Although many people assume practicing frugality means cutting out all extraneous expenses and pinching the pennies, I provided a more nuanced perspective that includes personal finance strategies I learned as I shifted from starving graduate student to thriving independent contractor. Strategy 1: Start the housing search early and aim under market value. While I wasContinue reading “Exercising Frugality by Investing in Oneself”
Author Archives: Lilly Lew
Frugality and Wellness
As I grow older and reconnect with friends and family, I noticed the conversations have shifted dramatically. As a young college student, many of my peers shared about their career aspirations and their dream splurges. Although there are so countless ways to spend money in capitalist modern society, there are fewer conversations about financial responsibilityContinue reading “Frugality and Wellness”
Yoga: My Primary Pillar for Wellness
When I was growing up, I dabbled with several different forms of physical activity. As a young child, I enjoyed chasing my brother around the house or riding my little red tricycle in our small backyard. When I turned five years old, life became more structured at the house. My mother started taking my brotherContinue reading “Yoga: My Primary Pillar for Wellness”
Road Trip through the Pacific Northwest!
I flew up to Seattle in late-May 2021 to join my significant other in Kirkland, Washington. Since we had a long holiday weekend, we took a quick road trip to Portland and drove back to Seattle to meet with extended family. Although spring is usually conference season for many education groups, all the in-person networkingContinue reading “Road Trip through the Pacific Northwest!”
Q&A: Increasing First Gen Resilience with Ana Guerrero
Education researcher and female entrepreneur Dr. Ana Guerrero shares about her start-up FirstGen_ Resilience and how she provides coaching for aspiring college students. Ana Y. Guerrero, Ph.D.,recently completed her doctorate at the University of California in Santa Barbara and her research focuses on the identity development of first-generation college students. She currently resides in Goleta,Continue reading “Q&A: Increasing First Gen Resilience with Ana Guerrero”
Redmond as Home Away From Home
My action-packed trip to Redmond included so many foodie destinations, meetings with old friends from Santa Barbara, dinner with extended family, and apartment preparation. Day 1: Wednesday evening Matador When I arrived in Seattle, my significant other picked me up at the airport after work, so we headed out for cocktails and a late dinner.Continue reading “Redmond as Home Away From Home”
Life Hack: The Coffee Ritual
Coffee and tea had been a staple in my day-to-day as a Ph.D. student, so I frequently strolled to the local health food store and checked for unique roasts and loose leaf. In my pre-Covid graduate school years, I often invited friends and colleague out to coffee at the local café and ordered a freshContinue reading “Life Hack: The Coffee Ritual”
Clean and Natural Personal Care as part of a Wellness Regimen
Today, there are so many different categories for personal care and beauty products on the market. Although I enjoyed experimenting with the in-store testers and the latest beauty trends, I developed adult onset allergies in the form of contact dermatitis. After talking to physicians and reading about the beauty industry through fashion blogs, I realizedContinue reading “Clean and Natural Personal Care as part of a Wellness Regimen”
Back to School Wellness Hacks
Back-to-school season can be exciting and busy. On the other hand, new schedules, new commutes, and new workloads could also become overwhelming. As a child growing up in Los Angeles in the 1990s, my parents took my brother and me on our last hoorah weekend getaway at the Disneyland Resort before the school year started.Continue reading “Back to School Wellness Hacks”
New York Eats
The first part of this post was indeed a throwback to growing up in Monterey Park in the mid-1990’s and having my first overnight field trip away from home. The next set of vignettes expanded on the first experience and included the foodie recommendations. Part 1: The Taste of Freedom When I was at BrightwoodContinue reading “New York Eats”
Lilly C. Lew Ph.D. 