10 Basic tools every homeowner should have.

January 18, 2018

For Anna and I, we scrimped, saved, sacrificed, and dreamed of owning our own home from day one of our marriage. At times it seemed that we would never have the ability to be homeowners due to a myriad of reasons, and it seemed that with each child the desire grew, but the reality seemed a little more out of reach. Once we finally had our finances in order, and ended the long search for a place to call home, it was one of the greatest days of our life.

Needless to say, we place great personal value in owning a home, and hope to be able to properly maintain it. But, proper maintenance requires the proper tools. Keep in mind that there are many handy tools for homeownership, and a homeowner does not need all of the required tools immediately. We have started out with the most basic tools every homeowner should have when starting to build their tool repertoire. This is by no means a complete list, and we will be adding more specific tools as we go!

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Boys Room Reveal

January 16, 2018

One of the reasons we fell for this house was the unfinished basement. We saw so much potential things we could do with the space. We really wanted the boys to have a large open room to share as they grew up together. I was far from an easy process, but we finally finished up their bedroom over the holidays, and now it’s everyone’s desired place to hang. Seeing it come to life from it’s concrete floors and insulated wall beginnings was such a long, but rewarding process. We have loved the extra space, and needed it especially during these cold months. This boys bedroom design stayed pretty close to our original design board. All sources are linked below. Here is a little tour of the space!

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Pale to Summer Glow Makeup Routine (Video)

January 12, 2018

I promise to have the final post in the Reset + Renew series up by Sunday! It was my hardest post to write, so it took longer than expected! In the meantime, after posting about makeup organization, I went ahead and filmed my quick makeup routine to get rid of the pale complexion the winter so kindly delivered! Apologies the video isn’t super clear. It was the best light I could get, but at least shows the order how I blend and apply. This is something I swore I would never film, but it’s the year for kicking fears in the face!

Pale — > Summer Glow Makeup Products:
Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer – No. 3 (This is a little more sheer than the tint skin foundation and leaves a dewy finish.)
Volumizing Mascara
Touch Up Concealer Pen – Medium 1
Cream Blusher – Caramel
Matte Bronzer – No. 1
Powder Blush Duo – Tawny/Whisper
Eyeshadow Duo – Pearl/Champagne
Brow Defining Pencil – Medium
Boy Brow by Glossier
Nourishing Lip Sheer – Terra or Twig
Nourishing Lip gloss – Bare Shimmer
Rosewater Mist

Brushes Used:
Retractable Foundation Brush (Free gift with the flawless in five set)
Powder Brush
Palm Brush
Eye Brush

Check out the Flawless in Five bundle deal going on right now that includes everything you need for a fresh face in 5 minutes, and is $50 off the retail value. It also includes a free retractable foundation brush for a limited time. Email me if you need help color matching:)

All products are chemical and toxin free using plant based ingredients, and rate a 0-1 out of 10 on the ewg.org’s skin deep database. Here’s an article that better explains the effects of toxins on our systems!

Declutter: Bathroom + Bedroom Organization

January 10, 2018

I realized recently that with the whirlwind of the past year that I had learned to function with clutter all around me. It’s part of raising little ones who move faster than I do. However, I know not every space in our home has to be this way. When the kitchen or my bedroom is clean and clear I can feel the tension release from my shoulders and mind. I am much more likely to relax in a clean environment than not just because of the way I am wired. So after avoiding my dresser tops and bathroom space for months I finally spent the few hours to declutter and re-organize since this was on top of my caring for the mind goal. Here are a few things that help…

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Rebuilding from the inside out.

January 4, 2018

Raise your hand if you missed your own dress rehearsal for your wedding! Yeah probably none of you;) Well not only did I miss most of my own dress rehearsal, but I missed both of my sister’s dress rehearsals for their weddings as well. Humble pie served on a nice platter. I have always had an awareness of the importance of physical health and lived a fairly healthy lifestyle, but I never saw the weight of its importance in my own life until I ended up in the ER and was forced to pay attention. So just as I addressed in yesterday’s caring for the mind post, the mental and physical aspects of our beings are very tightly knit. It turned out that the issues I started to battle were stress and anemia induced….

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Hitting the reset button. Caring for the mind.

January 4, 2018

(free printable from The Crafted Life)

In case you missed the first part of this series, read here.

Here we are at the start of another year, and I am typing out a post that is quite the opposite of what I thought I would start the year with. Although it is exactly what I know I am supposed to share. As promised, I wanted to go a little deeper into why it became so important to me to address mental, physical, and spiritual health. When one of these aspects of our lives experiences strain and neglect, it starts to bleed into other areas of our life. When we can take a little time to care for all three parts of our being, we work towards WHOLENESS. When we treat our health in it’s entirety, only then can we can begin to experience peace.

Less than a year ago, it had been a particularly …..difficult day, and my nerves were shot, my tank was empty, and I felt like I didn’t have control over anything in my life. It was as if my legs were dangling over the edge of a breakdown and I could see how dangerously close I was to falling off. I felt anger boiling up within me for not being able to understand what was happening. I didn’t understand why I felt this way because I was in the thick of it. I didn’t realize how much I was bottling up and suppressing before it boiled over to the surface.

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A Year in Review: Your favorite posts of 2017.

January 2, 2018

It’s safe to say 2017 was one of the fastest years of my life. Oh wait, was that my opening line of 2016? Probably. I don’t think I could proceed here without a proper salute to 2017, and the days that made way for a new year. Here are the top 10 posts according to you readers of the past year….

1.A Family Update

2. Holding her on the other side.

3. How we met/ dating story: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

4. Living room makeover

5. Master bedroom makeover

6. Marriage: Loving through the rough and tough.

7. 22 piece summer capsule wardrobe

8. Holy grounds.

9. 8 bite sized habits for a better day

10. Back patio reveal

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