Sustainability: Wanting Less & Being Content With What I Have

Sustainability is quite the buzzword in the blogging community as of late. I am so glad that this is the case, and we are hopefully, as a community, moving on from the excessive content about hauls and spending and purging our closets every few months. I felt a pretty monumental shift within myself in the last year and a half of being much more intentional and mindful about what I am purchasing and most importantly, why I feel the need to purchase it. A little background here, I have always been a spender over a saver, I loved shopping ever since I was a kid. In fact, my dad loves to tell the story of when he would take me to Home Depot with him (a regular Sunday event in our household) I would somehow find something I wanted to buy, usually it was a bright pink roll of tape, or a cute colored flash light. Although I’ve always been a lover of shopping, I do know my limits and my parents were not the type of people to just buy me whatever I wanted, in short, they taught me the value of a dollar.

After I left college and got a job, I had the privilege of living at home and had more disposable income than I would have had I been renting an apartment. During this period of newfound financial freedom, I shopped far too often and bought things I definitely did not need. However, I am also a relatively organized person and bringing this much stuff in your life at once inevitably will bring clutter, so I found myself constantly purging my closet of clothing I just wasn’t wearing.

Part of my mental shift over the last year and a half has been influenced greatly by the surge in the public consciousness around the fashion industry and the toll that fashion consumption takes on the environment. I’ve never been hugely into fast fashion and I never was the type to buy masses of cheap clothes, but even so, buying clothes without an intentionality or awareness behind why you are buying them leads to a slippery slope of over-consumption. I am far from perfect and I am definitely still learning when it comes to being a more conscious and sustainable consumer. However, having a deeper awareness, overall has made my need and want for more things wane. I’ve stopped myself countless times to ask myself, “is this purchase really necessary” and nine times out of ten the answer is no.

I am by no means going to solely dedicate my blog to sustainability, although I commend and love blogs that do, but it is a topic I want to dive deeper into in the coming months.

What I Read This Summer | 2019

I feel like it’s been forever since my last book recap post, which is probably been down to the fact that I have been reading like a woman possessed over the summer. I don’t know what got into me, but I’ve been reading a book about every two weeks since the summer started, and I don’t see that letting up any time soon! One slight change in my reading habits this past season was investing in a Kindle. Now I have never thought I would be the type of person to buy an e-reader, because I will always prefer a real book to a screen. That being said, books are expensive especially when you’re reading upwards of twenty a year and they take up a lot of space (of which I don’t have a lot in our 750 sq ft apartment). One of the really great things about the Kindle is that if you live in San Francisco, you can rent e-books through the SF public library, which has been so nice when there’s been a book that I haven’t been completely up to spending $20 on, but still wanted to read. All of the Kindle talk aside, I’ve been so happy with all the books I’ve been reading this past summer and I’m always open to recommendations so please leave them below!

Normal People by Sally Rooney ~ If you haven’t heard about this book in the past year I will have assumed you have made your inhabitance under a rock. The story revolves around a boy and a girl who start casually dating at the end of their last year of high school and follows them through their trials and tribulations both as friends and lovers in their time at university. The plot is not anything earth-shattering or insanely innovative but Rooney’s writing is absolutely gorgeous and the characters she writes are not only deeply flawed and fallible, but also incredibly endearing and nuanced. I loved this book and it’s one I definitely see myself re-reading at a later date.

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple ~ I had heard about this book a long time ago but didn’t get around to reading it till this summer. If you’re in the mood for a fast, easy summer read this one is definitely for you. Even though it definitely wasn’t my favorite book I’ve read this year, it was entertaining and fun!

The Friend by Sigrid Nuñez ~ If you like a bit of magical realism I would 100% recommend this book! The story is about a woman whose best friend/mentor passes away and leaves her with his beloved Great Dane. As the book goes on, she becomes more and more attached to the dog and it becomes almost a stand-in for her friend. This was a pretty quick read for me, but I absolutely loved how Nuñez gets across how messy and confusing loss can be.

Priestdaddy: A Memoir by Patricia Lockwood ~ My friend recommended me this book last year since it was one of her favorites and I finally found it in a book store this past spring and decided to get it. This memoir is about a young woman whose father is one of the only married Catholic priests in the US. Long story short, he used to be a Lutheran pastor, had a family, and decided to convert to Catholicism and become a priest. While a lot of this book deals with religion, albeit in a fun in light-hearted way, I would say it’s much more about family dynamics and how both families can simultaneously be hilarious and infuriating.

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane ~ I love books about family dynamics (if you couldn’t already tell by my other summer book picks)! This book follows the lives of Peter and Katie, whose fathers are partners on the NYPD. They grow up in the same suburb and while it might sound like their families should get along, they absolutely do not. The book follows both Peter and Katie through to middle age and explores the complications of family life and how major events in childhood can have lasting effects into adulthood. Even though this book about 400 pages, I blew through it in about three days because it was just that captivating and easy to read.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman ~ I tried reading this book a while ago and really had a hard time getting into it. However, I picked it back up when I was going on the trip and I knew I would have a lot of time to read on the plane. Honestly, this book is a cute story but I did not think it lived up to the amount of hype it had around it. I found the main character, Eleanor, to be pretty obnoxious and she really didn’t become likable until the very end of the book. It’s certainly an easy-to-read book, but there are other books I’ve read this year that certainly were better.

Educated by Tara Westover ~ Unlike Eleanor Oliphant, Tara Westover’s memoir, Educated, was a majorly hyped up book that I loved. Westover recounts her childhood growing up in a Mormon survivalist family, who did not believe in sending their children to school because of a deep distrust in government and the educational establishment. Despite growing up in a very isolationist family, Tara decides at the age of 16 that she is going to go to college despite having no GED or high school diploma and she eventually ends up with a PhD. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good non-fiction read!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah ~ Brad and I were taking a trip to Alaska at the beginning of September and so I figured the few weeks before going on the trip was the perfect time to read this book! The book is about a family in the 1970s who decide to move to Alaska to forge their own path. The father is a Vietnam vet and struggles with paranoia and PTSD and is very erratic in his decision-making process, which has monumental effects on his wife and daughter. Not only is this book great if you love a family-based, adventure-type story, but it also is beautifully written and does such a great job capturing the beauty and destruction that exists within the Alaskan landscape and way of life.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn ~ I watched the TV show when it came out last year and was absolutely captivated (and horrified) by the story so I knew I had to read the book at some point. Luckily, my friend had a copy that she kindly gifted to me and I tore through it in the course of a day and a half (its only about 240 pages). It’s almost the exact same as the TV show so I won’t give out too many spoilers, but while it has almost the exact same plot, reading this story is almost scarier than watching it. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a good thriller to read quick!

Less by Andrew Sean Greer ~ I didn’t think I wanted to read a book about a man going through a mid-life crisis, but this book was so much more than what the blurb on the back teased. This book follows Arthur Less, who is a middle-aged writer who finds out that his ex-boyfriend is getting married and so he decides to book a trip to travel the world. I loved that while this book is clearly about working through a mid-life crisis and finding oneself it wasn’t clichéd and full of tropes like so many other books about the same topics.

Recent Favorites | Summer 2019

Wow how has it been a month since my last post?! The past month has honestly flown by and I have been so busy with work that I honestly kind of forgot about posting! Summer as a season has come and gone in the blink of an eye so I thought I’d wrap up the season by sharing some of my favorites with you all.

Super Goop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 ~ I’ve gotten really good about wearing sunscreen every single day no matter what, especially since a good chunk of my everyday commute involves walking about 6 blocks. I started using the SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40, which is a broad-spectrum chemical sunscreen that is super light and works well under makeup or by itself. I used to use the Glossier Invisible Shield, but honestly thought it was too expensive for the amount of product and its consistently sold out so I went for the SuperGoop, which has a similar, but better, texture to the Glossier! Although SPF is usually a “summer” product, I intend to wear this all year round!

Glossier Beam Cloud Paint ~ It’s no secret that I love the Glossier Cloud paints, in fact it’s pretty much the only blush I wear now. I practically own every shade of the Cloud Paints (save for one), but my favorite summer shade is by far Beam, which looks like a bright coral/orange, but on the skin looks like a natural peachy flush. I definitely prefer peachier shades during the summer and I’ve been using this blush every single day!

Lancome Monsieur Big Waterproof + Glossier Lash Slick ~ I think I’ve finally found my favorite mascara combination and it has taken me quite awhile. I’ve tried to find my favorite mascara for so long but honestly I think combinations are the way to go. First, I will put on a layer of the Lancome Monsieur Big Waterproof mascara, which is super volumizing and a little clumpy (in a good way) and then I’ll use the Glossier Lash Slick to give more definition and length. On their own, these two mascaras are great, but I love what they do when combined, since together they really tick all the boxes!

Vitruvi Stone Diffuser ~ I love me a candle but sometimes I don’t always want to have something burning in the house, especially when it’s 80 degrees outside. I invested in the Vitruvi Stone Diffuser, which is not only beautiful to look at but also one of the best essential oil diffusers. I’m not super into essential oils as elixirs that can cure everything and anything, but I do believe in the benefits they offer in terms of aromatherapy and soothing anxiety (which I have). It’s been so nice having this diffuser for the past month when life has been pretty stressful, and I love being able to mix different oils together and make new scent combinations!

Simple Joys | Summer 2019

~ Long walks in Golden Gate Park on a hot day

~ Random trips to get ice cream at night

~ Seeing our plants sprout new leaves

~ Listening to records early in the morning on the weekends

~ Drinking a strong cup of coffee with oat milk in bed

~ Looking out our living room window to a wall of greenery

~ Finishing a book a week, three weeks straight

~ Foggy, early morning walks

~ Spending a Sunday afternoon cooking dinner

~ Getting multiple rolls of film back from the developer

~ Writing in my journal with zero expectations

~ Looking forward and planning for our trips this Fall

Living with a Partner | What We've Learned

Almost exactly a year ago, Brad and I signed a lease for our first apartment together and within a couple of weeks we were completely moved in! Prior to moving in together we had been dating for almost two years, our first year of dating was in college and then after graduation we moved back to the Bay Area, which is my hometown, but it was a new place to Brad. We decided well before we moved to San Francisco, that we would not move in together right away. I moved back in to my parents house to save money and Brad moved in with one of his friends from college and it worked out great for us. In hindsight, I’m so glad we waited quite awhile to move in together, because for both of us it felt like a big step for us as a couple and I know we moved in for all the right reasons, rather than out of convenience.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from moving in together. I have heard so many people say that moving in together fundamentally changes the dynamic of a relationship and I don’t know if I would necessarily agree or disagree with that statement. When it comes down to, I think it really depends on the couple, since every relationship is unique. For us, and for me as an individual, living together hasn’t changed mine and Brad’s relationship, so much as it has just made me more aware of things I wasn’t aware of prior to cohabiting. I’m going to share two of the things I’ve learned, and two things Brad has learned from moving in together.

Hannah

Time By Yourself Really Is Important ~ I am just about as quintessentially introverted as you can get. I love my friends and family, but I need time by myself to recharge and feel like I can put my best foot forward when I am with others. Besides being an introvert, I genuinely love having time to myself and I feel very comfortable in my own company, which is something I’ve worked really hard at over the years. When you live with a partner it can be tempting to spend all your time together, however I found it really important to advocate for when I needed some time to be on my own, in order to be a good partner. Spending time by myself also makes me feel like when Brad and I are spending time together we are putting more effort and being more present with one another.

Prioritize Being A Couple First and Foremost ~ This one sounds pretty obvious but I think the easiest trap to fall into when moving in with a significant other is becoming complacent, and that can definitely change the dynamic of the relationship for the worst. Before Brad and I moved in together we spent far less time together just by default and because of that when we did spend time together we made the most of it. Once you move in with a partner, it’s so easy to put off doing things like date night because you have so much time to spend together built into your everyday lives. This definitely took some adjusting for us, because we are both so busy, but, to me, it was one of the most important things to come to grips with after we moved in.

Brad

Always Being Aware of Your Impact On Your Shared Space ~ After living with four guys (and a dog) in college, cleanliness was not always the priority in our household. However, moving in with a partner made me realize how much keeping up on housework regularly not only helps in the long run, in terms of not having to do hours-long cleaning sessions later, but it also is a nice thing to do to show your partner that you care about your space together. Because we live in a one-bedroom apartment, there literally is not a lot of room for messiness, and when the place gets messy we both feel it. Doing the little things like cleaning up after yourself or making a little extra effort to keep our shared space in good condition has such a tremendous effect on the relationship and keeping household chores equal and manageable. It also saves us a lot from bickering about things that are really not worth bickering over!

Delegation is Key ~ One of the things that Hannah and I worked on before moving in together was getting on the same page about expectations of how we would manage the more mundane parts of life, such as cleaning, finances, food shopping, etc. Again, having the discussion before you’re in the stressful parts of moving in kept us from getting in unnecessary arguments. Luckily, we are on the same page about most things like finances, which are the root cause for most relationship problems, so there wasn’t much to work out but having the conversation ahead of time made both of us feel a lot more at ease in the midst of moving. Instead of splitting every little thing, we decided to delegate both expenses and chores to each other to make things as even as possible and so we always know what we’re responsible for.