Home Sweet Home

What a busy, busy year. So many blessings and so much fruit has bloomed from our labor. The big kahuna- we bought a home. Our first home. It is a true gift to be a homeowner at such a young age and after such hard work. I have talked about our plans to save, and we paid our debts off after only 6 months. Then it was save, save, save for a home. And we did it. We closed February 28th and renovated a portion of the home.

We have a three phase plan to fully renovate the house.
Phase 1: The main areas of the home- Living Room, Dining Room, Sunroom, Kitchen
Phase 2: The Exterior, Front Yard, Backyard
Phase 3: Bathrooms, Laundry Room, and Bedrooms

In no way do we plan to knock out all three phases in a year (or even any set period of time). We have almost finished up phase 1 and have eased in to phase 2. But as The Mister is about to go to school full time, we will be allocating finances elsewhere.

There is so much to share and say about our experience with renovating the home. And that will come. But for now, I would like to just say that all of the budgeting and saving and policing of our accounts was worth it. Laying down to sleep at night in a home that The Mister and I have worked hard to buy and fix up, knowing we don't have a lease that will end soon or have restrictions on what we are allowed to do is so cool.

Simple Parties for Sweet Babies

This season of life is filled with babies. Not only do I work with babies as a nurse, but so many of my friends have babies and are having babies. The Mister and I are not at that point just yet, so I love being able to babysit, cuddle, celebrate, and then give back the little ones.

I co-hosted a baby shower for a friend who is having a little boy. We tried to keep it simple, with the décor and with the food.

 

 

We had an assortment of cheeses, crackers, breads, and meats. To display them, we pulled out lots of platters and cutting boards. We kept to a simple, clean display by using white platters, slate cheese platters, and wooden platters and cutting boards with wood slices thrown in the mix. Mixed nuts in simple white bowls and cupcakes scattered around also helped lend to a casual, pretty feel.

 

For décor, we used simple potted flowers and lavender with burlap around their base on the table and assorted paper bunting in the color scheme (red, blues, and whites) around the table and above a present and the inspiration for the shower - a radio flyer wagon!

 

 

As an introvert, I tend to shy away from the typical, intense shower games. So, we made a trivia game with various facts about the Mom-to-Be as a baby and about her mom's pregnancy, such as what was her favorite baby food and how much did she weigh at birth.



 

 

It was so much fun. Now, for the little ones arrival!

Mahalo

For our 3 year anniversary, The Mister and I took a trip to Kauai, Hawaii. It was beautiful and fun and relaxing. We took it after a hard few months of manual labor on something we will share about soon. It was beautiful and such a blessing.

We have friends who make a trip to the island pretty frequently, so I had a solid list of things to see, do, and eat to look through. We took a catamaran tour of the Na'pali Coast, hiked to a beautiful beach, flew a kite, ate delicious food, visited a farmers market, and ultimately embraced down time.

 

 

If you are planning a trip to the Garden Isle, here are a few things we want to be sure you do not miss!

• Tour the Na'Pali Coast. We took a Catamaran tour at sunset. It was gorgeous and the best way to take in the sights of the coast.
• Take a Zodiac raft scuba diving trip anywhere. Zodiac's are what Navy Seals use for special ops. They are fast and awesome. Getting to glide along the water next to dolphins and among sea turtles, hopping between a couple places to scuba and see the beautiful array of fish and volcanic caves was definitely memorable.
• Hike something! There are so many hiking spots. Be sure to bring good shoes, as it can get muddy.
• Visit a farmers market- they pop up just about every day of the week in various areas. You have to take the opportunity to taste the local fruits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our favorite places that we ate during our time were:

• Postcards in Hanalei
• Delicious seafood and such fresh ingredients!
• Kalaheo Coffee Co. and Café
• Great stop for lunch!
• Bubba's Burgers
• A Hawaiian chain restaurant with a fun atmosphere and yummy burgers
• Wishing Well Shaved Ice in Hanalei
• Cold, refreshing, inspired treats served out of an RV!

We can't wait to go back.