A place for my thoughts

Brandi Easterling Collins, independent author

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Essays, General Thoughts

A New Family Member: An official introduction

As many of you know, we lost Buddy, a dear four-legged and furry member of our family back in September 2020. By December, we were feeling the pull to adopt…

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March 29, 2021
General Thoughts

Ways I Save Money in our Household Budget

Where to start with a budget Budget doesn’t have to be a dirty word. I budget our household expenses to make sure we have enough money to pay our bills…

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March 13, 2023
Essays, General Thoughts

Just get over it

It’s funny. I find myself saying “Get over it” to my kids sometimes when they’re whining about one thing or another—usually something insignificant in the grand scheme of life like…

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July 1, 2022
  • Green piggy bank
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    Finances and Frugality in a World Where Everything Costs a Freakin’ Fortune

    January 30, 2024 /

    Let’s talk about some F-words (no, not that F-word). Let’s discuss finances, fortune, and frugality. I’m not a financial advisor, but I wanted to share some thoughts about money and some practices that have worked for my family. Finances Money. We need it to live, but everyone makes different amounts of it. And we all have different financial situations, systems, and priorities. Some of us budget every penny and others are comfortably wealthy or don’t care to keep track of spending. Some people spend, and some people save. Some are good at both. Then there’s debt, and credit scores, and debt-to-income ratios. What’s good debt vs. bad debt? Do you…

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    4 Comments

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    A scary topic: suicide

    April 11, 2017

    My biggest fear

    November 20, 2016

    Traveling, publishing, and writing

    November 5, 2016
  • General Thoughts,  Pop Culture

    2023 in book reviews

    December 31, 2023 /

    I read 102 books in 2023 and published my 5th novel, When Does Life Begin?, on September 23. Here are my top 10 best reads in traditionally published novels. Top 10 best reads for 2023 (traditional) These are in order starting from favorite read of the year. Shutter by Ramona Emerson. I got to meet Ramona and have her autograph a copy of the novel during a reading at Arkansas Tech University. The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee. I met Tosca when she and I participated in a Brenda Novak…

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    2 Comments

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    Two Years of Updates: Reading, Writing, and other creative outlets

    July 22, 2018

    Bah! Humbug: What’s Christmas all about?

    December 17, 2016
    "Collins Family 23" drawn in the sand.

    First summer beach vacation

    July 1, 2023
  • Woman dealing with mental health issues.
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    When your mind betrays you: depression rears its ugly head again

    December 9, 2023 /

    I haven’t been silent about my (past) battles with depression, anxiety, and insomnia. All those issues hit me as a teen and came back in my 20s, 30s, and now 40s. I was fortunate not to experience postpartum depression after my two pregnancies, but I’ve known women who have. Mental illness is rarely a “one-and-done” situation. It’s often a lifelong battle. There’s less of a stigma about mental health than ever before, but it can still be isolating feeling trapped in your own mind—a mind that’s betrayed you when you thought you were okay again. Triggers I think everyone has different triggers that can jump-start a depressive episode. Sometimes, there’s…

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    2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Woman typing on laptop

    Self-editing a Story: What it Takes

    January 16, 2021

    Dreams and things

    October 29, 2017

    To All The Pets I’ve Loved Before

    September 11, 2020
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Recent Posts

  • Summer 2025 Writing Update and Sixth Novel First Chapter Teaser
  • Can High Goals Get in the Way of Contentment?
  • How Many Times Can You Start Over?
  • 2024 in Book Reviews
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