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FIRST Robotics and Girls in STEM

I never thought I’d be an advocate for girls in STEM, but here I am.

On Saturday, February 24, this all-girl team won the FIRST Tech Challenge Los Angeles Regional Championship out of 50 of the best teams this division has to offer. And Los Angeles has a pretty stellar pool of robotics teams.

This isn’t something I ever would have thought a child of mine would be involved in but it has completely changed Amanda’s life.

A little about FIRST Robotics

There are 4 different programs
- FIRST Lego League Jr. (for kids 6 – 10)
- FIRST Lego League (for grades 4 – 8)
- FIRST Tech Challenge (for grades 7 – 12)
- FIRST Robotics Competition (for grades 9 – 12)
The difference between the FIRST Tech Challenge (that Amanda is in) and FIRST Robotics is the size of the robot. FIRST Tech builds smaller-scale robots, usually 18″ x 18″, and FIRST Robotics builds industrial size robots.
There are teams all over the world. Amanda’s team mentors several foreign teams.
There are division competitions and Inter-League competitions. If you make it past the Inter-League competition, you compete in the Regional Championship. Those that promote from the Regional Championship head to the Western Regional (this year in Spokane, WA). From the Western Regional, the winners will go on to the World Championship. The World Championship gets divided into different regions so you aren’t actually competing against the entire World. Our region will be held in Houston, Texas and will have teams from the United States and many foreign countries.

Each year there is a challenge that is created by the FIRST Tech Challenge Committee and each team is required to build their robot to perform certain tasks in the challenge. It takes design skills, mechanical skills, and programming skills to follow the robotic rules as well as be able to actually perform the tasks. The teams don’t have a lot of time either. They get their challenge for the new season in September and first competitions begin in November.

So, how did we get here?

Two years ago, we took Amanda to a presentation at a local high school given by several women who worked at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory – NASA). The talk was interesting as we learned what each woman’s position was in the company and what their background was. But the talk wasn’t nearly as eye-opening as when Amanda saw a small team of girls demonstrating their robot. She was hooked. She said to us, “That’s what I want to do.” And we signed her up.

Her first year being involved, the team went all the way to the World Championship. We are hoping for the same this year. It’s been such an incredible opportunity for her and it’s a program that teaches life skills, not just robotics skills. She is hoping to major in mechanical engineering in college and work in the animatronics field.

The beauty of this program is that there are so many areas you can explore. You don’t have to want to be an engineer, or even want to study robotics, to get something valuable out of being a part of FIRST. Just like we learned from the JPL event, there is a need for women in all aspects of STEM – sure, science and math are important, but JPL, for instance, needs graphic designers and video experts and lawyers and human resource experts.

Why you should be involved in FIRST Robotics

You learn skills that might not be taught in school such as
- Speaking skills
- Design and building
- Coding and CAD
- Engineering
Gracious Professionalism
Access to FIRST scholarships for college
Opportunity to meet other kids from all over the world
The ability to meet engineering professionals

If you think your daughter, or a young girl you know, would be interested in learning more (and possiblity joining a local team), I’d be happy to put you in touch with someone who can provide more information. There are existing teams all over the country and many more new teams forming. I’d also encourage you to come out to one of the competitions and experience the program for yourself. It could be a turning point in your child’s life.

family

The Answer to Your Laundry Problems

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Anybody with kids knows that laundry problems are the one constant that will drive you crazy until you have an empty nest. As many clothes that my husband and I go through, it’s nothing compared to my 3 little angels. We’ve got school clothes, weekend clothes, sports clothes, robotics clothes, not to mention 3 sets of towels and bed sheets. It’s almost impossible to keep up with the piles that fill my house. What REALLY makes my blood boil is when I go to do a load of my own clothes and find that someone only put in a few items instead of a full load. Seriously? Everyone knows that you don’t waste water and energy by only washing a few things at a time!

Look familiar?

Now, I have to say that I have been an LG fan for a long time already. When we were ready to buy a new washer and dryer a few years ago, we chose LG appliances and I am so happy with them! I would purchase LG over and over again (no lie). So I was pretty stoked when I discovered the new LG TwinWash system. This system, which you can pick up at Best Buy, includes the LG Front Load laundry paired with LG’s SideKick Pedestal Washer.

This is the coolest thing ever! LG’s TwinWash system comes with the regular LG front load washer (I have this and it’s amazing) AND the LG SideKick pedestal washer – this is for those small loads that you sometimes really need to do but aren’t ready to do a full load of clothes. Take a look at the photo above and you can see that you can do a smaller load either on its own OR as a separate small load when you are using your front loader for other things. Like, you can do a separate small load for the stinky sports uniform. I think this would make doing laundry SO much easier. And then I wouldn’t have to get on my kids about just washing a few things. And then maybe they would actually WANT to wash just a few things. Or anything. That would be helpful.

Energy efficient and awesome cleaning performance. No wonder more households have chosen LG laundry over any other brand! I already have.

What is your favorite LG Twin Wash feature? How would you use it in your household?

Between January 11 and April 25, you can receive up to $500 off any LG laundry solution for your home. Go grab one now and kick your laundry problems to the curb.

Decor DIY

My Kitchen Remodel

This post contains affiliate links.

I’ve been in my house for over 18 years and every few months or so since we moved in, I’ve told myself that I needed to remodel the kitchen. It never happened. I had it in my mind that I needed to gut the entire room and start from scratch. My cabinets were horrible and I hated the layout. I don’t have a pantry and my countertop space is so limited it’s hard to actually prepare an entire dinner without having to use my dining table as extra space.

After adding up the numbers for a brand spanking new kitchen, my cheap self decided that I really didn’t want to spend the money. My only other option was to paint the cabinets. Not really an idea I found appealing, but I knew that if I wanted a new look to the kitchen, it was my only real option.

So I went on a serious Google search to find out the best way to paint. I read blog posts galore and watched YouTube videos and I decided that I could do this!

Of course, I got ahead of myself and started taking off the cabinet doors before I even took a full kitchen photo of the “before”. So here’s what I got anyway.

Pretty horrible, isn’t it?

I used the Sherwin Williams Pro Classic in white. It’s pricey but they are always having sales on it and I only needed one gallon to cover everything (I have a really small kitchen space).

I was hoping not to have to sand everything down, but after cleaning and degreasing about a dozen times (yes, they were that disgusting), I decided I needed to do the sanding anyway. Which I did.

The people at the paint store also said that I wouldn’t need primer. I primed anyway. And glad I did. So, I cleaned, degreased, sanded, primed, and then I was ready to paint. I painted one coat and hated the way they looked. The roller that was suggested by everyone didn’t work for me. They looked like crap.

Temera helping me paint.

So I ended up using an angled paintbrush and even after two coats I wasn’t totally happy with the results. The paint was supposed to be self-leveling but it didn’t look like it was working. Until the next day.

The cabinet doors and drawers were left to dry in my garage overnight and when I looked at them the next morning, I LOVED them! The paint was clean and smooth. It leveled out so that you didn’t see any of the brush strokes. Awesome!

Painting the base cabinets was the easy part, but then it was time to hang the doors.

The original hinges weren’t an option since when I took them off, they basically crumbled. The springs were like dust. Who knew it would be so difficult to find replacement hinges? Well, it was a nightmare. Turns out, the exact size hinges were impossible to find. Pretty sure they aren’t even made anymore. Luckily, the holes that were already in the cabinet faces were the same size as the new ones, but we (and by WE, I mean DAVID) had to drill new holes in the backs of the cabinet doors. What a pain! This slowed down the entire kitchen remodel process. Not happy!

I’m not sure I would have been able to do this without David. Okay, I probably would have figure it out but it would have taken me an extra few months. Nice to have a handy husband… I highly recommend it.

So, it took longer than I wanted, but my kitchen remodel was almost done. We added a few cabinet pulls and I did some repair to my tile countertop grout.

Am I happy with the kitchen? Yes. I still need to add the drawer pulls because it’s not that easy to drill double holes and make them even. I wasn’t happy with the way they looked so I’m on the hunt for an alternative solution.

So, what have I learned from this process? I would definitely consider doing this again. I think it’s a pain in the *ss but for the price of the remodel (less than $200), it’s so worth it. The kitchen may not be exactly like I want it (the footprint is still the same and I still don’t have a pantry) but for what it is, it’s pretty gorgeous.

And because it made such a huge change in my house, I decided I really needed to repaint my kitchen island too. So I did.

We purchased this as a floor model from Orchard Hardware many moons ago. Since my kitchen didn’t have a built-in island, we needed something to add for extra storage and counter space. It came looking like this – a little antiqued – but the cream color wasn’t cutting it in my new all-white kitchen. So I painted it.

This time, I decided to try chalk paint. I purchased the Rust-oleum Chalked Paint from Amazon, along with the Rust-oleum Chalked Matte Clear Protective Topcoat. I didn’t have to sand the piece before I used the paint and it came out awesome! I love it! I gave it two coats of the paint and one coat of the topcoat… and I still had a ton of paint leftover for other projects around the house.

The knobs are vintage-inspired and came from Hobby Lobby. I am in love with them!

So here is the finished room. It’s so much brighter, and looks so much bigger, than it was before. I love the new look so much that I now have to sweep through the rest of the house and make it all fit in with this look.

More to come…

family

Keeping Our Goals and Improving Our Lives

Goals are awesome to have… especially ones that are going to improve your life. But we all know that within a few weeks, those goals start to dissipate into thin air. It isn’t easy keeping new habits even when we start with the best intentions. I thought I’d share some simple (and I mean… really simple) ways to improve your workflow, your home flow, and your personal flow so you can claim success with your New Years goals.

WORK

For those of us who work from home, the holidays are a perfect time to re-evaluate what is and isn’t working for us. We usually have some downtime with the kids home from school and even though we’re busy with family and celebrations, we can usually find some time to prepare for the new year. If you took the month of December off from doing anything, it’s not too late.

Calendar
Whether you use a paper calendar or a digital calendar (or use some other workflow system), you should start using it if you haven’t already. I use a combination of a lot of things to keep myself organized. I have a wall calendar in my kitchen that is a must for our family. We are pretty visual people and with three teenagers, our days get pretty busy. We ALL are responsible for posting our schedules on the kitchen calendar so we know what is coming up and can make sure we don’t overschedule each other. I also have a desk calendar where I write down more personal things. I use it for personal goals and inspiration, to remind myself of when I have to buy gifts, wish people a happy birthday, and run my errands. The third thing I use is my workflow notebook. That is mostly for all my work responsibilities and keeps me on task. I also use that for new business ideas and to keep a running track of what I need to accomplish.

Organize
It’s time to sort through all those papers that have piled up during the holidays. I have been filing away the ones I need to keep and tossing the ones I’ve finished. I also have a pile of things that I still need to go through… because we ALL have a pile of things we need to go through. I also make sure to go through my emails and desktop files because when you start with a clean inbox and computer screen, it makes everything so much calmer and peaceful.

Planning/Vision/Goals
If I don’t write down what I want to do, there is basically no chance in hell that anything will get done. Even if you just make a simple goal list and then hide it away in the back of a notebook or desk, the words down on paper are magical and you’ll be surprised at what you can check off that list when it comes to the end of the year. Which reminds me… go get your list from last year and see what you’ve accomplished. Re-evaluate the list and keep those goals that you still have… delete the ones that no longer mean anything to you. If you are into vision boards, now is the time to update. And make sure you work on the next few months of planning out what you’ll be focusing on for work. Things like blog posts, social media promotions, events, updates, finances, etc. should be entered into your schedule.

HOME

Work is great but it isn’t everything. Your home and family are what is most important and you can’t overlook getting your home in order for the new year. I’m not talking about a complete home makeover or anything drastic (unless that’s a big goal of yours). I’m talking about making your home work for you. Cluttered home, cluttered mind.

Closets/Storage
Not at the top of the fun list but remember the last time you cleaned out your closet and how awesome it felt? Do it! Grab a garbage bag and a donate bag and get the kids involved. Do the same with your dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets and drawers, and all those coat closets and junk drawers around your house. If you are really ambitious, you can go through the garage… but wow, that would really be a feat. My biggest problem is the kitchen junk drawers that I throw everything from coupons to old birthday candles in. Love getting that stuff in the garbage.

Medical/School/Bill Files
If you don’t have a filing system (and I know some people really don’t), it’s time to get yourself one. It doesn’t have to be fancy… just a plastic bin with some file folders will do. Have a file for each topic: medical insurance, home insurance, elementary school, home repairs, pest control, etc. You get the point. Then start going through your stacks of papers and file the ones that are important to keep. The other stuff… toss it. If you won’t need it in the future don’t bother saving it. Bank statements can be found online these days so no need to keep those. Any contract that you’ve signed… keep it. When you start out on January 1 with everything in order, you will feel like you’re on top of the world.

Design & Organize
If you are like me, you might want to take stock of what is in your house. This is a perfect time to do that since you’re probably decorating for the holidays and are finding things you haven’t seen since last year. I love rearranging things and even though we all can’t afford to go out and buy new furnishings, we can certainly redo our floorplan: move the couches around, add a new tablecloth, or change out the everyday dishes. Sometimes it’s the simple touches that reinvigorate us and make our home a little fresher.

PERSONAL

If you set one goal this year, make it something for yourself. You’ll thank yourself for it later.

Joy
What makes you happy? Really think about it for a while. Obviously, our kids and families… but besides that, what do you DO that brings you joy? Is it traveling? Is it writing? Is it skydiving? Whatever you take great joy in, write in on your calendar the time when you will focus solely on making yourself happy doing what you love.

Quiet Time
Yep, sometimes you really do have to schedule in time to do nothing. To just be quiet. To go to the beach or the park and sit quietly with yourself. To think. To be still. To reflect. All of my kids are in school but even still, I need to make sure I have some time every week where I can just lay in bed and read a good book. In a quiet house. With my favorite drink by my side. The trick is to do it and not feel guilty about it. You are nourishing your soul… and that is never a waste of time.

Be a Rebel
Do something you have always wanted to do but never had the time (or money) to do it. Take guitar lessons. Join a book club. Color your hair purple. We spend so much time working and taking care of everyone else that we forget that it’s okay for us to want to try new things. We thrive when we are learning and accomplishing things… and even when we are scared of what people will think of us we have to prove to ourselves that we are strong and special.

Remember, just because it’s January doesn’t mean that you’ve missed the boat on setting your new years goals.

Uncategorized

My Favorite Things from CES

This was my first time attending CES (Consumer Electronics Show) – the massive tech trade show held each year in Las Vegas. My husband has been going for years and I can’t believe I’ve been missing so much. The show is only open to people in the tech industry and we have a videography business (okay, my husband has a videography business). I could have gone as a media representative due to my work in social media but I really just wanted to go as an observer and experience the show without all the media expectations.

CES is overwhelming. The sheer amount of tech companies that are represented is enormous. There is everything from the largest companies to the smallest start-ups and everyone wants you to know what their newest products are all about. I didn’t have an entire week to spend so I had to make the most of the time I had. I went through the halls pretty quickly because I wanted to get a good feel for the entire scope of the show. I am going back for sure next year and spending much more time. There is so much to see and do.

I wanted to share some of my favorite things from CES this year. I am ALL about anything vintage or retro so you’ll see a lot of that below. So much of this brought me back to my childhood… and they DO say that everything old is new again.

The one thing I told my husband that I had to have was this retro Crosley turntable.

I think it’s time to unpack my box of records that I have stored somewhere in the garage and see if they are too warped after all these years to even be able to play anymore. I’ve always loved the idea of a record player… had one in my room when I was a kid and buying 45’s was everything when I was my kids’ age. Sure, the sound isn’t as good as digital, but there is a deep-rooted nostalgia for me about playing an actual vinyl record. This one has a gorgeous wood base and it’s $179.95 which is a great deal for something that is not only useful but is also a statement piece. Unfortunately, these aren’t sold in stores (turntables like this aren’t a big seller) but you can get it from the Crosley Radio website.

Some other ones that were simply stunning:

In keeping with the retro theme, I’m thinking I need to buy a Victrola retro radio to go with my retro record player.

Pretty awesome, isn’t it? It’s a simple clock radio but I love the vintage feel of it and it would be beautiful next to my bed. For $49.99 I think it’s a bargain for something that has so much character.

Victrola also sells these fun desktop jukeboxes with CD players for $99.99. Wish I had known about these before I bought my kids gifts this past December.

We were walking around trying to find some of the newer televisions when I came across this display and probably bumped into a bunch of people trying to make my way over to see. HELLO KITTY! I can’t believe they make hair dryers and straighteners. Why did I not know this????

Have I spent all my money yet?

I’m pretty sure I passed a few celebrities but I was focused on the brands and products and wasn’t paying too much attention. We saw a photo shoot with someone who looked really familiar – I think he was a musician, but I couldn’t place him. Darn it! We did, however, come across Cat Cora and the food geek in me freaked out a little.

Cat was doing a cooking demonstration for Gourmia, maker of small cooking appliances. Some of these products are really fabulous… and they work with Google Assistant! How cool!

I think the highlight of CES for us was really all the drones we got to see. My husband and daughter love drones and we spent quite a bit of time in the drone section of the show talking with the brand reps.

And it wouldn’t be a tech show if we didn’t try out some of the hundreds (thousands) of earphones on display.

Okay, back to retro.

My kids are crazy about Polaroid cameras and they all have the mini ones in their favorite colors. These newer (older) models come in a bunch of fun colors too and totally remind me of the ones I had as a kid. Obviously, I had to take a photo of the neon green one (Lauryn’s favorite color).

Should we also talk about the 3-D printers? Polaroid has one of those too.

We’ve been looking into home 3-D printers since Amanda has been using them at school in her engineering classes. She really wants one and they are definitely more compact and affordable than ever before. One day, we’ll all have 3-D printers at home. This technology just blows me away.

Okay, so along the lines of 3-D printing, one of the most innovative things I saw at the show was this funny looking desk-type printer that is actually a 2.5D printer called Mofrel by Casio. What is 2.5D printing? So glad you asked. In a nutshell, it is color and texture printing on a flat surface, making it different than 3D. Say you want to get a feel for how fabric would look like on clothes or products… you can actually print that color/texture and try it out without spending the money on printing up actual fabric samples. Seriously… this is totally cool!

I kind of wish I was back working in a design firm so I can use one of these.

Our next stop was to look at the new camera equipment. I had purchased a Sony A6000 last year, one of their mirrorless cameras. This year, they were promoting their A6500. It’s a great camera but then I saw the new Canon lenses and started missing my old DLSR. A Canon was my very first DLSR and I loved it to death. I don’t even remember what happened to it but I’ve since had a Nikon that I wasn’t enthralled with… and now the Sony. Still haven’t found my dream camera… but I’m still looking.

I really did like this Canon printer, though. The Selphy CP1300 prints beautiful photos (the best of a small consumer printer that I’ve seen). And you can print a variety of sizes, up to 4 x 6. I would love to have one of these at home since I’m finding that I really need to print an actual photo every now and then.

Ready for more?

Another incredible product we were oohing and aahing over was this one. It’s an alternative (kind of) to 3D printing… a wood pen. There is some kind of wood filament in this pen that is liquid and lets you actually “write” in 3D… with real wood finishes. It’s kind of crazy and kind of incredible… and it’s really geared towards professional designers and engineers. Polaroid isn’t offering this for sale here in the United States (yet). Not sure why but they really need to bring this here soon.

Getting tired? The last product I’m going to show you made me laugh… and think. It’s a Flexispot ergonomic exercise bike called the Deskcise Pro V9. This is an exercise bike with an attached desk so you can widdle down your middle while getting your work done. I was skeptical at first… who wants to work and exercise at the same time? Well, it was actually fun to do… and when you are focused on work, you just kind of keep peddling without giving it much thought. It’s quite a brilliant idea, really. What do you think? Should I get one?

It was a really long day… topped off by Southwest canceling our return flight. We managed to get on an earlier flight, thank goodness. I do wish I had more time to spend at CES this year… but there is always next year.

family

Take Action

Happy New Year!

Every year I choose one word that I focus on throughout the entire year. This year my word is

ACTION

It seemed fitting since I spent the last day of 2018 telling my husband that it’s time we start taking more risks for what we want. We have both been stuck in a rut for a long time – always doing our best and making a living but not really living life to its fullest. There are so many things we want to do and we have been procrastinating for far too long.

Like most of you, it’s been a hard year for us. We lost someone dear and watched too many friends and family suffer through their own tragedies. Life is too short to sit on the sidelines or take the easy road.

So here is to great adventures, making memories, and taking action! Set goals, make resolutions, write out those lists, or create a vision board. Do whatever you need to do to take the next step towards your dreams. We are doing just that! There is so much to be grateful for and we are embracing all that 2018 has to offer.

Take a step in the right direction… take action and make it happen! Only YOU can.

DIY

Back to My Interior Design Roots

It’s happening again. After giving up my glamorous interior design career (Relax, that’s a joke.), I’ve kind of gotten the design itch again. Tired of my outdated house and not really having the money to put into it, I’m digging deep into my bag of tricks and I’m going to start doing what I do best… redesign on a budget.

I’ve hated my kitchen ever since I moved into this house and we never really got around to gutting it like I wanted to do. Since new cabinets are just not in the budget, I decided to paint the cabinets. I know, HUGE job and it will take me days (weeks) to do but I’m determined that I’m going to have a decent looking kitchen. I didn’t go into this lightly. I read dozens of articles on painting cabinets and I’ll fill you in on what it took when I have the finished product. Right now, I wanted to share what this tired old kitchen looked like before. Only I kind of forgot to take a photo of the complete kitchen so what you see is after we started taking off the cabinet faces.

My countertops are that old, ugly white tile that was all the rage back in the 90’s. Sorry… not the rage anymore. But, getting custom countertops is pricey so I’ve got a trick to make those ratty white tiles looking fresh and clean again.

The one thing I do love about my kitchen is that we have that open floor plan. The only problem with that is every single wall is painted the exact same. So, if I painted the kitchen a different color, I’d technically have to paint ALL the walls in my dining/living/hall a different color. Not happening. So I think my plan will be to only paint the one back wall in the kitchen to give that part of the room a little more depth. I’m going to wait until the cabinets are painted, however, and see what color pops out at me. I’m not into trendy colors so it might not be worth redoing the paint at all. We’ll see.

I have a ton of other projects that I’ll be working on in the house as well. If you are like me and want a big change with a small dollar amount… follow along and let’s see what we can do.

OTHER PROJECTS

Fix my Pergo laminate flooring that has chips in it.
Redo master bathroom and the kids’ bathroom.
Landscape needs to be replaced.
Outside deck decorated.
Front porch decorated.
Finish up the kids’ bedroom designs.

I figured it was time to practice what I preach… you CAN makeover your house with a small budget. I’m going to show you how!

DIY

Designing Exteriors for the Best Curb Appeal

This post is sponsored by Placer Exteriors. All opinions are entirely my own.

I have to admit, we’ve been sitting on doing anything with the exterior of our house for a long time. We know exactly what we want to do but then we end up working on the interior of the house and neglecting the outside. The thing is, the exterior is just as important (and maybe even more so) than the interior. Curb appeal (or… un-appeal) can totally make the difference between someone loving your house and someone hating it.

And updating your exterior doesn’t have to be the chore you think it is. There is something so satisfying about driving up to a beautiful house, don’t you think? I wanted to share some simple ideas on how to get that fabulous curb appeal without costing you an arm and a leg.

Front Porch – not everyone has a front porch but everyone DOES have a front door.

We just spent several weeks getting our front (and back) porch and deck redone. We needed boards replaced and sanding done, but it was really the final coat of fresh, white paint that made the porch come back to life. Never underestimate the effect of a fresh can of paint.

Buy the best paint you can afford – you don’t want it chipping or fading after you’ve gone to all that work.
Remember to sand and fix any wood that is damaged first.
Make sure to cover ALL the risers, treads, trim, handrails, etc. Even with the exact same color paint as before, the fresh paint will look new and the old paint will clash.

Want the most impact? Re-evaluate your front door and windows. If your door is in good condition, consider a fresh coat of paint (and maybe even a fun, new color). If you’ve been thinking of replacing your front doors or windows, make sure to get energy efficient ones. A new door/windows can completely turn around the curb appeal of your home.

Landscaping – don’t panic, this doesn’t have to be complicated.

Many years ago we received a bunch of free rose bushes that we planted around the perimeter of the front of our house. They were great… until we got sick and tired of rose bushes and wanted a big change. We put off doing much about it until we redid our front porch and were kind of forced to rip out the bushes to get to a part of the porch. We decided now would be a great time to revisit the front landscaping. We had a few ideas of easy fixes: they don’t take much money, but they will take you a bit of time.

Add a trellis along a front exterior wall and plant some floral vines. This is such a great way to cover your home, especially those areas that are unsightly.
Consider xeriscape landscaping to save on water and labor.
Easy to install pavers or wood chips or artificial turf can be very low maintenance and add a big impact.

Added Touches – it’s all in the details.

Whether you have the time and money to jazz up your front exterior or not, these simple touches can add just as much bang to your curb appeal.

Solar lighting. I’m not talking about solar panels, just the solar lights that you can stick into the ground to light a path to your front door (or highlight your driveway). They come in all price ranges and can be picked up at your local home improvement store. Not only do they light the way, they can add some interest to your property.
Home numbers. I’m talking about your actual house number that people sometimes have near their front door or garage. If your homeowner’s association doesn’t mind a change, consider updating those numbers in a pretty font or different finish.
Decor. I love front porches that are warm and welcoming. A few chairs and a small table, a rocking chair or two, or just a pretty planted flowering tree makes your home seem cozy. Take a weekend morning and visit a few yard sales if cost is a factor. You can usually pick up some cute outdoor furnishings for next to nothing.

Let me know what other ideas you have and make sure to check in with Placer Exteriors to get more great energy efficient ideas.

Category 2 travel

The Benefits of Study Abroad

This post has been sponsored by Kalu Yala. All opinions are entirely my own.

While you were in high school or college, did you have the opportunity to study abroad? I didn’t, or at least, I don’t think I did. Looking back, it’s kind of all a blur but I don’t remember if it was ever discussed and I’m not sure I would have felt comfortable traveling to another country all by myself. What I did do, however, is take an amazing trip to Europe with a group of friends after I graduated from college – an experience of a lifetime.

Now that I am in the thick of college prep with my daughter, we have been talking about study abroad programs a lot. It’s on top of her bucket list for deciding which college she’ll attend. She wants to experience living in another country, speaking another language, and building her resume with unique opportunities she might not get here.

As a mom, I’m nervous for her but also proud and excited that she even wants to go off and have these experiences. I think that travel (for any purpose) is something everyone should have the chance to do. If you are on the fence if a study abroad program is right for your child, check out why I think it is probably a great idea.

Questions About Study Abroad Programs

But what about fulfilling my college requirements?

The amazing thing about study abroad programs these days is that the college you attend usually works closely with a school abroad to provide you the same excellent educational classes that you would take here. They align with your requirements so you aren’t “missing out” on any of the classes you need to graduate. You also have the unique opportunity to take classes that aren’t available at your school but can still be taken for credit.

What if I don’t speak another language?

There are plenty of great study abroad programs in countries that speak fluent English. Most of the courses you will take will be taught by English speaking professors so no worries there. The beauty of choosing a country where English is not the primary language is that you can become absorbed in the culture and learn the language more quickly than if you studied it here in the United States. And if you had language classes in high school, all the better for getting a chance to practice that skill. My daughters are taking French in school so they are definitely considering France for their study abroad programs.

I’m an inexperienced traveler. How would I manage by myself?

Not a problem. Many schools have guides that go with your group (if you are studying abroad with a group) who have experience with foreign languages and money conversions, etc. A college would not send off a student without having a game plan and all the details you need to live and study abroad. Talk to the previous study abroad students as well to get a feel for the experience and what you need to know. Travel is something that everyone should do as part of their unique life experience. Sure, it may be scary, but you will be all the better for it. If you are really unsure about traveling alone, grab a buddy who is studying something similar to you and plan the trip together.

How would I pay for all this?

Ahhh, this is the big question. I know the expense of travel cares off many people. Many of the colleges we researched include these programs in your regular tuition rate. And, there are plenty of scholarships available (from inside the school and outside the school) to help with the extra costs of airfare, housing, and food. One company, Kalu Yala, provides a scholarship of $1,000 to high school seniors who have been accepted to college and want to study abroad. Simply write a 500 word essay on “The Main Benefits of Studying Abroad”. How easy can that be?

Let Kalu Yala inspire you and I encourage everyone to consider a study abroad program.

Not only do you get to travel but you will be talking college courses that align with your major… and you also might have the chance to do an internship while you are abroad.

If you want to instill a love of travel in your kids, get out and take them with you. We started early with simple road trips and have taken the kids to Hawaii and on several cruises. It warms my heart that my girls all love traveling and want to do much more of it in their lives.

Did you study abroad or are you considering it for your student? I’d love to hear all about it.

family

20 Things I’ve Learned in 20 Years of Marriage

I know you expected to come read some wise words of marriage wisdom. The truth is, I don’t really have any. Today marks our 20th anniversary. 20 years is a long time to spend with someone. We joke all the time that they said it wouldn’t last. Who they is isn’t clearly defined… but maybe we didn’t think it would last.

Still, we managed to make it through 3 pregnancies and are kind of rocking this 3 teenage daughter thing. And while we aren’t where we thought we’d be after 20 years, we really have nothing to complain about.

So here is what I’ve personally learned after 20 years of being married.

Date night might not happen often but when you get the chance, sneak away for a cup of coffee or a slice of pie. Even an hour together away from the house and kids is enough to remind you that you still kind of like each other.
Do one thing (at least) that the other person likes, even though you may hate it. I hate ironing clothes… but I iron his shirts for work. He hates rubbing my feet but he knows how much it relaxes me.
Let it go. You’ll both have baggage that seems silly to the other person. Go with it anyway and have faith they know how to deal with it themselves. Don’t get in the middle of it.
Go to bed angry or go to bed having made up… but for God’s sake… go to bed. Things will look different in the morning after you’ve had some sleep.
A marriage is a partnership where each person should be doing what they do best. Don’t make him cook dinner if he doesn’t like cooking… and don’t make her take the car to the body shop if she hates doing that. It’s okay that everything isn’t fair.
Talk. I mean, really talk about things. If you can’t tell your spouse how you are really feeling then you have a pretty big problem.
You don’t have to agree on how to parent, but you have to stick by a spouse’s parenting decision.
If you have children, let them see you argue… and make up. Let them learn from you about how to be a kind and caring couple. Let them see what a good marriage is all about.
The trick to staying together is pretty simple: you have to both want to. It’s about honoring your commitment and weathering the rough patches.
Be goofy. Dance in the kitchen and sing in the car. If you can’t be yourself with your spouse, you’re in trouble.
Sometimes you just need to listen. Don’t talk. Don’t Comment. Don’t try and fix things. Just listen.
Say “I love you” often. If you don’t remember the last time you said it… say it now.
Check in with each other during the day. A simple “How are things?” text is fine.
Surprise each other every now and then. Watch a football game with him or buy her favorite coffee. It truly is the little things that mean the most.
Have at least one big goal together – to travel, to buy a house, etc.
Remember your marriage is unlike anyone else’s. Don’t compare.
Stand up for each other… always.
Respect personal space. It’s okay to want to spend some time alone.
Have your own little routines and rituals – something special to just the two of you.
Don’t let an anniversary pass without a card and a kiss. The greatest gift is remembering that you made it through another year… together.

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