Behind the Scenes: September
House projects, brand partnerships, a health update, the show I just binged, and top sellers.
It’s interesting how little control we have, isn’t it? You think you know what you’re doing or how things are going and then something shifts whether you want it to or not. I’ve been thinking a lot about how much and how quickly things can change.
The kids are back in school which has been nice, but an adjustment for them. I had my first session with my new therapist and really like her, so we booked out weekly sessions for the next few weeks.
I finished Margot’s Got Money Troubles - my first book in way too long. I just downloaded this book to my kindle and plan on starting it this weekend. And we just binge watched The Perfect Couple. Highly recommend watching if you haven’t. We’re going to watch Despicable Me 4 with the girls tonight and have 2 playdates this weekend, and I’m planning special date with the girls, too.
Partnerships
In last week’s newsletter, I talked about how I only had 4 paid partnerships over summer. It felt good since I wanted a slow summer, but I started to feel badly about it. Those partnerships have made up almost 1/4 of my annual income this year and what if they just stop coming?
This past week, I signed contracts for 3 partnerships and am testing a product for a new brand before moving forward with a 4th. I did not reach out to any of these brands. They all came to me, so I didn’t really have control over it, but it feels good to see things pick up a little bit.
I have such a strange relationship with paid partnerships. I only say yes when it’s something I love and am excited about, but there’s always something that feels a little off – it’s so exciting getting to work with a brand I love, and creating the content feels weird.
My Work Week
I had a pretty good work week and published a few blog posts. I also wrapped up a sponsored blog post that goes live in a few weeks.
The Shoe Edit: My Favorite Fall Shoes
I also took the time to pin a few things and this pin did really well for me.
House Projects
My office is coming along and I think it’ll shape up pretty quickly. It’s been framed out and is going to be so nice to have once its done. The room was a porch that didn’t have foundation, so we did a lot of work to turn it into a real room.
We’re ordering everything for the 3 bathrooms that need to be redone and plan to do the work at the end of October. I am really looking forward to having a guest bath since it’s currently all torn up, but more than anything, I cannot wait to redo the kitchen, hopefully next year. The cabinets and appliances are so old and falling apart. Everything’s dirty, repainted, and so chipped up.
This is also the time of year when I want things to feel especially cozy and organized/clean at home. I’m having our windows cleaned next week and really need to tackle a few organization projects. It’s truly fascinating how much the sh*t piles up with 3 kids.
Health Update
For the last (almost) year, I’ve been paying my private practice doctor a monthly fee for access to certain medications and quarterly labs. We just ran labs again and will meet at the end of the month to review everything.
I really wanted to take control of my labs and get in a better place. We ran some heart tests and made some adjustments to improve my overall health. My old practitioner wouldn’t give me the one med I need long-term, so this week, I met with a new doctor and she agreed it was a good long-term option for me.
And as of October 1, I will no longer see my private practice doctor. She changed my life, and it was so worth it. But I’m in a good place now and really like and trust my new doctor who takes our insurance.
Top Sellers
My new lip balm
Boots
Velvet Mary Janes
Sneakers
Baseball cap
Sweater vest
Gem art
Felt bats (a best-seller every fall)
The power bank that gives my phone 5 charges (30% off)
Jack’s sensory fidget toy ($65% off!)
Interactive dashboard
I’d also like to share an idea with (and get some feedback from) my paid subscribers/friends and share something that happened with the girls the last 2 weeks that I think is important for parents to share.
We’re friends, right?