Home Again

 Like so many in the last 18 months, I had to find an outlet to redirect my energy into and that has become home improvement projects. Growing up as a contractor's daughter, I have a healthy respect for both a can do attitude and also, resale value so it doesn't look too homeowner did it finish. I receive zero kickbacks from Amazon (how many reviews do I have to post before I get cool coupons and insider views?!). I'm posting this as a nice change of pace from the normal angst and because I also know the stress of trying to find the right fits you didn't know you needed to spruce up your own place. 

Broken into sections and kept more rapid fire without the ads of all those Buzzfeed lists, see some awesome items for your house below, all rated five stars by yours truly. Special to note, all items have been complimented by at least a few others so it's not just me!

Practical Pretty

1. Door Hinges

Review: After repainting all the doors in my house, I HAD HAD HAD to get rid of the old school gold hardware. Box stores were SO expensive. These are true quality and very easy to install. 

2. Door Knobs

Review: See the door hinges. Same feelings!

3. Outlet Covers

Review: I was SO ANNOYED that all paint that got on the face of the outlets showed through covers plus the faces were all older yellow while so many covers were an off-white so they didn't match. My boyfriend is a contractor and didn't believe these were ever going to actually fit on. ZERO issues and they cover everything. 

4. Black Pipe Rustic Towel Hook

Review: So simple and easy. Drill & hang. Very heavy duty metal piece, not faux plastic. 

5. Toilet Paper Holder with Shelf 

Review: Keeping with the above rustic bathroom vibe, I put this item in my guest half bathroom. They pair perfect and best part, the shelf is perfect for sitting a phone on top of it. It came a bit lighter than I preferred so I did stain the wood and seal it which was too easy. That was a personal color preference. The slight knock is drilling in one hole close to the bar was a bit of a pain. 

6. Pantry Organization & Rubbermaid 

Review: I use the first link for items like roasted walnuts & pasta and use the rubbermaid containers for all of my dry baked good items (flour, sugar, etc). 

Duly Decorative

1. Magnetic Decorative Door Handles

Review: Strong magnets that are so easy to move around and reconfigure but amongst a few very heavy storms and up and down doors, stay on. 

2. Blackout Curtains

Review: These probably could have fit into practical pretty but I am one of the world's lightest sleepers. My bedroom has four giant windows and we all know window treatments are EXPENSIVE. These resist the ever floating black fur, stay wrinkle resistant, and truly block out all the light. 

3. Rustic Black Curtain Rods

Review: Lightweight but holds heavy blackout curtains (see above) well. Very easy to install and love the black rod look. 

4. Wooden Bar Rustic Light Chandelier Fixture

Review: I don't do electricity so I'll take it from my electrician it wasn't bad. It looks fantastic and was relatively quick to put together. The only slight annoyance was balancing it to hang straight. 

5. Flush Mount Rustic Farmhouse Light Fixture

Review: Electrician said equally easy to install. Hangs flush and looks fantastic. 

6. Tissue Dispenser-Library Book Style

Review: I HATE clutter. Unless it's a plant or 100% required to sit out, it goes in a cabinet. Tissues count as an item 100% required to sit out but I hate looking at the boxes. Fits the farmhouse theme and looks so cute. 

7. Sunflowers & Lavender Flowers & Orange Blooms

Review: Finding good, pretty, fake flowers at a reasonable price is next to impossible. All three of these fit that niche!

8. Solid Metal Hello Sign & Solid Metal Gather Sign 

Review: Very heavy duty metal. Few other words are available. It has a hole on each end so I used wire to string it into the middle of a wreath for my front door. Hung outside for a year still without any rust. Second link for gather I nailed to a finished board for inside the house. It's very lightweight and thin. 

9. Diffuser

Review: Not sure if this is decorative or beauty but nonetheless, it's a pretty diffuser for the nightstand. Several light color options (or none like I select), different speed options, I love it. 

10. Souvenir Spoon Holder

Review: Holds 36 spoons and fits my sophisticated wood theme. My paternal grandmother was a nurse in the army and collected from where she was stationed all over the world. Such a special connection I continued!

11. Elevated Dog Food and Water Bowl Holder

Review: While I bought it because my dog is a jerk and kept dumping her food over, I read it's best for digestion to have the bowl elevated and closer to the height. Bonus, it looks really good. 

12. Floating Shelves

Review: Overall, pretty happy. Looks similar to pictures-distance looks like wood finish, up close can tell it’s fake. Metal brackets are real metal and very sturdy. You probably read fine print better than I do. The brackets are not attached: pro you decide configuration. Con: make sure you have it flush the FIRST time you drill the holes.

13. Welcome Eucalyptus Front Door Wreath 

Review: Outside for six months on my front door and it still looks brand new and just like the pictures. Sprayed with a hose a few times and it holds up to the water blast very well. 

Technology

1. Kasa SmartPlugs 

Review: I'm a GIANT scaredy cat of the dark. It comes from a very sad, scary night out in my late teens. Needless to say, I hate coming home to a dark house. I use these smart plugs to have lamps plugged into the house so I can turn on lights before I get home or when I'm on vacation. I know some women who use them for bathroom outlets to ensure they can turn off the outlet if they are worried they left a straighter or clothes iron on after they left. 

2. August Door Lock

Review: If you know me, I rarely carry a purse. The less clutter the better. I love this extremely easy to install door lock for a few reasons: 1) You're only replacing the lock on the side so you don't have to worry about the locks changing 2) You can control from an app so you can take just your phone for a walk and still let yourself in and 3) You can give others access whether it's temporary or permanent and then quickly revoke if needed. 

3. Cloud Camera

Review: It's a long story, but my house has a ghost. After too many things moving around when I wasn't here, I installed a camera indoors. Not a bad thing for safety but it helped answer the question what was going on when I was gone. Anyone have some sage to burn?

Pandemic Post Apocalpse

 In a survey of 100 people, the most popular answer to what people learned in the last year is:

A) We can't predict anything

B) Who their true inner circle is

C) Everyone is apparently a medical expert

D) Social Media usage is at an all time high

I actually have no idea what 100 people might say but I do know what my social media circle said about the last year. Overall, the world slowed down. We found quiet. Peace. Inclusion in our homes. We realized mental health is as important as physical health. We began to more fully acknowledge the social injustice and started to take real action. We recognized the companies that cared for us as individuals and those that didn't look back after massive job cuts. How companies responded to outcries of the communities and the ways in which our personal communities responded brought more conversation forward when all we had was time. 

Time also afforded us the chance to reflect on our lifestyles. So many of us have been caught up in overbooked calendars, chasing instagram worthy lifestyles, and listening more to others than what our hearts, minds, and souls yearned for. The pandemic has been labeled as life altering and I think in some ways, it's one of the best resets many needed. As someone in a generation who continues to see life alterations each decade, I know that rainbows come at the end of some of the worst storms. 

Reflecting on the changes that the last year brought, I realized my habits drastically altered with it:

• Saying no because my personal comfort and judgement is a choice I have a right to exercise 
• Long walks with friends are often better than a glass of wine in the living room together
• Investing in my home and my self are well spent dollars
• Choosing meaningful friends and pouring time and effort in are better in quality than quantity 

From social media, I heard:

• Being a homebody over constant evenings out
• Spending more time with family
• Learning to be still and rest
• Centering activities around the outdoors
• Work from home requirements (WFH)

We would all be remiss if we didn't spend time reflecting how this last year changed us and what good we can take from it forward. The healthy habits we can set and focus on to ensure we live more balanced lives. I hate I don't know the source but I saw this quote and leave it with you for reflection:

"If you don't make time for your wellness, you'll be forced to make time for your illness." 

What will you take forward? 

The Future of Side Hustles

 Flipping houses or rental properties. Cryptos and day trading. Working multiple jobs, running a social media platform, launching a business. It's a daily conversation I see and hear of a generation infatuated with being their own boss, passive revenue streams, and retiring by age 40 or 50. It's also a generation that while has the most information at their fingertips, is one of the most blind and naive because of how deceiving the news and social media can portray reality. 

I wanted to share an honest story of how I've tripled my income in seven years-no Ponzi schemes or side hustles. 

It's called investing in my career. You see, when others were worried about all those other things, I was spending extra hours at work asking for development opportunities and pursuing additional education and certifications-all which the company paid for. I didn't have a mentor at first but I sure wasn't shy asking successful colleagues for help (a topic I'll write separately on for how to ask better questions in networking sessions). I identified broken windows and raised solutions. Then put in the time to bring the solution to life-all while digging in to do my current job the absolute best I could. 

This earned me my first promotion in six months in the company. A year later, I received my second. In seven years, I've been promoted four times all which included salary increases and 401(k) increases-a little future vehicle folks forget often to factor in. I don't take for granted I work for a great company with upward mobility-but I was intentional when I choose them from the gate. I also don't take for granted the bosses I've had. All who invested their time to give me meaningful feedback, help connect me, and consistently gave me credit for my work at higher levels. That hard work also meant sacrifices. Longer hours which meant less time on other things like friends during a work week. 

The uncomfortable feeling I have writing this on such a personal journey that is counter to the culture created is worth it-the toxic culture created of side hustles and overnight entrepreneurs scare me. Don't get me wrong--they are important or we wouldn't have Amazon, Spanx, some of the local restaurants I most love, and I could go on but recognizing those are often the rare not the norm. 

I'm not trying to say you shouldn't pursue your dream-I just want to challenge you to ask if your dream is the right one. My dream isn't just financial stability and work fulfillment-it's also work/life balance, support if I need time away, and stability that if in unexpected times I won't be laid off-all which contribute to my positive mental health.

So I ask you: Is that side hustle worth the hassle? Perhaps alternatively, you can find that same fulfillment by choosing the right company and career that could give the same motivations you're craving while having stability and balance.