Women-owned businesses to support this season

Fall 2018 is a sweet season for women. Michelle Obama’s book is dropping (::hopes there is a whole chapter on how to get dem arms::). “This is Us” is coming back so we can get our ugly cry on. And in the vein of being Truly Basic, the return of the #PSL does surely stir a soul anew. You can have your pigskin and your fantasy football league, but this gal is winning the decorative + edible gourd season, players.

In this, the season of women and harvest, I raise a grande PSL to these women-owned businesses:

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Stella + Dot - Chances are you’ve been invited to a Stella + Dot party and left with some beads or baubles that you totally meant to give to your child’s teacher for Teacher Appreciation Day but the more time you stared at the Deco Drop Earrings, you realized maybe she wouldn’t want to wear something that was likely to catch on a notebook or would prove an occupational hazard and because you’re not a monster, you did the right and noble thing. You kept them and you wore them and you j’adored them. But did you know that Stella + Dot is women-owned? And that the company is named after the foundresses’ grandmothers? Cheers to founders Jessica Herrin + Blythe Harris. Y’all fab.

For Mini-Me

I took my mini-me to a Stella + Dot party recently and although you see in Exhibit A, there was a piece I was fancying, but strangely enough, Mini-Me ended up getting a shipment with a camo zip pullover from Stella + Dot. Weird.

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HEart by CC - I am so enamored of Candice’s work that I’m basically outfitting my whole house in her aesthetic. And my laptop. And my daughter’s guitar stand. And basically anything standing still. My friend Pam told me that I should follow her on Instagram because she’s such a witty creative, and now I just basically am a bona fide fangirl waiting for her to ask me to for a road trip in her VW bus. A girl can dream.

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ABLE - Founder Barrett Ward, while living in Ethiopia, realized an opportunity for women to support other women in their artisanry. ABLE now sells bags, shoes, jewelry, and apparel that are designed and crafted by women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru and even in Nashville, TN. And I covet their stuff, girl. Like the tortoise shell earrings? They’re a problem.

And you? What are some of your favorite women-run businesses/companies to support? I’d love to learn more about them!

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How to Adopt a Dog in 21 Easy Steps

1. Daydream your entire life about Getting a Dog. (Like DNA for eye color, dream is transferred to offspring (dominant gene)).

2. Promise kids that you will buy them a dog when you move back to Boston, like you are the freaken Obamas moving into the White House and can just bandy about promises like that.

3. Evade questions for first year in Boston about Getting a Dog because you live in an apartment that doesn’t allow dogs (and even the hamster was a stretch).

4. Once moved into canine-friendly quarters, continue to evade questions about Getting a Dog such that if the kids in the backseat of the car even hint at asking a question, quickly change the subject SHAME ABOUT HOW LUNCHABLES AREN’T ON SALE ANYMORE.

5. Begin researching breeders; promptly fall in love with every puppy on breeder’s websites.

6. Realize cost of purchasing puppy from breeder could also send 10 children to space camp every year (via an actual rocket ship) until the end of time.

7. Pivot to looking at rescue shelters.

8. Fill out shelter applications that are tantamount to trying to emancipate a prisoner from a war camp.

9. Learn from Nice Lady at Bus Stop about shelter that is reputable and local.

10. Fill out application and book appointment for visitation to shelter in self-same day.

11. Go as a family of four to “look” at potential puppies.

12. Fall bum over monkeybars in love with all puppies at shelter and begin to deduce how to afford/fit all 28 in backseat of car.

13. Go to PetSmart and Buy All the Puppy Things.

14. Go back to shelter and claim Schuyler the Beautiful Mutt because she seems the most chill.

15. Bring Schuyler home and realize she is chill most of the time and also has an alter-ego, Devil Dog, who chews everything including but not limited to: brand new television remotes, all the zippers on all the hoodies, all the shoelaces on all the shoes, every last shred of your dignity as you become the Loser Lady who Lives Outside with Her Puppy Dog on a Leash.

16. Learn that you should throw out everything you learned about sleep training and potty training small humans; all the sticker charts and all the cry-it-out methods and cloth diapers are obsolete in Puppytown; what you need now are treats. Treats are dogs’ love language. They must all be related to your grandma because they are singularly focused on food. Weird.

17. Lose so much sleep because of tiny dog bladder needs; fear may never experience sessytime with mate again.

18. Train children who begged and pleaded about Getting a Dog that this nippy furry slobbery friend is The Fulfillment of Things Hoped For their entire lives, so stop watching glitter glue slime videos on YouTube and play with the puppy.

19. Start to celebrate landslide victories such as “All morning! FOUR HOURS IN A ROW. No accidents!” and crowning achievements such as, “Gave dog bath [though have not personally showered in four days].”

20. Start to become That Person who asks their dog all kinds of asinine questions twice in a high range that is embarrassing for everyone, “Puppy Want to Find Pee Tree?” except you can’t stop.

21. Feel grateful every day for the Werther’s Original on four legs who rescued you after all these years from not knowing what it was like to Get a Dog.

Update: How I paid for my kid’s camp this year

UPDATE as of June 6, 2019: I just registered one of my children for their first overnight camp experience. I was able to use my Stash piggy bank to pay for 75% of it. If I had put more money away throughout the year, there’s no doubt I would have been able to cover the entire cost. But since it was my first year using Stash, I was more conservative with investing and moving money around between different funds. I think next year I’ll be a bit more bearish, now that I understand how the platform works and how automatic deposits are what work for me to ensure consistent saving. It felt incredibly good to be able to transfer my investments to liquid cash. Since Stash is all about microinvestments, there’s a bit more planning and strategizing than a traditional savings account (sorry if that is a memo from the Dept. of Obvious). It takes at least 2 days for these transactions to take place, so my advice is to give yourself a good week to sift through anything you want to sell so the money will be ready to transfer to your bank when you need it.

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I live at the intersection where Spendthrift Avenue meets Frugal Lane. I live in a humble home built of fickle sticks under a flimsy roof where I have just about the same level of interest in running up credit card bills as I have in stockpiling my savings: about zero. I don't want the stress of dealing with debt nor do I want the long, plodding risk-averse life of being a miser. Whenever I share my lack of interest in Watching Money Work, a well-intended friend asks me if I've heard of Dave Ramsey. I think they are always disappointed that I do know about Dave Ramsey and do listen to his podcast but also that I do really think the (near?) obsessive focus so many Ramsey-ites adopt about their money is off-putting. Even if his methods are proven. Being super money-focused isn't my jam. 

What is my jam is occasionally having fun with my dough. Spending it on others in small little ways that delight. Donating it to an organization I support. Socking away a few bones into my kids' college funds. 

This is why I enjoy the Stash. It's about small, little, measurably consistent ways of saving money, that keeps it fun. To be honest, I don't know that it's the best way or even a wise way to save money, so I'm not putting all my pesos in this one bolso. What I do know is that when I opened my account in May, they gave me $5 to start. And now, at the end of August, I somehow have $100 that I didn't have a few months ago. 

Here's the proof in the pudding. I'm showing you my debits and credits in the account. 

In May, I invested the $5 minimum and ran with it. Invested $30 more of my own. Learned the platform to see how I could maximize my dollars. 

The next month, I invested $20 more. Nothing earth-shattering happened, but I felt good knowing I had a consistent plan to stick some money in a digital drawer that nobody was going to touch. 

In July, I was a big saver and put away another $20. I know. Eat your heart out, Dave Ramsey. 

Last month, I put $10 into Stash, and moved some cash within the account into different stocks.  Each month, I paid between $.50-$1 in fees. 

Three months. I invested roughly $90 of my own money. And now I have $100. I've had fun rolling the dice with some microinvestments and learned a little bit more about the stock market. With Stash, you can invest in a mix of stocks and funds or identify specific companies where you want to send your pocket change. 

Stash has a "Get $5, Give $5" that I'm happy to share here to start your investing fun. 

As I mentioned, this isn't a magical piggy bank, but it's been a motivating force to save that was not all-consuming but actually fun and cultivated helpful habits that I hope to continue.