Reflections on Six Weeks of Motherhood

- Alexis Leave a comment

The author nd her baby hiking by a lake

It’s been six weeks since my son was born. He’s gained more than 50% of his birth weight and has grown an inch in length. He’s beginning to outgrow some of his smallest clothes, and while I love watching him develop, I feel just a little sad packing away those tiny newborn-sized sleepers. He’s smiling more, which brings me so much joy, and I love it when we gaze at each other while I’m feeding him. He’s started to grasp things other than fingers, including occasionally my hair. He loves spending time on his tummy, especially on our chests, though he usually falls asleep during tummy time. He can lift his head and turn it from side to side (he’s been doing that for weeks now), and he can raise himself up on his forearms. I’m guessing it won’t be long until he starts crawling. He has my nose, cheeks, and ears; his dad’s eyes and smile; and both of our dimples.

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Big Picture Goals vs. Checking Off Boxes

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Painting of a photo album with scattered photographs

I’ve written a lot of posts about steps I’ve taken to improve my day-to-day life and overall wellness, like reading books, meditating, language-learning, and exercising.  I’ve even described myself as a bit of a self-improvement junkie.  I am constantly consuming media about the latest health-related studies and how to become more efficient and effective in my professional and personal life.

I believe this continual learning and experimenting adds value to my life, but it’s easy to let these habit-related, day-to-day pursuits distract me from long-term planning.  Setting big goals and grand-scale intentions is something that I haven’t done very often in my life, though I know it’s important.  I’m talking about envisioning my life decades from now and asking myself what I want it to look like.  What contributions will I have made to the world?  What kind of lifestyle will I be living?  If I could call myself an expert at something, what would it be? Read more

What to Do With Your Tax Refund Instead of Buying Stuff

- Alexis 1 Comment

Money: a one dollar bill on top of a twenty dollar bill on top of a credit card

If you’re really on top of things and heed the identity theft-prevention advice to file your tax returns as early as possible, you may have already received and spent your tax refund.  Good for you!  We’re still waiting for our refund, because newborn (and, let’s be honest, because of the same procrastination that hits every tax season).  Of course, not everyone gets a refund.  Last year, we were in that camp and had to pay the IRS — not a fun surprise.  But the average federal tax refund is $2,895, and for many Americans who don’t get annual or quarterly bonuses from their employers, it’s their only unbudgeted monetary windfall.

No matter your current situation, a couple thousand dollars can go pretty far in helping you to achieve your financial goals.  As I mentioned last month, I’m making an effort to buy fewer things, and I don’t want to watch my tax refund dollars evaporate in a shopping spree, spent on things that will just further fill my house, only to be discarded in a future decluttering effort.  If you’re in the same boat and are looking for some more intentional uses for your hard-earned money, here are a few ideas.  Read more