lifestyle blogs for women

{Week 14 Update} 52 Week Money Challenge

Published on April 4, 2014January 22, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

It’s Friday already and time for your 52 Week Money Challenge reminder. For those of you, like me, who began on January 3, 2014, we are 14 weeks in for this year! Today, I crossed off $25.00 from the SMC bingo style money sheet , which puts me at a grand total of an extra $344.00 saved thus far. The closer we get to August 1, 2014, my goal date to have a zero balance on my credit card, the more excited I get. In some ways, the feeling I get every time I see the balance drop is becoming stronger than the high I get from shopping. I am planning for big things to happen THIS MONTH by paying my set payment of $300.00 per month + the 52 Week Challenge each Friday + the possibility of a somewhat risky financial move, which I will talk about in Monday’s post. Stay tuned to see how I plan to slash my credit card balance from $1345.00 (current balance) to less than $500.00 by the end of the month by taking of gamble with my finances. If you want big rewards, sometimes you have to take big risks!

{Business Cents} Is Thinking Like A Woman Not Enough to Become A Boss?

Published on March 20, 2014March 20, 2014 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

I like the quote “Act like a Lady, Think like a Boss”, but after admittedly over thinking it, it might not be as empowering as I once believed. Perhaps, the shift in my thought process came after the quote was expanded to say, “look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, & work like a boss”. First off, I’m not a girl, rather a grown woman climbing the corporate ladder and this quote, in my opinion, perpetuates two very poignant paradigms that have been instilled in our culture. The first, that thinking like a man yields better professional results and the second; thinking like a woman is inferior. Is thinking like a woman not enough to become a boss? Is this part of the reason gender and pay inequality is still very present in the workplace? Better yet, are we losing the “corporate game” because we are playing “like a girl”?

Join SMC next Wednesday as we begin our “Like a Girl” series as I take on topics of Women, Business, & Money explored through studies, career experts, and personal experiences. My goal is to redefine the standard of measurement while shedding light on some awesome women who are kicking ass and taking names in their careers!

Your Thoughts…?

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Email SMC: shemakescents@gmail.com

{Lifestyle Cents} Highly Successful People Make This Type of List…

Published on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

she decided to start living the life she imagined…

I’m always reading something and back in December, I came across another one of those Things Successful People Do Differently articles. This article, however, has changed the way I approach goals for myself. As I was going down the list, I was giving myself mental gold stars for every bullet point that I was doing at that time. Read something educational everyday- Check. Keep a To-Do List- Check Check

Then the article mentioned that in addition to To-Do lists, which I am notorious for making, highly successful people are said to make and keep a current “To Be” list. I immediately grabbed a pen and paper and started listing who I wanted to be. Why hadn’t I thought of this before? Or had I? Like so many people, I have taken to Pinterest to design my perfect hypothetical wedding, plan the design for my perfectly organized home, cook like a chef, have a body like a model, a bank account like a Hilton (seriously with all of the high fashion pins I have, I would need that type of budget) and if I were anything like my Pinterest persona, I was able to drop random knowledge about random things at the drop of a hat. Did you know that marshmallows help brown sugar stay soft? Perhaps, I thought to myself, these boards I created for myself are puzzle pieces that make up the person I’m looking to become. My To-Be list is a daily reminder to do something that helps me be the person I want to be. Every time I look at my list or add something to it, I become laser focus on becoming the person I want to be.
Check Out Some of the Points from my December To-Be List:

I want to be…

organized, punctual, chic,
polished, grounded, fit,
healthy,
supportive, well spoken, charitable, prepared,

financially free

Yes, I will continue to pre-plan my wedding because I hope to be a bride someday. As far as having a home that reflects my style, why wait. I have yet to pin a picture of a beautifully decorated home that was cluttered and unorganized. Before trying to spend money on more stuff, I have started simplifying and repurposing what I already have. Instead of just pinning pictures of delicious looking meals, I have started to cook the very recipes I was saving. As far as my high fashion pins, I know it is smart to have investment pieces so I must choose wisely. I decided to start living the life I imagined by penning it (pen to paper) and acting accordingly… you know instead of just Pinning It.

Who Do You Want to Be?

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Email SMC: shemakescents@gmail.com

{Every Woman Should Know…} How to Tie a Tie

Published on March 27, 2012June 19, 2014 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

“A man in a suit and tie is to women, what women in lingerie is to men”

I would have to say that I totally agree. My Mr. prides himself on knowing several knots…half and full Windsor, a Pratt knot, and so on (bragging moment). While most men know how to tie at least one knot, others may not know how to tie their ties at all. This is when, as a woman you can step in. After all, being able to tie a man’s tie can be a very intimate experience a woman should not miss out on!

Check out this Cheat Sheet:Photo Credit: Ties.com