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I haven't been doing super awesome in this quarantine when it comes to my health and fitness goals. To try to get back on track with my goals I decided to embark on another fast, this time extending it to five days. Similar to my last fast, which was three days, I chose to continue to include some diet sodas and water enhancers but the majority of my intake was water. I made sure to add in electrolytes so that I wouldn't have muscle cramps and other side effects as well as limited my exercise significantly and added in some extra sleep each night. My results were actually really good on the weight loss front but I wouldn't recommend this as a purely weight loss tactic as it can be quite difficult and has a potential to cause issues with your mental view on food if you have issues in that realm. So, results: I lost 10.3 pounds (but I gained 2 pounds back over the next two days so I would say just over 8 pounds in 5 days). As for measurements, see below for the amounts I lost during the five days. Chest: -1.5 inches Bust: -1.2 inches Thigh: -2.0 inches Hips: -0.5 inches Belly Button: -1.5 inches Waist: -1.5 inches Arm: 0.00 inches Neck: -0.3 inches Calf: -1.0 inches Total Inches: -9.5 inches All in all, I would say it was a good experience but there were definite down sides. For instance, my energy levels were noticeably lower during the week. Watch the above video on my channel (subscribe for new content 3-5 times per week!) about the results and experience. Until next time,  Day 55:
I decided it was time to leave the safety of my home for a few days. I made it only as far as the village by the time darkness fell due to harvesting needs at the farm so I stayed with the villagers. I bring with me a bed and a few days of bread as well as my tools. Anything else I fear may exceed my ability to carry depending on the journey ahead. I am notating the coordinates of my home in the hope to return there soon. -204.662 / 67.93750 / -336.675 Night 56: The first night in the wilderness went without incident. I can still see the looming cliffside that is near the village and am using it to gauge direction. I hear an animal but cannot find it. That is the purpose of this expedition: find animals for the homestead. Other odd things of note (outside of my fear of the dark that did not exist two months past) are the floating trees and islands that I have passed. What kind a place has both monsters and defies the basic law of gravity other than a dream world? Day 57: Today I died. It was not an animal making the lowing sound but rather a herd (is that the right term?) of the undead and the exploding monsters that I have since been informed are called creepers. I fell into a pit while attempting to track the sound down and was immediately blown up and attacked from all directions. Somehow I ended up back in the snow but without any of my gear just moments later. I quickly made my way back to the safety of my home as without a bed, food or a sword I would not have survived in the wilderness. I will try again after I have built up my stores again to do so. For now I am a farmer and miner again on the outskirts of the village. Day 58: Today was about getting back on track. I brought in a small harvest and made bread and tools that I will need in order to go out and find more ore for armor. It was a quick but good day. Day 59: I tried to mine in the cliffs by the village today… no iron found and it was pretty creepy actually. There is a lava flow next to both iron and coal deposits on the other side of the village in a deep ravine. I’m just unsure how to get there. I may try to create a stairway down but it will take several days and many pickaxes to do so. I’ll update if I am able to get there. Day 60: I’ve started the staircase to the lava field. I already found some more iron, not much but a little. Day 62: I passed the lava fall on my staircase creation today. I lost a few pieces of iron ore due to location, it fell over the ledge as I was mining it… I was quite upset about it but kept mining downwards. I am pleased with my progress but still have a long way to go to reach the bottom of the ravine and be able to plan for my next steps.I’m focusing solely on safely making it to the bottom, cutting away parts of the mountain, placing tiles of cobblestone and torches to make the descent safer. It’s been a long couple of days but I’m making progress. Day 65: I have so much cobblestone. Day 67: Pay dirt! Well iron ore and gravel but still, this was definitely the way to go. The only issue is the amount of time I spend traveling to/from and descending/ascending the mineshaft. I feel I could do a lot more work if my house was closer. I may need to build a small shack nearby and travel back home every other day… there would certainly be more progress made if I did. It would eat up some of this cobblestone too. So much cobblestone. Day 69: Someone else had the same thought as me at some point. I have found an abandoned mine. Creepers keep appearing so I am heading home for the day to craft more torches and at least one more sword. Day 70: I’m getting faster at basic tasks, I built a mini-castle (no windows or anything inside but well protected) in less than a day. Tomorrow I explore the newly discovered mine shafts. Wish me well. 
Day 71:
Baby zombies… three of them… in the mines. I died a second death today and awoke at midday in the Miner’s Quarters I built near the mines. I wonder if dying and returning from the dead will become commonplace for me soon. I gathered what I could of what the beasties had stripped me of in my death and went home to tend to the farm as it is the second day since I left home now and I will have crops ready to harvest. Tomorrow I shall return to the mine and hope to never again come across those hell-spawn children. Day 72: I was tending the garden before heading to the mines when a new kind of monster appeared before me in the animal pens (still as yet empty unfortunately). Tall and all black but with a mysterious purple cloud of dust that matched his eyes. I don’t know what he is but avoided him. I didn’t want to die twice in as many days. Perhaps I will learn more about what this creature is and how he, obviously, differs from the other creatures that have heretofore spawned here. These creatures are giving me anxiety attacks but I must press on. As a side note: I was able to plant two small pumpkins and potatoes today in the garden. My crop of wheat is plentiful but a bit boring at times and I was able to acquire some new seeds over the past few days. 
Day 72 Addendum:
I added torches throughout the property after another of those dark creatures appeared. I may be overreacting and light obviously does not keep these creatures at bay but it brought home that my home was well lit but not the grounds so I remedied that before the day’s end. Day 74: I have begun work on a bridge beside the waterfall in the gorge mine. It is actually really beautiful here if you can ignore the anxiety of possible monsters lurking behind every corner. I have found enough iron to make a set of armor so on my next trip home I will be crafting armor for myself. Day 75: Today I finished the first bridge across the gorge. This bridge’s completion allowed me to create a path, including another bridge, to the bottom of the gorge. Finally. I believe it is safe where I am currently but this will not be true for long as I aim to go deeper. I am finding coal more often now which is quite useful and I have enough now to need not worry about my current needs. My next projects are two: I am thinking of starting a stone staircase up to some iron I can see on the wall here soon. Also, I can see a new type of material behind the lava falls which has me curious. I’m not sure what it is or if it is worth the effort it will be to get there but may go and see this week after my return home. Day 77: I have spent the last two days traveling and being at the castle. It has been nice being out of the mines. I think next time I am home I will try to learn to fish… I really want to learn this skill. Having something besides bread and beet soup would be wonderful. I made my armor while I was home… I now look like a very shiny tin man and it took a long time to gather the iron to craft it but I am now much more protected from the creatures in the mines so it is worth the effort. I am settling in for the evening back at the Miner’s Quarters and tomorrow I head back into the mines. 
Day 78:
Today I went fishing. It took a little bit of time to get the hang of it but it was quite relaxing and I pulled in 5 fish of two varieties. This meant that I was able to use my smoker for the first time today which was lovely. I am looking forward to having fish for dinner today. I also harvested my first pumpkin today. I didn’t realize it needed the block next to it to be empty to grow. Lesson learned. Day 81: Today I was set upon by some kind of mob… their leader (I think) wore a headpiece of some kind. They attacked with arrows. I was able to stay inside until most of them left but when I went to the roof of the Miner’s Quarters an arrow found me and I fell to the ground. Fighting just one was not difficult, especially with the armor that I now possess. I wonder who these people are. 
Other than that today was very normal: I mined. I did create another staircase to the surface that is a bit faster from further into the gorge for ease of entry/exit and found more iron ore when looking briefly into another pit on my way back to the homestead. There are so many caverns into the earth near the village it's no wonder there are creatures everywhere. I find it odd that the villagers have crafted their homes from snow and ice rather than the more formidable and readily available stones of the area as I have.
Night 82: Today was an interesting day. I was attacked by no fewer than 5 zombies in the early daylight hours. It was a battle I can gladly say I was up to, though the flames that beset them in the daylight likely helped my situation greatly. Finally I was set upon by a creeper. All within the span of about two minutes while tending the garden and producing bone meal, a substance crafted from all kinds of excess vegetation that increases the growth speed of my plants. After this was over and I had finished tending the garden I decided it was time I stayed up all night… but from the safety of my rooftop rather than out in the night alone. It feels much safer atop a building with plenty of torches. Perhaps I am getting more brave but it is in incrementally small steps I fear. Day 83: The night is alive with life here! Monstrous life but life nonetheless. There were dozens of creatures I have already encountered: spiders, zombies, and creepers but also what appeared to be skeletons. These I hid from as they wielded bows and I am not so sure of my safety at this height from an arrow, especially amongst the hills that my home is nestled within. Surprisingly I did not feel fear until the dawn as I watched the zombies alight and heard moans that I could not place once I retreated to the inside of my home through the roof trap door. I shall craft supplies and stay near the homestead, setting out to spend the evening at the Miner’s Quarters this evening to descend once again into the gorge tomorrow. 
Day 84:
I didn’t end up going to the mines today. Instead I went rabbit hunting… well I tried to find and lure a rabbit back to the pens on my land. It worked, eventually. Only issue was that the rabbit was jumping really high and I was afraid the wall wasn’t tall enough so as I was digging the pen deeper to make sure it didn’t get away it must’ve jumped in front of me and *poof* no more rabbit. I heard the sound but found nothing left behind so I’m not 100% sure that is what happened… but probably killed the rabbit with a hunk of dirt, perfect. I went ahead and deepened all the pens and harvested again today to make full use of what daylight was left. I have enough for a nice amount of rations to take to the Miner’s Quarters now. That is good. I need to start venturing further away but there are just so many things to do near the village, the mine still has so much to see for instance. I don’t think I will ever get animals for my homestead without leaving though… something to consider. Day 87: The past few days have been spent converting the Miners’ Quarters into what I am calling, for now, the Glass House. It will double as both the Miners’ Quarters and a Night Watch Area. I am fascinated by the abundance of creatures that appear each and every night. I have gathered a few things come dawn and even killed a few come dawn but have yet to venture out into the night. The house isn’t anything special outside of its lack of opacity… a simple box within which I dug down so that everything I need is below ground level. Torches are alight atop the structure and I have a set of glass stairs to the top for if I should need to go back to the roof. I put two beds (stolen unfortunately as I cannot find animals anywhere, much to my chagrin, from which to harvest the items necessary to create a bed on my own) in this structure. This was both to fill the small dwelling and to have a bed ready to pack with me should I decide to stay in the mines or venture into the wilderness again. Other than the beds I have a crafting table, furnace and large chest. The floor and stairs into and out of my subterranean glass home are made of granite.
I also went behind the lava falls today… it wasn’t anything special like I thought unfortunately but it is still a lovely area and I found some more iron for my trouble in that area of the cavern. There must be more in these caverns or someone wouldn’t have left a mine shaft behind (I have ventured only a small distance into this area as that is where I was overrun with baby zombies and the memory of that death still haunts me. I will go again but not yet.
Day 89: It took two days but I finally caught two rabbits and bred them. I’m exhausted. Tomorrow I head out in search of other animals. 
Day 90:
I found pigs! I unfortunately forgot to restock my carrots after the rabbits and so had to leave them. Then I fell into a ravine, albeit a small one, and am now lost in the wilderness. The trees are beautiful though. I’m going to try to get home. 
Day 91:
I made it home. I was quite lost for a while but eventually made the decision just to walk due east for as long as there was light. I was successful, thankfully, though it was an anxious time. I will restock, rest and care for the rabbits and farm tomorrow then head back out going due west. Day 93: I made it quite far today. I decided to build monoliths of dirt along my path as all the terrain looks alike. It will not keep me on track fully but I will know if I am not going correctly within a few hours of walking at least on the way home. I’m camping under the stars at the top of a mountain tonight. Day 94: I woke to see a polar bear in my path… it wasn’t near enough that I couldn’t avoid it but this is a new animal for me here. I wonder what other animals I will find, hopefully the ones I am after. 
Day 95: I have decided against going back. I am so tired of the snowy harsh landscape. There must be something else in this world, there is on Earth at least. Day 96: Today I found another village and a dam, I think. This was a very small village and I am still in the tundra. Day 100: I have been wandering for days. So far I have visited the mountains, taiga, and plains and even seen the ocean again several times. There have been more plentiful and varied animals as well as plant life as I have traveled and here, in the plains, there seems to be the most yet. I have seen wolves, foxes, bees, turtles, chickens, sheep, pigs, horses, and cows so far on my journey. I have not come across another village but I know that people must live here, it is too beautiful and full of life for them to have not. Once I have found another village I will build a new home. For now, I wander. Day 103: I have explored everywhere I can reach on foot at this point and have crafted a boat to continue my search of civilization, such that it is. Day 105: I have found a small settlement. It took two days on the water, with a stopover on land at nightfall to sleep, but I have done it. And it's in an area that is fairly lush with vegetation and there are animals nearby. I will begin creating a home here. Day 110: The new house is coming along nicely, I have made it from oak this time for a change of pace and to make use of the plentiful trees that cover the area that I am clearing for a home. This area has a lot of hills so I will be excavating dirt and moving it into position for most of the next week in order to create an efficient farm and animal pens. I have already seen chickens, cows and sheep so I know I will need at least three pens. I am excited to finally be able to tend animals here. Day 114: I have a nearly harvestable crop of wheat, 4 chickens and a cow at this point. I saw a sheep when I was out yesterday excavating dirt for the carrot and pumpkin patches so I will likely have sheep soon as well. The chickens are breeding well so far, just a few seeds a day are needed, but I cannot breed the cow until I find it a mate so I will likely need to go out in search of one soon. Another thing that is on my agenda for the next week is to craft a roof for this house but that will need to wait until I have finished establishing the farm. I am sad that I did not bring more of my things from my previous home… some more seeds, iron, etc. as that would make establishing this so much quicker but I am enjoying it nevertheless. Day 120: I now have a number of breeding cows, sheep and a full pen of chickens as well as crops of potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, and wheat. I don’t anticipate having any food needs… well, ever actually. I greatly enjoy having the farm complete even though it took so much time to finish. I hope to find some pigs still but so far have not seen any. There is a pen ready though, just in case. Day 121: My days are pretty much the same every day right now. I get up and harvest the pumpkins, gather eggs, feed all the animals and then do whatever is on the daily agenda… either harvesting wheat, carrots or butchering a few animals and adding the meat to the smoker to cook while I am out. There is still a large amount of the day free after this morning routine and right now I am utilizing the time seeking out Spruce trees to gather wood from and replant. I need them for the roof. Day 123: I have updated the facade of the house with some cobblestone to better fit into the village. It isn’t really possible though as my home is larger and has a large section of flat land built up (by hand) around it for the farm… but I am trying. I have the roof about half done at this point but it is slow going. Day 125: I have been stuck inside for a day and a half. For some reason there were a lot of monsters spawned right by the house and they are in large enough numbers that they WILL overwhelm me if I go out right now. It is very frustrating. If it was just a few I could handle it but so many… I will need to try to corner a few at a time in order to clear this up. Day 128: After clearing the monsters I decided it was time to start work on a mine. I will soon need a new iron sword and have yet to find any gemstones or other fun things in a mine so its about time to start mining again. Day 130: This morning I decided I wanted to cliff dive in the mornings over to the mine (it's on the other side of a pond/small lake) as it is so much faster and pretty fun to do rather than climbing down and making my way through patches of trees to then swim across the pond. I spent the morning gathering dirt and expanding the lake by a few tiles so that I would have an overhang and be able to dive into the pond from my farm. It's pretty fun, I highly recommend this… just make sure there are no monsters remaining if you are going first thing in the morning. I ran into a skeleton the other day in the lake and saw what appeared to be a water zombie the other morning. Life is pretty monotonous these days between running the farm and mining but I try to write every few days or if anything interesting happens. Day 132: There is a villager in the mine and he will not leave and keeps getting in the way of my mining operation. It is quite frustrating. He has been there for several days now so he must never leave. My mine shaft has gone down quite a bit now and I have only found coal and stones of various types so far: cobblestone, granite, diorite, andesite, sand, dirt, and gravel. On the topic of rocks and stones, there is a type of stone that I didn’t recognise on some of the village houses. I borrowed a piece to get a better look but it isn’t anything interesting… just mossy cobblestone. It looks interesting though. Day 133: I broke into a cave of some kind in the mine… I didn’t proceed further as it was the end of the day but will tomorrow. I can hear monsters in the cavern so I want to make sure I am as prepared as possible before entering. Right now it sounds like just spiders but you never know. Day 134: I ended up buried alive again today. I stayed too long in the mine and realized it must be getting close to dusk and headed to the surface… it was full dark already. I cannot make it across the lake and home in the dark. The monsters are too numerous at night. So I went back to a day 1 trick and buried myself alive for the night. I felt like some kind of vampire but I had dinner with me so it wasn’t too bad all in all… other than the whole being terrified thing. Day 135: I have spent the last two days puttering about the farm. It's not that I don’t want to go mining… it's that I don’t want to go mining. I have put up a series of fences, gates and torches that keep monsters away so I can even work at night. There may be a monster that can fly out there but so far I have not come across it and only the creepers and skeletons could hurt me superficially with my set up as it is. The farm is getting dull though. I still enjoy the simplicity of it and the beauty of watching the sunset over the sea in the evenings from my rooftop but I am starting to get antsy for more. Maybe it is time to do some overnight travel again or go back to the mines. I don’t know yet. ... I think this will be the end... I've started playing on multi-player servers with my boyfriend and his family more often and it will be a while until I get enough skill to do any of the fun things I am seeing them doing more than likely. haha Until next time,  My boyfriend, his brother, and his brother's girlfriend have been playing a lot of Minecraft lately. Until this week I had never played before but was invited into their game. I went into their server for a few hours and watched them playing at a level I couldn't hope to attain as a newbie... it had me feeling pretty useless in helping them accomplish the goals of the world they had created. So I decided to start my own game and learn from the bottom up. My boyfriend, M, wasn't available to play with me this weekend when I decided to jump into the game so I decided to send him entertaining updates on what I was learning. I did this in the form of texted 'journal entries' from the point of view of my character: a girl who woke up one day to find herself alone in a new world full of monsters. M got a kick out of it and decided to share it with a few others who also enjoyed it so I decided to share it here as well in case any of my followers also enjoy the game. Minecraft: A New WorldNight 1: Night takes forever without a bed to sleep... buried alive to hide from the monsters but the first day I got my crafting table and tools in wood and stone taken care of. No sheep so far, I appeared in the tundra (I assume, it's icy) on an island with in the middle of the see so haven't gotten far yet. I hate night, with a passion. The noises and unknown monsters above me. Dislike. Night 3: Buried alive again listening to the sounds of monstrous life above me. I still haven't found food in this frozen landscape, a fact that has concerned me greatly. I caught a rabbit today, it took forever and got nothing but a hide out of it so that didn't work out. I also constructed a furnace and made sugar... which apparently you can't eat (???). Still no bed. My stone pickax has taken a beating these last days but I have all the tools I need in stone now as well as a furnace and craft table. Will update again tomorrow if I survive day 4. Night 4: I found life today in the form of a small village. I am not proud but I stole from those hospitable people, bread, potatoes and a bed. One day I will make it up to them but it was greatly needed. Tonight will be my first restful sleep here. Night 5: I created a rudimentary house and from spruce today. It is barely large enough for my bed, furnace and craft table but it will suffice. I must now learn to either farm or raise animals for food to ensure my long term survival. I dearly miss my family and friends but I am surviving, one day at a time. Night 6: My hut now has a chest to hold items I do not need but may in the future. I caught a pig today and dined well come evening because of it. I also encountered some kind of lava monster on my hunt but fared well throughout the day with the exception of falling from an embankment. I am debating expanding my hut to a house but would need to navigate the mines for supplies, a daunting task. Night 7-9: I have been too exhausted to write the past two eves, mining cobblestone for my new home has been a grueling but satisfying task. My home's walls are made from the stone as is the roof, though I had to remove and raise it yesterday. The claustrophobia of low ceilings is not a joking matter. Day 10: I crafted glass for windows and two doors for my home today and installed a torch. I haven't figured out how to plant the seeds that I have harvested yet... there is much to learn yet about this strange place but having a secure home is helping to lessen the anxiety this place initially caused me. Day 11-14: I continue to go into the mines in search of iron. So far no luck. I have made a smoker though so when I find meat next it will be a fine evening indeed. Day 16: I spent much of the day creating an entrance to the mine near my home and creating an irrigation moat for my crops. Continuing this tomorrow Day 17: I have settled into a pattern here, near the village but distinctly apart from it in my home. My home is modeled after castles of old. I figured that castles kept armies at bay, they should work for the odd monsters that roam these lands. They still scare me greatly and I retreat at dusk each night to my castle on the hill but my farm is coming along and soon I shall have a crop to show for my labor. 
Day 21:
I spend my days looking for iron in the mines these days. There doesn't appear to be much and I am going through multiple pickaxes daily. I also can't tell when my crops are ready for harvest... maybe I should have taken some of those Ag classes in school after all. Who knew they would be useful. 
Day 32:
The garden is coming in nicely, finally got the irrigation as I want it. Entrance to the mine is nice but we had a cave in yesterday so the fencing needs replacing and path adjusted. 
Day 34:
Yesterday I created animal pens on the land I have claimed near the village. I do not yet know how I will get animals but now that the mine and farm are both progressing well it is time to expand my homestead. Perhaps I will visit the village today to see if anyone there has anything of worth to trade as well. Day 34 Addendum: There is a villager with llamas in my pens and I cannot make him leave not do I know how he entered through the gates. Also, the llamas are not friendly. Day 37: I have two llamas... decided to expand my house as the storage chests were making me claustrophobic. Day 39: The llamas are gone... disappeared in the night. 
Day 44:
Now that my basic needs are easily met and I understand the land and its terrible creatures I am looking towards wants more than needs. I wanted an ocean view from my house... so today I made it happen. Day 46: You know how they say you can move a mountain if you're determined enough. I have a grass front yard now instead of a beach. Day 47: I missed the beach. I added one in front of the front yard. Day 49: The llamas came back... they're mad... they have trapped me in my house. That's ok, I needed to organize the chests anyways... they were getting pretty cluttered. Day 49 Addendum: Staying inside was boring. Killed the llamas. Day 50: I enjoy watching the squid from my rooftop and the beach. One day I will learn to fish... today is not yet that day. The monsters come frequently now. I have encountered three kinds:
Day 52: I nursed my wounds last night... I encountered one of the exploding ones in the mine. It must have spawned behind me in the two seconds it took to place the torch. I never even saw it. This morning I crafted a breastplate and today I go back to the mines in search of more iron ore to complete a full set of armor. It is not the best armor but it will protect me more than none at all. Day 53: I built a boat today and went out on the sea. It is a rowboat and as such is difficult to navigate with on the open water but it will come in handy when I learn to fish and I love being out on the water. 
Day 54: I brought in my largest crop of wheat yet and finally learned to bake bread. Seemed a fitting thing to do. The mines haven’t been the same since mister explode-y showed up and I’ve stayed above ground more often. I left it here as it was the end of the weekend and date night was about to start. I may continue it in the future. If I do would you guys be interested in following along? Until next time, I'm excited to announce that we have a guest blogger today: Kris Louis of Parenting with Kris. She and her husband recently sold their home and wanted to share some of the tips and tricks they learned throughout the process. Please give her a warm welcome to the blog.   Source: Pexels 5 Ways Busy Parents Can Prepare Their Home for ShowingsYou’ve made the big decision to put your family’s home on the market. You know that relocating to a new neighborhood is the better choice for your family, but when you have young kids, preparing your home for showings is no easy task. As a busy parent with a packed schedule, you’re probably wondering how you can keep your house in order for buyers and keep your kids happy at the same time. It’s a balancing act, for sure, but sticking to a few basic guidelines will help. These tips can help busy parents get their house looking spotless from top to bottom before inviting in potential buyers. Make a Checklist Before you begin the staging process, come up with a checklist that will help you prepare for every open house. Having a list in front of you will help you stay on task when you’re juggling your responsibilities as a seller with parenting. Which tasks should you include on your list? Redfin suggests asking a loved one or pet sitter to watch your pets for a couple of hours during open houses. You’ll also need to ensure that any valuables in your house are safe and secure. In addition, make a note to open your blinds to let natural light in and take steps to minimize smells. Basic Home Makeover When you list your home for sale, it’s time to take down personal family items. According to HomeGo, depersonalizing your home is a crucial aspect of staging it for buyers — they need to be able to envision themselves living there. Don’t be surprised if this sparks some strong feelings from your children, especially when you have to make some changes to their rooms! Be patient with them and give them space to express their emotions. Decide What to Keep As you declutter your home, everyone in the family will have to be prepared to get rid of a few things. Help your kids sort through their toys and decide which ones they want to keep in the house, which can go in storage, and which they are ready to let go of. If your child is attached to a particular toy, make sure it does not get placed in storage! You can donate unwanted toys, or you could host a garage sale to bring in a little extra cash. Prevent Messes Want to spend less time cleaning up before having buyers over? Take steps to prevent your kids from creating messes in the first place. For instance, you might have to explain that they won’t be able to paint or do certain arts and crafts activities in the kitchen right now. It’s also smart to be a little stricter than usual about having your children take off their shoes after walking in the front door so that they don’t accidentally track mud through the house. Tidy Up Daily When you’re showing your home to buyers on a regular basis, the cleaning never really stops. You’ll need to spend a day or two deep cleaning each room, but even after you’ve put your mops and sponges away, you’ll need to keep up with your efforts to make your home shine. Each day, dedicate a little time to tidying up. Whenever possible, have a loved one watch your kids for an hour or two before each showing so that you can clean without interruptions. When you have children, keeping your home looking clean and tidy is an ongoing challenge. If it’s time for your family to pack up and move, you’ll have to put in a little extra effort to spruce it up before open houses. By keeping a checklist of essential tasks and making it a point to clean up each day, you’ll have no problem impressing prospective buyers.  When I set goals I typically do an overarching "One Word" goal as well as a set of eight categories of goals that represent all areas of my life. My overarching goal this year is to be fully present so the 'One Word' goal that I chose was: PresenceI know that multi-tasking isn’t real but yet I still try to make it a part of my life too regularly. This year I want to make it a goal to stop this practice and be fully present in whatever I am doing. To fully enjoy the moments that will never come again but also to efficiently use my time on tasks I don’t enjoy as much rather than trying, and failing, to do multiple things at once all the time Moving into the eight categories... 
Until next time,  In this video I review my progress towards my 2019 goals. My goals consist of multiple parts, my "one word" goal as well as eight categories of goals to represent all areas of my life.
Until next time, 
The last third of the year went fairly well... but there were some changes as I am no longer single and traveling regularly to visit my boyfriend who lived out of state. He is well worth the shift but it did represent a change from what the initial plan for the year was. If you are interested in seeing these very timely please subscribe to my YouTube channel where you will see new content from me several times per week. Until next time,  I love all things office supply and stationary. That is likely pretty obvious from my YouTube channel as I have entire playlists dedicated to stickers and planners. What may not be obvious is that I send cards out fairly regularly as well, like with snail mail. It may seem like an antiquated notion with today's instant connection and communication but there is something special about receiving a note, letter or card in the mail. A card is something tangible that can be kept as a keepsake, scrap-booked or simply posted up as a reminder so that I don't forget an important event coming up. When I was asked by Basic Invite to take a look at their upcoming holiday line I had to say yes, there wasn't really another option. I send cards not only for myself but also for my dance group every year so was excited to get a sneak peak and start planning! The first thing I did was parusse their website to see what other types of cards and stationary they had... I was impressed. There were some adorable baby shower cards I would totally have used for a baby shower that was hosted just recently as well as some stunning stationary that I may go back and order next pay day. Some of the baby shower options are below (shared with permission). How adorable are they!?! And don't even get me started on the birth announcements, too cute!
They have cards for just about every possible occasion and the services offered are pretty cool as well.
OK, on to the holiday cards! They're super cute y'all! They have photo holiday cards (which is typically the way I go for the dance group's Christmas cards- a beautiful group photo and text in German regarding our well wishes) as well as some vintage Christmas cards that I am looking into for my annual holiday card mailing. Vintage is pretty in right now and rightly so, so many beautiful options! The last type of card I was interested in was the holiday party invitation templates for my work Christmas party. My only issue is that there are too many choices. Luckily I have some time yet to choose. Not too long though as they are having a sale on their cards right now (15% off with coupon code 15FF51) and I don't want to miss the savings so I'll have to get on that decision making asap. Which is your favorite? If you're interested in beautiful cards definitely consider Basic Invite. If you aren't quire ready to order your cards yet (or if you want to see even more of their cards and stationary) head to their socials to follow them for future purchases. I have! Until next time!  The pups have their own diaper bag... and have since basically day one home with me. It makes our life so much easier to be able to just grab the bag, toss a few things in it and be out the door. I've had this bag for a few years and it is my favorite so far so I wanted to show you the features in case anyone was also looking for a 'doggie diaper bag'. If you are interested in getting one they have gone down in price significantly since I purchased mine (yay!). What Gets Packed:
Until Next Time,  I moved my financial updates into video format in May and completely forgot to also post them on the blog. I'm so sorry guys, please forgive me! I've been doing pretty well but had a few bumps along the way that caused me to restructure the way I am attacking my debt pay off goals. May 2019June 2019July 2019August 2019I'll make sure to get them posted over here as well going forward. The next one will be just a few weeks away actually! I'm excited to show you September's progress. :) Until next time,  |
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