August 4, 2021 - Hiking Mt Bonnell

I hiked Mt Bonnell this evening with some friends and my dog. I use the term "hiked" loosely. That's what everyone says "Let's go hike Mt. Bonnell," but honestly it's like 30 steps straight up to a pretty viewing area overlooking the "lake" (Lake Austin is actually a river - these people have weird ways of naming things) and then a very small rocky path/trail thing you can go down. I wore athletic clothes, most of the people I met were in cute outfits for pictures and a number of people just chilling by the overlook were in nice-ish clothes as there were several couples on casual dates. Obviously I was prepared for a far more intensive hike than anyone else. That isn't to say it wasn't enjoyable, just the company was enjoyable, the hike was, well, not a hike. Those stairs are STEEP though! The view from partway down the path past the overlook. I wish I had gotten a picture of the sun before it set - it looked like something out of Star Wars, glowing red with some light clouds in front of it. Before we went tonight, I popped into the pet store down the road to grab a new harness for Faith - she hasn't had one since she was a puppy because she out grew hers and I didn't replace it. I checked the weight recommendations and the breed recommendations and got her a large harness. I loosened every single buckle I could on that thing and it still doesn't fit, so that will be returned tomorrow. I've been on a "return everything I have purchased that doesn't work for me" kick lately, which is making me feel very adulty. Side note - you should always return things that don't work for you as long as you are still in the return time and the item is still returnable. It is funny the things that are making me feel extra adulty lately. I had to call the dentist to discuss an extraneous charge which made me feel super adulty but I've been training loads of people at work lately and that just feels normal and less adulty. Returning things and negotiating payments makes me feel adulty but budgeting and paying rent doesn't. Those differences are just kinda interesting to me. Anyways, those are my musings for today. Y'all have a great evening.

Things I've Learned: Personal Finance

Growing up, money wasn't really discussed. It just kinda was a thing that people had to work hard to get and then turned around and used. So, when I got to college and had an income with bills to pay, I had to figure out what on earth I was supposed to do. My solution was a bit (a lot) of binge reading about personal finance fueled by Pinterest and Google and, after a few years, I wish I could tell you I have everything 100% figured out. I don't - sorry if that is what you were hoping for - but, I have come to some conclusions I would love to share. 1. Finance is personal Yeah, yeah, I know it is called 'personal finance' for a reason but just hear me out. Finance is personal because one method doesn't work for everyone. My best friend tracks her money on an app and keeps everything in one savings and one checking account. That doesn't work for me. I write out, on paper, every single transaction that clears my account and track that way. I also have several accounts because I can't just tell myself 'this $50 in my account is for dog shots in 3 months,' I have to actually see it separately. I have played around with and tried several budgeting methods and while I still don't have one that works perfectly for me, I am closer than I have been at being there. 2. You need a budget I do realize this could sound contradictory to number 1. Yes, how you manage your finances is personal but, take it from someone who has run their life on and off a budget - you need a budget. Unless you are a unicorn and able to know at all times without ever checking your bank account what is in it and where that money is going, you need to pay attention to that. Now, I am not saying obsessively stick to a budget with no grace for yourself. What I am saying is you need to track your spending, look at where you money is going, and then decide where you want it to go. 3. Money is an inanimate tool In deciding where you want your money to go, you begin to take control of your finances. Money is useful, it allows us to buy food and clothes and shelter and all the things we need/want. But, money is always being used by someone and if you aren't in control of it, then the marketing department at your favorite store you shop at 12 times a week is. When I started learning about money mindsets (Google if you are curious), I discovered a lot but one thing is that I was scared to control my money because I was afraid controlling it would turn me into an evil, money loving person. That is not even close to what happened. Telling myself I was going to control where I spent money and why I spent my money made it so a) I was no longer getting a paycheck and then wondering where it went and b) I began to realize I could do more that I thought with the money I had because I was determining how it worked for me. 4. My Money Mindset This is probably the single most important thing I have learned while discovering how to manage my finances - what my money mindset was and how to change it. This was not easy and is still a work in progress but forced me to take a long hard look at myself and how I viewed money. Spoiler alert: it wasn't beneficial for me. For compounded reasons, I viewed money as this thing that was hard to get, harder to keep, and was in short supply. After a LOT of work, I have begun to reshape my view that money is flowing abundantly, it wants to be used by people, and is easy to keep but even easier to use properly. And, when I began to view money like that, especially as being abundant, I began to notice it was no longer a chore to earn and use nor was it elusive. Now, I am no personal finance expert, nor am I certified in any sort of financial management. I am simply someone who has gone from literally not knowing where any of my money went for 4 months to paying off my entire car loan in less than a month and my student loans will be paid off fully within a year and a month after graduating - June should be my last payment! I don't tell you this to brag and I know everyone has different situations, I tell you this so you see I am not just telling you junk statements that I have never experienced. And, after looking at how my life and my look on life has changed after taking control of my finances, I think everyone should give it a try. How do you handle money? Do you budget and if so, how do you choose to do so? I will chat with y'all again next week!

Here in Texas, today is the last day of mandatory social distancing. May 1, 2020 begins Gov. Abbot's program to slowly start allowing businesses to reopen and people to leave their homes to go more than just places deemed 'essential.' But not every state is doing this and, even in the relaxed rules, I still have people I love who live away from me so I thought I would share the ways I am keeping connected with people, not just across town, but across the nation. Messaging Obviously, I text and Facebook message and Instagram DM and WhatsApp and all the messaging apps on a regular basis but, right now I am being really intentional about reaching out to friends, especially people I know are very social and love being around people because this is not where they thrive. Video Calling - FB Messenger, Zoom, Marco Polo, Snapchat I love seeing faces. There is something about being able to see people when you talk to them that is just so much more powerful than phone calls of text messages. So I have been video calling people often. A good friend of mine from church and I have been video calling or Netflix Party-ing once a week just to stay in as close to physical contact as possible. My best friend and I Marco Polo almost every day. Marco Polo is a video chatting app where you push record and then it hands free records you saying/doing/whatervering until you hit stop allowing for, in our case, long pondering thoughts while cooking or quick blurbs before I leave to take the dog for a walk. Phone Calls For some reason, I know SO many people who HATE phone calls. I dated a guy in college who had an 11 minute phone call with his mom every week and that was the only phone call he would really make. Seriously, we dated for a year and I don't think we ever had a phone call - even after the restaurant I was working at was under lockdown for like 3 hours due to an active police chase that ended outside (that was fun because my car was the one vehicle in too close of proximity to the situation to be able to leave. I never parked in that spot again if you were wondering). And the number of times I have suggested that people call a restaurant to find out what the wait is and people are so against it. Y'all, calling is SO much faster than almost any other avenue. Just saying. I digress. I like phone calls. I call people often, especially people related to me. And you can almost guarantee if you are on the phone with me you are either a) on speaker or b) on my headphones so you don't even have to hold the phone to your face! Come on, join the phone call loving group! P.S. I think I am secretly from the 1940's so this might be another reason I love phone calls. Social Media I know, you are like 'But Lyss, you just said FB & IG DMs above.' But no, I am talking actual post and stories. I have gotten a bit (note the word bit) better about posting on social media during quarantine. If you follow me on IG (click the icon at the top of the page), you got to watch a bit of my French bread making experience. If you follow me on FB, you know I recently opened an Etsy shop for all my creative stuff. And I love checking in here and seeing how the people I don't talk to often but I still know and love are doing. And the memes are also great. Google Docs Yeah, this one might make you go 'huh?' but hold on. So my best friend's mom started a Google doc and shared it with the family (and me but I have been told I am basically family which is AWESOME). We are supposed to go in and put a little blurb about anything exciting that happened every day. We went back and filled in February and now are updating it daily. Seeing what is happening in everyone's lives is really encouraging since we can't physically see each other (they are in South Carolina and Kentucky so it isn't like we were seeing each other daily anyways). This wasn't my idea but I think it is a great one to implement into your life too! Walks Around the Neighborhood This one is a little bit less about staying connected with others and more about staying connected to you & your sanity. If you have a dog like I do, they will love the walks as well but I find my twice daily walks are fantastic for keeping me grounded and sane. Sometimes I call people while I am walking, sometimes I pray, and sometimes I just walk in silence, admiring the beauty of the world around me (no, I don't live in the country, I live in a suburb of Austin so it is lots of concrete and houses but the grass is green, the wind is strong, the sky is beautiful, and the sunshine is wonderful). This is also a great chance to stretch legs and move around - try to hit that step goal for the day. Quiet Time Prayer, reading, meditation. Whatever you choose to do, it is incredibly important to include some quiet time into your day. I do mine in the morning and working from home has let me make it longer than normal. There is a shift in tone for the day when you just sit back and be still and quiet. From a Biblical perspective, intentionally setting your focus on the Father every single day helps you to keep your life in line with how we are to live. From a physical standpoint, taking time to be calm and still helps to center you and keep you more in touch with your body - how it is moving, what it needs, what it is reacting to. Again, this is less about being connect with others and more about being connected to yourself and your Maker but it is still important. Well, those are my tips and tricks for staying connected as we continue a time of separation in the world that is more connected than ever. It is an interesting world we are living in right now but that doesn't mean it has to be one we live in alone. I am planning on continuing being intentional about connecting with people once we get back to 'normal.' And I really love the Google doc idea! Good job Momma P! How are you staying connected in this time? I would love to hear what you are doing below! Until next time, stay safe!

lifestyle – Loving Life with Lyss

30 Day Challenge

August 4, 2021 – Hiking Mt Bonnell

August 4, 2021

I hiked Mt Bonnell this evening with some friends and my dog. I use the term “hiked” loosely. That’s what everyone says “Let’s go hike Mt. Bonnell,” but honestly it’s like 30 steps straight up to a pretty viewing area overlooking the “lake” (Lake Austin is actually a river – these people have weird ways of naming things) and then…

Read More

Lyss
Lifestyle

Things I’ve Learned: Personal Finance

May 22, 2020

Growing up, money wasn’t really discussed. It just kinda was a thing that people had to work hard to get and then turned around and used. So, when I got to college and had an income with bills to pay, I had to figure out what on earth I was supposed to do. My solution was a bit (a lot)…

Read More

Lyss
Lifestyle

Staying connected

April 30, 2020

Here in Texas, today is the last day of mandatory social distancing. May 1, 2020 begins Gov. Abbot’s program to slowly start allowing businesses to reopen and people to leave their homes to go more than just places deemed ‘essential.’ But not every state is doing this and, even in the relaxed rules, I still have people I love who…

Read More

Lyss