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Let it go…
A word I felt lead to share with you from the Lord to meet your heart today;
I see you, all stressed out. The pressure is increasing. Fear plagues you daily. You don’t have to be there my child. Come sit. Come sit at my feet for I desire a deep relationship with you my child. You are enough just the way you are, but so am I.
I never meant for you to carry the load, for it is more for you to bear. I came so you could have life in abundance dear one and when you take the load, you miss all the abundance and healing I have provided for you. It’s there before you on a silver platter and yet you complain and cry out to me missing all the freedom I worked so hard to provide for you. Take it and receive it. All you need to do is rest at my feet. That’s it. Rest in my embrace and give me the load. That’s where your strength comes in. Now rest dear one. And experience life in its full. Peace is yours. Healing is abundant. Now just rest dear one.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR
Entering into reno’s is no easy task is it? There are so many choices out there, unknown costs, and fears, over choosing the right contractor. My heart breaks to see homeowners go through the pain of a bad reno experience. This is your home after all and every penny counts. It helps to make an informed decision on who to hire.
After chatting with a couple of friends about their latest renovations with other contractors, it seems their experience has not been quite so great. From not finishing the job properly, to surprise bills at the end, good contractors can be hard to find.
Good trades are like gold and having a good contractor with connections to good trades is everything. The unexpected may happen along the way but what matters is that someone will complete the promised job properly. Good contractors are out there, but it can be difficult to weed out the great ones from the um, not so good? Being contractors ourselves, here are a few simple answers that may help ease your concerns.
Here are some simple steps to finding the right contractor for your renovations
- Make a realistic budget
- Decide on your necessities and your wish list
- Ask around for the right local contractor. Word of mouth can be one of the most reliable sources in this industry. Don’t always go with the cheapest or most available.
- Figure out your vision for your new space. A few pictures via magazines or social media can help communicate what your vision is for your new space.
- Meet with your top 2 or 3 recommended contractors. A conversation with a contractor may help you decide which one you feel you can work with, and if their pricing, availability, and vision lines up with yours.
- Decide on your contractor.
- Decide on a clear plan based on your budget for your renovations with your contractor
- Sign an agreement to the expectations for the job, with the agreed budget if your doing a cost plus job.
- If its a contract job; sign a contract based on the agreed upon price that includes the work, expectations, and finishes that are going into your home so everyone is clear of what is included in that price.
- Be sure to set aside an extra budgeted amount for unforeseen costs or extras as you go. There is nothing worse than to run into unexpected costs you are not prepared.
Things to keep in mind as you proceed with your renovations
Some contractors charge with a cost plus agreement; This means they charge you at their cost, plus a percentage to pay them for their time to oversee the project. Their job is no simple task. They are arranging their trades they trust (if you have ever contracted your own project, you know just how valuable this is), make sure everything is lined up perfectly, while dealing with any issues as they arise. There are contractors who will even pass on some of their contractor discount to you (which is a huge bonus because as a homeowner you would be charged full retail costs), which means that most of their contractor fee would be covered at no extra cost when you take these discounts into account.
Some contractors charge at a contract price; This may result in a slightly inflated cost to you, as they have to cover the unknown costs that may arise during the project. You may feel better to have a contract price to know where you stand with your final numbers but know this may be costing you a few more dollars (Or it may be protecting you. This is the gamble.). In this case, definitely request a clear sheet with all of your specs including spending allowances, finishes, and the work included for the price.
None of these pricing options are wrong. It just depends on the contractor you are working with, the project ahead, and what seems to fit you best. Pricing a project takes time. A lot of time. Each project is never the same, so pricing will vary form one project to the other. Many contractors wont give a full quote unless they are working under a contract price.
Trades also don’t enjoy pricing out things a whole bunch of ways, so its important to make a decision and stick with it. I understand it may be difficult when your not sure what fits with your budget, so do ask questions. They will be able to give you a rough idea on the costs involved even if its not a full quote on each item. It will cost you less knowing ahead of time what you are looking for and not changing your mind too many times.
All of the decisions can become overwhelming, so hiring a designer may help keep you focused with your vision as you go. The clearer you are with knowing your needs and budget, the easier everything will flow with your project. Preplan everything as much as possible with your contractor. The contractor is there to give you direction so go ahead, and feel free to ask questions as you go to make the best informed decisions.
No project is ever easy but it is so worth it to live in a home that functions well for your everyday living. Enjoy the process as much as possible. Expect the unexpected and be prepared for last min changes. This list is no guarantee that your project will turn out perfect, but hopefully it will help you find the right contractor that works for you. What was your renovation experience? Sign up below for more home updates!
10 INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR VALENTINES DAY MEMORABLE
With Valentine’s day upon us, do you find yourself getting anxious about finding the perfect gift for your loved ones? We tend to make the card and chocolate companies a lot of money trying to make the evening memorable. But don’t cave to the pressure to make this sweet holiday expensive or stressful, as time together is what is important on this lovely day.
Do you find we seem to be so caught up in the busy of life, we tend to forget that time can be one of the best ways to show our love? So rather than stressing out, try carving out time to make memories with some of your favorite people whether it’s with your kids, a good friend or a special date.
Years ago my friend and I got all prettied up for the perfect Valentine’s evening with our boyfriends (who is now my husband). They picked us up and we drove out to our favorite restaurant. The only problem was we hadn’t made dinner reservations, and it was Valentine’s day! There was no room. Not… one… single… place setting for the four of us. So we moved on trying to find a place to eat. We tried restaurant, after restaurant… and nothing! There was absolutely no room in the inn (this must have been what Mary felt when she was in labor with Jesus). Anyways, we were super cranky by this time, and well, when I get hungry… let’s just say my husband does everything he can to prevent the hangry Angie!
I remember feeling so much anticipation for the perfect evening only to be super disappointed. It really was nothing special… in fact, it was the opposite of special. Since then we steer clear of restaurants on Valentine’s day. We often go out a few days before or after, as many of our favorite places won’t even take reservations on one of their busiest evenings of the year… not to mention trying to get a babysitter on that night when our kids were small!
So we got super creative with our Valentine’s days. It saved us some money and helped us enjoy the most important part of the evening… quality time together.
10 creative ways to celebrate Valentine’s day with your date, as a family, or with friends
- Have appies for dinner and play some board games together
- Make some fun homemade decorations and hang them up around the house to make it feel festive
- Bake a yummy treat to share together
- Light some candles, and make a special dinner to serve on your most fancy plates
- Make cute homemade cards for one another
- Get take-out and get cozy on the sofa with a good movie
- Go for a hike with a picnic in tow
- Go for a drive and grab some ice cream
- Grab coffees and go for a walk through the park
- Enjoy your Valentine’s day dinner at your favorite restaurant a few days before or after Valentines day
Here is is a great reminder for a special day.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
It is super important to celebrate the special people in our life with quality time… and don’t forget to date your spouse regularly. I feel like Valentine’s day helps remind us to do this. If you have no one in your life to enjoy this day with, know there is a beautiful God who created you with love. He is love! He waits for you to spend time with Him so He can share His amazing love with you. Happy Valentines day sweet friend! What are some of your favorite Valentines day traditions? Sign up below for more fun updates right to your email!
HOW TO FINALLY GET YOUR CLOSETS ORGANIZED
The new year seems to be a good time for a fresh start doesn’t it? It can be a great time to reorganize our homes and declutter our closets. I kept trying to organize my linen closet but it didn’t seem to stay clean, until I found these…
I finally found a system that seems to work well! I love all the cute little baskets I see in stores, but have a hard time spending tons of money on them (even if it does help keep my sanity:)). These soft plastic baskets were the perfect solution from the dollar store for only $4 each! After some trial and error, I realized a metal wire basket or labelled bin is key to keep your closets organized.
Are you feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by the mess in your home? Let’s get organized my friend!
Whether its organizing our home or our closet, we need to make a mess first. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? But its true. We need to dump everything out, then sort through the mess one piece at time. This is how we sort through what we want to keep, neatly putting it away, while eliminating what we don’t need anymore. Your heart can be similar. Do you ever wonder how to deal when it feels like life just exploded and just got really, really messy? How do you even begin to sort through the mess?
When we are faced with the overwhelming mess before us, we finally see the garbage we have been holding onto. This is where the change begins. As we begin to process through the mess, we realize what needs to go and what needs to be cleaned up. So be brave my dear friend, go deep, and refocus your life sweet friend!
Much like the perfect basket. I feel like the basket is a picture of the Lord reorganizing and carrying the pieces of our life… when we finally let go and ask for help. And He puts us back together better than ever! The wrong basket can hinder us and will only be a temporary fix. How do we find healing? Pray. Ask the Lord to help you move forward and trust Him to carry your “stuff”. He will restore the mess making it even better than it was before! We need to stay dependant on Him to keep our lives focused and intentional. Sometimes we need a friend or Godly counsel to help us sort through our mess and which can be super helpful too.
Ok, so I really did start this post to tell you how to organize your closet. Here is the easy step by step process to getting your actual closets reorganized.
How to reorganize your closet
Make a list of your rooms and closets you want to organize. Start one at a time. Do one a day, or one a week depending on your schedule. Cross off each one as you get it cleaned up. There is something so satisfying to crossing off your to-do list, isn’t there?:)
- Empty everything out of your closet. Yes, everything!
- Make a pile of keep, give away and throw away as you sort through each item.
- Place each item you choose to keep in their labelled basket on the shelf. Keep similar items together.
- Throw away the garbage
- Bring the items worth saving to a thrift store or a friend who could use it
How do you know what to keep and what to get rid of? Ask yourself; Have I used it within the year? If not, get rid of it. If you have a few pieces that you feel like your not quite ready to part with, that’s ok. Pick your top 3 items to keep letting go of the rest. Don’t feel bad about letting go as chances are you wont miss it. You can’t keep it all! Why not share with someone who can use it. We are called to share with others. What good is it doing just sitting in our closet?
I labeled each of my bins with a cute chalkboard sticker. Each bin is separated into fitted sheets, flat sheets, pillow cases, towels, etc. This system seems to be the easiest for me to keep organized and find everything. I knew what I needed to keep because after the full house we had over Christmas, whatever didn’t get used, didn’t need to stay (ok, almost everything… I am a little sentimental)
Check out a few of my favorite baskets to help you get organized
Double check your sizes to be sure it will fit on your shelves in your closet before ordering!:)
Now to reorganize my master bedroom closet. How do you feel after organizing your closet? Feels freeing doesn’t it? Do you have any tips or favorite storage solutions you like to use? Sign up below for more restoring updates!