Movies at the Library

Justus and I plan to use Sling TV as our TV provider. It is online, $20 a month, has all the channels we watch, and no contract. Our street does not have internet yet, so are waiting to signup for this service. When we do get it, I will let you know how it works incase anyone is wanting to switch to internet based TV and pay less. We have been watching local channels, but miss watching Netflix and other shows on cable. I have been going to the library when I need internet and noticed they have an awesome DVD and blue-ray section. I love Redbox, but definitely need to take advantage of the free movies at the library! I discovered they also have a great selection of TV series. Justus and I enjoy binge watching TV series on Netflix, so decided to rent Homeland in the absence of Netflix. It is a great show and I love the fact it was borrowed from the library.

For the record, I do read and love renting books for my iPad from the library. I will post later about the online library and magazine reader our library has to offer later. So, the point of this post is checkout your local library for all the perks. Rent books on your iPad/Kindle, checkout magazines online, rent movies, TV shows, and of course books! A blessing from not having internet has been discovering how great our Norwalk Library is!

Home Show Replication

I got a lot of ideas at the Des Moines Home Show, but most of them I cannot afford to replicate. The one thing I could copy was a soap dish. It was a tray with small rocks that held the soap. It looked fancy, but not sure it has a purpose. I will tell myself it collects the "soap drippings". Anyway, for some reason it caught my eye and I thought it looked neat. After a lot of searching, I finally settled on a candle holder I found on Amazon to recreate this look. I obviously didn't use the candle holders it came with and will reuse those at a latter time. [By the way... I did use Ebates to make this purchase on Amazon and got a little cash back.] So here is my attempt with pictures from the Home Show and our house.

Soap dish from the Home Show

Soap tray in our kitchen

Soap tray in our kitchen

Learning Golf

Now that we have been living on a golf course for a little over a month I thought it is time I learn to play golf. I am bad....like really bad. I swing like I am trying to hit a home run, look very mechanical, and have no "flow".  Every time I hit the ball it goes way right, so look out!  While in Boone visiting my family yesterday I thought I would take advantage of their acreage and work on my swing. My mom gave me a lesson and I have decided she is good at everything! I now know I need to work on being smooth, not trying to "kill the ball", don't bring the club back too far, and keeping my chest down. These are just a few of the many things I need to work on.  By the end of my "lesson" (which she said I can pay her for later) I was hitting much straighter. I was also getting more consistent, so their is hope I can be a golfer after all. Other good news.... I brought 8 golfball and left with 8 golfballs after searching for a very long time.

My mom has given me basketball, pitching, fielding, hitting, discuss, trumpet, math, etc. lessons all my life. I would have to say by this time in my life it is probably more enjoyable for all involved. No more teenage meltdowns! I am very thankful for the time she has spent with me working on these skills and am very happy their is still more to learn. Hopefully soon we can go golfing together. However, that may be a ways out because in her words, "You went from being really bad, to just bad." I take that as a compliment :)

Thanks for a fun afternoon and helping me golf! <3

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Healthy Snack: "Seed Bowl"

When Justus and I were dating he always had a nut/seed mix from Wheatsfied at his house. I loved this stuff! I think this is where my love for trail mix and pepitas began. For the past year I have been adding pepitas to a bowl with some other seeds for a snack to get more protein. Justus refers to this as my "seed bowl" or "squirrel food"...

Recently at Gateway Market I bought their "student trail mix" and paid a crazy amount for a tiny amount. I decided I can make my own in bulk, so today I did.  The great thing about trail mix is you can add in what you like and what you have at the time. There is no recipe, so put the measuring cups away and throw in what you want. You can make it as healthy or not as healthy as you would like. The combination I made today was very healthy and high in protein...until I added some Reese's Pieces.

Here is what I put in my mix:

Ingredients

• Honey Roasted Peanuts (stole these from Justus)
• Dried Edamame (Surprisingly high in protein)
• Soynuts
• Pepitas
• Seasame Oat Bran Sticks
• Sunflower Seeds
• Reese's Pieces
• Raisins or Craisins will be added after I go to the grocery store

The Good Sense brand items can be purchased at Menards for $1. Who would have thought the best place to buy those items would be Mendards?! I buy a lot of my seeds/nuts on Amazon in bulk.

Final mix

My aunt Tracy makes an awesome snack mix. It is the perfect sweet n' salty combination. Here is what she throws together:

• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts
• Craisins
• White Chocolate Chips

Favorite Workout Apps

Hot5 

Hot5 is an app I discovered last year and is now a favorite. Hot5 features 5 minute workouts with 5 exercises for 1 minute. The person in the video does the exercises with you and there is a timer so you know when to switch. I use Hot5 to do 5 minutes of abs after cardio, but I also use it for 5-20 minute strength workouts. The great thing about Hot5 is you can do one 5 minute workout or combine several for a longer workout. Many of the workouts are equipment-free, but some do require/recommend dumbbells, kettlebell, medicine ball, etc.  The categories are:

• High intensity cardio blast (no equipment needed)
• Total bodyweight (strength moves with no equipment needed)
• Abs & Core (most are equipment free, but a few require equipment)
• Butt & Legs
• Cardio & Agility
• Muscle & Strength (most require dumbbells, kettlebell, or weighted bar)
• Yoga & Flexibility (no equipment needed)
• Partner workouts (just need a partner...Justus has yet to do this with me)

Overall, Hot5 provides a lot of options and changes things up in your workout. I have learned a lot of new exercises I use in my normal workouts. Hot5 is free, but I believe now has in-app purchases. I downloaded it last year when it was all free :)

Here is the ab workout I did this morning (Complete Abs) on YouTube! Click here for an overview of the app. 

Yoga Studio 

Yoga Studio is the best yoga app I have found and trust me, I have tried many! I had never done yoga, but wanted to learn. I was too big of a chicken to go to an actual studio, so I searched for an app and I luckily came across Yoga Studio ($3.99). It taught me how to do yoga, is not boring, and really did improve my flexibility. The teacher in the app does a great job because it seems natural and flows well. You can search through the "studio" based on focus, duration, and level.

Collections:

• Sun salutations
• Deep Relaxation Meditations
• Quick Yoga Fix (under 10 minutes each)
• Yoga for Back Pain
• Yoga for Runners (My favorite collection of classes)
• Beginner Essentials
• Intermediate Essentials
• Advanced Essentials

Focus:

• Balance
• Flexibility
• Strength
• Relaxation
• Combination

Levels:

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced

Duration:

• 5-60 minutes
• I like to combine several shorter videos for a longer session

There are a lot of classes within each collections, so you can change it up often and not get bored. There is even the option to create your own custom class or copy a class, but make adjustments to it. There is a "poses" section where you can work on improving specific poses. I have never been to an actual yoga studio and am sure I should to get the feedback I need on form. Until then, I will keep using my Yoga Studio app!  Click here to checkout Yoga Studio and get a sneak peek before you download the app. 

Grilling Season: First Attempt at Pizza

Gas line to the grill

Putting a gas line on our deck for the grill was all Justus's idea and I am very glad he suggested it! We grill at least three nights a week. We grill the typical burger and brats (Morningstar black bean or quinoa patties for me), but tonight we got a bit more adventurous. Tonight's meal was grilled pizza, caprese salad (tomatoes, basil & fresh mozzarella) from Gateway Market, hummus, and veggies. It was great to have a yummy, healthy, fresh meal. Here is how we made the pizza's on the grill. The grilled pizza was easy and fun to make. We will definitely be making these grilled pizzas again & trying different combinations.

With the gas line we never have to refill a propane tank

Grilled Pizza  

Ingredients:

• Pitas
• Olive oil
• Tomato sauce
• Mozzarella cheese (Romano and Parmesan would be good too)
• Veggies of your choice (we used tomatoes and green peppers)
• Basil

Directions:

Ingredients ready to take to the grill

Spray/brush both sides of the pita with olive oil. Grill on each side for about 1 minute until toasted. Add your sauce, veggies, and cheese. Top with basil and anything else you would like on your pizza. Let it cook for about 5 minutes or when the top looks done. We added some sliced avocado to our pizza when off of the grill. 

Have fun building your own pizzas!

Perfect night

Cleaning Wood Floors: Hoover Linx and Bona

My new hobby: Cleaning. Moving into a house from an apartment has been great and has many perks. One challenge though has been keeping the wood floors looking good. The 70's style tile in our apartment was far from pretty, but it did hide the dirt! I have tried several different products and tools on our wood floors, so thought I would share my favorites in case anyone has been curious on how a product works. 

A lot of hardwoods to keep clean and dust-free!

Vacuum 

Old cleaning method: Broom and dust pan
New cleaning method: Hoover Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum

Sweeping and using a dust pan/small vacuum was working, but I wanted a more efficient way to clean the house on a daily basis (ok...almost daily). We have several rugs on our hardwoods that I also wanted to vacuum. I did a lot of searching for a vacuum that safely works on hardwood floors. I came across the Hoover Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum. This vacuum is different than most because it has WindTunnel technology that can be used to clean hardwoods (no brush), but with the push of a button the brush can be turned on to better clean carpet. It has a rechargeable battery, bagless, and the filter can be rinsed when needed and reused. It is lightweight, turns easily, and fits under furniture. The wheels are also safe for wood floors. I love that when I am done I can see all the sweeps in the dirt cup before throwing them away. If I am going to take the time to clean I want to see the results! :) I love that the vacuum safely and easily switches from hardwoods to carpet so I can vacuum our rugs and bedrooms at the same time. I still use my Simplicity vacuum on the carpet, but like the Linx for a quick clean.

Go from hardwood to rug easily with the Hoover Linx

My favorite cleaning tool- Hoover Linx :)

Roll the switch from I for hardwoods (no brush) to II for carpets and rugs (brush)

Dusting/Mopping

On a daily basis I dust because our dark floors show it easily...much more than our tan tile at our apartment I learned! I switch it up between a Swiffer and my Bona Hardwood Wet Mop. The Bona mop came with a cleaning pad and hardwood cleaning spray. However, I bought a microfiber dust pad that easily velcros on so I can dust daily. It is washable, so it saves money in the long run. This works great for dust and dirt! *I don't use the spray when dusting, just when mopping. I use the cleaning pad and cleaning spray about every 2 weeks or as needed for a deeper clean.  The cleaning spray cartridge can be refilled, so it is not wasteful and saves money. Bona also makes tile spray, which I can use on our bathroom and mudroom floors. So far I love my Bona Hardwood mop since it works for dusting, mopping, and cleaning the tile.

Bona Wet Mop with the dusting pad on

Bona cleaning pad for mopping, stone cleaner, and hardwood refill

The end to a boring article on cleaning!

I purchased my Bona Mop at Lowe's and my Hoover Linx at Amazon, but they can be purchased at places like Target, Walmart, HomeDepot,  Bed Bath & Beyond, etc. 

Hidden Toaster

When designing our kitchen we wanted to keep the countertop as clear of "clutter" as possible. We thought an appliance garage would be a good idea, but then decided it would be limiting. We settled on adding a pantry cabinet to the end of our cabinets and placed an outlet in the back. The cabinet has pullout drawers, so we were able to place a few appliances on the top shelf. We have our toaster and electric kettle hidden, but easily accessible. The toaster cools off fast, so once it is cooled we push it back into the cupboard. I absolutely love this and would recommend it if you have the option to do so! 

Toaster out of sight in the pantry cupboard (more room for my coffee!)

Easily use the toaster and pushback when cooled

Love the outlet in the back of the pantry! 

Landscaping Project

Last weekend Justus and I decided it was time to start our first landscaping project. Phase 1: The south side of our house gets hit by the sun, so the sod is tough to keep looking good. Plus, we have a side garage door and wanted a path to the driveway.  Phase 2: Orton put in 2 trees and 10 plants per HOA. It looks nice, but we wanted to expand the area and put in edgers. We headed to Lowe's to get mulch, tall grass to cover the electrical meeter, pavers, and edgers. Lifting 72 edgers (weigh ~20 lbs each) on the cart, into the trunk, and out of the cart was a lot of work. Our cars were ridin' real low on that trip back from Lowe's!

I left this cart for Justus to push...

Justus looking thrilled! 

We picked the hottest day of the year to start the project (not smart).  We were idiots thinking we could do phase 1 and 2 of our project in one day. We started off strong and ambitious, but several hours in we started to get  sick feeling from the heat. Thankfully our neighbors stopped by to keep our spirits up! By that point we were so muddy, sweaty, and sunburnt. We started around 11:00am and finished around 5pm. Needless to say, we are going to wait for a nice cool day to do phase 2! 

That night we met up with friends for half-price beers and great food at Exile. Great friends, great 
beer, and great food was just what we needed. 

Later in the week my parents came down to bring flowers and tall grass from their garden. This is when we noticed our front landscaping had been expanded. Orton came without us knowing and expanded the flower bed with more mulch and adding a few curves. I loved the surprise and it looks great! Now we just have to do the edge with our stones. Checkout our before and after pics below. Wonder when this ambitious, honeymoon phase of homeownership is going to wear off?!

Before

After

Done! So sweaty and tired! 

Gutter and a few more flowers added.

Much better curb appeal

Home Show 2015

Last weekend Justus and I went to the 2015 Home Show in Ankeny. It was a lot of fun, got some great ideas, and enjoyed a day out together. We don't have HGTV at our house yet, so this was my way of feeling like I had HGTV again! I liked the houses, but I loved the houses at the 2014 Home Show in Norwalk. Nonetheless, I got some ideas and noticed some definite trends.
Trends I noticed:

• Shiplap (Accent wall, all walls, ceiling)
• Barn doors and windows
• Natural looking hardwood floors
• Hidden rooms and pantries
• Gray is in! 
• Gas fireplaces with rock
• Breakfast nooks
• Technology- Thermostats, iPad in the wall to control the home, speakers throughout the house. 

The takeaway for Justus and I was we need a breakfast nook! We love our new house, but the dinning area is small due to our large island. We are going to have a bench built to save space and accommodate a lot of people. TBD on that project, but were inspired by the pics below.  A landscaping idea we gained was to create two tiers with stones. We want to try this in the front of our house by the steps. It will help hide the foundation and gives some dimension. See the pic below for this inspiration. I highly recommend the Des Moines Home Show to get ideas, cheap date, and explore a new city.

Love this breakfast nook

Two-tier landscaping with stones

Loved this table for the bar area

Custom wall wine rack

Built in desk and command center

Cute shelves

Justus's Favorite House

Huge breakfast nook and kitchen

Tray + Rock + Soap = Clever!

Jif Whips

For starters, I am not paid to talk about my love of Jif Whips peanut butter... I wish I was though! I discovered Jif Whips from a coworker and friend. It was love at first taste and have been obsessed ever since. It is the best thing since sliced bread... and goes great on bread! I love using Jif Whips for your typical Pb&J and toast, but it also goes great on...

• Waffles
• English muffins and toast
• Ritz crackers
• Rice cakes
• Celery
• Smoothies/shakes

It comes in many flavors, but my favorites are regular, butterscotch, and dark chocolate. I love mix and matching the flavors with the items listed above. I do not recommend trying celery with the dark chocolate flavor though. ;) So why is Jif Whips better than regular PB? Here is why:

• Spreads easily and does not crumble your bread
• Comes in several flavors
• Lower calorie since it is airy
• Scoops easily into smoothies/shakes
• Tastes great

My Jif Whips Flavors

Ebates

This morning I got an email from Ebates that I received cash back for my latest Target purchase online. I figured this is worthy of my first "Favorite Things" post.  I use to receive a check in the mail, but I recently switched to have the cash back deposited directly to my bank account. "Earning" money for shopping at Target & Amazon?! Sign me up! I was skeptical at first, but have been using Ebates for over 5 years and have received a lot in cash back.

Check it out here: Ebates
If you end up loving it, you can now add a button to Chrome that reminds you when to use Ebates.

My latest Ebates stats

Summer goal- Start a blog

A summer goal was to start a blog. Realizing it is now mid July, I thought I better act on this goal. Why the goal to start a blog? I want to document the happenings in our little family, reflect on all I am grateful for, and I need a hobby. I was also inspired by a few people. My Grandma Sharol keeps life happenings documented in her Franklin Planner. Maybe the love of planning and having a planner is genetic? My cousin-in-law, Ali, has a great blog showing what is going on in the life of her family. It is great to see her two sons grow and her pictures with captions make me laugh. Someday if/when we have kids I love the idea of having a blog to document and share life's happenings. My aunt Tracy bought me a journal in middle school, which I kept up with for awhile. This is when I learned the importance of journaling. These are a few people that influenced my goal of starting a blog.

In middle school and high school I scrapbooked my life. I finished my high school scrapbook the night before moving to college. I knew if I didn't finish it before college I never would! I am thankful I documented that part of my life in scrapbooks, but it was a lot of work, expensive, and scrapbooks are HEAVY! I figure a blog is my new "scrapbook"... it is free and much lighter too ;)  So although this blog is public and I hope you enjoy reading some posts, I am documenting our lives for myself and family.

Summer list:

• Move in to our house 6.19.15
• Start a blog
• Backup pictures online
• Prep for 1st days of school
• Landscape our new house (partly done)