Hello again! Valentine’s Day is only about a month away. I’ve been thinking about what to get the man in my life. Is it just me or are guys hard to shop for? Maybe the men I know don’t need or ask for a lot, but every holiday, I’m left scratching my head over what to get them. I’ve done a lot of brainstorming to come up with some budget-friendly ideas for this holiday.

Hi friends! I’ve got Valentine’s Day on my mind. What to do? What to wear? What to give? When you think about your honey, you may want to give him or her the moon and stars. Those may be hard to reach, however, and more earthly things have to substitute. Here’s a guide to some of the best budget-friendly gifts to help you pick that perfect gift for your special someone.

Now that we’re well into January, you might be tired of hearing about New Year’s resolutions. I like making resolutions for myself at the start of the year, but hearing about them and seeing articles about them everywhere can be overwhelming. It’s a lot of the same advice too: how to get to the gym more, eat healthier, save more money, pay off debt, and so forth.

Hi friends! It’s already the middle of January and Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks away. Can I say how much I enjoy Valentine’s Day? I’m a sucker for everything romantic. Sappy movies and sweet love stories. I love them all. One of the most exciting things about planning for Valentine’s Day is deciding what to do with your special someone.

Since I started reselling clothes and accessories a few years ago, it’s transformed from a hobby into a profitable side hustle. I love being able to make money from home doing something fun that I love. I know a lot of women who feel the same way. They’ve recently started selling online and are encouraged to become more successful at it. Other women I know want to start selling online but don’t know where to begin.

Is someone you know newly frugal? When you’ve turned a new leaf on your finances and become frugal, it’s amazing in both good and bad ways. You’re excited about all the money you’re saving, but you might be disappointed at all the things you can’t buy in order to save that money. That’s why Christmas is a great time to support a newly frugal friend.

I’m excited to share with you my post today because it’s about one of my favorite things to talk about lately, my new dog Penny. In June of this year, my husband and I adopted Penny from the San Francisco SPCA.

Everywhere I go in San Francisco, I see women dressed in athleisure wear. They’re sporting the latest yoga pants and cute moisture-wicking tanks. Why are these women wearing this type of clothes and where are all these people going? My guess is to work out, and likely not just any workout, but to attend a boutique studio.

On February 16th next week, many people around the world including my family will celebrate Chinese New Year. It’s the Year of the Dog. As a huge animal lover, I’m excited that the year highlights this familiar and beloved house pet.  But I think my mom is even more excited than I am. Chinese New Year marks a new beginning with excitement and hopes for the year ahead. My mom can’t wait to kick things off by debuting new clothes and slippers.

Have you heard of Chau Smith? She’s a 70 –year-old woman who ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days. There’s no typo there! This woman is extraordinary. To top it off, she works a day job operating a dry cleaning and alterations business. You can read more about her here.

Every year, the Christmas shopping season creeps up earlier and earlier. Just the other day, I heard that JCPenny will open at 2 PM on Thanksgiving Day and their online sales prices will start four days before that. Kmart will open at 6 AM on Thanksgiving Day and remain until 10 PM that night.Where has Thanksgiving gone?

In this day of electronics and technology, it’s easy to forget that the public library exists. You can order books off Amazon in a few clicks and stream movies and shows directly to your TV. No need to step foot into a library branch anymore, right? But did you know that the library system is trying to adapt to this changing world too?

I’ve been waiting eagerly for Father’s Day to arrive this year. Even before I had this blog in place, I wanted to share some lessons from one of my favorite people I’ve ever known, my grandfather. When I think about living a life of plenty, it includes the great, loving relationships I’ve had with people in my life, not simply saving or earning more money.

May is Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM). Since I’m a speech language pathologist (SLP), I thought it would be worth addressing what I do in my work and bringing attention to communication disorders here on the blog.

Can you believe it? It’s Thanksgiving’s half birthday! That’s right, Thanksgiving is only six months away. Each November, I love taking the time to review the past year and reflect on everything I’m thankful for.

With summer in full swing, concert season is here. I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of live entertainment. Music concerts, plays, musical theater shows, even baseball – I love watching them all. You’ll probably agree with me that seeing entertainment live in person is better than listening to or watching recordings. But attending every event that comes around can leave your wallet pretty empty.

Like many women, I like trying out new beauty services and products. So I was delighted when I came across Dry Bar, a salon that specializes in just blowouts, while walking the Fillmore shopping district in SF. Someone to do my hair for me before a date? No more failed attempts at following YouTube hair tutorials? Perfect! But I’ll be honest, I did a double take when I looked at the services menu and price list.

Given the non-stop political coverage in the US right now about immigrants’ and other groups’ rights, I’ve been thinking a lot about women’s rights and women’s issues lately. Even more so when I recently read an article that half of women married or in relationships have a “Plan B” man ready to call if their current relationship doesn’t work out. 

Over Super Bowl weekend, my friends shared some sad news with me. Their dog Micky was gravely sick. Micky had leptospirosis, a potentially serious bacterial disease, and his liver and kidneys were failing. After visiting a few local veterinarians, Micky’s only option was to transfer to the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital to receive dialysis. 

Often when San Franciscans think about a romantic outing involving wine tasting, beautiful Napa Valley comes to mind. In fact, there's a place closer to SF with wine offerings as well. Last Valentine's Day, my boyfriend took me on a surprise trip wine tasting at nearby Treasure Island.

Earlier this week I posted on whether or not to join a gym and nine alternatives. If getting into shape is one of your goals this year, I’m excited for you. I want to do to same too! But first, I want to share with you my uncle’s inspirational story of getting into shape.

Happy New Year! Although we're only three days into the new year, I hope your year is off to a great start. I have so much planned for the blog this year. I can't wait to get started. First up is this post, which is on a question many of us ask ourselves as we start a new year with new resolutions.

Do you love the Nutcracker? The San Francisco Ballet is performing it again this holiday season and I can’t wait to see it! It’s been a treat to see ever since I was a child. Living in San Francisco, I’m fortunate to be able to see the San Francisco Ballet (SFB) whenever the company has a performance and my schedule permits. You might wonder how this is possible given that tickets to the ballet can cost a pretty penny. 

As we get closer to the end of the year, I’ve been spending more time deciding on my 2017 New Year’s resolutions. I’m exciting for the new year. It’s a chance to keep up the good habits and activities I’ve started this year. It’s also a chance to start over on the things I haven’t been so successful at. Darn those difficult-to-learn photography skills!

With Thanksgiving passed and December only a few days away, the end of the year is fast approaching. With that comes reflection on the past year and excitement for what’s in store for 2017. According to Statistic Brain, 68% of Americans usually or infrequently make New Year’s resolutions. Only 8% are successful at achieving their resolution, while 49% infrequently meet them. That’s a lot of unmet goals!

Earlier this week I posted a guide to managing holiday spending. Today I want to follow up with suggestions for reasonably priced gifts for the people on your list. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Earlier this year, I received a jury summons, the first I've received in several years. In the past, I had been in school and easily postponed my jury duty until school holidays. My only experience has been sitting in the waiting room for a few hours and then being excused. Easy peasy. Now that I'm working full-time, it's another matter. My employer let me have my legally required time off on the afternoon I had to report to the courthouse. What I wasn't prepared for was the jury selection process and the prospect of a two-month trial! Yes, two months!

Living in the city has its perks, but one of the most challenging things to do is own a pet while living in a limited space and constantly being on the go. If you're a pet owner or an animal lover, then you already know the joys of having a cat or dog...a furry loved one who is often in a good mood, greets you when you come home, and is loyal and affectionate. There's no replacement for having an animal in one's life. Here’s how to spend time with pets wen you don’t have one.