Adulting 101 😱

There comes a time in every Twenty-Something's life...

Happy Wednesday, my Dearest Twenty-Somethings! This week, let’s talk about, and I hate this term, adulting. Painfully cringe—but here we are.

Are we adults? When does that specifically start? When we purchase an iron? When we choose staying in to curl up with a good book over having a rowdy night? When we see our parents as complex human beings and not just our parental units? When we get excited about produce being on sale? I guess we’ll see. Anywho… I asked, and here’s a summary of my best tips, your best tips, and those I found on the world wide web. As with most pieces of advice, take these with a grain of salt. Thank you all always!

• When you wake up, drink a glass of water!

• Moisturize!

• READ!

• Always use the restroom before you leave/go somewhere!

• BUDGET!

• Save money!

• Say yessssssss to living abroad or in another city!

• Work hard af to be comfy when 30+!

• Get to the airport early!

• Plan ahead!

• Be honest!

• Legit strive for minimalism!

• Open an HSA/401K!

• Put a paper towel in the box or bag with spinach, arugula, etc. and it soaks up the moisture so the produce lasts longer!

• Automatically have money transferred from your checking account after payday into either a savings account or a mutual fund—basically, invest in yourself first before spending!

• I really love my cups of tea in the morning and have recently started dissolving a little collagen powder into each cup; I like that it adds a little protein to my morning beverage (especially since breakfast is hard for me) and is good for my muscles, hair, skin, nails, etc. Maybe not for everyone, but I like the consistency of it and knowing I’m feeding myself good stuff just a little bit each day!

• I read somewhere to never touch something twice... the email that needs a reply, sweater that needs to be hung up, dish that needs washing. Stop coming back to things later because you "don't have time" or would rather do it under X circumstance later, stop bullsh*tting yourself and just get it done!

• Not unnecessarily adding things to my (obsessive) to-do lists is huge. Rather than getting high on putting it on my list and making up a story about how I don't have the energy to do something right now, I just finish the damn thing. Quick but icky email response, annoying bag to unpack—it’s still gonna be annoying at 10 p.m. and wil take the same amount of time, but I'll be more tired! Sometimes you need to proofread, a mental break, etc., but for the most part, you're procrastinating and it actually can be done in that moment quicker than you're making yourself believe and be off of your plate!

• Call your grandma!

• Shoot your shot!

• Stop keeping score!

• Write everything down!

• Try things that scare you!

• Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, like, always!

• Try to only go on social media when you’re at home!

• Don’t take anything personally!

• NEVER fly Spirit Airlines!

• Use tin foil in your air fryer so you don’t have to clean it every time!

• Get an air fryer!

• Put your book on your coffee table/desk/bed to remind yourself to read more!

• Make your coffee the night before!

• Always bring a bag with you with everything you might need (chapstick, Band-Aids, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, beanie, Advil, allergy medicine, hair clips, eye drops, cream blush)!

• Go to sleep early!

• Wake up early!

• Go on a walk when you’re not feeling like yourself!

• Try to cook it yourself!

• Set healthy habits!

• Put yourself first!

• Treat ya self!

• Figure out what makes you happy!

• Get a kitty cat!

• Flip the candle upside down to light it!

• NETWORK! Reach out and make connections!

• Take a picture of where you parked!

• Utilize Google Calendar!

• Tell people how much they mean to you!

• Delete the “LOL” and say what you need to say!

• Subscribe to Dear Twenty-Somethings :)

So, in hindsight, I’m not sure how helpful this life hack list is, but it sure was fun to make. Obviously, this is a limited list—and I look forward to expanding on it, and making many, many more. Where my Virgos at?!

While I have you here, I wanted to let you know I’ll be taking the month of December off from the newsletter for a chance to enjoy the holidays, spend some time with the family, and get a little break in. But before then…

In honor of Thanksgiving, I’d love to know: How do you practice gratitude? Do you journal? Do you call your friends? Do you have a daily affirmation that reminds you to be grateful? Let me know here.

In case you were wondering, I’ve been listening to Summer Walker’s new album, “Still Over It.” Damn, Summer! Also, did you know her daughter’s name is Princess Bubblegum? With that, here are a few picks to get you through the week:

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LISTEN:

READ:

• Highsnobiety: “Astroworld Is Our Generation’s Altamont” - You’ve likely heard of the heartbreaking fatalities at last weekend’s Travis Scott concert, and I thought this piece took an interesting look at the rise and fall of the I’m-a-mega-star-and-I-just-don’t-care aesthetic. Damn.

• The New York Times: “Missing Girl Is Rescued After Using Hand Signal From TikTok” - Say what you will about TikTok, but social media isn’t all useless! No way, no how!

• PureWow: “The 14 Best Pies in NYC for All Your Thanksgiving Needs (or Anytime, Really)” - Yep, another shameless self-plug. In the Big Apple and in need of a pie? Look no further.

LAUGH:

T.J. Chambers @tjchambersLA

You’re allowed to call anything “Country music’s biggest night” like literally no one checks

Drew Anderson @imdrewanderson

“Oh cool” -me hearing what people do for their job no matter what it is

soul nate @MNateShyamalan

never recovered from the first time i heard the word “acai” out loud. that wasn’t even in my top 15 guesses

Dana Schwartz 🫀 @DanaSchwartzzz

why did I grow up thinking that "marine biologist" was like one of the 5 main jobs people had

ellie schnitt @holy_schnitt

absolutely unhinged for bella swan at 18 to decide she wants to be with edward literally til the end of time????? I would truly rather bathe in lava than spend forever with the guy I was into when I was 18 who let her do that

vampire workday @imbobswaget

dear god the men you put on this earth to provide and build homes are defending dave portnoy

Astead @AsteadWesley

men clown the astrology crowd and make joe rogan their sun moon and rising

Sexiest President Dead Warren G. Harding @PopeAwesomeXIII

Betty White is trending again and PLEASE STOP THIS, every time her name pops up I get so worried that she's dating Pete Davidson.

FOLLOW:

• Wuzg00d - Another fashion icon! Color, funky fits, and pieces that make me immediately search Depop. Yum!

• Self Care With Wall - Quotes on walls and the like. Lots and lots and lots of affirmations.

• Reset NYC - Self-care tips and tricks, inspiring quotes, and lots of other goodies to get you through the day.

CONSIDER:

The stars are there not
to remind us but to let
us know what this is.

There is no end and
              never was a beginning----so
here we are----amidst.

Nothing ends with you----
every leaf on the ground
remembering root.

-----Cid Corman

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Affirmation of the week: I am constantly growing, evolving and becoming my best self.

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Question of the week: Are you holding onto things you’ve outgrown?

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Thank you all for reading this week’s newsletter! I’m always looking to improve my work, so leave a comment, send me a message, or fill out this form to tell me about what you want to read about in upcoming Dear Twenty-Somethings! I’m all ears. Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads or online if you feel so inclined. And check out last week’s newsletter here in case you missed it.

If you liked what you read, send this newsletter to a friend! Heck, send it to 10 friends! Sending love and light to you, wherever you are. 🌟

Cheers & happy Wednesday! Stay well.

xoxoxo, Quinnie <3