Serena

Serena Appiah is a wife and mom to 3 boys in the Washington, DC metro area who enjoys writing about family, finances, and raising children.

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Serena's Latest Posts

Where I Have Been and What I’ve Been Doing

Filed in Life Moments by on February 2, 2019 28,240 Comments
Where I Have Been and What I’ve Been Doing

It’s been a while since I have written a blog post. This blog, I think, will become the journal that I so miss, where I used to track my progress at things that mattered to me (goals, wishes, dreams, etc.). It wasn’t about monetization…it wasn’t about SEO…it was just about me and what is going […]

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I Have Achalasia and Food Gets Stuck in My Throat

Filed in Achalasia, Health by on March 19, 2018 354 Comments
I Have Achalasia and Food Gets Stuck in My Throat

The first time that food got stuck in my throat it was in the middle of the night. But I had no idea that what I was experiencing was a swallowing disorder that I had been suffering with for years–this was simply the first time that the swallowing problem manifested. And it wasn’t even food–it was […]

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I’m Going to Flip a Property in 2018!

Filed in Investing, Money by on December 31, 2017 2,213 Comments
I’m Going to Flip a Property in 2018!

Several weeks ago I told my husband: “I’m going to flip a property in 2018!” He scoffed at me, as a grouchy husband usually does when a wife proclaims such a lofty statement when a wife has no real estate investing experience (other than the rental property we one which doesn’t really generate any positive […]

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I’ve Lost 10 Pounds and Damn I Feel Great!

Filed in Health, Weight Loss by on December 31, 2017 2,458 Comments
I’ve Lost 10 Pounds and Damn I Feel Great!

I was certain Halloween would be my downfall. I’d gain the dreaded 5-10 pounds and I would be like everyone else–resolving to lose it come January 1st. But then it didn’t happen. So when December rolled around and we took a family trip to Costa Rica, followed by Christmas, I thought, “This. This is when […]

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When Your Spouse Doesn’t Support Your Success or Career

Filed in Family by on March 13, 2017 4,744 Comments
When Your Spouse Doesn’t Support Your Success or Career

Sometimes I wonder if it’s possible to be successful in both career and family life. But then I’ll talk to someone who’s leading the example and I know that it can be done. However, it’s never been the case in my household. Last night I mentioned to my husband that I’d definitely like to attend the […]

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“Don’t Get Your Priorities Confused” She Said…

Filed in Balance, Career, Family by on October 4, 2016 2,542 Comments
“Don’t Get Your Priorities Confused” She Said…

How do you respond when your mother, albeit well-meaning, sends you this text because you’ve just gotten back from your third business trip in less than three weeks? “Don’t get your priorities confused…” I had just returned from what had been the most amazing trip to Jacksonville, Florida where I was a power-house on stage […]

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What Happens When I Don’t Schedule My Life

Filed in Balance, Family by on February 4, 2016 1,760 Comments
What Happens When I Don’t Schedule My Life

Every day it’s clear that I need structure and organization in my life. Since I work from home it’s difficult to keep those lines perfectly drawn. Every time is work time. I get sucked into it. I love what I do! And because I love what I do, I want to work on it all the time. […]

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Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Filed in Life Moments, Uncategorized by on June 25, 2015 3,842 Comments
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Sometimes it seems like everyone’s got their crap together but you, doesn’t it? That’s how I felt this week when I had the opportunity to attend a conference called the IAB Small Publishers Fly-In conference (if you live in the Washington, DC area–you must go! Google sponsored it and they fed us food and drink well). The […]

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When Your Checking Goes Into the Red

Filed in Spending, Uncategorized by on October 17, 2014 11,644 Comments
When Your Checking Goes Into the Red

Recently while going home from work I stopped by McDonld’s to pick up a small fry and a hot fudge sundae. I know–don’t judge me. Not the healthiest thing to eat. But I wasn’t going to be home for dinner, and dammit, I just wanted some junk food. So I pull out my checking debit card […]

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How to Save Money When Shopping for Electronic Devices

Filed in Money, Saving, Sponsored Posts, Uncategorized by on February 4, 2014 2,958 Comments
How to Save Money When Shopping for Electronic Devices

I’m not really a cheap person. I mean, I did get rid of cable to save nearly $80 a month…..and I shop a ton of thrift stores in order to decorate my house….but I do invest a lot of money into electronic devices–cell phones, tablets, and my huge 27-inch desktop computer (yes, 27-inch!).  I drop […]

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