August 2019 Budget

I was still on a shopping kick this month, but I did a bit better than July at least! (Thank you, birthday gift cards!) I’ve also been working on my mindset some more. This month, I tried to embrace the idea that I’m good with money. Yes, my bank account doesn’t bear that out at the moment, but telling myself that I’m good with money helped me to not spend at times because overspending is just not something that I would do if I were actually good with money, you know? On the other hand, telling myself that I’m bad with money just makes me more apt to throw up my hands and spend—like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I’d heard of mindset shifts like this before, but I always rolled my eyes at them because, well, I’d be telling myself something that’s not actually true—at least not currently. But since thinking this way does seem to be helping, I’m going to stick with it for now!

With no further adieu, let’s see what I got in August:

1. Fydelity Ultra-Slim Fanny Pack in Metallic Rose Gold (Ocean City Surf Mall): $18 (talked about here)

2. Ultrabland Facial Cleanser (Lush): $30

3. So Yoga Leggings (Kohl’s): $30 on sale for $11

4. Pink Mini Backpack (Amazon): $28

5. Half Moon Ring (Etsy): $39 on sale for $33

Not pictured:

1. Bowie Foil Rainbow Foil Crop Sweatshirt (Hot Topic, sold out): $39 on sale for $18

2. Cruz Accessories Howlite Necklace (Ocean City Surf Mall): $9

3. So Lounge Life Hoodie (Kohl’s): $40 on sale for $30 - coupon = $22

4. Let the Good Times Roll Face and Body Cleanser (Lush): $13

5. Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion (Lush): $8

6. Rose Lollipop Lip Balm (Lush): $11

7. Ombre Ribbed Leggings (Primark): $14

8. Gradient Leggings (Primark): $13 on sale for $5 (talked about here)

9. Two bracelets: $11

10. Yuni Beauty Carry Om rollerball (Ulta): $14

11. Cat & Jack yoga tee (Target): on sale for $5 - gift card = $0

12. Art Class High Neck Tank (Target): $10 on sale for $7

13. Positivity Page “You deserve the whole universe” wristband (Etsy): $5 - gift card = $0

14. Positivity Page “Anxiety passes” wristband (Etsy): $5 - gift card = $0

15. Collsants Small Nylon Backpack (Amazon): $22 - gift card and points = $0

16. Wild Fable Short-Sleeve V-Neck Button-Front Romper (Target): $25 on sale for $17 - gift card = $0

17. Travel Scarf by Waypoint Goods (Amazon): $40 - gift card and points = $0

18. Cynthia Rybakoff Skinny Square Band in rose gold (Artist & Fleas Chelsea): $18

TOTAL: $270

While I’m not thrilled with that total, I’m relieved to see that I spent less than last month, WHEW! And actually, I bought the Bowie Hoodie and So items in July but wanted to make sure I wasn’t returning them (or using them for #SparklePunchMusicMonth) before including them in my budget post.

When I got the So hoodie, I loved the color and envisioned it for one of my Stay Home Club patches, but I wasn’t thrilled with the tunic length. Luckily, Timmi is a sewing wizard and altered it to my liking! (She only had to rip out the pocket and then crop it nbd.)

MUCH BETTER!

It’s slouchy and soft and cozy and PURPLE, so naturally it got my favorite of the patches: Indoor Cat!

The So leggings are sooo thick and comfy AND they have pockets!! LOVE THEM and want like five more pairs!

I got on a bit of a backpack kick this month! The nylon one is more athleisurey, but they both look way more expensive than they were! Also, despite being “mini,” both backpacks have a million sections/pockets, including secret pockets in the back!

How gorge is the Half Moon Ring? I love the geometric shape and how it’s a subtle nod to the moon. I actually got it as my birthday gift to myself and set it aside (miraculously!) till the big day! Now I just have to figure out which finger to wear it on… #RingLoverProbs The rose gold square ring from Cynthia Rybakoff compliments it so well and was a lovely find in NYC on my actual b-day. Cannot resist a geometric rose gold ring apparently!

Sooo a few weekends ago, I stumbled onto the fact that I fit into XL clothes in the little girls’ section of Target. Is this a dream or a nightmare, I’m not sure! (Especially since people regularly think I’m still in high school!) The Art Class tank is super soft and I love the blush color! And how cute is this yoga tee?!

If you have questions about anything I didn’t specifically talk about, lemme know! I was just trying to keep this post from becoming a full-on triple-decker novel! 😂

What did you buy this month?

High Five for Friday: August 30

Let’s see what brought the sparkle in my birthday week!

• It’s VIRGO SEASON now, so on Sunday, I went to an astrology gathering to talk all things Virgo! (Obviously, I am a Virgo haha.) I had never pulled up my whole birth chart before, so it was very educational and a fun way to spend a Sunday night!

• Wednesday was my actual birthday, and Pops and I made the last minute decision to go to NYC! We were hoping to go to the Met to see the Instruments of Rock exhibit, but that didn’t end up working out time-wise, so we walked the High Line (this super cool elevated train line converted into a park) and went to the Chelsea Market instead. Luckily, the rain held out, donuts were obtained, and we had pretty fun day!

I’m loving this Target romper I got with one of my birthday gift cards!

• On Wednesday, I also posted what may be my favorite installment of #SparklePunchMusicMonth: Zelda!! Representing my love of ‘90s video game music. ❤️

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HEY, LISTEN! I’m the birthday girl today, so I’m playing Navi and telling you we should talk ‘90s video game music--particularly the soundtrack to one of my fave video games ever: Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time! (Oh yes, I bought the soundtrack on CD at one of those pre-Game Stop stores at the mall circa 1999. 😳😂😂) . . True confessions: I actually listen to ‘90s video game music all the time, especially when I’m editing at work. So if you ask me for work music recommendations, that is what you will get (as @a_canny_lass can attest, haha!), and Zelda music is one of my go-tos. Timmi and I actually saw an orchestral rendition of Zelda tunes live at the Mann back in 2012 because we are true nerds, er, fans. 😂 Ocarina of Time is just such a gorgeous game, and the soundtrack still sounds great, 21 years later. Zelda’s Lullaby, the Bolero of Fire, Gerudo Valley, Saria’s Song--just so much to love! ❤️ And how awesome is this shirt that I found at Hot Topic?! (😳😂) I love that it lists the locations, like a concert tee! . . #sparklepunchmusicmonth #zelda #ocarinaoftime #music #whatiwore

A post shared by Jess (@jessie_face4) on Aug 28, 2019 at 5:15am PDT

• Rings are probably my favorite accessory, and I treated myself to two new ones for my birthday! (Along with my fave nail polish color, Illamasqua Jomina!) I found the square one at the Chelsea Market and the geometric half-moon one on Etsy!

• I pulled this celestial queen from the Magic Neko deck that Timmi got me! She symbolizes nighttime, dreams, and creativity!

• And let’s end with one last nod to Virgo season! 😂

I did legit tell someone I have the same sign as Beyonce this week…

Hope you have a great weekend! xo

High Five for Friday: August 23

Let’s see what brought the sparkle this week!

• We’re heading into the last week of #SparklePunchMusicMonth, so post your pics on Instagram if you want to join in! We’d love to have you! I have so enjoyed seeing everyone’s posts, especially this one from sweet Mica! I never expected other people to want to join me on this fun little journey, so having company has been a wonderful treat! ❤️

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Monochromatic #everydaystyle for #sparklepunchMusicMonth with #winterStyleFile #StyleFileInspire 🖤 @jessie_face4 has been inspiring me to get some of my band tees out lately and a few have been taken out of the band tee box and added into my wardrobe so I can hopefully wear them again soon! So while I'm not copying her outfit exactly, she is inspiring my style and giving me another reason to wear this awesome Kisschasy band tee from their last ever tour and show in Brisbane 😭 I was heavily pregnant at the show so we stood up the back but that was fine, there was no way I would have missed it! ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Screenshot this pic to shop the product details from the @liketoknow.it app, or click here: http://liketk.it/2EjFB #liketkit #LTKitbag #bagoftheday #RebeccaMinkoff #realmumstyle #rediscoveryourwardrobe #wearedonthestreet #shopyourwardrobe #stylingNotShopping #affordableStyle #bandtee #jeansandtee

A post shared by Mica (@awayfromblue) on Aug 21, 2019 at 3:00pm PDT

• I was pretty happy with this outfit I threw together for my fam birthday dinner on Saturday night! The tank was a thrift store find in like 2011, the shorts were $3 at Primark, and the headband is from Claire’s! Oh… and I own a fanny pack now. My January self was not ready for this! At least it’s a super cute rose gold one, and I think this is how you’re supposed to wear them these days? (I promptly texted this to Timmi and was like, “AM I COOL YET?!” 😂😂)

• Did you guys do anything to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock?! Pops and I watched some of Day 1 on Saturday. Check out this hunk. Can you believe he gushed about his newfound interest in tie-dyeing during his set?! 😂😍

This put me on a Lovin’ Spoonful kick for the rest of the week, and I ain’t mad about it!

• I picked up a few things from Ulta this week too! I had miraculously resisted the Lanolips stick (!!) when I went to get my eyebrows waxed on Saturday, but I do love Lanolips, so I could only hold out for so long. And I already have the Yuni My Om World body mist from Target and really like it, hence picking up their Carry Om rollerball. This is the first time I had seen more of their line somewhere, so I was pretty psyched! The Carry Om scent is more energizing than the grounding/calming spray, so they’re a nice combo! I put this rollerball in my work bag and have been using it for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up!

• Look at what Timmi sent me for my b-day! How cute is this “Magic Neko Oracle Deck"?!

• Bonus sixth thing! OOH. This quote. Definitely something I need to keep in mind!

Hope you have a great weekend! xo

High Five for Friday: August 16

Lots of sparkle to report this week!! ✨✨

• On Saturday, Timmi accompanied me to therapy (LOL) and then we picked up some DELISH donuts and headed down the shore! It was SO MUCH FUN. We did ALL the Ocean City things: played mini-golf, walked on the beach, got friendship bracelets (sort of), played skee ball, took photo booth pics, and got HENNA TATTOOS (I’m not kidding 😂). We basically ate our way down the boardwalk too!

I’ve driven down the shore twice before by myself, but I tend to be so racked with anxiety once I get there that I don’t stay for very long. This time, I stayed for a solid five hours, did ALL THE THINGS, and had a blast! Everything is better with Timmi! 💕💕

How cute are Timmi’s sunglasses?!

Oh, I literally licked the leftover icing out of the box… and I usually hate icing… 😳

• The henna tattoos get their own section, haha! In my pre-shore-trip therapy session, my therapist urged me to do a small, possibly rebellious thing. Something that I wanted to do for me. Enter me getting tiny sun and moon henna tattoos because I’m apparently sixteen years old! 😂 Timmi (who has several real tattoos) decided to get a moon tattoo too! How cute! 👯‍♀️ I don’t know that I’m ready for a real tattoo, but I do really like these ones… and matching with one of my besties! I love moon imagery in general, and I liked combining it with the sun for a “this too shall pass”/”the sun also rises” kind of visual. 💕

• On Sunday afternoon, we dragged our exhausted selves (we seriously walked five miles on Saturday!) to a local crystal shop and pored over their wares for a few hours! These were my spoils:

Louise Hay affirmation cards | Rainbow aura quartz (I think?) heart | Chakra rainbow candle

The shop is right in this cute little downtown area, so we also stopped for a delish all-carb lunch! 😂

• Afterward, we went back to Timmi’s, where we did a Philly Tarot reading and then played Secret Hitler with Timmi’s fam! What a night!

• Lastly, these are the bracelets I got in Ocean City. Some sixth grader probably made them, haha, but I think they’re so cute and cheery! The pink and purple one is also sparkly, so that felt on-brand for To Sparkle Punch. And I love the song “She’s a Rainbow,” so I couldn’t resist the pretty rainbow one! (Rainbow is definitely the vibe these days!) Bonus that they remind me of Timmi + all the fun we had AND that they don’t clang on my desk when I’m typing! 😂👵🏻 (It’s the little things!)

Hope you have a great weekend! xo

High Five for Friday: August 9

Let’s see what brought the sparkle this week!

• Saturday night was the Queen concert, and it was AMAZING!! Brian May and Roger Taylor IN PERSON!! Adam Lambert is quite the showman, and, by his own admission, more like a Freddie surrogate than a replacement, so I like him even more now. ❤️ I was a little surprised they didn’t do more deepish cuts (since I’ve spent the past 9 months on a Queen crash course, haha—I WAS READY!), but overall, the setlist was great: everything from “Bohemian Rhapsody” to “Radio Gaga.” They even threw in a few songs I didn’t expect, like “Hammer to Fall” and “‘39” (the latter of which I totally fangirled over!). They were really rocking, so “Love of My Life” was a particularly quiet, tender moment:

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I guess I’m never going to stop posting about the @officialqueenmusic + @adamlambert show! This was such a sweet, intimate moment: everyone singing “Love of My Life” along with @brianmayforreal (and eventually footage of Freddie). 😭😭😭 We actually have the sheet music for “Love of My Life” somewhere in our house because it’s the first song Pops brought to his guitar teacher to learn back in the ‘70s! 💕🎸 . . #queen #concert #rhapsodytour #loveofmylife #musictherapy #acousticguitar

A post shared by Jess (@jessie_face4) on Aug 6, 2019 at 5:45am PDT

Bottom line: You should totally go see them if you have the chance. Pops wants to go again!

• During the day on Saturday, I taught my one yoga student and rocked these awesome pink leggings, which Pops though I’d be wearing to the concert! (“Freddie would approve!” LOL I guess they are on par with his harlequin bodysuit lewks.) I had seen them at Primark before, but now they’re marked down to $5, so I couldn’t resist. I don’t love bold leggings, so I really appreciate how these just give you bold calves only! 😂😂

• I posted two more entries to #SparklePunchMusicMonth this week: the Stones and Darren Criss! Can you believe I saw those two concerts in a one-week span?! I especially love how my Stones pic turned out. Thank you Pops for having lots of gear for me to use as a prop! 😂 I also somehow managed to position the camera juuust right to hide all the extraneous junk in our living room! 💯💯

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Despite my love of classic rock, I was never super into the Stones. Pops really had to twist my arm to go see them back in 2013 on their 50 & Counting Tour. (Mainly for financial reasons, don’t @ me.) I liked some of their stuff, sure, but I only had a Greatest Hits CD and never did much of a deep-dive until I started learning more about Nicky Hopkins recently. 💕🎹 . . When I saw the Stones in 2013, I was super-pumped that they did “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” (by audience request), and with Mick Taylor, no less! (I’m ashamed to say that I only know this song because of Guitar Hero!🙈) “Tumbling Dice” may be my favorite Stones song overall, though, because I can never seem to resist it when it pops up! . . #PopsGearMakesAGreatProp 😂 #sparklepunchmusicmonth #rollingstones #50andcounting #musictherapy #phlbloggers #whatiwore

A post shared by Jess (@jessie_face4) on Aug 5, 2019 at 5:09am PDT

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One week after I saw the Stones, I had a slight change of pace when I saw @darrencriss , aka Blaine Warbler, on his Listen Up! Tour. And it might be the most terrifying concert experience I’ve ever had! I had to meet @deenaelg there because of work... which meant having to push through the crowd to find her. This made me a LOT of tween enemies. (These girls were not playing, man.) But I survived, and Darren did “Teenage Dream” live, so let’s all swoon together and live our best 2013 lives. #noregretsjustlove Seriously, check out the last video, it’s the best part! (Sorry the videos shaky AF, I think I was filming with my DSLR above my head. #yolo 😂) . . #sparklepunchmusicmonth #concert #whatiwore #music #darrencrisslistenup #glee #blaineanderson

A post shared by Jess (@jessie_face4) on Aug 7, 2019 at 5:06am PDT

• On Tuesday afternoon, Timmi got back from Ireland, so I went over to her house and picked up some furry co-workers! Tuesday is my work from home day, so I hung out with Timmi/ate weird European gummies and worked while she couch melted after a 12-hour delay at Heathrow on her way back from Ireland. 😵

This is very ideal 😂

• Lastly, on Wednesday, Timmi and I got to work on the little textile project I’ve alluded to in a few posts: attaching Stay Home Club patches to some t-shirts and sweatshirts! This one is obviously my fave:

😻😻😻

Hope you guys have a great weekend! xo