10 Tips To Start Your Day Off Right

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

ImageChef Word Mosaic - ImageChef.com

I love advice from others, but sometimes you just have to learn things the hard way.  Most of the time when it comes to sleeping, or not sleeping enough, you come across ideas that tend to stick out.  At this point in my life with everything I am striving for, such as working hard to start a career, having this lovely blog that I post on, being married, loving two dogs unconditionally, and having a passion for DIY projects it’s hard to get enough sleep.

But the biggest tip I ever received was never to get more sleep, but it was to start your day off right.  So, here are my 10 tips to start your day off right:

1) wait to check your email
2) give yourself time to decompress in the morning
3) plan the night before – what is the biggest thing you have to get done tomorrow?
4) know what you are going to wear before you get out of bed
5) pack your lunch the night before – saves money and stress of having to do it before you leave
6) eat breakfast
7) take care of urgent tasks as soon as you get to the office
8) pick 3 things to get done for the day whether it be work related or personal – what will you be the most upset with if it doesn’t get done?
9) say good morning to your coworkers – it won’t kill you to be nice and it might be recipricated
10) leave in plenty of time to get to work on time

Cheers!

What Are You Afraid Of? Facing Your Fears

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Take a deep breath.

Your parents and loved ones are still going to love you.  You aren’t going to disappoint anyone and if you do, then perhaps you didn’t mean that much to them in the first place.  If you make the wrong decision then more than likely, it won’t be the last decision if you ever get to make.  You can change your mind and shift gears.  Years from now, if you realize it was the wrong decision then you can make a new one.  You are able to point your life in any direction that you want.

You will still be loved at the end of it all.  Sick of a job then pick a new one.  Want to get into a new field then study up on one that interests you to learn as much as you can about it.  Don’t like the city you live in then save money and move to a new one.  Tired of the daily grind then find something, anything that you are passionate about it and go for it.

face your fears

It’s easy to tell yourself these things, but it’s another thing to actually do it.  So, take a deep breath and leap.  You will land on your feet.  It might take you some extra time to perfect that landing, but you will do it.

Here’s to taking chances, changing your life for the better, and being happy.  You have to be your own knight in shining armor.

Cheers!

Things I Just Don’t Understand

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Things I Just Don't Understand
Allergies.  Why are some people’s allergies worse than others and why am I one of those people?

Selfies.  I may be victim of taking a selfie or 2, but I do not understand the selfie phenomenon.

People who are afraid to dance in public. Live a little.

My obsession with Pretty Little Liars, Ravenswood, Drop Dead Diva, and Witches Of East End.

Those that wear leggings as pants, they are not pants.  Please, I beg of you, wear a shirt long enough to cover your butt and woohoo.

Football technicalities.

Irrational fears of masks and face paint.

How some people could dump animals.

I could keep going, but I feel that could be one more thing I don’t understand – the perfect time to end a pointless post.

Cheers!

The Importance of Goal Setting

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Why is goal setting so important?

How does one get from Point A to Point B?  What do you want to work towards in life, in career, in love and in your finances?  We set goals, develop a plan and then get to work.  Goals are an important part of your day, week, month… I could keep going with more, but I will spare you.

Ever since I was little I always liked to create to-do lists, schedule events in my calendar and even come up with a game plan for my day, which included when I would eat, shower, and take a break.  I love tasks and I thrive when I have a clear plan to achieve.

goal setting

Goals are an important part of life, any life and every life.  We need to know where we are headed and be happy when we get there.

What happens when we are working towards a goal and realize that we don’t want it anymore?  Or when we realize our priorities have shifted in life?  Simple.  We reevaluate our goals, develop new ones and keep moving forward.

I have to admit that I might be a bit obsessed with creating new goals, but even after every time I sit down to create a new life goal list there are some items that are always present.  For instance:

– becoming debt free
– helping stray animals
– creating a memory journal
– opportunity to bring my dogs to work on a daily basis
– owning a business
– celebrating our 50 year anniversary
– own my home
– travel the world

These goals, along with others are what I am working towards over the next few years.  Some goals may come and go without being reached, and that’s okay.  Because you do not reach a goal does not mean you are a failure.  It simply means that your life has changed and your priorities are not the same.

Perhaps you didn’t plan to have children and now here you are with 2 children that you tuck into bed every night.  That would change the goals you want to reach.  For another example, perhaps you were laid off and threw a wrench in your financial goals – that could shift where you are headed and what you are dreaming of.

Goal setting is a good thing.

Cheers!

What I’ve Learned From Marriage After Only One Week

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

It’s been a little over a week since our wedding day. Some might think its hard to believe someone might be able to learn so much in just one week, but it is possible.

I heard from so many that marriage changes people, even in small ways. I thought everyone was crazy or exaggerating just to scare us. Little did I know that we should have listened to the advice if other married couples.

marriage
What I’ve learned:

I don’t overreact as easily as I did a week ago. My stress levels are much lower. I knew that once the wedding was over I would take a deep breath, but family was right. Stress does seem to fade away.

it’s okay to go to bed early, some nights. I’m a pretty big night owl and J wakes up about 2 hours before me every morning. It’s nice going to be with my husband.

We keep a much neater house.

I like to be domestic and have a home cooked meal for dinner.

That we still laugh and joke around as much as we used to.

Learning to Deal With Others

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

 

dealing with othersI like to think of myself as a pretty easy going, likeable person that can see the good in just about everyone and every situation.  And most of the time… I really am like this, it’s no lie.  However, there are people and moments in my life that catch me off guard or rub the wrong way.  Usually my eyes are a dead giveaway to these type of people and moments.  You know, the deer in headlights gaze that is undeniable.  My eyes cannot tell a lie, no matter how hard I try.

I usually ask myself “is it even worth getting along with this person?  Will they even be in my life in the next few months or years?”  Most of the time I think the answer is “NO”.  But as I get older I realize the value of relationships and connections.  Just because there are some people in the world that you do not get along with does not mean you need to instantly alienate them.  You never know when you might need their help.

Now it’s about learning how to cope with people that I do not like.  Putting on that smile and grinning to make it through the moment I have to share with them.

Getting older does have some benefits, but I sure do miss the days on the playground when you could ignore the mean girl on the jungle gym.

Cheers!

5 Tips for Picking a Florist for Your Wedding

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

tips for selecting a florist for your weddingDuring all the planning for your dream wedding, there will be meetings with vendors, walkthroughs of venues and cake tastings; and you will need to be ready for a meeting when your are picking a florist for your wedding.

 It is important to keep your wedding priorities in the forefront.   You will need to sit down with your fiance and list what is important to you.  Check out How To Rank What Is Important At Your Wedding for an idea of how to list it all out.

Here are 5 tips to help you prepare for your meeting when you are picking a florist for your wedding:

1) Research which flowers are in season.  There may be certain flowers that you love, but they could be out of season.  You have to decide if it is worth paying a premium since they might have to be shipped in.

2) Say no.  When you are picking a florist for your wedding it’s okay to tell them you do not care for certain flowers.  For me, I don’t care for roses – it’s not that I hate them, I just don’t have an opinion on them.  I know that roses can be costly so I told my florist not to use them.

3) Tone it down.  Ask for smaller arrangements on the table.  Smaller arrangements mean less flowers, which will save you money in the long run.

4) Rent, don’t buy.  Let’s say you love the idea of a rustic look with using mason jars.  Research buying mason jars compared to renting them.  Imagine having 14 guest tables with 3 mason jars each that cost really adds up.  Plus, then there the pesky leftover mason jars to deal with.  Renting from the florist could be pennies on the dollar compared to buying all of those jars and then having them leftover.

5) Plan your ceremony just right.  If you dream of getting married outside in a garden, by a lake, in a park, or pretty much anywhere outside then make sure to get a beautiful landscape.  The less decorations you need to create your “vision” then the more savings you will have.

picking a florist for your wedding

You know what you want your wedding day to look like, so don’t be afraid to voice it.  You are paying for a service, so remember that when you go into that meeting.  It’s okay to say no to an idea that they have if you’re not crazy about it.  When you are picking a florist for your wedding you will need to be honest.  If you have a limited budget say “I have a budget of XYZ for flowers.”  They will respect that because then your florist will know what parameters to work in.

Cheers!

October Wrap Up and November Goals

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Blogger GoalsOctober has come and gone; and now November has flown in.  I feel like October flew by so much faster than September, but perhaps in all technicality that’s not true.

Let’s see how I did in October, here’s a refresher for last month.

1) Get everything in order for our wedding in ONE month – PASS!  We were married last Saturday.

2) Book a few more side hustle jobs – FAIL! I did not get one single side hustle for the month, but I was a bit distracted.

3) Pay $200 towards our smallest debt – FAIL! I had some dental work come up and that drained our savings and an extra money we had for the month, you can read about that here.

4) Take the dogs for more walks – FAIL! We played a lot more, but didn’t get to the actual walk around the block part.

5) Finish the Dave Ramsey videos – PASS!

Now let’s look forward to the next month and set some new goals.  Goals are important to me, they keep me focused and on task.  I have tendency to be distracted by shiny objects and if I don’t have something to pull my attention back to where I need to be then all hell can break loose.  So, let’s get into it.

My November goals:

1) create a new budget
2) Set some monthly, quarterly and yearly goals for myself
3) Take the dogs for more walks
4) Develop a game plan for Christmas shopping
5) Pay off our smallest debt

I feel like I need to bring it all in for one last “go team” cheer.

Cheers!

Happy Birthday, Dad

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

20131104-202637.jpg
Dad, Happy Birthday.  You helped shape me into this independent, free thinking, caring, and logical woman.  I could not imagine that I would be this successful or half the adult I am today without you there guiding me.  Dad, you always encouraged me and my dreams – no matter what.  You help keep me realistic when it comes to taking in yet another stray dog into my home.  I am lucky to have such an amazing role model in my life.  You showed me what a real marriage is suppose to look like.  You showed me how I deserved to be loved.  Happy birthday, Dad. I hope this birthday is the best yet.

The Perfect Day

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

wedding day thoughtsThe weather was absolutely perfect.  A crisp 54 degrees with not a cloud in sight.  I walked through the gate into the lush garden that was filled with beautiful fall colors.  All of our family and friends stood up to see me walk down the aisle with my Dad by my side as “Marry Me” by Train softly played in the background.

My eyes met J’s and tears instantly came from both of us.  This was the moment that I had been planning for and waiting for these past nine months.  I looked away from keep from sobbing, but every eye I met walking down that aisle was filled with tears.  It was no use – I was going to cry.

The whole day was breathtaking and was filled with love, laughter and a lot, a lot of tears.  I do not come from a crying family, but we could not convince one person of that fact the whole day.

This past Saturday, J and I were married in front of everyone we love and those that could not make the trip for many different reasons were there in spirit – we felt them with us.  Now, I am no longer engaged.  I am someone’s wife and we are a family.

It feels good.