Finances - Retirement

So I jumped into the retirement fund game!

I did some research on Stash and discovered a whole new market of robo-advisors. A robo-advisor is an online investment service. A person does not directly manage your account, so robo-advisors are able to offer investment services at significantly lower costs than traditional investment firms. Stash is just one of many.

I read lots of articles and lots of reviews, and narrowed a long list to one - WiseBanyan.

The fees are low, and the initial investment cost was doable. So far so good. The only downside (which Stash and others do allow you to do) is that there isn't a lot of flexibility in what you get invested in. They do, as most investment firms (robo- or not) do, have you fill out investment related questions to figure out an ideal risk factor for your account. Also, I signed up for a retirement milestone IRA so they will automatically redistribute my risk as I age and/or as my account increases in value. Another thing that I liked about WiseBanyan, that Stash and a few other robo-investors allow you to do, was that you buy fractional shares of investment shares. So if you have $5 or $5,000 you can still invest, unlike with most traditional investment firms.

So far so good!

I experienced a nice bump up of my initial investment after the election, but it has since leveled off. Oh the joy! Oh the sadness! of investing experienced in one week.

So you are aware, this represents a fluctuation of total value of $1 or so. I didn't go from $1,000 at the lowest to millions at the highest... I wish!

DISCLAIMER #1 - I am not a certified financial planner. All information presented in this post is my personal opinion and experience. Please do your own research before making important financial decisions with your own money.

DISCLAIMER #2 - I have not been paid to discuss either service - Stash or WiseBanyan. There are a ton of different robo-advisers providing similar services. As you will have different needs than I do, it is important that you do your own research before choosing an investment firm.

Interior design - Beacon Theater

This weekend was jam packed with activities. I was here, there, everywhere.

The highlight of the weekend was watching the NYC Marathon, but that has nothing to do with interiors or design. Only empathy, sympathy, and love. It was an amazing year, especially given the current political climate.

Anyways... the second best thing I did this weekend was go see Trevor Noah live. He was filming a comedy special at the Beacon Theater as part of NY Comedy Fest. It was a blast! He's an incredibly smart and funny (and attractive) man. He's not the type of comic who just throws jokes at you; he's also politically minded (he's the current host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show). So he takes time to set up his jokes, and also they come from a pretty serious place. Sometimes you wonder where he's taking you, but it's always worth it! I haven't laughed that much in a while!!!! Also, he's a great mimic and clearly so comfortable the stage. If you have a chance to see him live, I'd highly recommend it.

But about the interiors... the Beacon Theater is one of the most gorgeous music halls I've been in. It was clearly lovingly restored. The ornate detail was breathe taking. I missed out on getting a photo of the lobby walls and entrance, but I will see what I can find online. Otherwise, enjoy the shots I was able to get.

View from our seats on the 1st Balcony

Decoration around side doors

View of side of theater showing murals

Ceiling decoration under 2nd balcony

Ceiling of theater

Cooking - Chicken Teriyaki

I imagine that every one of you has one - a smell memory. One so strong that as soon as you get a whiff, it takes you back to an exact moment - from your childhood, holidays, celebrations, everyday life.

I have a few. Mostly associated with food, but some not. I can still remember the scented packets my mom would put in the linen closet. Every time you opened those doors or snuggled up in your flannel sheets for the first time that winter, your head filled with the scent. I'd call it miscellaneous floral, but I'm sure there was one particular scent packet my mom purchased. She's very particular... I don't know where I get it from.

This last week I had the oddest scent memory experience.

I was in need of an Asian recipe for dinner, and I have a real craving for noodles. So I searched Google for "Asian stir fry noodle", and it came up with a few suggestions. I filed the rest of them, but the one I choose to make was Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Bowl by Damn Delicious.

Oh my god...

I was making my way through the recipe, and I had just added the sauce and some chicken broth to thin. And BAM! I was back in high school in line for Thursday's teriyaki bowl. Standing in line, laughing with friends, easy-going times. The smell was dead on. I had to immediately text my best friend from high school.

Now to clarify, this recipe more than out-matched the one from my high school cafeteria, but the smell immediately took me back. It provoked such a powerful memory response that was completely unexpected. I could have stood there and reminisced for hours.

But about the recipe - it was, as the blog suggests, "damn delicious."

There were a few things I changed for convenience sake. Never will my local supermarket carry Yaki-Soba noodles, so I substituted packets of dry ramen. You could never find a more economical way to procure Asian noodles. Cook as directed on the packaging, just don't use the seasoning packet.

Also, I did not marinade the chicken at all. I didn't have the time. Not even the minimum 30 minutes the author suggests. Instead, I added some of the sauce while the chicken was cooking, then added the rest when I combined everything together.

The third thing I changed was more by accident. I forgot to add the 1 cup of water to the sauce. Since this helps with the consistency, I did need to add chicken broth later on.

This is definitely going on the recipe rotation. Asian night will never be the same.

*Images by Damn Delicious.