So I have been pretty MIA from this blog lately. Mainly because I have been attempting to adjust to working 9 hour days, managing a social life, trying to keep the boyfriend happy and balancing my working out. 

And yeah, it hasn't been easy. I think this is the week, though, will be the week that I master it all. I started the Insanity exercise program today, have started sorting my finances and even have made time to paint my nails an obnoxious bright red.

Balance. And time management. Skills I still need to master.

I am heading to bed due to exhaustion but stay tuned for more faithful posting. G'night. 

So while this week I didn't make any money off my couponing, I did get everything I bought for free. So that was fun. It also resulted in me dramatically coming back home, marching to my living room, turning off the TV and making my family watch as I unveiled all my newly purchased swag for my stockpile. The past two weeks I have really gotten a hold of the whole couponing thing and as a result, every Sunday I ride a my 'coupon high' and basically bother everyone with bragging about my most recent conquests. 

So this week was a pretty small haul. I ended up getting 2 Softsoap body washes retailed at $4.49 each (the shea butter creme smells amazing!), the RevitaLens contact solution at $8.99, CVS brand band-aids at $3.79 and the Revlon nail polish at $4.79.

Here's how it broke down: 

My first transaction was the Softsoap. CVS had them on sale at 2 for $7 and then you receive $5 ExtraBucks. I had $7 ExtraBucks from last week, which got them for me for free.

I then used the $5 ExtraBucks and a $2 Extrabucks from last week and combined with $3 off a $10 healthcare purchase CVS coupon stacked with a $2 off the Revitalens to bring the Revitalens and CVS band-aids to about 80 cents and received $3 ExtraBucks. 

I then used those $3 ExtraBucks to buy the Revlon nail polish, which brought the price down to $1.79 and from that transaction I got $3 more ExtraBucks for next week.

So all in all, I spent about $2.40 for everything but received $3 ExtraBucks making a slight profit of about 60 cents. Not bad!

Happy Sunday everyone!

So it is 7pm on a Friday which means that I have officially finished my first week of work. Whew.

It was an eventful week starting my first 'real' adult job. All week I have pretty much been shadowing my boss, watching her send e-mails and answer phone calls. It was a sort of passive-training where I pretty much just watch her do stuff while I took notes and made little drawings of stick brides.

Wednesday is when my week got sticky. I got into a fender-bender on my lunch break which lead to me crying my mother, hysterically crying and worrying that I had suffered brain damage as a result of the trauma. I'm a big baby at times.

Thursday I ended up going to the ER during my break to get treatment for a painful UTI that I have had since Monday and just ignored because I was so nervous about my first week of work and didn't want to ask for time off. Yeah, it is generally never ever a good idea to ignore a UTI. Like never. So that was fun to have to share with my new boss.

This morning I took off the morning to have an interview with a women's shelter in the area. I did lie to my boss about why I was taking the morning off (I told her I needed a follow-up for my ER visit the day before) and I feel super guilty about it. I hate lying. But I was so interested in this job. And I have been kind of stressed about having to maybe quit my job if I took this one. Basically, I stress a lot about things. Working on it.

But the interview went really well and I learned that the position is actually part-time. The center operates two shelters for victims of domestic violence and there are about a dozen 'relief workers' that take shifts operating 24 hours. We are just required to take a minimum of two shifts per month so it would be perfect for me: I can still keep my job working for a wedding company while simultaneously satisfying my non-profit, 'I need to help the world' urge.

I am also going to start taking classes at a university near my work to in Spanish, Middle Eastern cooking and belly dancing. 

I love how settled I am becoming and am loving getting into a routine after I have spent so many years traveling the world and being so restless. 

Never thought I would ever utter that sentence in my life. But, so what? I'm happy.

So as I previously mentioned, I recently discovered that I was poor. Ouch. So in an effort to save money, I have attempted to start couponing.

My first couple of trips were okay. I was getting disappointed though because while I was saving money, I wasn't necessarily getting them for free and I really wanted to get some free shit and experience the so far elusive "coupon high" that so many couponers describe after a particularly good haul. I craved it.

Well today I finally achieved it. I constantly am scouring the coupon blogs all day (now that I have a 'real' job which doesn't require me to sit in an empty store for 11 hours, I am sure this will change slightly) and last night I found a good deal for some toothpaste and eyeliner. Basically, life essentials.

I decided to drag Pedro this morning to try out the deal. Basically CVS has a deal running for this Colgate toothpaste, where the price is $4.99 and you get $4 ExtraBucks upon purchase (ExtraBucks are basically CVS money- it prints on your receipt and is only redeemable at CVS). There were coupons in the local paper from a week ago (and today's edition as well) for $1 off any Colgate toothpaste essentially making the toothpaste free ($4.99- $4.00 in ExtraBucks - $1 coupon= free). 

Additionally there was a deal for this Physician's Formula lash-enhancing eyeliner. It sells for $11.49 and there are $3 off coupon 'peelies' in the store. Use that and the eyeliner becomes $8.49. And for the purchase, you get $7 in ExtraBucks. Also, on each of the eyeliner's there is a "Try me free" rebate. You send your information in, along with the original receipt, and you get back your money. Which basically means that you are making money on this one. You make the $3 off that you got with your coupon in addition to the $7 ExtraBucks. And all for purchasing eyeliner and to send in a rebate. And even if you never send in any of this, my entire purchase today still completely cancels out. Not bad, huh?

So I went a little wild and made my mom go out and buy toothpaste. Then, during the Barcelona- Atletico Madrid match today (we won!) I clipped some more Target coupons and head over there to buy some cotton balls, toothbrushes, a cute dress and some face wash for about $15 all together. A good couponing adventure indeed.

Is anyone else out there couponing? Have any good tips or deals that they want to share? I'll show you mine, if you show me yours ;)

Currently I am enjoying a refreshing and chilled mojito at my favorite Mexican restaurant where the boyfriend works. And I like to think that I deserve it. Por que? You wonder. Well because today was my last day of work. Yippee!

I am excited to move on and explore new territory. Unfortunately- well not completely unfortunately- I have a little conundrum on my hands.

Today I received an email from the director of one of the largest and most prominent non profit organizations in Boston. I got his contact information via an old employer from high school that I recently visited with cupcakes and a plea for assistance.

This guy has been great. He spent a good hour on the phone with me, giving me advice about how to break into non profits and has generously forwarded my resume. I hadn't heard from him in awhile and to be honest, I was a little embarrassed to tell him about receiving my job offer (I need to work on not being embarrassed about this job just because it's not in the field that my parents paid a ridiculous amount of money for me to study in).

So he emailed me to tell me that there has been a job opening in the immigrant and refugee services branch of the organization. And of course I am stressed out because all I do is stress out about things even though I am trying to, as Pedro constantly reminds, "cry before the whip".

I am a work in progress.

My dad actually had a really good idea for how to handle the situation. Growing up I watched my parents deal with the pitfalls of owning their own business. I've noticed that while there are the traditional problems that are associated with businesses- such as maintaining clients, advertising the business and making a profit- the biggest headache that they had to deal with by far were their own employees. And because of that, and witnessing their countess headaches, I have always tried to be the best employee possible. Which is why the thought of starting a job and also interviewing for another at the same time makes me feel really... Dirty.

But my parents have been trying to reinforce that I need to think about myself and what is best for me. Which for some reason seems really daunting. And makes me feel guilty. And dirty. Where does all this guilt come from? Technically I'm only half Jewish so I feel like I should be experiencing significantly less guilt right now. What gives?

Anyone have similar experiences and want to offer me advice? A helpful motivational quote? Charming metaphor that will somehow explain away all my guilty feelings, perhaps with a witty anecdote? Any and all advice is welcome.

Happy Saturday! Looks like round two of mojitos for me!

So I am still sick. But I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And by that, I mean my mommy is coming home so she can come and take care of me. Yeah, I'm 23 years old. Don't judge.

My mom's friend, Carrie, who is a Raki healer is convinced that I am sick because of the death of my grandfather. I think I just caught something when I was taking a $15 bus trip to New York City on something called the "Fung Wah" bus. I should be grateful that all I got was a cold, and not some weird fungus that is indigenous to only some jungle climates.

Anyways... Me being sick has forced Pedro into looking after me which he has actually embraced, so I am impressed. He even makes me my Theraflu tea before bed and watches me to make sure I drink every drop of it. 

Unfortunately for him, me being sick brings out my 'inner diva'. On a normal day, I am pretty high maintenance. I like to be texted, like simple little reminders of your undying love for me, sometimes (all the times) I enjoy a free meal. When I am sick, my divaness goes into overdrive. But it's not like a cool and empowered diva like Mariah or Beyonce. It's like pathetic, needy diva who wants a tissue and to have a manservant constantly readjusting the thermastat. And well, while you're up, a glass of water too. Not too much ice. 

This week has flown by though. I don't know how I suddenly woke up and it was Friday. I think most of my time has been spent in bed, watching HGTV and stalking coupon blogs. I am gearing up for a good shopping trip on Sunday at my CVS, and my mom will finally be back so she can bask in the glory of the 2 free toothpastes and eyeliner I plan on purchasing. If I am feeling daring, I might even try to get some razor cartridges.

I finally went clothes shopping for the first time in about 2 months yesterday though. I had some serious withdrawals- but I had a $20 off coupon for TJ Maxx and I decided to go for it. Somehow, I ended up with $80 worth of clothes but between the Mexican feast I had last night and the two donuts I managed to shove in my mouth this morning (oh why, why did I eat those?) I am sure I will be returning at least half of my purchased goods.

The dresscode at the new job that I'm starting Monday is technically business-casual. But all I know of business-casual is the DC version of business-casual which, from my experiences traveling this massive globe, is that everything in DC is 'special' and so I can't really apply the life lessons I learned in DC because DC is such a weird microcosm of the real world that is so bizarre at times.

So I think I am going to wing it with some black skinnies from Express, a nice print top and maybe a blazer that I can casually toss aside and be like "Oh this old thing" and throw it on a chair if I look like a complete douche. 

The more I think about it actually, it seems like the more nervous I get about this job. I mean, this is my first real post-college job. I have a cubicle and everything (It's not weird that I already have a Pinterest board specifically for "cubicle decoration", right?). 

But it is a good excited. Like the kind of excited I get when I know that there's going to be a 12 hour Law & Order: SVU marathon. But I am still soliciting any advice for starting a new/first job. Any cool conversational topic ideas? Or help me pick out an outfit! I'll take anything. Seriously... equal opportunity advice/help solicitor here :)

Being holed up in bed has allowed me to catch up on some reading. I am already a fast reader: I can inhale books in hours and will happily stay up all night in order to finish a book.

Yesterday I started reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project after hearing about how great and amazing a read it was from a variety of sources. 

She documents her journey by a month-to-month basis, and I am right around the end of April. So far I am enjoying it, and appreciate the honesty of which Rubin exhibits in her writing. For my tastes, it is a little too much introspective. With each chapter, she seems to be questioning herself and her motives and wondering if she isn't being too narcissistic or too self-involved by writing this book. And for a lot of the book, I can't help but wonder if she isn't overanalyzing a bit excessively. This is something that she does address, however, in the beginning of her book. 

Overall, I am finding her journey inspiring in its simplicity. She is not making sweeping life changes, but rather changing the way she reacts and handles things. Like a favorite quote of mine states: Life is 1% what happens to you and 99% how you react to it. And I think by altering the way we react to situations and to people can speak volumes about us. It is good to constantly evaluate ourselves and our behaviors, and I think that is what Rubin has done with this book.

And following in her example, I find myself also wanting to incorporate little changes in my life as well. So I have decided to embark on my own little project where I incorporate some of Rubin's ideas mixed with some of my own to construct my own Happiness Project.

For my first goal, I want to tackle something that has been haunting me for 23 years now: my love affair with clutter.  I swear, junk just follows me everywhere and somehow accumulates into these huge piles that just seem too unmanageable and intimidating that I either just ignore them or move them somewhere else. Not very productive. 

Rubin has devised a plan where, every night before she goes to bed, she will do some light cleaning for ten minutes. Simple, right? And definitely something I want to incorporate. 

I think it will be something that will become a process, though. Especially because ever since I started dating Pedro, I would spend sometimes 7 nights a week at his place. This would involve me packing a small bag of clothes, staying at Pedro's , leaving for work the next day from his place and throwing all my clothes in my bag, coming home from work to my house where I would shower, dump out my old clothes and back a new bag and repeat for a whole week. This is not very conducive to cleanliness. 

I think once I start my new job next week, and I will have to spend Monday-Friday sleeping at my place, I will be able to tackle this goal more efficiently. Organization and a clutter free life are things I desperately want- but I do need to work for them. So here I go with my first Happiness Project goal: declutter my life!