Fitness Friday no. 9

| The Bee Life

TGIF!

This week is all about RUNNING! Some people love running and some people hate running! I have a love-hate relationship with running. I never considered myself a runner, until later in my life. In high school basketball sprints were the only kind of running I knew, and I knew it was not for me.  Then later in high school I joined track, and was placed on the mile, a mile seemed SO long to me.  And I was one of the slower runners coming in at just over a 7-minute mile (which is fast!).  After that I would run to release stress and clear my head, because I could only focus on the pounding of the pavement.

Fast-forward to my junior year in college, and my aunts encouraged me to run a 5k with them, and then offered to buy my registration for a half marathon if I trained and did it. So I did! I got my training schedule, and trained religiously – this was a big task for me! I finished my first half just under 2-hours and kept a great pace. I became addicted to the challenge mentally and physically especially for longer races like a half.  Since my first half in 2011, I’ve ran 5 other halfs and a handful of 10-milers, 10k’s, 5k’s – and continue to try and dabble, but my training game has not been as strong as it was in my peak time.

Fitness Friday 09 - Running - the bee life

So enough about me, here are some running tips whether you’re a beginner, a veteran, or someone like me – trying to get back into the race.

Start Slow: Don’t worry about your mile pace, and if you’re the person who says “running isn’t for me” run/walk and try interval training.  Your time will improve as you spend time and start tracking more miles.

Stay Consistent: Most training programs recommend at least 4-days during the week of lower mile runs, try and start here working your way up to a comfortable 3-miles.

Be Brave. Okay, so you’ve been running and improving, but you don’t think you’ll be able to finish that 6-miles? You can, go for it! You actually might be surprised at how easy it is! If you run the same pace and same distance for too long, the benefits of the exercise will lessen over time because you body will be conditioned. Any slight ways that you can push yourself, do it!

Stretch. Make sure to stretch out before and after runs, your muscles will drastically change from before you start to after, it’s important to tend to them!

It’s Mental. No matter the distance or skill you have, it’s mental challenge just as much as the physical, as soon as you want to stop running you need to fight and get those thoughts out of your head to keep running. You’ll be happier once you finish and didn’t stop!

It’s springtime, so get some fresh kicks and get out on that pavement and clock some miles!

 

10 Tips for (future) Homeowners

| The Bee Life

As the snow starts to melt (for good), and the birdies chirp a little more, and the blooms start to bud, the “for sale” signs start popping up more and more. As a kid growing up I loved looking at houses online (especially the really expensive ones) and then as B and I started our house search in the summer of 2014, it was definitely an experience that is probably different for most, making it hard to prepare for until you’ve actually done it.  So here is my advice for any of you who are on the house hunt to hopefully help you prepare for this potential roller coaster of a ride.

10 tips for future homeowners - the bee life

1. Love your realtor. We liked our realtor, but there were definite moments we did not like our realtor (like the time we wanted to make an offer on our house, and she told us she felt uncomfortable writing the price we wanted to go in at, and refused). You’ll be spending some nights and even some weekends with this person, in hopes they find you your dream home within a price point you’re content with. Try and find a family friend or referral and make sure they’re a good fit for your area and you! Do a few “phone interviews” before you truly commit.

2. Take notes and pictures. Don’t be shy, it is a bit awkward (especially the first few times)  having someone watch you look around your potential future home, but this is a serious decision so take your time, take notes, ask questions and take pictures! This is especially helpful if you’re looking at a few houses in one day, trust me after a few days or weekends you won’t be able to tell them apart – looking back at notes/photos helps you compare and eliminate as you go.

3. Go with your gut. Love at first sight? Or it’s an immediate no? Then cut the visit short, no need to waste the time of your realtor or yourself. On the flip side if you know it’s the one, go for it even if your fear (of a major commitment) starts setting in!

4. Be ready to act fast.  In our market, houses we would look at would literally be listed contingent the next day. So we learned quickly that if we saw a house we liked, we needed to be ready to act fast, because we lost a few good ones, even before we could look at them!

5. Hold your ground. When it comes to price, whether it’s going in low or going in at a price that’s comfortable for you, even if it comes down to negotiating, know what your bottom line is. Is it getting the closing costs covered? Or a lower sale price? We ended up coming up in price in order for the closing costs to get covered, because over the span of our mortgage it was not a big deal as opposed to having to pay more out right.

6. Compromise.  Wallpaper? Paint color? Carpet? Gross curtains? Don’t like the kitchen cabinet colors? All easy fixes- don’t let the little things affect your decision or turn you off from a house.  I’m honestly amazed at what a little (or a lot) of paint can do to improve the house without breaking the bank.

7. Be prepared for extra costs. When you’ve made the decision and are moving forward be prepared to have a little extra cash on hand for closing costs, the inspection and any other incidentals. These creeped up on us and can be scary if you’re not expecting them! We even had a few extra costs after we received the keys, like the refrigerator breaking that was an extra $700 dollars or so that we weren’t expecting to pay.

8. Push back your move-in date. (If you can) Yay! You have the keys! Let the fun begin! If there are projects big or small, try and get them done BEFORE you move in, you’ll be so much happier after the fact. Especially painting, it’s much easier to paint and tape and make a mess when you’re not worried about furniture.

9. Be ready, to notice a lot of random imperfections… once you move in and start cleaning! New house or old, your going to notice little things about the molding or floor or a crack in the wall you hadn’t noticed before and it’s ok! You’ll also learn the kinks that come with the house, good or bad, what I like to remind myself and B is, that it’s character!

10. Remember to relax. If you’re like us, with a century home there are plenty of projects big and small to do nonstop. Since we’ve lived in our house for over a year we have done A LOT! So remember to relax and take breaks in between the projects especially so you don’t get in a hole financially because random expenses will pop up!

This will be stressful, but it also will be fun! So enjoy the most of it, because once you find the house and can call it home, it’s all worth it. I love the fact that we have something we can call and make our own!  Good luck!

Attic Update – 8 months

| The Bee Life

Exciting updates with this post on our biggest home renovation to date! Our attic turned master suite-oasis, and ohh boy did we out do ourselves this time. Attic Update Month 8 - the bee lifeSo I’m probably getting you all excited for a big reveal, sorry folks, not yet. But I do promise a few sneak peaks! The perfectionist in me has a few things that still need to be purchased and a DIY that is going to make a big difference – so until then we will all have to wait for the big reveal!

We are up and living in our master suite, and it’s awesome! It came out exactly how I pictured and more! Not to mention our second floor is now fully open to family and friends for a weekend visit. Now for the sneak peaks…   Our DIY mini barn door, strictly decorative to cover an uglier door heading into a storage space. We used old gas pipe we had found in the demo and threw together the rest!  If you’re interested in the specifics, leave a comment below, but I saw inspiration for a full size door and we just figured out the measurements for our custom piece.

Textured wallpaper on the stair backers. We had started with deciding to paint the backs white and the tops grey, but the white backs just weren’t cutting it. Adding this pre-glued wallpaper was beyond easy and  an amazing upgrade. Totally worth the $20 and 40-minutes after work!

A little sneak of the gallery wall! I am loving the way it’s turning out, however it still needs a few extra final touches! I am a firm believer that you can’t rush these types of projects you have to look and do what speaks to you and the wall. (Nerdy, I know)

Our little seating area!! Obsessed with these chairs. Obsessed with these pillows. Still need a few final touches like a light for the side table, a foot ottoman and maybe a few other pictures.

So yes, we’ve been busy! A lot of this was wrapped up a few weekends ago, the day B proposed we had put a solid 10 hours in, since then we’ve been able to dial back, slow down and work on the smaller things as we can- oh and enjoy the finished product!

Stay tuned!

Latest Obssesions: Fashion

| The Bee Life

With a lot of fun events coming up from bridal showers, to bachelorette parties, to weddings, and even engagement pictures at some point, my closet is in a serious need of an overhaul! I’ve always been a person who likes clothes, but never feel like I can pull anything off, well the things I would love to pull off.  Not to mention I pick pieces that’re for a specific event, and not cross-functional (especially my dresses!).  I have to many sleeveless dresses that I can only wear truly in the summer, I hate trying to find the perfect ‘cover-up’ for work  or other events when weather doesn’t permit. So here are some of my must haves for this upcoming event season and after!

Knee Length Skirts – One word. LOVE. Classic, elegant, and can be dressed up or down for any occasion.  They can even go from work to evening with accessories.  Knee Length skirts with high waits don’t work for everyone, but when pulled off correctly can give you a nice waist line and fabulous mood.

Knee Length Skirts - the bee life                                                                              01 | 02 | 03

Multiple-Occasion Dresses: What I love about these dresses is that you can wear them year-round and for different occasions whether it be a formal wedding, a date night, or in the office, you won’t be holding on to these to pull out every other year to avoid repeat photo opps.

Multi-Occasion Dresses - the bee life                                                                         04 | 05 | 06 | 07

Bags on a Budget: Since you’re spending so much on awesome skirts and dresses, save a little on the bag.  Plus if you’re like me, as much as I love the expensive bags I change my mind all the time about the size, shape, and color I want to tote around on any given day, so it just doesn’t make sense to spend a lot on these regularly! That’s why I like these bags on a budget to help in all aspects from traveling, work, even to nights out!

Bags on a Budget - the bee life                                                                             08 | 09 | 10 | 11

I am looking forward to doing some spring shopping and getting ready for all these fun events and parties and looking damn good at them!

Hello, March!

| The Bee Life

Hello again March, I’ve missed you – you’re lush optimism of spring and dedicated day to me, you’re one of my favorite months!

Since my birthday is in March I have always loved this month, even though for the mid-west the weather is not always the best, it has potential to be amazing! We’ve had March’s where it’s been 80 degrees on St. Patty’s Day, and then the next year will be a cool 30 with snow.  It’s just unpredictable.  And since I’ve stopped celebrating my actual birthday (don’t ask), it’s become simply an excuse to go out and eat cake.

To commemorate the first day of March, here are a few pictures from the years!

2012
2013
2011
2014
2015

All of these pictures make me look like a lush! I promise, they were all birthday or St. Pat’s celebrations! See! That’s why March is so great, I get to celebrate with all my favorite people and have an excuse to get dressed up and drink more than usual.  It’s also great because I have an excuse to eat cake multiple times, and for breakfast! (Thank you, Kate Spade for making it acceptable to flaunt eating cake for breakfast, I should’ve trademarked it in 1990.)

Moral of the story, thank you March for giving me more legit excuses than the other 11 months of the year.

Here’s to you March, and all the future awesomeness!

 

 

Banana Bread – The Recipe

| The Bee Life

One thing I love about having bananas around the house is that if you don’t eat them up in time (which we never do) you can make banana bread!  My mom always made banana bread, and it wasn’t until I lived on my own for awhile, that I had these brown bananas staring at me, I finally took the jump to try mom’s recipe out (not as hard as I thought).

I wanted to share my mom’s banana bread recipe with all of you! It’s nothing special, but it sure as hell tastes good!  I like to add blueberries or chocolate chips  when I have them – it just gives the bread a little added taste, enjoy!

Banana Bread Recipe - the bee life

You can combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in two separate bowls and then ultimately combine to mix together.   You want to mix everything together until it’s well blended, add any extra ingredients like chocolate chips (I normally eyeball the amount) and give it another mix! Evenly pour into your greased bread pan, and then sprinkle your sugar and cinnamon on top (as much as you want!) To make sure the bread is cooked all the way through, after 45 minutes I usually take it out to check and stick tooth picks in to make sure the center isn’t gooey, if it is, I usually put back in for another 15 minutes and then check again.  I noticed that the blue berries required a little over an hour cook time (but I checked every 10-15 minutes to make sure it didn’t get too crispy). Let it cool, before you flip out of your bread pan onto a plate. Your house will smell amazing, and you will have this awesome and tasty treat for breakfast the whole next week!

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Bon appétit!

Fitness Friday no. 8

| The Bee Life

It’s Friday, yet again, but this Friday is a Fitness Friday!  And we’re nearing the end of our second month into the New Year. I can’t believe it’s only been two-months, but yet we’re knocking on March’s door. How have you been doing with your 2016 fitness goals?

I don’t know about any of you, but this past month was definitely a struggle for me.  I felt like I made big moves in the right direction in January and was feeling good about keeping it going into February, but life got in the way – and just like that, I fell off the wagon a little bit. Which is another reason why I like focusing 30-days at a time, because I am more aware and conscious of successes and areas of improvement, in the moment, not 8-months too late.
Fitness Friday 08 - the bee lifeI watched the Biggest Loser this past season (just ended this past week) and they kept emphasizing that life happens outside of the ranch, and that’s going to be the biggest obstacle – and isn’t that the truth. So if you’re like me and had a bit of a struggle into this next month, it’s OK just remember these things:

It’s Not Easy – Understanding and accepting that it’s not going to be easy is half the battle, knowing that there are going to be continuous temptations and ups and downs, is good! It’s all about balance, and knowing you’re going to have to continually work and navigate all that comes with life. Don’t give up!

Be Aware – Be aware when you’re making a choice that might not be the best for your fitness and health success, tempted by the mini cupcakes in the lunch room at work? Or wanting to sit on the couch after a long day at work instead of taking 30-minutes to crank a workout in? Being aware, regardless of the path you take will lead to better choices the next time.

Do Change – Once you’re aware, start doing, it doesn’t do you any good thinking about the workout you missed or the salad you could’ve had at lunch – actually do the workout, and eat the salad!  Make change, and start changing those bad habits that don’t help your health.  One thing that has helped for me, do, is grocery shopping and stocking up on good snacks and food for lunches, and dinners – this prevents us from ordering take out at the last minute because they fridge is empty.

Something Is Better Than Nothing – I think I’ve said this before, but a 30-minute workout is better than nothing.  So when you’re about to pass up a chance to workout or “don’t have enough time,” you do. Make it work, and get that workout in, it all adds up and helps you become stronger in your journey to success!

This past week I stepped it up significantly, because although I realized I didn’t do as much as I could have this month, I also realized I still had time to make a difference and get back on the saddle!

Happy Friday!

DIY – Night Stands

| The Bee Life

As our attic nears completion (spoiler) I wanted to share a few of the other projects along the way that although much smaller than the overall guts, walls and refinish, have been key for the final touches.

With such a big project like this, I really wanted to try and find a bargain or two especially with furnishings, and I would say we did a pretty good job of splitting that between bargain vs. brand new.

The Before

One surprise that took me awhile to come around too (and find) was our night stands. I found plenty that I loved, but not enough for the price tag that came with them. It had been my mission on garbage days to find some treasures people put out on the tree lawns – but no such luck (only found one).

Enter the “unfinished lamp table with two drawers” from Home Depot. Similar to what we wanted and a price tag that was palatable ($71.99), especially when purchasing two for the price of one finished  – not to mention these suckers are sturdy!

International Concepts Unfinished Lamp Table with 2-Drawer

The After

We ended up painting and staining the tops to mimic one of the pricier side tables we had seen from Target, upgraded the hardware and wah-la you have a high-end night stand for a fraction of the cost! We love the way they turned out.



Since we already had stain and poly from our dining room table project, we saved on materials cost there. We also already had white paint for other projects and the walls (another cost savings) and the knobs I found in a 4-pack at Marshalls for $4.99. Can’t beat it!

Although this was a little extra work on top of all the other finishing touches like paint, trim, caulking, more painting, cleaning, etc. it was totally worth it and we have a completely custom piece that finish the space!

Weekend Update – Engaged!

| The Bee Life

This past weekend was an exciting one, definitely one that won’t be forgotten as it was full of celebrating B and I’s engagement! He popped the question on Thursday and caught me completely off guard – which was his main goal, success!!

Engaged! - the bee life

Of course I’ve always imagined getting proposed to by B and being engaged, but at the same time it always seemed so far away! So until it happened, I was totally caught off guard not only when and how, but for all the follow-up afterwards…. here are some things I learned from my experience;

1. It’s not official until it’s Facebook official (we waited a few days before “officially” posting)
2. Everyone loves a good engagement story (and everyone wants to hear how it happened)
3. Everyone wants to tell everyone else
4. I couldn’t sleep worth a damn for 2 nights, I like to compare it to the Christmas morning jitters! (drafted this at 3am on one of the said nights)
5. Everyone has an opinion (about all the wedding planning you haven’t done yet)
6. I wish I would’ve printed a story of the engagement to hand out to people – it was fun telling the first 10 times…
7. It’s officially acceptable to starting looking at wedding stuff (unhide the Pinterest board) !!!!
8. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t like attention (especially at work) until I received it – yes I am beyond excited about it but there doesn’t need to be a million announcements about it! Although it’s nice that everyone is so excited for us (thank you everyone!)

For the record, we don’t have a date, we aren’t starting to plan at least for 3… 4 months? I just want to enjoy this time with B!  Oh, and we aren’t having babies anytime soon.

XO