Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Reasons Your Home Decor Isn't Working

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Currently, Kelsie.

Are you wondering why your current home decor just doesn’t seem to be working in your home? Are you ready for a rehaul? I've been there, and I know how frustrating it can be when you aren't sure where to start- maybe you aren't even sure what you don't like or how to change it. There may be a really easy (and cheap) solution! Check out these pointers and see what you can do to improve your home.

Reason 1: You’re Not Using Your Space Properly

You'll be able to create the best home decor by considering how you actually use the space you're looking to decorate. You don’t need to design your living room like every other living room you see, for instance, if you don’t use it to watch TV. Perhaps you're generally chatting with friends in this space instead. What are you using the room for, and how can you make it best fit those needs? What problems do you encounter on a daily basis, and how can you make it so your home better suits your lifestyle? This is a great place to start!

Reason 2: You Need to Rethink Your Furniture

Your furniture might be pretty or beautiful, but it might actually be the problem. Sometimes, it can be that a coffee table is too small or big, or your chair arrangement is a bit too cramped. You may simply need to change the layout, or swap a piece of furniture out for something bigger or smaller. Choosing the right size furniture is a must, as small pieces can make a space look cluttered. You might think that large pieces in a small room will make the room look smaller, but they can actually help to make it look bigger. Take a look at your current furniture before moving on.

Reason 3: You’re Not Using All Of The Senses

Home decor isn’t just about what you can see. It’s about what you can touch and smell. This means you need to make sure you’re focusing on bringing in texture to make your home look more interesting, and even going to buy a home fragrance diffuser so your home smells amazing. Using all of the senses is the key to making your home amazing. Think about ways you can awaken all those senses for both yourself and the people who visit your home.


Reason 4: Your Color Scheme is Off

When you create a good overall color scheme, your home will instantly look more put together. Think about different color that complement each other, and figure out ways to bring them into the room through the small details. Don't do anything too crazy on the main paint color- it's easier to change up the small details than it is to repaint the entire room. One of the easiest ways to find a good color scheme is to pick a paint swatch and go off the colors on it- they are typically just lighter and darker versions that play well together. Or check out Pinterest and channel your inner Joanna Gaines!

Reason 5: Your Lighting is Off

I don't know about you, but we have some really terrible basement lighting. It can make decorations (and nighttime events) hard. Relying only on overhead lights can really wash out a room. You need to make sure you’re creating more intimacy with the lighting in your home. For example, try using dimmer switches and adding lamps to each end of your sofa. It’ll make your home look far more inviting if you use them rather than the overhead lights all the time. Also think about playing up the natural lighting in your home!

Hopefully these ideas give you a good place to start, and can help you figure out why your current home decor isn’t working. Use some of the suggestions to improve your home and see what happens. Don’t feel overwhelmed; just try one at a time and see how it goes. Leave your own tips and ideas below!

Currently,
Kelsie



Thursday, March 22, 2018

What I'm Clinging To

Every day when I get home from work, Eli throws his hands up in glee, wraps his arms around me with all that he has, and pulls me in tight with his chubby little fingers. He quite literally clings to me with all that he has, and is none too happy if I set him down for a minute in order to do anything else but hold him close. He's generally super easygoing with just about anyone holding him, but there are times that a boy just wants his mama. And really, I love that he clings to me in those moments.


Over the last few months, I've really felt like the Lord has been calling me to do two things, basically in opposition: to cling and to hold loosely. To cling to things that matter, and to hold loosely those that don't. In a world like ours, it is so stinkin' easy to get too "clingy" to the temporary: approval on social media, money, appearances, and more. That's not to say that our goals and dreams in life aren't important, but rather that if we let them become our everything, or put too much weight into them, we can lose sight of what really matters. In the grand scheme of life, should I really be worried about my Instagram followers, finding a gray hair, or the extra savings in my bank account? Those things are nice, but not necessary (especially that dang gray hair).

I've heard more and more the silent whisper of the Savior telling me to hold loosely to things of this world. And that's confusing sometimes. I've checked all the boxes: graduated college, married an incredible man I don't deserve, landed a great job, bought a cute house, had an even cuter baby. Life is good and I am blessed. But I'm also living in moments of "What's next?" and "Do I just continue on this same path forever?" And it's comfortable. And it's simple. And yet, I hear the whisper: "Your plans? Hold them loosely. Your savings? Hold it loosely. Your well thought out life plan? Hold it loosely, Kels. You have no idea what all I have in store."


And little by little, I get glimpses into the potential of His plans. I worry less about having the best decorated house or the cleanest car or being the best supermom. I worry less about staying up on the latest trends and having the laundry done every single night. I hold loosely to the control that I so desperately want, since the fact of the matter is that I'll never really have it and it's exhausting to try to deny that.

And then, I cling. Just like Eli, I cling with all that I have to the one who knows infinitely more than I know (or will ever know, for that matter). I don't always understand the Lord's plans, but I know that they are good. I cling to His promises. I cling to His truths. I cling to the fact that His plans are to help me and not to harm me, and that I can trust them, even if His path for me takes an unexpected, confusing turn every now and then. And in those moments when they do turn unexpectedly, I cling even tighter.

"Do not store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV).

Currently,
Kelsie

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Things to Do on Your Florida Vacation (Other than Disney)

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Currently, Kelsie.

Spring is here, and with summer on the horizon, you might just be planning a big trip to Florida! Florida is a great "in the USA" get away with lots to offer when it comes to entertainment, whether you're looking for a beach or a great amusement park. Although DisneyWorld is often the big focus, there are lots of others great things to see and places to visit in the Sunshine State. Here are some fabulous options that are worth considering!

Things to Do on Your Florida Vacation (Other than Disney)

Live it Up on Miami Beach

We added Miami on to our Florida Keys trip last summer. It was an easy drive from Fort Lauderdale Airport. Although we aren't big club or late nights folks, Miami Beach is simply stunning. It’s famous for golden sands and incredible art deco buildings that line the edge of the sand. It’s a place that's definitely worth seeing (even briefly) if you never have before. Live it up, have a good time and enjoy the sun. It’s your chance to relax and simply enjoy the splendor of your surroundings!

Visit the Everglades National Park

If you’re looking to spend time in a natural environment, Everglades National Park makes it possible for you to do that. This National Park also made it on our list last summer, as it was an easy drive on the way back from the Florida Keys. It’s the second biggest national park in the country, and it offers a landscape like no other. It’s full of life (be VERY prepared for mosquitos if you go in the summer), and you just may see an alligator! We saw this one!

Things to Do on Your Florida Vacation (Other than Disney)

Learn at the Kennedy Space Center

The visitor center of the Kennedy Space Center has so much to offer. It’s a rare example of an attraction that makes learning about complex things a whole lot of fun. Whether you understand much about space or not, you'll have a great time at the Kennedy Space Center. It’s an educational, wonderful experience for kids and adults of all ages.

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Head to Dinosaur World in Plant City

Plant City is a relatively small part of Florida, but it has plenty of attractions of its own. It could be worth a visit, and has several very reasonable places to stay, such as Holiday Inn Express & Suites Plant City. One attraction you really can’t afford to miss is Dinosaur World. It’s a lot of fun for kids and adults alike, and it is pretty much impossible to have a bad time there.

Experience Universal Studios

Movies and TV shows are still made at Universal Studios in Orlando, but that doesn’t stop you from being able to look around and experience everything it has to offer. You get to see behind the curtain at the inner workings of the entertainment industry, and it’s kinda magical. It’s great for families or any entertainment lovers. We made a visit there a couple of years ago, as part of our "Anniventury" trip. It's so fun!


Florida is one of the greatest states in the US, and there are truly so many fun things you can do there. These are just a few ideas to get you started! Make your trip to Florida one to remember, and you’ll probably want to come back again soon. I know we'll be there someday when Eli is a little bigger. Where are your favorite places to visit in Florida?

Currently,
Kelsie

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Can Your Blogging Career Become a Business?

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Currently, Kelsie.

In the world of blogging, you’ll often find that there are two types of people. There are those that have started out with a blog kind of on a whim. They’ve created their own platform to share their stories, their ideas, or to talk about a particular topic that they love, with no real intentions. (That was pretty much me at the start, and is still a big part of why I'm here in this space!) A lot of the time, this is when blogging is a hobby. But that’s not always the case. There are also the bloggers out there that have started this as a business. They’ve started out on this blogging journey with every intention of it becoming their full-time job and even a really big business! When you fall into the latter camp, you can often wonder just how the business bloggers did it.

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Even if you’ve started a blog as a hobby, it can definitely become your business. Because that’s the beauty of blogs and websites - they can make money! Right now, you may not really know how they do it, or how they can be transformed into businesses in their own right. But that’s okay!  It’s not something that you can change overnight or put in place to start generating an income right away, but if you do want to turn your blog into a business (and a big business at that), you can. You just need to put the work in. Here's how you can do it.

See It As A Business

The very first thing you need to do is shift your mindset. Because when you’re thinking about your blog as a hobby, you’ll probably treat it as one. And when it comes to creating a business out of your blog, you have to start to see it like one. This means prioritizing the work that you need to do for your business above everything else, and even taking a more business-minded approach to your blogging process in terms of your systems and planning.

Create A Plan

Planning is a huge part of turning your blog into a business in its own right (or really doing anything, for that matter!). The first kind of plan that will help you to do that is a business plan itself. You may wonder why you need to do this, because not every blogging business has completed a business plan. But if you want to make sure that you have a sense of direction, and that you will be able to start thinking of your blog as a business, this plan will help you do it!

Consider Monetization Options

As part of your business plan, and just to be able to turn your blog into a business in general, you need to think about how you want to make money from your blog. There are tons of different ways that you can make money from your blog, and there are even monetization options for smaller blogs too. Do you want to sell ads? Write posts? Use affiliate links? The list goes on and on: you just need to look through your options and work on a plan to implement different ideas.

Increase Your Traffic

From here, you then need to think about your traffic: mainly for two reasons. The first is that the readers that are visiting your site are kind of like your first group of customers. They are the ones that read your blog, may potentially buy products from you, and will allow you to make money through avenues such as advertising and affiliate marketing. So generating more traffic is always a good idea. But secondly, you may also want to increase your traffic so that you have stats to share with advertisers and the businesses that may want to work with you on projects too.

Push Your Marketing

At the same time, you’re also going to want to think about pushing your marketing activity. Not only is this a great idea to help increase your traffic, but it’s a way to raise awareness of your blog, increase more interest in your content, and generally make sure that your business is getting the customers you want it to.

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Hire Some Help

Next, you’re going to want to think about bringing some help onboard, because you may soon find that you can’t do everything yourself. It’s a lot of work to try and run an entirely blogging business on your own. However, when you’re able to hire some help, whether that’s a virtual assistant, a marketing consultant, or a website designer, you won’t have to do everything on your own, and you’ll probably find that you’re able to generate more money as a result.

Do Your Homework

From here, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve covered most of the business paperwork that you need to do. Whether that’s applying for licenses or processing taxes, you’ll need to work out what you need to do and then get on top of things as a legitimate business.

Sell Yourself

As much as you may not be used to it, your next job is to then start selling yourself. Basically, you need to think about networking. You’ll want to start to network with potential advertisers and business customers that you can work with in the future. This is something that you can do both online and offline.

Set Up Shop

From here, you may want to think about your setup. When things start to get big, you may want to create an office or look into commercial properties that will be suitable. It’s not for everyone, but if you want your blog to feel like a business, setting up an office is a great way to do that.

Grow, Expand & Plan For The Future

Finally, you’re then going to want to start thinking ahead. This is something that not everyone is always comfortable with. But if you want to make sure that your business has a future and can continue to grow, then you need to know where you’re heading. Expanding can be fun, so definitely start to think about where you want to take things in the future.

Are you ready to bring your blog to the next level? How did you turn your blog into a business? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Go get um!

Currently,
Kelsie

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Foolproof Tips to Soothe Your Baby

Soothing your baby can seem impossible sometimes. It's sooo frustrating, and you can feel helpless, especially in the middle of the night. Every baby is different, but there are plenty of techniques you can try to soothe your baby as quickly as possible. Check out these foolproof techniques and find what works for your little one.

Shush Your Baby

Gently shushing your baby close to their ear can remind them of the relaxing sounds they grew used to in the womb. There’s a reason so many people do this to their babies! Shushing is a great part of the five "s"s: shushing, swaddling, sideways (turn and hold them), swinging, and sucking. Those five were awesome help for me when Eli was a newborn! Find out what your baby likes, and do it. It brings you sanity!

Sing Or Read To Them In A Soothing Voice

This one’s a no brainer, but I'll include it just in case the newborn fog has you brain dead. Singing or reading to your baby in a soothing voice can help them to relax - sometimes, different songs can make them feel differently. Find one of your favorite songs and give it a shot- and even if you aren't a singer, they won't mind. 

Take Them To The Sink

You’re not going to give your baby a bath in the sink. Simply turn on the faucet and let your baby watch the running water and listen to the relaxing sound of it gushing. This trick has been known to make babies fall asleep almost instantly, even after a stressful experience, like their monthly shots.

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Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is safe for babies too, and can help them to settle and get a better night’s sleep. All you need is a high quality air fragrance diffuser and some quality essential oils, and you’re good to go. Make sure you take a look a the best essential oils for babies first. You might even find that you like them so much that you want to use it to destress and settle yourself.

Try The Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuuming might be a dreaded chore for you, but it can be a great way to soothe your baby. Again, this is all about the noise reminding them of being inside of the womb. It's funny how a sound can do that!

Turn The Lights On And Off

This may seem like a strange way to distract your baby, but some parents find that it really works. Try flicking the lights on and off until your little one has calmed themselves down. Hopefully, you’ll notice a change in their behavior pretty quickly.

Download An App

If you’re a little worried about using the vacuum cleaner and other appliances whenever your baby gets upset, don’t be. You can now download an app to mimic these noises instead. You can play them the sound of the dryer, and even a heartbeat sound to soothe them. This is a cheap and convenient way to calm your baby down, and it's something that's mobile and can be taken along on car rides, trips, and while hanging out in the homes of others. 

If you’ve been struggling to soothe your little one, hopefully the tips here have given you some hope and help you to find new ways of getting them to settle. Have any tips that aren't included? Leave them below!

Currently,
Kelsie

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Currently, Kelsie.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Eli's First Birthday ONEsie Party

I had a realization the other day. When you count, you literally don't say anything before the number one. You just breathe. Inhale. Get ready. And that's what we've been doing for the last year: just breathing. Beginning the biggest journey, with the best yet to come. Sure, Eli's baby days were full of joy and I loved every single second. Seriously. But they were just that first breath. And now? Now, we count: One.



 I'm still wrapping my mind around the fact that we have a one year old. Every day I'm reminded that he's more of a toddler now than a baby (Check out the February Recap for his 12 month update). He's putting blocks together, playing the drums, and loving visits to the park. I just knew that I wanted to make his first birthday a pretty special celebration.  I mean, let's be real, part of a first birthday celebration is just acknowledging that fact that you kept a little human alive for 12 whole months, am I right?! We played around with a variety of fun and cheesy themes, and landed on throwing Eli a onesie party: which meant wearing either onesies or pajamas, serving breakfast for dinner, and playing on all things "E", since that's what we often call our little man.


After a fun birthday off prepping food and taking E to see the trains at Union Station and Fritz's, we threw on our onesies and opened our doors for a party! I was inspired by a borrowed ribbon banner that a friend had made (see above), and went with simple decorations in navy, gold, and silver. A few cute gold balloons from Target, some streamers, and some printed signs I designed rounded out the thrifty decor. And of course, my personal favorite, the photo banners with Eli's monthly photos in both his chair and his crib. It's so fun seeing how he's grown this year!! These were just made out of simple twine and mini clothespins I already had.

First Birthday One-sie Party

First Birthday One-sie Party

First Birthday One-sie Party

Our food was all "E" themed: crisp-E bacon, biscuits and grav-E, strawberr-Es, and chees-E breakfast casserole. Dessert included Eli's very own pancake cake, cook-Es (which were harder to make than expected), and Che-Esecake. I'm a nerd, but it was fun to see people E-at up while in their jammies. And Aaron is an awesome cook!! I failed to take any pictures of the kitchen and other photo banner, because I was in the moment! Eli sure did love his first cake and especially the bacon! 




One of my very favorite things we did at Eli's birthday was a time capsule. This time capsule will be opened when he turns 18. We had people bring or send things to represent the year: maybe a photo, receipts, something meaningful. Then people also filled out info predicting what Eli would be like: what he would love, what he'd be good at, and more. (See my sheet below). We're adding some of our own items, along with party decor. It will be so fun to show him when he turns 18, which will be here sooner than I think. 


First Birthday Time Capsule

My other favorite thing at the party was compiling ALL of the "one second every day" videos I had taken all year for Eli. I do have longer versions of the videos that I'll put together to round out his one year video, but I love these little snippets of one second from every day of Eli's first year. It's crazy to see all of the wonderful memories and be transported back to those moments that went so quickly. We loved having a big unveiling of this video with all the folks who've seen Eli daily and been there to support us in his first year. Here it is! 


It was a perfect first birthday for Eli. It was so special to have so many friends and family around to celebrate him. Even though he won't remember it, I am so glad to have documented his first year with videos and photos, and I love knowing he'll look at this time capsule when he's older. What a joy and blessing it is to see him grow and to get to be a part of it! He is better than we could have ever dreamed, and we love him so very much. 



I think we only have one group photo someone snapped during the video premiere. Oh well! We've got good pancake eating video and lots of fun memories. If you'd like any help planning your onesie party, time capsule, or one second every day, let me know! Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for more, or pin the image below! Happy first birthday, Eli. You are prized and precious. 

Currently,
Kelsie