Five Things for Friday (vol. 4)

We’re taking a short break from recapping my friend Kim’s trip to Australia with a quick five for Friday post!

Latest gadget purchase: ProtoArc Mobile Workstation

The social media algorithms got me, and recently I purchased the ProtoArc CaseUp Mobile Workstation kit. And it is freaking cool.

Essentially it’s a laptop stand, folding keyboard, and a mouse, all in one handy kit. It comes with a nice case as well to keep it all together.

I work from home, which means I’ve got a pretty comfortable setup with multiple monitors, etc. But when travelling for work, I only take my laptop, which means that if I’m away for a few days at a time, my neck gets sore from looking down. Or if I need a change of scenery from the home desk, it means I’m sitting in a less than ideal ergonomic situation somewhere else.

I think it’s designed for people who work from cafes a lot too, but…not sure I’ll have the confidence to bust that out with a morning cuppa.

It’s incredibly sturdy, and the keyboard is much nicer to type on than I’d expected (I’m a huge keyboard nerd). I showed it to a few people at work, and my boss ended up buying one too!

Maybe one of these days I’ll actually get myself some sort of code so that I get commission for affiliate sales…I’ve convinced these guys to buy enough stuff over the years after all!

It’ll also be really great for blogging when I’m on holidays (all the pieces are compatible with iPhones and iPads). I daresay this will be coming with me when we take a holiday later this year!

Perimenopause continues to be shit

I’m still using my HRT gel on my arm, and taking the pill, and yet the dreaded period has returned to torment me every fortnight.

And, to get a bit TMI here, I don’t like to be intimate with my husband when I’m on my period. So right now it feels like a bit of a dance between “touch me, don’t touch me“. Especially inconvenient when we try to schedule things together, like special nights or weekends away, and then an unexpected period arrives.

I wonder how my doctor would feel if I joked that she just get it all taken out so I can be over and done with this part?

For anyone who’s experienced perimenopause, please, please, tell me it gets better?

My passive aggressive stickers are a hit

I spent some time with my coworkers recently for an in-person event, and for a laugh, I packed my passive aggressive stickers.

I am absolutely that type of person where having a laugh with sarcastic humour brings me joy. But if we’re serious for a moment, life is pretty good. I enjoy where I work, have great coworkers, my home life is stable, and we have a roof over our heads and food on the table. In the grand scheme of things, any problems that I do have are really quite minimal.

Doesn’t mean we can’t have a laugh about a sticker that says “Did I roll my eyes out loud?”

The stickers are the gift that just keeps on giving.

World Cup Fantasy Update

With only two matches left to go for the World Cup, I’m managing to hold off my sister, with a 55-point lead.

I’m going to really miss it when it’s over. It’s been really nice to have my son so invested in it, and getting up and watching the games with me. Or yelling at the TV when someone scores a goal. I’ve been away from home recently, and I was a very proud mum indeed when my husband messaged to tell me that our son had been yelling loudly at the telly.

I haven’t decided who to support in the final just yet, but I think I’m leaning towards Spain. I’m also not really surprised by all the fallout after England lost to Argentina – the coach definitely put the team into defensive mode way too early.

Now to figure out what transfers I need to do before the final games… decisions!!

Capsule Wardrobe Wins

I’m getting very, very close to being able to tick off the Capsule Wardrobe 52-in-52 this year I think.

Recently I was able to figure out 6 days’ worth of outfits from:

• 3 pairs of pants
• 2 sweaters
• 1 skirt
• 1 puffer jacket
• 1 pair of Converse
• 1 pair of boots

That included going out for dinner, a group activity, and regular workdays. Not bad!

The only problem is that everything is still quite bulky right now because of winter. I think it’ll be even better in summer when I can get away with denim shorts and some thin summer dresses. I suspect I’ll have a lot more room in my suitcase, especially since I can ditch the boots.

But I’m loving this, and really glad that I’ve put that on my list! Stay tuned for the photos of my outfits and the recap so that I can cross it off the list.

And to think, all I used to do was shove my favourite clothing in a bag and hope for the best each day.

What’s one purchase you’ve made recently that you didn’t think you’d love as much as you do? Have you ever tried a capsule wardrobe, or intentionally mix and matching clothes when packing?