Tag: #home

The Realities of “March Break” as a Working Adult

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Oh March Break… feels like decades ago when you’d be in school with that butterfly feeling in your stomach, anxious for that Friday bell to ring. It’s the closest thing to summer break and it’s THE introduction to spring and well, that’s just cause for celebration.

Being an adult, and a recent homeowner, the reality of spring break is a whole lot different now. Vacations turn to stay-cations and I think they don’t get enough credit! Staycations mean sleeping in, breakfast dates as much as lunch and dinner dates, or even staying in bed all day bingeing on Netflix and best of all, finding hidden treasures in your own city to discover with your significant other. We’ve also gone to picnic near our city’s waterfall, gone to plenty of food and drink festivals, wine tasting, a stroll through the old port, a drive around town and even spent full days in pjs.

I like to spend the weekend prior to my “march break” reading local blogs where I can get some inspiration to find some cool little Instagram-worthy coffee shops, or under the radar activities such as re-discovering museums as adults that we remember going on field-trips to in elementary school. Cooking extravagant meals for two combined with ordering pizza and beer and mixing it up with a romantic night of fondue and a bottle of wine is all part of the charm of a staycation.

Having all these activities means I also get to mix things up with my hair and makeup as well, but unless I’m going out for dinner. I like to keep everything from my outfit to my makeup pretty casual on a daily basis. My uniform is dark denim and a white top, very simple makeup with a light layer of foundation, bronzer and blush with some mascara and I’m pretty much ready for any adventure that that particular day might take me on my grown-up version of march break.

xoxo,

beingbrittney.

5 Tips to Cleaning your Closet just in time for Spring!

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With all the empty promises of “new year – new me” out of our systems and the fact that spring is right around the corner, what better reason to refresh our wardrobe… Out with the old to make room for oh-so-more fashionably new! Here are some tips at how to update your closet without breaking the bank.

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Tip #1: If you haven’t used it within a year… you’re not going to!

This is my rule of thumb! Realistically, you’re not going to start wearing something it in the next 365 days that you forgot you even had. It’s taking up precious room in your closet/drawers that could be filled with much newer and season appropriate items!

a-closet

Tip #2: Donate it!

Let’s be honest… often times I hesitate getting rid of some articles of clothing because i feel like i haven’t gotten enough wear out of them so it makes me want hold onto it a bit longer to try and get all the mileage I can out of it, but just think… it can go to someone who will really need or appreciate it!

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Tip #3: Like you would proofread an essay… take a second look at what you’re keeping & giving away.

      This can allow you some time to think it through. Am I keeping this because I like it, or am I keeping it for sentimental value that’s going to take up space? Honestly, we’re all guilty of holding on to stuff, but keep it minimal, maybe in a (small) box and tuck it away in a corner of your closet.

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Tip #4: Once you’ve made the decision… commit!

  I put all my donations in black garbage bags: out of sight, out of mind. I separate them by item so: clothes, shoes, purses & coats. That way you can bring them to the appropriate place, which will in turn ensure that the items are going to be separated properly and not be thrown in the trash.

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Finally, tip #5: Purging is addictive!

I always start with my closet, but something about having so much more space feels extremely liberating and addictive, and like an addict you just want more. This usually leads to me then moving on to my drawers, then my skincare, nail polish and even makeup.

I like making it a habit to do this at least twice a year, usually in the spring and the fall (conveniently my favorite fashion seasons) and it just makes me feel more refreshed and confident when it comes to putting together my #ootds! I hope these tips help you give a little facelift to your fashion and let me know what your favorite thing about spring fashion!

xoxo,

beingbrittney

 

The Road to Daigneault

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So let’s set the mood… Sean and I had already been engaged for about 4 months and we thought it would be a fun weekend activity to start going to look at some houses. We knew that getting married would hopefully lead to us having a place to live in of our own. Me being VERY superstitious and paranoid, I was pushing for a new house because me and my imagination could not shake the whole “potential ghosts haunting the home” factor, but in all seriousness I would have been very happy living anywhere with my husband-to-be!

It all started as innocent fun, we were going to houses that we both definitely knew were out of our budget… drifting off into dreamland you would say, but as time went on, we both realized that this was a project and an adventure we both wanted to embark on.

One thing you have to know about me is that I have very traditional values. I never wanted to move in with a boyfriend/fiance before getting married, so to me… looking at houses was just a distant dream considering that originally we wanted to get married in August 2015, which at that point, was over a year and a half away. I also knew that on my wedding night, my dream was never to go to a hotel, but instead, sleep with my husband in our house for the first time, sleep in a house that we together had already made a home without even having slept there yet.

So as the days passed, I knew that if I wanted to turn this dream into a reality, we had to get moving. Sean and I were discussing if buying a house was actually a possibility for us, talking about all the “fun stuff” such as: money, finances, budgets, etc. Once we came to an agreement, we started actively looking for our potential new home. Without much success, my dad told us to look at this one place, and having driven by the area, i’ll be honest, I was opposed to it (also the fact that I hate when my dad is right haha).

At this point, it’s the first week of February and Sean and I finally decided to give it a shot, considering we would have no back neighbors because of a future golf course, and we had a distant view of the water. We also weren’t being taken seriously or having much success anywhere else, so we decided to take a look. We go to the main house, where someone accompanies you to the model home, and when we walked in… Sean and I both knew, this felt like home! We got back in the car knowing this is what we wanted, so the whole ride back we were discussing if we were really ready for this (to be honest, no one is ever really ready). We went to visit a couple more times, once with my parents, once with his parents, and even Sean’s grandfather (who used to be a real-estate agent). After truly over-visiting the house, we asked ourselves “what are we waiting for?” and made a trip to the bank to start the necessary steps and paperwork to make this house a home.

… And by mid February 2014, Sean and I were officially home owners, and were about to start the selection process of choosing all the details that would make my dream of sleeping at my soon-to-be husband and I’s home on our wedding night… come true! 🙂