Category: Home

House Renovation Update – Month One

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If you’ve been following along on my blog, you know that Nick and I purchased our first home just over one month ago! I pinch myself every day to ensure I’m not dreaming and that this milestone did in fact happen in our lives. As odd as it sounds, there’s something calming and comforting about being a homeowner, even amidst the stress of home projects and unforeseen problems. Goodbye are the days of writing rent checks and worrying about nailing holes in the walls or our pup damaging something in our temporary space. Now these walls and floors are truly ours to decorate and destroy as we please (just kidding on the destroy part! ha)

Since signing our lives away on August 29, we’ve been hard at work transforming this house into our perfect home thanks to a little bit of paint, a lot of sweat and tears and even more patience. Here’s a glimpse inside our lives these days and the home projects we decided to tackle before move-in day and the weeks immediately after!

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#AmazonPrime: Father’s Day Gift Guide

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Alert Alert. In case you didn’t remember – Father’s Day is this Sunday! Before you head to Kohl’s for the annual tie (that he might wear once), or grab a sporting goods or home improvement gift card, head to Amazon and 2-day Prime ship a gift that dad will actually love this year.

I’ve rounded up 10 gifts for the man of the hour, from tools and outdoor equipment to tech gear that will keep your dad in the 21st century. 

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Our First Month with HelloFresh

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It’s a no brainer that cooking and “adulting” go hand in hand. Gone are the days of microwaved ramen, frozen meals, and regular take-out dinners. Unless you want to weigh 200 pounds and go broke, something has to change. And rightfully so! As we get older, our food palette changes too. Over the year’s we’ve tried different foods and flavors that we’ve grown to love, but how do we recreate them in our own, millennial budget kitchen? Insert HelloFresh. 

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Tips for Decorating a Small Entryway

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From the moment we walked into our townhouse, I loved ALMOST everything about it. Nick will tell you that he was sold immediately. I remember he wanted to sign the lease the moment we got back in the car. I was hesitant on the size and space, and am now thankful that we pulled the trigger because we ended up getting an amazing deal for this area! All of that aside, there’s still a few things that I don’t love: the color of our cabinets, the folds in the upstairs carpet and our awkward little entryway.

In most townhomes, I don’t think there’s ever anything grand about an entryway. No flowing staircase or intricate light fixture. For us, it was narrow hallways and a small landing area right where you walk in. Not to mention an awkward ledge/bench area that really just takes away from open space. I wasn’t sure how I was going to decorate the space and make it feel welcoming, and it was the last room in our house that I put my “mark” on. But with a few small touches, I turned our entry way from blah and beige to welcoming with a classic Kate touch. Check out my tips for decorating your own small entryway and a few snapshots of our own entryway!

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10 Full-Length Mirrors Under $100

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I never realized how crucial a full-length mirror was until I didn’t have one… For over one year. But thanks to a generous birthday present from Nick’s mom, all of that has now changed and I can no longer question if my shoes match my outfit or if my shirt looks better tucked in or tucked out (yes those are real thoughts!)

This is the mirror Nick’s mom purchased for us and I LOVE the carved white dots in the wood! I can’t wait to “style” the area around it in our bedroom! (I’m also impressed that Nick managed to take this picture without being seen in the mirror!)

A few of you may be wondering why we went over a year without a full-length mirror when we could have just picked up a cheap dorm-style, over-the-door mirror from Walmart? Honestly, we could have. We also could have taken some hand-me-down mirrors from our family. But truthfully, I wanted my own mirror that didn’t just serve the purpose of looking at my self, but would also be a design feature in our bedroom and fill a void in the corner of the room. But let’s face it – detailed, full-length mirrors can get expensive. Like hundreds of dollars expensive. 

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Decorating our Half Bathroom with Command Strips

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This past weekend, Nick and I celebrated one year living together in our townhouse! Over the last 365 days, we have had fun finding and curating pieces of furniture and decor to make our house a home, but like other millennial renters, we faced our share of challenges.

As renters, it’s great to have a landlord and handy man at your beckoned call to fix issues such as broken garbage disposals, running toilets and garage doors. In return though, we lose the creative freedom to decorate and transform the space how we may truly want to. With three years of renting under my belt plus four years of college housing decorating hacks, I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade on how to make your rented space a home.

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How to Paint a Wood Fireplace for Under $50

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Let’s face it – as young adults, we don’t have millions (not even hundreds!) of dollars to spend on our home decor and furnishings. We’re 20-something year olds most likely in entry level positions learning how to navigate bills and budgets with our newly acquired paychecks. Thanks to the help from the three main F’s – family, friends, and Facebook Marketplace – we are able to curate a hodge podge of furniture from different generations, in different textures and colors, for our first home or apartment. While nothing matches or looks like something Joanna Gaines would have styled, it was free or cheap furniture so you can spend your hard earned cash on food (and beer and wine) instead of  on overpriced furniture.

But what if beautiful furniture didn’t have to break the bank? What if you could have the style you want at a fraction of the cost. Spoiler alert: You can!

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20 Gifts You Can Amazon Prime

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I can’t believe Christmas is one week away. Yes, you read that right – One. Week. Away. I’m not sure what happened, but I feel like December flew by. One minute I was eating cranberry sauce (the best side!) on Thanksgiving saying how nice it was that Turkey Day was early this year, and the next I’m racing around getting last minute gifts for family members, friends, and coworkers. If you’re like me scrabbling for gift ideas at the last hour, grab your wallet and head straight to Amazon. Trust me, Amazon Prime is your best friend, or Santa Claus, this time of year. 

I’ve rounded up gift ideas for everyone on your list at varying price points. Just call me one of Santa’s elves! 

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