Our Place’s Roll Out Rack is Perfect for Small Kitchen Spaces

I will forever be championing small space solutions. I have a penchant for simple products that are beautiful but mighty. The Roll Out Rack from Our Place falls under such a category. Released only a few weeks ago, it is IMHO the best accessory Our Place has launched. It appeals to small spaces, minimalist homeowners, college students and parents alike … really anyone wishing to simplify their life. The stylish design lends to a clean result, both literally and figuratively. And it is versatile. For all these reasons, Our Place’s Roll Out Rack is perfect for small kitchen spaces.

Quality

First and foremost, may I say that I’ve owned a roll out rack before. I first saw this invention in a friend’s kitchen in 2022. I hopped onto Amazon and bought one right away. It was a rollable metal-rod contraption that was light-weight, easy to use, and affordable. But it was cheap. The metal rusted, and aside from loving its functionality, I absolutely disliked it’s aesthetics and quality. Quality sets Our Place’s roll out rack apart from the rest of the products on the market.

Packaged in a sustainable box without the frills or plastic, the first thing I noticed was its heavy weight. This isn’t a flimsy kitchen accessory. While light-weightiness has its uses, I loved the feel of the roll out rack. Stainless steel rods were covered in velvety silicone, which prevents them from rusting. It is smooth and soft to the touch. I now my delicate ceramics are safe. It came with a pink silicone sponge and two very functional baskets which can be hung on the side of the rack. For anyone working in small kitchens, you can easily roll the rack away, stack the baskets, and tuck everything underneath the kitchen sink.

Function

Even with my previously cheap roll out rack from Amazon, I have loved this extremely functional innovation. I bought it primarily to serve as a drying rack over the sink. We use the dishwasher daily but don’t run it until night-time. Meaning more precious hand-held kitchen items needed a place to dry.

I spent years immediately drying them and putting them away, but for the sake of simplifying my life, I bought the roll out rack from Amazon when we were expecting Casey’s arrival. I was attracted to it for it’s small footprint and zero real estate. I have loved that the dishes drip over the sink, no puddles in sight! Unlike drying on kitchen towels, the design allows airflow and circulation preventing that mildewy smell. And it rolls up and stores away efficiently and nicely!

But the Roll Out Rack is more than a space-saving drying rack. It also is useful for rinsing fruits and vegetables. I dry the produce directly on the rack, saving on paper towels or linens. The Our Place baskets double as colanders for washing berries and cut up fruits.

I’ve also used roll out racks as trivets. We have a small island in the center of the kitchen where I can rest pots and pans in order to clear up stove or oven space. Using the rack as a trivet protects our beautiful countertop while creating the air circulation that allows the pots and pans to cool.

Lastly, I’ve used the roll out rack when I handwash kitchen rags or towels and need them to dry. If you use eco-conscious Swedish dishcloths or dish-washing gloves, you can also dry them on the rungs of the roll out rack.

Aesthetics

Here’s a big one. It fits my beige-house-aesthetic. It even matches our beloved and recently reviewed Beast Health Blender. Yes it only comes in one color. But all the better that it’s a neutral color that works with dark and light counter-tops. It is seriously so beautiful!

All in all, I would highly recommend Our Place’s roll-out-rack. It makes for a great housewarming or wedding gift. For only $50 a piece, it’s a great kitchen upgrade that is practical and beautiful. Some links in this post are affiliate links. As always, they will generate a small commission that supports this space should you choose to buy via my links. Thank you for supporting my small space.

Motherhood Is Like Running a Business and Why I Treat It So

It’s true. I find a lot of similarities between motherhood and running a business. Moms don’t get enough credit. After a year of being a mom, I realized that what I am essentially doing is managing a small business, without pay or recognition. Motherhood is humbling in that way. I am using the same skills I used when opening a bakery, building a dog-sitting clientele, and managing a team at the dental office. The tasks I have done since becoming a mom include visualization, systems creation, hiring and management of workers, task delegation, financial management and adjusting for shortcomings in order to hit our big picture goals. Sadly, while juggling my career as a dentist, I can’t help but feel like I am only being paid for half the week, doing essentially the same type of work. But the results are equally rewarding. So hurrah to all the moms out there who are being big-time-bosses for their families. I see, recognize, and applaud you.

The Similarities Between Motherhood and Running a Business

Visualization and Values

One of the best things I did was to visualize the type of family life I wanted us to have. It was like creating a business plan. Visualization addressed:

Our Ideal Daily Routine
Task and Responsibility Division
Social Network and Help
Financials and Budget
Optimized Systems
Career Effects
Individuality versus Relationship Effects

In order to get clear on our ideal lifestyle, we also made a list of values to uphold. A few examples of values we made were:

“Mike and I should always be on the same team”
“When time is short, we prioritize family time”
“We always eat dinner together as a family”
“Neither career takes precedence over the other”
“Our individual needs should not be sacrificed”
“Family-centric lives are better than child-centric lives”
“One parent should be home with Casey every day”.

You can even write a family mission statement and pin it to a wall. Having a set of values made it easier for us to make tough decisions during the stressful, sleep-deprived era of early parenthood. I constantly refer to our list, even now.

There’s that saying, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. So sit down with your team (whether that be family, friends, or other) before baby arrives and create your plan. Get clear on your values and expectations. Leave room for adjustments, and create back-up plans if motherhood doesn’t go exactly the way you think it will. (Newsflash: it won’t.) For me, that included a list of “Things Mike Can Force Me to Do If I Experience PPD”, “Ways I Can Relieve Stress if Baby is Overwhelming Me” or “Mantras to Repeat When Everything is Falling Apart”.

Creating Systems

Creating systems is what I am particularly good at. Specifically, I enjoy curation. If you can’t tell from my space, I like using minimal input to maximize output. Optimization gives me joy, and systems help optimize motherhood. There are many systems you can create in order to make parenthood more enjoyable. For example, Mike and I could spend 2-3 hours every weekend cleaning our home. We tried that at first! But if we are both working and alternating our days at home in order to always have one parent around for Casey (a value we made from the get-go), then we would miss out on 2-3 hours of the one day we are all home together as a family. Since family time is also a priority, we decided to leave all the cleaning to a house-cleaner. It took me three hirings to find the cleaner I liked at the price we loved. She comes once a month to deep clean the house for $150.

Other systems I created included a sleep schedule and feeding schedule for Casey. Automation of bills and ordering of house supplies was useful. We never used Amazon or Target Drive Up before, but utilizing modern convenience greatly increased the time available. Grocery list-making is a joint-effort via a running shared Apple List, and we go once a week. Systemize your family needs. It simplifies your family life and makes it more intentional.

Hiring People

Eventually, it came to be that we decided to off-load some of the burden to third-parties. I ended up hiring cleaners, a part-time nanny, and home improvement workers to do the tasks that did not fit in with our mission of focusing on family. We are at a point in our financial independence journey where time is a more valuable resource than money.

Of course, hiring people is another business skill. I didn’t just want to hire anyone. I had the following requirements:

I envisioned that the people we hire eventually become part of family themselves.
They were trust-worthy people who we can give access to our home without us around.
They are self-sustaining and independent.
The work is affordable.
They take pride in their work.
And most importantly for me, they have great communication skills and are timely. I run a tight ship in terms of schedules and I don’t like to micro-manage people but I do like to be informed.

As I mentioned previously, it took me three hirings to find the right cleaner. One advice I have is to never settle for less than what you expect. It is easy to go with the easiest or most available option as a parent, because you may be too tired to continually go through the hiring process. But it is worth it. Finding the right person will make a world of difference! Just like in a business, firing may be inconvenient in the short-term, but sub-par work makes the business suffer long-term.

There are many ways in which you can find the right person. For our nanny, we decided to go with an agency rather than a referral. Mostly because we wanted a third-party to be the responsible communicator between the nanny and ourselves should a conflict arise in those first few months. I also believed that it takes time to know whether a nanny is right for your family. I would say it takes a few months before they learn your expectations and before you learn their style. The agency has a replacement policy that we thought was worth the cost.

Working with an agency was a bit more work. I researched agencies first. Then I interviewed agency directors. They sent me nanny profiles that matched my requirements. We then did in-house interviews of nannies before we decided to hire. And even then, we had a week-long working interview, followed by a contract (that I wrote) signed by both parties. In the end, hiring a part-time nanny was life-changing and it was worth it to put this much effort.

For the household work, I used my social network to cast referrals. I did working interviews and evaluated them based on performance, communication and price. Negotiations are part of the hiring process. Please no do not feel like you have to go with the first option. There are always other alternatives.

Managing People

Managing people can be a bit tough, especially if you don’t have the practice. But it is essential! The hardest people to manage are family members. Telling them what to do isn’t favorable for anyone. At the end of the day, they are helping you, volunteering their time and skills. I find that having frequent in-person conversations with them is the best form of management for family members. Knowledge sharing is the most powerful form of persuasion, and communication the most important skill.

Other tips for managing people include:

Address concerns right away. If you see something you don’t like, say it now. Be upfront and honest, without being rude. Instead of simply identifying the problem, give your reason why it is a problem for you, 2-3 potential solutions and the one solution that you think is best to implement. Then ask for their feedback.
Be open to their way of doing things. Work together to come to an agreement on how things should be done. You are a new parent, after all. There were many things I was missing or didn’t know. By staying humble, I was able to learn from others who had the experience.
Have clear expectations. For example, I told my nanny on the first day, “If anything goes wrong or you are unsure, ask me right away. Never be afraid to tell me something. I will not judge you or get mad. I just want to solve the issue ASAP.” I also have the expectation that all cancellations are made at least a day in advance barring sickness and everyone is punctual to their shift.
Give equal parts constructive feedback and positive feedback.
Treat everyone how you want to be treated. I treat them like a part of my family.

Delegating Tasks

I started delegating tasks even before Casey was born. I divvied up newborn parenting tasks based on who would perform them best or which ones we would be passionate about. For the first few weeks from childbirth, I made a list of “Ways in Which People Can Help” and assigned specific tasks to specific people in the family. Assign responsibilities early on. Curbing other team members’ expectations is part of the job. It may be best to let people choose the parts of parenthood they are passionate about. If they love the job, they’ll do great work.

Delegate tasks clearly to hired help. From the get-go, I knew I wanted a nanny that would do housework too. She does Casey’s laundry, stocks his room, cleans the floors, washes dishes and bottles, and cooks nutritious meals for our family. She sometimes does the grocery shopping herself, buying the ingredients for the meals she makes.

But the person I delegate the most tasks to is my husband. Not because I am bossy (he may say otherwise) but between the both of us, I am a better planner/instigator and he is the better executioner. If it were up to me, there would be a million half-finished ideas floating around. If it were up to him, there would be very few tasks done because no one would be initiating the task. It’s a team effort that works for us both. Now that we’ve been in the game for a little over a year, I don’t think there’s such a thing as truly equal parenthood when you itemize tasks. But as long as you work as a team with equal gusto and energy, it works out just fine!

Managing Financials

Then there are the financials. Visualize what the careers will look like after birth. Since I get paid zilch for my maternity leave as a contractor, I had to plan how to fund our full three months at home. I went over our current budget, extrapolating how much we would need to earn after mat leave in order to be “profitable” and continue growing our wealth. (Kids themselves aren’t expensive, but child-care costs can be). These are the financial moves we did as new parents.

I also had to juggle schedules around. Since Mike can WFH two days out of the week, I knew that I had to work as a dentist on those two days, and can offer my Saturdays as well. If I was going to cut on hours, I knew I had to increase daily production. So during mat leave, I gained a skill and certified myself in Invisalign. Motherhood pushes you in this way. Since having Casey, I’ve doubled my daily production rate, allowing me to work less hours while earning more money. I’ve worked seven years before having my first born, and nothing ever motivated me to improve my skills or advance my career like motherhood.

Recognizing Shortcomings

Just like running a small business, you want to make evaluations every so often. I may evaluate myself a little too often. Quarterly is good. My husband and I have quarterly check-ins. We go out to dinner and ask each other the following questions:

How is parenthood for you so far?
How is balancing career and parenting?
What are the challenges you are facing?
Where are my short-comings?
What are ways in which I can help?
How can we outsource some of the tasks in order to free up time?
How are your personal goals?
What are your personal goals in the upcoming months?
How can we improve as a team?
Where are we financially?

Of course there are a million other things to consider. But the act of checking-in alone keeps you and your significant other connected. It also requires both parties to put in the introspective work. And it gets rid of all the assumptions, biases, and guessing – which ultimately can lead to trouble.

Looking At the Big Picture

You might think it bleak that I approach motherhood as another business. But every family is different. And parenthood is tough. So approaching it in the way that works for you and your family, is really what is important here. Motherhood is equally as romantic and ten-fold more enjoyable when it is easy. And personifying it as a business makes it simpler. By utilizing the skills I already have, we have been able to get by the day-to-day without the drudgery. Mike and I can focus on the fun parts of parenthood – the parts that matter to us. We spend A LOT of time with Casey, each other, and our extended family. We kept space for our activities, like physical exercise, hobbies, travel and extracurriculars. By doing it this way, we did not sacrifice our values nor did our careers and personal goals suffer. It was the best way we could uphold our family-centric dream.

Speaking of my husband, you may also wonder why I am doing most of the management. While my husband, and honestly this particular generation of husbands, is extremely helpful with the child-rearing and the house-cleaning, he is non-active in the management side of the family. He is amazing at helping to carry tasks out, but at the macro-level, I am the one orchestrating the family flow. I would chalk it up to a difference in personalities, and nothing more. As I said earlier, it is healthiest to let people shine at what they do best, rather than forcing them to do things they don’t like. So while every family dynamics is different, what works for us is for me to delegate daily activities to him and leave the big picture thinking to myself. Simply because it is what each of us does best.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

A Minimalist, Affordable, Powerful Blender for Tiny Kitchens

We’ve recently upleveled our blender game in the kitchen to the Beast Health Blender Mini. I can already say that this is the best kitchen appliance acquisition we have had in a long while. (Some of my past favorites were the Balmuda Toaster and Kettle and our Evermill Spice Rack.) Our previous blender was a wedding gift we received seven years ago. Right after unboxing, I chucked our stained and cracking Ninja Blender into the trash bin. The Beast Health Blender Mini knocks it out of the park on so many levels! It is a great product for tiny kitchens, busy parents, health nuts, and minimalist, aesthetically obsessed interior designers. Here are the reasons why I personally deem the Beast Health Mini Blender as one of our best kitchen upgrades.

Powerful Blending Capabilities

When evaluating kitchen appliances, it’s all about function. I used to work at Jamba Juice, a smoothie chain, and thus have an appreciation for well-made blenders. I like my smoothies thick, but not chunky. Most blenders on the market (especially the smaller ones) have horrible blending capability. The Beast Blender did not hold back on the motor. They sell three motors with varying strengths and sizes:

I personally have the mini blender, chosen for it’s small footprint, light weight, and portability. However, at half the wattage of the Beast Health’s strongest blender, the mini is way better at blending smoothies than my previous Ninja! Large frozen fruit chunks are easily conquered by the Beast Mini Blender blades. The smoothies come out smooth and velvety in texture. Say goodbye to chunks of fruit swimming at the bottom or getting lodged in the straw. I absolutely cannot imagine how powerful Beast Mode Blender is. My girlfriend who owns the Beast Mode says that it is super powerful. The con is that it is also large, heavy and bulky. It’s a trade-off I am happy to make as I am primarily using the blender for 1-2 person servings.

Quieter Motor

Despite the motor’s power, it is a fairly quiet blender. As someone who relishes the morning calm, I greatly dislike the deafening whir of a blender. My previous blender was insanely loud. I recognize technology has come a long way since then. The first thing Mike said about the blender is “It’s way quieter than the previous one.”

Honestly, this unique attribute could be the blender’s claim to fame. I remember when Mike and I wanted post-workout smoothies but Casey was sleeping in his bassinet as a baby. This blender is a great asset for all parents. No more choosing between a healthy drink and disrupting nap time!

Aesthetically Pleasing

Hands down the most modern looking blender on the market. The inner ridges that were designed into the blender to increase friction and improve function actually give the blender a luxury look. Plus Beast Health offers multiple colors depending on the blender you choose. The Beast Mini Blender has five color options. I chose Sand to fulfill my beige home dreams. Pick out your favorite color here!

Because I chose the smallest blender size, it isn’t overly bulky and doesn’t take up much counter space. It is so beautiful that I have decided to leave it out on the counter. Only a few kitchen items get this privilege in our home. The color-matching base is sleek and hides nicely behind our Google Nest hub . The power button is hidden behind the base, and there is only one button on the front face. Press the button for less than a second to pulse, and longer than a second to run a timed 1-minute blend. For anyone wanting a “pretty blender”, look no further.

Affordability

You might think that a prettier and stronger blender would cost more. However, Beast Health sells their blender at affordable prices. The Beast Mini Blender costs under $100 and the most powerful version is under $200. There is a blender option for your price range. We have the Beast Mini Blender Plus+ package. For only $20 more, you get a total of three blending vessels in the following sizes: 415mL, 530mL and 650mL. I like the variable sizes and the option to meal prep for busy mornings ahead! You also get two storage lids, a carrying lid, and a straw lid. Included are two straws and cleaning supplies. I think for $20, there is a lot of value there. By the way, all their blenders have a plus option. You can always tack on the accessories at a future date if you wish.

Minimalist and Miniature

As you may already know, my minimalist heart is leaping with joy with the Beast Mini Blender offering. Tiny home dwellers rejoice! Not that we live in an especially small home anymore. But we still have a fairly small kitchen with limited counter-space. Paired with a home-owner who has low affinity for clutter (me!).

As a petite person, I love that the Beast Mini Blender weighs at a mere 4.8 pounds, making it extremely portable around the kitchen. For those who dislike clutter or have more space limitations than me, you can even put it away in a cupboard every day. For comparison’s sake, the Beast Mode Blender weighs at 6.9 pounds and our previous Ninja blender weighed at 7.1 pounds.

Time-Saving Helper

Most important of all, having a powerful blender is a super-power for busy moms. It is a major time-saver for me. In the mornings, I can easily prep a healthy breakfast for me and Casey. Aside from morning breakfast, I can do a smoothie after a workout or in the afternoon to-go when we head to the park.

With a reliable and sturdy blender around, it is easier to be a healthy eater despite my busy schedule. I throw whole foods into my smoothies including nuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. For protein, Mike adds some sort of nut butter and protein powder. And all my mamas out there cannot forget the collagen. I personally have been using Thrive Market’s grass-fed collagen peptides for years. I can prep smoothies ahead of time when I know I will have limited time later as well. With all this is saving me, I can spend more of my time taking Casey on adventures outdoors.

I would highly recommend this product. This was not sponsored by Beast Health, although the product was a gift. The post contains affiliate links, which help to support this space and my work. I hope this was helpful and useful.

My 35th Year Begins

This is the first year that I forgot about my birthday until I was upon it. And such a surprise too as it’s a decently important one – the big 35! It lands the same day as Father’s Day, as it does every so often. I had my dad and husband’s gifts wrapped and ready, and made reservations for our Father’s Day dinner and co-celebration. But other than that, I hadn’t put much thought to my turning geriatric, as defined by my OBGYN. Such is the life of parenthood! Neither good nor bad. Just a shift in priorities is all.

(I did, however, have time to plan out how to get my Birthday Freebies!)

Luckily, Mike gave me a few moments for my traditional semi-annual self -reflection, which I do every birthday. He took Casey on a bike ride so that I could shower and write this. I typically take note of the things I’ve been proud of the last year as well as the things I wish to come. For the sake of time, I’ll do what I do best, which is to publish a list.

The Best of My 34th Year

Starting my motherhood journey and enjoying mat leave for a few months
Restructuring my work to suit my needs as a working mom
Establishing work-life balance, with 3.5 days in the office and 3.5 days at home
Advancing my career by getting certified in Invisalign and growing the scope of my practice
Being intentional about what procedures I choose to do at work and which ones I choose to let go
Moving into a single family residence in a neighborhood we love
Designing a backyard from scratch (how fun!) which we now enjoy with Casey and our friends/family
Traveling to Tokyo and Kyoto Japan with our best friends and baby
Hiring a nanny that is one with the family
Going on our first family trip with the Tillapaughs to Idaho
Seeing my sister in my 34th year when she visited us from Spain (we don’t get to see her every year)
Gaining a new sister-in-law (and my BFF to boot!)
Celebrating Casey’s one year birthday
Taking Casey to Disneyland 4x
Taking Casey to SeaWorld
Spent a LOT of time with family! I never thought we would be this close to our parents. It is a gift that Casey gave us all.
Expecting our second addition to the family – a baby Girl coming November 2024!

Hopes, Goals and Wishes for My 35th Year Around the Sun

Looking forward to mat leave during the holidays this year.
Celebrating my brother’s wedding with the two families in the summer
Seeing my sister for two weeks this year
Taking Casey to Legoland and SD Zoo.
Planning a trip to Europe next summer with two little ones
More yoga, weights, and swimming.
More hikes, walks, and sun.
Regaining my writing habit.
More coffee, more bread, less sugar.
Simplicity and color

Are there any ideas on how to celebrate one’s 35th year around the sun? Ways to balance self and other, parenthood and career? Please do share. Taking all advice, as I don’t have much time to ponder.

The On-Going List of Household Items Your Child Plays With Instead of Toys

Do yourself a favor. When preparing for your baby’s nursery or registry, skip the toys. I know this is coming from a minimalist, and you may think it’s an extreme ask, but hear me out. First off, the toys will come. It’s inevitable. Someone in your family or friend group is going to gift you the toys you asked them not to. That’s okay. Your child WILL have toys. So don’t bother adding it to the registry (or worse, buy them yourself.) Because your child doesn’t need a LOT of toys to be entertained.

In fact, if my son Casey had zero toys, he would be plenty entertained in our house! Most of the time, he would rather finagle with a set of keys rather than revisit his close-ended toys. At one years old, he can’t tell the difference between a toy and a random household object. He is equally entertained by both, and learns something new anyway. If you want to stay frugal and raise a child, you absolutely can. I made a list of all the baby stuff we did not buy here in case you want to check it out. Not buying toys will not deprive your child of their childhood. Childhood is within them, no matter what.

After living a life without a lot of toys, I have seen how this decision has helped our son develop at an advanced level. My problem with most toys on the market is that they insinuate a form of guided play. But by tinkering with what’s available around our house, Casey has learned to use imaginative and creative play. He also has learned to be entertained by things other than light-up triggers and sounds. And lastly, I do worry that these colorful, light-up and sounding machines are instilling a sense of immediate gratification and overstimulation that makes kids less able to cope with patience or hinders the development of grit. Plus the fact that it keeps them indoors way too much.

Anyway, here is a list of household items my child plays with instead of toys.

The On-Going List of Household Items Your Child Plays with Instead of Toys

Keys
Tupperware
Wooden Spoons
Wallet
Credit Cards
Purse
Pens
Cabinets
Paper
Computer Keyboard
Blankets (as a parachute)
Pet Food Bowls
Rugs (again, as a parachute)
Spice Bottles (as shakers)
Make up supplies
Hairbrush
Toilet Paper Rolls
Piano
Leaves and Dirt
Remote Control
Furniture
Piles of Unfolded Laundry
Dishwasher Racks
Curtains

As for all the money we saved, we use it on giving him experiences. For example, he went on an international trip to Japan! Find out what it’s like to travel with a 6 month old in Japan here!

Spicy Vodka Pasta

Recently, I tried making Gigi Hadid’s Spicy Vodka Pasta and it was a huge hit. I just had to share! As a mom of a one year old, I’ve embraced quick and easy recipes, especially on weeknights. This recipe is still made from scratch but took me 15 minutes to prepare. The sauce is soooo tasty with a little kick. It actually goes a long way too, so feel free to add more pasta if you wish.

My husband liked the spicy vodka pasta sauce so much that he also made this sauce for his stellar homemade pizza. We love to use our Ooni Pizza Oven and now that it’s warming up, we will be slinging pizzas all summer long. We will definitely add his recent pizza concoction to our go-to pizza recipes. This time he added sausage, mushroom, ricotta and basil as toppings. Mike uses this pizza dough recipe and it has never failed us. We pared it with sesame seed sourdough. You can check out my tried-and-true sourdough bread recipe here.

Let me know if you decide to make this spicy vodka pasta and if you like it!

Lowering Mortgages with a No Cost, No Points Refinance

Today, I will be talking about No Cost, No Points Refinance as a way to lower monthly mortgage payments without paying a costly closing cost. As some of you may know, we recently bought our third home in September 2023. Unfortunately, we had to trade off our 3% interest mortgage at our previous townhome for a 7.3% interest mortgage on our single family residence. Timing wasn’t in our favor as we saw family growth. But this didn’t deter us from making the move! However, within 6 months, we have already refinanced.

We used a lender who offered no cost, no points refinance. Our mortgage interest went down 0.5% ( from 7.3% down to 6.8%). This led to a reduction in our monthly mortgage payments of over $1000! Since we have only been at our new home for 6 months, this didn’t reset the timeline of repayment by much at all. Our mortgage now ends 6 months later than it would have. In the long-term, this is inconsequential. Now we have an extra $1k per month to put towards other things.

I wanted to share this no cost, no points refinance because people may not be aware of this option. If you are looking to refinance, you need to make sure the numbers make sense. The mortgage interest rates haven’t gone down much in the last 6 months. Because closing costs are high, it may not make sense to refinance in order to save a fraction of a percent, since your savings may be offset by the cost of refinancing. I bet that dissuades many people from lowering their monthly payment. However, it does not hurt to ask your lender (or other lenders out there) if they are willing to do a no cost, no points refinance for you.

No cost has to truly mean no cost. How are lenders able to do this? They can only do this if they give you an interest rate that’s slightly higher than the lowest possible. The costs are hidden in the rate. However, if that interest rate is still lower than the highs we have seen in the last year, then it is totally worth it to me!

One con is that it resets your loan timeline. But I am assuming if you have a high interest rate, you recently closed your loan. Everyone pre-2021 probably refinanced or closed at or around 3%. Meaning, those with 6.5% interest rates and higher likely closed in the last two years. Resetting your mortgage repayment timeline won’t be too big an effect if that is the case. I would prefer to take the lower monthly payments and invest that extra money into something diversified that will give higher returns, because I know that I can always pay off my loan earlier with those returns if I wish to. I also just like to diversify my portfolio and increase cash at hand today.

If you want read other home-ownership posts, check out:

One Year Old’s Birthday Registry

Casey is about to turn one year older this month. We are gearing up for his Formula One themed birthday party. Puns galore! One of the things I did was create a birthday registry which sounds crazy, unless you are unapologetically trying to curate your baby’s life. Time and again, I have been reminded by studies, books and podcasts that the less stuff you surround your baby with, the less problems. Less clean-up, less clutter, less over-stimulation, less instant-gratification, less materialism, less consumption, less spending, less work days …. more bonding, more imagination, more calm environments, more grit, more boredom (which is good for kids!), more experiences, more savings, more family time. So here we are. A One Year Old’s Birthday Registry, written by a neurotically minimalist mum.

This One Year Old’s Birthday Registry

Funds

First things first. I created funds for Casey’s future experiences. I got the idea from my sister-in-law who started a “Euro Trip Fund” over Christmas, for when Casey graduates high school. This is a great way to value people’s hard-earned dollars. They know their money is going somewhere valuable. In my mind, all of these options enrich Casey’s life.

529 College Savings Plan
Disneyland
Sweet Pea Gymnastics – which Casey has been going to for FREE for his entire year. My full list of FREE baby activities right this way.
Swim Lessons
Long Beach Aquarium Membership
Local Farm Membership
Zoo Membership
Framed Photographs for the Home. Surrounding kids with pictures of themselves and their family has shown to increase confidence.

Stuff

And the material stuff. This section contains mostly household things. But it also includes things that support outdoor adventures, and confidence boosting activities.

Piccalio Mini Chef Tower – We want Casey to start helping us in the kitchen, where Mike and I enjoy spending time. He is already interested in sticking around when we cook together. He helps pull the espresso machine lever, or push the grind button for the coffee grinder. He helps flip omelets and peeks in the oven to check for doneness of our baked goods.
Matching Cutter and Cutting Board.
Thule Yepp Mini Child Bike Seat and Riding Helmet. We love to bike outdoors at the local trails and biking paths. I want Casey to join us on bikes to the ocean this summer.
Retrospec Cricket 2 Baby Walker Balance Bike. I am hoping this balance bike helps him get on his own bike at a younger age! We also have the Doona Trike which has been working out well!
Deuter Kid Comfort Backpack. We want to go hiking with Casey but realize he will get tired well before a trail ends. This pack is mostly for mom and dad.
Fox Mini Backpack with Safety Harness. Now that he is walking, I want him to carry his own stuff on trips and outings. This is to teach him independence as well as responsibility. The backpack comes with a leash, so we can keep him close in crowded airports and theme parks. I also want to train him to pack minimally so that everything fits in a small pack.
Feelings Wheel Emotions Poster. Boys are not taught to express their emotions. Most of them can’t name more than a handful of adjectives to describe feelings. I want to hang this in his room so that he can improve his emotional IQ at an early age.
BabyBjorn Toilet Trainer. We want to start potty training at one year old. This minimalist trainer goes directly on the toilet seat, saving real estate space and reducing the need to clean yet another thing.
Swim Diapers, Swim Suits. He is a water baby. We plan to be at the pool or beach every single week this summer. That’s actually one of my goals!
Clothes. Up to this point, we have gotten by without purchasing clothes or shoes for Casey, thanks to moms donating their hand-me-downs to us. (See also: FREE stuff we did not buy for our baby.) But now that he is older, he can use a few more clothes for the next stage.
Oxo Tot Booster Seat. I hate to say it, but Casey is already outgrowing his high chair. If I had a do-0ver, I would opt for a stackable, wooden restaurant-style high chair for $50-75. I still might pull the trigger and trade his current high-chair for one of those. I don’t know if he is quite ready to sit at the big table, but we probably won’t have a choice at some point.
Dining Sets, Utensils, Sippy Cups.