Self-Improvement

International coastal cleanup

September 16, 2017
Joni Smith
Family

Every year, I help pick up trash for the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by Ocean Conservancy. It’s all about cleaning up on beaches and around waterways that eventually lead to the ocean. And this year, I brought my kiddo with me! She was a great helper, making sure we marked down every piece of trash we found. That’s my favorite thing about this particular trash pick up event-everyone tracks their findings and Ocean Conservancy compiles the data and provides the…

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Sidewalk Trimming Therapy

September 15, 2017
Joni Smith
Yardwork

You can get a nice crisp look to your yard even if the grass isn’t perfect by regularly trimming the cement edges in your yard (i.e. sidewalks and driveway). We don’t treat out grass with anything so we gave a lot of clover and weeds that I’ll pull by hand. Even with those “imperfections,” I think the yard looks great when the edges are sharp along the sidewalks and driveway. All it takes to get this clean look is a…

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pilates

Morning exercise

September 5, 2017
Joni Smith
Health & Fitness

If I’m going to exercise, it’s got to be in the morning or I won’t have the energy to make it happen later in the day. And it has been so long since I exercised regularly that I knew I needed to start off doing something that wasn’t too hard so I wouldn’t give up yet would also give me some results quickly. Pilates was the natural choice. It’s low impact, fun, almost like meditation, and I don’t want to…

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31 days of Living Well and Spending Zero #LWSZ

August 31, 2017
Joni Smith
Cleaning & Organizing, Income Outcomes

Earlier this month, I decided that September was going to be the month that I finally tried Ruth Soukup’s LWSZ program. Since I won’t be getting a paycheck, it seemed like a logical step to me. It’s an opportunity to show my family that we are going to be alright financially, and see what we can save with a month like this every once in awhile. I’ve signed the commitment form: And my husband and I have talked through the…

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Hypothyroidism Diagnosis

August 29, 2017
Joni Smith
Health & Fitness

Because I am leaving my job at the end of this month (only two days away, aaah!), I decided to get my yearly doctor visit in while I still had my current insurance. They called me with my blood test results and told me that my thyroid levels were usually on the low side of normal, but this time they were especially low (.05), and it’s supposed to be between ~.4 and .5… They wanted to re-test it so I…

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Road Less Traveled

August 26, 2017
Joni Smith
Income Outcomes, Life

In making the decision to quit a full-time job, I thought of the famous poem by Robert Frost about two roads diverging in a wood. This is definitely a crossroads in my life, and I want to make the most of it. I want to make a difference and I want this decision to make all the difference. The Road Not Taken BY ROBERT FROST Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And…

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Weeding is free therapy

Why Weeding Your Garden is Free Therapy

August 25, 2017
Joni Smith
Gardening & Growing, Yardwork

Ahh, yes, there is something very therapeutic about weeding in the garden. It’s like free therapy. Why is that? As I was crawling around looking for dandelions to pull up today, I started comparing this simple stress-relieving chore to my decision to leave my job. In all honesty, my job was taking a toll on my health. I really had to do something so I could have a chance to grow and flourish, and not let the weeds take over…

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Why I Quit My Job with No Backup Plan

Why I am quitting my job with no backup plan

August 24, 2017
Joni Smith
Finances, Income Outcomes

Have I lost my marbles? This month, I am doing something that a lot of people would find crazy. I’m quitting my job with its financial comforts, and I have no plan B. I don’t know what I’m going to do next. And I’m so excited about it!!! I joked with my husband that I was going crazy and should start a blog called “Joni Loses It.” I mean, how often do people just quit their jobs without another one…

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