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.
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!
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.
*This post is sponsored in collaboration with Homes.com - all thoughts and ideas are my own.
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!
Moving made simple:
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.
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.
(click on photos to save images)
Moving: 4 to 6 months out
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Searching for a home: 4 to 6 months out
Right now, is the perfect time to start dreaming of your desired neighborhood & style of home. I have been using Homes.com 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. Homes.com makes it so easy to find exactly what you are looking for.
Keep an eye out (or subscribe to our email list) because I will be sharing a new monthly printable to add into this collection!
And if you didnt catch our moving announcement, [CLICK HERE]
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).
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!
The whole starting point of inspiration came from my two favorite signs and fabric pumpkins from DETAILS2ENJOY. I knew I wanted to play on the black accent along with bringing in blush and burgundy tones.
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.
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.
Below I have linked all sources for you to shop, or similar ones:
(keep in mind most of mine is thrifted/ goodwill)
*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.
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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.
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!
*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.
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.
bareMinerals barePro Liquid Foundation
bareMinerals Stoke Of Light Concealer
Living Proof Shampoo - Frizz
Living Proof Conditioner - Frizz
Living Proof - Perfect Hair Day
Philosophy - Renewed Hope In A Jar Skin Tint
bareMinerals Stoke Of Light Concealer
Living Proof Shampoo - Frizz
Living Proof Conditioner - Frizz
Living Proof - Perfect Hair Day
Philosophy - Renewed Hope In A Jar Skin Tint
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.
My 10 Favorite All Time Beauty Products
No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | No. 6 | No. 7 | No. 8 | No. 9 | No. 10
My Top 10 & Why I Love Them:
Josie Maran Body Butter
Why I Love It: 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.
Josie Maran Self Tanning Oil
Why I Love It: 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.
Living Proof Hair Care
Why I Love It: 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!
Bare Minerals Foundation & Stoke Of Light Concealer
Why I Love It: 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.
Philosophy Renewed Hope In A Jar Skin Tint
Why I Love It: 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!
T3 Single Pass Wave Styling Wand
Why I Love It: 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.
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