The Day We Canceled Cable

I woke up with the urge to write. Things I wanted to say swimming through my head.

It’s 5am
Visit the Keurig, heat up a protein bar (it’s good you should try it), and here I am in my office, carpal tunnel braces on and all (instagram buddies get the inside scoop on this).

I used to have the urge write quite often. I wrote wacky post like this one or this one which to you may be just that, wacky but to me they are some of my favorite post.

What’s changed you may ask……..

Well today is an important day a day I want to remember……….

It’s the day we canceled cable.

Silly yes and I know tons of folks live without cable but for us it’s been a part of our lives for a very long time. We had cable when I was a kiddo, had it in my 1st apartment, 2nd apartment, and now our home. The same story rings true for Kent. Cable/TV in general has been a big part of our lives.

I got the itch to put the dagger in our cable connection last fall while we were tucked away in a log cabin up in the mountains. Just us, a fire place, and the dogs. It was heaven. Our annual trip to the mountains also sparked my dream to move far far away, buy land, raise chickens, and honey bees, fill our home with barefooted children, and live a simple but beautifully inspired life. I became obsessed with shows like Alaska and Ukon Men. Hard life yes but their families were bonded, strong, they lived with little and they were happy.

Living with little and being happy…..hummmm

How could we achieve this but still live a life that fit what we already had going on. Kent has a great job that provides for us. I have a job I’m passionate about and a wonderful client base that I’m beyond grateful for. We have a nice home full of pretty things we worked hard for. Our family is close by. Kent’s parents live just a few streets away. Our friends are here and well I just couldn’t get Kent 100% on board with the whole mountain living idea so I started small.

I started cleaning out rooms, closets, created piles of items I wanted to donate and sale. This is still in the works.

THEN I started planting the seed about canceling cable. Mind you this alone has taken 8 months to come to fruition.

-Our cable bill is around $160 a month including internet.
-We spend countless hours watching mindless TV. One of us (not naming any names here *cough* Kent) can waste a whole weekend doing nothing but watching TV. Sun up to sun down just glued to the TV like a zombie. It drives me NUTS!
-We have a house that needs out attention. Things had gotten cluttered and projects needed to be done
-I had a pile of books I wanted to read.
-I longed to live an active life. For the hubs the TV and a comfy couch got in the way of this idea that he too thought was nice
-We wanted to cut some of the fluff so we had more $ to travel, work on the house, SAVE!
-Then we found out we’re pregnant and that’s what finally put the nailed in the coffin for my Mr. TV lover.

 

 

Mind you I’m 6 months pregnant so he still needed a little coaxing but he agreed with all my points and on June 4, 2013 he made the call to cancel cable! 

 

What came on when I turned the TV on this morning. It says “AT&T U-Verse is not available at this time.”

Today is our 1st day without it.

I’m not going to lie I was a little scared.
What would we do with our time?
How could I sleep at night without the noise of the TV?
Would I get bored?
Would we end up taking trips to Best Buy to stand in front of their TVs to get our fix?
What about all our shows? Would they survive without us?
I even had a dream last night that we could still get local channels…..NOPE! But to be honest here we still have NetFlix (starting small folks). 

Instead I woke up feeling…….
at peace
creative
hopeful
and excited about not having the old ball and chain to turn to.

I mean really look at me. I’m cuddled up in my office at the crack of dawn coffee in hand cute pup by my side writing. I even have a new Bump Watch post all ready to go for next week.

Kent is sleeping so he hasn’t weighed in on the whole no TV/Cable thing. I have high hopes that it’s going to be a good change for the both of us.

In the meantime's here's to living a more simple life

one
step
at
a
time!

Facebook Online Garage Sale Groups

Y’all know I love to get my hunt on……garage sales, Craig’s List, thrift stores, consignments stores, flea markets, ebay, no matter the store front virtual or not I love to search for a good deal! Even if I was Mrs. $Money Banks$ I would still hunt!

-Many of our decorations are from Goodwill
-Some of my favorite props are ones that I spent $5 on at flea market
-Ninja’s home (our bunny) is a 2 story apartment was found for dirt cheap off Craig’s List. Bunny condos are freaking expensive but not his abode!
-And the list goes on and on!

With a little one on the way the hunt has been even more necessary than before as we try to prepare without breaking the bank. As many know babies outgrow things at the speed of light and they need a lot of contraptions! Enter The Hunter…..Moi! I’ve been dead set on finding items for Weston (our little bean on the way) at great to reasonable prices! Kiddos outgrow things so quickly that most of the items we’ve bought are in brand new condition even some with the tags still on them!

 

Online Facebook Garage Sale Groups Are Your BFF

What are they? Basically they are exactly what they are called, online garage sale groups hosted through Facebook’s group feature.

How does it work? Members of the group post items they would like to sale usually with price and details on the item. Other members then leave a comment under the post saying they’re interested, making a lower offer if you think the listed price is too high, or asking further questions about the item. The seller will then offer the item to commenters in the order the comments are left…..pretty much a virtual line.

Most items are listed as PPU (Porch Pick Up) meaning you agree on a price swing by their house on a agreed upon time and the item will be waiting for you on their porch. Most items are paid for through paypal or by leaving cash at a top secret spot. ;o) I actually prefer PPUs. I feel it’s safer and I don’t really want to go into anyone’s home or garage. With that being said I always take Kent with me just to be safe.

How can I find groups near me? Log into Facebook and search Online Garage Sale city name (enter surrounding cities that you wouldn't mind driving to pick up your items. You should find several groups you can request to join! Once you’re in the group make friends and ask other members for recommendations on a few of their favorite groups. You can find general garage groups but you can also narrow down your search for groups that sale specific items (kids clothing, infant gear, antiques, and so on). I’m currently a member of 11 groups. The more you join the more goodies you see! 

Tips!
-Be sure to read the guidelines. Each group is a little different. Some are stricter than others so be sure you understand how things work.

-Learn the lingo!  
        PPU-Porch Pick Up
        PPUO-Porch Pick Up Only
        ISO- In Search Of
        OBO- Or Best Offer
        NWOT- New Without Tags
        NWT- New With Tags

-If you see something you’re interested in and it’s at a great price JUMP ON IT! When items are in great condition and priced well they fly.

-Get in line! If you see something you want but see several others already in line go ahead and leave a comment saying you’re interested. Many times people change their minds and you may get lucky and be the next one up.

-Don’t be shy to ask for a lower price if you feel the item is overpriced. Most times they will say sure!

-Respond quickly! This is the same for buyer and sellers. If you’re posting items you want to sale post at a time that you are available to answer questions quickly so folks don’t lose interest. On the flip side if you’ve left a comment that you’re interested in an item be courteous to the seller and let them know quickly so they can offer it to someone else if you decide to pass.    

-Inspect your items before you drive away with them! It’s up to the seller to be responsible and honest but it’s also your responsibility to make sure you’re happy with what you’re buying. If it’s a PPU and you’re not happy with what you see leave it on the porch and contact the seller immediately to let them know you decided to pass and why.

-When you’re posting an item be sure to include as much detail in your discretion as you can and be honest with things that have scuffs or need a little TLC. The more detail you leave the less time you’ll spend answering questions.

-When selling items if you really want to see it go bye-bye list it at a fair price. No one cares that you’ve had it for a year, spent $100 on it, and have a huge attachment to it. We’re all there looking for a great deal so if you want your items gone fast list them for fair prices!

What have you recently snatch from your garage sale groups?

I have a running list of items I need/want and try my best to only buy something if it’s an item I’m going to use now or need for the baby.  Here are a few of our recent finds!

 

Weston’s bedding. The set is from Land of Nod and in great condition! For $30.00 the seller included:  2 crib sheets, 1 new mattress protector, bumper, crib skirt, and padded changing pad cover. I’m in love with the colors and flexibility! We’re doing his room in a vintage theme so I think this will look great!

 

$25 Electric smoker for Kent! He’s wanted one for the longest and was thrilled! We’ve had some yummy smoked chicken and salmon so far!

$4 Diaper wipe warmer for my studio! I don’t plan to use one for Weston but for my sleeping itty-bitty clients I think it will be great!

New in box magnification cosmetic mirror with light and wall mount $25.  
This has been on my list for the longest but they are freaking expensive!!!!  This one was priced a little higher than I would like to pay but she had tons of people in line so I couldn’t offer her a lower price. Paying $25 is way better than $100 though!

 

Boppy pillow with pillow case and My Breast Friend pillow case $5

 

Everything you see below was purchased for $50 from a church garage sale. The guy that we bought the smoker from told us about a huge garage sale that was happening. So glad he shared his scoop with us! Don’t be shy to ask people you interact with in the group if they know of any consignment events or great garage sales going one.

 

 

Good stuff huh?
Now get out there find some garage sale groups and start hunting!

Christmas in March

What you didn’t hear about the new trend “Christmas in March”

Well get with it! It’s all the rage.

Juuuuut kidding! Of course we celebrated Christmas on the actual holiday. I just never got around to blogging about. So I figured why no share now? Better late than never eh?

Here’s how we celebrated Christmas this year uh I mean last year.

 

Santa Bags:
This is a tradition for Kenty-Poo and I. We grab a bag and stuff it full with random goodness. We still spoil each other with gifts but our Santa bags are always our favorite thing to open.

Ps…Kent is obsessed with sponges just in case you’re wondering what the 3rd pic on the top is all about. Oh and he got me the best chap stick. It’s shaped like an egg and smells like strawberries!   

 

 

Seriously y’all how sweet is this guy?

If you follow us on Instagram (Kendra_Pryor) you know allllll how about how mischievous he is but just look at his widdle face. It makes all the “OH MY GOSH BRADY WHAT DO YOU DO?” moments worth it!

 

Kent and I celebrated Christmas together on Christmas eve this umm I mean last year because we were road tripping it to my mom’s lake house on Christmas day.  Little something new for us. I’ve never been away from home on Christmas but we were excited to getaway for a few days.

My mom is a super fab decorator and loves to fluff things up for the holidays. Isn’t her tree stunning?

We didn’t put a tree up so this was Brady’s 1st time to see one. I was watching him like a hawk  just waiting for another Brady mishap but he did pretty good. No ornaments died and it was still standing when we left. 

 

 

Kenty-Poo took this one of us. How precious….right?

 

Pretty table set by my mom!

 

Okay I know a lot of people think the canned stuff is gross and lets’ face it it’s pretty much junk in a can but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE canned cranberry sauce. My brother and I are the only ones in the family that eat is so my mom always makes sure to have a can of it for us.

 

My mom and I.

What do think, do we look alike?

I either get that I’m a spitting image of my Dad or that I look just like my mom. I’m not really sure. I have my Dad’s dark curly hair. My mom and brother both have straight blond hair.

 

Awe my sweet Kenty-Poo. I love him!

 

And then it happened……..

A white Christmas like I’ve never seen.

It was beautiful!

 

 

Being a Texas gal I’ve never seen this much snow.

I know it’s nothing compared to what folks get up north but to us it was a fluffy, white, winter wonderland.

We threw snow balls and enjoyed it until our fingers were ice cubes. 

We woke up the next morning and played it in some more. Oh and  I took a million pictures. Yeah that’s a different day a different post.

 

Here a little peek at what we woke up to.

Our 2012 Christmas card.

We took these photos outside of the cabin we stayed in during our annual trip to Arkansas with a little help from a tripod and an auto shutter release button.

Front

Back

Project Life:I Want To Do It But Where Do I Start?

I have several friends that want to start Project Life albums this year but feel overwhelmed and are not sure where to start. Can you sympathize? If so this post if for you!

Let me start off by saying that I am in no way affiliated with Becky Higgins or Project Life. I’m just a customer who loves the product and wants to help!

The Good Ol’ Days:
I miss how Becky used to sale her kits. It was a one stop shop type of thing. You paid for a full kit and got everything you needed to complete an album in one whack. I’m glad I started Project Lifeing (It’s a cool word let’s go with it) before the change. Now everything is sold separately and you need to purchase the items you think you need for your kit. I get it but I can see how this could be overwhelming to someone who is new the whole Project Life craze.

Nuts and Bolts:
The great thing about PL is that it’s simple. It’s all done for you. All you need is a little time, printed photos, and a pen. That’s it! You can take it as far as you want to go after you have the basic items or you and keep it simple.  With that being said the Core Kit is a big part of the simplicity of Project Life. It’s the design element that’s pulls it all together. This is where you want to start!

Select a core kit that you love. This year I’m using Clementine! 

 

 

The Album:
Now that you have your design elements picked out it’s time to add an album to your cart. Becky has an album designed to match each core kit. You can select your core kit’s album or choose her solid white album. I always go with the album that coordinates with the kit I’m using.

 

 

The Pages:
This is where it can get a little tricky. There are several different photo page designs and Becky is not the only company that sales great quality photo pages that work with the Project Life album.

My suggestion would be to start with  a pack of Design A. Get to know it use it in your layouts. THEN decided where you want to go from there. There are tons of ways you can use this layout.

Once you’ve become familiar with the Design A layout you can decide if you want to keep going with it throughout your album or mix it up a little. I’m one for mixing it up!

Design A and D (shown below) are the 2 designs that I use most often.

Becky tends to run out of photo pages. Don’t let that stop you! Check out other companies such as We are Memory Keepers for photo pages protector options.

Instagram 
We love it……right? It’s great for capturing those precious yet random moments which is what Project Life is all about.  If you’re a big Instagramer like myself you may want to include your Instagram photos in your album.

 

Love this photo page proctor for my Instagram photos!

 

The Extras:
You can go as far as you want with this. Nothing below is necessary. In fact my 1st album only included the items we’ve talked about above and it’s beautiful BUT if you want to add a little extra love to your album here are a few simple and cost effective ways you can do that!

Washi Masking Tape: You can find it online, at Target, and at you local craft supply store 

 

Smash Book Goodies: I love to use Smash Book accessories in my albums. They’re easy to find and not too pricey! You can find them at Target, online, and your local craft store.

 

Scrapbook Paper Kits: Becky sales scrapbook paper that coordinates with the album but I like to find design elements that coordinate while adding a little something different so I don’t purchase her scrapbook paper.

You can purchase scrapbook paper by the sheet or in a kit like the one shown below. I love that the kits usually include coordinating letters and design elements. Look for scrapbook paper kits online, at Target, Wal-Mart, your local craft store and even  discount stores like Tuesday Morning and Ross. Be sure you take a coupon along if your purchase yours at Michaels or Hobby Lobby! Every little bit helps, right?

 

Alphabet stickers: Yep! I use them a lot in my album! Easy and cost effective way to add a little pop to your pages! 

 

Stamps: Because they’re cute and easy to use! Tons of great stamps out there! Find a few that you like that complement the overall look of your album.

 

The Personal Touch:
Love that you not only add photos to your album but memorabilia as well. Here are some personal items I like to add to my Project Life album.
-Printed Blog Post
-Recipes
-Receipts from outings or things I want to remember 
-Letters/cards/invitations
-Printed out emails or fb comments
-Drawings
-Magazine articles or pictures that I like 
-Tickets from a movie/concert/show
-And the list goes on………

So what do you think? Are you ready to get your Project Life on? If you’re still not sure what to do I’ve included links to everything you’ve seen in this post. You can follow the links and just purchase what you see here and you’ll be good to go!

I’ll be sharing my Project Life layouts through Instagram! If you’re on Instagram let’s be buddies so I can see what you’re doing with your album as well!

 

Fall Porch Décor–Pumpkins Galore

Didn’t want to go too crazy with this year’s fall porch décor.

Nah

Last time I made my own glaze, painted pumpkins, crafted up some fall themed tea lights.

Yeah it was cute and all but it was a lot of work!

This time I just wanted to throw something together.

Here’s what I came up with………

 

 

I’m still using the same fall wreath I made a few years back. It’s been around for awhile but I love it so it gets to stay!

 

I thought I would save myself some time and just plant pumpkins instead of pansies. You don’t have to water pumpkins……well after they’re off the vine you don’t!

 

My shadow aka Brady aka The Tornado was having a hissy fit that he had to stay inside.

I didn’t  realize he was photobombing until I looked back though the pictures. Only 3 1/2 months old and already rocking the photobomb what a little genius.

 

On Friday I’m going to the World’s Longest Garage sale with my mom. In fact by the time you read this I’m probably already getting my shop on!

Y’all I can even tell you how excited I am. We’re talking miles upon miles of awesomeness! I’ll be taking pics and video so I can share. If you would like to follow along find me on Instagram. I’ll be posting throughout the day!

Trust me you’re going to want to see this!

 

Stuff I’m Digging

 

Oh my gosh I must watch this at least 5 times a day. Love it……might even like it more than the original.

It makes me wish I was blond, had pouty lips, and was the only hot girl  in a cool guy band.

 

 

 

Yes I know Crystal Light has been around forever! I stopped drinking it a long time ago when I cut back on processed foods BUT I have fallen in love with it again. I let myself have 1 packet a day…..it’s a yummy teat! I remember back in the day when a yummy treat was a cookie from Subway. 

 

 

 

My friend has started to sale hand painted TOMS and shirts. She is uber talented. Love these Texas Ranger ones she did. I’m going to order some but I can’t decide what design I want to go with. She will come up with a design centered around anything. I’m thinking maybe photography themed ones, maybe zebra stripes hummmm……

If you would like to get your hands on a pair be sure to like her fb page by clicking HERE. You can get in touch with her there!    

 

 

Love my Wednesday Boxing Boot Camp class. It kicks my butt every week! I’m usually sore for days afterwards. I took this post workout which I have titled Wacky Workout Wednesday because again I like to give lame names to things. Look at how red I am!

 

 

 

Walnuts!!!!!
I dip them in humus, eat them on my salad, eat them buy themselves.
I would eat them in the rain, and in the dark, and on a train…you get my point!  

 

 

 

Netflix streaming feature.
I have a whole little setup in my office. I stream through my laptop while I work on my PC. It’s some kind of wonderful! Right now I’m watching Mad Men which should really be titled I Pretend Like I’m Working but I’m Really Cheating on my Wife. I’m sure they almost named it that but had to go with Mad Men because well the other title is just way too long.

 

 

 

My new youtube channel!
You can find it by clicking HERE. Kent and I are always filming random things. I’ve been working on getting our clips together in one place for a bigger project we have in the works. It’s nice to have them all together and labeled. Also like that we have a direct link to what we post so we can share with friends and family.

 

 

 

The Irish Jig dance I did with my friends on St. Patty’s day. How do you like my sweet boob sweat….gross! We did this after our workout hence all the sweat marks. Oh the silly things we do! If I ever need a good laugh I watch this. It cracks me up!

 

 

I saved the best for last……..

 

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding!
Oh my goodness I am obsessed with this show. Are you watching? You have to watch it with an open mind! I’m always fascinated by other cultures and this is one that I really had no previous knowledge of. Kent and I have done a bit of research because while it’s a reality show we all know how that goes. I wanted to know some facts behind the culture. I am now a wealth of random gypsy knowledge. Do not start talking to me about this show or gypsy culture. You will never get me to shut up! If you want to check it out it comes on TLC. I think it’s in it’s 3^rd season.