New! Carve Designs Monroe Sweater
A few weeks ago I asked Instagram for some pointers on blog topics like an “ask me anything” box. I love these question boxes because they raise topics that I wouldn’t otherwise think of writing about. I love tote bag style posts with a variety of topics, so here goes:
How are you doing with Mazen’s cell phone?
Good question! It goes exactly as you expected. I knew there would be pros and cons, and in my opinion, the pros absolutely outweigh the cons. The “Find My” app is great for being able to track M’s location when she walks to a friend’s house or to the playground after school. I love being able to text her from my own iMessages or Facetime when she’s out of our house. (I think you would agree).
You can imagine we’ve had some challenges teaching proper phone etiquette, like putting your phone down when you greet people and not using it when playing with friends. We also had issues with a loophole that I got caught in with the Pokémon Go app. (I didn’t realize it was a game when I approved it!) So we had to limit that through parental controls.
That said, Apple’s parental controls are fantastic, so I can turn apps/games on and off as needed, set time limits and downtime controls so there’s no late-night phone use.
Some people have asked me for our mobile phone contract and you can download it. here!
If blogging hadn’t been so successful for you, what do you imagine you’d be doing at work?
This is a really fun question that I thought about for a long time and still don’t have a good answer! When I set out to go back to nutrition school, my intention was to open a private practice and coach clients one-on-one. My vision was to see clients in person, but I’m 99% sure that if I had gone that route, I probably would have expanded into online opportunities as well. Because the technological boom! That sounds too much like blogging and it’s an easy answer.
I think if I had to choose something other than food and nutrition, I would say something about marketing. I worked in PR, a close cousin of marketing, and I imagine I would have taken on a similar role in marketing or advertising in the years to come, perhaps even digital marketing within the SEO/Facebook ads space. I think it would be great to do internal marketing or create content for a company like YNAB. I also wonder if I would have still been drawn to the wellness and fitness industry and ended up working at a gym like ACAC.
I’ve also sometimes wondered if I was going to let KERF fade away and just let it become a hobby and look for a source of income elsewhere, what would I do? I think my 16 years of experience online, in WordPress, and in social media would definitely help me work on those types of activities for a company or brand.
In fact, a few years ago I was offered a job at a large wellness company that I would have been able to do in addition to blogging. It came with a good salary and benefits (health insurance! A 401k!) and it was work from home and somewhat flexible, but ultimately the reason I didn’t take it was because one of the benefits was “two weeks of vacation”. The thought of being told I couldn’t take more than 10 days off was enough for me to say no, thank you. Flexibility is my number one job requirement. I don’t think I could ever take a job that wasn’t flexible in time and remote work, unless it was part-time, like something in person once a week.
Best book you read this year?
On a quiet street It was SO good!! I know when I’m reading a good book because I tend to stay up later when it’s so good I can’t put it down. I stayed up past bedtime the entire time I went through this one. It was creepy, mysterious, and at times a page-turning thriller. I also recently finished Five star weekend by Elin Hilderbrand, which I loved because it is an easy and fun read. And at the time of writing this I have just started. Nora goes off script And I know I’m going to love it! If you haven’t read it yet, Every vow you break It was one of my favorite thrillers. It’s part honeymoon/elegant resort and part thriller! Tomas read it too!
When will you be on Survivor?
Oh man, I wish they would have at least called me when I applied! I guess I’m too boring. My first video of 2016 was me in nature, but it was very unprofessional editing. My second video from last year was me talking to the camera with lots of photos and videos overlaid. I thought the editing was great, but maybe talking was too boring. I’m not sure how I can get your attention!
I get very angry when they preach to the audience that “we just have to apply.” He yelled at the TV, “I did it twice, Jeff!” Ha ha. I’ll keep trying!
Are you doing more courses?
I’m working on a course on travel rewards/credit card points! If you are interested, you can opt for me travel email list segment here. Traveling for free has changed our lives (see below!) and I’m passionate about teaching others how to do it. There’s definitely a sweet spot for those who spend a decent amount per month and have a small business, but I’ve also coached a few friends in person who don’t spend much OR who don’t have a business to start. It’s not difficult if you go slowly!
I will probably release a live version of my organization course, digital disorder, which has an additional workshop component in the new year. The price will likely go up a bit, so now would be a good time to get grandfathered rights to the live series 🙂 You can buy Digital Clutter here at any time to know my system for everything from email to photos and important files.
AND Bloom Now it’s evergreen, so if you want to restore your health now or in the new year, it’s a great way to motivate yourself! The program has many self-reflection suggestions and addresses all areas of wellness, from sleep to stress, nutrition and fitness.
Any trips planned?
Speaking of travel….YES – let’s go Andaz Mayakoba outside Cancun in January just the two of us. I booked the hotel (a suite!) and flights with credit card points. (Again, take a look my travel email series!) My sister is a travel advisor and she recommended it to us. (If you are looking for recommendations, here’s how to work with it). We had a great time in Anguilla last year, and it’s been a while since the two of us had some individual time. We also have a spring break trip planned 🙂
