Wisdom Wednesday #374
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A Few Thoughts on Seasonal Relationships
I feel that sometimes we put too much pressure on relationships.The focus is on the future so much that the present suffers.
When the present suffers, the future suffers too.
You can do everything you can to sustain the relationship and it will still fail. That doesn’t mean that you’re a failure.
Every relationship isn’t intended for forever status.
Until next time,
Joy
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Wisdom Wednesday #373
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My Home Emergency Must-Haves #HomeWithJoy
When it comes to owning a home, my favorite quote comes to mind:
If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.
You hope that you won’t experience an emergency, but that’s damn near impossible. Emergencies WILL happen. The best thing you can do is to prepare as much as possible. If want to get an idea of what your emergency must-haves should include, check out my must-haves below:
Supplies
- Batteries
- Flashlight(s)/LED lantern(s)
- Non-perishable items
- I keep canned/dry beans, canned fruit, rice, and canned tomatoes in my pantry.
- Blanket(s)
- Water
- Tool kit
- An easy way to get your basic tools (e.g., hammer, tape measure, level, wrench, pliers, screwdriver, etc.).
Know where they are (and how to use them)
- Water shut off valve
- Circuit breaker box
MISC
- Home contact list
- My list has the names and phone numbers of my neighbor, HVAC servicer, contractor, plumber, and home insurance provider.
I hope you find this list helpful.
Until next time,
Joy
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How Escrow Works #HomeWithJoy
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Wisdom Wednesday #372
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My Favorite Ways to Move My Body
Exercising is one of those things that I know I should be doing, but I’m not consistent enough to make it a habit. The first thing I needed to change was my mental approach. Instead of calling it exercise, I’m calling it moving my body. It may not seem like it matters, but I’ve realized that physical changes don’t happen if my mental isn’t aligned.
Second thing I did was discover fun ways for me to move my body often. Here’s what’s working for me so far:
Up to the BEat (YouTube)
Gina B’s walking videos are so much fun to move to. She’s energetic and encouraging. Her workouts are organized into playlists on her channel, making it easy to explore.
FitOn
FitOn can be accessed as an app (Google Play, App Store), or their website via the free or paid versions. I use the free version, which is really good. FitOn has a vast variety of workouts (e.g., HIIT, yoga, no equipment, cardio, pilates, etc.) that can be filtered by time, intensity, trainer, etc. The FitOn trainers are personable, which is very motivating.
Dancing
On days when I want to move in a less-structured way, I dance. I play some high-energy music and start moving. I usually dance for 15-30 minutes and work up quite a sweat. It also feels good after a long day of work.
That’s how I’m moving my body these days. What are your favorite ways to move your body?
Until next time,
Joy
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Wisdom Wednesday #371
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Things I considered while looking at homes #HomeWithJoy
After I spoke with the mortgage officer, I started looking at houses. Bad idea. Why? Because I had no parameters in place. I saw houses I couldn’t afford, houses that were too big, etc. To prevent further overwhelm, I got realistic and wrote down a list of all the things I needed to consider when looking at homes.
Monthly mortgage payment
One of my non-negotiables was that I wanted to pay less than $1,000/month for my mortgage. The whole point of buying a home was to not continue dealing with the yearly rise in rent.
Square footage
I knew that I wanted to live in a smaller size house, no more than 1,000 square feet. Heating/Cooling a larger home would be expensive and I didn’t want to spend the money on that. Plus I was used to living comfortably in smaller apartments.
Neighborhood
There were some places in #RVA that I wasn’t going to be able to live in because the housing prices were beyond my budget.
I also wanted to live close enough to my favorite shopping locations, restaurants, and bars.
Exterior design
I was interested in brick homes. I love the classic look, plus there’s practically no upkeep. I also knew that I didn’t want vinyl siding or stucco because of the maintenance.
Heating/Cooking Source
I wanted my home to only use electricity for heating and cooking. Gas (cooking/heating) and oil (heating) are both expensive and I didn’t want to make room in my budget for either of them.
Condition of the windows
When I was looking at houses in person, I paid close attention to the windows. If the seller was unwilling to pay for new windows or lower the sales price, I might have to pay for them myself (or wall away).
Will my current furniture fit?
When I was looking at houses, I considered the size of my current furniture. As a result, several houses didn’t make the cut.
Related Posts
How Escrow Works #HomeWithJoy
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Wisdom Wednesday #370
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How I Maintain My Peace of Mind
I’ve spent the last half of my 30s cultivating and maintaining my peace of mind. With all of the chaos happening around us (hello panorama, aka pandemic) I have a special appreciation for it.
Maintaining my peace of mind is simple.
So simple that when you find out what it is, you may roll your eyes at me.
Don’t believe me?
Here’s how I maintain my peace of mind:
I mind my business.
I don’t like having my peace disturbed, so if you leave your sh!t, chaos, etc. on my doorstep, I’ll have questions. those questions make your sh!t, chaos, etc. my business. And if you don’t want me to be involved, keep it away from me. Simple as that.
Until next time,
Joy
