The Style House

Happy Friday everyone! I spent this morning catching up on emails & doing some computer work, then I got to have lunch with a great business contact, a local mortgage specialist in my market. It's great to meet & share ideas with like-minded people in the same industry. Plus she's young & enthusiastic, so we have a ton in common.

This afternoon I'm working on my monthly newsletter, but then when Jason gets home I'm making tacos & we are just going to hang out at home tonight & be lazy.

Anyway, here are some things I'm loving at the moment...


Chai Black Tea at home lattes
Mmmm. So good! I just use private selection [aka Kroger brand] chai black tea, steep it in hot water, add some milk, cinnamon & stevia & I'm good to go.

Pure Barre
I am absolutely loving this workout! I don't so much love the price tag, but if you watch out for deals, it's doable. I got to take a class last night with a friend and our favorite instructor & lets just say I'm definitely feeling it today!



Catching up on my kindle
I think I've had too much reality tv lately. Yes, it's possible. So this week I've really been enjoying catching up on my reading in the evenings. I'm finishing up The Beach House: A Novel by Jane Green, and then once that's finished I'm starting Sharp Objects: A Novel by Gillian Flynn. Can't wait! Did you know now that most libraries allow you to check out books to your kindle? Mine does! Or of course you can get on amazon as well.

Carrie Beth Taylor Art
I'm absolutely loving this girls art! Check her website out here! Aren't these custom cards adorable? I found them on her Facebook.




Dan Miller podcast
Dan's podcast, 48 days is awesome & so inspiring. His whole concept is '48 days to the work you love'. Check out more on his website, and definitely download his podcast. He also has a few books, 48 Days to the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal, No More Dreaded Mondays: Ignite Your Passion - and Other Revolutionary Ways to Discover Your True Calling at Work, and most recently Wisdom Meets Passion: When Generations Collide and Collaborate.



Million Dollar Listing
I just love this show! Tell me I'm not alone here. LA in my opinion, is way better than NY, but I like them both. I can't imagine earning a commission check that big, that's for sure! I am in love with Josh Flagg's grandma. She is pretty awesome!


Well, I'm off to make my afternoon chai tea latte! Hope you enjoy your weekends lovelies!

xo
Sam

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Lately we have been revisiting the idea of re-doing the kitchen. Right now our kitchen looks a little something like this...

There are certain things I like about our kitchen, but there are numerous things I would change. However, with a limited budget, we will address the major issues & go from there.

Likes:
- Overall shape of kitchen, layout of cabinets & appliances.
- Kitchen table
- The fact that we have an island
- Natural light
- Window above the sink
- Storage space

Dislikes:
- Color (mustard yellow sounded like a good idea once upon a time)
- White appliances
- Countertops (currently Formica)
- Cabinets (oak, blahh)
- Cabinet handles
- Our broken sink
- The absence of a backsplash
- Light fixtures

The problem with re-doing a kitchen is that it costs lots of MONEY! Jason & I are talking about a plan of action, and so far here is what we are thinking of doing. We plan to do this in the most frugal way possible without skimping or DIYing something we shouldn't.

We are using these images for cabinet inspiration...


The Plan:
- DIY: Stain cabinets a dark espresso color using this method from the blog Monica Wants It.
- DIY: Replace cabinet hardware with something more modern & sleek.
- DIY: Attempt to spray paint existing cabinet hinges to save money.


- DIY: Paint the walls a very light gray to brighten up the space.
- DIY: Install backsplash, either subway tile or something like this... I do love the chic & clean lines of both, so we'll see.


- DIY: Replace light fixtures. Do away with the fluorescent fixture near the island, unless it turns out to be a mess to patch the ceiling, in that case we will just replace with a more attractive option. Replace or paint fixture above kitchen table. Replace recessed lighting over island with hanging pendants.

- HIRE OUT: New countertops. Jason really wants granite so this will be one of the big expenses. There is no way we could install this by ourselves, so this will be left to the professionals. We are thinking a lighter color granite on the main countertops, then a contrasting darker color for the island.

- DIY: New appliances. Our appliances are functional, but boy are they ugly IMO. Hopefully we will be able to sell them on Craigslist for something though. We plan to replace with stainless steel appliances, and luckily our neighbors retired from GE, so they are sharing their discount with us. Thank you neighbors!

- HIRE OUT: New sink. Our faucet is broken right now, but since we are getting new countertops we will have to change out the style of our sink at that point, so we are dealing with it until then. We may do ourselves, but if the countertop installation guys can install, we will just go that route likely.

- HIRE OUT: We have the island, which we want boxed in & faced in stone, then we also have the wall with desk area. For this wall, we want to stain the lower cabinets to flow with the rest of the kitchen, but remove the upper cabinets. We want this entire wall faced in stone, and then above the desk area, we want open floating shelves.

For the floating shelves I like the idea of styling with a combination of leaning framed artwork, stark white dinnerware & glassware, & then fun bright pops of color.

- DIY: New curtains for sliding glass door.

We haven't gone through an entire budget yet for these improvements, but that is the next step in our plan. I plan on ordering the cabinet supplies first, as I can get started on that project whenever. If the stain is an epic fail, we will rethink our cabinets & go with a painted white finish, but keep the rest of the overall plan intact.

See my Pinterest inspiration board here.

I will keep you guys updated on progress & our budget once we pull everything together.

Have you ever re-done your kitchen? What was your biggest splurge & biggest save?

xo
Sam

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So I picked up this new product to try - thanks to Influenster - called Lifeway Kefir. It's a strawberry probiotic smoothie. I had a hard time finding it at the grocery at first, but it was in the health food section near produce. I really wanted to try the frozen version of this, similar to frozen yogurt, but my grocery didn't carry it. So I ended up going with the smoothie.

So far I've only tried this straight out of the bottle (be sure to shake good!) but I'm not crazy about the consistency. I think I'm going to try mixing it with ice & fruit to create a thicker fruit smoothie. The taste is pretty good, definitely strawberry. If you like regular yogurt, you would probably really like this. I'm a bigger greek yogurt fan simply from a consistency standpoint.

What are probiotics?

According to the mayo clinic's website, probiotics are a good form of bacteria that can aide with the following:

Although more research is needed, there's encouraging evidence that probiotics may help:

• Treat diarrhea, especially following treatment with certain antibiotics
• Prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
• Treat irritable bowel syndrome
• Reduce bladder cancer recurrence
• Speed treatment of certain intestinal infections
• Prevent and treat eczema in children
• Prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu

Probiotics are most often found in yogurt & kefir.

*I received this product complimentary from Influenster's VoxBox program.

Do you like yogurt? Have you tried Kefir?

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Hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was spent doing a little bit of shopping, a little bit of work & a little relaxing.

Friday Jason & I grabbed dinner at a local bbq place after he wrapped up a golf game, then Saturday Jason decided to golf again, so I went shopping with a new friend of mine who is actually from Brazil. We went to one of the malls where there is a HUGE F21, and she was telling me how in Brazil, Forever 21 is very expensive, compared to very cheap here. It's fun to learn about where she is from & all of the differences. Later on Saturday we ended up going to a bonfire at a friend of mine from high school's place. It was good catching up with some people I haven't seen in a while for sure.

Sunday we ended up sleeping in a little then I had to get up & go talk to some friends about the possibility of selling their home & moving up into something a little bigger, so we will see what happens there.

I've been really thinking a lot about how stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to greater success in all areas of life. Think about it -- if you push yourself beyond your limits in exercise, you will be successful, but you have to push through a little discomfort. If you eat healthy despite being used to eating junk food every day, by stepping outside your comfort zone that will in turn help you become successful. The same thing goes for social & even business life. Stepping out of your comfort zone helps get results.

So, in hopes of picking up more real estate business, I've really been forcing myself to step out of my comfort zone a little more. Jason & I were at lunch one day, and we were seated outside on the patio with only a few other diners surrounding us. Well, at the next table over, there were two girls about my age discussing homeownership, looking for the perfect home, etc. I overheard their conversation & contemplated whether or not I should hand them a card on my way out. I didn't want them to think I was eavesdropping or something, but I decided to go for it.

I usually keep some really nice postcards in my purse with my picture & company logo that advertise my services, so when we got up to leave I simply walked by & said I overheard them discussing houses, so if I could be of any assistance I would love to help. Then I left my card & was on my way.

Will they call? Who knows. Probably not, but maybe so. Maybe they are looking for a realtor & needed somewhere to start. But the answer is ALWAYS no if you NEVER ask.

From now on when I'm at the grocery, a restaurant, the post office, a bar... I'm going to put myself out there more & see what happens. Because really what's the worse that could happen?


How do you step outside your comfort zone?

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You guys all know that one of my favorite things to do is listen to Podcasts. I listed to a wide array ranging from financial, self improvement & entrepreneurial, all to comedy, lifestyle & heath & fitness.

If you need some recommendations, some of my favorite podcasts are:
48 Days with Dan Miller
Jillian Michaels Podcast
The Adam Corolla Show
Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend
Dr. Drew
Balanced Bites

When I'm doing stuff throughout my day like driving, walking with Kobe, cleaning or working out, I like to multitask. Podcasts are not only entertainment for me, but also serve as a daily dose of self improvement. I often get introduced to new products, books & websites this way.

While listening to The Dave Ramsey show podcast a while back, he mentioned a book by Tom Corley called Rich Habits, where he outlines 20 things the rich do every day.

Now 'rich' means a lot of different things for different people. For me it means being financially independent & responsible, having balance, and having a general sense of self worth & success. Living comfortably & responsibly. It's not necessarily about reaching a certain salary or net worth.

I thought it would be fun to see how many of these things I do each day & what I still need to work on. I'm nowhere near reaching my ultimate financial goals, but practicing these things should help me keep on track.

Here is a little background about what Tom had to say & how he conducted his research...

 20 Things the Rich Do Every Day

1. Eat Healthy: 70% of wealthy eat less than 300 junk food calories per day. 97% of poor people eat more than 300 junk food calories per day. 23% of wealthy gamble. 52% of poor people gamble. I definitely eat a mostly healthy diet & don't gamble except maybe like $5.

2. Focus: 80% of wealthy are focused on accomplishing some single goal. Only 12% of the poor do this.  I would say my focus is pretty good on reaching my business, fitness & overall life goals. Would like to focus more on my blogging goals.

3. Exercise: 76% of wealthy exercise aerobically 4 days a week. 23% of poor do this. I exercise between 4-6 days per week, not even including my daily walks with Kobe.

4. Listen: 63% of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work vs. 5% for poor people. Not audiobooks, but I'm counting podcasts & talk radio because it's focused on self improvement.

5. To-Do: 81% of wealthy maintain a to-do list vs. 19% for poor. Oh yeah, to-do list all day every day.

6. Read: 63% of wealthy parents make their children read 2 or more non-fiction books a month vs. 3% for poor. Well, I'm not a parent, but I do not read 2 non-fiction books a month. Would like to start a goal for reading maybe one per month. Starting with this book & then Jon Acuff's book Start.

7. Volunteer: 70% of wealthy parents make their children volunteer 10 hours or more a month vs. 3% for poor. I am not volunteering right now but have been thinking about starting at the Humane Society. I need to call this week.

8. Call: 80% of wealthy make hbd (Happy Birthday) calls vs. 11% of poor. I text or facebook mostly, not sure if that counts.

9. Write Goals: 67% of wealthy write down their goals vs. 17% for poor. I do make a rough business plan each year, but I need to start a goal journal where I write each day.

10. Read: 88% of wealthy read 30 minutes or more each day for education or career reasons vs 2% for poor. I read blogs & articles & that totally counts.

11. Speak Your Mind: 6% of wealthy say what’s on their mind vs. 69% for poor. I'm pretty good at speaking my mind but there is always room for improvement here.

12. Network: 79% of wealthy network 5 hours or more each month vs. 16% for poor. I network with people I know, but I need to join a young professionals network & go to events.

13. Less TV: 67% of wealthy watch 1 hour or less of TV. every day vs. 23% for poor. Epic fail. I watch tv a lot at nights, but it's mostly in the background while I'm doing other things.

14. No Trash TV: 6% of wealthy watch reality TV vs. 78% for poor. Another epic fail. Maybe I will be in that 6%?? Can't give up RHOC. Come on now.

15. Rise Early: 44% of wealthy wake up 3 hours before work starts vs.3% for poor. Yes! I love my morning alone time to read, drink coffee and get outside & walk.

16. Teach: 74% of wealthy teach good daily success habits to their children vs. 1% for poor. I don't have children, but will totally teach them when the time comes.

17. Good Habits: 84% of wealthy believe good habits create opportunity luck vs. 4% for poor. Definitely. You create your success.

18. Bad Habits: 76% of wealthy believe bad habits create detrimental luck vs. 9% for poor. Or your create your failure.

19. Improve & Learn: 86% of wealthy believe in life-long educational self-improvement vs. 5% for poor. Definitely. Even though I didn't go the traditional educational route, I am constantly learning & improving.

20. Read: 86% of wealthy love to read vs. 26% for poor. I love reading & couldn't live without it.
 

My Take

So my score is a 12/20. Definitely room for improvement. I would like to focus on improving more on volunteering, networking & writing down goals. For now I'm willing to keep my reality TV habit, I don't think it will prove to be that detrimental to my success ;)

I definitely agree that all of these could do nothing but improve your chances of success. I'm a true believer that exercise & healthy eating helps in all aspects of your life, along with being organized & maintaining a to-do list.

What did you score out of 20? Can you improve on some things? What are your strong points?

xo
Sam

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Let's talk organizing! I've put together some tips that I use around my own home to keep things running smoothly, feel free to read through & leave any other tips you have in the comments. Let's get started...

Stock up on decorative and functional containers.

I literally go nuts over places like Ikea & The Container Store.. but I realize not everyone is a freak like me! Try to humor me here & get a little bit excited about containers, mmkay?

 First off, for containers that will be on display, try finding something decorative & well, pretty! Search places like TJMaxx, Target, or Home Goods for different sizes, shapes & colors to fit your needs. Amazon also has some good options like these baskets, these wire containers, and these waffle shelf totes.

As for the not so pretty stuff, like dividers for drawers, or containers that will be hidden away in cabinets or closets, you can go a little cheaper here. I LOVE The Dollar Store for these type of purchases. They have lots of different sizes that are completely functional.



You can also even make some of your own by getting crafty & covering boxes you have on hand with craft paper. Velveeta boxes are the perfect size for pens & pencils. Who knew?! The big canisters from dishwasher tablets and oatmeal can also be covered & repurposed.

 

Pencil bags aren't just for elementary kiddos.

In elementary school I already loved organization. I would get excited about filling my new pencil bags with gel pens & going to town! These days I still get excited about pencil bags, believe it or not. Why? Because they are PERFECT for storing stuff, especially in your office area.

Pick up the kind with clear inserts, like these above from Dollar Tree & fill with everyday items. Here are some of the things I use them for:

-Pens & pencils
-Mail supplies such as envelopes, return address labels & stamps
-Tape, glue, staples
-Note pads, post-its
-Business cards
-Puzzles
-Card games >> since the boxes almost always get torn up anyway.

Store household items grouped together by function or area. Give everything a 'home' of it's own.

Here are a few categories that account for a lot of the 'stuff' in my home. I've found that by keeping each group of items together in one place, separate from other junk, I can maintain order a lot easier.

Household cleaning supplies
We choose to keep ALL of our cleaning supplies in the kitchen cabinet under the sink, organized in containers. When we need to use cleaning supplies, we pull the 'caddy' out, fill with the products we need, use them, and return to their 'home' under the sink.

Extra paper & toiletry items
Because we shop at Costco & Sam's sometimes for paper goods & toiletries, we often end up with an overflow. So for things like extra toilet paper, paper towels, mouthwash, etc. we've carved out a home in the upstairs closet to house all of these extras.

Towels & Linens
We have one linen closet upstairs that houses extra towels & sheets. Each bathroom also has it's own stash of extra towels & washcloths.

Laundry supplies
All of our detergent, fabric softener, bleach and dryer sheets are stored in baskets on shelves in the laundry room.

Dog stuff
With 2 dogs comes a lot of dog related stuff, so we've created a cabinet specifically for this purpose. It houses everyday items like leashes & collars, plus any medications, extra treats, dog shampoo, toys that are not being used, etc.


At some point I will get into more detail & show some of these areas in my home, along with other places I organize including closets, jewelry, make-up, tools and more!

What are some organization tips you find handy?

xo
Sam

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One of my favorite things to do is decorate or rearrange rooms in our house. Something about that just lights a little fire inside me or something... it's fun, no? If it was a perfect world, I would completely redecorate every season!

Sidenote: The fact that Jason & I recently visited Homearama here in Louisville is just further feeding my addiction! I mean, do you SEE this mirror??



Alas, without a limitless budget and an abundance of free time, it can be hard to completely wipe the slate clean & re-do a room from scratch. Sure, I might want to re-paint, buy new furniture and all new accessories, but a girl's gotta be realistic!

So, instead of completely starting over, I've found that I can dramatically change the look & feel of a room by switching out a few basic things to reflect my mood & totally revamp the overall feel & style of the room!

First up, throw pillows!

Look at all the choices! The options are truly unlimited. Try mixing different patterns, solids, colors & textures for an updated look. Throw pillows definitely don't have to be expensive, so you can created big impact for little commitment. Besides Etsy, I love looking for pillow covers at Hobby Lobby. They always seem to have a big selection and you can use your 40% off coupon and drag your boyfriend with you so he can use a coupon too. Who doesn't love an excuse to go to Hobby Lobby anyway??

Next up, artwork!


Add a few unique pieces.

Your home is just that, your home. So my opinion is that it should reflect you, but in a chic way that makes sense. Try finding unique pieces that reflect your style, personality or interests. Say you like polka dots. Well you don't necessarily have to paint polka dots on your wall in order to enjoy them. Try a try like the one below & place on a table top full of books & a candle...


You can find these pieces anywhere, and you don't have to spend a ton of money. One of my favorite things to do is go to thrift stores or even goodwill & hunt down accessories I can clean up or repurpose. One of my favorite things I've found so far is this vintage inspired checker board.
Instead of just displaying on it's own, I used grouped it with other items to show it off.


Play around with your curtains.

Curtains are really one of those things that can take a room to the next level. Play around with color, patterns, valances & rods. Curtains are another way to add tons of personality & color to a room but are still easy to switch up. And please, please stay away from those mini blinds!



Try hanging your curtains as shown below to make your windows appear larger & let in tons of natural light.

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