SUMMER BBQ PLAYLIST

We are having a small cookout with some friends today to celebrate Independence Day and I wanted to put together a fun, summertime playlist. This was harder than I expected because there are SO many songs I love and I wanted a good variety. I'm pretty happy with this but will probably continue to add to it. You can listen with the player below. I'd love to know what songs you would add to the mix!😊

THE BACK TO SCHOOL BUNDLE

*This offer is only available July 2020.

I know there is still a lot of uncertainty in our world but I am choosing to believe that school will be back in session come August. My sweet Tucker is heading off to preschool and I can hardly believe it. He'll be going (unless things are modified) 4 days a week from 9-12. I am so excited for him and I can't wait to see how he will flourish in that environment.

Since there is only a little over a month until we start our new normal, I'm trying to be prepared as possible with supplies and our routines. First up, oils and supplements. If you have been wanting to get started with Young Living this is a great opportunity because it is so versatile.

The Back to School Bundle is HERE! I’m so excited to pair the amazing Premium Starter Kit with a handful of focus supporting oils, Thieves Cleaner, pre/probiotic supplement, PLUS your choice of a second diffuser or a set of miscellaneous amber bottles for FREE. Here’s how to take advantage of the deal:

STEP 1

Grab your Premium Starter Kit (it includes 12 oils, Thieves Hand Sanitizer, Thieves Spray, and other samples) and opt in to Essential Rewards. (You get even more free product and you can cancel in August if you want but I’m willing to bet that you won’t.😉)

STEP 2

Customize your Essential Rewards order by adding Thieves Household Cleaner (14.4oz), KidScents MightyPro, Tea Tree 15ml, and Orange 15ml. Your total will be $258.

STEP 3

Get excited! You’re not only getting a 5ml KidScents GeneYus, 5ml Common Sense, and 5ml Envision for free from Young Living, but you will also get your choice of a second diffuser or a set of miscellaneous amber bottles from me. Need to set up an Essential Rewards order for August? Grab some of my all time favorite oils like Grapefruit, Northern Lights Black Spruce, and Cedarwood.

I'll be sharing all kinds of diffuser blends and ways to use these products in the next couple of weeks. I’m so excited to help you out and welcome you to our community. If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to reach out (DM me on Instagram, email me steph@homemakingish.com) or get started here!

LIVING ROOM REVEAL | BEFORE & AFTER

I wish this were titled Living Room Progress but since we're moving (incase you didn't see, we're building a house) this is as done as I'm going to get it. I love our living room and even though I didn't get to make all the changes I wanted, think it's a cozy, pretty place that's come a long way.

THE BEFORE

These aren't the greatest pictures but I snapped these in October 2017 during our inspection. The room had good bones. It was basically a blank slate with large windows providing lots of natural light and nearly 10' ceilings.

THE AFTER

Jeremy recently updated the trim work in our entryway and I love the way it frames the living room. It's a little larger and better material (the previous was MDF and this is oak). I would love to know what the woodwork looked like originally but unfortunately it was long gone before we got our hands on it. We had plans to replace the trim throughout the house but that will be left to the next owners if they so wish (and I hope they do).

This year we were planning to install a ventless gas fireplace and build it out with built-in shelves and cabinetry on either side. That diagonal wall is not original and would be an easy fix to remove. This may be the one thing I'm most bummed that we didn't get to tackle in this house. The antique mantle we have been using adds a lot of character and the room would have really come to life with the addition of the real thing. I hope somewhere down the line someone adds it!

We also had plans to carry the wood floors we put in the dining room and kitchen throughout the rest of the house. It was pretty expensive since we also had to have the floors leveled (y'know, since the old girl is 150 - things are sagging a bit.🤣) so we won't be doing that before we leave either. And besides adding an area rug I would have loved to plank the ceilings. They're so tall and I think the added texture would have been so beautiful and cozy.

Now that I've photographed the living room how we have it (I wanted to make sure I always remember this special place) I will start to declutter and pack away some of our family photos. I think it's ok to leave a few out when listing a house but I definitely want to simplify. Makes me sad to think about but I am also SO excited for our next adventure. I'll be sharing more spaces as I clean them up before packing them away so stay tuned for that!

WE ARE BUILDING A HOUSE!

I honestly can't believe we're actually doing this. It doesn't even seem real yet but we should be breaking ground in about 2 months or less. We love our current home so, so much and I've cried a few times already when I think about leaving this place but I am excited for what's to come.

This doesn't look like much but it's our lot and where our future home will be. The woods will be cleared out a bit more but I love that our house will back up to trees and not someone else's house.

It's always been our plan to buy some land (5-10 acres) and one day build a home but we've been looking for land in our area for about 3 years and so far we haven't found the right place. About a month ago we discussed the subdivision we'll be building in and Jeremy was shocked when I wasn't against the idea. He knows my love for old houses runs deep and that I'm not the biggest fan of new developments but honestly something just felt right about it so we decided to set up a meeting. Everything kind of snowballed after that because in this particular subdivision they are in the final phase and there was only one lot we were interested in building on. We had to act quickly if it was something we really wanted.

With both of our houses (Our Loveland Home // Our 1870 Colonial) we've moved much sooner than we anticipated but we've been able to take advantage of a booming real estate market. They've both been wonderful places to live and have been stepping stones to what's next.

I have big plans to document this whole process because I'm looking forward to the challenge of making a new build have more character and making it our home.  If you've built a home I'd love to hear what you're so happy you did and what you wish you would have done. I have a running list in the Notes on my phone. I'm trying to be as prepared as possible but also know that more than likely there will be something that doesn't go as planned.😌