I know..I know…..Don’t roll your eyes….IT’S ALMOST TIME for the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. And this year I am going to be an exclusive partner with Nordstrom to bring you the best picks they have to offer. I promise you will not want to miss this celebration. It has become bigger than Black Friday, with MAJOR discounts on MAJOR designers in all departments. And with the challenges that 2020 has been facing, Nordstrom has taken extra precautions and measures to ensure your comfort and safety. Throughout the sale, I am going to highlight all of my favs, give you shop with me sessions, do unboxings because YES!!!! Nordstrom will be sending me some of my fav things to show you!!! This year, shopping will start for all card members on August 13th and for the general public on the 19th. It goes until August 30th at which time all items will go back to their original retail prices. All of my readers are able to PREVIEW the sale and add items to their wishlist starting today!!! So check out THE PREVIEW but in the meanwhile here are a few things that I added to my own wish list…stayed tuned it’s going to be a wild ride and you are going to LOVE IT!!!!
What is better in the summer than corn on the cob. Over the years I have cooked my corn so many different ways. I decided that I really wanted to prefect it so I did a search for the best way. OMG!!! You have to try this. I think the secret really is the stick of butter in the boiling. You really do not need any extra butter and I think it is so much less messy to eat. I cannot wait for you to try this!! Bon Appetit!!!
Adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen
INGREDIENTS
- 6-8 ears of corn, husks, and silks removed and cut in half (if desired)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 stick butter
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill a large pot about halfway with water.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Add milk and butter. Add corn and reduce heat.
- Simmer corn for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove corn from cooking liquid and it’s ready to serve.
Photo by Jasmine Carter from Pexels
If you know a couple that have just got engaged or you are invited to a shower or an upcoming wedding, you might be wondering what gift you can give them to help celebrate the milestone. Even though on their birthdays or Christmas you get them each a special gift, because it’s a couple gift and the start of their lives together, it needs to be that bit more magical.
But it can be hard to find the perfect gift that you know they’ll love. So to give you some inspiration, here are 15 wonderful ideas you can use – no matter what your preferences or your budget!
- A ‘Wedding Fund’ Box
As the couple is now engaged and planning a life in the future together, it’s likely that they will want to start to save for their dream wedding. Which is why it’s a fabulous idea to get them a ‘wedding fund’ box. These stylish and practical gifts are the perfect gift, allowing them to put dollar notes or whatever money they want into it throughout the years.
Then, when it comes time to finalizing all the details, they will have the money within easy reach! There are a variety of options available online – from money boxes that are ideal for Disney fans to more subtle ones for the more minimalist couple.
- A Wedding Planner
Not an actual person (although you could technically gift them a physical wedding planner if you want to!) this book is not only a wonderful gift, but very useful leading up to the wedding day. It can also be kept as a memory of the milestone for many years to come!
You could even customize the book to include the brides and grooms names if you wanted to add an extra special touch to it.
- A Weekend Away
Although this is probably only suitable if you’re close to the couple, that doesn’t mean that it won’t go down a treat! To give them some time away just the two of them after this event, this gift will be one that they cherish forever.
No matter whether you book accomodation and travel separately to a romantic destination or a more affordable package, there’s plenty of options out there for you to choose from.
- Champagne Glasses
To toast this fabulous occasion a great gift is champagne glasses. To mark the date of their engagement, you could even opt for a personalized version – but the choice is up to you!
Whatever style glasses you opt for, they are bound to have the happy couple grinning ear to ear when they open them. And to accompany them, you could purchase some prosecco or champagne!
- A Photobook
If you have known the couple for several years, you could gather together photos of them and all the adventures that they have been on and put them all together in a photobook.
Complete with a heartfelt message, this is a gift that’s sentimental. And it’s also one that’s more budget-friendly, as you can easily create the whole book by yourself – all you need is a blank scrapbook and printed pictures!
- A House Plant
A fabulous engagement gift idea for the modern couple is a houseplant. Whether you opt for a traditional snake plant, yukka or a chinese money plant (find guidance on the chinese money plant care here), the couple will love the quirkiness of the idea!
Something that they can keep in their home for years, they are available from a variety of online florists and can be delivered straight to their door!
- Engraved Cheese Board
Who doesn’t love cheese? A practical and extraordinary engagement gift is an engraved cheese board. Something that they will proudly display in their home and bring out when guests come to visit, you can pair it with cheese cutting utensils or a bottle of delicious red wine.
Available in various sizes and styles, a cheese board is an item that every couple will love to have.
- Countdown Sign
Even though they’ve only just gotten engaged, that doesn’t mean that wedding bells aren’t ringing in the near future! To get them in the spirit, a countdown sign is just the ticket.
And when they’ve planned their wedding and have a date, they can use it to get the festivities started! There are so many variations of this gift idea, from chalkboards, to movable blocks and signs with an erasable white board to choose from.
- Treasured Location Poster
No matter where they got engaged – whether it was on a romantic weekend away or doing an activity they love, you can commemorate this occasion through a poster that displays the exact location. A gift that’s not only special not but will be fondly admired in the future, it’s a keepsake that they will undeniably appreciate.
- Candles
Candles aren’t just great gifts at christmas – they are also a wonderful engagement gift too! When they are in a jar that’s got the date or the couple’s names on, it’s something that they can keep and reuse throughout the years. Plus, it will make their home feel cosy and welcome while giving off a beautiful scent!
- A Personalized Cushion
Another great gift and addition to their living room/bedroom would be a personalized cushion! You can be as creative or as subtle as you want with this
gift – and it’s one that you know they will make use of!
- A Gift Experience
If you want to treat them to an experience that they will never forget but you don’t have the budget for a full weekend away, why not opt for a gift experience instead?
No matter whether you choose a magical hot air balloon ride, a delicious wine tasting, a delicious food tour or another type of experience, the couple will love the thought that you put into this gift. Also, because there are so many different experience days on offer across the world, you’ll be able to find the perfect one for the couple in question.
- Vow Journals
If you’re looking for a gift that will knock it out of the park, then vow journals are the gift for you. Something that the couple will love to use on their special day if they plan to recite their own vows, they typically come in both ‘his’ and ‘hers’.
- Personalized Photo Frame
If the happy couple captured their engagement on camera, then they will need a frame to put the special photo in! This is where a personalized photo frame comes into play. Similarly to the other personalized gift ideas on this list, you could put their engagement date, their names and any other special details onto it!
- Unique Love Story Print
Another gift for if you’re very close to the couple is a print that details all of their unique special events on – ending with their engagement. From holidays they took together, to the date that they purchased their first home, it’s a gift that will act as a beautiful memory for them.
Final Thoughts
So, there you go! Those are 15 extraordinary gift ideas for those looking for inspiration. Wonderful gifts that the happy couple will love to open and cherish throughout the years ahead of them, it’s a way of commemorating the special memory ahead of their big day.
No matter what gift you opt for, it’s bound to go down a treat! So don’t worry, even if you don’t have the biggest budget, it doesn’t mean you aren’t able to get a gift that’s magical and truly special to them.
Around 6 million people purchased homes in 2019. Approximately 33% of those people were first-time homebuyers. If you are considering a home purchase, it is crucial to understand what the most common mortgage terms mean. Some words are self-explanatory; others are not. Knowing these can help you navigate through one of the more confusing aspects of homebuying.
Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
An adjustable-rate mortgage or ARM has a flexible interest rate that changes over time. This can vary your monthly payment drastically depending on the National Interest Rate. Sometimes the fluctuation makes your payment lower, but it can also make it higher as well.
Balloon Payment Mortgage
A mortgage where the last payment is considerably higher than the others, essentially paying off the mortgage. You hear this term more when dealing with investment property than other types. When you have a balloon payment, you either have to refinance your home before the end of the term or have the money to pay that final payment.
Contingency
A contingency is an agreement or stipulation that needs to be satisfied before the home is sold. This could be a home inspection or repair. Many mortgage companies will put contingencies on a property before lending money.
Encumbrance
An encumbrance is any monetary lien that lowers the home’s value, usually lien, such as a tax lean, EPA lien, or mortgage. If a property is encumbered, the amount of the encumbrance must be paid before the property changes hands. This is done before the sale, or it is included in the buyer’s mortgage.
Prepayment Clause
A penalty that you pay when you pay off your mortgage in advance. Bank loans with a prepayment clause usually force you to pay off things like interest before you can pay off the mortgage.
Buying a house can be an enjoyable experience if you know what you are doing. These are just a few of the terms you should know while you shop for your new home.
With summer in full swing, it is the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. If it’s a little too hot for your liking, you can always bring the scent of the outside in with powders from Sacred Kratom. However, if you are feeling more adventurous, you can venture out to some of the most beautiful botanical gardens around the country.
Japanese Garden in Portland
A 5.5-acre retreat from the hustle and bustle of Portland, Oregon, this oasis is home to five different gardening styles. The authenticity is unmatched outside of a true garden location in Japan, and it boasts a tea garden, strolling pond, flat garden, sand and stone garden, and a natural garden. This is a great place to find serenity in the city.
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
An oldie but a goodie, this botanical garden founded in 1910 is home to more than 10,000 different kinds of plants from around the world. Even in the wintertime, you can enjoy the indoor tropical garden, but many plan their visit around springtime for the annual bloom that occurs on dozens of cherry blossom trees.
Desert Botanical Garden
Off the more traditional interpretation of botanical garden but just as impressive it is the Desert Botanical Garden in the heart of Phoenix. There are more than 140 acres that display over 50,000 plant species. Visitors to the garden can walk five different loops to enjoy the showcase of herbs, wildflowers, and cacti. The garden also hosts special events such as ballet presentations and outdoor music concerts.
Longwood Garden
If you’ve never been to Versailles, this is a comparable substitute. Founded by Pierre du Pont, the property reveals how beautiful a symmetrical hedge can be and how fountains can indeed be jaw-dropping.
You don’t need to stay cooped up indoors spraying room mists to feel the magic of nature. Head off to a botanical garden and soak in the sun and smell of all the beauty that Earth has to offer.
Even though you love your home, the time will eventually come for you to sell it. And when that happens, you want to showcase it at its best.
Home staging is both an art and a science. You want to present your home in a way that makes it irresistible to buyers. The more you can make it look like a picture in a magazine, the more desirable it becomes.
Are you considering the benefits of home staging? Please take a look at the following:
Hire Professional Cleaners To Make Your Home Sparkling
You would assume that potential property buyers would look past something superficial and the cleanliness of your rooms. After all, they can soon enough make them sparkling themselves once you move out. But that’s not how the psychology of buying works. People want to view homes that feel like they’re brand new, even if somebody has been living there for decades.
Other people’s dirt and grime is a massive turn off. Buyers don’t like it at all. They’d much rather your home appear as if nobody has been living in it.
Professional cleaners are much better at making your home look brand new. They deploy professional techniques to get problem areas, like your shower curtain or oven sparkling clean.
Use Storage Facilities
If you have a lot of stuff cluttering up your home, it’s going to make selling your property much more difficult. People want to buy homes that make presentation a priority. They don’t want to have to wade through your mess.
Self storage facilities, therefore, might be an option if you have a lot of belongings. You can temporarily store them at a third-party location to increase the available space. Then, once you’ve sold your property, you can simply ship them to your new residence – no harm done.
Prep Your Dining Room Table
If you have a dining room (or even just a table you use to eat), then be sure to prep it in an attractive way. Do things like place bowls in the middle or use candles or flower arrangements – whatever you feel like essentially.
Try To Make Your Colour Scheme Neutral And Sophisticated
Some landlords believe that the best way to sell flats is to paint them entirely in white emulsion and take all the character out of the rooms. But experienced home sellers know that this comes across as tacky and dull.
Clever use of neutrals, however, generates an entirely different atmosphere. Using creams, beiges, off-whites, and greys all provide the perfect backdrop for home staging. Young professionals particularly like homes that use schemes like this.
Add Personal Accents Sparingly
Personal accents are okay for home staging, so long as you use them sparingly. Placing a family heirloom on your mantelpiece, for instance, helps to add character and interest in your living room.
Where possible, avoid plastering your interiors with photographs of you and your children. Especially avoid lining them up along the stairs as this makes buyers feel like they’re walking around somebody else’s property – not one they could make their own.