October 3, 2012

Thankful!

Okay, so I know it's been a while since I posted anything here. Lately I just can't get my act together and I've found that I've been desiring to do other things than sit in front of a computer and write. Not sure why, but I'm telling myself that it's okay. People and life are more important than the internet. Going outside and taking in the beautiful sunsets and crisp air is what I need right now. Connecting with friends & my husband is what I need right now. Spending time with Jesus is what I really need right now. And that's all okay.

At some point I'll get around to finishing our home tour. Don't think for a second that I've forgotten! You know you still want to peek in our kitchen, back patio, office, and guest bedroom. You just might have to be a little more patient though, as living life takes priority over blogging about life [sorry I'm not sorry].


Some things I've recently been thankful for:

+ Spending time with family. I got to see my mom and sister 2 weekends in a row! That's something special.


+ A college football game that gave me an opportunity to reconnect with college friends


+ Little reminders of God's promises, like this beauty that showed up last night


 ... and sunsets like these that keep happening just outside my kitchen window


Life sure is beautiful, isn't it?

September 21, 2012

Lucky

Sometimes, we just get lucky. I don't mean that to say that things happen by chance, but that we are so purposefully blessed that we just feel so lucky to have been given this wonderful life. Being grateful for what I have, instead of pining after what I wish I had, does wonders for the soul.

A couple weekends ago my husband and I were able to spend a weekend away in Beaufort, SC. We had some amazing quality time that I don't think we knew we needed so much. I'm so thankful to be married to this man for over two years and still be so in love. I think we need to do weekends like this more often.



September 20, 2012

A turning point

This post is strange to write, because I'm not even really sure what exactly I want to say. I've truly enjoyed blogging here. I feel like I've learned so much through other bloggers I've come to know, and I've also learned a lot about myself. I want to keep blogging - I really do. I'm just trying to figure out what that will look like.

This blog has evolved a lot over time. It has been an update-the-family blog, a DIY blog, a home decor blog, a recipe blog, a lifestyle blog, and there's probably more. Lately I'm finding that I'm desiring to write blog posts (reading them, too) that have a little more substance to them and for some reason, I just don't feel the freedom to do that on this blog. I see "Real Home Living" and I think of it as the DIY/home decor blog that I once wanted it to be, and I'm not exactly sure that I want it to be that anymore. Maybe partly, but not totally. I used to want to be a popular blog that has a ton of followers where I would showcase awesome tutorials on how to make our homes more homey. Now I'm really just wanting this to be a place of self-discovery more than anything else. I feel limited in what I'm "allowed" to write. Stupid, right? This is my blog and technically I can do whatever I want with it. But I can't get over the title. It just feels weird to me.

So right now I'm debating a few options. Do I start over with a new blog? Or do I morph this blog into what I want it to be, keeping all the history, posts, and comments from Real Home Living, and simply change the title? Or do I just take down this blog and take a little blogging hiatus for a while? I hate giving up on things and I love holding onto remnants of the past, so bear with me as I'm trying to figure this out. I will for sure keep you posted before I make any permanent decisions.

September 12, 2012

Why I Love Target

I've been meaning to post about this for a while. Basically I'm going to give you a sales pitch for Target, with no kickbacks for me. Just simply because I love to save money and I know you do too! And Target helps me save money, without me having to do anything. I keep coming across regular Target shoppers who don't have a Target RedCard! Seriously guys, it's so worth it and so easy! I have the debit version, meaning that it is NOT a credit card, meaning that I don't have to worry about paying another bill. It is simply linked up to my debit card and it's literally like I'm swiping my debit card but I also get 5% off! EVERY time I shop there! I know 5% doesn't sound like a lot at first, but I buy a lot of groceries and toiletries there, so when you think about the fact that for every $100 you spend you're saving $5, it definitely adds up. And think about if you buy something big, like furniture? That could make a big difference.

I also just found out the other day that you can use the debit card online now! (you used to only be able to pay that way with the credit card version.) I put my number in to pay for a gift I was ordering, and it was like magic. FREE SHIPPING! Without having to spend their usual $50 minimum! So yes, that's a 5% discount online PLUS free shipping. Plus you can tack on other coupon codes if you have them (AAA does 10% off).

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Just in case you missed it, here is the rundown of all the amazing benefits of the RedCard:

- 5% off EVERY time you shop at Target, in-store or online
- Free shipping online, no minimum purchase
- Get the debit card so it's linked to your checking account and you don't ever have to pay a bill
- It's FREE and really easy to sign up right in the store
- Sometimes they send you coupon books in the mail :)


Another way I save is by printing their coupons from their online site and getting their mobile coupons texted to me. To print from online I go to Target.com and scroll to the bottom and click Coupons under Ways to Save. From there I select the ones I want and then print. I mostly do this for things like toiletries, because those will be $1 off a beauty product, which makes a bigger difference than 50 cents off 4 boxes of frozen vegetables. They also sometimes have coupons for clothes. YES CLOTHES! $2-3 off or 20% off a women's clothing item are discounts I typically see. Randomly it will be for shoes or accessories. It's pretty awesome. Also, if you download the new Target app on your smart phone, and put in your phone number, it will text you mobile coupons that you can pull up and scan straight from your phone! No printing!

So basically if you don't like Target you should. And if you do, I think I've just convinced you to love it even more. Sorry for the sales pitch but I just had to tell you because these savings are that good! Go check it out!

August 29, 2012

Home reveal: Living and dining room

This is post long overdue! I finally got to take some pictures of our place in good lighting (not that they are professional by any means) and I'm inviting you in to see! Come on in...




(just pretend that ugly green tarp over the grill isn't there...)




This gallery wall is one of the things I was working on this past weekend. There are a couple frames that still need to be filled, and I may add a couple more frames on the bottom. There will be a post on the details of this wall coming soon :)


I just love the hallway!


Well there you have it - the work in progress that is our home! You can see why I loved the place so much. It has so many things on my wishlist: hardwood floors, good layout, and character! I loved it before we even furnished it, so I knew that was a good sign. We pretty much moved all of the same stuff from our apartment into this space and it's working well! We did have to buy the rug (found on Overstock), and I've bought a few knickknacks for those built-in shelves, which are not even close to being finished. Here's what we still have to do:

finish gallery wall
finish decorating built-ins
decide on curtains
find something for the wall behind dining room table
buy a longer chain and hook for the chandelier and center it over the table
possibly replace chandelier (to be replaced again when we leave, since we're renting)
do I need something on that big wall over the TV?

I'll be sharing the kitchen, patio, office, and guest room in the near future! Be sure to check out our painted master bedroom if you haven't yet :)

August 27, 2012

The weekend

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Michael was gone this weekend for a guys' trip to the beach, so I made sure to have some plans for the weekend but also gave myself some time to just hang at home. Friday night was a laid-back night in with homemade pizza, wine, and a good friend. It was so what I needed after a long week! Saturday was the perfect day for sleeping in and then going to babysit my adorable 9-month-old nephew with a friend for the afternoon. That boy just rolls around all over the place and squeals with delight at the simplest things. It was so much fun!

Sunday I didn't make any plans and I absolutely loved it. I haven't had an entire day to myself in a long time, so it was wonderful to catch up on relaxing, spending time with the Lord, and working on some house projects I've been wanting to do since we moved in. I have tons to show you in the next week! Let's just say I got spray paint all over my arms and put a bunch of nails in the wall. I hope that doesn't give too much away :) Stay tuned!

August 22, 2012

Some things you may not know about me

So, my friend Christina from My Life, Laughs, and Love nominated me for The Liebster Award WEEKS ago, and due to all the craziness as of late, I haven't been able to take time to finish this post! I have finally written out 11 things about me, answered her questions, and come up with some of my own for the lovely bloggers below. This is pretty wordy (probably more than you want to read about me) so let's get to it!


The Rules

1. Create a blog post included 11 random facts about yourself
2. Answer the 11 random questions from the blogger who nominated you
3. Give this award to at least 5 blogs up to 11 and link to them in the post
4. Tell those people you nominated them
5. You cannot nominate the person who has nominated you
6. Remember to tag blogs with less than 200 followers


11 Random facts about me


1. I'm 5'2" and wear size 5.5 in shoes. It's never really bothered me, I actually kind of like being small. Except when shoe stores don't carry anything less than a size 6!

2. My favorite class in college was my freshman English class. I absolutely loved our professor and we read some pretty awesome novels. We did so much writing that semester and it was a ton of work, but it was one of the few college courses I actually got a solid "A" in. So why did I pursue a left-brained major like Accounting? I'm asking myself that question right now.

3. I am the oldest of 5 kids. Since I am naturally an introvert, I definitely need my space and alone time, but because I grew up in a big family I love having lots of people around and things going on (hence the social part). I've always thought I wanted to have a lot big family too but 5 may be just a little too many for me to handle. I'm realizing more and more how much work kids are!

3. I was homeschooled through the 4th grade. I have lots of memories from my elementary years but I probably couldn't tell you how old I was in each of them because my elementary years all sort of run together, since I didn't have different teachers and school years to mark the times. But I learned so much in those years. I developed a love for reading, which I kind of fell away from once I started going to school (go figure). But I wasn't one of those weirdos who didn't develop social skills - I played a TON with my siblings and all the neighborhood kids, and we constantly got together in homeschool groups to do field trips and group homeschooling. It was actually a lot of fun!

5. I am an INTJ. I think I am more of a social introvert than a true quiet introvert. You can take the test here to find out what you are!

6. I did show choir in high school. Like, full out glee club. I was lucky enough to go to school during a time when we had an amazing director and a really wonderful choir program with 5 different choirs to be a part of. I was in a show choir called Pizzazz and an all girls choir called Ladies Select. Our show choir did some really fun numbers - MJ's Thriller (we dressed up like zombies and everything), Shania Twain, songs from Rent and Wicked, just to name a few. We took big spring trips every year to compete in competitions in Florida, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Some of my favorite highlights and high school memories came from being a part of the show choir!

7. I don't like my feet. I feel like they always look fat. But my hands - I do like those!

8. Speaking of hands, I keep my nails short almost all of the time (no, I don't bite them).

9. My maiden name is Yantz - it's German. It's a little different and kind of weird, but I miss it sometimes. It's just not a name you hear everywhere, and that's kind of cool.

10. The countries I've visited outside of the US are Ghana, Venezuela, France, Italy, Dominican Republic, islands in the Caribbean, and Canada (do those last two even count?). I feel like writing these all down makes me want to do a blog post on each one... I'll have to get on that.

11. While I'm really excited to have babies someday, I'm most excited for them to be little kids - like ages 3, 4, 5, & 6. Those are my favorite ages because they are still in the "cute" stage and they are learning and growing so much, asking questions all the time and saying the funniest things!


Christina's 11 questions

1. If your job were to transfer you to a different location, ideally where would it take you?
I think it would be awesome if my job took me somewhere I wouldn't be brave enough to move to on my own. Honestly there are so many places I've been fascinated with lately that I can't pick just one! New York (thanks to this lady and How I Met Your Mother), Chicago, Denver, and London all make the list. I know some of them sound cliche but they are cliche for a reason - people must love them!

2. Do you bunch or fold your toilet paper?
Haha this one made me laugh! I definitely bunch it (and the hubs always complains that I use way too much, which I don't, he's just crazy).

3. What quality do you love most about yourself?
This one is tough for me! I think it would have to be that I'm a "doer." I like having things on my schedule, lists to check off, and projects to work on. However, I also see this as a fault sometimes. Sometimes I wish I was better at just "being" - sitting around and enjoying people without necessarily accomplishing something. So there's my backwards answer to that question :)

4. What is your going out drink-of-choice?
Usually a margarita will do the trick! They are the perfect combination of salty and sweet :) If I want something light I'll go with a vodka tonic.

5. If you won a shopping spree to any store, which would it be?
This is hard! If it was an unlimited shopping spree, it would have to be Nordstrom because they have the nicest clothes. But if I was on a limited budget it would be TJ Maxx!

6. What was your high school mascot?
We were the Spartans - Christina you are fully aware! Our colors were orange and blue, and then I proceeded to go to college where the colors were orange and maroon, so let's just say there is a LOT of orange in my t-shirt drawer!

7. Stilettos or wedges?
I'm really loving wedges lately! They are about 10x more comfortable and it really helps that they're in style now. I feel justified buying them because I know I'll wear them with more casual outfits because they're so comfortable :) (But I do love a good pair of pumps when I get really dressed up!)

8. Most embarrassing moment?
This may or may not be my most embarrassing moment but it's the first thing that came to mind. When I was 10 years old I was climbing trees with some neighbor friends, who happened to be boys. I jumped out of a tree wrong and landed weird on my foot so I was sitting on the ground making sure it was okay, and one of the boys said "Dang, you need to shave!"  I. was. mortified. That night I went home and without asking permission shaved my legs with my mom's razor. And that's why I started shaving at the young age of 10.

9. Favorite season?
When I was in school, summer was hands down my favorite season. I think it's still #1, but fall is coming in as a very close 2nd. My favorite things about summer are the long days and the hot weather! And I feel like everyone is generally much more relaxed in the summer months.

10. Who sent you your most recent text // what did it say?
From my mom: "I'll let you know when I hear something," referring to my cousin who had twin baby boys today!

11. Guilty pleasure?
Shopping for myself when I'm buying gifts for other people. I seriously do this all the time! If I go to a favorite store of mine to look for a present for someone else, I end up spending just as much time, if not more, browsing for myself. Even when I've already used up my shopping budget for the month! I always feel guilty doing it, but sometimes it pays off when I snag that random item that I really needed, which of course I found because I wasn't specifically looking for it (darn you, Murphy's Law!).


And now... the nominees!

Colleen @ Ordinary Tales
Megan @ Happy the Home
Mindy @ Handmade by Mindy
Heather @ Made to Live
Erin @ Life as a Losey
Sherri @ The Life of a Wife


My 11 questions for you

1. What is your current ringtone?
2. Favorite thing to do on a Friday night?
3. What do you usually have for breakfast?
4. Do you have any superstitions?
5. If you had to do it over again what would you study in school?
6. What TV shows are you into right now?
7. What's the last concert you went to?
8. What was your first AIM screen name?
9. Favorite birthday memory?
10. What was your first paying job?
11. If someone gave you $500 for no reason, what would you spend it on?


Are you still with me? Wasn't that fun?? I think I'm going to change up the rules a bit. If you are a reader of my blog and WANT to answer my questions but I failed to nominate you, please do! In a comment, an email, or do a whole blog post like I did! You can totally claim that I nominated you :)

August 21, 2012

Gone to the beach

We took a few days off over the last couple weeks to go spend vacation time with each of our families - Destin, FL with my family the first week and Ocean Isle Beach, NC with Michael's family this past week. This should explain why I've been MIA lately!

We swam. We played games. We ate delicious food. We caught up with family. We paddle-boarded & kayaked & played cornhole. We drove a lot. We made goofy faces with our favorite niece and nephews. We took long walks on the beach. We braved thunderstorms. We watched sunsets. Both trips were so nice and so needed. I'm so thankful for the time away from work and to have two wonderful vacations to end our summer!

Destin, FL
Ocean Isle Beach, NC