude.

Why I’m so Grateful

They say people are not grateful because they’re happy, they’re happy because they’re grateful. I am a deep believer in the casual relationship between happiness and gratitude. I have a notebook where I write down on a regular basis things that I am thankful. And they aren’t always grand things. Sometimes things as little as the greenest of grass that reflects the light of dawn, the fast speed of my internet at work, the fact that my favorite TV show this season has 20 episodes, or the quick parking spot that I found on a trip to Target. I realized over time that practicing gratitude became a habit.

How Being Grateful Helps Me

When I am down, I have found counting blessings to be the quickest way to get myself back on my feet. This is why I’m writing this post today. With the holiday season in full swing, we tend to get swept up in the doing and forget about the thinking. I want to share this method with you and the 25 ordinary things that I’m grateful for and hopefully inspire you to practice gratitude in your life, too. I made sure these are things that are accessible to everyone and don’t require any special circumstances or a lot of money.

And if you’ve made it here… thank you for reading! At the bottom of this post, there is a giveaway waiting for you. I got two things that I’m very proud of sharing with you this Christmas season… read on and find out how to win!!

Ordinary things I’m thankful for:

1. A lucid mind to always learn new things
2. Clean air to breathe and clean water to drink pretty much 24/7
3. A job where I put my talent and skills to good use
4. The internet.
5. At least 10 new books with very interesting topics lying around for me to read anytime
6. Christmas lights the husband hung on the roof
7. Laminate flooring that doesn’t get dirty from cat vomit, footprints, or any spills whatsoever!
8. Immediate and extended families that I talk to almost every single day
9. Friends I’ve known for 10+ years who I share many inside jokes with
10. This $8 Riesling wine
11. This article from The Atlantic about China’s advancement in space exploration technologies and how it referenced the novelist Liu Cixin who wrote my favorite novels in 2017 The Three-Body Problem
12. Late night talks with friends about our culture, influence from our parents, how they influenced our beliefs and behavior and outlook on life.
13. The Vetoquinol pill wrap that makes giving medicine to my cat Lulu a breeze (highly recommend for anyone who has to go through the torture of giving pills to cats!)
14. The comfy throw that’s keeping me warm at the moment
15. The Dave Ramsey podcast. Here’s why I’m especially grateful for this, in case you’re curious
16. The Sound of Music movie. And the “My Favorite Things” song!
17. That moment when you crack open a can of carbonated drink.
18. Live plants & sunshine that I get in the office space
19. Target’s makeup aisle
20. Winter. And Snow. *This might be a Californian thing
21. Watering the succulents and plants in my backyard
22. The Magnolia Journal magazine by Joanna Gaines
23. Tea. All kinds of tea.
24. The health of my two cats, after a cancer diagnosis last month followed by chemotherapy
25. You, who are reading the 25^th item on this long list!

Now the giveaway!

Because I appreciate you, Cubicle Chic reader, I bought these two things on my own to share with you. To enter, simply subscribe to the Cubicle Chic newsletter (look for that pink box that says “Get More Cubicle Chic” on the top right of the home page!) and leave me a comment about which gift you want. If you’re already subscribed, leave a comment below and let me know about that in addition to your gift selection. I will do a random drawing at 8PM west coast time on Thursday and announce the winners (there will be two!) at the end of the day on November 30th!

Firstly, I have a David’s Tea Christmas Advent Calendar, currently sold out from David’s Tea! It’s got 25 boxes of tea in there, one for each day starting December 1! The other item is a book by Simon Sinek, who’s a speaker, author, the presenter of the most popular Ted Talk ever. It’s a book I personally draw inspiration from and have really enjoyed flipping through. It’s got a lot of pictures and very easy to read!

Cubicle Chic readers, I truly hope you like the gifts that I prepared this year. If I had the financial means, I would buy you ALL a gift. Maybe one day… when I make it as a full time blogger! But for now, please accept this token of appreciation I have. Merry early Christmas!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post  25 Ordinary Things I’m Extremely Grateful For || Holiday Giveaway Inside!! appeared first on Cubicle Chic.