I’ve always been in love with clothing and fashion, but I’ve also always been really budget conscious. My parents taught me no matter how much money you make, you want to keep as much of it in your own pocket instead of giving it to someone else. Since I love shopping and deal hunting, I thought I would share with you some of my best secrets for getting an amazing wardrobe without breaking the bank.
Continue reading “8 Ways to Afford Your Dream Wardrobe on a Budget”
For the past few years, I have been running a half marathon on the 4th of July, called the Red White and Boom half marathon. I’m not one to get into themed races, but it usually falls in a perfect spot in my training cycle about a month after the Birdtown half marathon. It’s nice to get another month of training in after the Birdtown and see how my fitness level has improved. I ran my first sub-2 hour half marathon at the Red White and Boom a few years ago!
The race is always a hot one since it’s on the 4th of July, and this year it was supposed to be near 100 on race day. The race starts at 6:30am which is a little early for me, but its the coolest part of the day. Knowing how hot it was going to be, I came to terms that I probably wouldn’t beat my PR of 1:41 that I set at Birdtown this year during perfect weather conditions, but I was okay with that. Once you get into the mindset of training for a full marathon, you’d rather focus on that long term goal anyways!
Creating and maintaining curb appeal for your house is a big undertaking and takes a lot of upkeep. The work isn’t easy and most lawns and plants require frequent maintenance. But, curb appeal is also what can add a lot of financial and visual value to your home without investing a lot of money.
My advice for creating the ultimate curb appeal is to have a plan, keep plants simple, and keep up the maintenance for lasting value. After my great yard makeover, I only have to spend a few hours a weekend maintaining my lawn and gardens to keep my home looking beautiful.
Here are some of my favorite inspiration homes for curb appeal to give you some ideas of how simple (or elaborate) you can be.
Continue reading “Landscape Ideas for the Ultimate Curb Appeal”
One of the first parts of my kitchen remodel was to update my screen porch into a more usable mudroom to keep the clutter of shoes and jackets out of my kitchen. When I first bought my house, I added new carpet and a hand me down loveseat to make it a sitting area, but it became a catchall and didn’t serve a lot of purpose. The carpet often got dirty, and I didn’t want to keep nicer shoes and jackets on the porch since the screen door didn’t lock.
The goals for the remodel were to refresh the room to a more usable space. My plans included ripping up the carpet and replacing with tile, adding built in storage, lighting, and a door with a lock so the porch could serve as more of a true mudroom.
A lot of people are intimidated by decorating their space because they don’t feel like they have the means to completely refresh a room. Furniture, decor, rugs are all expensive and a huge investment, especially to buy all at once. There are a lot of easy ways to embrace your current space and make it look and feel intentionally designed without breaking the bank.
See my favorite simple and inexpensive style hacks below:
Continue reading “Simple, Cheap Home Style Hacks to Copy Now”
When life becomes busy and it feels like you are only home to sleep some days, it’s hard to stay on top of organization and feel like you’re getting ahead. I’ve found that the more I simplify and the more time I invest in organizing my life, the more free time I have to enjoy and relax.
Every weekend, I set aside an hour or so to fully prepare for the week– I pack my breakfasts, snacks, and lunches, I plan work outfits, workout outfits, and pack bags for after work activities. It seems excessive, but it really helps during the week when I can just get up and go in the morning and I’m also not scrambling to prepare each night.
I also try to take a little time each week to simplify– whether it is cleaning out the fridge, organizing a junk drawer, or cleaning out the linen closet. 20 minutes spent on any one of these tasks makes for an easier day to day routine. Need sunscreen? It’s in the sunscreen bin! Need a towel? They’re neatly stacked and the pile won’t collapse on you!
Here are my top tips for taking time to simply your life:
