10 ways to make your apartment feel like home

10 ways to make your small apartment feel 

like a Home

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Apartment living can be a nice more affordable lifestyle, however it can be difficult to make it feel like its YOUR lifestyle. Apartments are usually cold, barren, blank slates that have NO personality, and its usually that cookie cutter, lack of color and love that most people despise!
I for one find blank slates nice, because i can add my touch to it, but with apartments you are VERY limited on what you can do.
Here are 10 ways i have found that made my apartment and can make yours as well, feel like YOUR home!

#1- Change out light fixture covers!

My kitchen had a run of the mill glass cover on the pendant light hanging over the sink, it wasn't ugly but it really wasn't something i loved. Light fixture covers are super affordable solutions to changing up the look of your room. I went with a simple mason jar to add a little country to my kitchen; When i turn the light on, it feels so cozy and warm! 

If mason jars aren't your thing than check out Menards, Home Depot, or Lowes for their fixture cover selection! Most covers run from $4 to $10. You want to know how much mine cost? Well, get ready for this... it was FREE. Hows that for good DIY skills!

#2- Don't clutter the top 

 One thing that pretty much all apartments lack is STORAGE! It can be pretty irritating when you are trying to meal plan but you don't have the storage space for all the food you need to buy, but such is life when you live in a smaller space. I really don't know how people that live in tiny houses do it!

Anyways, because of the lack of storage we put our stuff wherever it can fit, and usually that is above the cabinets. If you don't care how your kitchen looks, then first of all you don't really need to finish reading this, and second go ahead and keep piling stuff up there! 

But if you DO care, then take this advice, either get rid of empty boxes, gadgets, or  anything you don't use! That alone will help get rid of some upper cabinet clutter. If you still have a lot of stuff that you use often then I'd recommend going through your cupboards and weeding out stuff in them so you can put things you actually use away. 

Now I like adding a few decor pieces to my upper cabinet space, you don't have to! It really adds that personal touch that apartments lack though. It also says "Hey i really have my kitchen game going strong here, and i'm organized" even if you secretly aren't really.

#3- Change out knobs

We had some pretty ugly GOLD knobs on our closet doors. I mean they shouldn't be sold in stores anymore.... Not that gold is bad, because i love gold; i just wouldn't go with 80's styled round gold knobs.... EVER! 

I changed them out to these pretty knobs i found at target! Make sure when you change ANYTHING in your apartment out, that you save it all in a box so that when you move out it is all in one place which makes it easier to put back where you took it from.

#4- Add wall decor and Furniture

 My living room is reasonably sized, all my furniture fits in it relatively well. If we were in a bigger space i would probably arrange it differently, but i'm working with what i have. 

Now my living room is completely open to my kitchen and dinning area, so one way i added a little segregation, is placing my sectional in a way that it helps diving the spaces nicely. 

TIP: furniture DOESN'T have to go right up against the wall.  If you have the space don't be afraid to put your couch more in the center of the room, and maybe add a sofa table behind it with some cute lamps and books on it. Its also ok for your bed to go in front of a window. 

So we added character to our plain living room by placing bookshelves and a fireplace as a feature wall.  I also added a homey touch to the space with a small gallery wall that has pictures and quotes that i love.

The bookshelves also added storage for books (obviously) and my sons toys that i placed in cute baskets. 

#5- Paint!

This is a tip you will have to check with your lease agreement or apartment manager about, a lot of apartments don't allow tenants to paint, and if they allow pain they usually have you pick a color from their list of allowed choices and hire a professional to pain ONE wall for you. Thankfully we are allowed to paint! The only stipulation is we have to paint it back when we move out, which is A- ok with me. 

So because i have to paint it back i only painted one wall in each bedroom. My sons room (on the left) was painted a nice warm denim blue color, and our room (on the right) was painted a cool tone grey color. I also painted the TINY little wall where our light switch is on, just to add a little bit more pizzazz to the room.

#6- Add curtains

 One way to make a room feel warmer, more homey is to add curtains to the windows. DO NOT place the curtain rod right above the window frame, but instead place it much higher because that will add height to your room whereas placing it right on the window frame cuts the room much lower and can look closed off.  I have curtains in pretty much every room of the house, but all of them are a nice neutral color, because i'm not really one for crazy patterns and colors. If you however like color, then this is one way to add it to your white apartment. You can also add color through throw pillows, accent chairs, rugs, or even towels you have hanging on the holders. 

#7- Find storage solutions

  My son's closet is one place i store all the extra blankets or pillows that we use when guests come over, so i wanted to make sure i made the most of the space with this 8 cube shelf. Since his clothes are so small everything fits in here nicely. I also used a three tiered basket thing, to hold his shoes, lotions, hats, and like items. The cloth drawers store toys, some of my craft items, and sheet sets, then he has all his books on top so he can pull them down and look at them when he wants to. 

This solution is pretty simple, and really helps organize things easily.

#8- Use command hooks

I've talked about command hooks before in other posts, so i wont go into much detail. Lets just say they are a renters friend. Our electrical panel is right behind the door, so i placed command hook on the top part of it, which helps hang my jackets, and hide the ugly panel at the same time!!

#9- Personalize kids rooms. 

A lot of times in apartments kids rooms are forgotten, usually because there is more than one child sharing that room. Instead of opting for a typical changing table that doesn't offer to much storage, use a dresser instead! it helps store your kids clothes out of reaching hands which keeps their room cleaner. Also add some sweet pictures to the walls, to make them feel like their room is a special little place for them!

#10- don't forget the bathroom

Bathrooms can be pretty too!! I added a cute picture with a nice quote on it (it says begin each day with a grateful heart) since we usually are in the bathroom before any other room at the beginning of the day. I went with simple colors, three different shades of grey and a few soft yellow hints here and there. If you had a house, your bathroom would look nicer than an apartment one, so don't be afraid to add a little of you to it! 

So there you have it! 10 pretty simple ways to personalize your apartment and make it feel like your home! I hope you enjoyed this read, and i can't wait to chat next time!

-hannah

Hello, Goodbye

Sometimes in life we have to go through very sad, difficult, and painful times. Times when our insides hurt so much we can barley breathe, and our eyes sting because we have wiped tears from them so much. Times when we can't sleep because our minds run through a thousand scenarios of how we should have done something different, said "i love you more", or even just said anything more. It's not just a single moment when you feel loss and then get over it. It's different times, throughout different days and years when we remember, and cry for our missing loved ones and the hole our hearts and lives will always have in them. 

 My dad battled with brain tumors since i was very very little, the very first one he had was not supposed to be curable, But anything is possible with God. So because of prayers all over the world (literally) my dad's tumor went from un-treatable to treatable, and he was able to get the medicines and such that he needed. Throughout the next few years he was free of the evil called cancer; but eventually it came back, time after time, treatment after painful excruciating treatment. My dad was a fighter, and even through all this he still served the Lord in his testimony, with his music, and with the way he cared for his family. It was only three months after i got married that my dad quickly got worse and ended up going home to see Jesus.  

This was the hardest thing i have ever had to go through. It was difficult to let go, even though i knew my dad would be in Heaven where no brain tumors could plague his brain, and no medicines would be needed to keep him alive. I had such a broken heart, because i loved my dad so very very much, and i didn't expect to lose him so quickly.  

Holidays were so different, visiting my mom was and sometimes is still hard because i just expect to see him still, and looking at my sister and knowing how many things she wont be able to share with dad was and is heartbreaking.

There are easier times, and then are very hard times. When i found out i was pregnant i would go into the babies room at times, sit in the rocking chair and stare at my growing belly and just weep, because my child and future children will never get to meet their grandpa (at least not on earth) I would imagine and dream about my dad's reaction when he found out about being a grandpa, how he would be such a baby hog when the little guy finally came, and how he would play with him and all the fun they would have together. 

__________________________________________________________________

 There have been many deaths in the family throughout the couple of years but just a few days ago I had to say a hard goodbye all over again, with my grandma this time. 

My grandma was such a strong independent woman, who was a force to be reckoned with. But she was also the most tender, loving person as well. Everyone called her grandma, because she was there for everyone. She was proud of her church, the people in it, her garden and most of all she was proud of her children and grandchildren. She had Facebook and would re-share our posts about our kids, or events we went to, or even photos from way long ago from her children's weddings or our graduations. 

When Her husband passed away several years ago, she was at a loss, but she stuck through her hardships, stayed in her old farmhouse and took care of her yard like someone much younger than her would. When my mom lost dad, grandma was there for her showing her that it is ok, and you can stay strong and get through it. 

Grandma loved talking to everyone, and she shared Jesus love and gospel with anyone who would listen. She was strong until the end, when she came down with influenza B and pneumonia. We all expected her to get better, because well... its grandma. She always bounced back from one thing or another. But not this time. She ended up leaving us all for her heavenly home. It was quick and unexpected, and we all hurt from it in our own ways. 

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Now i'm not telling you these things to be sad, or feel bad for me. Although there are some things people Shouldn't say to grieving people. For instance please don't say "build a bridge and get over it" or "it happens to everyone" or "This too shall pass" because really that is not what we want to hear in our time of mourning... K? thanks.

I told you those stories to let you know that no matter how busy, distant, or angry you are from/ with a loved one, make the time to talk to them. Make the time to visit, or fix the broken relationship. 

Time is precious. The bible states in James 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 

We don't know how long we have with our loved ones, or even ourselves. Make each moment count! 

Something i realized through these losses, is how much LOSS really means. 

Loss defined by Websters dictionary is: the state or feeling of grief when deprived of someone or something of value. 

I don't know about you but i like to take care of things that are of value to me, and i'm sure i'm not the only one. So with all of that said, we all have to say hello to goodbye, because yes they are inevitable in life, so cherish the moments whether big or small, and love your family one and all.

Until next time,

Hannah

DIY accessory holder

 Are you TIRED of having you hair bows, bow-ties, sunglasses, or necklaces in a tangled mess, 
with no hope in sight for organizing them? 

Well i have the PERFECT solution for you! AND its super simple.

All you need is:

1. Picture Frame (without the glass or backing in it)

2. hot glue gun

3. clothes pins (how ever many you want to use)

4. ribbon

5. Staple gun

6. scissors

First measure out your ribbon on the BACK side of the picture frame. After you lay it out, you can cut it to the correct size that you need. 

TIP: I like to use a wide ribbon because the clothes pins fit better and are more secure on it. 

Next staple one end of your ribbon. On the opposite side pull the ribbon taught (tight) and staple. Don't worry if there is extra ribbon, you can cut it off and it wont effect anything.

Make sure your ribbon is tight, so that when the clothes pins are on it, it doesn't sag.

This is what the backside looks like after that step. I had to staple my ribbon in multiple places so that it would not bunch strange. I also placed one ribbon onto the sides where the glass would rest, and the other ribbon onto the back of the picture frame. Varying depths will help your accessories lay better.

Next place your clothes pins where you think you want them. You can play around with this step and see what suits your needs. Because my picture frame is smaller, i did not use very many clothes pins. So depending on the size you use, you can use more or less!

Next hot glue the ribbon where you are going to place the clothes pin, and set the pin in place! It should be quite secure, even with rough handling. 

And here is my finished result. I just hang it on the wall as added filler to a gallery wall in my sons room.

You can use this process for almost anything!! I even did it for pictures, as a fun way of displaying them in my living room...

I hope you enjoy this DIY and are inspired to try it yourself! 

I'll talk with you next week!

-Hannah

Dear Wives

I recently watched a video on Facebook of a pregnant woman bashing her husband because he got credit for being there for her when she had pregnancy appointments. She was a comedian so i know its her job to make fun, and say stuff to make people laugh but instead of making me laugh it made me think... a lot! 

It made me think about how many times we take our husbands for granted, and for the thing they do that we think "Well yea they NEED to do that!" but we never say thank you, or tell them how much it means for them to do that. 

I wanted to tell her something, and i think its something that we all (including me) need to hear now and again. Ready?

Hey Wife,

You recently found out your pregnant and your hormones are CRAZY, but did you ever imagine going through those mood swings without someone to run to the grocery store for you and grab those blueberry muffins you love? Or rub your back when it got sore from that extra weight you've started to gain? Imagine going to ALL your hospital visits alone, your ultrasounds would just be you talking to the nurse about how excited you are, instead of you talking to your husband about baby names and nursery plans! 

You would either have to paint the nursery, assemble the crib and mobile all by yourself while your pregnant or just give up because its more than you can handle. If your husband was there, he would assemble the crib, paint and even re-paint the room if you asked him too, and even help you pick up a dresser you found on Craigslist. If you were alone, none of that would most likely get done, unless you had some pretty great friends. 

You wouldn't have someone to hold onto when you got braxton hicks, or when those real contractions started. There wouldn't be anyone to text you constantly asking if you were in labor, or tell you how pretty your stretch marks are, or share the joys of feeling the baby move in your belly. 

There would be no one there to Walk you around the hospital for three hours while you dilate, or sleep next to you on an uncomfortable hospital bed while you wait and wait for the nurse to say "Your ready!"  

You would only have the nurses and the doctor there to "encourage" you while you push the baby out, and it would only be you there all alone to share the joys of holding that precious new baby. 

Yes there are several times when husbands can annoy or irritate us, and even get credit for stuff we don't think they should, but here's the deal. 

Now days 20 to 30 % of men leave their wives in general, but 30 to 40% of men cheat or leave their wives while they are pregnant!! That's why nurses are so impressed with husbands that are actually BEING a husband!

If you are a lady who has a husband that takes the time to come to appointments, or spend time doing things to help you. If you have a husband that loves you so much and shows you that love so much that it can be smothering at times, be thankful!!! Don't push them away like they are the bane of your existence, don't make them feel like their love means nothing, or its something that's expected of them! Because expectations in a marriage can make that marriage crumble! Your husband is beating statistics, he is loving you and only you throughout this time of immense change! You should be so thankful for him and you should even brag to the nurses "He is a wonderful husband for taking time off work to come to this appointment!" Even IF he just sits there playing games on his phone while you get checked out (which who wants to watch that anyways), he is there and he is showing his love for you! 

Be thankful wife, you have a husband who loves you, and treats you like a prized jewel! Don't treat him like he doesn't matter, because you could be doing this all on your own! 

Love your husband, because that's what we are supposed to do! 

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love

Sincerely,

Someone just like you

Postnatal Nightmares

What no one tells you....

Disclaimer: This post is strictly for women.... Men definitly dont want to read about what happens after birth

Ok So pregnancy- its that glowing, happy time of life when you can eat whatever you crave, savor your acne free skin, and thick luscious hair, and you have the courage to tell people what you think when they mention your large tummy. 

There are Tons of books about pregnancy and child birth, lots of random people's advice on what to do and not to do. But no one talks about the weird stuff that happens after your baby is born..... the postnatal nightmares! Here are some that i have heard of or have personally gone through. So if your about to have a baby this should give you a heads up, and if you already had your baby you can laugh with me!

1. Pooping

OK let me tell you i NEVER expected this to be any different after i had baby J. Not only is it difficult to get the business done, but the whole process of pushing, and such just feels so.... wrong and uncomfortable!  I was afraid to do it because i didn't want to tear my stitches or hemorrhage (paranoid!). i was uncomfortable and frustrated because NO ONE, not even the doctors told me it would be like that. Thankfully that feeling only lasts a few days, and apple or prune juice can help things move along easier.

2. Cravings

I didn't have cravings during my pregnancy; but let me tell ya, i had them after!!! Yup you read that right, AFTER! I craved apple juice, cake, cookies, french fries, and DQ Blizzards! healthy right?! i was not expecting to LOVE some things i never used to, let alone crave them constantly!!! Weird right? My son is almost a year old and i still crave sweets, which is NOT helpful when i'm trying to loose weight!

3. Hair loss

Lets just start by saying i lost more hair than my cat sheds. When i vacuumed MY hair clogged the bristles, and the shower wall and my pillows were always covered in my hair! I felt like i was going bald!!! Thankfully it grows back, but then you have to deal with those stubborn baby hairs! You just cant win!!

4. Acne

When i was pregnant i had the best skin of my life!!! i never got pimples, my skin didn't feel dry like it usually does, and i felt confident enough that i didn't even wear foundation! that lasted until the day after i had baby J. Then my skin decided it had enough and wanted to be rebellious, so it's back to foundation and concealer for me!

5. Intimacy 

Lets be quick and brief.  Didn't think about it, didn't want it, and that feeling lasted for 5 moths!!!!

Enough said...

6. Peeing 

Not only will you pee more than you did before you got pregnant, you also wont be able to hold it like you used to. Sneezing, coughing, and even laughing will be something you will try your very hardest to avoid! Let's put it this way, You wont be making fun of your mom for holding her legs together when she sneezes anymore, because you will be doing the EXACT SAME THING. 

7. Style

If you can fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes after you give birth, then that is AWESOME! i was able to, however, i didn't want to wear those clothes because after i became a mom my style completely changed, and i'm still trying to figure out what i feel comfortable in. There is just something about becoming a mom that makes you think of things in a whole new light, and for me it was definitely my style. 

8. Sleep

This one is probably an obvious one, but I'm going to say it anyways. You wont get hardly any sleep, you will thrive off coffee, and you might even do things that you won't remember. Like waking up in the night and turning the coffee pot on, or opening the blinds, or replying to a text message that you don't even remember getting. Yes sleep will be a very foreign idea for a while!

9. Memory

Lets just say you wont have one. You will forget EVERYTHING, and it will drive you nuts! But try as you may, nothing will help it get better, because Hey your a mom now, and apparently our brains turn to mush after we have kids. 

10. Love

Whatever you thought love was, is nothing to what it becomes after you hold your baby for the first time. You will do ANYTHING for this baby, and even on those hard days when they drive you nuts, just one look at them and your heart just melts. you fall in love over and over again with your little baby and you will always want to give them the best that you can. 

So... with all of that said, GOOD LUCK in your mom adventure, because its the biggest adventure you will EVER go on!!!

Until next time,

Hannah

Plan that Meal!!!

Simple Meal Planning for the busy mom

I am NOT an expert about meal planning, and to be honest I struggle with it still to this day!

It's one of my least favorite things to do, not only do i have to plan out meals, but i also have to write a grocery list, go to the grocery store, get tempted by all the yummy dessert they have there, tell myself NOT to buy them, go home sad, dessert-less, and forced to make a meal when i just want to go to a fast food restaurant and order food there! 

I've tried ever since I was living on my own to meal plan for a whole month, but I cannot for the life of me, get myself organized enough to do that. SOooo.... I meal plan for a week and it works out easier for me. I can actually grasp my mind around what all I need to buy and make that week!

One thing I learned while on my journey of meal planning, is

ONE: each home has a different way of meal planning, some can do a month, some a week, some more. The fact that you do it however, is what's important! 

TWO: Meal planning is more fun when you make it cute!!!

Which brings me to my MOST requested blog post yet... how I meal plan! 

First i find the cutest little notebook at the store that has dividers in it (you could also make your own, but ain't nobody got time for that)! I found this cute thing at Walmart for $3-

I mean seriously these whales are too cute!!

Ok anyways, the inside looks like this; it has three nice plastic dividers which gives me sections for,

1. Week meal planning

2. grocery lists

3. Pinterest recipes to try 

I LOVE to make my lists cute so that I'm more inclined to use them, because i like cute things.

Here are my pages:

Under my week meal plan i write down the main meals we will eat. Since lunches are usually the same during the week (sandwiches and chips) i just write lunch meat, bread, and chips on the grocery list automatically! Saturday and Sunday are the only days i actually meal plan for lunch AND supper.  Under the days meal, i write down what ingredients i need to buy for them. and then add those ingredients to my grocery list after I'm all done, I get distracted if i go back and forth otherwise.

So for this weeks meals I'm going to make some AMAZING chicken recipes, tacos, and pizza! 

I try new recipes and then if we don't like them i will never use them again, but i make sure to write that we didn't like them on the recipe itself (we don't want to repeat any nasty's).

If we know we will be going out to eat i make sure to save some grocery money for that purpose, because any extra costs will make other budgets tighter. 

The next thing i do is go through my cupboards and fridge and see what daily items we need, such as milk, cheese, butter, bread, creamer, etc.... Those are the items i usually either buy in bulk, a bigger size, or once a week if it goes bad quickly. I can usually refer back to this grocery list and see the basics that i buy and write them down again. That's why its nice to have a physical notebook so you don't have to worry about it getting "deleted" somehow. 

The last thing i do is go through my food board on pinterest and write down what recipes i want to try, because i am a regular "pin it and forget it" person. I do it this way so i can see how delicious these guys sound, and it makes me remember them and actually use them! 

When i go to the grocery store, i keep my marker in the binding of my notebook and mark off the items i get. I stick to my list because I WILL buy things i don't need otherwise.  I WILL also forget what things i DO need and then we WILL end up going out to eat and we WILL spend more money that way. 

So all i all, its super simple, not very time consuming, and it's mom conscious! 

If you want me to share some of my favorite recipes, let me know in the comments and i will totally make a blog post about them!! 

Thank you for reading, and i can't wait to chat next time!

-Hannah

DIY mercury glass

Make Your own Mercury glass!!

So I have been wanting to do something to some of my boring clear glass jars and vases, but i wasn't quite sure what to do, until i saw that wonderful looking glass spray paint at hobby lobby and remembered a pin on pinterest ages ago about making your own Mercury glass! So of course i HAD to do it. 

You can use this technique on pretty much all sorts of glass things. just as long as it doesn't touch food or something you drink. 

So for instance the beautiful container i did above holds food, but i only did the bottom half of it with my mercury glass so that it didn't even come close to touching it.

WHAT YOU NEED:

-any glass item

-a spray bottle with one cup vinegar and filled the rest of the way with water

-Krylon Looking Glass spray paint

-Painters tape

-a towel or sheet to pain on

-and a few napkins

First you want to make sure your glass item is clean and grease or dust free! Next tape off what parts you DON'T want paint on...

I only wanted the bottom half painted for a simple elegant look!

Next you want to go OUTSIDE to paint because this stuff is STRONG!!

I apply one coat, then spray the vinegar solution and repeat those steps a few times, BEFORE i pat the droplets dry

I like using a napkin because they usually don't have texture like a cloth or paper towel, plus it absorbs the vinegar stuff a lot better as well.

NOTE: the spray paint dries extremely fast, so you will have to do these steps relatively quickly!!

Now just take it back inside after your sure it's dry, take the tape off and use whatever way you want too!!

I added some pretty, realistic fake flowers to my creation, and popped it on the table as a centerpiece.

I LOVE this look!

I also did this technique to some vintage three pained windows i had, but i used a towel instead of a napkin and it left a weird texture... Lesson learned!!! But hey at least i messed up so you guys don't have to!  

I hope you enjoyed this post, and i can't wait to chat with you next time!!

-Hannah