Yep, still here. Hot and slightly cranky, but I’m here and for that I’m grateful.
If you’re like me and looking for things to do indoors, here are some interesting articles for your reading pleasure:
HOME
47 Skills You Need to Survive Home Ownership [This Old House]
I wish I’d read this article when I first entered the land of home ownership 20+ years ago. I particularly wish I’d read #9:
“9. Ensure a Lightbulb’s Long Life
You know that popping sound that signals another lightbulb has burned out before its time? The cause: The little brass tab inside the lamp socket that makes contact with the bulb base is dirty or bent, interrupting the connection and causing the filament to imperceptibly flash on and off, shortening its life. With the fixture unplugged or the circuit breaker switched off, clean the tab with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol; then nudge it up with a screwdriver so that it stays in contact with the bulb base. “
How many light bulbs could I have saved from an early demise, if only I’d known?
RECIPES
12 Cold Soup Recipes [NY Times]
I’m not a big soup eater (AT ALL), but I’ll be trying most of the fruit soups in this collection! (And I call dibs on using “Switch Froot Loops to Fruits Soups” as a future blog post title!]
FINANCE & FRUGALITY
Cut Your Spending by $400 a Month [The Budget Diet]
I could stand to cut more than that, but this is a good place to start. Lots of good tips here, but one that grabbed my attention:
“Save money on prescriptions by avoiding “combo pills.” A combo pill combines more than one type of medication. For example, Lotrel is a blood pressure medicine that costs $70 a month for generic, but you could get a prescription for the two components (Amlodipine and Benazepril) for $6 each.”
I actually take that medication, and I’m hoping my doctor will agree that I no longer need it when I see him next month. (I’ve been in the “high-normal” range for a few years now and am taking the lowest dose possible.) If he’s adamant that I still need to take it, you can bet I’ll be asking about the two components.
PRODUCTIVITY
How Many Goals Are You Chasing Right Now and Do You Have Too Many?[Pick the Brain]
I have five major goals, and I’ve been attempting to make progress on each of them. That’s not really working for me. (If by “really” I mean “at all.”) I’m going to try this approach for a while and see if I can make more progress.
SELF
Seven Lessons to Reboot Your Life [Dumb Little Man]
This author shares lessons she learned while recovering from a brain aneurysm.
“I saw that the very same strategies that a business owner needs to build a strong brand, create a transformational organization, and save her sanity also apply to our lives at large. Especially when life smacks you full on in the face and you need to reboot and reframe the conversation if you want to get back in the game.”
MADE ME SMILE