tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33527728606182400742024-02-18T19:53:03.382-06:00life law luckA little of this. A little of that. All things I love.Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.comBlogger534125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-4022561415203526672018-03-25T07:28:00.005-05:002018-03-25T07:28:40.791-05:00Musings on Motherhood // It's Just HardI've been back to work since March 1st and I'm still trying to find my groove. I understand it might take another week, another month, another year, until I feel like we've hit our rhythm, but in the meantime, we are doing our very best.<br />
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"Nothing's wrong, it's just hard." Bunmi Laditan, the author behind the Honest Toddler, wrote <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BunmiKLaditan/posts/2031081100472209">a post recently on Facebook about this</a> and holy cow has it resonated with me. It's just so true. Nothing is wrong. We are blessed beyond belief: our basic needs are fulfilled, we are healthy, we laugh every day, we have jobs we enjoy, family and friends we love, life is good.<br />
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But it's really hard right now. I feel like I've put in a full day of work just wrangling two kids every morning to get out the door to daycare so I can get to work at a decent time. And parents of toddler's know, every day is different. I never know when the next tantrum is going to come and whether I'll be able to negotiate with the tiny terrorist before full-blown armageddon happens.<br />
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And getting to work without spit up or food crumbs or spilled latte or salt from the car on me is a damn miracle. Praise Jesus when this happens because Lord knows it's only a matter of time.<br />
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Once each kid is in their car seats, I can breathe a little bit. But it takes a special strength to run the gauntlet from the doors of daycare to the classroom. Drinking fountains, trampolines, couches, LIZARDS, toys...You guys, we have to say good morning to the school pets (LIZARDS) every. single. morning. This week we made it to the classroom without stopping and it was the biggest victory!!<br />
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I work all day, trying not to think that being a mother and having kids hurt my career, trying not to read into any comments from coworkers, and trying to lean in.<br />
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And then it's off to daycare to pick up the boys and soak up as much quality time with them until bedtime.<br />
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Rinse and repeat.<br />
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So, nothing is wrong. It's just hard. Life with two is amazing, and crazy. Going back to work is the most natural thing, and the toughest. I've been leaning hard into my oils for emotional support lately. Frankincense for grounding, Valor for courage, White Angelica for easing my anxiety. Grateful every single day I have them in my toolbox.<br />
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This weekend, I'm making time for extra self-care because truthfully, I need it. And I'm trying to be better at saying that. So yesterday, I took time to bake a batch of gluten-free brownies, slept in an extra 45 minutes today, and am going to take a long hot shower tonight. All things that help me feel normal. How do you recharge?<br />
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Nothing is wrong. It's just hard. And I know it gets easier so that's the beauty of this phase. It's temporary. And that gives me all sorts of hope.<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Alex<br />
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<br />Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-63870257826911750482018-02-28T20:51:00.002-06:002018-02-28T20:51:26.124-06:00Currently // February 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's the maternity leave edition of what I've been up to. Tomorrow, I ship both boys off to daycare and head back to work. Currently feeling ALL the feels!<br />
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READING // <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0718021665/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0718021665&linkCode=as2&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=f3a0c01944d5d55e4508952bd13c46b7" target="_blank">Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0718021665" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://amzn.to/2FDY0I3">A Simplified Life</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2F13GyK">What Works for Women at Work</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2owHq5O">Little Fires Everywhere</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2GTZm11">Gameplan</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2F1Rpug">Good As Gone</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2F1H0KF">The Women in the Castle</a> (honestly though, I can't remember if I read this one before or during my leave!)<br />
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LISTENING TO // <a href="http://amzn.to/2ox31Ls">The Universe Has Your Back</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2CNm5JC">The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck</a>, and <a href="http://amzn.to/2t2FPcJ">Educated: A Memoir</a> (I'm slowly getting into Audible...I'm not an auditory learner since my mind starts to wander so I find myself rewinding a lot, but it's a nice alternative to staring at a screen!)</div>
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EATING // I did a mostly Whole30 in January. It was going great, and tanking my supply. So I had to make some adjustments but found a couple great recipes that we'll definitely be using, like this <a href="http://40aprons.com/whole30-zuppa-toscana/">Whole30 compliant Zuppa Toscana</a>. I've made it 3 times since January. It's that good.</div>
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THANKFUL // That I even get this time to spend with my family and bond with Liam. The statistics regarding maternity leave in the United States are quite appalling.</div>
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PLANNING // Declan's birthday breakfast! We celebrate birthdays very lowkey around here. No parties, just a special breakfast, a couple gifts, and then we go on a family adventure. Last year we went to the zoo. This year, we are debating between Camp Snoopy (yes, it will always be called this), Choo Choo Bob's Train Store, or the Children's Museum. But it's his golden birthday so we're making it special!<br />
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WORKING ON // My cloffice (closet + office). My old landing space of an office became Liam's nursery. We put the desk in the basement but I wasn't loving the proximity to the boys when I was working at night. So, I came up with an idea to add an mini office to my walk-in closet. It's amazing and I love it. I can't wait to show you what it looks like!</div>
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WEARING // I earned a new FitBit Alta HR and love wearing it as I start ramping up my activity. It's a good reminder when I'm sitting all day to get up and move. Plus it does silent alarms which I'll use for staying on my pumping schedule. The worst part is seeing how I slept the night before...or didn't sleep. Because the struggle is real.<br />
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WATCHING // Well, I think I watched every single sport in the Winter Olympics, I caught up on Outlander, and still haven't watched this season of This Is Us. So win some, lose some.<br />
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That's it for now! I'm going to go slather on some <a href="http://www.birchandpineessentials.com/oils-101.html">Valor</a> to help me prepare for tomorrow!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Alex<br />
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Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-13954910645362705732018-01-31T15:43:00.000-06:002018-01-31T15:43:02.267-06:00Musings on Motherhood // Trying.<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*I wrote this three years ago, as we started trying to have a baby. Occasionally, I'll write something and never hit publish. I need space with my thoughts before sharing them with the world. But I was encouraged today by a friend to do my part in making these conversations public.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For anyone out there trying, here's a fist bump of solidarity heading your way. I've been there and it made me lose my mind for a bit. </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Trying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They don't tell you trying will be the hardest thing ever. Trying to keep your hopes up. That you'll avoid facebook because since you've started trying only a few months ago, 19 couples you are friends with have announced they are expecting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That every time your mom offers you a glass of wine at the cabin you wonder if you should accept. Or you'll make up an excuse about trying to lose vacation weight and alcohol is the first thing to go. Anything to get her to not think you are trying</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But since your mom is your best friend, she's the first one you want to tell you are trying. So instead you blurt it out to friends you trust and hope they keep it private.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That you downloaded an app. Yeah, an app to track things. Ugh. Why? Trying has made me crazy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Or April 1 passes and you get literally angry at anyone who thinks its acceptable to pull a pregnancy prank.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That you start trying and then you read about infertility and your heart breaks for women who struggle to get pregnant. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And you secretly hope you won't be one of them...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That every time that time of the month comes you try to stay hopeful but you feel discouraged.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's supposed to be a magic time, lots of love making but this insane amount of pressure immediately is put upon you. And most of it is put on <i>by</i> you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I pray more, work out more, eat healthier. Every little bit helps right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Trying is exciting yet trying sucks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because so often you go through this whirlwind alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, if you are trying, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Keep the faith.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And feel free to vent to me. I'll listen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">xoxo,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alex</span>Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-60179827753686045232017-03-27T07:00:00.000-05:002017-04-06T08:40:17.230-05:00Project Flashback: Declan's First Nursery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvSy5pUFcTJba7C-JW59CZ9TdEnyhi0OQvDx9vsQxArJB12uumAlaHZkzve6dtbqfWyz9tbYc4KY5WCJXSyhc4tfmKyDS75a3QFT0R_XNW0tIwufrA27ITWcObTqf7uQrz39BCy1oG_8/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-015-23-Bedroom-2700x1802-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvSy5pUFcTJba7C-JW59CZ9TdEnyhi0OQvDx9vsQxArJB12uumAlaHZkzve6dtbqfWyz9tbYc4KY5WCJXSyhc4tfmKyDS75a3QFT0R_XNW0tIwufrA27ITWcObTqf7uQrz39BCy1oG_8/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-015-23-Bedroom-2700x1802-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While we are loving our new house, I can't help but look back at some of the last projects we did before we moved last year. I think Declan only ended up sleeping in his own room for a couple weeks before we moved to my parents, but putting together a nursery is just something you have to do as new parents, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As part of our overall remodel, we painted the trim white, painted the walls to match the rest of the first floor, and replaced the doors and light fixture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It freshened the room right up! Once the paint was dry, we (and by we, of course I mean, Kurtis) put the furniture together. I read the directions, which really is equally as important when dealing with IKEA dressers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBwhtHdMDI1wFM05Ge63ez52goMAGIRquDeSH4Dga4gP6N_35gX_I2KKb4JOXbR6KEXGpOGASXxfLzbRcdBo5oApZWQzqKz_BmaPuZ87A93VwINRGj5O33El-mFdyUopoQOgLCVgz9q4/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBwhtHdMDI1wFM05Ge63ez52goMAGIRquDeSH4Dga4gP6N_35gX_I2KKb4JOXbR6KEXGpOGASXxfLzbRcdBo5oApZWQzqKz_BmaPuZ87A93VwINRGj5O33El-mFdyUopoQOgLCVgz9q4/s640/IMG_0322.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was starting to feel like a whale in my last trimester, but I treasure this photo so much I didn't take many bump shots so when I stumble across one, it makes me so happy to see that big belly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All the furniture came with us to the new house, but man, it's still not pulled together yet. My next project should be pulling together Declan's room!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">xoxo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alex</span></div>
Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-65924489608749915232017-03-22T07:00:00.000-05:002017-03-22T07:00:05.226-05:00Bright and Colorful Toddler Books<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm popping in real quick to share a couple new children's books we are loving right now: the Alphaprints series from Roger Priddy. The pictures are bright and colorful, full of textures, and the rhymes are fun to read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alphaprints-ABC-Roger-Priddy/dp/0312516460/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1489870659&sr=8-1&keywords=alphaprints&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=8d462471f748412637a771b6b244cef0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0312516460&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0312516460" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </span><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2mfqeSY"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ABC</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alphaprints-123-Roger-Priddy/dp/031251736X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1489870659&sr=8-3&keywords=alphaprints&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=078eb98d707fe6060ec36b4855af185e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=031251736X&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=031251736X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </span><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2nDJhDy"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">123</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alphaprints-Colors-Roger-Priddy/dp/0312517939/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1489870659&sr=8-4&keywords=alphaprints&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=977c9161902cd254d2cee37643a0f1db" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0312517939&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0312517939" style="border: none; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2nDJkze">Colors</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Declan will sit and flip through them for a good amount of time, pointing and giggling at the drawings. It's the best. I've already given them as gifts at a baby shower since we love them so much. If you are looking for a good book for a toddler, I encourage you to check these out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">xoxo,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alex</span><br />
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<i>*Affiliate links are used in this post</i>Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-69542562154673817762017-03-18T15:51:00.002-05:002017-03-18T15:51:55.664-05:00Staging to Sell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">About a year ago, we started seriously getting our house ready to sell. We had finished the basement reno and with that added square footage, we wanted to take advantage of the spring housing market. We had one more project to tackle, the kitchen, but today we're talking about staging your house to sell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Knowing we were going to have a very young baby while the house was on the market, I wanted to be as prepared as possible. The housing market was hot so I knew our professional photos had to be perfect. Most home buyers these days are shopping online and we wanted as many showings as possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So while I was still on maternity leave, I got the house as picture perfect as we could. We were on a fast timeline so our professional photos were taken on Tuesday and the listing went live on Thursday. We had 14 showings that weekend and by Sunday, we had 4 offers. It seemed quick and a complete whirlwind, but it was our prep work that paid off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you are thinking about putting your house on the market this spring, here are my tips for staging to sell!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcJSG-FwLQh0AzFZPDr8lLvNYE3A8NJr1yr_Y2l8VZMfw_ZGH5GPStCTiF1oYEyrUy2TUoW5bX9vM3YlfHrzDpFU1yhbb_LdQuTSliGPaIBNDeHSQJ9N80ev1BckNkziFG5heDrkImIA/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-015-23-Bedroom-2700x1802-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcJSG-FwLQh0AzFZPDr8lLvNYE3A8NJr1yr_Y2l8VZMfw_ZGH5GPStCTiF1oYEyrUy2TUoW5bX9vM3YlfHrzDpFU1yhbb_LdQuTSliGPaIBNDeHSQJ9N80ev1BckNkziFG5heDrkImIA/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-015-23-Bedroom-2700x1802-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DECLUTTER</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the toughest step and it takes the longest, so it's crucial you do this first. Go through your stuff and donate/toss anything and everything you do not want to move. Even if you think maybe my future house will have a need for this, stop right there. If you are not completely in love with it, it goes. If you will be heartbroken without it, keep it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is nothing as eye-opening as packing up all your stuff to move. The sheer amount of things we accumulate is crazy. And for me, it is something I have to work really hard on. I married a minimalist. I'm a keeper. During this time, I did a lot of letting go. The usuals: clothes, paper piles, books, CDs, DVDs, etc. But I also had to let go of kitchen items we never used, craft projects I hadn't gotten around to yet, keepsakes that held sentimental value for me but wouldn't be part of my future, and photos that should have been tossed years before (thank you double prints from the film years!). Those ones took some time to say goodbye to. Because I'm weird.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But, I don't miss any of it. Honestly. Instead, I've focused on designing our new house into a home that fits our life now. Not eventually. But it meets us where we are right now. Maybe that minimalist attitude is rubbing off on me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fYSXPA-O03sWNtEX0a8l49yrQD_TvVBWr26Lptd3dbJGa5wdbO4DN91J8TsIHV8fAWD8eDFBrnpni3vnUlUIx5x9TpQiY94t7AkIEdXwsXiQhxpUWyBGwSwW-rqBdpYVtpA_3KoR2Ss/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-016-11-Bedroom-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fYSXPA-O03sWNtEX0a8l49yrQD_TvVBWr26Lptd3dbJGa5wdbO4DN91J8TsIHV8fAWD8eDFBrnpni3vnUlUIx5x9TpQiY94t7AkIEdXwsXiQhxpUWyBGwSwW-rqBdpYVtpA_3KoR2Ss/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-016-11-Bedroom-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DECORATE OR UNDECORATE</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Analyze your decor. You need to use a really critical eye and think like a potential buyer. When possible, try to err on the side of classic, rather than trendy. But classic with a modern twist, not too dated. Easy, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When in doubt, do a little pinterest-surfing to see what's in right now. We knew light and bright, with lots of gray and white would feel fresh yet classic in our old house. And it did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The trick is to simplify. Too many knick-knacks or ugly artwork will distract a buyer from seeing the bones of your house. Same with a paint color that takes some loving. How many times have you watched a show on HGTV where the buyers focus on the wallpaper, paint color, or something incredibly easy to fix? It happens all the time. Take away the distractions and undecorate if you need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But leave your house feeling like a home. Too empty and it will feel cold. So strive to find a balance in your decor. Bring a friend in for a second pair of eyes. Your realtor should be able to point out a few things that might need switching around too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cpOECEcuGlGuIivEH7FluEYxP00pM37Dvk008dGP0FHG4DvhHUNK5_cH_sOKLsaKdfCrjNgYtnlYiXqRlZPvFDJfnwWJKIE5lC5QlPRTe-u-FakB8AhTIUPwoL7Y4ZbACTLi80mFu98/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-021-19-Lower+Level+Bedroom-2700x1798-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cpOECEcuGlGuIivEH7FluEYxP00pM37Dvk008dGP0FHG4DvhHUNK5_cH_sOKLsaKdfCrjNgYtnlYiXqRlZPvFDJfnwWJKIE5lC5QlPRTe-u-FakB8AhTIUPwoL7Y4ZbACTLi80mFu98/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-021-19-Lower+Level+Bedroom-2700x1798-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DEPERSONALIZE</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Experts say you need to depersonalize your house to let your buyers imagine themselves there, living in your home. We didn't depersonalize as much as we could have, but our house isn't covered in photos of our family. Instead, we purposely left a wedding photo and another photo of the two of us out in the main room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was fairly confident that our potential buyers would be looking at our home as a starter home, probably not have kids, and on the younger side. I wanted to leave photos out that would inspire a couple to see themselves in their first home. And it worked! Our buyers were an engaged couple who met in grad school, getting married this summer. Just like K and I were, many moons ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkHVxjdgaEFj3c4oBzGZvejYXHEsaSl0jokx5K5PtyehGvdfZ9zi53ly0USHs7c0WBswr3BTTrN4Xr9z_P_PqNV7eZXAixCVy_VM8Sp8LmHHQHRXOHoi11Cp6Fhs7d_51R-Y9WWr1y60/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-011-4-Kitchen-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkHVxjdgaEFj3c4oBzGZvejYXHEsaSl0jokx5K5PtyehGvdfZ9zi53ly0USHs7c0WBswr3BTTrN4Xr9z_P_PqNV7eZXAixCVy_VM8Sp8LmHHQHRXOHoi11Cp6Fhs7d_51R-Y9WWr1y60/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-011-4-Kitchen-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">EMPHASIZE STORAGE</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you've decluttered, you are off to a great start. When staging your house, I recommend cleaning out your closets so they are only half full. You must emphasize storage. I cannot say that enough! Even the smallest closet can look bigger when it's only half full.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We added shelves in our garage earlier in the year and used them to store a bunch of things from the inside closets during our showings. We also filled our suitcases - no use wasting all that space!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While emphasizing your storage areas might be trickier for you to do, it really makes a difference in staging. When we were house hunting, I opened every single closet in the houses we toured. And the ones that were overflowing were really tough to see past the clutter to the potential. It was doable but much harder.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL3EDKVt6HCXCFv7T-62eqiqQbjvoaJ7R_FZagiDx8Wv0EcZAkrY0rwz_HJQ2D-oiKcQgzfdnlIjeulFi_RonyTEc6_eRcKHRDe_OD7cfQalSSbNfDpjVAvPkuLkK9BM5mty4haogePM/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-004-14-Front+Porch-2700x1802-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL3EDKVt6HCXCFv7T-62eqiqQbjvoaJ7R_FZagiDx8Wv0EcZAkrY0rwz_HJQ2D-oiKcQgzfdnlIjeulFi_RonyTEc6_eRcKHRDe_OD7cfQalSSbNfDpjVAvPkuLkK9BM5mty4haogePM/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-004-14-Front+Porch-2700x1802-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PAY ATTENTION TO CURB APPEAL</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While we were looking at houses, we did so many drive bys before even considering scheduling a showing. Most the times we were trying to get a feel for the neighborhood and whether the yard and street were even something we'd consider. Believe me, there is so much that you don't see online! But the houses that attracted us had curb appeal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you are actively trying to attract buyers to your house, you have to pay attention to curb appeal! Weed your landscaping, mow the yard, add some flowers in a fun color (we chose purple to honor Prince!), and clean those windows.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, and don't forget to open your blinds or curtains! A house feels much more open and welcoming from the outside when it's not shut off because of window treatments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauiyZlz72hvB5e4YqX5skZmMsyLRfAM7hvlleDyfG81w4Uq5xosLNCgaLOrSEDyigyAX3YjggNqTdFJTp06RhHaiu0tyk9tva_ykls13mEV0H2BfmvCSBUsCmKgLU0mHLpFUwDEDm27o/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-022-17-Lower+Level+Bedroom-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauiyZlz72hvB5e4YqX5skZmMsyLRfAM7hvlleDyfG81w4Uq5xosLNCgaLOrSEDyigyAX3YjggNqTdFJTp06RhHaiu0tyk9tva_ykls13mEV0H2BfmvCSBUsCmKgLU0mHLpFUwDEDm27o/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-022-17-Lower+Level+Bedroom-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">CLEAN ALL THE THINGS</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everything you've ever thought about cleaning and never really get around to each week (i.e. baseboards, fridge, window sills, light fixtures, windows), you need to clean. Now is the time to have a spotless house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you have your house on the market for a while, I know this is the toughest part. Always being ready to go in case a showing get scheduled. But doing a deep clean before your photos are taken, and before you go on the market will make the upkeep that much easier. Strangers are weird and they notice everything. Things that have faded from your mind in day to day living will suddenly be in the spotlight. You don't want cobwebs and dust bunnies getting in the way of selling your house!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-t1d696O_4F9Z9g4FQ0GYuFdJO6X9JbLeUq2Qu1aOLiIqhEdBr3hFfeG1PVgYO09SHMh9VhksX3Ecs_6SYhwv52urMLZCFIhn4Kvz4dpTszBrPn5uSlYtTotu0pTuAXgmDNRYp2NUvs/s1600/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-014-12-Kitchen-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-t1d696O_4F9Z9g4FQ0GYuFdJO6X9JbLeUq2Qu1aOLiIqhEdBr3hFfeG1PVgYO09SHMh9VhksX3Ecs_6SYhwv52urMLZCFIhn4Kvz4dpTszBrPn5uSlYtTotu0pTuAXgmDNRYp2NUvs/s640/6923+50th+Ave+N+Crystal+MN-print-014-12-Kitchen-2700x1801-300dpi.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once you do all these things, you are ready for your professional photos to be taken and ready for showings and/or an open house! You may not want to move since your house looks so damn good, but remember, you aren't staging your house to stay. You are staging your house to sell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What staging tips worked for you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">xoxo,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alex</span></div>
Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-24906159492117474582017-03-12T16:09:00.002-05:002017-03-12T16:09:33.106-05:00Quoted // Anna Wintour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lindsaylamothe.wordpress.com/tag/anna-wintour/"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhk-fKBqkbRzEzM15rMU7B07wrfBEvwyFAYKI3D4xqvg3ZF-crT-fivR_Yz_7dsC6UxU7nVAj9Y76TuqzETyQIq8LLNa10E5iviGYjukwdofUhdpIM6GyLG3Y6hn1xptCgzOLYIGl9Tc/s640/anna+wintour.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I think it’s very important for children to understand that women work and that it’s fulfilling and it doesn’t mean that they love you any less or care about you any less. I also hope from my kids’ perspectives, they saw how rewarding and fulfilling working was. I think it’s important for kids to understand that.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-<a href="http://www.mothermag.com/quoted-anna-wintour/">Anna Wintour</a> on teaching her children the importance of women’s careers</span>Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-78995480133225868722017-03-04T09:45:00.002-06:002017-03-04T09:45:56.956-06:00Musings on Motherhood // One Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-y-1pZMlgyn4KWm3SrVMDIJIQOr7qFU05gPPZp758CT0MJpxiC0xccf1bvg5WLXem1MkudpFTCQ5f907yczvwKhxlY3kiNq_b2FdCG-tV6eAgXEQURw-y_R5PqFKDVINIYlMLfjISBY/s1600/IMG_0837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-y-1pZMlgyn4KWm3SrVMDIJIQOr7qFU05gPPZp758CT0MJpxiC0xccf1bvg5WLXem1MkudpFTCQ5f907yczvwKhxlY3kiNq_b2FdCG-tV6eAgXEQURw-y_R5PqFKDVINIYlMLfjISBY/s640/IMG_0837.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A year of firsts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First night at home. First walk. First laugh. First roll. First crawl. First steps. First mama, first dada. First sick day, first bump, first bruise. First time up north, trip to the zoo, and adventure to the park.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgc5GeURNfQqzacPi9jOQboBU6XPltSYtz0US3wWYuVcUhyphenhyphenRQA2ikpYSefs6DQ4YSfKJR3Q9ly9Tc-2W5UxTr9omCcdhQlaol9m9QdDSctDekI-25_5fq1ldbMoTwgZJPbf447ZGhaes/s1600/IMG_0851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgc5GeURNfQqzacPi9jOQboBU6XPltSYtz0US3wWYuVcUhyphenhyphenRQA2ikpYSefs6DQ4YSfKJR3Q9ly9Tc-2W5UxTr9omCcdhQlaol9m9QdDSctDekI-25_5fq1ldbMoTwgZJPbf447ZGhaes/s640/IMG_0851.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And then, in a blink of an eye, the firsts became routine. And he grew. And grew and grew. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXT8a1eo-Tte8TPQSVMLl-SQuUFdLydb6oe5PFVt4Eor0kDfliHC7Zcxne28WH4zLAqjrukUzawCUuaHHE3GkYM8RGpENJqCMQJhdNLgekIdNjDhQ3x0siA3igcvAS791hrRAlt77CVc/s1600/IMG_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXT8a1eo-Tte8TPQSVMLl-SQuUFdLydb6oe5PFVt4Eor0kDfliHC7Zcxne28WH4zLAqjrukUzawCUuaHHE3GkYM8RGpENJqCMQJhdNLgekIdNjDhQ3x0siA3igcvAS791hrRAlt77CVc/s640/IMG_1024.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My once tiny seven pound baby is now a 20+ pound whirling dervish that doesn't stand still. Time doesn't stand still either.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9eXfftqJRMo7Fa1uSmsk3BD_ZPlnTPpaGgCsAMJ1F9ntDwU5ix69dJJq21_vtgi8E63ispbU410KwNREAc0x2_WgfFBD8Nd6B3HF4Aucj59m-Ot-jZ2zhrvQ9ycD3HWTODhbkw5t20eA/s1600/IMG_0867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9eXfftqJRMo7Fa1uSmsk3BD_ZPlnTPpaGgCsAMJ1F9ntDwU5ix69dJJq21_vtgi8E63ispbU410KwNREAc0x2_WgfFBD8Nd6B3HF4Aucj59m-Ot-jZ2zhrvQ9ycD3HWTODhbkw5t20eA/s640/IMG_0867.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been treasuring every single cuddle and hug lately. It's like he knows I need them more than ever right now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt1hIPmnPppv_f6rzGZ7LgWOiNgvrhBfqI06USG8olrtO3bzbIcWdd9ao3y5_e6d-aPGccR-_xck9XF6OK_d0bMoY82gENRn2tl4WP7IfgDSG3pwOmoYAUdpuLnYHKbD8Om-SsIFk8Vw/s1600/IMG_0946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt1hIPmnPppv_f6rzGZ7LgWOiNgvrhBfqI06USG8olrtO3bzbIcWdd9ao3y5_e6d-aPGccR-_xck9XF6OK_d0bMoY82gENRn2tl4WP7IfgDSG3pwOmoYAUdpuLnYHKbD8Om-SsIFk8Vw/s640/IMG_0946.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Becoming a mother has completely transformed me. I feel like a completely different person than I was before Declan. Maybe it doesn't seem so outwardly, but inside, I feel it. It's so difficult to put into words but I'm certain other mothers might understand what I'm going through.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvqDHdf9SUShvjqe5sUNYvzhjtS9Lfklhc7bcBSOHTBlJM-CsomrGtbCTyoJosMHETJ3jln_FQbtJm53OmwCm3J-UJVBjSuIT7jOZsAsE0SHeQij0LMndZdVOWshlifP4KpeMAFNP4t4/s1600/IMG_1142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvqDHdf9SUShvjqe5sUNYvzhjtS9Lfklhc7bcBSOHTBlJM-CsomrGtbCTyoJosMHETJ3jln_FQbtJm53OmwCm3J-UJVBjSuIT7jOZsAsE0SHeQij0LMndZdVOWshlifP4KpeMAFNP4t4/s640/IMG_1142.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A piece of my heart now lives outside my body.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">xoxo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alex</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Photo Credit: <a href="https://annawinbergphotography.com/">Anna Winberg Photography</a></span>Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-47892880125014848822017-02-06T06:00:00.000-06:002017-03-04T09:47:54.241-06:00Quoted // Sally Clarkson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR6jy7OGtCqSb8Qwu_hUoBAZFf0YgHt60WPG7Dy4Pn8kH46KxMTrimicVrjEgTzvUYd0LDS_UqyK73f7CT84aIvZzhEhzrGuixOLtiZgKOzVJ-GF_y6F18tcErBK4rwDDlDSwajOKIt8/s1600/Sally+Clarkson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR6jy7OGtCqSb8Qwu_hUoBAZFf0YgHt60WPG7Dy4Pn8kH46KxMTrimicVrjEgTzvUYd0LDS_UqyK73f7CT84aIvZzhEhzrGuixOLtiZgKOzVJ-GF_y6F18tcErBK4rwDDlDSwajOKIt8/s640/Sally+Clarkson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"All people need a place where their roots can grow deep and they always feel like they belong and have a loving refuge. And all people need a place that gives wings to their dreams, nurturing possibilities of who they might become."<br />
-- <a href="http://sallyclarkson.com/">Sally Clarkson</a>, <i>The Lifegiving Home</i>Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-9810640111724669522017-02-05T07:23:00.007-06:002017-02-05T16:34:13.558-06:00Easy Entertaining // Deviled Eggs with Bacon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgOuf-sQRYuP3EA48BQQTOlyHtRlr1bBealSnK5ZCm83ai3lSTybbgp0hJvte0ylA2qo84C2geZ1R5WOkJAYS3BHCLd2FSbYewi5SKReclZVZc0YZpOIJqpQmsgbq4QkisvEKoBkNxiQ/s1600/IMG_7278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgOuf-sQRYuP3EA48BQQTOlyHtRlr1bBealSnK5ZCm83ai3lSTybbgp0hJvte0ylA2qo84C2geZ1R5WOkJAYS3BHCLd2FSbYewi5SKReclZVZc0YZpOIJqpQmsgbq4QkisvEKoBkNxiQ/s640/IMG_7278.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Need a last minute appetizer? Here you go!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We love deviled eggs over here. Every time I make them, they are gone in a blink. So, I always double the amount I make for next time. Guess what? It doesn't matter. They still disappear. Anyway, it's another easy appetizer to keep in your back pocket because the ingredients are simple, and typically on hand. But your presentation can make them look fancy and impressive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For whatever reason, I think most people either forget about this option, or think they are difficult to make. That being said, if you show up with a platter of these babies at your next party, you are basically going to win the appetizers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here's the basic recipe and a few tips and tricks to make them even easier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Deviled Eggs with Bacon</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hard Boiled Eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mayo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mustard</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Paprika</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bacon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the hard boiled eggs, I follow <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/354061/perfect-hard-boiled-eggs">Martha's recipe</a> and it's foolproof. The trick is to really wait for a full boil, not just a simmer before pulling them off the heat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20EQTlVkQYRmwnXcMO0ulXhTdg15YBMgamjZICtZcEmmd37p6KULtwr9GtLjD-vpE6ALPyp091dcwcywcawKwALgQnBzG6A-NTuFRxc6T5iLiFrxDgbmT8Yp1IU7g5d0XnLDkohMUOJg/s1600/IMG_7958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20EQTlVkQYRmwnXcMO0ulXhTdg15YBMgamjZICtZcEmmd37p6KULtwr9GtLjD-vpE6ALPyp091dcwcywcawKwALgQnBzG6A-NTuFRxc6T5iLiFrxDgbmT8Yp1IU7g5d0XnLDkohMUOJg/s640/IMG_7958.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once the eggs are cool, cut the eggs in half as evenly as you can. Dump the yolks into a bowl and lay the egg whites, dent up, into a tupperware for refrigerating. I've had better luck assembling on site than trying to take them with you pre-assembled. If I had a <a href="http://amzn.to/2l79MTQ">deviled egg container</a>, I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once you have the whites separated, you can store them in the fridge until you are ready to assemble. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaCOVQenxJih8eMZ3ysrva-t4WQ_w96EuDZc8Fq5L7eAOf9mwUbOSzMiEESaXiXAPf28xHUR8o9ohA89hW7PwXi6z0j1XmNXRDcQFtSxAhr4UrVqZ05mAtcNndpyGlmT_4K8BfJJ3i9o/s1600/IMG_7959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaCOVQenxJih8eMZ3ysrva-t4WQ_w96EuDZc8Fq5L7eAOf9mwUbOSzMiEESaXiXAPf28xHUR8o9ohA89hW7PwXi6z0j1XmNXRDcQFtSxAhr4UrVqZ05mAtcNndpyGlmT_4K8BfJJ3i9o/s640/IMG_7959.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let's make the filling! In a bowl, mash the yolks with a fork or masher so they start crumbling. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SlW8XZpz-YdMbbC5-RWhbO0uF1wrceilRLOsO18ofsacer5NcsudrDdGzFG12E3jjI0i0A4JR8_nrEKHQ6ibCmC6blcSilEjDFPJ1JhQWE9kisAxMJM0Gi0LncVHKgBfBbIbppE38fI/s1600/IMG_7960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SlW8XZpz-YdMbbC5-RWhbO0uF1wrceilRLOsO18ofsacer5NcsudrDdGzFG12E3jjI0i0A4JR8_nrEKHQ6ibCmC6blcSilEjDFPJ1JhQWE9kisAxMJM0Gi0LncVHKgBfBbIbppE38fI/s640/IMG_7960.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now here's where I might lose novice cooks since I don't actually measure but trust me, you've got this! Trust your instincts and go slow. You can always add but you can't take away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Add a spoonful of mayo and mix in with the yolks. We're going for creamy texture, no bumps. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeywXUlvAU4JqTP5K1RRQNEvl7HQwYMGX2ySMds6sITQ6sePttuDj71jexMlPiTuJMRWNUPWcPTvvDlvAtCKwSaHoiWR6wDyf5FNISfCSo4lSIAqgKMuVa2A7xZtGuDbbveQZuZ-1Djk/s1600/IMG_7961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeywXUlvAU4JqTP5K1RRQNEvl7HQwYMGX2ySMds6sITQ6sePttuDj71jexMlPiTuJMRWNUPWcPTvvDlvAtCKwSaHoiWR6wDyf5FNISfCSo4lSIAqgKMuVa2A7xZtGuDbbveQZuZ-1Djk/s640/IMG_7961.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Add a teaspoon of mustard. This is purely a matter of taste. I don't love them super mustardy but others do. Either way, you want the filling to be very creamy but not liquidy. How's that for directions?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once you have it mixed and tasting the way you want it, put it in a ziploc bag and toss it in the fridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can use the ziploc bag to pipe the filling into the eggs. Just snip off a corner and you have a homemade pastry bag. This is where having a good consistency on the filling comes in handy so you don't get clogs while piping.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfpbgjTW19ZrpdVFHVxYY8v-5Do2fvTsz3vn54KPLNQgLr48pP3ystSUjLyXpDoH1J9xcwL-wjza0JvVZA6ToSwHBqSbbmBd8jmLsVPUz_KfP1D9l-LOUpSp98AUa3pcG-yVWBP6ED1o/s1600/IMG_7964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfpbgjTW19ZrpdVFHVxYY8v-5Do2fvTsz3vn54KPLNQgLr48pP3ystSUjLyXpDoH1J9xcwL-wjza0JvVZA6ToSwHBqSbbmBd8jmLsVPUz_KfP1D9l-LOUpSp98AUa3pcG-yVWBP6ED1o/s640/IMG_7964.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, you can be done right here. Or you can take it one step further. We like to add bacon to our deviled eggs, because what doesn't taste better with bacon?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cook a couple strips of bacon on the griddle, in a skillet, in the oven - however you do. Once they are cooled a bit, dice up the strips and set aside until assembly time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When you are ready to assemble your deviled eggs, lay out they egg whites and pipe in the yolk mixture until full. Then, sprinkle the paprika on and add the bacon on top. I usually try to make sure there are a few chunks of bacon bits on each egg.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUrb8vn597ol7JIalrx5x7PjRNNcvQP2ns4QTxkHYeqcsxygzGErLVsZB0O9CRr35UBVJ8ewb7s6WpfZLidBu_7UDtQJfM_jAmqo6NsWVOkBQHmrFCB7Abr3XaBKuz6Br3HZE2hsI3nk/s1600/IMG_7279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUrb8vn597ol7JIalrx5x7PjRNNcvQP2ns4QTxkHYeqcsxygzGErLVsZB0O9CRr35UBVJ8ewb7s6WpfZLidBu_7UDtQJfM_jAmqo6NsWVOkBQHmrFCB7Abr3XaBKuz6Br3HZE2hsI3nk/s640/IMG_7279.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then, stand back, because there will be a stampede of people coming at you trying to devour these Deviled Eggs with Bacon!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">xoxo,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alex</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">P.S. Try this delicious <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2012/12/mexicorn-chip-dip.html">dip</a> or these <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2016/11/easy-entertaining-artichoke-jalapeno.html">stuffed mushrooms</a> for more gameday appetizer options!</span>Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-51621704583565881262017-02-04T14:20:00.002-06:002017-02-05T16:25:27.081-06:00Currently // February 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0UsEWkSeummc20wdFfIQ7OmS3Y7cWHItbJZDO58sOpCVWJMav-BiNYXoAx-LD1gfY_z_xhixJ8NYuQGLhMYYkuRzujT6M9LaKLm3OrN6LYWPzlZtSgSjzJXrMtmxNmhILyg8nZpQncU/s1600/Life+Giving+Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0UsEWkSeummc20wdFfIQ7OmS3Y7cWHItbJZDO58sOpCVWJMav-BiNYXoAx-LD1gfY_z_xhixJ8NYuQGLhMYYkuRzujT6M9LaKLm3OrN6LYWPzlZtSgSjzJXrMtmxNmhILyg8nZpQncU/s640/Life+Giving+Home.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, we blinked and it's already February. Here's what I'm currently up to:<br />
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ANTICIPATING // <a href="http://www.cglmn.org/stem">Girls In STEM</a> is next week! I love this event because it combines my full-time job with my full-time passion.<br />
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READING // Just finished <a href="http://amzn.to/2jTIvmg">Missing, Presumed</a> and am in the middle of <a href="http://amzn.to/2koQ0mi">The Lifegiving Home</a>. Recently, I was pretty entertained by <a href="http://amzn.to/2kSC5Bk">The Assistants</a> (a light read). And I kicked off the new year with <a href="http://amzn.to/2kSE7RZ">Make It Happen</a>.<br />
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LISTENING TO // Gaga. I can't wait to see her perform tomorrow! Will she top Bruno and Bey?!<br />
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PLANNING // My garden! I've ordered seed catalogs and am deciding what to grow this summer.</div>
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LEARNING // To find peace in the tension between being a mama and a professional.<br />
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LOVING // Watching Declan grow! I can't believe he turns one next month. Cue tears.<br />
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WORKING ON // A gallery wall for our family room. It's time to put a little life on these walls!<br />
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WEARING // <a href="http://amzn.to/2jM5O2V">These boots</a> that Santa brought. I'm in love.</div>
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DREAMING OF // Sunshine and somewhere warm. February is always a bit blah, don't you think?</div>
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WATCHING // The Crown. Anyone else watching?<br />
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What are you currently up to?<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Alex</div>
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Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-47164831862154293732017-01-15T15:15:00.000-06:002017-01-15T15:16:54.424-06:00Thrive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<i>"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to <b>thrive</b>; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."</i><br />
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<i>-- Maya Angelou</i></div>
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<i>“I always thought that the “<b>thriving</b>” would come when everything was perfect, and what I learned is that it’s actually down in the mess that things get good.” <br />-- Joanna Gaines</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>I'm consciously not trying to add anything to my plate this year. I feel like I'm in a good spot, a really good spot. My goal is to dig in and <b>thrive</b>. Thrive at home, thrive at work, thrive as Alex. Thriving right where I am, right now.</div>
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In working through my PowerSheets, I uncovered 7 goals for the year. For the sake of accountability, I wanted to share them. In no particular order, here we go:</div>
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<b>CULTIVATE A LIFE-GIVING HOME</b></div>
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Why: After finding our new home last year, it's really been at the forefront of my thoughts that this is where Declan will grow up. It's so important to me that this house be full of love, family, and friends. Full of life. A safe place for all of us to put down roots and spread our wings. </div>
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Starting Steps: De-cluttering! I love to hush the house after the holidays. For January, I want to get at least three bags full for donation or trash. Simplify, simplify, simplify! While I don't think I'll ever be a minimalist, I can definitely appreciate paring down and focusing only on what matters and brings us joy.</div>
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<b>HONOR MY BODY</b></div>
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Why: After being pregnant and having a baby, my body went through quite the transformation. My stomach stretched, my boobs sold themselves to my pump, my hair fell out, and 5 (or less!) hours of sleep became standard. All totally normal but hard to transition to after I had gotten into <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2015/02/yes-you-can.html" target="_blank">a good rhythm</a> with my health. When I had Declan, I gave myself a year of grace to not worry about getting my body back. Because let's be serious, that's never going to happen. I have a completely new body, one that made a baby, and evicted him after a grueling 30 hour labor. I'm continuing my quest to give myself grace to respect that a miracle happened here and to honor that. So, this is less about getting back to the old me, and instead being the best me that I can and honoring my body.<br />
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This goal originally was START WEIGHT TRAINING but I realized that it's more than that. So I'm changing it, two weeks into the new year. And I love that I'm okay with that. Honoring my body means taking care of it with good food and exercise, as well as checking in on my mental health throughout the year, especially during stressful times.<br />
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Starting Steps: I launched into a January Whole30. I'm on day 8 since I waited until after our company party to start. I'm also going to one <a href="http://class.ps/emla6">group exercise class</a> each week. I'm also planning to start lifting weights at home once a week. Little by little it all adds up!<br />
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<b>GROW A GARDEN</b></div>
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Why: This is something I've been wanting to do for the last couple years, but never had the space to do it. But now we do, and so my big project of the year is going to be grow a garden. My grandparents had a large garden at the lake and I loved going out there to pick our salad for supper. Growing our own garden gets us outside after work, an activity to do with my boys, and incentive to keep eating healthy. Win win. Plus, growing something and digging in the dirt is just so therapeutic. It will be good for my soul.<br />
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Starting Steps: Right now we're in planning mode! At the end of the summer we picked out a spot and need to just finalize the size and shape. I've ordered a few seed catalogs to get inspiration. The first one arrived this week!</div>
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<b>DATE MY HUSBAND</b></div>
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Why: Why not?! Seriously though, I love that man more than ever. Finding alone time, however can be a bit tricky with a new babe. We are committed to building a strong marriage and partnership, so we are committing to go on a monthly date without Declan. But since we love that boy, we're also want to make family adventures a priority with at least one adventure a month.<br />
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Starting Steps: Scheduling a date for this month. We love trying new restaurants and have a few on our list to get to. But since variety is the spice of life, I'm always looking for fun date ideas!<br />
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<b>READ AND WRITE MORE</b></div>
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Why: These things give me joy and moments to pause and reflect.<br />
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Starting Steps: Turn on my Kindle. I have loads of good books on my reading list so I just got to find time. One way I'm doing this is having a social media free weekend. Instead of scrolling Instagram, I'm reading. I've already finished one book and am on to the second!<br />
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<b>AMPLIFY <a href="http://www.cglmn.org/">THE CGL</a></b></div>
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Why: More than ever, we need to empower women and girls. The Center for Girls' Leadership does just that and I couldn't be more proud of all that we've accomplished over the last five years. But now is the time to amplify our efforts. We can't give up now.<br />
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Starting Steps: Our third annual Girls In STEM event is in February (tell a friend!) and we're working on a new curriculum to launch our mentoring program late this year. If you felt that 2016 ended with a kick in the pants to take action, there are plenty of ways to <a href="http://www.cglmn.org/get-involved.html">get involved</a>.</div>
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<b>CHOOSE FAITH OVER FEAR</b></div>
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Why: Because I believe. I believe in good people. I believe in doing the right thing. I believe in giving back. I believe in my faith.<br />
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Starting Steps: I'm praying daily. And reading something from the She Reads Truth app each week to keep me focused on my faith.<br />
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Are you still reading?! So there are my current goals for the year. All focused on thriving in the present. I'll do a refresh in a couple months and will keep you posted on any progress. </div>
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Now, I'd love to hear from you. What are your goals for the year? How can I encourage you in cultivating what matters? Remember, <b>progress not perfection</b>!</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Alex</div>
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P.S. Any fun date ideas for us?</div>
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Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-34045336485199392402017-01-07T21:52:00.000-06:002017-01-07T21:52:05.373-06:00Hello 2017!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello 2017! And a big hello to all of you! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season! Thanksgiving to New Year's is my favorite stretch of the year and I just feel so lucky this year to share so many moments with the ones we love. It was the perfect way to end our incredible 2016.<br />
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A new year always brings new possibilities. Last year, I was about 7-months pregnant with Declan at this time so I consciously didn't make any new year's resolution other than to be courageous for what was to come. I gave myself a year of grace as I discovered how to be a mama. Grace in trying to do too much. Grace in learning to love my new body. Grace in working through a new relationship dynamic as parents with K. Grace in leaning back into my professional life when my maternity leave ended.<br />
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I can't say I succeeded in all these areas. It definitely a year of stretching and growing for me. And a year of absolute pure joy.<br />
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This year, I'm focusing on cultivating what matters most. I'm using <a href="http://cultivatewhatmatters.com/powersheets/" target="_blank">PowerSheets</a> to uncover my goals this year and I can say, I'm LOVING the process. The PowerSheets are all sold out this year but you can still follow the goal-setting process <a href="http://laracasey.com/2016/12/26/2017-goal-setting-get-started/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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One of my goals is to write more. I feel like I say this all the time but this year, I'm going to really try and have at least one new post each week. My posts range from recipes, home improvement, musings on motherhood, and of course, reading recommendations. A little of this. A little of that. All things I love. But if there is something you'd like to see here, let me know in the comments below.<br />
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I'll share the rest of my goals here soon. I'm really excited about them this year!<br />
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A couple fun things - I'm giving this space a little refresh. Every couple years, I'm looking for a new look. So here we are, a lot simpler and cleaner look.<br />
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There's also a new tab up above - recommendations. In this spot, you'll have links to our favorite books and my current reading list and essential products I love. I also removed the ads from the sidebar. I want to make sure if there is an affiliate link on the blog, it's something I am confident in recommending. So if you are looking for a good book to read or some of Declan's favorites, check it out!<br />
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So, I'll leave you with some words I've been soaking up:<br />
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<i>Here's to listening</i><br />
<i>to ourselves</i><br />
<i>To compassion, kindness, and </i><br />
<i>vulnerability</i><br />
<i>To being present to the parts </i><br />
<i>of ourselves that are asking </i><br />
<i>for the attention they need in</i><br />
<i>order to heal</i><br />
<i>And to feeding the pain </i><br />
<i>with what it is that already </i><br />
<i>resides in each one of us:</i><br />
<i>Love.</i><br />
<i>Compassion.</i><br />
<i>Courage + Bravery.</i><br />
<i>To leaning in and to sharing it.</i><br />
<i>All.</i><br />
<i>Over and over again.</i><br />
<i>And to come out softer the</i><br />
<i>other side.</i><br />
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<i>-Vienna Pharaon</i><br />
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Happy New Year!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
AlexAlex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-83666351441829224202016-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:002017-01-07T20:22:13.546-06:00Musings on Motherhood: First Sick Day<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Note: I wrote this back in June after the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub. I'm not sure why I never hit publish but am doing so now. As the Christmas season begins, I am purposefully surrounding myself with love and showering my family and friends with love. Love bigger. Love brighter. Merry Christmas, y'all.</i></div>
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It took only nine days of daycare for the germ warfare to take our little one down. He's been battling a tiny cold but last night it reared it's ugly head of snot and congestion. When he woke up with a fever this morning, I knew we were staying home.</div>
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And honestly, just like I didn't feel any guilt in sending him to school so I could go back to work, I don't feel any guilt missing work to stay home with him. Especially after the events of this weekend.</div>
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I woke up on Sunday and all I wanted to do was sit and hold my little one. Knowing there are 49 mamas out there that will never get to love on their children again breaks my heart. I cried reading the text messages one son sent his mom. I cried thinking of how happy and grateful I am that it wasn't us.</div>
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We live in a messed up world. Which I feel way more acutely now that I am a mom. I could go on and on and try to find the right words but <a href="http://www.mother.ly/life/i-cant-stop-hate-but-i-can-pour-love-into-my-family" target="_blank">this mama said it perfectly</a>:</div>
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<i>My home is filled with immense love. And yet, all the time, I scroll through my newsfeed and find heartache, pain and horror of this world that should never be. I’m left with the eternal question – what can I do? What can I do?</i></div>
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<i>For a split second I feel hopeless, as though the situation is too large for me. Then I sit with the question, and I’m quiet with myself, the answer is always the same. Always, always, it comes back to love. <b>Love bigger. Love brighter.</b></i></div>
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<i>Show these tiny people, our children, that they are, in fact, correct and right and wise to love without hesitation. Children don’t look at others with judgment to decide who deserves their love and who doesn’t. No. Children see people, all people, for the light and the love that they are—they readily accept them. Children are taught, by something outside them, that some people are worthy of love, while others aren’t. They innately know how to love. We need to remember how to return to that place.</i></div>
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<i>When I am so sad about the events in our world that I feel sick, I know its time to fight back with radiance, light, and joy. I will not allow hatred and fear seep into the walls of my family. I will not.</i> </div>
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<i>Here is where the silly, the fun, the healing of any kind comes into play. For us, it is often the kitchen dance party—an important part of my family’s healing. These dances may or may not include a glass of wine, but most definitely include some sort of fun music, horrible dance moves that my children think are AWESOME, and lots of laughter and forgetting the weight of the world.</i> </div>
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<i>Here’s the thing I’ve learned—as our kids grow, they are learning that the world is full of heaviness. More and more they will discover the serious, forgetting the innate joy they have claimed since birth. But I want them to know how to return to the only thing that truly matters: love. Pure and simple.</i></div>
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<i>I want them to know how to heal their own hearts, and in doing so, I want them to know they are also healing their world. That their fun and laughter and joy and love matters.</i></div>
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<i>I can’t change other people’s hate. But I can respond by pouring more love into my home.</i> </div>
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<i>Our world out there is scary. Quite incredibly scary. If I could keep my babies safe from it forever, I would do whatever that thing would be. I would wrap them in any sort of bubble wrap that would do the trick. But I can’t. Bubble wrap won’t work. So my number one priority becomes teaching my children to never let go of that love in their hearts. To have the tools to open their hearts to boundless joy, to relentless love. It’s the best gift I can give them.</i></div>
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Dance in the kitchen and hold your people close. Love bigger. Love brighter.</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Alex </div>
Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-56490794664061632822016-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:002017-02-05T16:34:13.543-06:00Easy Entertaining // Fig & Pancetta Crostini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVcptu-0yQbey1yK1XGQ8yN1fq8RJC9OESAde54Q-nkTLyPSKGrqtKerVYxLKsXdg8IC3whiNWYzxvb0n-ynSgg3EQ1MAVKTCqaqBP7bKjvH9zMSt-lLGgwizeDTEdhgDZPr8qTn83IU/s1600/IMG_0312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVcptu-0yQbey1yK1XGQ8yN1fq8RJC9OESAde54Q-nkTLyPSKGrqtKerVYxLKsXdg8IC3whiNWYzxvb0n-ynSgg3EQ1MAVKTCqaqBP7bKjvH9zMSt-lLGgwizeDTEdhgDZPr8qTn83IU/s640/IMG_0312.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Holy moly. Maureen made the most incredible appetizer and I just have to share. Plus it's super simple and I'm all about that for easy entertaining!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDrYmGUmGaEdb4ygZAWZx_2jMCnZ8Pt1vAhgITWkLcpKie35bVF7cc2CTiivWYDTz4VzrNmgWJCGdDSuLTF_ZSOcqHSb_O7V5jX6YRYBdaPVvoW3T2ocXzjoGawZetfktW5U0WCbYfYo/s1600/IMG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDrYmGUmGaEdb4ygZAWZx_2jMCnZ8Pt1vAhgITWkLcpKie35bVF7cc2CTiivWYDTz4VzrNmgWJCGdDSuLTF_ZSOcqHSb_O7V5jX6YRYBdaPVvoW3T2ocXzjoGawZetfktW5U0WCbYfYo/s640/IMG_0310.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Fig and Pancetta Crostini</b></div>
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Baguette (sliced)</div>
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Goat Cheese</div>
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Fig Jam</div>
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Pancetta</div>
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Arugula</div>
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Balsamic Glaze</div>
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Chop the pancetta into small pieces and saute in a pan on the stove. You want it a little crispy but not too much. Turn on your oven broiler. Place the slices of baguette on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast for a few minutes in the oven until golden. Spread goat cheese on each slice. Add a dollop of fig jam. Top with pancetta and arugula leaves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Devour.</div>
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Definitely making this during the holiday season!</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Alex</div>
<br />Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-4817048600672129302016-11-15T07:00:00.000-06:002016-11-15T07:00:10.198-06:00Talent.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You're doing your own thing. It's singular... All of us posses that ability, but you have to be willing to seek."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I just love talent. When someone has it, whatever it is, it's so moving. I'm not even jealous because I know in a million years I couldn't do that. It's simply pure appreciation. And getting to that point, where you can just simply appreciate talent without feeling jealous or less or inadequate is a good place to be.</span></div>
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Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-48966529841811255022016-11-14T19:44:00.001-06:002017-02-05T16:34:13.539-06:00Easy Entertaining // Artichoke & Jalapeno Stuffed Mushrooms<div style="text-align: center;">
This past weekend we hosted our 5th <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2015/12/friendsgiving-2015.html" target="_blank">Friendsgiving</a> gathering. It's truly one of my favorite holidays. And now that I'm on my fifth turkey, it keeps getting easier. We cook the bird, everyone brings sides, desserts, and wine, and bing bang you've got yourself a friendsgiving!</div>
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While we wait for the feast to be ready, I like to put out a few appetizers to hold people over. I have two requirements for my appetizers. Easy and delicious. These stuffed mushrooms check both boxes!</div>
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Two ingredients and you can find both at <a href="http://www.costco.com/" target="_blank">Costco</a> aka my favorite place to prepare for hosting. They have everything and it's really sooooo easy. Pick up a package of white mushrooms in the chilled produce area. Swing by the dip/salsa/guac aisle and grab a tub of the Artichoke Jalapeno Dip. And you are ready to go!</div>
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<b>Artichoke and Jalapeno Stuffed Mushrooms</b></div>
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1 package of white button mushrooms</div>
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1 tub of Artichoke Jalapeno Dip</div>
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Heat the oven to 350F. Wash the mushrooms and let them dry. Remove the stems. Fill each mushroom with a spoonful of dip. Make sure to push the dip in there. Line a baking sheet with foil, spread the stuffed mushrooms on the pan, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes or until the dip is golden and the mushrooms are fork tender. They will be hot so be careful to not burn yourself if you can't resist them right out of the oven!</div>
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The dip has the perfect amount of kick to it. These stuffed mushrooms are so easy to make, and did I mention they were gluten free?!</div>
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And to up the easy entertaining factor, you can make them ahead of time! Just stuff the mushrooms and store in a tupperware in the fridge until ready to bake.</div>
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<a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2015/06/easy-entertaining-bacon-date-dip.html" target="_blank">Another easy dip recipe</a>. And <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2012/12/mexicorn-chip-dip.html" target="_blank">one more</a>.</div>
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Don't forget to enter <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2016/11/retail-therapy-and-giveaway.html" target="_blank">my current giveaway</a> by Wednesday night!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Alex</div>
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Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-17505342472451090792016-11-13T22:05:00.004-06:002016-11-18T18:35:52.469-06:00Retail Therapy and a Giveaway!<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The giveaway is now closed.</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This post is sponsored by Hy-Vee.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lately, it seems my work/life balance, integration, sanity, or whatever you want to call it, was off. I had a couple events at work, big things coming up with the CGL, and wanting to be super present as a mom and wife at home. So, I was really needing a little pampering. But I usually devote any pampering time to working out an hour or two each weekend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recently though, I've been trying to take a few extra minutes while grocery shopping at our local Hy-Vee to stroll the aisles and look at all the pretty packages and pick out something new to cook. A little retail therapy. Looking at pretty things is so relaxing, right? Well, I was really excited when Hy-Vee reached out and asked me to take a look at their new F&F line of clothes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wait, Hy-Vee has clothes?! That's exactly right. And they are pretty darn cute! F&F is a British-inspired international fashion label that offers a broad range of affordable fashion for women, men and children. They are expanding to the US with stores located right inside Hy-Vee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So my mom, the little man, and I headed out to Hy-Vee to do a little shopping and explore F&F. We grabbed coffee and began our retail therapy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The F&F line has something for everyone - women, men, and kiddos. Well, I found a great white blouse with black polka dots that is work friendly. I'm still sticking to a <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2016/05/summer-capsule-wardrobe-for-work.html" target="_blank">capsule wardrobe</a> of mostly black, grey, navy, and garnet. This piece is another great option for winter!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started our shopping thinking I'd pick up a few pieces I could use for work, but I completely overestimated my willpower against adorable children's clothes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Declan has been growing like a weed lately and is in desperate need of new clothes. Luckily, Hy-Vee has super cute clothes for kiddos.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pocket square!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I fell in love with this dinosaur hoodie. What is it about dinosaurs for little ones?! I just can't get enough. Declan loves the hoodie and matching pants, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Too much. Also, I'm pretty sure every photo I try to take of this moving monster will be blurry from here on out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also snagged a few pairs of sweatpants, a pair of khaki pants with - wait for it - SUSPENDERS, and the cutest sweater that I'm hoping he won't grow out of before his birthday in March. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The line F&F line definitely has a little bit of a European flair which makes sense since that's where the line originated. The styles are fresh and on trend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You guys really have to check it out. And to entice you a little more, we're doing a GIVEAWAY<b>Simply comment below with something you are looking forward to this week</b> to enter to win a $100 gift card to Hy-Vee. Winner* will be announced Thursday morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have a great week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">xoxo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alex</span></div>
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<i>*Winner must live close to a HyVee </i><i>and redeem gift card at HyVee locations.</i></div>
Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-9691931707242310232016-09-29T21:36:00.000-05:002016-09-29T21:36:12.453-05:00On My Bookshelf<div style="text-align: center;">
If you've stumbled upon my blog before, chances are you know I'm a voracious reader. As a new mom, I am attempting to be diligent in carving out time for me. I try to read a few pages every night before bed...something that doesn't rhyme or involve animal noises. Every now and then, my bookshelf overflows with so much good stuff, I have to share. Here's what's on my bookshelf right now:</div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1501141511" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Verdict-Novel-Nick-Stone/dp/1605989231/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475201821&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Verdict&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=b674316b1940f4c48cbf0cbc2bab1b6c" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1605989231&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1605989231" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Bruce-Springsteen/dp/1501141511/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475201778&sr=8-1&keywords=born+to+run&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=1130eac9e1735f8e24826ec02c041654" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1501141511&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1501141511" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glory-over-Everything-Beyond-Kitchen/dp/1476748446/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475201937&sr=8-1&keywords=glory+over+everything&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=04062eba0164bccd7c13523dacbc9cfc" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1476748446&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1476748446" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Emma-Cline/dp/081299860X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475201991&sr=8-1&keywords=the+girls+emma+cline&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=4fdaf0c78d8a395697c0192a0a81dc01" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=081299860X&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=081299860X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Cabin-10-Ruth-Ware/dp/1501132938/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202022&sr=8-1&keywords=the+woman+in+cabin+10&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=45c8dae9d59988688a2c2337f2f8930f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1501132938&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1501132938" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ends-Us-Novel-Colleen-Hoover/dp/1501110365/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202054&sr=8-1&keywords=it+ends+with+us&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=33f0f74f6ba2b870678499b0a3aa2f22" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1501110365&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1501110365" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Presumed-Novel-Susie-Steiner/dp/0812998324/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202078&sr=8-1&keywords=missing+presumed&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=fabfee73d58c44b673829283f791025f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0812998324&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0812998324" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Warrior-Oprahs-Book-Club/dp/1250128544/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202124&sr=8-1&keywords=Love+Warrior&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=11c9822c52ad259d9e37f13622eefd80" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250128544&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1250128544" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Present-Over-Perfect-Leaving-Frantic/dp/0310342996/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202154&sr=8-1&keywords=present+over+perfect&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=7e0b9fc560563879ba759fa4b8b6a4a2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0310342996&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0310342996" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Peregrines-Peculiar-Children-Sampler-ebook/dp/B00T57IM2C/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202177&sr=8-5&keywords=miss+peregrine%27s+home+for+peculiar+children&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=7809a3f6e4bbab98b92a4985bb05d73b" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00T57IM2C&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B00T57IM2C" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202229&sr=8-1&keywords=when+breath+becomes+air&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=b83faa06aa14ff76a4b7644531ef83c5" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=081298840X&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=081298840X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truly-Madly-Guilty-Liane-Moriarty/dp/1250069793/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202249&sr=8-1&keywords=truly+madly+guilty&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=d5c8a50b821d0f44127a71e8cdee1dc5" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1250069793&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1250069793" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Night-Alexander-Chee/dp/0618663029/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202273&sr=8-1&keywords=queen+of+the+night&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=b25017bff6bc171b31316937e1d7a34b" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0618663029&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0618663029" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eligible-modern-retelling-Pride-Prejudice/dp/1400068320/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202322&sr=8-1&keywords=Eligible&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=43e94e2b3ffedf316b5f68e680366447" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1400068320&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1400068320" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Underground-Railroad-Oprahs-Book-Club/dp/0385542364/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202355&sr=8-1&keywords=the+underground+railroad&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=ba21c2767f1fc7ba9210713658a3bc1b" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0385542364&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0385542364" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Brilliant-Friend-Neapolitan-Novels/dp/1609450787/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202389&sr=8-1&keywords=my+brilliant+friend&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=b45a8b4d0e2d9966758f710d2cdd23f2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1609450787&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1609450787" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Sex-Navigating-Complicated-Landscape-ebook/dp/B0111YAT0Y/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202436&sr=8-2&keywords=girls+&+sex&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=3ea3ca26ad0cb2c6ad902507a2a0e9f0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0111YAT0Y&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B0111YAT0Y" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Between-World-Me-Ta-Nehisi-Coates/dp/0812993543/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202649&sr=8-1&keywords=Between+the+World+and+Me&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=79f286ab2e053eeedb945ac1abd25061" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0812993543&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0812993543" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Boy-Girl-World/dp/1481452290/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202671&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+boy+and+girl+in+the+world&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=effe8b3cd1840f15cf9719167c2a1cf0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1481452290&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1481452290" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond/dp/1594634726/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202806&sr=8-1&keywords=big+magic&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=507699eb7ca9e8b751464916adbada8e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1594634726&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1594634726" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Belle-Novel-Maureen-Sherry/dp/1501110624/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1475202852&sr=8-1&keywords=opening+belle&linkCode=li3&tag=httplifelawlb-20&linkId=456242b40be712b1d6ad238d09408e33" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1501110624&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=httplifelawlb-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=httplifelawlb-20&l=li3&o=1&a=1501110624" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </div>
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What are you currently reading?</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Alex</div>
Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-61248382801547081572016-09-28T22:11:00.003-05:002016-10-31T06:58:59.338-05:00Flip It to Test It.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You gotta watch this TED Talk. And then read <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/ryan-fliss/this-week-gq-published-a-sexist-climbing-piece-and-outdoor-research-stepped-in-w/10157517391230173" target="_blank">this article</a>. And look at <a href="http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/09/23/books-girls-life-vs-boys-life-magazine-comparison" target="_blank">this</a>. And if you haven't, take <a href="https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html" target="_blank">an implicit bias test</a>. Because bias, unconscious and implicit, is all around us.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bq_xYSOZrgU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bq_xYSOZrgU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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We can all do better.</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Alex</div>
<br />Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-45605897570850713692016-07-06T23:22:00.004-05:002016-07-06T23:22:45.314-05:00Mastering Your Decor Budget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We officially sold our house today! I have so much to say about that process but today, we're talking interior design! I've spent the last couple weeks dreaming about our new place and how I'm going to decorate once we get the final green light to move in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.laurelandwolf.com/" target="_blank">Laurel + Wolf</a>, an interior design company that connects you with professionals to design your space, reached out to me about sharing this DIY guide to decorating on a budget. Since it's all I pretty much think about these days, it was a no brainer!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are my thoughts on mastering your decor budget:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Thrift!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love scoping my local thrift stores, garage sales, and craigslist for cheap finds! I also love a good hand-me-down. Some of my favorite pieces have been found while thrifting, like our $20 patio furniture, or our dining room table.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Paint is your best friend.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's so amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do. Walls, fireplaces, furniture - paint can basically cure everything. Our table is the perfect example. White paint completely transformed the table from outdated to farmhouse chic. I just love it!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Shop your home. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't be afraid to move things around. I love rearranging the furniture or switching up my shelving decor to make it all feel new. It costs $0 to shop your house!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Designers from Laurel + Wolf share their tips below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3sqieLVXbOp0wB0BgO7a29tPGDoFzYSdQXVapM75MG2J46k1dP6sVVXH_e0j0yCVLtFXkaPmv6t0J-5zQc1Yp8YBE0au4UJCRcxQtSzE2KejVCnhxg2VF2bulGRe-R0JvQrUj7nV6aE/s1600/Decor+Budget.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3sqieLVXbOp0wB0BgO7a29tPGDoFzYSdQXVapM75MG2J46k1dP6sVVXH_e0j0yCVLtFXkaPmv6t0J-5zQc1Yp8YBE0au4UJCRcxQtSzE2KejVCnhxg2VF2bulGRe-R0JvQrUj7nV6aE/s1600/Decor+Budget.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
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What are some of your affordable design tips? Share with me in the comments!</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Alex</div>
<br />Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-70983276716776406672016-06-04T08:41:00.000-05:002017-02-05T16:24:04.315-06:00House Tour: Our Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had professional photos taken for our listing and wow, we were blown away! I've taken plenty of photos of our home but when you get the right person behind the camera (with a wide-angle lens), magic happens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was going to go room by room for our final reveal of our home but instead I'm going to post them all right here. I'll do a details post sometime later on if people are interested.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Welcome to our home:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">xoxo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alex</span></div>
Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-41559816602973616542016-05-23T06:00:00.000-05:002016-05-23T06:00:00.179-05:00Seven Year Itch.<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">I've lived in this little rambler for seven years. After returning home from living a life on the road, I was excited to unpack my suitcase and find a home. I had about three months before law school started in the fall and there was no time to waste. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had toured a dozen tiny, smelly, questionable studio and one bedroom apartments when my folks approached me with another option. They were looking to invest in another property in town and they'd make the rent affordable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our goal was to find a flip, work on it for the next three years, and hopefully make a profit once law school was over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After viewing a few undesirable properties (you haven't really lived until you tour a house that has been condemned due to animal feces inside - pretty sure there was also a rather large animal living upstairs), a cute little house popped up on the MLS. Abandoned for 10 months, it needed work but the potential was huge. We quickly made an offer to the bank and before too long, the house was ours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I still remember the first night I actually slept there. It was a hot summer night and with the windows open, I could hear the train rumble past. I knew immediately my days of watching Criminal Minds had come to an end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But I survived. And began turning the house into a home. But truthfully, it only really felt like home when K moved in after graduation. Before him, the house was just a stepping stone, a place to live while finishing school. With him, we began to imagine a life together, our future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During the past four years, we've done a lot of living in this house. We've hosted holidays (Easter, Friendsgiving, birthdays, Mother's Day, and graduation brunch), dinner club, game nights, and board meetings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We've overhauled the house. From our first small project together to a full blown renovation, there isn't one inch of this place that we haven't poured our blood, sweat, and tears into. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We planned our wedding and celebrated the day to day of marriage here. We brought our baby home here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And now, we're moving on. A new stage in our lives as parents calls for a new house. Our house. One that we can make a home, for the three of us. For now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If it doesn't sell, that's okay too. We've turned this house into our home. And it's a beautiful one at that. A part of our hearts will always be here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">xoxo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alex</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">P.S. To celebrate, I'll be sharing an updated home tour all week on the blog. Check back tomorrow for the first reveal!</span></div>
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Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3352772860618240074.post-41762691766346663742016-05-18T06:00:00.000-05:002016-05-18T06:00:14.759-05:00Musings on Motherhood: 4th Trimester Baby Essentials<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Each week I'll be sharing my musings on motherhood. As we wind up our fourth trimester here, I wanted to share a few things things I couldn't live without over the last couple months.</span></div>
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<b><a href="http://milksnob.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Milk Snob Cover</span></a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhAsIs8Gok_YZZJP2AnZdX_9bih7XWI6PNbTJhcENUBnqtAqREWJFHVgw81QpqdY9mqdALAbq4SBev1lC0s1agCdPK2n5ubKIP7__-y8rM2LcozwbZg0nIVAl0lLQeLVTz7JYoy7wQ1U3h3mqxNcn3HtWkWKI2rMIsR11KUQZGU6mSEbuVtxFuJ=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Milk Snob Cover WEE SAFARI SPECIAL EDITION" border="0" src="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0863/0768/products/110.jpg?v=1461768045" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I saw this on a friend's instagram while I was pregnant and waited until they had a sale to pick one up. These <a href="http://milksnob.com/collections/nursing-covers" target="_blank">Milk Snob nursing covers</a> double as carseat covers and I couldn't be more obsessed. They have a snug fit, protect your babe from the elements, and allow you to easily check on the babe without removing the entire cover. Plus, they keep strangers away from your little one. I love it so much, I bought two - the fun <a href="http://milksnob.com/collections/nursing-covers/products/milk-snob-cover-wee-safari" target="_blank">safari print here</a> and <a href="http://milksnob.com/collections/nursing-covers/products/milk-snob-cover-black" target="_blank">plain black</a>. I also have my eye on <a href="http://milksnob.com/collections/nursing-covers/products/milk-snob-cover-born-in-the-usa" target="_blank">this one</a>. My little man loves to stare at the animals and it totally calms him down. Plus if he's snoozin' when we go some place, the cover helps keep him that way! I could go on and on, but trust me, I love our Milk Snob.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/22dsRQe" target="_blank">Dry Shampoo</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've mentioned it <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2016/05/musings-on-motherhood.html">before</a>, but with a new baby, showers become a luxury. I only wash my hair a couple times a week but having some dry shampoo on hand is essential during those first months. Add a little blush and mascara, and you'll feel like a whole new woman.</span></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.webmd.com/webmdbabyapp" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">WebMD Baby App</span></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are SO many apps out there and I will probably do a future post about all my favorites, but the WebMD Baby App is great for the first weeks because of the tracking feature. Keeping track of feedings and diapers can be difficult when you are working off no sleep. This app syncs between both our phones and it's easy to see when the little one last ate or had a poopy diaper. Plus it's free!</span></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.target.com/p/baby-einstein-play-gym-reef/-/A-14777552?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9019675&gclid=CIic2e-U18wCFQKTaQod-KoA6A&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Baby Einstein Play Gym</span></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once our kiddo hit about one month, he was much more alert and ready to look at more than just mama. This play mat has plenty for him to look at and keep him interested. The day he discovered he can kick the sides and make the things move was awesome. He thinks it's just the coolest. And so do we.</span></div>
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1XoT6Tl" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fischer Price Rock 'N Play</span></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For a while, the Rock 'N Play was the only place our little man would sleep. It's about as simple as these rockers get. There are a lot of versions out there that light up and rock 50 different ways, but that seemed like overkill for us. We just wanted something that would keep our guy movin' when our backs gave out. This fits the bill. We are now slowly weaning him out of it and it makes me a little sad that he's growing so fast!</span></div>
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<b><a href="http://amzn.to/1WAghem">What to Expect The First Year</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is well documented on this blog that <a href="http://lifelawluck.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-2014-reading-list.html">I am a voracious reader</a>. So of course, I had to include at least one book on my list. This book is great because you absolutely don't need to read it all. It's great as a reference when you have a question about something and don't want to google it. i.e. Is it normal for my kid to get the hiccups every day? Answer: yes.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Date Night</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">via </span><a href="https://www.spoonandstable.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Spoon and Stable</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We took a baby prep class at our hospital and while I didn't find it overly helpful, we did walk away with one excellent piece of advice: Plan a date night at six weeks. Turns out that was the perfect timing for me to be ready to leave the babe with my folks and have a nice dinner with K. We talked mostly about becoming parents, but it was lovely to put the focus back on our marriage. So make a reservation, put it in your calendar, and go out, no matter what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alright, so those are just a few of my fourth trimester essentials. Obviously, every baby and couple is different so what works for you might not work for the next person. But, I love reading recommendations whether I take the advice or not!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">What are/were your essentials during the first months of motherhood?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">xoxo,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Alex</span></div>
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"I hope that you live your life — each precious day of it — with joy and meaning. I hope that you walk without pain — and that you are grateful for each step.</div>
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And when the challenges come, I hope you remember that anchored deep within you is the ability to learn and grow. <b>You are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. Like a muscle, you can build it up, draw on it when you need it.</b> In that process you will figure out who you really are — and you just might become the very best version of yourself."</div>
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- Sheryl Sandberg</div>
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<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/05/16/hard-days-that-determine-who-you-are/3R5MODlB8w8QcDt8X8BlEO/story.html?event=event25" target="_blank">Commencement speech</a> at the University of California, Berkeley</div>
</span>Alex @ life. law. luck.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15970205181133226316noreply@blogger.com0