Flight Delays, Gratitude, & Favorite Holiday Traditions

If you can name one thing worse than winter storm flight cancellations in Kansas during the weekend after thanksgiving, now would be the time to speak up! I am currently on my second cancellation in 24 hours due to icy conditions and I would be lying if I said that my gracious, thankful attitude wasn't getting worn a bit thin. 

Of course it is ridiculous for me to get so worked up over something like flight cancellations when there are real problems in the world. I have a loving, happy, healthy family, great friends, a beautiful home, an amazing boyfriend, a job that I enjoy, and so many other blessings in my life that far outweigh the negatives! 

But I really just want to get home so I can decorate for christmas and get into the Christmas freaking spirit gosh darn it!!! In the wise words of Buddy (the Elf), I am an angry elf right now. And also maybe a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins but that's another story...

Anyways, I have decided to entertain myself by making a list of my favorite holiday traditions...

1. Christmas Movies! Love Actually, Elf, The Family Stone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Holiday, The Polar Express, I love them all!

2. Christmas Music! I love listening to She & Him, Ariana Grande, Ceelo's christmas albums right now, but the oldies are amazing too, and I'm a sucker for country christmas music...

3. Making Christmas Cookies! My dad always makes his famous chocolate chip cookies at christmas and they are so delicious :) I also like making and decorating sugar cookies, but they definitely don't taste as good as his! Then, to counter the sweetness of the cookies, my mom makes AMAZING trash (chex mix not garbage haha) and I spend a good 60% of the holidays alternating between cookies and trash!

4. Decorating the tree. There is something so magical about making some hot cocoa, putting on some christmas music, and getting out the ornaments to decorate the tree. My parents tree is always covered in the ornaments my sister and I made when we were little and it brings back so many great memories to see them all on our tree :)

5. Pajamas! Every year we all get a pair of cozy pajamas on christmas eve and everyone has to sleep in them and wear them the next morning. I am all about those footie pajamas...

6. Napping by the fire. After the presents are opened, we're all full of pancakes and coffee, and everyone is comfy and warm, I love to curl up next to the fireplace with a good book and relax. 

7. Spending time with family. This is my absolute favorite thing about the holidays! Especially now that we don't live in the same state I am so excited to get to spend part of the holidays with them. None of the other parts of christmas would even matter without getting to experience it with family and friends!

These are just a few of my favorite things about christmas! What are some of your best memories and favorite traditions from the holiday season??

E

Weekend Vibes & Kitchen Update

Things have finally slowed down a little bit. I've been spending my time unpacking boxes slowly but surely, filling out paperwork for my new company, and nesting into this wonderful home of ours. It always takes a little bit of time to adjust and make a new house feel like a home, but this transition has been seamless and it already feels like home here. 

Even though it's November, it has been in the 70's during the day down here so we have been leaving the windows open and letting the cool breeze blow through the house. Not that I don't love warm weather, but it is definitely weird not having it be cold and snowy this far into the winter! To make up for the lack of wintery atmosphere I have been diffusing a Balsam Fir/Cinnamon/Peppermint blend to make it smell like home. I love the smell of all the spices swirling through the house as we sip our coffee and read under clean, warm blankets on the couch. That is definitely my happy place!

With the holidays upon us, I cant help but miss home and family a bit more than usual. It can be pretty isolating when you first move to a new place. And even though we've only moved a few miles closer to base I haven't had a chance to meet the neighbors yet so it has been a little lonely. But not for long! I am totally that nerdy neighbor who will knock on your door with cookies so I can introduce myself (maybe its my inner Realtor coming out...)

There is also so much to do that I haven't had much time to sit down and really think about all the changes we have been making! Getting a business up and running is no easy task! There are signs and cards to be ordered, advertising to be done, and paperwork to fill out. But, everyone has been so wonderfully supportive that I can't help but smile when I think of what the future holds. Not to mention, the decorating possibilities for a home office are pretty unlimited...and you know how much I love a good room-specific, home decor Pinterest board :)

Currently, I am in the process of getting some before and after pictures done of the house but there are still a lot of boxes to unpack and honestly, I am not in too big of a rush to unpack them! Whenever I move, the room I always unpack first is the kitchen. Kitchens are the eternal hang out room especially when they open up into the living space, which is why I think a good open floor plan is important. It allows the energy to flow easily from one space to another. Both my family and J's are foodies so somehow we always end up loitering near the food areas, therefore, the kitchen is the first room to get set up and ready to go! Here are some pictures of the progress we have made in the kitchen...

More to come soon! Hope you all have a great Saturday :)

-E

Our crazy, hectic, amazing, hilarious, messy, awesome week.

Holy moly. This week has been absolutely ridiculous. I've heard the saying, 'when it rains, it pours' but now I believe it with all of my heart! First off I would like to say that J and I have AMAZING friends. There is no way we would have gotten through this week without you guys! You helped us move, unpack, gave us your boxspring, brought us food, and kept us laughing and having fun during this whole experience!

On that note, let's jump right in! On Tuesday, we closed on our house. I can't count the number of closings I've been to in my life, and that moment when my clients get the keys to their new house is always my absolute favorite part of the whole buying experience. But this time it was us who got the keys, and I am happy to say that it is even more amazing being on the receiving end! This was also my first experience with the new TRID laws as a realtor (yes, I was our real estate agent haha) and I have to say that our lender and title company were informed and on top of things the whole time. It was a definite learning experience though, and I'm glad that we were the guinea pigs so that now I know what to tell my clients to expect :)

One thing that J and I have been laughing about all week is how crazy it is that we are 'adulting' so hard right now. I never thought I would be so excited about appliances...but let me tell you, getting that washer and dryer hooked up was probably the highlight of my day! It can be a little scary when you do something as permanent as buying a house, or putting down roots in a new place, but it is also so very exciting. It's important to realize that as young twenty-somethings it IS a good idea to start building a foundation for your success, but that that doesn't mean you have to become a boring old, suit and tie wearing, stick up the butt 'adult'. That notion is completely archaic and stereotypical, and if you have the resources to build equity in your life now, go for it! You can still have a kegger in your brand new 'adult' home, you can decorate it the way you want, you can rent it out for a couple of years and then sell it for more than you bought it. 

Basically what I am saying is that, we love our new home and it is crazy to think that this is where we are at this point in our lives. You never really know what direction your life will take you, especially when the military is involved. All you can do is jump in with both feet and enjoy the ride!

Speaking of jumping in with both feet and enjoying the ride...

After a lot of thought and consideration (and advice from trusted friends & family) I have decided to open my own real estate brokerage while we are here in Florida. My brief stint with Keller Williams was great and I learned A LOT, but in my heart I know that going back to my small business roots will allow me to better serve my community and provide my clients with a more hand on and personalized experience. I'M SO EXCITED!! I absolutely can not wait to continue building this business venture and see where it goes. 

Overall, this week was completely insane. We still have boxes everywhere, I can't find any of my leggings, and the battery in J's car may be dead...BUT we found the coffee maker, all the animals made it un-traumatized, and we finally have a bed frame. Life is good.

What would make me reaaaally happy right now is if we could go get our christmas tree, but even I can admit that it is a little too soon. So, for now, I will content myself by diffusing my christmas blend oils and burning my frasier fir tree candles :)

I hope that everyone had a great week! The holidays are officially upon us and 2015 is coming to an end. There has been a lot of negativity and violence in the world in recent months, and my hope for all of you is that you continue to see the light in dark times. Treat everyone with respect no matter their religion, skin color, language, or beliefs, be thankful for what you have, help those in need, and always tell your people that you love them. Life is too short to give in to the darkness, and it's important to remember that every single act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a huge difference. 

Happy Friday <3

flexoffers

Happy 240th Birthday Marines

This weekend we got to take a break from the packing fiasco and celebrate the 240th birthday of the Marine Corps at the annual birthday ball. It was such a good time (even though we only made it to the pre-ball) and it was nice to let loose and celebrate with friends, both new and old. The music was good, everyone looked beautiful, and we all ate and drank more than we should have! 

It's nice to get super dressed up every once in a while and spend the day pampering yourself. I don't normally go all out on things like this but on Saturday I did the whole shebang; spray tan, hair, makeup...I even shaved my legs. You're welcome. Haha. Seeing J in uniform is definitely the best part though. I'll tell you one thing, I've never in my life been a uniform chaser, but seeing him in his dress blues makes me understand where they are coming from! Soooo handsome <3

We had a great evening, and ended the night at the whiskey bar, eating french fires as a night cap. Not too shabby ;) 

Today, after recuperating and having a huge brunch with friends, we tried very hard to 'adult' and went to look at appliances for the new house. It is insane how long the list of things you need in a new house is. We had to completely leave the store to regroup! I've worked with enough first time home buyers to know that this process is overwhelming but being on this side of the transaction I'm learning that the actual purchase is just the tip of the iceberg as far as making a house a home goes!

But we are SO excited! The countdown is at t-2 days! That's insane. It's also insane how much we still need to pack. Of course instead of packing right now I'm making home made buttermilk biscuits and blogging, and J is playing Fallout 4. We're very productive and can't be disturbed right now, obviously. 

The next couple of weeks are going to be incredibly busy and hectic but I'm going to diffuse my holiday oils, listen to christmas music, pack like a mad woman, and get it over with as quickly as possible so we can start my favorite time of the year!!

Woo-hoo! Hope everyone else had a great weekend, stay tuned for the next bit of madness...

E

Little Friday

Boxes, boxes, boxes, coffee. 

This morning I am working from home instead of my usual coffee shop in order to get our life packed into boxes and ready for our move. The SECOND one this year I might add. Hooray Marine Corps! But seriously, I am so excited and thankful to be moving into our new house. I've spent my morning making a couple of cold calls, transaction coordinating a bit, piling books up, wrapping dishes up, listening to NPR, and chugging coffee like my life depends on it. 

Good thing I work well under pressure! Work is incredibly busy all of the sudden so it's been difficult to find time to get things packed up but this morning I am on a roll. And thank goodness because I know that moving day will be here before we know it, and the holidays will follow almost immediately. 

I'm excited for all of the festivities we are going to have in the new place; decorating, getting a big christmas tree, baking in a REAL kitchen, listening to holiday music! But, I definitely subconsciously skipped over the whole packing and moving thing in my brain which was a huge amateur move. Oh well, I'm on it now, and actually I find it very therapeutic to go through our things and organize/pack them up. It's a good way to get rid of things you don't need and get your life organized again.

With all that being said, moving is still a pain in the you-know-what and unfortunately a big part of military life. I even have an entire pinterest board dedicated to PCSing and moving tips (feel free to check it out...there is actually some awesome info) But the best tips I can give in regards to moving are below...

1. Start early. 
2. Go one room at a time.
3. Get free boxes from grocery stores, costco, or ask around on the spouse pages on FB.
4. For the love of god, USE LABELS!
5. News paper, and styrofoam/paper plates make packing kitchen stuff up really easy.
6. You need more tape than you think.
7. Use blankets, pillows, and linens to keep breakable things safe.
8. Ask for help. Have your friends come help you move and provide beer and pizza!
9. Pack the heaviest stuff in small boxes so you don't overload them.
10. Put the things you will need right away in a very obvious box. (cough cough toilet paper cough)

Hope these little tid-bits help!
E

Monday Motivation

On days like today; rainy days, cold rainy days, cold rainy MONDAYS to be specific, it can be nearly impossible to get out of bed and face another week day no matter how much you love your job. With the blankets so warm, the air chilly after leaving the windows open all night, and the rain pouring down outside, it almost seems like the world should just stop and go back to sleep. Alas, that never seems to be the case. With that being said, here are a few things that motivated me to get up and moving this morning...

Coffee. That and the short amount of time in the mornings where I get to drink my coffee and read a little, or catch up on my favorite blogs before heading into the office.

Putting on some warm, cozy knits and a pair of leggings, because you know what? I don't care if they aren't 'pants,' my sweater covers my butt anyways. 

Listening to NPR or a good podcast. This helps me get out of my head in the morning and hopeful learn something new that I didn't know before, whether it's a world event, how a piece of technology works, or just a good book I haven't read. 

Diffusing peppermint oil. I love the way this oil smells and it definitely helps alert your senses in the morning! Sometimes I diffuse a blend by adding lavender, tangerine, or eucalyptus. 

And lastly, knowing that at the end of the day I get to come home, put my sweatpants on, make a hot cup of tea, and curl up on the couch with some huge, fluffy blankets and a good book!

What makes your Monday go by quickly?

Easy Like A Sunday Morning

Rain pouring down outside. Chicken & wild rice soup on the stove. And apple pie in the oven. It may not feel like November outside right now, but inside our cozy, little apartment it sure does smell like it! 

I really do love our little life down here in Florida. Being far away from family is tough but its been so neat to grow as a couple on our own. It makes you really appreciate the small things like the times you DO get to spend with family but also the times where you only have each other to rely on. 

During the week we are so busy with our respective jobs that weekends have become our refuge. Maybe I'm just becoming an old lady but there is honestly nothing better than spending the weekend in your sweatpants, cooking good food, watching Mountain Men, and relaxing on the couch with a couple of dogs, my babe, and some coffee. 

Now we just have to work up the motivation to pack everything up for our move next week! I can't believe that this is our second to last weekend in our apartment, but we are both so excited to finally get into the new house. Moving is a huge part of the military life but it is still a big old pain in the you-know-what! Good thing we have such amazing friends to come help us get in gear...you know who you are...haha!

Anyways, change is in the air & the next couple of weeks will be pretty darn exciting :) Getting into our new place right before the holidays and being able to decorate, buy a huge christmas tree, bake in our new kitchen, and have friends over to celebrate makes me so happy. There is nothing better than being able to share these times with good friends and family and I have a feeling that 2015 is going to go out with a bang!

Happy Sunday :)

Have a Mindful Monday

As someone who gets easily excited and passionate about random causes and then has a hard time containing said excitement, there is a certain level of mindfulness that I always try to maintain. However, just like everyone, its hard to keep from falling off the bandwagon every once in a while especially about things like politics, religion, animal rights, HUMAN rights, you know, the touchy subjects. It's easy to become so passionate about your opinions that you forget to try understanding the others persons perspective. I'm not saying you have to agree or chose to even accept someones opinion when it is so far from your own, but all any of us really wants is to be heard and respected. 

That being said, since this is the season of forgiveness and love and kindness, I want to take extra measures to go out on a limb for others. I also want to try thinking a bit more before I speak, something that I'm okay about most of the time but an area that could still use a decent bit of work. 

Here are my goals for the rest of this year (and in general) concerning mindfulness:

1. Put a positive spin on everything. Not in that annoying, cheerful, beat to death kind of way. Just in that whole, hey, I want to try not to spread any unnecessary negativity around kind of way.

2. Up my random acts of kindness game. ESPECIALLY when it is not convenient to me. 

3. Build other people up, make them feel good about what they are doing, always encourage others to be the best they can be

4. Promote peace, love, and acceptance with my actions as well as speech

5. Read more so I can learn more about things I don't understand

6. Try to keep my sarcasm in check every once in a while, and fall back on self-deprecation less. 

Happy Monday - keep that caffeine intake up!

November First

I feel like I say this every month but, how is it already November?? I love this time of year, it has all of the best holidays, the weather makes everything cozy and romantic, and there is just something about the holiday season that makes the important things in life come to light a bit brighter than usual. Family, friends, love, hope, random acts of kindness, helping others, selflessness, warmth, good food, cozy decor...I love it all!

Also, I feel like after halloween it is finally acceptable to start thinking about Christmas. I know, I know, many of you just cringed and almost threw your computer. BUT, I already promised J that I wouldn't start really getting into the full swing of things until after Thanksgiving. Which, is completely fine with me considering all that we have going on right now. We are finally moving out of our tiny, dank apartment and into a real house. Maybe J never stood a chance with a Realtor as a girlfriend, but he has decided to buy a house down here and hopefully we will be moving into our new home in the next week or so!

Of course, I'm over here pinning like a madwoman and coming up with decor and paint for each room even though its not going to be our 'forever home'. That's one of the tricky parts about military life, you don't want to invest too much money, time, or energy into a place you won't be living for very long. But, at the same time, each place becomes your home because of the wonderful people so it's hard not to want to have that feeling spill over into the place you're living. With that being said, I'm moving forward at full speed ahead, but in a thriftier than usual style. This house will become a rental for us so we want it to be nice and homey for ourselves as well as those who rent it afterwards. 

So, before I jump the gun on interior Christmas decor I'm going to focus on FRIENDSGIVING! Friendsgiving is the Holiday that comes either directly before or directly after Thanksgiving. It is a time to celebrate with your friends, eat a bunch of good food, and remember how thankful you are for the good things in your life. It will be so wonderful to start life in our new home by celebrating with friends and filling our home with good juju. Here are some decor ideas for our new place from my Friendsgiving pinterest board.