Weekender #173

🔄 Reset your hormones to make weight loss work for you.

🏈 Get game day ready with healthy Super Bowl recipes that don’t skimp on flavor.

💵 How women are finding financial peace and how to achieve it.

🗣️ Master difficult conversations at work with these 5 expert-backed steps.

So, there we were. My husband, two kids, a chihuahua, and I—freshly back in the U.S. in December 2023 after a whirlwind adventure abroad. We were filled with that rare, intoxicating feeling of “new beginnings” that you only get when you’re buying your first home. We had a plan. Easy, right? Well, it turns out, home buying is a lot more complex than that.

Fast forward a couple of months, and we were diving headfirst into the home-buying process. It was supposed to be our house. OUR HOME. We’d never owned one before. I had visions of painting the walls in colors that screamed “adult” (but not too adult) and putting furniture together with zero patience while my husband pretended he knew how to assemble Ikea products.

We were making decent money, sure, but I quickly learned that buying a home isn’t about how much you make—it’s about how the mortgage companies decide you make it. We’d been told by multiple companies how much we could afford, only to find out that the moment we mentioned that half of our income came from freelance work, we were knocked down by a whopping $150,000. Freelancers, apparently, are a threat to homeownership dreams. Who knew 1099s could be such a buzzkill?

Tips for self-employed homebuyers:

• Keep two to three years’ worth of tax returns showing consistent income.
• Have a profit and loss statement prepared by an accountant to show a stable cash flow.
• Maintain separate business and personal accounts to make it easier to track income.
• Be prepared to put down a larger down payment or show additional proof of financial stability.
• Avoid large business expenses before applying for a mortgage, as they can lower your taxable income (and therefore your borrowing power).

So now, not only were we hunting for houses in a competitive market—in areas that were safe with good schools (cue the “good luck finding that” sobs)—but we also had to cut our dream house budget by a significant chunk. The excitement turned to frustration. Where were the houses with hardwood floors and a nice view? Oh right, those don’t exist in our price range.

Luckily, we had Caroline, our saint of a real estate agent. And the way we found her? Pure coincidence. We were checking out a house we liked when we spotted a neighbor outside tending to his front yard. Turns out, his wife was the listing agent—Caroline. That random encounter led to finding the perfect guide for our home-buying journey. She was calm, patient, and endlessly reassuring—never once flinching, even when we debated whether a place had good bones or just ghosts.

Then, after a grueling day of seeing 23 houses (yes, you read that right), we found it. A house we had seen before but forgot about. It popped back up on Zillow, and that night, we decided to take one last look. Something felt right about it. We didn’t lose it this time.

After three failed offers on other homes, we finally got the one that felt like it was meant for us. Our first real home.

So, here are my tips for anyone on this insane journey:

1. Get accurate info on your buying power: Don’t assume, especially if you’re self-employed. Mortgage companies have no mercy.
2. Save for a Down Payment: As a first-time homebuyer, you can technically put down as little as 3%, but we ended up putting down 3.5%.
3. Manage Your Expectations: Be ready to compromise and focus on what really matters: a safe neighborhood, good schools, and a space that suits your family.
4. Don’t Overstretch Yourself: It’s tempting to buy the biggest house your lender will approve, but don’t overdo it. Know your limits so you’re not drowning in debt and can enjoy your new home (and life!).
5. Shop Around for Home Insurance: It’s one of those things that’s easy to overlook, but don’t. Different insurers offer different rates and coverage. Do your homework, so you get the best bang for your buck.
6. Buy in the winter: Houses are cheaper when people don’t want to sell during school season. Score!
7. Get a thorough inspection: Radon, mold, termites—don’t skip these checks.
8. Work in stages: Don’t feel like you need to furnish the whole house at once. Hit up Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, or thrift stores for affordable finds.
9. Hire help on a daily rate: A friend who works in floor installation referred us to a crew that did a great job at an affordable daily rate. Ask around!
10. Change the locks and install a security system immediately: We went with SimpliSafe—they gave us a great first-time homebuyer deal. We also swapped out the locks for keypads, installed cameras, motion sensors, smoke/CO2 detectors, and a video doorbell. Reliable, effective, and highly rated.
11. Don’t forget to forward your mail: Don’t leave anything up to chance.

Buying a home is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s equal parts exciting, frustrating, and rewarding. And after everything, the best feeling is knowing that it’s finally yours.

Kristel (TA Marketing Associate)

If you’ve ever:

❌ Spent hours tracking down missing receipts
❌ Waited weeks for reimbursement
❌ Manually entered expense data line by line

Then you already know—expense management is broken.

✅ Expense Management Best Practices

• Automate Everything – Use an expense management tool that captures receipts, tracks spending in real-time, and syncs with your accounting software.
• Set Clear Policies – Define spending limits, required documentation, and approval workflows to eliminate guesswork.
• Go Paperless – Ditch paper receipts and manual entry with AI-powered scanning and real-time expense tracking.
• Centralize Expense Tracking – Keep everything in one dashboard so you’re not juggling emails, spreadsheets, and Slack messages.

🚀 The Best Tools for Expense Management

• Rippling – A full-suite business management tool that streamlines expense approvals, reimbursements, and payroll. Score a $100 gift card just to see what it’s all about.
• Zoho – Great for growing teams, with receipt scanning, mileage tracking, and corporate card reconciliation.
• Bill.com – A must-have for finance teams handling accounts payable and expense approvals at scale.
• FreshBooks – Perfect for freelancers and small businesses, it automates invoicing, tracks expenses, and integrates seamlessly with your bank accounts.

Your time is too valuable to waste on outdated expense processes. Let the tools do the work, so you can focus on everything else that actually matters.

📚 Read: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah never misses, and this one hits deep. The Women follows a young combat nurse during the Vietnam War, shining a light on the untold stories of the women who served. It’s raw, emotional, and a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction with real heart.

📺 Watch: Sex Lives of College Girls

Mindy Kaling does it again with this sharp, hilarious, and way too relatable comedy about four college roommates figuring out friendships, love, and life. It’s equal parts chaotic and heartfelt—just like your early 20s.

🎧 Listen: Slow Motion by Marshmello ft. Jonas Brothers

Windows down, volume up—this one’s a vibe. Marshmello and the Jonas Brothers team up for a smooth, feel-good track that’s perfect for everything from your morning commute to your weekend playlist.

You know the drill. Someone updates a spreadsheet, but no one gets notified. A project deadline shifts, but half the team is still working off last week’s timeline. A report gets buried in an email thread, and suddenly, the “latest version” isn’t so latest anymore.

If managing your work feels like managing chaos, you’re not alone.

Most teams think they’re organized—until they’re knee-deep in version control issues, scattered updates, and missed deadlines. That’s when you realize: spreadsheets alone aren’t cutting it.

That’s where Smartsheet comes in.

It’s like spreadsheets leveled up—giving you the flexibility of a grid but with live updates, real-time collaboration, and automations that keep everything moving. Instead of manually tracking who’s doing what (or wondering if anyone actually saw your last update), Smartsheet centralizes everything in one place so projects run themselves.

How to Get Started in 5 Minutes:

1️⃣ Sign Up for a Free Trial: Start here.
2️⃣ Choose a Pre-Built Template: Pick from project trackers, marketing calendars, and more.
3️⃣ Set Up Your Workspace: Save your key projects for easy access.
4️⃣ Automate the Tedious Stuf: Set up reminders, approvals, and recurring tasks.
5️⃣ Integrate Your Favorite Tools: Smartsheet connects with Slack, Google Drive, and more.

Pro-Tips to Maximize Smartsheet:

• Use the Card View for Visual Workflows: Drag and drop tasks like a digital Kanban board.
• Try Conditional Formatting: Auto-highlight overdue or high-priority tasks.
• Leverage Smart Dashboards: Pull in key data, charts, and reports for a high-level overview in seconds.
• Integrate With Your Favorite Tools: Get instant project updates without switching apps — Smartsheet connects with Slack, Teams, and Google Drive.

Try Smartsheet for free and see how easy it is to get started.

Annabelle, with her vibrant calico coat and playful spirit, brings color and energy to every moment. Lucy, on the other hand, is the elegant black beauty, with a mysterious allure and a gentle soul.

Though initially reserved, her quiet strength and unwavering loyalty shine through, especially when she’s by her humans, offering comfort and companionship. Together, they’re more than just pets; they’re cherished family members, filling their humans’ lives with endless love, laughter, and unforgettable memories.

Find them on Instagram & Tiktok @CatTalesofAnnabelleandLucy.

🐾 Got a cute fur baby? Submit them to be our pet of the week in an upcoming issue.

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