tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88708007192546025742024-03-18T21:22:32.783-07:00Simply CianiUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-48021714879882885942020-04-08T17:19:00.002-07:002020-04-08T17:19:22.716-07:00The California Coastal Casa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have now lived in our “California Coastal Casa” rental for over a year... And my how this year has flown! If you are a long time follower, the journey to this home began back in August 2018 when we made the big announcement we were moving back to California after living in Georgia for 5 years. It was a very big and scary discussion to make, but we felt being back near family was the best for our little family. Here we are, over a year later, and I can say the journey has been rough but so very worth it! Money has been tight, as when we first moved here my husband was literally jobless. I can happily say that with a lot of faith and hard work, that status has changed... but man, we never expected it so hard for a 10 year veteran to find a job. (More on that later...)<br />
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As for our rental, we’ve been able to make it “home”. We knew this home would be a temporary one and would be tight quarters. But it has been the best little starter home for us just getting settled back into California again and is just minutes away from family. We’ve added our own touch to the house to make it our own, so let’s take a tour shall we?!<br />
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First stop is the living room: I wanted this space to feel calm and inviting yet kept minimal. Our sofa is the Farlov from IKEA and while many may shy away from a white sofa with kids, it is my choice because of how easy it is to keep clean! Yes, you heard that right! I throw the slipcovers in the wash about once a month and it all comes out looking brand new! We are t careful with it either.. little dirty footprints and all come right out.<br />
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The girls room: Unfortunately we had to downsize and the girls now are sharing a room, but they have loved it, and I sure had fun designing it! I wanted a room that would work well for both of them and easy to keep clean. The bunk system we found secondhand and scored a major deal on. It was originally from Pottery Barn Kids and was a navy blue. We broke out the paint sprayer and gave it some love and cannot believe the transformation!<br />
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Last on the tour for today is the playroom: The layout of this home is a little funky with it being a townhome, and this room is the only one on the first floor (of 3 floors). We really didn’t want either of the kiddos sleeping down there, but this space was perfect for a playroom. Keeping with the coastal theme of the rest of the house, I created a space that was inviting but also organized.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed this little mini tour! Just keep in mind, if you are renting, your home can still be made your own! Embrace design challenges you can’t change but be creative in how to make it fit your life and style.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-10210588363567689082020-03-31T12:05:00.000-07:002020-03-31T12:08:59.398-07:00Easter Craft: Easy To Make Easter Wands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While being quarantined, we have had to become pretty resourceful when it comes to crafting materials... but I’m not complaining. It has actually been fun for a change to think of fun and festive holiday crafts to do with the kiddos using only what we have on hand! Today, I am sharing these easy to make, Easter wands. My kiddos have loved running around the house with them and even playing puppet show with the bunny wands. Below I will add a list of all materials we went with, but keep in mind, if you don’t have all of this on hand, get creative with what you do have! Let the kids have some fun and draw their own shapes, use ribbon instead of yarn, or even paint on cardboard instead of paper... happy crafting!</div>
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Materials Used:</div>
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1. Paper Straws</div>
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2. Watercolor Paper</div>
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3. Yarn</div>
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4. Hot Glue (to attach paper to wand)</div>
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5. Glitter & Glue</div>
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6. Watercolor Paint</div>
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How To Make:</div>
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1. Start by free hand drawing your desired shapes onto your watercolor paper.</div>
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2. Get creative and paint your shapes as desired with watercolor paint.</div>
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3. After letting dry, cut out your shapes.</div>
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4. Next, add a little glue and some glitter for embellishment.</div>
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5. Attach your shapes to the paper straws using hot glue.</div>
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6. Add desired yarn or ribbon.<br />
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Don’t forget to check back again tomorrow for another daily busy box activity!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-57715266775735846442020-03-30T14:42:00.000-07:002020-03-31T12:08:44.162-07:00Easter Craft: Paper Plate Easter Baskets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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MONDAY’S BUSY BOX: Paper Plate Easter Baskets</div>
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Welcome to the kick off of our daily busy box activities! Today, we are sharing this super simple craft, perfect for all ages. All you need are 4 supplies... so let’s get started!</div>
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WHAT YOU NEED:</div>
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• (2) Plain Paper Plates</div>
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• Scissors</div>
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• Paint + Brushes</div>
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• Hot Glue Gun + Hot Glue</div>
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• Optional: Yarn, Ribbon, Basket Filler</div>
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HOW TO:</div>
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1. Start by painting the back sides of your plates</div>
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2. Once paint is dry, flip the plate to the inside and</div>
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draw a straight line across the middle of the plate</div>
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3. Cut along the straight line and semi circle of both plates</div>
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4. Once both plates are cut, line up both plates face to face to match</div>
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5. Hot glue the rims of the plates together</div>
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6. Optional: Make a Pom Pom, add ribbon or basket filler</div>
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After your baskets are finished, decorate a few paper Easter eggs and slip them inside!</div>
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Check back tomorrow for another fun and festive craft...</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-18830770809229976602020-03-30T13:01:00.002-07:002020-03-31T12:08:25.139-07:00Weekly Activities For Kids While Quarantined <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-wFUlUS5Asz5quBUzp-J3Xuz-01pZbj3JFpiqyWyqLuU_T4skjhejGscI0Xkiu2lQVUkkYh_r7hLTWGZATENRGVSFJNueGCYDo0YiHnQluGPPOSpmq2IE2_FmWi1WfmKfvdvdXV4xffT/s1600/ADD9ECC4-83F0-4EAE-888C-5684B909296B.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-wFUlUS5Asz5quBUzp-J3Xuz-01pZbj3JFpiqyWyqLuU_T4skjhejGscI0Xkiu2lQVUkkYh_r7hLTWGZATENRGVSFJNueGCYDo0YiHnQluGPPOSpmq2IE2_FmWi1WfmKfvdvdXV4xffT/s1600/ADD9ECC4-83F0-4EAE-888C-5684B909296B.png" /></a></div>
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Are you at a loss for how to keep your little ones entertained while schools are closed?</div>
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Each week we will be sharing daily activities to keep those little hands busy so they don’t completely destroy the rest of your house! We know that this time can be challenging, and money is tight. Our mission is to create activities using products you already have around your home. We are all in this together and will get through it one day at a time... our hope is that these ideas will spark creativity and will allow for some much needed quiet and bonding time while also being fun!</div>
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Each Sunday, we will post our daily activities for the upcoming week so that you have time to plan your boxes. In all, we have 5 boxes (one for each day, Monday - Friday). Each one labeled with the day and pre-planned materials in each box for that day’s activity. Easy for grab and go crafting!</div>
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We will walk you through each day’s activity and all that you will need, but feel free to get creative and if you don’t have a supply on our list, use what you do have around the house.</div>
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THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITIES</div>
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Monday: <a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2020/03/easter-craft-paper-plate-easter-baskets.html?m=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Paper Plate Easter Baskets</span></a></div>
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Tuesday: Easy To Make Easter Wands</div>
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Wednesday: Watercolor Egg Garland</div>
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Thursday: Printable Easter Crafts</div>
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Friday: Faux Egg Decorating + Berry Basket</div>
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Check back daily for the full tutorial and a list of supplies needed for each project!</div>
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<a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2020/03/easter-craft-paper-plate-easter-baskets.html?m=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paper Plate Easter Baskets</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-5500088720954209532019-07-03T12:41:00.000-07:002019-07-12T16:07:26.224-07:00Living Room - Mood Board DesignLast week I shared the mood board for the girl's room, and while that project is the main focus right now, I couldn't help but put a design plan into motion for our living room. It is the space where we spend the most of our time as a family and I have been itching to have it feel a little more like home.<br />
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Moving into a new home, and in our case a rental, decorating a new space can be a challenge. As I stated in my last mood board share, in this home I am changing up my decor style and nearly starting from scratch. Because of this, I really want to pick pieces that I love and be intentional about what I am spending money on. Having a design plan/ mood board to work off of helps to keep all of that on track and allows me to see how each room will flow together in my home.<br />
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We sold nearly all of our big furniture before our move and started fresh upon arriving in California and one of the very first purchases we made was a new sofa. I have had my eye on the <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89192656/#/S89192642" target="_blank">IKEA FARLOV SOFA</a> and fell in love with its sleek modern lines but and slight curve in the arms. The biggest thing I look for in a sofa with young kids is washability, and while most shy away from a white sofa, I personally love it. You can use oxy-clean or bleach to get anything out!<br />
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Speaking of washability, I am excited to share a little more about the area rug I have added into our design plan for our living room... With kids, again, spills and dirt happen. Imagine if you could just throw your area rug in the washer? Well, with this one you can! Yes, you can wash it, literally. We decided to go with the <a href="https://ruggable.com/collections/best-sellers/products/soraya-trellis-ash-grey?variant=12527244574775" target="_blank">SORAYA TRELLIS ASH GRAY RUG</a> from <a href="https://ruggable.com/" target="_blank">RUGGABLE</a>. I will go more in depth about the features of this rug in our room reveal, but you can bet the investment in a washable rug is worth it!<br />
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As well as the girl's room, I will be bringing you along with us as we start to put this room together and of course the full completed reveal. For now, I have linked all of the items included in this design for you to shop below. Disclaimer - some affiliate links used * A small comission from the purchase of these affiliate links goes to help support this little blog of mine and is greatly appreciated! No additional cost will be added to your transaction.<br />
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<i>Source List:</i></div>
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<a href="https://ruggable.com/collections/best-sellers/products/soraya-trellis-ash-grey?variant=12527244574775" target="_blank">AREA RUG</a> | <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89192656/#/S89192642" target="_blank">SOFA</a> | <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S69191709/" target="_blank">ARMCHAIR</a> | <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59192667/" target="_blank">OTTOMAN</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/+qiwap96BYMIRpOioJjaVaw" target="_blank">CHANDELIER</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/+CfQWCSV6Llne-wZgiYJLPQ" target="_blank">FAUX FIDDLE LEAF FIG</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/+LnwNCGWXMN9IQJ9CoMcSMg" target="_blank">COFFEE TABLE</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/+YKSoqQ3QtXyyb9J5aK7efQ" target="_blank">SIDE TABLE</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/+7Yf1CWRypH0W5pMCwDXfJg" target="_blank">MIRROR</a> | <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/laurelandblushco" target="_blank">PILLOWS</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/+G4bphJ81y-GQwg7vNCPBpA" target="_blank">STOOL</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/+u1XCFsilOJVooJnR1uIdlQ" target="_blank">SURF SHACKS BOOK</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-47220093549364232662019-06-25T14:08:00.000-07:002019-06-25T15:01:51.851-07:00How To Build A Faux Daybed <div style="text-align: center;">
Today I am so excited to finally share our DIY daybed build that we created for our oldest daughter's room makeover in our previous home. We wanted to create a bed that fit well with the overall design of her rustic bohemian room, but also was an easy build and all done on a small budget.</div>
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Since we already had a metal bed frame for her bed, we chose to cut down on costs by only creating a faux daybed frame around her actual bed. This may sound a little unconventional, but it turned out to be a great solution to cutting wood cost and utilizing what we already had, plus with a bed skirt you can't even tell that the bed is sitting on a separate frame.</div>
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Let's dive into the build and the materials that we used:</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post was sponsored in collaboration with <a href="https://www.miltonandking.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Milton & King Wallpaper</span></a> - wallpaper material gifted.</span></i></div>
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One other unique aspect to this build was that we used wallpaper instead of wood. Yes, you heard that right, wallpaper. Let me explain; Originally I had the idea of cutting reclaimed wood pieces into a chevron or a herringbone pattern then attaching those pieces to the plywood backing and sides of the bed. After pricing out materials, it was going to be both costly and time consuming. Not to mention the weight that the bed would actually come out to be when finished. That's a whole lot of wood. Here's where the light bulb went off in my head... why not use wallpaper that looks like actual wood!</div>
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Wallpaper is not what it used to be, there are so many realistic looking patterns out there now and many of the styles are easy to work with and apply, even for beginners. <a href="https://www.miltonandking.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Milton & King</span></a> has a great selection! From real looking shiplap, to reclaimed wood to patterned tile.<br />
For our project, I decided to go with the <a href="https://www.miltonandking.com/rustic-french-chevron" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Rustic French Chevron</span></a>.</div>
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While you may look at the price and question spending that amount on a simple diy project, let me break down why we went with this option over actual reclaimed wood. As stated above, I did my research on the cost of actual reclaimed wood. Let me tell you friends, it is not cheap. They make you pay for that rustic goodness! When working with reclaimed wood, you will need to over-buy to over compensate for any cuts that may go wrong, along with the fact that many bundles of reclaimed wood are not all of the same lengths, therefore there is bound to be a lot of wasted material. Secondly, all of those cuts take time... a lot of time. Piecing them together like a puzzle. Maybe you are someone that enjoys the challenge, and kudos to you! I on the other hand am what you call a "lazy builder". Give me the fastest, easiest way to complete a project!</div>
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This project is for the fellow lazy builder or maybe someone that is just diving into their first build and may not have all of the tools or experience to make all of those angled cuts, but loves the look.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHJOzzZ1n8qZiiyzR7zxxRW5vJEO6WYccYjrQ-I_jYweY7zS1EebxOHy-7OD7DFOi2MLdWdNtiQNJoSKx62gMWsezbvpeIRJp1DpLInnmUhjBWhFauTdCR4AfLuTo-iOzLKMxq4g-aTfv/s1600/DIY-DAYBED-HOW-TO-BUILD-A-DAYBED-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHJOzzZ1n8qZiiyzR7zxxRW5vJEO6WYccYjrQ-I_jYweY7zS1EebxOHy-7OD7DFOi2MLdWdNtiQNJoSKx62gMWsezbvpeIRJp1DpLInnmUhjBWhFauTdCR4AfLuTo-iOzLKMxq4g-aTfv/s1600/DIY-DAYBED-HOW-TO-BUILD-A-DAYBED-3.jpg" /></a></div>
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As for the plans that we used, we went with <a href="http://www.ana-white.com/2011/04/hailey-storage-daybed-back-and-arms" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">this one</span></a> from <span style="color: #999999;"><a href="http://www.ana-white.com/2011/04/hailey-storage-daybed-back-and-arms" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Ana White</span></a>.</span></div>
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This plan is just for the BACK and SIDES of the bed. Again, we assembled the 3 sides to fit around the existing twin metal frame and bed.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Wood & materials you will need:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />2 - Sheets of sanded plywood, 4 feet x 8 feet<br />1 - 1x4 @ 6 feet long<br />3 - 1x2 @ 8 feet long<br />3 - 2x4 @ 8 feet long<br />2 - 1x3 @ 8 feet long<br />1 - 2x2 @ 8 feet long</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 roll of : </span><a href="https://www.miltonandking.com/rustic-french-chevron" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #999999;">Rustic French Chevron - Milton & King Wallpaper</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Tools you will need:</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz55mcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">DRILL OR IMPACT DRIVER</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz6shcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">MITER SAW</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz8cicdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">CORDLESS NAIL GUN</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #999999;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c725xtcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">SPRAY ADHESIVE</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c726hhcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">STAIN SEALER</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c726ffcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">1-1/4" KREG SCREWS</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnuk8ecdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">120 GRIT SANDPAPER</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnuk6bcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">GLOVES</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnuk6tcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">COTTON RAGS</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnuk7hcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">PAINT BRUSH</span></a></span><br />
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After we had all of our main pieces cut to size, the first step was using our <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7xjcacdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Kreg Jig</span></a> to drill our pocket holes into the sanded plywood. *This is important to do before adding the wallpaper! Also, do not assemble any pieces together until you have wallpapered your plywood and have allowed it to dry overnight.</div>
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With any diy, there are always bound to be some trial and error mistakes involved, and with wallpapering raw wood, we just had to dive in and see what worked best. I started off by using regular wallpaper paste which was recommended to me by the Milton & King team. Unfortunately, because of the weight of the wallpaper (which is amazing quality I might add) and the fact that I was applying the paste to the absorbent wood, the paper wasn't sticking like it would to drywall. After brainstorming, my husband was the one to suggest a heavy duty spray adhesive. We tested it on a smaller leftover board first and it worked better than we had anticipated! It was a winner!</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Follow the directions of the spray adhesive as stated on the packaging, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">and always remember to spray in a well ventilated area. </span></i></div>
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<b>This is important: </b></div>
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<b>You will want to ONLY apply wallpaper to the sides of the plywood that </b><b>DO NOT have pocket holes on them FIRST. </b><b>You will apply wallpaper to the other sides (with pocket holes) AFTER the legs are assembled to them.</b></div>
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Before spraying the adhesive on your plywood, cut all of your wallpaper roughly to the sizing of your plywood, leaving an extra inch or two hanging off of the edges that you will trim up later. The brand of adhesive that we used stated to spray 3 coats quickly, let stand for 1 min until tacky then apply paper. I highly suggest that you have 2 people when working on applying the paper. You will need to work quickly, and because you are papering a smaller surface than a full wall, the paper has a tendency to curl up and be difficult to lay flat without 2 sets of hands. Once your paper is placed down, smooth out with your hands, making sure to always work outwards all of the air bubbles and extra adhesive.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PP2KOOsE6YXdrar8HgQQRC42yAPFu5ZbnlztRuJQZzqCEow7Mv67QzCyCHiOEfJJ1pQHJ0UJhkrI-xjhyphenhyphenQjRwUweAy_JBzdzKmQEMnIFaz-eqQjYKn-Yxn2I4QNjFt0kb-HyvgWyKKZs/s1600/HOW-TO-WALLPAPER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PP2KOOsE6YXdrar8HgQQRC42yAPFu5ZbnlztRuJQZzqCEow7Mv67QzCyCHiOEfJJ1pQHJ0UJhkrI-xjhyphenhyphenQjRwUweAy_JBzdzKmQEMnIFaz-eqQjYKn-Yxn2I4QNjFt0kb-HyvgWyKKZs/s1600/HOW-TO-WALLPAPER.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">After your paper is glued and dried to the 3 sides of your project that DO NOT have the pocket holes, flip the pieces of wood over, place a mat underneath the wood then use an utility</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"> knife to trim up the extra wallpaper around the edges.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipP9cg8Jgeqa_RyHlaiWPvYtONiDqvcN9C-hbeAVzj99mhLpkNXDadop1JAR6-UZehaJPKYR2LVpu4ZZbXULHq0_QwmJPlokUgELCWdFnGNRpi4oknSCIDGonbzCmmgJB6J4yYs2bJ3LE/s1600/HOW-TO-BUILD-A-BED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipP9cg8Jgeqa_RyHlaiWPvYtONiDqvcN9C-hbeAVzj99mhLpkNXDadop1JAR6-UZehaJPKYR2LVpu4ZZbXULHq0_QwmJPlokUgELCWdFnGNRpi4oknSCIDGonbzCmmgJB6J4yYs2bJ3LE/s1600/HOW-TO-BUILD-A-BED.jpg" /></a></div>
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Next, you will attach the 2x4 legs to the sides of the bed using your Kreg bit and your 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Once both legs are attached, you can then wallpaper over the sides with the pocket holes in them.<br />
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First cut your wallpaper approximately to size again. Before beginning to use the spray adhesive, use a piece of cardboard, a scraper tool or tape the legs off to block the spray adhesive from getting onto the legs. You then can begin spraying and laying down your sheets of wallpaper and trim up the excess after it has had ample time to dry.<br />
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Once your side pieces are wallpapered on both sides, you can assemble each side to the back headboard, creating a 3 sided frame when complete.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxRTItOHmeOFtDrYV2QbCuWuuJF5K4joX_g1BRbOgEuRiVajQbk9Bx6-eFQMGdCG3HQTkAlNR_m7ra2skKx7HdmKNt8J7sDCj00QIrYBqK0rTc6rA4Qs2UryBUlyWx2OiLtKY2DhnPkc_/s1600/OKAY-GOOGLE-HEY-ALEXA-HOW-DO-YOU-USE-A-KREG-JIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxRTItOHmeOFtDrYV2QbCuWuuJF5K4joX_g1BRbOgEuRiVajQbk9Bx6-eFQMGdCG3HQTkAlNR_m7ra2skKx7HdmKNt8J7sDCj00QIrYBqK0rTc6rA4Qs2UryBUlyWx2OiLtKY2DhnPkc_/s1600/OKAY-GOOGLE-HEY-ALEXA-HOW-DO-YOU-USE-A-KREG-JIG.jpg" /></a></div>
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Once your 3 sides are assembled, you are ready to slide your twin bed (on it's metal frame) into the 3 sided frame you just completed for an easy DIY (faux) daybed!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-2890047006222124862019-06-24T16:48:00.000-07:002019-07-12T16:07:41.282-07:00Girl's Shared Bedroom - Mood Design BoardHey there friends! It's been a long time since I have shared anything decor related on the blog... between preparing to move, actually moving across the country and getting settled here in California, decor projects have kind of been on the back burner. Later this week I plan to share more about where we are at currently in the decorating process with our new home and catch you all up on life after the move, but today I wanted to dive into sharing the very first project on our list to come: the kid's room.<br />
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In our previous house, the girl's each had their own rooms. After moving into this home, we had planned on having the kids each in their own room again, but our current home's floor plan has one bedroom being on the first floor and the other on the third floor with the master bedroom. Call me a paranoid parent, but I just couldn't sleep at night knowing one of them was so far away! Problem is, the bedroom on the third floor is small. We are talking <span style="font-size: x-small;">tiny.</span>.. and trying to fit two beds in there was going to be a challenge. But, you all know me, and know I am always game for a good design challenge.<br />
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Planning out not only how we would fit both kids, plus toys and their clothing all into a small space, but how to do it all on a tight budget, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I will let you into my process of how I begin to plan and design a room:<br />
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<b>1. Set your budget </b>- No matter if you have a small or large budget, planning out how much you actually want/ can spend total on your project(s) keeps you on track.<br />
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<b>2. Plan your floor plan</b> - For this I have always found the best process to be good old pen and paper. I begin by drawing out the floor plan (this does not need to be accurate) and then draw out each piece of furniture I need to fit into the room on a separate piece of paper. I then cut those pieces out and work different layouts within the floor plan and settle on a plan that works the best.<br />
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<b>3. Find your style</b> - Take to Pinterest or Instagram to search similar spaces to the one you are trying to design and narrow down your style for the space you are creating. Once you have a general idea of the style direction you want to head in, source items you would like to see in your space, screen shot or save them onto a designated Pinterest board.<br />
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<b>4. Piece it together </b>- Make a mood board. I never get started working on a project without completing this step first. It really find it a necessity for staying on course with my style, budget and layout. This allows me to get a final feel for how the room will turn out without going out and spending money blindly. Even if I cannot find a photo of the exact item that I want or I add in an image of a product that is far outside of my budget, I can use the image for reference to find what does fit within my budget and stay on track with exactly what items I need to purchase for the space. My favorite apps to use for creating mood boards are <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rhonna-collage/id534960206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">RHONNA COLLAGE</span></a> and <a href="https://www.canva.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">CANVA</span></a><br />
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Below I have linked everything in this mood board : Disclaimer - affiliate links used *A small commission from the purchase of these affiliate links goes to help support this little blog of mine and is greatly appreciated! No additional cost will be added to your transaction.<br />
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<i>Source List:</i></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnszm5cdghx" target="_blank">BUNK BEDS</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns8fucdghx" target="_blank">FLUSH MOUNT LIGHT</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns8ijcdghx" target="_blank">WALL SCONCE</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns7nbcdghx" target="_blank">LIFEGUARD TOWER PRINT</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns8azcdghx" target="_blank">BASKETS</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns788cdghx" target="_blank">DRESSER</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns7phcdghx" target="_blank">MERMAID DOLL</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns7i9cdghx" target="_blank">DUVET COVER</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns69zcdghx" target="_blank">STARFISH PILLOW</a> | <a href="https://slightlychoppy.com/collections/surf-flags" target="_blank">SURF FLAG</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dns7cicdghx" target="_blank">BEDDING</a></div>
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<i>*Sheets shown in image are no longer available but here are a few similar styles:</i> <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnugjtcdghx" target="_blank">MERMAID SHEET SET</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnug8fcdghx" target="_blank">SHARK SHEET SET</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnug5rcdghx" target="_blank">WHALE SHEET SET</a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dnugdzcdghx" target="_blank">SEA MONSTER SHEET SET</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-77943986983897921242019-05-05T21:58:00.002-07:002019-05-05T22:11:07.561-07:00Transitioning Into Civilian Life & Life After The Military<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-cdcc1399-7fff-abb2-0068-647e105db209" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>*This is a sponsored post by Gillette SkinGuard </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>in partnership with Gillette's new SkinGuard razor available at <a href="https://bit.ly/2IQnhCB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">Walmart</span></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meet Derrick. The other half of Simply Ciani. He is the man behind all of our DIY’s and builds, but we have yet to shine a spotlight on him... and while he may hate this, here we go...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anytime I am explaining Derrick’s personality to someone new, I always say “He is a Marine through and through.” He’s rugged, serious most of the time, with the occasional sarcastic joke and doesn’t take anyone’s you know what. He finds his happiness in boots and jeans and being out in the middle of nowhere. He will lend a helping hand to anyone that needs it and always will have your back. He is a hero in every sense of the word, although he hates being called one. He will put his own life in danger for anyone at anytime and jumps into action. (I have seen this first hand at any accident scene we have witnessed). </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Derrick started his 10 year service to the Marine Corps in 2006. He joined because he wanted to do something more with his life, he wanted to serve a purpose. He started his career at Perris Island, then joined the few and the proud at his first duty station in Kings Bay, Georgia as security forces. Two years later he was on his way to an infantry unit at Camp Pendleton, California where he served his next 5 years and where I fell into his life. Literally. (More on that story another time - it’s a funny one) After 3 years of marriage for us, the Marine Corps reassigned him to recruiting duty for 3 years and moved us back to Georgia just 40 miles from where he started his career.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Within his time as a Marine, his body took quite a beating and resulted in 2 full knee surgeries, left him with arthritis and an array of back issues. After 10 years, he felt it was time to put away the uniform, but it was far from an easy decision. Being a Marine was his identity. He was a rare breed and we both worried how life would look after the military.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The transition was difficult. And really, that word should be in all caps, because it was a doozy on both of us. Life in the military comes with its own set of challenges and hurdles to overcome both individually and as a couple, and they are hard as heck, but we made it through. Life after the military brought more than I ever imagined. We both had to get to know ourselves again, and each other. Being in the military, many times, your relationship is put completely on hold and as a spouse, you often get so used to being alone and doing everything alone. It was a huge transition to have a husband who was suddenly present but didn’t know how to be present. (Not by his own fault.)</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In his case, he too was so used to being a provider, and gone because of that. When on the journey to find a civilian job, he lost his identity as a Marine and desperately tried to find a job, any job, that would accept his experience. That one proved more difficult than he thought it would be. And when a job didn’t fall into place, he began to spiral out of control with emotions. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I share all of this with his permission, because we both agree that there are so few resources out there for those transitioning out of the military. It can feel isolating, and no one else can relate unless they have gone through it too. That is why we have decided to share more of our story, both sides of it, and be completely open and transparent about the struggles we faced during D’s transition into civilian life.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FROM MY SIDE, AS A SPOUSE:</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For so long, I found an identity in “being a military wife”. There is a lot that comes with that title and a standard to uphold. I never agreed with “wearing your husband’s rank” but I do believe that you as a spouse to your military member need to uphold a level of dignity in his honor. You are the other face of the duo that you are and your actions reflect on him and his career. This may sound harsh, but it is the way it is.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My days as a military wife were mostly spent alone, taking care of our children, and doing everything else that needed to be done. I didn’t have a spouse to rely on for helping with bath time or anything for that matter. I don’t mean for any of this to sound negative, but this was our life. You just had to get used to being a solo spouse and parent, for days, weeks, months or even years on end. Their career came first and you knew that from day 1. The other side of military spouse life was filled with unit parties/ meetings/ get-togethers... the majority of your life was centered around your spouse’s career, information about deployments/ training and putting on a happy face when you felt at your limit some days. It was tough, but those were some of the best years I have to look back on. I was made stronger as a mother, a wife and a woman because of it. And I will always be proud of my Marine. </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When D’s career came to an end, I also lost that identity. Suddenly all of my military wife friends, I emotionally felt disconnected from. The best way I can describe this is when you get kicked out of a club. Not that they stopped talking to me or anything along those lines (because they are all amazing and we still are all friends!) but because you suddenly are living a very different life and no longer can relate or support each other on certain levels like you did previously. I felt myself feeling very isolated and lost. I had a husband who was spiraling, for his own reasons, and I had no idea how to support him, or “fix it”.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took a lot of soul searching and a lot of phone calls to those military wife friends of mine for support and advice in that first year of civilian life. But eventually both he and I found our own way to communicate with each other again and work our way back to a new “us”. I will dive more into all of this in another post, because I feel it is important to share the tools we used to help us, but my main piece of advice is to never give up on each other. Transitioning into civilian life is going to be tough on both partners for different reasons, but you need to both be willing to take a step back and understand you are in it TOGETHER.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FROM HIS SIDE, AS A MILITARY MEMBER:</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(In Derrick’s words)</i></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ask any marine about their transition into civilian life and most won’t want to discuss it, or just skip over the negative stuff and go right to the “everything is great” talk. Myself included. Even writing this that my wife somehow convinced me to write, I don’t know where to even start. </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before getting out of the Marine Corps I saw life after as better, I thought I would be free to have any job that I wanted. I thought I would have my weekends and nights free again. Little did I know then, how different living as a civilian would be.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fining one good paying job didn’t happen. I spent months searching for a yes but kept getting no’s. I eventually ended up working three lower paying jobs just to make ends meet because that is all I could get.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not a man who talks about feelings publicly, but I do agree with my wife when she says that there isn’t much out there for service members to find real life stories about others who have transitioned into civilian life. We want to be a small part in reaching someone who might be struggling.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Transitioning out was harder than I thought it would be, and I was met with the reality that I had a lot of personal issues to face. I was in denial about that for a long time but I knew that my wife wouldn’t be able to help me with that until I helped myself. It was on me to fix it. </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am still working on the things I need to, and most days I still shut down but the key is to learn to lean on your partner. They may not understand exactly what you are going through, but they are there to support you and you have to allow them to. I didn’t do a great job of that at first, and thought I could handle it all on my own. That is what we as men are told to do. But after getting to to edge of my wife at a loss of how to communicate with me and support me, I had to allow myself to let her in. </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By doing so our marriage strengthened and we learned how to be partners. Something we had never had due to both living solo for so long.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The transition will likely be difficult but take one day at a time and accept that there are things that you cannot carry just on your own. Lean on your spouse. Lean on a brother. Find someone you can trust and work through it. Eventually all will fall into place, emotions and a job... but it will take time. Just know you are not alone in this journey.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LIFE MOVING FORWARD...</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nearly 2 years have passed since Derrick’s last day in a Marine Corps uniform, but he didn’t fully hang up wearing a uniform for good. After working 3 jobs for about a year, he was hired on as a Police Officer in Georgia and served our community for over a year before we made the decision to chose where we wanted to live and really begin our new lives. Neither one of us felt like Georgia was “home”, it was where the military put us and made the most sense to stay after transitioning out. But it was always just temporary. A few months ago, we made the big decision to take the leap and move back to California to raise our children near family. </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With that, came another career change for Derrick, but one thing has remained the same throughout his time in the Marine Corps and life after... and that is his classically shaved head and freshly shaved face daily. No matter what the job, shaving daily is a must for Derrick. Even after the Marine Corps, he attempted to grow out that “freedom beard” yet he only lasted 5 days before caving in and breaking out his Gillette razor. In his own words, “growing hair just didn’t feel right!”.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gillette has always been D’s razor of choice and even while separated, Gillette products were always a staple in the care packages that I sent to him. Life after the military is no different and Gillette’s new skin guard razor is top of the line! As someone who saves his face and head daily, Derrick explained that this razor just glided over the skin and was surprised at what a close shave this razor gave with no skin irritation. This was top priority for him when searching for a razor since he has highly sensitive skin. Gillette’s new skin guard has unique skin guard bars positioned in between the blades to specifically reduce the “tug and pull” of the hairs and result in a close shave. The precision trimmer on the opposite side is great for hard to reach areas and styling facial hair.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And as a wife who doesn’t love the stubble kisses, I can officially say I give the closeness of this shave two thumbs up! You can find the new Gillette skin guard set or individual products at your local Walmart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to finish up this post by saying that if you or someone you know is struggling with their own civilian life transition, don’t be fearful or hesitant to reach out to us, or anyone you might trust. We all need to be there for each other. Each journey is different, but we are all family in this unique way of life. And remember, you are NOT IN THIS ALONE.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To purchase the new Gillette SkinGuard - <a href="https://bit.ly/2IQnhCB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">CLICK HERE</span></a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RQ_nVTOwteXhDh2JUboXI9mN2b8uFavFhp3lBKbP39088FI_IF-aejZJKWWoFVUu-7YvniQjYNx9X12bnlGJcmfdLWb8qlqoyU0qe6iJRsX-VwLcrSzq2Ca2fSnnnhS0YQBjmjs4SOzZ/s1600/LOVE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RQ_nVTOwteXhDh2JUboXI9mN2b8uFavFhp3lBKbP39088FI_IF-aejZJKWWoFVUu-7YvniQjYNx9X12bnlGJcmfdLWb8qlqoyU0qe6iJRsX-VwLcrSzq2Ca2fSnnnhS0YQBjmjs4SOzZ/s1600/LOVE.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">* This post is sponsored by<span style="color: #e69138;"> <a href="https://www.homes.com/blog/2017/11/moving-for-love/?cmp=Ciani-Moving-For-Love-022019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a></span> - all thoughts and ideas are my own</span></i></div>
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Being that it's Valentine's Day, and we are just getting settled into our new home in California, we feel that today is no better time than to share a little bit of our love story with you all... This will be our 8th Valentine's Day as husband and wife, and through the past 8 years we have jumped over a ton of hurdles and endured many changes. One of the biggest changes being moving across the country, twice. Since becoming newlyweds way back in 2011, we have called four houses "home". The military has moved us to a city we didn't know in a moments notice and we've recently taken the big leap to come back home to our roots with no job security. With each move, there has been a huge scary unknown facing us, but we have done it all together, and we have done it all for love.<br />
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When you enter a marriage, you repeat the vows "for better or for worse/ for richer or poorer". Let's just say that as it goes for our marriage in the past 8 years, 80% of it has been for worse and for poorer. I am not sharing any of this to gain sympathy or pity, it is actually quite the opposite. We as a couple have faced some big downfalls. To be honest, we have even at times been on the brink of giving up. But we never have.</div>
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These 8 years have been hard, on both of us. When you mix moving (one of life's biggest stresses) and financial issues (one of the leading causes of divorce), you end up with a brewing storm of emotions. And while we are far from being out of the wind and the rain, we have managed to weather the storm together and barely hold on. Our hopes in sharing our struggles and our journey, is to hopefully help another couple out there that may be weathering the same. It is far from easy, but there are a few things we have learned along the way and through it all, love has remained the rope that has held us together.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moving for love</span> <i>(that new and exciting love)</i></div>
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Let's travel back in time to our first move into our first little home as newlyweds, back in 2011. That little 2 bedroom/1.5 bathroom base house was the reason I started this blog of mine. It was tiny, a mere 1,200 sq. ft. at most, but it was a place to call our own (for the time being). Back then, we were nothing but excited and ready to start our lives there. We brought home our first baby to that home, we hosted our first family holiday meal in that home, and we said goodbye to all of our family and friends in that home, before making our way across the country. That home held so many firsts and memories for us and will always be the home where our story began.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moving for love</span> <i>(even when you don't want to)</i></div>
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Fast forward to 2014, we were approaching our 3rd wedding anniversary and awaiting orders from the Marine Corps of where next we would call home. How fitting, that on our anniversary, we received the news... we were going to be headed to Georgia. While I have always loved the idea of living in different places, when you have no choice in the matter and are a planner (and slight control freak) like myself, not being in control of where your life is headed an be testing to say the least! While I never desired to call the state of Georgia home, I tried my best to take it as a new beginning and a new adventure. To leave all of my family and friends behind and everything that I ever knew as comfort, was difficult. On top of that, it wasn't just myself I was taking away from my family, I was a mom, which meant this would change everything about my child's relationship with our family members as well. Driving away after watching our last California sunset, I bawled. So much was changing, so much was unknown. The only comfort we had was a home awaiting for us and my husband's new special duty assignment. Everything else was a blank space waiting to be filled in. I grabbed my husband's hand as we drove away, with tears streaming down my face, I whispered "I'm scared." He didn't say anything in return, but his hand squeezing mine back a little harder let me know that we were in this together.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moving for love</span> <i>(even when the future is unknown)</i></div>
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After moving to Georgia, we decided to make the best of it and even started to enjoy our new home state. It never really felt like "home" to us, but we made a few new friends, I spent my days decorating our home and raising babies, while my husband worked 18 hour days - 7 days a week. We somehow made it through our 3 (long) years on marine corps recruiting duty. I won't go into details (in this post) but those 3 years were probably the hardest of our marriage. We went through a lot between 2014-2017 and after serving 10 years in the Marine Corps, my husband decided it was time for a change. He packed away his uniform and boots and we settled on trying out Georgia as our home, in civilian life. At the time, we were perfectly content living in our rental and were even talking about buying that home once Derrick was able to establish a stable civilian job income. But soon, all of those plans were derailed. Just a month after EASing from the military, we received news that the owners of our home were selling and we needed to be out asap. So add finding a new home on top of finding a new job/ jobs. We were hit with a ton of bricks. No money saved, no guaranteed job in sight, no idea where or how we would find a new home, at that point everything in the future was unknown. We had no idea what to do, but pray. We knew that no matter what we were facing, again, we would face it together.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moving for love</span> <i>(even when it means taking a big financial leap)</i></div>
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Eventually, we did find a house, it was run down, in horrible condition and needed a whole lot of work just to move in, but it was a roof over our heads. We tried our best to clean that rental up as best we could, then made it into our own with paint and filled it with the things we loved. Soon, it felt like home. As for the job search, in 2017 Derrick worked three jobs just to make ends meet, until finally getting hired on with our county police department. We were still far from making it, but we were somehow making ends meet. We still knew that Georgia wasn't our forever home, but we started to become content in where we were. Until mid 2018... I started to feel the urge to want to be back home. To raise my children near family, to seek larger opportunities for my own career. We started talking about all of the many reasons that California felt like the right decision. The one big part though... we sure didn't have any money saved up and financially were not in the position to save any to make the move happen, and secondly California is extremely expensive and would require both of us to make triple our current income. There were so many pluses, but one huge financial obstacle in the way. It took months of talking and weighing options to come to our decision but Derrick was willing to move back to California for me, for our kid's sake and for our future. We sold most of our large furniture and tons of other things around the house just to fund our move. We took a huge leap of faith and trusted in each other that we could make this work.</div>
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At the end of January 2019, we loaded everything we owned into a 26 foot moving truck and drove across the country. Ironically, we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on that road trip, stopping somewhere along the way for McDonalds with the kids and enjoying our "anniversary celebration".</div>
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Now, here we are, just 2 weeks (as of today) settled in our new home in southern California. We have been surviving on the last little bit of money we saved from selling nearly everything we owned and a bit of help from family. We took a huge risk to get here but still feel it was the right decision. Through it all, we have both made sacrifices. Were we both happy through all of it? Far from it... We have had many many arguments over the years. But we made it through, together and relied on our love to guide us.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tips to take away:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Lean on each other </span></i>- Moving or any big life change is stressful enough. In times like these we can often try to find blame to put on the other person, to take out all of our fear and anger on our significant other. Try to understand what your significant other may be facing and if you do find your relationship in a downward spiral, take a moment and try to pinpoint where those hurtful words or actions may be coming from. Often it is much simpler. Realize you both are climbing the same mountain and help boost each other up until you reach the top.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Give each other space</i></span> - Sometimes moving, wether before or after, can bring up a lot of emotions. You are either freaking out about the million things on your to-do list before move day or you have held it all together and are now settled into your new home and are emotionally and physically drained and all of those hid away feelings come bubbling to the surface. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself or your significant other is to get out and do something for yourself. Maybe it's a long walk, or 30 min just to sit in a local coffee shop by yourself or a long drive with music blasting. Allow yourself a moment to clear your head and reset.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Talk it out</span></i> - I can't even count how many times one of us has blurted out something hurtful to the other. for example, just this week D yelled out of frustration, "Screw this, we will never get out of this hole we are in, moving here was a horrible mistake." I knew he didn't mean it, but I did understand where that frustration stemmed from. It stemmed from the stress of knowing we took a big financial risk to move here and now we have no option but to make it work. On top of that, my husband finds his identity in his work, with not working full time right now and with the fear of not being able to provide for his family, he takes all of this stress on his shoulders and many times we all can take out our frustrations in not so nice ways. I knew once this comment was made, we needed to talk. I needed to be there to reassure him why we made this move. I had to give him faith that this would all work out in the end, and in the meantime, we are on the same team. Talk out your frustrations, talk out your fears, talk out your plans. Be the pillar that the other one needs.</div>
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If you are facing a move in your future, or maybe just treading through some big changes in life right now, I hope that you know that you are not the only couple going through this. You are not alone in feeling like you just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel some days. Just remember you and your significant other/ spouse are in this together and you will get through it together. With a little grace, a little sacrifice, a little trust and a little love.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Are you MOVING FOR LOVE?</i></span><br />
<i>Visit <a href="https://www.homes.com/blog/2017/11/moving-for-love/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homes.com</a> to see the stats of moving for love....</i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-73200781511897784292018-12-30T20:44:00.001-08:002019-02-14T14:24:57.020-08:00Master A Stress Free Move In 30 Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB1Kl0G1k7LzCQHPLb7oDVy5WfudR7bR2zhlq1HRHUI01BM2e61ALyWErx63BIyhc_sclzjWyShu0UEwEIIRz9N_5gS0wxAqfZH7rEt5DAp5f3WBSsfJOsCr5jis9uRzzSQAFUBOuG2AU/s1600/HOMESPOST4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB1Kl0G1k7LzCQHPLb7oDVy5WfudR7bR2zhlq1HRHUI01BM2e61ALyWErx63BIyhc_sclzjWyShu0UEwEIIRz9N_5gS0wxAqfZH7rEt5DAp5f3WBSsfJOsCr5jis9uRzzSQAFUBOuG2AU/s1600/HOMESPOST4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have been following our moving series, you might be a little confused based on last month's move update, we went over how we were approx. 3 months out from moving. Now here were are, announcing we are just 30 days (actually less) away from move day! So you might ask, what changed? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><i>*This post is sponsored by <a href="https://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDC-SimplyCiani-moving4-2018"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a> - all thoughts and ideas are my own.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Well... We have a house! While I had full intentions of taking you all along the final house search process with us, this specific home presented itself while doing just a quick browse on </span><a href="https://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDC-SimplyCiani-moving4-2018" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> last week. We have had no plans to even begin contacting available rental homes until January, but this one seemed perfect so we went ahead and inquired. To our surprise, they got back to us nearly immediately and thus that is when this surprise whirlwind of finding our perfect home began. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx78tHW7Rc1nqkyyCPMXYTtlM3ikjITZlOlOEwb9R7pI4gCeLs8rsQTAe2sq6UpWfbU9kCvgXKfxJugx5yL5okIWm3pM9SYxM03DwSTJgQQue2CCWAtOThdIHDMkp0Q9lGqjL-V0IY6jVS/s1600/HOMESPOST13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx78tHW7Rc1nqkyyCPMXYTtlM3ikjITZlOlOEwb9R7pI4gCeLs8rsQTAe2sq6UpWfbU9kCvgXKfxJugx5yL5okIWm3pM9SYxM03DwSTJgQQue2CCWAtOThdIHDMkp0Q9lGqjL-V0IY6jVS/s1600/HOMESPOST13.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As stated in my last move update, I went over the challenges you can face when trying to find a home/ rental while living in another state along with how to set yourself apart from the many other (local) applicants. One of the biggest tips I have for securing a home from out of state or in a unique situation, is to find a home listed by the landlord/ homeowner. This allows you the chance to connect with the person owning the home and present your situation to them, and more often than not, they will be more open to holding a home for the right person/ family, accepting a not so excellent credit score or a new job change over a property management company who is just approving applicants based off of a checklist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this case, as well as when we moved to Georgia, both homes were listed by the homeowner. In both situations we were able to talk on the phone to the homeowners and explain our moving timeline and also let them know a little more about our family and who we are as renters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So let's get back to our home search journey... After talking to the homeowner, we set up a time to do a video tour of the home via FaceTime. Being that we are moving back to California to be near family, we knew that we had people whom we trust to go view properties for us in person. But... My dad has been here visiting us for the holidays, and when this home presented itself, we were informed that there were already 2 other applications in that they were considering and they needed to make a decision soon. The homeowner graciously walked us through the entire home, then outside to show us the neighborhood, nearest playground and community pool to really get a feel for where we would be living. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the tour I think both my husband and I knew instantly that this home was for our family. We sent an email saying that we would like to apply. But, we knew there were still a few obstacles in the way. First off, those 2 other applicants were local and could move in immediately. We on the other hand, hadn't even prepared to start moving until mid Feb! Not to mention my husband starting a brand new job, and not knowing how our credit score would hold up against the other applicants. We decided to give them a call and explain everything up front before ever submitting the application. Being honest and transparent is key if there is anything you are concerned about when applying. Secondly, I sent the homeowner an email with links to my social media and blog, to show how we care for our current home and how we plan to love and care for their home as well. Even if you don't have a blog or social media account where you share your home, send an email with possibly a collage of a few photos of your current home and a photo of your family. This gives them an idea of who will be occupying the home that they cherish. Renting from a homeowner is so much more personal, so try to connect with them on a personal level.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After all was sent off, we received the news within 24 hours, on Christmas Eve of all days... that we were accepted! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then came hammering out the details. I won't go into financial detail here because of personal reasons, but the homeowners graciously discounted our deposit due to a long distance move, but we did have to pay to hold the home until we could move in. This has now pushed our move date up by quite a lot! We now will be moving across the country in less than 30 days!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So you might ask... What's next? </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We now have one massive to-do list...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow along as I share a few of the tips that I have learned through my past moves and how I plan to incorporate them into this one. There is so much information that I have actually split this post into 2 parts. Part 1 being everything you need to know to get your home packed up and ready to move. Everything from packing materials to how to pack each room and what you need upon moving into your new home. Part 2 being the logistics of moving. In that post I will take you through a breakdown of moving yourself vs. hiring a moving company, traveling long distance to your new home, and how to do it all on a small budget, along with a to-do list of what you need to do before moving out of your current home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How to master a stress free move in 30 days (or less)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphgwFYynwSK9jmNUKd8m1ZQrxwjoGrNI3OzZFzbkeF92-w8ZSM5HbCQLP37nH5DmaTPrrTIrIm0uI-r2D7qlY1Bsbb0kVoP4p10232M24X5T41DqfzaTed5-TH2gsLzoO3pHMWl59C3vD/s1600/HOMESPOST5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphgwFYynwSK9jmNUKd8m1ZQrxwjoGrNI3OzZFzbkeF92-w8ZSM5HbCQLP37nH5DmaTPrrTIrIm0uI-r2D7qlY1Bsbb0kVoP4p10232M24X5T41DqfzaTed5-TH2gsLzoO3pHMWl59C3vD/s1600/HOMESPOST5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Packing materials you will need:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Depending on your size of home, this will vary, but when it comes to purchasing boxes and packing materials, you need to factor in the following,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>8 boxes - Standard Size Bedroom</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(2 large for clothing, 1 medium for shoes, 3 medium for decor, 2 large for bedding/ curtains/ misc.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>12 boxes - Master Bedroom</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(4 large for clothing, 2 medium for shoes/ bags, 4 medium for decor, 2 large for bedding/ curtains)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3 boxes - Bathroom</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(1 medium boxes for decor, 2 small boxes for liquids, lotions and misc. product)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>20 boxes - Living Room/ Family Room</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(8 large boxes for decor/ blankets/ curtains/ pillows, 3 large picture frame boxes for wall decor, 1 large TV box, 5 medium boxes for DVDs/ electronics/ decor, 3 small boxes for any small misc. items)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>18 boxes - Kitchen</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(10 medium boxes for dishes/ pots & pans/ bake ware/ non-perishable foods/ table linens, 8 small boxes for spices/ counter top items/ cooking utensils/ coffee mugs and glass drinking glasses, plastic cups (kid's dinnerware)/ dishtowels & cleaning supplies)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4 boxes - Hallway Closets</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(4 large boxes for hallway closet linens such as towels, extra sheets, blankets and pillows)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>25 Boxes - Garage, Laundry Room & Misc.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(Depending on the size of your garage and what you need to pack, allow yourself an over count of boxes needed in various sizes from large to small. It is also good to have extra boxes on hand for other products such as cleaning supplies, toys, and extra decor. Remember, you can always return what you do not use, but it's better to have more than enough rather than making run after run back to the store to buy more!)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>The average 3 bedroom home usually accounts for 75-90 moving boxes</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The quality of your moving materials also matters. Sturdy boxes and tape will insure that your items will arrive at their destination in perfect condition. And how you tape your boxes also is of importance. The last thing you need is the bottom of your box to fall open after you spent all that time wrapping up your belongings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Begin by taping the box once, across both flaps. Then tape once down the center line, then again on either side of that, overlapping the sides of the tape to create a strong hold. Again, the tape you use will make a difference. I've done this same method of taping but with a dollar store brand before and I was sorry I did... My advice, splurge on the good tape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, label each box so that it has a final destination and anyone picking up the box can figure out where it goes. Label the boxes not as where they came from in your current home, but where you want them to go in your new home. I label each box with the room, then number each box for that room, and label the main contents in that box. I also have a checklist that I have created of all of this info that I can relate back to and check off as I un-pack, just in case a box gets misplaced or I can't find what I am looking for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One other tip - Because we don't have a craft room or a play room, but have lots of craft items and toys, I box all of those items up grouped with similar items. Such as: "Crafts - Paper", "Crafts - Painting", or "Crafts - Wood". And for toys that don't have a place in either of the kid's rooms, I label those, "Toys - Hotwheels" or "Toys - Dress Up". On move in day, I have these boxes placed in the main entry or in the garage until I find a place/ closet to organize them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lighten the load:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I went over in my last update, one of the biggest things you can do before a big move to make moving as easy as possible, is to purge the "junk". I went through round 1 with you, which was the hard part. Round 1 consists of taking inventory of what you have, what you haven't used in years, what you can live without, and what is just plain trash.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">(You can read more about the process </span><a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/11/the-best-moving-tips-for-easy-long.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HERE</span></a><span style="color: #222222;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After getting rid of and selling everything you could do without, now it's time to really think about what else can go. If you have a home (which you should being 30 days out from a move) you know the layout. Which furniture that you currently own won't fit or work into your new space? Maybe you want a slight style style change, what can you possibly sell and use that money to buy something new that you love? Or take a hard look at your closet, can you let some of it go? I like to call round 2, the "make room for more" round. You have to let go what is weighing you down sometimes to make room for something even better. Moving into a new home, one you have worked hard for, this is a new chapter, a new beginning. Now is the perfect time to let go of the things you maybe have held onto for too long just because it is "stuff".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to know another great thing about letting go? Well, it sure lessens the cost of your move! The lighter the load = the less that you pay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For us, we have saved the big items to get rid of, for last. Now that we have the layout of our new home we know what we can take and what needs to be sold. A plus of our new rental is that it comes with a washer and a dryer so we will be selling ours, along with our large dining table and other furniture items we know will not fit into our new home. What is fun about the purging process is that we always use the money that we receive from selling the old to buy new after we move. We get to go shopping without really spending!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once you have sold/ donated all of the big stuff it's time to take a look at all of those things you have been hoarding for much too long: </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When it comes to anything in your bathroom cabinets, lotions, hair product or makeup, if you haven't used it in 6 months - a year, its time for it to go. Same goes for clothing, if you haven't worn it in a year or if it doesn't fit, let it go. And as for kitchen items that we all know can gather up over time, if you haven't used it in a year - 2 years, its time to be used by someone else.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Downsizing can be hard and it can feel overwhelming when it comes to deciding what to keep and what to let go of. But with each one of my moves, I have never regretted letting go of any of the items I decided to part with. Just keep your new home in mind through the whole process. Think of how everything needs a place to go and if you don't have the space or room for it, let it go. If you don't absolutely love it and that item no longer brings you joy, let it go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And if just even starting the purging process feels daunting, I suggest starting in the bathrooms. then closets, then dressers, then the main areas of your home. One bag/ box at a time, and you will get there, I promise. Just trust your gut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Where to begin packing:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Again, another daunting task that many dread (myself included). After 9 times of doing this, I basically have a routine and a system. Before I ever begin packing to move our home, I set aside a suitcase (or multiple in our case - for our family) along with 2 large size boxes and 1 medium size box. The suitcases will be for your travels to your new home and the boxes will be your "first night boxes". Especially when moving long distance, there is no guarantee what time your belongings will arrive at your new house and if it happens to be pushing bed time, the kids are melting down and you are at the end of your rope, the last thing you will want to do is dig through tons of boxes to find the things you need. Here are the items that I pack as MUST HAVES for the first day/ night of moving into a new home:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The "First Night Box(es)":</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 set of sheets for each bed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 rolls of paper towels</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 bottle of cleaning spray</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 container of disinfecting wipes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 rolls of toilet paper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 towel for each person</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 night lights</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 can of air freshener</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 candle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">lighter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">paper plates</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">plastic utensils</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">travel size laundry detergent</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">travel size shampoo/ conditioner/ hand soap</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 large blanket/ comforter per bed</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Suitcases:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">clothes for each person for 1 week</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">personal care items</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">bedtime books for kids</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bring in the car:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">favorite pillows</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">phone chargers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">laptop</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">camera</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">any valuable jewelry or items</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">memorabilia that cannot be replaced (baby books, photos, family items, etc.)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Packing with kids:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have children, especially young ones, moving can stir up a whole boat load of emotions. My biggest tip when facing a new change - get them involved with the packing. Let them choose which items they want to pack up and make a game out of it! Try to see who can pack their boxes faster or count how many items fit into a box, or sort toys by colors. The more you involve your children, the less anxiety they will have.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Packing room by room:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Bathroom -</i> I always start in the bathroom because it is the smallest room in the home and usually has the least amount to pack. (Ziploc bags will be your best friend!) I first pack up all liquids and lotions, each in their own separate Ziploc bag. I always place those in a box by themselves, separate from everything else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Closets -</i> I begin by packing clothes first, leaving the clothes on the hangers, placing a plastic trash bag over them and placing each group of clothing into a box. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Dressers -</i> As for clothing in dressers, we have never packed our clothing, we first take out the drawers of the dresser on moving day, load the dresser, then place the drawers back in them with the clothing still inside. As you fill up the truck, the other furniture and boxes will insure that your drawers will not open and it/s one less thing you don't have to worry about packing! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Decor -</i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I always wrap breakable decor up with quality packing paper. Each item gets wrapped individually.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Dishes -</i> One of the easiest tips I have for packing dishes is to place a foam paper plate in between each plate, then wrap the whole set up in bubble wrap. For coffee mugs and breakable glasses, wrap with packing paper and pots and pans wrap up with extra bath towels. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Bedding -</i> When it comes to comforters, duvet covers, etc... I always pack each bedding set together. Including throw pillows. This way, once your beds are all set up, it is easy to put each one together again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Jewelry -</i> For jewelry that I won't be taking with me in the car, I like to use scrap pieces of cardboard, then using 2 different sized hole punches, punch holes into the cardboard for where I would like my jewelry to be held in place. This makes it so that necklaces, earrings and bracelets won't get tangled up in the move. For additional packaging, you can wrap the entire piece of cardboard up with plastic cling wrap as an extra step to keep the jewelry in place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Garage Items/ Tools - </i>Packing plastic wrap is great for keeping rakes/ mops/ brooms together but when it comes to the tools, we have chosen to purchase large plastic totes to insure that none of our tools get damaged in the move. Plus it makes for easy organizing after moving into your new home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These are just a few of tips that I hope you find helpful. Ones I have learned after making things much harder on myself over the years, when moving and entire household on a short time frame. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stay tuned for part 2 of this series, coming soon! Thanks for stopping by!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Check out </span><a href="https://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDC-SimplyCiani-moving4-2018" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">HOMES.COM</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> for all of your house hunting needs </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">or download the </span><a href="https://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDC-SimplyCiani-moving4-2018" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> app for even more house hunting features.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Also, check out the other tips and move updates in our moving series below:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/11/the-best-moving-tips-for-easy-long.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">MOVING TIPS FOR AN EASY LONG DISTANCE MOVE</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/09/moving-made-simple-free-moving-binder.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">MOVING MADE SIMPLE - FREE MOVING PRINTABLES</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/08/we-have-some-news-to-share.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">MOVING ANNOUNCEMENT</span></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-60295363595958072782018-11-30T17:11:00.000-08:002018-12-30T21:39:07.111-08:00The Best Moving Tips For An Easy Long Distance Move<div style="text-align: center;">
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We are officially three months out (actually more like 2.5 months out) from our long distance move to California! Time is flying by and the holiday season, sick kids, holiday events, and present shopping isn't helping our move to-do list any... If you have been following our moving series, you know that we are pretty much long distance move exerts at this point. In this update I want to share a little more about where we are at with our home search using <a href="https://www.homes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a>, and other tips I have come to find helpful after making my own moving mistakes over the years. All of this info will help you to make long distance moving a breeze and (almost) stress-free!</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post is sponsored in collaboration with Homes.com, all thoughts and ideas are my own</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Selling The "Junk"</span></div>
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Before I ever start packing a box, I like to start each move off with a fresh start. This means selling all of the "junk". Being 3 months (or less) out from a long distance move is the perfect time to start de-cluttering and really planning what you will be taking with you onto your new home. </div>
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<b>Designate A Sell Section:</b></div>
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I first start by designating an area of my home where I can begin placing all of the items I need to sell. This allows me to keep track and sort like items such as home decor, clothing, and household items. I can easily take items from that area, photograph them for online groups/sites and place them back. As these items sell, I can put sold tags or sticky notes on them and wait for their new owners to come pick them up. Being that our home is small, I keep all of our "sell" items currently in our front entry. If you are a neat freak, like myself, the clutter will likely drive you crazy but just remember, it's only temporary.</div>
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<b>Selling Your Household Items Online:</b></div>
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No need for a garage sale, selling your home items online now is extremely easy and convenient and I have compiled a few tips to get you top dollar!</div>
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<i>Photography is important</i> - I cannot stress this enough. I have been selling not only my own household items online for years but also furniture I have painted to sell, along with furniture we have built. When selling online, all your potential buyer has to go off of is the photo. Take high resolution photos if you have a camera to do so. If not, cell phone quality is perfectly fine too. Take crisp clear bright images. Photograph your item using natural light at the brightest time of day in your home. If your images are still dark, you can always edit them in an app. One of my favorites is PicTapGo or VSCO, just adjust the brightness and sharpness and you are set.</div>
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<i>Stage your decor</i> - When photographing, stage your decor to show your potential buyer how that item can be used in their own home. Think of your favorite home decor catalog, you want to buy the items in that catalog because you can vision it in your own home. </div>
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<i>Pick a backdrop</i> - If staging items just isn't your thing our sounds like too much work, photographing your items against the same background is an easy way to have all of your images cohesive and makes the subject the focus. Pick a well lit area of your home, against a plain wall (preferably neutral), or use a roll of white paper and tape to a wall. Photograph each of your items individually. </div>
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<i>Posting your items on Facebook</i> - Facebook is one of my favorite places to sell for many reasons. It is easy to upload many images at once into local re-sale groups, you can also post those items into FB marketplace at the same time with just one click, you can share personal items for sale with friends on your own profile by making a photo album, plus you can create a private FB event for your friends to come shop your home/ garage sale. </div>
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<i>Write clear descriptions and add measurements</i> - Make things easier on yourself than trying to answer a ton of the same questions from potential buyers. Write clear and precise descriptions of your items, the condition of your items, brand, along with measurements. Also note if the item is from a pet free/ smoke free home or not.</div>
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<i>Utilize clothing resale sites</i> - Have clothes that are in great condition? One of my favorite sites to sell both mine and my children's clothes on is ThreadUp. It saves me the hassle of having to photograph the items myself and leaves the selling to them. Then once my items sell, the money from my sales is free for me to use on their site to buy new to me clothing or I can have the money transferred to me.</div>
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There are a ton of these types of sites out there, and many for higher end designer clothing and accessories. Just do your research before selling, but many of them are great!</div>
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<b>Selling The Toys:</b></div>
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Sorting through the toys can be overwhelming and one huge task that honestly no parent wants to do. All of the little tiny toy pieces, the fights with the kids of what to actually get rid of, and the begging just to keep that one toy they all the sudden discovered in the trash bag that they haven't played with in almost a year. Being that I have two children in 2 different stages, I have learned a few tricks along the way to getting them involved. My almost 7 year old is my hoarder. She wants to keep every little McDonald's toy to every tiny rock and crystal. In the past year or so we have created a new rule in our home, that no new toys are bought unless one old one is sold. And she can only use the money from what is sold to buy something new. More often than not that means selling 2-3 things just to get 1 new one. It also acts as a great incentive for her to really analyze what means the most to her. She now gets excited with every toy clean out, and when it came to selling this time around, she jumped right in and wanted to even help me come up with prices of what to sell the old toys for. As for my little one, luckily she isn't old enough to care yet. With her, we have always kept toys to a minimum since she was born, being that most of her toys are from her big sister. We like to keep toys that will keep her attention for a few years rather buying baby toys, toddler toys, and so on... Our favorites are the play kitchen and play food, interactive stuffed animals, and building blocks.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Packing Up The Clutter</span></div>
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3 months out, you are not quite ready to pack up the entire house yet, but you are ready to get a head start. Begin by packing the items you know that you will not need within the next 3 months.</div>
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For example: holiday or seasonal decor, childhood keepsakes, out of season clothing, books, any decor not in use, dvds/cds, photographs and albums. Once you have these items packed up and boxed, you will be surprised at the space it will free up. Currently, I have been stacking all of our packed boxes in the garage and sorted by area in the home they will be going to when we move into the new house.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cleaning Out The Trash</span></div>
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Now that you have gone through the items you plan to sell and have begun packing what you plan to keep, it's time to take out the trash! We all have them, the junk drawers, boxes, bins, baskets, and closets... The junk always seems to pile up and hide away no matter how hard we try to keep things organized. My rule when preparing to move, is to go through one drawer a day/ week (whatever your schedule allows). I like to start in the bathrooms. First getting rid of all old and expired shampoos, soaps and makeup. I am afraid to say, I recently found makeup I have been hoarding from my early 20's, nearly 10 years ago! Yep, apparently no matter how many times I move, there is still trash that travels with me somehow... Once the bathrooms are all cleared, I head onto the kitchen and the drawers that just seem to accumulate everything. Throwing away old receipts, gum wrappers, broken pencils, and all of that junk mail. Little by little, I make my way through every drawer, cabinet and closet before we ever even get close to move week. This makes me feel like I can handle the mess without being overwhelmed, stressed and frantically throwing our trash into a box at the last minute.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On The Hunt</span></div>
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You might ask, "How are things going with the house hunt?" Well... were still hunting. We have now narrowed down to a specific neighborhood in north county San Diego called San Marcos. We feel it has the best school district for our price range, a great family community and close to my family. We are on the search for at least a 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroom single family home or town home. So far, we are still a little bit of a ways out timeline wise to put in an application since we will be renting, most listings are wanting a move in date of 30 days or less. I have saved a handful of my favorites on <a href="https://www.homes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a> and will be watching them closely over the next month to see if they might still be available. When renting, or applying for a rental from a long distance, it does limit you. You are on a timeline of when you can move in. If the home is currently vacant, the landlord or property management company likely will rent out to the first qualified applicant who can move in as soon as possible. Being tied down to a date until you will be in town, can result in losing out on something you may love. When moving from California to Georgia, this was the exact problem we ran into and in the process I learned a few things that can set you apart as a renter when you might face some factors that go against the norm.</div>
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<b>Setting yourself apart in the rental market:</b></div>
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There are many reasons that you as a renter might find it difficult to compete with other applicants. Maybe you have a larger pet, maybe your credit score isn't the absolute greatest, maybe you find yourself in a new job and don't have a steady income history, maybe you are a long distance mover like us or maybe you are on a tight time crunch and need a new rental asap. Whatever the reason, the rental market is competitive enough, without having obstacles in place. To set yourself apart from just another application, you might consider writing up a personal "about me/ about our family" letter. We did this with our last long distance move. We were on a tight time crunch to find a home, in a market where not many rentals were available and to be honest our credit was not the best. We were applying for a single family home that already had 3 other applications in on it. Along with our application, I sent along a letter, introducing the homeowner to our family. Telling them why we saw their home as our ideal fit, explaining our shortcomings with our credit and situation of why we couldn't move in until the end of the month. Although our credit wasn't the best, I made sure to add in pay stubs to show my husband's proof of income. Granted, we didn't have any pets, but it seemed as if every other obstacle was stacked against us. At the end of our letter, I included an attached photo of our family and the current home we lived in so the homeowner could see how we took care of the current rental we were in. As you are reading this, here on my blog, you obviously know I am a blogger. So of course I had a handful of staged photos of my decor. But I don't want that to discourage you. You don't have to be a home decor blogger, or interior decorator to show the beautiful home you have created. Take a day, clean your home well and snap a few photos of the main areas of your current home. You would be surprised at how including these photos in a letter will set you apart. To take it one step further, if you can get a letter of recommendation from your current landlord/ property management company include that as well! Lastly, if you are facing a lower credit score, you might have to offer a little more than you are wanting to, to get into your desired home. This may mean signing a longer lease. In our last home, we knew we would be in that home for at least 3 years, so we felt comfortable offering to sign a 3 year lease up front to make up for our lower credit score. If signing a longer lease is too much of a commitment, you might have to put down a larger deposit. Not saying that these things you need to offer right up front, but if your application is turned away, you might want to go back offering some of these things and see what they say back.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One Step At A Time</span></div>
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If all of this seems like a lot to take in... JUST BREATHE. Moving is overwhelming, and I myself am for sure feeling the effects lately. But I promise you, it will all get done. It will all fall into place. Just take a deep breath. Go through one junk drawer at a time, fill one for sale bag at a time and pack one box at a time. Little by little you will get there. I promise.</div>
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Follow the rest of our move updates here:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/12/master-stress-free-move-in-30-days-part.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">MASTER A STRESS FREE MOVE IN 30 DAYS - PART 1</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/09/moving-made-simple-free-moving-binder.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">MOVING MADE SIMPLE - FREE MOVING PRINTABLES</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/08/we-have-some-news-to-share.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">MOVING ANNOUNCEMENT</span></a></div>
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and visit <a href="https://www.homes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a> for all of your home search needs from renting to buying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYo-4g-VMdYNuUmFFFvuZQdn5CLne4134IuHfrelIEacGqMMpiK7IzNf5qnl_31aP328gM3vzQQWNQ2SUhAHmR080VWuyvIAfSzVFAlXQgEU2_AkMgghrE7ItGcINmSe8XvF43vXRqFXv2/s1600/HOMESPOST15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYo-4g-VMdYNuUmFFFvuZQdn5CLne4134IuHfrelIEacGqMMpiK7IzNf5qnl_31aP328gM3vzQQWNQ2SUhAHmR080VWuyvIAfSzVFAlXQgEU2_AkMgghrE7ItGcINmSe8XvF43vXRqFXv2/s1600/HOMESPOST15.jpg" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com155tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-6841466861347224662018-11-16T13:18:00.003-08:002018-11-16T13:41:12.242-08:00The 12 Projects Of Christmas - Tree Stand Box<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk8Y61eFW3IsTNbctrR3a8IoLYQT6Ybu5wKpvYWUB3iowW_-s69kNNsllWuGAMMR2oSGrRA1aEcjGhQ7opwQM6Qiun960vK4_nLUfRbjmcv403xu0HHJ2xPlo-4afw4eheZmNpDSffK8W/s1600/BOX-COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk8Y61eFW3IsTNbctrR3a8IoLYQT6Ybu5wKpvYWUB3iowW_-s69kNNsllWuGAMMR2oSGrRA1aEcjGhQ7opwQM6Qiun960vK4_nLUfRbjmcv403xu0HHJ2xPlo-4afw4eheZmNpDSffK8W/s1600/BOX-COVER.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<i>*This</i><b> </b><i>post is sponsored Kreg, all creative ideas and plans are my own.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Welcome back to those that are following our Christmas build series:<br />
The 12 Projects Of Christmas - with <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG</span></a><br />
And for those of you just joining in, you can find the first post of our series: <a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/11/the-12-projects-of-christmas-shiplap.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HERE</span></a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(and be sure to follow along for more projects to come)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
In the weeks ahead, we will be releasing 12 easy to follow plans for DIY home decor as well as gifts to build for others this holiday season. Our goal was to create a holiday series that is for the DIY enthusiast, weather you are a beginner builder or a master, these plans are for all skill levels and will walk you through how to use each tool.<br />
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This is the second project of 12, and today we will be sharing how to build this:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Christmas Tree Stand Box</span><br />
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<b>LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE:</b> Moderate Builder <b>BUILD TIME:</b> Approx. 2 hours</div>
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Here are the tools you will need before you get started</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tool List:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p36/kreg-jigreg-k5/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG JIG K5</span></a><br />
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(2) <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c28/project-clamps-and-face-clamps/p387/3-wood-project-clamp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG 3" WOOD PROJECT CLAMP</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz55mcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">RYOBI 18 VOLT BRUSHLESS DRILL</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz6shcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">RYOBI 10 AMP 7-1/4 IN. MITER SAW</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbr4f4cdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">RYOBI CORDLESS 18 GAUGE BRAD NAILER</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbqqrncdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HOME RIGHT FINISH MAX PAINT SPRAYER</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbrenfcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HOME RIGHT MEDIUM SPRAY SHELTER</span></a><br />
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<i>Optional:</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c64/work-supports/p419/mobile-project-center/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG'S MOBILE PROJECT CENTER</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Material List:</span></div>
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(4) 2" x 4" boards</div>
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(3) 1" x 2" trim boards<br />
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Sherwin Williams - White Batten Interior Paint (eggshell finish)<br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbqqwzcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">1-1/2" BRAD NAILS</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbqq2ucdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">2-1/2" KREG SCREWS</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instructions:</span></div>
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<b>Step 1:</b> Laying your 2" x 4" board flat on the 4" side, cut one end of your 2" x 4" using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle bevel cut (as shown). After one end is cut, flip your board over to the reverse side and then from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 23-1/4" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 12 identical boards. (Angles should be angled in towards each other.)<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(before angles are cut)</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZGcrewmb7nIkT33Dtvrcm7BXYH09GUvgg6GcsPRVFdq9qpdX9cns9xUlKcJtfHenaA1jo_C2m6XMLdirQUM4zZdMY1JziYtIKFnBihuQdzmIURqOkGju0hOm7vqD4T-vUFIiVkNIAsfy/s1600/BOX-POST19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZGcrewmb7nIkT33Dtvrcm7BXYH09GUvgg6GcsPRVFdq9qpdX9cns9xUlKcJtfHenaA1jo_C2m6XMLdirQUM4zZdMY1JziYtIKFnBihuQdzmIURqOkGju0hOm7vqD4T-vUFIiVkNIAsfy/s1600/BOX-POST19.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(set miter saw to cut a 45 degree by adjusting the bevel handle on the back of the saw)</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnK7njCHK0jw233d987YMVapFC5ppXdRE-c2gEMZrvy5zFmj-Lkpvzf4fbF-tM5UiYERQlt3gpWAqdfhlf6H4lFlDTeJAA5vKy2UjEMHUOmEIorbIw7d9AUfDv6xEKklJtEmr98s7VBt3V/s1600/BOX-POST20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnK7njCHK0jw233d987YMVapFC5ppXdRE-c2gEMZrvy5zFmj-Lkpvzf4fbF-tM5UiYERQlt3gpWAqdfhlf6H4lFlDTeJAA5vKy2UjEMHUOmEIorbIw7d9AUfDv6xEKklJtEmr98s7VBt3V/s1600/BOX-POST20.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(place the widest part of your 2x4 board on the saw table & cut 45 degree angle)</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(after you have cut one angle, flip the board over and slide the board to your right. before cutting the next angle, your board should look like this facing downward.)</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(from the longest point of your first angle cut, measure up your board to 23-1/4" and make a line)</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(you will then line up your saw blade with that mark and make your cut)</span></i><br />
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<b>Step 2:</b> <i>(Note: On two sides of your box, your horizontal trim will line up flush, the opposite sides, the horizontal and vertical trim will be overlapping the flush trim, making the horizontal trim slightly longer. Here, we explain how these cuts need to be made.)</i><br />
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<i><b>For the overlapping (longer) horizontal sides:</b></i> Laying your 1" x 2" board flat on the 2" side, cut one end of your 1" x 2" trim using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle miter cut. After one end is cut, flip your board over and then from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 24-3/4" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 4 identical trim pieces.<br />
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<i><b>For the flush (shorter) horizontal sides:</b> </i>Laying your 1" x 2" board flat on the 2" side, cut one end of your 1" x 2" trim using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle miter cut. After one end is cut, flip your board over and then from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 23-1/4" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 4 identical trim pieces.<br />
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<i><b>For the vertical sides:</b></i> Laying your 1" x 2" board flat on the 2" side, cut one end of your 1" x 2" trim using your miter saw set at a 45 degree angle miter cut. After one end is cut, flip your board over and from the longest point of that angle, measure down your board 10-1/2" and make a mark. You will then make another 45 degree cut. Repeat this process until you have 8 identical trim pieces.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(you now will need to re-set your saw. bring the bevel back to 0 degrees in it's original placement and lock into place. then, set your miter saw to a 45 degree by moving the miter latch)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(lay the widest part of your 1x2 board on the saw table & cut a 45 degree angle)</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfTUW2Zsnjx0JH2fSt5MTjrrVUsdVvicHZ8c_Tt6B2b9NP4zaEu0ETmYe-zYa85Re24KAt3mjhQ0HcVii4CheAU6naOaUC_IjGriG3R3Jpge83DVzuefdkZWSH37fTu8d4ONDdzRU_iN4/s1600/BOX-POST28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfTUW2Zsnjx0JH2fSt5MTjrrVUsdVvicHZ8c_Tt6B2b9NP4zaEu0ETmYe-zYa85Re24KAt3mjhQ0HcVii4CheAU6naOaUC_IjGriG3R3Jpge83DVzuefdkZWSH37fTu8d4ONDdzRU_iN4/s1600/BOX-POST28.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(you will then flip your board over to the opposite side and slide it to the right.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>then measure the length that you need and make a mark.)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(you will then line up your saw blade to intersect with the corner of the mark you made for your measurement.)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<b>Step 3: </b>Before drilling your pocket holes, begin by first setting your Kreg Jig K5 to 1-1/2" and drill bit to accommodate a 2-1/2" screw.<br />
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<b>Step 4: </b>Begin drilling your pocket holes into the top and bottom 2" x 4" boards of your sides only. Drill 3 holes evenly spaced, each one should be leading into the middle board once you place them together.<br />
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<b>Step 5: </b>Screw your boards together using your 2-1/2" Kreg screws.<br />
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<b>Step 6: </b>Once your sides are assembled, you are ready to attach them together. To do this, you could use pocket holes to attach them, but this time we opted to use our braid nailer with 1-1/2" brad nails, shooting the nails into each end where the angles meet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzihWoYW-gCKNXGrXTkIzKAYrsF45YsHxnSwhM6WeV9JXoSeHiRD7yOSteLggUu2KToLRrU_AQvZa5Z-qMk4eRSxRsBJMBTdPu5buBaOlGnkXeH2ClRrsrPCyCBB7V6PpovyRgm9KTw2P/s1600/BOX-POST4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzihWoYW-gCKNXGrXTkIzKAYrsF45YsHxnSwhM6WeV9JXoSeHiRD7yOSteLggUu2KToLRrU_AQvZa5Z-qMk4eRSxRsBJMBTdPu5buBaOlGnkXeH2ClRrsrPCyCBB7V6PpovyRgm9KTw2P/s1600/BOX-POST4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 7: (1) </b>After your sides are securely attached together, lay your box flat on one side and place (2) of the shorter horizontal trim pieces and (2) vertical trim pieces flush so they meet evenly with all sides of the sides of the box. Nail down using 1-1/2" brad nails and your brad nailer. Flip your box to the opposite parallel side and repeat this process. <b>(2)</b> Once flush sides are trimmed, flip the box to the adjoining side, this will be where you add the longer horizontal trim. Your (2) longer horizontal trim pieces and (2) vertical trim pieces should overlap the trim on the joining sides. Nail in securely with 1-1/2" brad nails and your brad nailer. Repeat this process on the opposite side.<br />
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<b>Step 8:</b> Your box should now securely be put together! The last step is optional but it sure makes hiding those cords a breeze... Lastly, we used a <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbred5cdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">1-3/4" HOLE DOZER</span></a> to drill out a hole in the back center 2" x 4" board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZQrB5N8LEsONn6-fMRTVpgqsKUPPPtI9S5C4DqlQvKthp_HqlVrnEeq50StIENkL_pXaCGq2rqdYuEXxKHu75w8ujVLhvq0ZyzDS9q69_6en8FWZ7q6TpSZJIVtuCIcS8KNM2tVOhKI3/s1600/BOX-POST14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZQrB5N8LEsONn6-fMRTVpgqsKUPPPtI9S5C4DqlQvKthp_HqlVrnEeq50StIENkL_pXaCGq2rqdYuEXxKHu75w8ujVLhvq0ZyzDS9q69_6en8FWZ7q6TpSZJIVtuCIcS8KNM2tVOhKI3/s1600/BOX-POST14.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 9:</b> Fill all gaps and nail holes with wood putty. Then sand to smooth one dry.<br />
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<b>Step 10: </b>Lastly, you are ready for paint, or stain. For this project we whipped out our <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbrejycdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HOME RIGHT FINISH MAX PAINT SPRAYER</span></a> and <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/dbrenfcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HOME RIGHT MEDIUM SPRAY SHELTER</span></a>.<br />
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Now you have a beautiful box to display your Christmas tree in! This box fits most standard tree stands, but measure yours first before starting on this project to be sure.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out the first project in our series:</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/11/the-12-projects-of-christmas-shiplap.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shiplap Advent Calendar</a></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-12656282420334363352018-11-01T10:08:00.004-07:002018-11-16T13:41:35.088-08:00The 12 Projects Of Christmas - Shiplap Advent Calendar<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post is sponsored by Kreg, all creative ideas and plans are my own</span></i><br />
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I am so excited to announce the launch of our "12 Projects Of Christmas" series in collaboration with <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG</span></a>. In the weeks ahead, we will be releasing 12 easy to follow plans for DIY home decor as well as gifts to build for others this holiday season. Our goal was to create a holiday series that is for the DIY enthusiast, weather you are a beginner builder or a master, these plans are for all skill levels and will walk you through how to use each tool.</div>
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Kicking off the series, our first project we are sharing how to build is this:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Shiplap Advent Calendar</span></div>
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<b>LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE: </b>Beginner <b>BUILD TIME:</b> 1-2 hours</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(faster if you are familiar with using the <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p169/kreg-jigreg-r3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG JIG R3</span></a>)</span></i></div>
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Here are the tools you will need before you get started</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tool List:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p169/kreg-jigreg-r3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG JIG R3</span></a></div>
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(2) <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c28/project-clamps-and-face-clamps/p387/3-wood-project-clamp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">3" WOOD PROJECT CLAMP</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c22/kreg-jigreg-accessories/p428/pocket-hole-screw-starter-kit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG POCKET HOLE SCREW STARTER KIT</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c22/kreg-jigreg-accessories/p285/screw-selector-wheel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG JIG SCREW SELECTOR WHEEL</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz55mcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">RYOBI 18 VOLT BRUSHLESS DRILL</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz6shcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">RYOBI 10 AMP 7-1/4 IN. MITER SAW</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz8cicdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">RYOBI CORDLESS 18 GAUGE BRAD NAILER</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz7sdcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">36 INCH CLAMP</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz88ecdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">1-1/4" CUP HOOKS</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz9ercdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">20 LB. D RING HANGER</span></a></div>
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<i>Optional:</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c64/work-supports/p419/mobile-project-center/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG'S MOBILE PROJECT CENTER</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Material List:</span></div>
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(2) 1" x 6" x 8' common boards</div>
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(2) 1" x 2" trim</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instructions:</span></div>
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<b>Step 1:</b> Cut down your 6" x 8' pine boards down to 47-1/16" each using your miter saw.</div>
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This will leave you with 4 separate boards.</div>
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<b>Step 2:</b> Cut your 1" x 2" trim pieces, (2) of them being 48-9/16" long and (2) being 21-7/8" long.</div>
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<b>Step 3:</b> Using a tape measure, mark out on your 6" boards where to drill your pocket holes. We recommend one pocket hole every 12".</div>
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<b>Step 4:</b> Start drilling your pocket holes. You will do this by first adjusting the setting on your Kreg Jig. You can easily determine which setting you will need by using <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c22/kreg-jigreg-accessories/p285/screw-selector-wheel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG'S SCREW SELECTOR WHEEL</span></a>. For this project we have set it at 3/4". You will then set your drilling depth using the drill bit and stop collar. You will find the directions how to this in the owners manual inside of your <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p169/kreg-jigreg-r3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG JIG R3</span></a>. You will only drill pocket holes on one side of 3 boards.</div>
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<b>Step 5:</b> Once you have all of your pocket holes drilled, take a moment to quickly sand all of the front facing edges with an electric sander.</div>
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<b>Step 6:</b> Now that your boards are drilled and sanded, you will line up your (4) 6" boards evenly and clamp them together using a <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz7sdcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">36 INCH CLAMP</span></a>. Now you are ready to begin screwing your boards together using <a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c20/kregreg-screws/p282/zinc-pocket-hole-screws/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">KREG 1-1/4" ZINC COARSE THREAD POCKET HOLE SCREWS</span></a>.</div>
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<b>Step 7:</b> After your boards are securely together, you are ready for paint! You can use any white paint for this, I chose to go with my go-to paint for every indoor home decor project - Annie Sloan chalk paint in Pure White. Two coats are all that were needed.</div>
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<b>Step 8:</b> Lastly, it's time for trim. Take your pre-cut trim pieces and stain them in your desired stain color first before attaching to the main boards. After they are dry, take your brad nailer loaded with 2" brad nails and nail in your trim.</div>
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<b>Step 9:</b> First off, give yourself a pat on the back, because your are almost at the finish line! The last step is to add the <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz88ecdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">HOOKS</span></a> to hang your daily advent cards/ bags. We alternated ours, having 7 hooks on one board, and 6 on the next, having 26 hooks in total. You may ask, why 26? Well, the perfectionist in me just wasn't okay with how an odd number looked spaced out, and secondly that 26th hook actually comes in handy! As you count down your days and complete your advent, you can stack up the past day's cards or bags on that extra hook. As far as how we spaced out the hooks, each one is approx placed 1" down from the top of the board and 6" apart from each other. To be completely honest, I laid them all out first and just eyeballed what looked best. If you are one that needs precise directions, start with your second row, measure 6" in from the trim and place your first hook. You screw these in by hand. You then can continue measuring 6" apart for each hook on that row, giving you a total of 6 hooks in all. Then head back up to your first row and place the hooks in the middle distance of what you did on the second row. Hopefully this is making sense...</div>
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<b>Step 10:</b> The very last step is to add the <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz9ercdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">20 LB. D RING HANGER</span></a> to the back of your advent calendar, and you are finally finished!</div>
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<b>For the advent days:</b> Photographed here, I opted to use these <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daz9kpcdghx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">CLOTH FAVOR BAGS</span></a> from Amazon and hand letter the numbers by using a sharpie. My plan is to add a fun little surprise in them each day for my girls. Some days will be a small toy or piece of candy, others I have planned to add in a fun holiday activity we could do that day and even how we can give back to others. One of the most special ideas I have planned to incorproate into our advent this year, is having my husband, myself and some of our extended family members write notes to the girls of what they love most about them.</div>
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<b>Optional Idea:</b> If you are one for a simple and easy advent, Michaels this year has a ton of adorable numbered cards that are perfect for adding on these hooks, and taking it a step further, you can easily just write on the back of them.</div>
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I hope that you have enjoyed this first project, of 11 more to come in our "12 Projects Of Christmas" series to come! Stay tuned for more holiday home decor and easy DIY gifts! And if you are looking for great stocking stuffer ideas for the DIY lover in your life, check out: </div>
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Kreg's <span style="color: #999999;"><a href="https://www.kregtool.com/store/c67/stocking-stuffers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">STOCKING STUFFER GIFT GUIDE</span></a>.</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-63255474542606289122018-10-31T12:59:00.002-07:002018-10-31T13:00:06.130-07:00Halloween Tablesape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoZN2pUcrFGTnQYpv2a0QzgjR2GAmsm7QNa7heQnejgMNQoYRIBN5JST0EhCuoCi6M9Asz60m5nDCLB1nfE1-YpR0QuTwDWiacDmJM4krwBVcOpFES6hptbVnc26i_XpPjKqnCA_sUm5U/s1600/HALTABLECOVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxoZN2pUcrFGTnQYpv2a0QzgjR2GAmsm7QNa7heQnejgMNQoYRIBN5JST0EhCuoCi6M9Asz60m5nDCLB1nfE1-YpR0QuTwDWiacDmJM4krwBVcOpFES6hptbVnc26i_XpPjKqnCA_sUm5U/s1600/HALTABLECOVER.jpg" /></a></div>
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Happy Halloween friends! Last post was all about the kiddos, and this one is all about the grown-up table... Here I have created a simple and affordable tablescape that is all about easy clean-up and is sure to wow your guests, or even just your kids, for Halloween dinner. As I have stated before, I am not one to splurge when it comes to Halloween decor and if I do purchase something new, I search for items that can be used year round. Let me take you through the steps of how I created this "spooky" tablescape:</div>
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1. I started off with a base, I used a painters dropcloth and placed it diagonally on the table.</div>
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2. I then layered a large piece of black cheesecloth over the drop cloth. I found mine at Michaels, but you can find these at any party, craft or fabric store around Halloween.</div>
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3. I then took a single panel sheer white curtain and puddled it down the center of the table. Yes, a curtain! I did this for my last tablescape as well which you can see HERE.</div>
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4. Now it's time to build up the centerpiece: </div>
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To ground the center of the table, I used craft store brown moss and a styrofoam skull and placed them on a wooden plate under a glass cloche. On either side of that, I stacked some of my favorite old books in black and brown colors. Once I had the overall layout of my centerpiece, I stuck glittery twigs and flow-y greenery underneath and in between the books. Lastly, I staged the brass vintage candle sticks throughout and placed black candles in them.</div>
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5. For the place settings, I used the same plaid plates <b>(out of stock)</b> from <a href="https://www.pier1.com/" target="_blank">PIER1</a> that I used for my early fall tablescape, but this time used them as a charger plate. I had found these cute <a href="https://www.michaels.com/martha-stewart-paper-plates-skull/10557896.html" target="_blank">PAPER SKULL PLATES</a> <b>(now on sale for $1.49 a pack!)</b> at Michaels and they fit perfectly over the plaid ones, making an easy clean up come after dinner! You could take this a step further if you wanted and even layer a charger plate underneath the plaid plate. For mine, I just used these black and white striped napkins from the Magnolia Hearth & Hand line at Target for some additional pattern. Once the place settings were complete, I flanked one side with these beautiful printed cloth menus from <a href="https://porterlanehome.com/" target="_blank">PORTER LANE HOME</a> <b>use code SIMPLYCIANI20 for 20% off of your order</b>. She does custom orders and can print any menu that you have in mind for your next event! I think it is such a special added touch when having guests over. The other side has my grandmother's silverware which I break out for every special occasion.</div>
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I hope this goes to show you how you can easily create a fun and elaborate tablescape by using just the items around your home, or using the same items from previous table set ups but just in different ways! Below I have linked a few of my favorites for easy shopping:<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post contains affiliate links, this in no way affects the total price that you pay, it simply is a way for bloggers to make a small commission from the linked brand for the time we put in sourcing items to make shopping easier for our readers.</span></i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-80346719804057663202018-10-28T07:53:00.000-07:002018-10-31T13:02:03.473-07:00Kid Friendly Halloween Decor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In all honesty, Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays to decorate for... but my oldest loves it! This mama does what she can to make any holiday feel special, and Halloween is no exception. Preferably I like to skip the overly-spooky and lean more towards the kid-friendly side of decor. This year I went for simple and easy, really just sticking to decorating one area other than having the kids decorate their windows and doors with dollar store Halloween cheapies just for fun.</div>
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Most everything that I used this year were things that I already had, such as these trick & treat banners that I made 6 years ago now! You can find the tutorial on them <a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2012/09/new-fall-decor-projects-coming-soon.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">HERE</span></a>.</div>
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The cute little paper bats were from Michaels, along with the black & white cheesecloth fabric. The adorable runner was a Target dollar spot find from last year. The spider web place mats and little black trees were dollar spot finds from this year. My favorite part of the whole set up are the Halloween plates from <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/daufimcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">PIER1</span></a>. While most of this decor is now out of stock, I will let you in on a little secret of mine... I almost always plan my seasonal decor a year ahead and buy everything as soon as it hits the clearance section or after holiday sales. And one last tip: when shopping seasonally, I also search for items that I can use year round. Below I have linked some of my favorites for creating a perfect Halloween table for kids, and all of it is on SALE, so stock up before it disappears!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post contains affiliate links, this in no way affects the total price that you pay, it simply is a way for bloggers to make a small commission from the linked brand for the time we put in sourcing items to make shopping easier for our readers.</span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-15594457396813274192018-10-26T20:34:00.004-07:002018-10-31T07:19:30.428-07:00Honoring My Veteran<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; fill: inherit; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Being a military wife comes with a whole set of sacrifices and challenges but most of all, pride. Being a wife of a veteran doesn't mean that we leave that military life behind us, the pride just takes on a new form. I love a man who served our country in the Marine Corps for 10 years before putting his boots to rest. He now wears a new uniform on a daily basis, protecting our community as a police officer. To use the word proud can't even convey how I truly feel about this man. When Veteran's Day rolls around each year, I like to take it back to our military days and remind him of those special moments we had early on in our marriage. While we weren't able to be together much in those days, we always tried to make the best of the distance. I would send him cute little themed care packages when he was away, letting him know that he was thought of and loved. I did it all in hopes that it provided him a smile on his dirty and tired face, even for just a few seconds. Those little pieces of home mean the most to these guys when they're so far away from all the comforts of home.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">After he would return, you know what he told me was his favorite part of those packages? The handwritten notes from home. In this day, deployments have changed a lot since the ones our grandparents or even parents had to endure. We can video chat daily in most cases, along with emailing, and even still communicate via Facebook while half a world apart! But one thing remains the same: those handwritten letters and cards from the ones we love. Nothing compares to that. With each care package, I would send a specially chosen card. Now, creating Veteran's Day care packages for him, the tradition is the same.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">The rest of his care package is filled with all of his favorites and decorated with scrapbooking paper and stickers purchased from my local craft stores. So if you have a veteran in your life, take some time to create a little package of love to honor them.</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-14999633235403481072018-09-30T19:21:00.000-07:002018-12-30T21:05:04.492-08:00Moving Made Simple - Free Moving Printables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that we have made our official announcement, it's time to get down to business and prepare for this cross country move! What you may not know about me, is that this will be my 9th move in less than 10 years, and is my 5th long distance move. I would say I could crown myself with the title "moving expert", or something along those lines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With each of those moves, the majority of them have been PCS moves, and for those of you reading this and thinking "speak English please!", that's basically just military terms for you have no choice in where you are moving, have weeks to prepare to uproot your life and find a house. While I have done moves of all kinds in the past 10 years, this will be my first civilian cross country move. In the coming weeks, I plan to share all about our military moves and tips and lessons I have learned along the way. And oh have I learned a lot of lessons when it comes to moving! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the biggest things I have learned, is that long distance moving (or moving of any kind) doesn't have to be complicated. If you search Pinterest at any given point for moving binder printables or moving checklists, you will find pages and pages. You can easily be overwhelmed with what seems like the never ending to do lists when it comes to preparing for or being in the process of moving, but trust me, it really can be made simple. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #222222;">*This post is sponsored in collaboration with </span><a href="http://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDCSimplyCianiBlogPart2MovingCrossCountry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> - all thoughts and ideas are my own.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am a planner and a worrier. I plan and plan and then worry, until the plan is carried out perfectly. I have spent years (basically my entire life) making to-do lists. I even schedule when I need to relax. Yep, I'm that kind of crazy. On top of that, I hate change. Say what? Someone who has moved 8 times hates change? Yes, it stresses me out beyond words. But here is what I have learned; I have learned that moving can be exciting, and not stressful. It is all in your outlook, no matter how much time ahead of time you have to prepare. Our last cross country move, I had just 2 weeks to prepare! So having anything more than that is a luxury in my book!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Moving made simple:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Below I have created a series of printables for you to create your own moving binder. These printables will help to keep all of your moving information organized in one space, and includes all of the basics that you need. I spent time compiling all of the things that I really utilized in our past moves and only included those, leaving out all of the extra, overwhelming tasks, that in my opinion, really don't need to be done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Each month I will release a new monthly moving countdown checklist for you to print and add to your moving binder. This month, as we prepare for our own move, I have included the 4 to 6 month checklist. If you have longer than 4 months to prepare for a move, this checklist will be so helpful in setting the foundation for your move. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(click on photos to save images)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Moving: 4 to 6 months out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">It is now that you can start to really prepare for what is to come. Being able to plan for a move further in advance is extremely helpful in an organized move. This allows you the chance to take your time and prepare little by little each month leading up to moving day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">1. Start by emptying out the junk drawers. Go through and really purge all of the unwanted/ trash and try to pair down to only what you use on a daily basis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">2. Take a look at your closet. Do you have clothing items you haven't worn in months? Maybe years? Take inventory of what you have and think about what you could maybe let go of, sell, or donate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">3. Start a KEEP - SELL - DONATE pile in your garage (or in a corner if you don't have extra space). Use large boxes and title each of them. Daily, as you open drawers, closets, cabinets, as you notice things that may be trash, or things you can sell it donate, place them in the boxes. As the SELL box gets full, start a new box. As the DONATE box gets full, take the box and donate at the end of each week. As far as the KEEP box, this is for those items that you may not need or use on a daily basis, but want to take with you to your new home. Place them in the KEEP box until full then start a new box. This allows you to pack over time, without all of the stress. Designate a corner or a room to start stacking the keep boxes in. If you do this, the only things you should have to pack on the week of your move date, are the things you use daily! How easy does that sound? I plan to do an entire blog post just designated to making packing easy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">4. Start your research. Start taking a look at desired neighborhoods, school districts, home styles you are drawn to. Start looking into moving companies for quotes and give yourself time to compare and make your finial decision</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Searching for a home: 4 to 6 months out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: xx-small;">Right now, is the perfect time to start dreaming of your desired neighborhood & style of home. I have been using</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: xx-small;"> </span><a href="http://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDCSimplyCianiBlogPart2MovingCrossCountry" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #222222;"> for our home search and utilizing their website and app tools to narrow down our search for our perfect rental. I have loved how user friendly their app is, being able to search for and save my favorite homes. So far we have narrowed down our desired area and have saved a handful of homes. As far as rentals, the market is scarce lately, so finding a home this far out is difficult. A home saved today could be gone tomorrow. My advice, start your home search as early as possible and get a good feel for your budget and home availability in your desired area. </span><a href="http://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDCSimplyCianiBlogPart2MovingCrossCountry"><span style="color: #e69138;">Homes.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> makes it so easy to find exactly what you are looking for.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Keep an eye out (or subscribe to our email list) because I will be sharing a new monthly printable to add into this collection!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">And if you didnt catch our moving announcement, </span><a href="http://www.simplyciani.com/2018/08/we-have-some-news-to-share.html"><span style="color: #222222;">[</span><span style="color: #999999;">CLICK HERE</span><span style="color: #222222;">]</span></a></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-78504977423226158702018-09-26T19:19:00.000-07:002018-10-31T13:04:00.085-07:00Early Fall Tablescape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZbXjJMRZQMf1DF5Udz959hj5cml-wK8gBy7uzGEitD-0LmpHNyJ2YcTFzAQee_2a1dt2oIVxIM_aLLy0O-3OeCIQKVvUPDgKtUiPhobJxMgMQt3-64aLt-x_KVi-vH_UtyfAEL3z8uFu/s1600/TABLECOVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZbXjJMRZQMf1DF5Udz959hj5cml-wK8gBy7uzGEitD-0LmpHNyJ2YcTFzAQee_2a1dt2oIVxIM_aLLy0O-3OeCIQKVvUPDgKtUiPhobJxMgMQt3-64aLt-x_KVi-vH_UtyfAEL3z8uFu/s1600/TABLECOVER.jpg" /></a></div>
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Fall is here! Well... here in the south we still have 90 degree days and bugs swarming outside,but inside it sure feels like fall. Kicking the fall season off, I wanted to start by bringing warm and rich colors into my home, without breaking out ALL of the pumpkins (just yet).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jCne4t7fSSKrbPUoTDfEEK3PqXTrRG0ot3G5k7ULZgWcNUrPfv9dIaiRnftGyS6OZ0KFaQF0gmLy77fBn3j0z0Pfh7LxQ3GFUBt3Adf1OTbNKAYO9gAqQBzYXb_wUE8ZZp0dJAiviUW8/s1600/FALLTABLE3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jCne4t7fSSKrbPUoTDfEEK3PqXTrRG0ot3G5k7ULZgWcNUrPfv9dIaiRnftGyS6OZ0KFaQF0gmLy77fBn3j0z0Pfh7LxQ3GFUBt3Adf1OTbNKAYO9gAqQBzYXb_wUE8ZZp0dJAiviUW8/s1600/FALLTABLE3.jpg" /></a></div>
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It is September after all, and I just don't think I am quite ready for the pumpkin explosion, at least until October. So, when planning my first fall tablescape of the season, I wanted to create a warm and inviting table, that wasn't overdone, and all put together on a budget!</div>
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The whole starting point of inspiration came from my two favorite signs and fabric pumpkins from <a href="https://details2enjoy.myshopify.com/">DETAILS2ENJOY</a>. I knew I wanted to play on the black accent along with bringing in blush and burgundy tones.</div>
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To ground the table, I started off by laying down 2 sheer white curtains as a table runner, yes curtains! I found these as a set of 2 from Home Goods for only $16. I then created a beautiful faux floral centerpiece to set on top of the runner. Are you surprised? Of course not. You know me and my faux floral obsession. Followed by velvet burgundy place mats also from Home Goods, topped with white goodwill dinner plates & plaid salad plates from Pier1. The candle sticks were a thrifted find & finished off with my favorite silverware from my Grandmother.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFBfjj0L-mMoh1p_DzzJGbHXIskeh_StbJe05AgnLB6qWwN-kgfImD0WlObk3YbqLkjXKEGXujEVmE2vwPdXK-E6iYCxmXXEBK8Sd04F4mBYxbCMNF2Q48aV_p-llcRzLZXfHGs5zKVYx/s1600/FALLTABLE2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFBfjj0L-mMoh1p_DzzJGbHXIskeh_StbJe05AgnLB6qWwN-kgfImD0WlObk3YbqLkjXKEGXujEVmE2vwPdXK-E6iYCxmXXEBK8Sd04F4mBYxbCMNF2Q48aV_p-llcRzLZXfHGs5zKVYx/s1600/FALLTABLE2.jpg" /></a></div>
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This just goes to show you that you really don't need much to create a beautiful tablescape for your fall dinners that will really wow your guests. With a simple change of the salad plates, florals and the shelf decor, you could have an entirely new look as the season progresses and can even carry the blush and burgundy tones into Christmas.</div>
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Below I have linked all sources for you to shop, or similar ones:<br />
<i>(keep in mind most of mine is thrifted/ goodwill)</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post contains affiliate links, this in no way affects the total price that you pay, it simply is a way for bloggers to make a small commission from the linked brand for the time we put in sourcing items to make shopping easier for our readers.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-size: large;">Shop The Post:</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-24503680510132575232018-09-22T10:50:00.003-07:002018-10-31T13:03:18.122-07:0010 Favorite All Time Beauty Products<div style="text-align: center;">
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As a busy mom, I don't have much time for myself most days, let alone time to spend on beauty and self care. I am far from a beauty blogger and will never claim to be one, but I wanted to share 10 of my favorite beauty products that I use and swear by on a daily basis.<br />
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I am a small budget shopper, and while shopping drug store brands worked just fine for years, after hitting 30, I realized it was time to up my beauty & self care game just bit. I learned the value in investing in the right products and when doing so, you reap the benefits. Dont get me wrong, I do still love a good bargain drug store haul when it comes to other products!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post contains affiliate links, this in no way affects the total price that you pay, it simply is a way for bloggers to make a small commission from the linked brand for the time we put in sourcing items to make shopping easier for our readers.</span></i><br />
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Once I knew I wanted to invest a little bit more into worthy products, I began my research, because this small budget mama wants every penny to be worth it! So research I did... and after reading many reviews, these were the products that I dropped in my cart and was eager to try.<br />
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j67ecdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Josie Maran Self Tan Oil & Whipped Body Kit</span></a><br />
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j6z3cdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">T3 Single Pass Wave Styling Wand</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j64rcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">bareMinerals barePro Liquid Foundation</span></a><br />
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j7ahcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">bareMinerals Stoke Of Light Concealer</span></a><br />
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j68dcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Living Proof Shampoo - Frizz</span></a><br />
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j68tcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Living Proof Conditioner - Frizz</span></a><br />
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j68xcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Living Proof - Perfect Hair Day</span></a><br />
<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j6xjcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Philosophy - Renewed Hope In A Jar Skin Tint</span></a></div>
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Before writing the full review, I wanted to test each of these out to give my true and honest opinion. Because if you are on a small budget as I am, I want to be sure that you know the good, bad and ugly before investing your own money.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My 10 Favorite All Time Beauty Products</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5tY_zhPwGMjx6TaG7JGq__VRuUvtY2imN9D6LOiPeVclO2saUUWW2xahyphenhyphenBD3RaJMWA911j78g9kX2jcfb4YXgGTooaiCw-Xa6HBm5_6sCpvEi7uwZbhzBE8mldLwOFHeF8rAp0VY_X77/s1600/FALLBEAUTYNUMBERS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5tY_zhPwGMjx6TaG7JGq__VRuUvtY2imN9D6LOiPeVclO2saUUWW2xahyphenhyphenBD3RaJMWA911j78g9kX2jcfb4YXgGTooaiCw-Xa6HBm5_6sCpvEi7uwZbhzBE8mldLwOFHeF8rAp0VY_X77/s1600/FALLBEAUTYNUMBERS.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j67ecdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 1</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j67ecdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 2</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j67ecdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 3</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j68xcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 4</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j68dcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 5</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j68tcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 6</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j64rcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 7</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j6xjcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 8</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j7ahcdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 9</span></a> | <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c8j6z3cdghx"><span style="color: #ea9999;">No. 10</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Top 10 & Why I Love Them:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjee11GUQPEifh-6S0sHc38rjvqQebvOwvC1n4-gpf3VJawEBclMOiCRhU08fDUirzjOcS3cYjCGHTHJ10Jcyt4Sw-6y-WZnM-1Dp0EqTBGD1QlZBO8tFNAInMMnst0w0mrt6Gs_XxXDPxp/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjee11GUQPEifh-6S0sHc38rjvqQebvOwvC1n4-gpf3VJawEBclMOiCRhU08fDUirzjOcS3cYjCGHTHJ10Jcyt4Sw-6y-WZnM-1Dp0EqTBGD1QlZBO8tFNAInMMnst0w0mrt6Gs_XxXDPxp/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST6.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Josie Maran Body Butter </span><br />
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<i>Why I Love It: </i>This whipped argan oil body butter is by far the most hydrating lotion I have ever used. I can feel and see the difference of using this product even hours after applying. I started using Josie Maran's body butter 3 years ago after purchasing a limited holiday set that was featured on QVC, and I have been hooked ever since. What I have loved about the body butter that came with the tanning set is that it is tinted! It is perfect to use in between tanning oil applications, keeping your skin glowing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvx37aNfmsjamnIZWFb5WaoZSW5jfS6KzxyZQtkXfkDaEXHtvE0M_7jcoLOHV7bIXXrWzLCr8GNM8JFGkymPY3RcqinV3Rn0cAqWtBSDSvLHDvo9Z3wn31lBIGvABSr266Yhva93vaFRx/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvx37aNfmsjamnIZWFb5WaoZSW5jfS6KzxyZQtkXfkDaEXHtvE0M_7jcoLOHV7bIXXrWzLCr8GNM8JFGkymPY3RcqinV3Rn0cAqWtBSDSvLHDvo9Z3wn31lBIGvABSr266Yhva93vaFRx/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Josie Maran Self Tanning Oil</span><br />
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<i>Why I Love It: </i>It is by far one of the easiest self tanners I have ever applied. It is an oil, so a little goes a long way. The application mitt evens the oil out perfectly. All you need is a few drops, apply it to the skin and work it into the skin until you have even coverage, working in small sections. Once one section is complete, repeat. One of my favorite things about this self tanner is that it is gentle enough that it is safe to use on your face, plus, it doesn't have the usual self tanner odor. It is just the right amount of color to even out your skin tone and give you that summer glow all year long.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_VJk8R6vXvkIYY5FJKWtVdlrDqXdhKg8P2Q87pNk5pIf41DSQqETmHbKYaebbp2DTnbmRWCWyTnB_mA92Y0Q9RlpwYinUmoWPrtHuovw8AdacbiK038Q6ykoPYxjymErEf2W_SYWJItC/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_VJk8R6vXvkIYY5FJKWtVdlrDqXdhKg8P2Q87pNk5pIf41DSQqETmHbKYaebbp2DTnbmRWCWyTnB_mA92Y0Q9RlpwYinUmoWPrtHuovw8AdacbiK038Q6ykoPYxjymErEf2W_SYWJItC/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Living Proof Hair Care</span><br />
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<i>Why I Love It: </i>My hair is naturally curly, but I never ever have worn my hair in it's natural state. Meaning, I have used a lot of heat and a lot of hair care product over the years. After my pregnancies and hitting 30, I noticed my hair become even more curly and frizzy, plus living in the south doesn't do my hair any favors. After searching for a product that would tame but also repair and protect my curly hair situation, a friend recommended Living Proof to me. I have heard many others love it and bloggers recommend it as well, so I gave it a try. I have been using this trio for about 2 months now and have to say, I have seen a huge difference in how my hair looks after a full wash and blowout!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bare Minerals Foundation & Stoke Of Light Concealer</span><br />
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<i>Why I Love It: </i>I have always been a bareMinerals girl. I started with their powder foundation years ago and it worked great for me through my 20's, then I hit 30 and suddenly my skin started to change in big ways. I now have dry spots, dark under eye circles and more noticeable freckles to cover. I needed a foundation that would help with all 3. I gave the Bare Pro foundation a try. Coming from a girl who has never been a liquid foundation lover, this was a little scary for me. I had to learn how to apply foundation in a whole new way than I was used to. I paired the foundation with the bareMinerals stroke of light concealer and what a difference this combination has made. It gives me full coverage with still feeling light on my skin. After all, I am a mom chasing after young kids on the daily, and don't need a full glam makeup look from day to day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Philosophy Renewed Hope In A Jar Skin Tint</span><br />
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<i>Why I Love It: </i>I discovered this product when watching QVC one day and was instantly intrigued. While I love my bareMinerals, I rarely ever apply makeup when I am home during the day with the kids, and a quick run to the store to grab milk doesn't require full foundation, but... I do still like to be put together when I leave the house and in s hurry. This foundation is perfect for those that want just a little bit of coverage to even out your skin tone, but don't want a full face of foundation. I can apply it in just seconds with the applicator brush that came with it, and I am ready to go! I also found myself wearing this foundation more than the bareMinerals because of the humidity here in the south. I hated applying a full face of foundation and then sweating it off anyways... this foundation only requires that you use a tiny amount, meaning less product wasted!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUch-pvA4IcOgHwmmIvQTZ7GhcMdiYjOsrrjVqP89K05W-nxdzbEBOZgCn7ZSRiYp0WJIvoE7dTscdUEjK_wntErkAiAgbSKRX6V21hIflUPx0nNJhTNnF9f-OWZKm0V1Gja8c_EeMXqy/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUch-pvA4IcOgHwmmIvQTZ7GhcMdiYjOsrrjVqP89K05W-nxdzbEBOZgCn7ZSRiYp0WJIvoE7dTscdUEjK_wntErkAiAgbSKRX6V21hIflUPx0nNJhTNnF9f-OWZKm0V1Gja8c_EeMXqy/s1600/FALLBEAUTY-POST3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">T3 Single Pass Wave Styling Wand</span><br />
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<i>Why I Love It: </i>For years I have just been using my flat iron to curl my hair. Until one day, after spending 45 min on curling my hair, I decided it was time for an upgrade. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a research queen. And shopping for a new curling iron was no exception to read ALL the reviews! Time after time, I kept coming back to the T3. I ordered this one on QVC and used the easy pay option, since this is a higher ticket item that I really couldn't afford to spend the amount of money all at once on. I love that feature about QVC! After using this wand for over a month, it has cut my hair styling time in half, and as a mom, my time is valuable! It heats up in no time at all, comes with a heat glove for easy use and love how pretty it looks! (yes, pretty-ness is a deciding factor for me) Overall, I would say the reviews lived up to the expectation I had of this product and would highly recommend.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-57166292946383134242018-08-29T06:31:00.000-07:002018-10-28T08:01:07.858-07:00We Have Some News To Share...<div style="text-align: center;">
This may come as a surprise to many. </div>
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We sure didn't see this in our plan a year ago, </div>
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but things change and we are so excited to share our news with you! </div>
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This post may not be what you think, so keep reading on...</div>
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So, it's not another baby.... so what could this exciting news be?!...</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shirts gifted from <a href="https://www.cheerily.co/collections/tops"><span style="color: #666666;">Cheerily</span></a> - <a href="https://www.cheerily.co/collections/tops/products/california-map-tee-onesie"><span style="color: #666666;">Emmalyn's Shirt</span></a> - <a href="https://www.cheerily.co/collections/tops/products/ca-taco-love-tee-onesie"><span style="color: #666666;">Madisyn's Shirt</span></a></span></div>
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Yes, it's true! We are moving (back) to CALIFORNIA!</div>
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Over the past year, we have done a lot of thinking, praying and planning. While the military sent us to Georgia almost 5 years ago, we always knew that this wouldn't be our forever home. But before we jump into our future plans, lets take a trip back down memory lane and recap all that has happened to bring us here, to this point:<br />
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We actually had always planned that once D was out of the military and we could settle down roots in the place of our choice, South Carolina would be home for us. A few months before ending his 10 year career with the marine corps, D began applying for jobs. We knew basically where we wanted to be, but were open to moving wherever the best opportunity lie. Applications were sent out to everywhere from South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee and yes, even California. We were down to the wire, his EAS date approaching and no job in sight after dozens of applications sent. After 10 years serving our country, he received email after email rejecting his resume, explaining that he wasn't "qualified". Not one opportunity for an interview. To say transitioning out of the military is tough, that's just the tip of the iceberg!<br />
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So, there we were, on the verge of a huge life change and nothing set in stone. The amazing hard-working man that my husband is, he took 3 local jobs just to make it and provide what we needed to get by. He found a local opportunity working at UPS as a pre-load supervisor in the mornings from 3 am to 7 am then would leave that job and head to work as a sales manager at a local tire shop from 7:30 am to 7 pm. To top it off, any days off he had, he worked for a local landscape company. How he did it, I have no idea... But I have never met anyone else as hard working as this man of mine. After 7 months of working 17 hour days, 7 days a week, he knew something needed to change. He put in an application for our local county's police department. Working in law enforcement has always been a dream of his, and is honestly what he was made to do. After a long wait and screening process, he was accepted! He passed through the academy without a hitch and has now been a police officer for nearly a year. While he loves his job, we again always knew, this was not our forever home. We always knew at some point that we would move and likely have him transfer. Granted, we did not plan on that for at least a few years...</div>
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That brings us to now. You may be wanting answers to many questions, especially if you personally know me. So let me try to dive into the questions we had to ask ourselves and how we came to this decision for our family:</div>
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<b>Q: </b><i><b>Why California? Isn't the south more affordable?</b></i></div>
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<b>A:</b> Yes. Anywhere is cheaper than southern California (where we plan to live). But also, while the cost of living here is much cheaper than California, the housing market prices are rising, but the income and job opportunities are much less. This makes it very difficult financially. This was honestly one of the main deciding factors behind why we have decided to move. Of course everyone knows that a police officer's salary is extremely limited. We sat down and wrote out what our "live on money" is here, after all of our bills are paid, vs. what our "live on money" would be with D working for a police department in California. We took a hard look and questioned many of our friends who live back in California currently what realistic financial living expenses would look like. After all bills would be paid, our "live on money" would be double what it is currently based off of the salary he would bring home. That was a huge factor for us.</div>
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<b>Q:</b> <i><b>What was the main deciding factor that made you want to move?</b></i></div>
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<b>A:</b> Does Mexican food count as a main deciding factor?... (Seriously though, give me all the burritos, tacos, salsa and guac.) In all honestly, this wasn't a decision that we just came to overnight. This decision has been talked about, prayed about, and planned out for almost a year. There is so much that has gone into making this decision, and it wasn't an easy one to come to, especially when you are basically deciding where you are going to live the majority of the rest of your life and raise your children. As I explained above, finances are obviously a main deciding factor, but that honestly wasn't the biggest one. For me, it was to be able to provide my girls with more family time. To have a support system. To have my children have a grandparent in their life day to day. Living military life, we don't get to choose where or how far away from family we live. We have to move at a moment's notice and start our whole lives over, likely in a place we have never been. For 6 years, I have been a solo parent. Every second and hour of the day, it is all me. I haven't has a husband who has come home at 6pm and is there to help me put the kids to bed, or to share the parenting duties with. I haven't had a parent to babysit my children for the weekend or give my husband and I a date night. And while these may sound like selfish reasons to want to live near family, I assure you, it's more than that.</div>
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After losing a parent, you really cherish the relationships you do have in life. The fact that I lost my Mother, but still have time on this earth left with my Dad, I want to spend as much of that time with him as I can. I want my children to have their Grandpa at their soccer games, dance recitals and school plays. I no longer want to have a long distance relationship with the only parent I have left. I don't want to look back one day and think "what memories could have been made?"</div>
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<b>Q:</b> <i><b>Where in California do you plan to live?</b></i></div>
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<b>A: </b>Our target is Temecula, California. We feel that it is one of the best and more affordable family communities just north of San Diego county, with a great school district. Temecula is located inland about 45 min. from the coast in south Riverside county. We have always loved Temecula, and being located on the far side of Camp Pendleton, many of our military friends still live there, along with it being not too far of a drive from family. <b>UPDATE: </b>We have now also expanded our home search to San Marcos, which is located in north county San Diego, much closer to family and shorter commute times, but also within our price range.</div>
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<b>Q:</b> <i><b>What will your husband do for work?</b></i></div>
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<b>A:</b> He is working on a lateral transfer to a police department near the area that we are planning to move to. Also, in his spare time he will be joining forces with me. Moving back to California allows us to dive back into our furniture building and explore other sources of income with our creative business ventures rather than just his law enforcement salary.</div>
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<b>Q:</b> <i><b>Do you plan to work?</b></i></div>
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<b>A: </b>While the blog is and always will be my "work", being in California will allow me to branch out to do so much more and work towards the personal dreams I have always wanted to dive into. And again, having a support system in place to help with the kids will allow me a little more freedom to work outside of the house a few days a week, doing interior design work, photography, & all of the things my creative soul craves!</div>
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<b>Q: </b><i><b>Do you have a move date set?</b></i></div>
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<b>A: </b>As of now, our move date is set for mid-February 2019.</div>
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<b>Q: </b><i><b>Do you have any concerns about moving?</b></i></div>
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<b>A: </b>Of course. I have 3 pages of pros and cons that I made before coming to this decision. But overall, the pros outweighed the cons. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(This one is for the ones that know me personally!)</span></div>
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<b>Q: </b><i><b>I thought you said you would NEVER come back?</b></i></div>
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<b>A:</b> I have had to eat my words, and never say never...</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(This post is sponsored in collaboration with <a href="http://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDCSimplyCianiBlogMovingCrossCountry"><span style="color: orange;">Homes.com</span></a>)</i></span></div>
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I plan to take you all along with me for this entire journey! Each month, I plan to share updates as we approach closer to our move date, along with sharing tips on how to make a cross-country move easier (because after all, I should be an expert at this by now - I have moved a total of 9 times in my adult life!) and take you along with us as we search for our new rental home utilizing <a href="http://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDCSimplyCianiBlogMovingCrossCountry"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Homes.com</b></span></a> and all of their website features to make finding a home (from across the country) a breeze! If you are planning your own move or are just in the search for a new home, whether renting or buying, their site is by far the easiest I have navigated, take a peek <b><a href="http://www.homes.com/?cmp=HDCSimplyCianiBlogMovingCrossCountry"><span style="color: orange;">[HERE]</span></a></b></div>
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So, there it is... the secret we have been keeping is finally out! And while it isn't a baby (at least for right now), we are so excited for the future and what is to come for our family...</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-8959808947612708022018-08-16T15:14:00.000-07:002018-10-28T08:01:52.914-07:00A Simple Farmhouse Baby Shower<div style="text-align: center;">
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Today I am sharing the sweet little farmhouse baby shower that I hosted for my best friend Ashley, and would you believe that I hosted this whole entire party for less that $60?! Want to know how? Keep reading along...<br />
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First off, let's start with the theme: Farmhouse style is "the thing" and it's everywhere you look, Joanna Gaines put it on the map and it's taken off like a rocket ever since. Everyone wants to shiplap their builder grade home walls and dream of living in their very own white farmhouse. My friend Ashley though, has a real farmhouse, and one everyone dreams of. Below are a few photos that I took of her home during my recent visit, isn't it just stunning!<br />
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Last Fall I received a face time call from Ashley unexpectedly, she then said "I have something I want to show you..." and held up a baby outfit! I was over the moon excited for her. We became friends 2 years ago after bonding over home decor when she came to my house to buy something I was selling on Facebook marketplace. We exchanged numbers and became instant decor buddies then best friends. When Ashley was nearing the last few months of her pregnancy, she still hadn't mentioned a shower, and regardless of this being her third boy, this baby needed to be celebrated too! Working on a very small budget and a tight timeline, I threw together a little baby shower with the help of her mother and sister. Together we brainstormed a simple and classic farmhouse baby shower that fit Ashely's home and personality perfectly.<br />
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To host this shower on a small budget, I utilized what I already had and made the focus more on the decor details rather than "party supplies". When you choose a theme that is focused more on the details rather than a specific theme, you can use the decor around your home and just add touches to make it feel like a party. For example. With the florals, I used my faux florals that I decorate with seasonally to make the arrangements, placed them in tin buckets and the only things I had to go out and buy to add in a touch of blue were the faux blueberries and linen ribbon from Hobby Lobby.<br />
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The sign that I used in the entry was one from my daughter's nursery. We didn't think of it at the time, but we realized after the shower, how cute it would have been to have a sign out like this one (with enough white space) for everyone to sign and write their well wishes on for baby. The cow is a creamer from my kitchen, which I just placed more faux berries greenery in.<br />
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For the mantle, I wanted to create a cute backdrop for where presents were going to be opened and wanted baby's name front and center when you walked through the front door and looked into the living room. The cardboard letters are from Hobby Lobby in the paper craft section for only $2.99 each, buy wait and buy them when they are 50% off. The greenery again is the seasonal greenery that I use for almost everything, also all from Hobby Lobby in their garland section. White florals were found in the stem florals. Onesies were also from Hobby Lobby and came in a pack of 3 for $9.99 but used my 40% coupon for those. I opted to keep the onesies plain for a clean look, but it would be so cute to have those personalized with baby's name or tiny farm animals on them! To add in more touches of blue but on a budget, I created my own tissue poms out of tissue paper. This cost all of $12 to create 12 of them in various sizes.<br />
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For the main table, we used a mixture of candle sticks that Ashley had around her entire home, bringing them together to create a "centerpiece" along with the greenery.<br />
For a focal point in the kitchen, I used one of my favorite cotton wreaths and hand lettered onto a thick poster board from the dollar store, then cut to the circumference that I needed it to fit, hung it on the vent hood and that was it.<br />
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The cake was such a perfect touch to the farmhouse theme and was made by a friend of the family. The sweet little mama and baby lamb on top was purchased by Ashley's mom and is something baby can play with as he grows. The greenery embroidery hoops in the window were ones that I had created for another photo shoot, so the cost to use them here was free. But, they were so easy and affordable to make, if you are looking to get a bang for your buck when it comes to party decor, embroidery hoops are where it's at! You can add greenery and florals, add lace for a boho touch, or fill them with colorful and bold patterned fabric. Layer them together on a wall or hang in front of a window as I did here.<br />
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Let's talk food! Again, keeping it low budget and simple, we went with handmade tuna salad and chicken salad sandwiches cut into a lamb shape, fresh veggies, cheese trays, jalapeno cheese poppers and crackers. Not shown is the amazing mac & cheese bake that Ashley's sister made... it was like heaven in your mouth! Again, very budget friendly. Lastly, for the favors we made our own fresh popcorn and added the handmade tags that I water colored and hand lettered on to them.<br />
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So are you curious as to the overall total to host this baby shower?...<br />
<br />
<i>Let's break it down:</i><br />
<br />
Paper Favor Tags: <b>$3</b><br />
Favor Bags: <b>$4</b><br />
Tissue Paper: <b>$12</b><br />
Paint For Water Color: <b>$2</b><br />
Linen Ribbon: <b>$6</b><br />
Poster Board: <b>$1</b><br />
Onesies: <b>$7</b><br />
Cardboard Letters @ $1.99 ea: <b>$12</b><br />
Clothespins + String: <b>$5</b><br />
Cake (Box Cake Mix + Icing): <b>$8</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Bringing the total for decor to: <b>$60!</b></span><br />
Plus: Overall Food Budget + Paper Plates/ Plastic Silverware: $100<br />
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Still, for less than $160 you can host a fabulous party, one that looks like you spent hundreds more than you actually did! Don't think that you have to break the bank to create a Pinterest worthy party, and let this post be the proof.<br />
<br />
1. Think of a theme that fits your honoree<br />
2. Utilize what you have around your home or borrow/ trade decor from friends<br />
3. It will take some creativity, but DIY everything<br />
4. Plan ahead and buy items that you need on sale<br />
5. Get friends and family to pitch in to help with crafts, cooking or baking<br />
<br />
But the most important reason that this post exists is because of this friend of mine and her sweet baby Keaton who we showered with love!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-9965924361831307362018-08-13T06:48:00.000-07:002019-07-21T21:24:59.496-07:00How To Decorate Around A Large Sectional<div style="text-align: center;">
We all have them, those large design eye-sores in our homes that we wish we could change, but the budget just doesn't allow us to. Maybe it's your husband's large leather sectional that he refuses to give up, or a pair of hand me down sofas, whatever the design dilemma is that you think you couldn't possibly work around, I am here to prove that YOU CAN! And on budget.</div>
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Today I am sharing my e-design client's living room design.<br />
When she came to me she had 2 requests;<br />
1. work around their large black leather sectional<br />
and 2. incorporate a shiplap wall.</div>
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After discussing her and her husband's styles, we settled on a modern industrial boho farmhouse vibe. Using lots of pattern, comfortable fabrics, metal details and rustic wood tones.</div>
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Let me walk you through how to decorate around a large sectional sofa:<br />
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- Take into consideration the color and style of your sofa and work from there. If you have black for example, add in black accents elsewhere to balance out your eye from only being drawn to one large piece of furniture.<br />
<br />
- Create a feature wall on the opposite wall that your sofa sits on; use shiplap material for example or maybe patterned wallpaper.<br />
<br />
- If you are working with a brown sectional, add in soft whites and neutrals or even some blue hues work well to complement brown tones.<br />
<br />
-Pattern is always a great way to draw your eye away from a large piece of furniture. Use patterned rugs and pillows to balance out a large solid surface of color.<br />
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I hope that these tips help you to design the room that you love, even when everything in it isn't exactly what you had in mind. Working with what you have isn't always as hard as you might think!<br />
<br />
If you have a design dilemma that you need help with, did you know that I offer e-design?<br />
Email me with your request and I will do all of the hard work and shopping for you, working around what you already have, creating a custom room design that fits your budget.<br />
<br />
Email me at SimplyCianiInteriors@gmail.com<br />
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Below I have added a source list for everything in this design for you to shop</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post contains affiliate links</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">CLICK THESE SHOP-ABLE LINKS:</span></div>
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1. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7yah8cdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Industrial Chandelier</span></a></div>
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2. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6dscdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig</span></a></div>
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3. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6escdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Succulent Planters</span></a></div>
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4. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6fdcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Shiplap Wallpaper</span></a></div>
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5. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6f7cdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Baskets</span></a></div>
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6. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6g6cdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Ottoman</span></a></div>
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7. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6h5cdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">8x10 Area Rug</span></a></div>
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8. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7ya69cdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Media Bookshelf</span></a></div>
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9. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6j7cdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Storage Baskets</span></a></div>
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10. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6shcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Pillow</span></a></div>
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11. <a href="https://rstyle.me/n/c7z6sxcdghx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #999999;">Pillow</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">OR CLICK THESE SHOP-ABLE PHOTOS:</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-18537333971601727822018-07-30T18:34:00.000-07:002019-07-12T16:07:11.529-07:00Nordstrom Sale - Teen Bedroom Makeover<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
When most people think of the Nordstrom Sale, they likely think clothing or basic home items, but I wanted to take my own twist on the Nordstrom Sale and challenge myself to come up with a complete room design (or two), only using items from the sale. </div>
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What I came up with were two complete bedroom designs, fit for teens! As the new school year approaches, you may be sending your child off to a new dorm room or just wanting to give your teen or pre-teen a room that is a space of their own. When designing rooms for my own children, I try to always find high quality items on sale. I do this for 2 reasons, one because I want the decor items I invest in to last, secondly I prefer to choose decor that will grow with my children as they do so that I am not forced to change their rooms year after year. </div>
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While I love high end products, I surely cannot afford them... Unless they are on SALE! The Nordstrom Sale is the best time to take advantage of these deals!</div>
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Below I have linked my favorite products from the Nordstrom Sale for each room design for easy shopping:</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>This post may contain affiliate links</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THE BEDDING</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THE DECOR</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THE EXTRAS</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THE BEDDING</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-8594523639884774132018-07-23T13:58:00.001-07:002018-10-31T13:04:57.444-07:00Back To School Shopping Made Easy With Amazon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMUlGWyZ1Z8sQc-gIEs_h5_I0CtSeelQS4MDwsoX6qWOyogzgdL1xai5V7Zd2s5cD1zaFN3b5KuX0wyGi08gmxe26YwwquNLRrP3LX34uP62pYwGqgdhR8d-KDsKIHcMk6FYRAyqYmy77/s1600/BackToSchool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMUlGWyZ1Z8sQc-gIEs_h5_I0CtSeelQS4MDwsoX6qWOyogzgdL1xai5V7Zd2s5cD1zaFN3b5KuX0wyGi08gmxe26YwwquNLRrP3LX34uP62pYwGqgdhR8d-KDsKIHcMk6FYRAyqYmy77/s1600/BackToSchool.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>This post may contain affiliate links</i></div>
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The school year is fast approaching... Moms, can I get an Amen! and a Hallelujah! While many are rushing off to Walmart and Target for their back to school supplies, lets re-think back to school shopping this year:</div>
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Which one of these scenarios would you rather choose?</div>
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1. Load up the kids, head to the store, braving the aisles to try and just get ONLY the things on your back to school list, while one child has a meltdown because they want out of the cart, one keeps asking over and over to go look at the toy aisles, the pre-teen complains that she is "bored", and the baby is screaming because you can't get your boob or the bottle out fast enough.</div>
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2. Browse Amazon, while the kids sleep, with a cup of coffee in hand... Click BUY and have everything delivered to your doorstep. (Now, that sounds much better to me!)</div>
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Below I have compiled a list of my Amazon back to school favs, for back to school shopping made EASY. </div>
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<i style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post contains affiliate links, this in no way affects the total price that you pay, it simply is a way for bloggers to make a small commission from the linked brand for the time we put in sourcing items to make shopping easier for our readers.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8870800719254602574.post-66923566731710008792018-04-24T05:37:00.000-07:002018-08-16T07:11:48.157-07:00Let's Talk About - Body Positivity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihwtGbMrPVJaloWcasRJE2qzmhe-5O1aApCN6ohm_6RXCDkUqZ9fsZvtplHa9C_S_7U7LFQpQipXyNrRzE2hHcBHqCc-LVQo63jFYiPfs-GVHlVVwR9kQ8GKU0wVYLRx1z9P-H_5Gw8oq/s1600/PLUSSIZEFASHION2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihwtGbMrPVJaloWcasRJE2qzmhe-5O1aApCN6ohm_6RXCDkUqZ9fsZvtplHa9C_S_7U7LFQpQipXyNrRzE2hHcBHqCc-LVQo63jFYiPfs-GVHlVVwR9kQ8GKU0wVYLRx1z9P-H_5Gw8oq/s1600/PLUSSIZEFASHION2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Alright, now I know that many of you are probably tired of me rambling on about all of this "plus size" stuff this past week... but bare with me. This isn't just about being plus size or not. This applies to every woman, of every age, of every race, and every size. Listen up because I want you to hear this: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.</div>
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I want you to tell yourself right now: "I AM BEAUTIFUL."</div>
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And mean it. Believe it.</div>
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Maybe you are 65 years old and reading this, thinking "long gone are the days of my beauty". Maybe you are 19 and just went through a breakup, telling yourself that "you aren't as pretty as that other girl" thinking "I'll never be good enough." Maybe you are 42 and noticing things starting to change and wish "If only I could get that 20 year old glowing skin back". Maybe you are 27 and are a new mom, feeling in a slump of body changes, never ending diaper changes, feedings, sleepless nights and haven't had a shower in days and wonder "will I ever feel beautiful again?"</div>
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Wherever you are in life, if you are reading this, I want to take today and motivate you to feel whole, confident and content, just as you are today.</div>
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One thing about body positivity, it doesn't come easy. You don't wake up one day, tell yourself "I'm beautiful" and Tadah!* Problem solved! No. The confidence fairy doesn't all of the sudden fly down out of no where and take away years of insecurities. I wish it did work that way! But it doesn't.</div>
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Building self confidence, body positivity and contentment is a daily choice, and takes a lot of forcing before it will come naturally. It's stopping yourself every time you want to put yourself down, it's re-training yourself to wake up in the morning and say "good morning gorgeous!" in the mirror, rather than "oh gosh, look at those bags and wrinkles!" It's allowing yourself the grace to not compare yourself to the woman next door who at the age of 50 looks 35, the mom in the pick up line with full makeup and hair done with a cute outfit to boot, or that "perfect" one on Instagram that is gorgeous, always put together and her "excuse the no makeup guys" posts are literally flawless. Yep. No comparing ladies. Because I guarantee you, that each one of those women have their own body image issues. We all do. </div>
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We were born this way. And what the media has taught us growing up, makes it even harder for us to love ourselves as we are. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6Ne0JIVqKDF5FL1lMUCah3kwXQiKIBlauE3hBtV2pLDotGwRiwwxjn70ZJ04-N8plZD_ptBC7fFiSMvwGboGBJW0oG9VAwmjQhThZYzr3GirIVLHRXibI0HdTCq064Nlu5ieIVUbZUgb/s1600/PLUSSIZEFASHION1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6Ne0JIVqKDF5FL1lMUCah3kwXQiKIBlauE3hBtV2pLDotGwRiwwxjn70ZJ04-N8plZD_ptBC7fFiSMvwGboGBJW0oG9VAwmjQhThZYzr3GirIVLHRXibI0HdTCq064Nlu5ieIVUbZUgb/s1600/PLUSSIZEFASHION1.jpg" /></a></div>
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This past year, I have gone through my own body positivity journey. And my motivation behind it all? My daughters.</div>
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I have 2 daughters, one is 6 years old and the other is just about to turn 2. While my youngest has no clue, my oldest is very aware of body image already. She comes home and tells me of girls making fun of other girls because of their size. Right then and there I knew that the best example I could give my girls of inner beauty, self confidence and self love, is from MYSELF. How could I show my girls to be confident no matter what someone else has to say about them, without being their example?</div>
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I will never forget, shortly after my oldest turned 2, we had taken her to the pool, but I refused to get into the water around a crowd of people. I forced my husband to go in with her as I sat on a chair beside the pool, fully clothed in jeans and a t-shirt in the dead middle of summer heat. This wasn't the first time I had done this, and it also want the last. There were so many times that I allowed my own body image get in the way of having fun as a family or allowing myself to fully enjoy the moment. </div>
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Fast forward to last summer, I took a road trip with just myself and my daughters, from Georgia all the way to California and back again. Along the way, we stopped at many different hotels, all of which had pools. I knew this summer, I had to face my body image issues head on. I had to get into that bathing suit and get in the pool with my girls. Want to know the ONE AND SINGLE THING THAT MOTIVATED ME TO DO THIS? I knew that my oldest daughter would look back and remember this vacation one day, I knew that she would remember one of 2 things:</div>
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1. My mom sat by the pool by herself and with my baby sister while I played in the pool alone.</div>
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2. My mom got into the pool with me, went swimming with me and my baby sister, went down the water slide with us, splashed around and had fun! My mom is so cool.</div>
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I chose number 2.</div>
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So you know what I did? I got in the dang pool. And I had the best time of my life last summer, creating memories that I will never forget. </div>
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Want to know what came after pushing past all of that insecurity? I found freedom. Freedom from what others thought of me. Freedom from what I thought of myself. I was living my life to the fullest, regardless if I was the size I wished I could be, regardless of my body imperfections and cellulite. I was LIVING and not sitting on the sidelines.</div>
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This doesn't just apply to being in a bathing suit. It applies to everything in our life that our insecurities hold us back from. Don't let that insecurity and negative body image rob you of your best life.</div>
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So today, take from this and start LOVING YOURSELF. It's a daily choice to either love or hate, and I hope that you chose love.</div>
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We all are different, we all are BEAUTIFUL. </div>
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And if you pass a woman in your travels today, compliment her, spread the body positivity love around.</div>
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Until next chat my friends...</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1