This is just the worst. I really, really, really despise paper clutter. Even after opting for paperless billing and e-statements, I still have piles and piles of papers. I can't be the only one that has stacks of coupons, 90% of which are usually expired because I always forget that I have them or I forget to bring them with me, right??? And the receipts, ughhhh those things drive me crazy, but if I don't keep them I ALWAYS end up needing it and wishing I hadn't thrown it away!

This week we are tackling the paper clutter! Clean out all those nooks and crannies, drawers, jockey boxes, mail organizers, wallets, filing cabinets, paper sorters, wherever those papers accumulate and get shoved away. Mail, coupons, bank statements, receipts, pay stubs, utility bills, magazines, notebooks, old calendars, etc. ALL. THE. PAPER. ALL. THE. JUNK.

Ooh boy, this is embarrassing.

This is everything paper related that I own.

It fills up my entire dining room table.

Week 8 Challenge: Papers
It seems like papers and trash accumulate in piles as big as mountains overnight. Where does it all come from? And where do all these junk mailers find my address? Seriously if you know, tell me! Even after moving into a new house it didn't take hardly anytime and my mailbox started filling up with junk. I could easily say that 75% of what comes into my mailbox goes directly into my recycling bin.

Here is how I help keep paper clutter to a minimum. I found this link through consumer reports a few years ago and it really helped me see what papers I really need to keep and which ones I can toss. And I realize that everyones needs are different and some people, especially those who own their own business, actually do need to keep a lot more, especially for tax purposes. You just do what you need to do and what works best for your family.

*Here's a chart from the link above.

KEEP THESE DOCUMENTS AT HOME

Documents	When to toss them
Bank deposit slips	After you reconcile your statements
Banking statements	After a calendar year; store with tax returns if they will be used to prove deductions
Brokerage, 401(k), IRA, Keogh, and other investment statements	Shred monthly and quarterly statements as new ones arrive; hold on to annual statements until you sell the investments
Credit-card bills	After you check and pay them, unless you need them to support tax filings
Employer defined-benefit plan communications	Never
Household warranties and receipts	After you no longer own the household items
Insurance policies	After you renew them
Investment purchase confirmations and 1099s	Hold until you sell the securities, then keep with your tax records for an additional seven years
Pay stubs	After you reconcile them with your W-2
Receipts	After you reconcile them with your credit-card or bank statement unless needed for a warranty
Safe-deposit box inventory	Never, but review and update annually
Savings bonds	Cash them in when they mature
Social Security statements	When you get a new statement, then shred the old one
Tax returns and supporting documents	After seven years

 

KEEP THESE IN A SAFE-DEPOSIT BOX

Documents	When to toss them
Birth and death certificates	Never
Estate-planning documents	Never
Life-insurance policies	Never, or when a term policy has ended
Loan documents	After you sell your home, automobile, boat, or whatever the loan was for
Marriage licenses and divorce decrees	Never
Military discharge papers	Never
Social Security cards	Never
Vehicle titles	After you sell the car, boat, motorcycle, or other vehicle

Here is a link to my paper organization from a couple years ago.

This is how everything is organized now. I just have seven cheap file folders for for each year of taxes I have to keep. I found that this is the easiest way to keep things together and find what I'm looking for.

These are full of closing documents for our houses. Things we have to keep. Even though I would really love to throw them away because they are so big and take up so much room!

 Fun stuff, finally. These are my journals, and planners.

This little guy has been with me for many years. It where I keep everything that needs attention now, receipts, statements, and payment stubs I need to keep for the year. Shot term storage. I think I found it online for $5. There's a pocket for each month so when I need to look back through the year to find something, its easy for me to find.

This accordion file still holds our personal information, warranties, and insurance papers. Long term storage. Most of this stuff all fits into a basket that goes into our safe.

Okay onto the good stuff. It's your turn! Pull out all of your papers. Shred what needs shredded, anything with personal information on it, account numbers and such. Sort and file away everything that needs to be kept, and recycle everything else.

There are so many files and ways to organize paperwork. Find what works for you and just keep on top of it. I know I should do that monthly, but life happens, and by the time I get around to it, it NEEDS done. Hopefully now things will be easier again. It's sure feels good to have everything sorted and cleaned up!

Piles of things that need shredded and recycled. Hasta la Vista Baby!

Thank you so much for following along, I hope you have a sweet and productive day!

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up | Before The KonMarie Method

The life changing magic of tidying up. This blog will be a long one, so if you don't want to read the whole thing just read the next sentence. Get the book and read it, do it, you won't be sorry. 

Part 1...The before story...(You can read part 2, my after story, here.)

This book is no joke. It's the real deal. It completely changed the way I look at my possessions. My life is changed because of this book. I repeat, my life HAS changed. My everyday life is calmer, my daily chores, routines and housework are so much easier and I am so much happier. My marriage is better and my husband is happier. 

It's okay if you just read that and are skeptical, I was too when I first heard about this book. But for $9 on Amazon I figured I'd give it a chance. I read the book in two days and really let it sink in. While reading this book I had giant light bulbs going off and I had many Oprah 'aha' moments! This stuff just clicked. There were also parts of the book that I took with a grain of salt. She is from a different culture so some things I don't identify with. I will not idolize my belongings and trust me, MY socks don't have feelings haha! And I get it Marie, you love to organize even when you were a 5 year old. But the good definitely out weighs the bad in this book. 

Now let me give you a little back story. I am a pretty clean organized person. Always have been. I have yearly yard sales and they always do well, and almost everything sells. I enjoy getting rid of things and never had a problem doing so. I always thought I was tidy, until I began this process and realized I was just an organized hoarder. The things that are brought to light and the terror shock you feel as you realize how much stuff you actually have and that your family of two has over 30 bath towels, is sickening humbling. Not to mention my 10 year paper hoard, the 200+ DVD's, the totes of holiday decor that never see the light of day, and all those beauty related items. The list just goes on and on.

Are you kidding me, I actually forgot how bad it was :(

I had my yearly multi family yard sale May 1st and 2nd of this year and didn't think I had anything else to get rid of, oh hahahaha I was so wrong!! If only I had a crystal ball. I starting reading my book that weekend. Six weeks later I had my "I cleaned my house KonMarie style" yard sale June 5th & 6th at my brother in law's house. It was unbelievable how much excess, non-joy sparking stuff I had

I told you...unbelievable. I also sold a lot of the more expensive collectables on eBay. Marie suggests donating everything immediately and not to let it sit around. But I could use the extra money and I am lucky enough to have a garage, so I just kept everything in there until it was time for the yard sale. I am pretty well disciplined and wasn't worried about digging through bags of stuff I decided I didn't need or want anymore. And guess what? I haven't missed a single thing I've sold since, win! After the sale anything that was left was donated and with my earnings I was able to pay off a credit card, double win!!

This book is so entirely different than any other self help, cleaning or organizing books I've read. She also teaches you how to fold and organize, really, like an adult. Her claim is that there is no relapse and no repeat customers. Organize once and you never have to do it again. This process can take about 6 months. I was done in about 6 weeks. But I have a smaller home and no children, so I have a little less stuff to begin with than most people. I also am a stay at home wife and do not work outside of the home, so I could devote all of my time to the process. 

Sort by category, not by room. She has a specific order that you declutter in. Starting with least sentimental items, they are the easiest to part with and, ending with the most sentimental items. Her reasoning behind this is that by the time you get to the harder items you've already been training yourself how to determine if it's something you really love or not. You get into a groove and it's a physical and emotional trigger that really let's you know if it sparks joy. 

Clothes, books, papers, komono (misc items) and finally mementos. These are the categories.

Tidy in one shot, as quickly, and completely as possible. 

Sort by category, not by location. 

Does it spark joy?

There are lots of great links, videos and worksheets to help you, this was one awesome printable I used. And here's the link to my Pinterest board with other helpful articles. Take everything in a category and lay it on the floor. This makes you actually see how much you actually have, it's disgusting shocking, REALLY shocking. It totally made me feel like a crazy hoarder collector. Touch every item and ask yourself does it spark joy? If it doesn't, get rid of it. That simple. Do you love it or use it or even need it anymore? If not, thank it for its service and let it go. Do not hang onto things just because you might need it. Chances are you won't. I of course ran into a lot of stuff that was just garbage too, and I'm sure my poor trash collectors were relieved when I finished my big purge too.

The best feeling is giving myself permission to let go of the things that are weighing me down from guilt and what ifs. It is amazing to me how much power your possessions can have over you. And that moment when you are able to take control of you life and home, that my friends, is magic. 

When I look around and only see the things that I truly love, that makes all this hard work worth it. Picture how you want your home to be. An oasis. A peaceful serene place. Somewhere clean and safe for your family. A place where you can always find what your looking for. How about a home that when you get unexpected visitors you can open your door with confidence and say come on in with a smile, instead or rushing around kicking things under beds and cramming things into already stuffed closets while praying that they don't dare open up those doors? 

My biggest 'aha' moment was when I read these words "we should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of." Seriously! So simple yet so life altering, I had never thought of it like that before.

I'm a believer in this magic.

I am so grateful for this book and for a friends Instagram post with a picture of 100+ empty hangers and the hashtags #konmarie #sparkingjoy #thelifechangingmagicoftidyingup

Some before pictures...

The big paper purge, and everything in the boxes was shredded

Shredded papers and empty DVD cases

My husband burning papers outside while I shredded them inside

Photos that were duplicates, blurry of just double prints. Who in their right mind puts blurry photos in albums...apparently this girl did

109 items came left of my kitchen, I honestly don't know how that all even fit in the cabinets. I even KM'ed my Corelle dishes

67 items came out of my drawers and closet, and this was after I had already done my 1st yard sale just a few days prior

My husbands pile of clothes that he did himself without me asking him too. He said "your side of the closet looks so nice, I want mine to look good too." He's a keeper. This was 45 items

My out of control fabric hoard, and it looked like this for 6 years...shame on me

There are so many more before pictures but I think we all know what piles of crap junk looks like ;) so I'll just leave you with that.

I'll be posting an After The KonMarie Method next. Stay tuned...

UPDATE: Read part 3 here, my life one year later.

*These are my own opinions and I am in no way affiliated with Marie Kondo. I'm just another happy reader. 

2016 Clean Home & Organizing Challenge Week 11 ~ Kid's Rooms & Bathroom

I got behind and didn't post a challenge the beginning of this week, but I have a good reason :) Click here to see my fireplace transformation and new living room paint color. It's been a long time coming that I finally got this finished and I could not be happier with the results.

Week 11 ~ We are going to be cleaning and organizing the kids room, or if you don't have kids like me, you can work on the guest bedroom. If you have kids and they are old enough to help, get them involved show them that cleaning up can be fun and not just a chore. Also if you have another bathroom that you didn't get to before, now's the time to do it. Since I got behind this week, I'm going to play catch up and double up my cleaning time and get it done Friday and Saturday. I don't have another bathroom, so I will just be working on my guest bedroom.

If you're just joining in, please read last week post here, where we cleaned our entryway and living room. You can very easily catch up if you want to. Fifteen minutes a day is pretty manageable and when you set a timer and put a little "pressure" on yourself, you can get a lot done! We're still using #2016HowJenDoesItChallenge on Instagram, if you want to see every ones progress.

You can check out this weeks video from Jen, from HowJenDoesIt, here. For the next several weeks there will be a new challenge and video from Jen for different areas of the home. This seems extremely do-able. We can do it!!

• Monday ~ Declutter surface areas. Pick up and put away toys and clothes or anything that doesn't belong in the room. Throw away any trash, or broken items and clean off those catch-all hot spots, where things, like school papers, tend to pile up. Grab a box or bag and put any unwanted toys or books in it for donation. Also go through the desk drawers and organize any papers that need it and throw away anything that is trash.
• Tuesday ~ Nightstand and dresser drawers. Clean out and organize the drawers, remove any outgrown clothing and you can put in a bag for donation or a tote for another child down the road. Make room for what they need now. 
• Wednesday ~ Closets. Clean out and donate/store any clothing that no longer fits. Organize and tidy up that space and check to see if any seasonal items can be stored away.
• Thursday ~ Wipe down doors, light fixtures/ceiling fan, baseboards and also wash the windows. It might seem like a lot, but just move quickly, clutter should not be an issue and hopefully you can move around more easily that you could before. If your child/ren are old enough give then a damp rag and let them do the baseboards, it's the perfect job for kids!
• Friday ~  If you have another bathroom, clean it today. Wipe out the drawers, organize, sanitize toothbrushes, wash shower curtains and rugs, and do a deep clean. If you don't have another bathroom, dust the furniture, vacuum/mop the floors and wash the curtains and bedding (comforters and blankets, the things you don't do as often as sheets.) in the kids room.
• TIP ~ When your kids are older, always ask them to help and be in there with you. Don't throw away their things without their permission, I'm sure you wouldn't want a melt down ;) If you have more than one kids room, work on each one 15 minutes a day :)

I want this to be quick, so it's not overwhelming, and 15 minutes a day seem reasonable. If you need more than 15 minutes in an area, then of course take the extra time. This is just an easy way to clean a little each day and at the end, you're entire house will be done!

I am excited to continue this the end is definitely in sight! Let me know if you plan on trying this too. 

2016 Clean Home & Organizing Challenge Week 12 ~ Paper Organization

I got all caught up this last weekend so now I am ready to move on to the next area :) We're getting close to being done, the end is definitely in sight.

Week 12 ~ We're going to be working on organizing our paperwork. If you already have a system in place for how you organize your paper work, now is the time to streamline it. If you don't have an organizational system Jen, in the video linked below, has some good tips. I just use a little mail organizer on my desk for bills and things that need taken care of immediately, and an expandable file for receipts, warranties, insurance policies, titles, etc. They don't take up much room and it's perfect for our needs.

If you're just joining in, please read last week post here, where we cleaned our kids room/guest room. You can very easily catch up if you want to. Fifteen minutes a day is pretty manageable and when you set a timer and put a little "pressure" on yourself, you can get a lot done! We're still using #2016HowJenDoesItChallenge on Instagram, if you want to see every ones progress.

You can check out this weeks video from Jen, from HowJenDoesIt, here. For the next several weeks there will be a new challenge and video from Jen for different areas of the home. This seems extremely do-able. We can do it!!

This week will be a little different just try and spend 15 minutes each day Monday-Friday shredding, organizing and simplifying your paperwork. We are going to overcome those paper piles! Most importantly when you are done this week, you should be able to find anything you're looking for, and not have to scramble around all over the house looking for that car title or check stub ;) Another great thing is that you can save a little money and not have any more late fees on bills that you forgot about or found underneath a pile off papers, whoops!

Here is a great link from consumer reports that I found last year on how long you need to keep paperwork. If you own your own business, your needs maybe different, but this is just a guideline, do whatever your comfortable with and whatever works for you and your family.

*Here's a little chart from the website linked above...

Keep these documents at home

Documents	When to toss them
Bank deposit slips	After you reconcile your statements
Banking statements	After a calendar year; store with tax returns if they will be used to prove deductions
Brokerage, 401(k), IRA, Keogh, and other investment statements	Shred monthly and quarterly statements as new ones arrive; hold on to annual statements until you sell the investments
Credit-card bills	After you check and pay them, unless you need them to support tax filings
Employer defined-benefit plan communications	Never
Household warranties and receipts	After you no longer own the household items
Insurance policies	After you renew them
Investment purchase confirmations and 1099s	Hold until you sell the securities, then keep with your tax records for an additional seven years
Pay stubs	After you reconcile them with your W-2
Receipts	After you reconcile them with your credit-card or bank statement unless needed for a warranty
Safe-deposit box inventory	Never, but review and update annually
Savings bonds	Cash them in when they mature
Social Security statements	When you get a new statement, then shred the old one
Tax returns and supporting documents	After seven years

 

Keep these in a safe-deposit box

Documents	When to toss them
Birth and death certificates	Never
Estate-planning documents	Never
Life-insurance policies	Never, or when a term policy has ended
Loan documents	After you sell your home, automobile, boat, or whatever the loan was for
Marriage licenses and divorce decrees	Never
Military discharge papers	Never
Social Security cards	Never
Vehicle titles	After you sell the car, boat, motorcycle, or other vehicle

I want this to be quick, so it's not overwhelming, and 15 minutes a day seem reasonable. If you need more than 15 minutes in an area, then of course take the extra time. This is just an easy way to clean a little each day and at the end, you're entire house will be done!

I am excited to continue this the end is definitely in sight! Let me know if you plan on trying this too.

Building Our Home // Cabinets, Countertops, Appliances, Tile, Flooring, Stone

Cabinets and flooring and tile, oh my! Cabinets and flooring and tile, oh my! Cabinets and flooring and tile, oh my!

(I'm singing this to the tune of one of my all time favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz.)

The last two weeks have been such a blast! I am back to my regular, almost daily, visits, and I couldn't be happier. And the visits haven't just been 'because', it's because I am actually needed!! I go there to make important decisions like, which way my flooring will be laid and what I'd like for my tile design and layout ;)

Our builder Kent, calls me to double and even triple check that things are going the way I'd like them to. I'll say it again, I LOVE our builder! So in the morning, the time I usually get his calls, I know that I'm 'needed' for something important, and I run out the door, haha!

I cannot believe that the next blog post I write about building our home, will be after we sign papers and the house is officially our home!! I'm sure the next two weeks will go by just as fast as these last two weeks! At least I hope they do! I'm keeping myself busy with some DIY projects just in case, so that will help.

As soon as I can I will give you an official house tour, when everything is sparkling clean, and not coated with an inch of construction dust ;)

But for now, it is what it is. Now on to the good stuff! Pictures!

January 24th, we went to check out the house with my parents, and I just about blew the roof off from my squeal, we had cabinets! Pretty white cabinets. They still need to be finished out with trim, but hey, I'm happy! Oh and can I say drawers on gliders. I'm so happy with them! I will really appreciate functional drawers, just another thing I am not going to miss about my old 1960's home, nasty, sticky, hard to open drawers! 

The next time we went back was Sunday the 29th, and our counter tops were in, the fireplace hearth was done, and the flooring in the laundry room and bathrooms were done too.

When picking out my counters I had a choice of quartz or granite, and you can bet I did my research before I made my decision. I read and wrote many pro's and con's lists' for each counter top, and in the end I went with a beautiful quartz that looks like marble. I am absolutely in LOVE with it too!  It is called Venatino by Lucastone, it's in their movement series. I wanted something that looked like stone/marble without the maintenance.

The top three reasons I went with quartz over granite is:

#1. It requires NO MAINTENANCE. That means no sealing. Nothing. Just wipe it clean and you're good to go. It will stay looking brand new without any special care.
#2. It is non-porous. That means that it is very stain resistant. It is a completely solid surface that will not absorb spills, unlike nature stone. And since it is non-porous, that makes it more hygienic and clean, there are no little nooks and crannies for bacteria to hide in. My happy OCD-self celebrates big time :)
#3. Appearance. I got the look of marble, without the cost, plus I have all the benefits of it being quartz. It's extremely strong and scratch resistant, unlike marble. The color is consistent and there aren't any seams to worry about. Quartz is made up from 93% quartz stone and 7% resin.

I can't wait to get the protective film off of it and really see how beautiful it looks...

Tuesday the 31st, the stone for the outside of the house was installed. I kept with my color scheme of neutrals and plenty of gray :) Now we're just waiting on some warmer weather so the exterior can be painted. Someday....

The first week in February was all about that tile, 'bout that tile...hehe ;) I actually made several trips over to the house that week. I had to help figure out the layout and design of the master shower and kitchen. 

Thursday, February 2nd, the flooring in the main part of the house was laid. I went with an easy, low maintenance, waterproof laminate. The color is Fumed Oak by Cordillera. Again, I cannot wait to see it sparkling clean and really be able to see how pretty it is!

People have asked why I went with laminate flooring and not hardwood. This is just a personal preference for me. I had my own business and cleaned houses for a little over 3 years, and in that time I figured out what I liked and disliked. And just like my countertops, I decided to go with something that is easy, durable and needs no maintenance. I had laminate floors in my old house and I loved how easy they were to care for. I absolutely love the look of hardwood, it's timeless and beautiful, but the thought of having to maintain them, completely turns me off. I'm kind of a lazy girl, so for me, the less work the better. Plus these are a waterproof laminate, so I don't have to worry about them tweaking or bubbling if we do end up with a leak someday.

  

Friday, the counter top in the laundry room was installed. Yet another thing I am going to love, an actual laundry room! I don't even know what I'm going to do with all that counter space. Oh ya probably fold clothes on it, haha!

Saturday the 4th, all of our faucets, sinks, toilets were in. The water was turned on and all the plumbing was checked and working. Some of our appliances were delivered and installed too!

The next couple weeks are going to be the final stretch! Everything on the inside that needs finished will be done. Tile with be grouted, doors will be hung, cabinet hardware will be installed, trim work will be finished, paint will be touched up, carpet will be installed, lighting will be hung, the final move-in cleaning will happen, our finial walk through will be completed, we will have a home inspection done, and then lord willing, we will sign papers, get the keys, and start moving in!

*Just for those who are asking. All of the outside landscaping work and exterior paint will be completed when the snow is finally gone and the sun is shining again. Come on Spring, hurry up!

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing our excitement. I hope you have a sweet and wonderful day :)

Sunday Special ~ My Cleaning Schedule

This will officially be my first post for my Sunday Special.

There are so so so many cleaning lists and schedules out there it can be a little overwhelming. This is the one I made up for myself and what works for me. I have been on this schedule for so long that it comes to me like second nature. And you know what? If something comes up and I don't get to do the cleaning, the world keeps on spinning and the cleaning can happen another day. Some people might call me a clean freak, neat freak, control freak, tidy person, but my world doesn't not implode if the cleaning doesn't get done. Life is short and if I get the chance to do something with my friends and family, you can bet that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Daily Chores

• Make bed
• Quick pick up (laundry, shoes, papers, whatever is laying around that shouldn't be)
• Wipe down bathrooms
• Load/Unload dishwasher
• Weekly chore
• Sweep floors
• Wipe down kitchen

These things get done everyday no matter what. It  only takes about 20 minutes to do all of this and if it gets done and nothing else that day, I'm just fine with that and any visitors that might come would never know the difference.

Weekly Chores

• Bathrooms & Towels
• Laundry & Monthly Chore
• Sweep & Mop
• Trash & Dust
• Sheets & Whites
• Vacuum & Groceries
• Catch-up & Crafts

Each of these gets done once a week in addition to my Daily Chores. Choose one to do each day and check it off the list when it's complete. The next day choose another and so on.

Monthly Chores

• Yearly Chore
• Rugs & Deep Clean a Room
• Organize & De-clutter
• Refrigerator & Oven
• Car & Garage

These bigger jobs are so much easier when they are broken down and only one is done each week. So throughout the month the harder stuff gets done without you having to make extra time to do it, it's already scheduled. Choose one to do each week and check it off the list when it's complete. The next week choose another and so on. 

Yearly Chores 

• Bathroom Cabinets
• Kitchen Cabinets
• Ceiling Fans
• Blinds & Curtains
• Outside of House
• Curio Cabinets
• Silk Plants
• Windows & Sills
• Garage & Storage Room
• Baseboards & Mouldings
• Walls & Touch-up Paint
• Under Refrigerator 

The yearly chores are a just like the monthly ones only you do these once a month instead of once a week. The time is already scheduled to do them and it only takes one day out of an entire month to do it. Choose one to do each month and check it off the list when it's complete. The next month choose another and so on. 

This is what works for me. It might not be ideal for you, but try it and see. Maybe something similar will work. I tried a bunch of different things before I came up with this one and it stuck. Now it hangs on the side of my fridge so it's easy to see everyday just incase I need a reminder. I also made those adorable frames with just cardboard, glue, scissors, magnets and scrapbook paper. Thanks Pinterest, here's the tutorial I used :)

Happy Sunday and I hope you have a productive and happy week :)

2016 Clean Home & Organizing Challenge Week 4 ~ Dining Room + Eating Area

Week 4~ This week we are going to work on the dining room and eating area! Now that the kitchen is decluttered and sparking clean, the eating areas naturally come next. We will complete this room by the weekend, just by working 15 minutes a day. Next week we will start working on the bathrooms.

My dining room is tiny, shares the same space with my laundry room, and is directly connected to my kitchen. I have an extreme love/hate relationship with this area of my home. I love it because it's easy to maintain and clean and it's perfect for our family of two, and I hate it because it's tiny and only fits a small table with 4 chairs, which makes it difficult for me to have large groups over for company. So if you come over to eat dinner here, plan on eating in the living room ;)

2016 Clean & Organized Home Week 1 ~ Declutter Kitchen

I am soooooo ready to start checking things off on my to do list and to have my house back in order after the holidays!

2016 Planner from Target

I decided to follow this Clean and Organized Home Challenge video from HowJenDoesIt. This came at the perfect time! I really enjoy watching her YouTube channel, but I know that I am a little weird, not every likes to watch cleaning, organizing, cooking and decorating videos like I do ;) She's also using this hashtag, #2016HowJenDoesItChallenge on Instagram, if you want to see everyone's progress.

I am planning on following along and getting my house nice and tidy. She's challenging everyone to work just 15 minutes a day, breaking it up into a manageable sections, to get the entire kitchen decluttered by the weekend. For the next several weeks there will be a new challenge. This seems extremely do-able.

Homeless // Life Update

This is just a little life update...because I am constantly getting asked these days :)

Ok, so we're not living on the streets, but we are officially homeless.

Alan and I had been talking awhile about selling our house. We always just said we'd do it someday, when the time was right. Well after we had a big get together one weekend, and there was no room in our house for everyone to sit down, we decided the time was right and the day had come.

The next day we called a real estate agent and see if it was a good time to sell and what all needed to happen before the house could go on the market. It took us about 10 days to get the paperwork in order, photos taken, and get the house all ready. Thankfully there was nothing major we had to do, just some decluttering, cleaning, a little landscaping, and some touch up painting.

We knew the market was hot, it's a sellers market, and homes in our price range were selling like crazy, but we really didn't expect it to all happen so quickly.

We put our house on the market Thursday, June 9th. We accepted a full price offer, not even 24 hours later, on Thursday June 10th. We started packing and moving our stuff into storage in the following weeks. Then on Friday July 15th we signed closing papers and officially sold our house.

It's been a crazy, whirlwind of a month. Thank goodness for my mom and dad and for Alan's family, they helped us pack and move.

Everything went as smooth as possible and there weren't any hiccups along the way. Offer, earnest money, and letter of loan approval, check. Inspection, check. Appraisal, check. Final walk through, check. Closing documents, check. Funded and recorded, check. I gotta say, selling a house was way easier than buying one. Hopefully when the time comes for us to buy, everything will go just as smoothly.

I wish I could tell you that we were going to go on some amazing, exotic vacation with our earnings, but we're not. We are paying off debt and saving for a down payment. Yay for being an adult and being responsible and all that fun stuff, haha!

For now we are living with Dale, Alan's dad. We have our own room and plenty of space. I'm thankful that we all get along so well. I know it's not all that common for "in-laws & out-laws" to get along, so for that, I'm grateful that we are tight knit family.

We may not have our own home yet, but for now I keep repeating this quote, that I have written on a chalkboard in our room...Home is wherever I'm with you. Everything happens for a reason, and I know that this will all work out when it's supposed to and we will have a place to call our own again soon.

Thanks for stopping by and I will keep you all updated :) Have a sweet & wonderful day.