Hi friend,
Welcome to my archived blog—formerly RowdyKittens.com!
I blogged regularly on this website from 2007 to 2021. In 2021, I archived 99% of my blog posts because it was time for a fresh start.
You’ll find a small selection of my favorite essays and photos below. Have fun browsing my old blog!
Currently, I’m sharing my creative work via my weekly newsletter. Join us!
With gratitude,
Tammy
Last weekend, we received sad news. Our sweet Grandma Pat passed away in her sleep. She was 96-years-old, and she was many things: classy, kind, hard-working, and humble. We knew Pat's death was coming. A few weeks ago, she opted for Hospice care. If times were normal, we could have visited Pat during the last few weeks of her life. But these aren't normal times.
I'm sad we couldn't visit Pat, and I'm feeling immense gratitude. We moved back to Northern California in September 2012 and over the past eight years we got to see Pat frequently. For example, when we lived in the same community, I occasionally took her to doctor appointments or grocery shopping.
On our adventures, I made it a point to ask Pat about her life experiences. I adored her stories! Pat grew up in Los Angeles, and as a little girl she'd sneak onto the Fox lot to watch movie's being made. I also loved Pat's stories about what it was like to live through the Great Depression and her transition from a city girl to a cattle woman. Plus, the lessons she imparted about living simply and saving money guided us to a happier life.
I shared a wisdom bomb from Pat in my journal—Everyday Adventures: Tiny Quests to Spark Your Creative Life. I thought it would be fitting to share again. Here’s what I wrote.
In late 2015, I drove my grandma-in-law, Pat, to a doctor’s appointment in Medford, Oregon. The drive from her home outside of Yreka, CA to Medford takes about one-hour. On the drive back home, we talked about a variety of topics including the healthcare system, my step-dad’s death in 2012, and what it means to live well into old age.
I asked Pat, “If you could give advice to an 18-year-old, advice that would help that person live a good life, what would you say?”
Pat offered the following:
1. Spend time with your loved ones.
2. Enjoy each moment because you never know what’s going to happen next.
3. Do the things you want to before your body or mind gives out.
No matter what your age, Pat’s advice is invaluable, and her words of wisdom are at the heart of this journal.
I will miss many things about Pat; especially our trips to See's Candy. When we did errands in Medford, OR, we always stopped at See's. Inevitably, we'd come home with a few boxes of candy. On each visit, I'd end up with chocolate on my shirt or face. Not Pat, though.
I will remember Pat in perfectly pressed white jeans, paired with a floral blouse, and jewelry and lipstick that matched. She was so classy! Just writing about Pat's style makes me want to up my wardrobe game.
Technically, Pat was my grandma-in-law, but she felt like my Grandma. And she reminded me of my Grandma Mable and Great Aunt Mamie. Both passed away shortly after I started college in 1998. If there is a heaven, I hope Pat will enjoy See's Candy with my loved ones. They never got to meet, and I suspect they would have been great friends.
We are sad Pat's gone, and we know it was her time. She is loved and is already missed.
Thank you for reading. Be safe!
With gratitude,
Tammy Strobel
On Thursday, October 25, 2018, Logan and I said goodbye to one of our best friends, Elaina. Letting her go was one of the hardest things we've done. She was our friend and companion for over 14 years, and it's strange not seeing her daily.
I'm thankful that Christie is still with us. Her health is holding steady, she's eating lots of food, and is incredibly playful. She's also adjusting to life without Elaina in the house.
Christie and Elaina weren't best friends. However, they learned to tolerate one another over the years. I don't know if Christie misses Elaina or not, but she's more loving than usual. For example, as I write these words, I'm lying on the living room floor tapping sentences into my iPhone, and Christie is splayed out on my chest purring with her paw on my shoulder. Christie knows that I've been upset, so she’s been extra attentive.
A few days after we said goodbye to Elaina, we left Christie in the care of my brother-in-law. Going away for the weekend wasn't easy; especially so soon after Elaina's passing. We needed to leave because we had to manage the sale of our tiny house. We officially sold the house on Saturday, October 27, 2018.
A few folks have asked me if saying goodbye to the tiny house was hard, and for me, it was an easy farewell. We lived in the house full-time for four years and used it as a personal vacation cabin for three. That's seven years of little house fun.
In some ways, it feels like I've closed two chapters in my life and the timing is interesting because I turn 40 years old tomorrow. I'm looking forward to starting my 40th year on planet earth!
With gratitude,
Tammy
Back in 2005, my husband, Logan, and I began to simplify our lives. I detailed our story in my book, You Can Buy Happiness (and it’s Cheap), and the core philosophies I wrote about are still true. However, some things have changed. For example, we no longer live in our tiny house full-time, and we bought a used car in 2013. In essence, our quest to live a simple and happy life continues to evolve—as it should because nothing in life is static. This is especially true when it comes to money. When we began to simplify our lives, we wanted to redefine our relationship with money, pay off our debt, and buy a tiny house on wheels. We accomplished those goals (and a whole lot more).
However, I wish we’d been smarter with long-term financial planning during our twenties and early thirties. For instance, it would have been wise to set aside money for an old age fund. However, we were focused on paying off our debt and purchasing our tiny house. The good news is that we’ve been saving for our old age fund for the last three years.
Saving more and working with a fiduciary has eased my money worries because we’re making wiser investment choices. My worries aren’t completely gone, but hopefully that will change.
Below are six steps that are slowly helping me let go of money worries. If you struggle with anxiety around money, I hope these ideas inspire you to take action.
Before we move forward, I want to be very clear with a caveat. I’m not being compensated for any of the products or services below. I’m sharing this information because these resources and people have helped Logan and I get our finances in order.
With that, let’s get started.
1. Track everything. I'm obsessed with Mint because it's a digital tool that makes tracking our income and expenses easy. In addition to Mint, I use GoDaddy Bookkeeping to track my business income and expenses. Separating my business and personal accounts has been so helpful. Tax time is less stressful because my numbers are in order. Plus, I have a clear understanding of how much it costs to run my business.
2. Focus on mindful budgeting. In addition to recording everything in Mint, I record my daily and weekly purchases in my Mindful Budgeting 2017 Planner. Being able to write notes, reflections, and goals in my planner is helpful and grounding.
3. Talk about money. Logan and I have weekly and monthly money meetings to stay on track. It wasn’t always that way, though. In 2015, I had a melt-down about how much we were spending every month, which resulted in tears and an argument with Logan. Since then, I’ve been working on my money issues, and the more I talk about money, the less worried I feel.
4. Work with a fiduciary. A fiduciary offers fee-based, non-biased financial advice based on your circumstances. In short, their job is to help you make informed financial choices. We found our fiduciary—Michael Harris—in 2015, and he’s been incredibly helpful.
5. Save more and spend less. As I mentioned above, I want to put more money into our old age fund. I also want to work toward financial independence. As a result, I've been questioning all my expenditures (like the amount I spend on groceries, dining, coffee, and more). It's great to be debt free, but we’ve become a bit lazy on the budgeting front. This year is all about saving more and spending less.
Parting words …
After experiencing debilitating back pain in 2016, my aim is to maintain my health by taking small steps every day. Some of those actions include not drinking alcohol, eating real food, going to CrossFit, getting enough sleep, and making sure our finances are in order because money matters.
Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing more essays about money. For example, I’m working on an article about how we’re decreasing our monthly food and dining expenses. If you have money questions for me—or topics you’d like me to write about—leave a comment below.
If you’re reading this article via email, just respond to this message. I don’t have time to respond to all of the emails I receive, but I read every message that arrives in my inbox. I’m grateful for your continued support and encouragement.
Cheers to living a simple and joyful life!
