332 E Cross St, Ansonia, OH, Ansonia, OH
Two bedroom home with one car garage. New floor coverings in kitchen and hall. Bath remodeled in 2017. New roof in 2017. 8'7"x21'3" enclosed front...
As the year draws to an end I thought I'd carry on the tradition I started last year of sharing the 10 most popular posts of the year. Last year (as it was the first time I'd shared a pot of it's kind) I shared the top 10 posts of the year, from newly posted recipes, to classics posted years ago. This year however I thought it would be great to see which of the posts I've shared DURING 2018 spoke to you the most. It's always super interesting for me to see which posts were well received, sometimes I have an idea when a post will do great (if something has chocolate, especially if it's a 'healthy' sweet treat, it's usually ok to assume it will be well received!), but a few of them have surprised me, in a good way! I'm stoked to see there are so many of you interested in sprouting and the kinds of recipes you can then make with them. Very cool. Looking at the top posts of this past year, from all the recipes on my site, a few of the all-time favourites showed up again this year... Ginger-roasted pumpkin + quinoa salad […]
0 Comments
Welcome to THE CLUTTER CHALLENGE! I am so excited for you to join me! Are you ready to get started? You'll see that I've set the challenge up with a weekly checklist. Each week, we'll work through different areas of your home and follow the checklist. You'll notice that the checklist is loose so […] The post The Clutter Challenge – WEEK 1 – Declutter Jumpstart appeared first on Clean Mama. Having an outdoor kitchen in Arizona is about as important as having a swimming pool. It is a feature that can be enjoyed year round and is a great way to gather family and friends together for a meal. But most homeowners begin to lose interest in their grill when it's time for a good cleaning. Either they decide to stop using the grill as often or they decide to use a harsh chemical to try to avoid the effort involved in scrubbing the grill clean by hand. But now there is another option that is simple, does not require harsh chemical and is environmentally friendly. The Only Items You Need Are Already In Your KitchenAll you need to easily clean your grill grates are a few items that are already in your kitchen and cost almost nothing. First, you need a lemon and some table salt. Next, carefully slice the lemon in half, from end to end. It is important to cut the lemon from end to end so that you have a larger surface area. Then, holding the lemon by the rind side, squeeze it gently so that it produces enough juice to moisten the entire cut surface. Next, sprinkle about a tablespoon of salt evenly over each half of the lemon and wait long enough for the juice to moisten the salt to help it adhere to the surface of the lemon. Finally, gently scrub the grilling surface with the salt covered lemon just as you would with a sponge. The acidity of the lemon and the grit of the salt will break down any grease and loosen any partials which were cooked onto the grates. After scrubbing the entire grilling surface with the lemon, use a damp towel to wipe the grate clean and another towel to dry the grates. A Tip For A Non-Stick Grilling SurfaceTo make grill clean-up even easier there is a simple and affordable trick to make the grates non-stick. Simply cut a regular potato in half and after the grill is fully heated, rub the cut side of the potato across the entire grilling surface. This will coat the grate and keep food from sticking. If you do not have a potato a halved onion or a halved lemon will work, but both of those items can leave a small amount of flavored residue on the grilling surface. Try both of these tips to make grill clean up easier and safer for your grilling surface and the environment. Although 2018 ended on a down note with the stock market selling off, I feel good about how things unfolded. I'll take the ratio of three good quarters to one bad quarter any year. Believe it or not, my theme for 2018 was: back to early retirement life. I pushed myself to the point of burnout in 2017. But the funny thing about hard work is that it's over. I only remember bits and pieces of how difficult 2017 was. At year-end, it's easy to forget our accomplishments and our failures. With this post, I'm excited to relive the good and the bad in the following categories: Finances, Family, Health, Business, and Odds & Ends. This post is like a 4-for-1 special. It needs to be thorough so I can prove to my son his old man wasn't a deadbeat when he inevitably starts rebelling or when I'm no longer here to defend myself. 2018 Year In ReviewFinances – 2.5 Out Of 5 StarsAt the beginning of the year, I predicted we'd see a slowdown in coastal city real estate, a 10-year bond yield under 3%, and a stock market that would have one last hurrah with a 10% return. I was almost three for three with the stock market up ~8% in September. Too bad it gave up all its gains and then a whole lot! At least I got more defensive starting in March. My net worth is roughly made up of: 30% in stocks/bonds = -1.5%. After writing Your Risk Tolerance Is An Illusion in the Spring, I reduced my stock allocation in my House Sale Fund to roughly 52% from 70%. As bonds began to outperform stocks coupled with further profit taking, my end allocation is roughly 40% stocks / 60% bonds. Owning a bunch of equity structured notes in my other main fund has helped minimize volatility. But clearly I wasn't defensive enough and should have taken more profits during the summer. My House Sale Fund portfolio was up around 13% at one point until I gave all the gains up in the 4th quarter. Right now, it's holding onto a tenuous 5.57% gain, after the huge rally on Dec 26. Overall, my public investment portfolio is slightly down, which violates my rule of never losing money post retirement. I plan to update this performance daily due to the volatility. I'm disappointed with my public investment performance. This goes to show that no matter how concerned you are about an asset class or the economy, greed can override logic. Here's a good chart that shows how the Vanguard Long-Term Bond Fund has outperformed the S&P 500 since 1999. The next time I start feeling greedy, I need to remind myself that slow and steady wins the race, especially if you've already passed the finish line. 6% in cash/CDs = +2.3%. Thanks to rising short-term rates, you can now get around 2% in a money market and 2.5% in a 12-month CD. It's wonderful to earn something from our risk-free investments now. Cash and short-term CDs have been 10%+ outperformers against the S&P 500. Hopefully, folks will no longer badger me about the risks of underperforming inflation when the real risk is losing absolute dollar value. Unfortunately, I should have had closer to 15% of my net worth in cash and CDs. 30% in real estate = -5%. The online estimates say my real estate holdings have gone up ~6% YoY, but I doubt it now that the stock market has sold off so aggressively from the peak. Online price estimates and public data are always lagging estimates. Prices did continue to go up until about January 2018, but began falling for the remainder of the year. The chart below shows data months before the 4Q2018 stock market correction. Therefore, I've manually inputted -5% from +6% for a 11% swing. Even though my real estate holdings are down, I thankfully feel no stress compared to my stock holdings, which is one of the reasons why I prefer real estate over stocks. One rental property has no mortgage since 2015, my primary residence is providing utility every day by sheltering my family, and my vacation property is generating a positive cash flow. I can't wait to bring my boy up to Lake Tahoe to touch his first snow in March! It's unfortunate that I reinvested $600,000 of the $1,800,000 proceeds from my house sale into the stock market. I should have just stayed super conservative. But I suspect the best I could get now for the house is $2,600,000 today versus the $2,740,000 sale price in 2017. My house was on a busy street next to the busiest street in all of San Francisco. Fringe location properties, even in a good neighborhood, tend to underperform during a market softening. 8% in alternative investments = +5%. My alternative investments in venture debt and real estate crowdfunding seem to be doing well, to the tune of a 11% – 20% IRR. But these figures are probably too aggressive as well, so I've assigned a +5% performance instead. REITs and rental property have outperformed all year as rents are stickier than stocks. I remember back in 2009, my rents stayed flat because by the time the lease was over a year later, the recession was over. 25% in my online business = 0% – 150%. My business is the trickiest to value. Revenue and profits are up 20%+ YoY. Therefore, one might conclude that its value should also be up by 20%+. However, valuations have probably compressed since the stock market sell-off. The good thing is that a peer site with about 35% less traffic sold for 2X the value I assigned for my business in my net worth calculations. Therefore, there's a possibility my site could be worth 2X – 2.5X my assigned value if we normalize for traffic. From an estate planning perspective, I want my business to be valued as low as possible. It's the same way you want your house to be valued as low as possible to pay less property tax. To prepare for hard times, I've kept my business at 0% growth in my net worth calculation. Net Worth GrowthHere's my 2018 net worth progression chart according to Personal Capital. The chart is a little chunky because of cash recognition delays. But overall, it was doing pretty well until the end of the year. The main reasons why my net worth is up ~6.5% in 2018 are business cash flow and aggressive savings. I continue to save over 70% of my after-tax income. If I didn't aggressively save, my net worth would have been flat. As my net worth has grown, it's harder to move the needle as much. 6.5% is OK, but at one point I was up ~11%. Hence, it feels a little disappointing. 10% YoY growth has always been my minimum net worth growth target since graduating from college. Despite the disappointment, I'm glad my net worth didn't go in reverse. If you're feeling bummed out, it helps to look at how far your net worth has come over the past five or 10 years. When I left work in 2012, I was comfortable with what I had. Otherwise, I wouldn't have left. Having another six years of growth, excluding 2018, has really been a blessing post early retirement. The key is to not lose all your gains to a bear market. Related: Recommended Net Worth Allocation By Age Or Work Experience Family & Fatherhood – 4.7 StarsI could not have tried harder to be a great stay at home dad. I only have one shot, so I did everything to educate myself about parenthood. I also spent as much time as possible with my son while demonstrating patience and showing maximum love. My greatest moments of joy all year came from seeing my son's milestones. He started waddling with help at around 11 months and slowly started to walk unassisted at 12 – 13 months. By 18 months he was able to count to 30, say all letters of the alphabet, and identify eight different colors. He's running around now. His favorite words and phrases at 20 months old are “hot dog, ketchup, yum, yum, yum” “double wide garage door,” “walk with daddy,” “knock knock,” “verde,” “voila,” and “da hai bao (big seal in Mandarin).” He's also just begun to sing a couple lullabies, one in Japanese and one in French. We try to talk to him in multiple languages as supposedly that helps brain development. He's hilarious and full of determination. Oh boy is he determined. When I'm not working on Financial Samurai or managing our investments, I pretend I'm a pre-school teacher and occupational therapist. Because he has a vision issue, I've been helping him track objects, work on his depth perception, and hand-eye coordination. So far he can walk up stairs safely, but he still needs assistance going down. Now we're focusing more on his fine motor skills, like drawing, holding a pencil, brushing his teeth, playing piano keys, and using scissors. The duties are never-ending, but it's been a blessing to care for him every day and watch him grow. My greatest sorrows have also all come from my son. Between 11 – 15 months old he would fall frequently or accidentally bonk his head on something hard or sharp. I felt his pain each time and admonished myself for not doing a better job protecting him. As a result of his accidents, I ended up padding everywhere around the house and padding every wall and table corner. Interior design be damned! Thank goodness we live in a modest size house. The padding has saved him from injury numerous times, including on Christmas, when he stumbled on a package and hit his head on our coffee leg corner which was padded, hooray! It turns out that toddlers between 12 – 19 months fall about 17X an hour on average according to one study of 120 toddlers. Only until about age 4 do most toddlers fully master their walking and running skills. That made me feel a little better, but it still made me so sad whenever he hurt himself. Taking him for a walk with a harness has helped tremendously. I'm teaching him to look both ways before crossing the street. It's also interesting it takes up to 24 months before a toddler's fontanel closes. Therefore, we as parents might as well be as diligent as possible in trying to protect his head before his skull gets to full strength. So much about parenthood the first several years is about survival – from preventing suffocation while sleeping to making sure they don't walk off a ledge. The better our boy sleeps and the more he is able to communicate his desires, the more rewarding parenthood has become. Because he is so strong-willed, his temper tantrums are quite a challenge. One of my concerns is that he will hurt himself during these temper tantrums by banging his head on something hard or arching his back and hurting himself on the floor. Doctors say temper tantrums peak by around 24 months, subside, and then rise again at around 36 months. Here's where I need to demonstrate maximum patience as a parent for the next 16 months. Before my son was born, there was never any whining or crying around the house. But once he arrived, I have heard crying and whining every day, multiple times a day for 20 months in a row. Unfortunately, there is no logical reasoning with a young boy, except to use a technique called “caveman speak” while voicing what we think he wants to calm him down. Adjusting to this new scenario has been hard. It's also difficult to write, record a podcast, or mentally relax when there is so much noise. Being able to more easily find a quiet space is one of the benefits of upgrading to a larger house. As a result of needing to find quiet time, I often had to wake up between 4am – 5am to get things done. But I'm proud to say I've never lost my temper around my boy. I've still got to improve my patience with my wife and not let business stress or stock market stress hurt our relationship. We operate at different paces, and I need to do a better job slowing down. The whole point of financial independence is to be free from money stress to live your best life. Given my wife is a full-time mom and absolutely does more of the caregiving, the pressure is on me to make sure our finances never go in reverse. As the stock market melted down in 4Q2018, my stress level definitely increased. Our goal is to both stay full-time parents for at least our son's first two years of life and ideally try to be full-time parents for five years before he attends kindergarten. Fatherhood is the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and perhaps that's because I also insist on concurrently growing Financial Samurai as much as possible until my energy fades. Related: How To Survive The Pressures Of Being A Sole Income Providing Parent Health & Fitness – 3.2 StarsI'm the same weight as I was in 2017, which is OK. But I gained 5 lbs in 2017, which was not OK. I need to get down to 162 lbs from 170 lbs. At least I exercised 3X a week on average plus took light walks with my son 5X a week on average. Given my goal is to live until 75, or whenever my son can establish himself and find a life partner, it's important for me to stay in mental and physical shape. Luckily, I've had no serious injuries or medical mishaps this year. I did catch some flu-like virus that knocked me out for 1.5 days in October. My back pain from the beginning of the year subsided by the summer. We did have our first emergency room visit for my son at 5am because he seemed to have come down with a similar virus I had a month later. We also went to an after-hour care facility for some inflammation. Luckily, things got better after 24 hours. At 41, I still haven't sprouted any grey hairs, which is a surprise since I first got several grey hairs at 33, the year before I left my day job. The only reason I can imagine for this phenomenon is that not working a full-time job is less stressful. It's one thing to say how much better life is after achieving financial independence. It's another thing for the body to show us. My most fun physical addition has been joining a softball meetup group that plays every Saturday it doesn't rain. I must have played over 30 games in 2018. Ah, now I remember sustaining a left knee bone contusion that hurt for six months. My personal highlight was drafting and captaining a 4th of July softball tournament and winning. Curiously, it was one of my most satisfying life moments! Finally, I found out in December I wasn't getting bumped down to 4.5 in USTA tennis from 5.0. I did poorly in 5.0 league at the beginning of the year and was hoping to get bumped down after three seasons. When I didn't, I appealed and got denied. 5.0 level tennis is brutally tough. From an ego perspective, it does feel good to be in the top 1% of all tennis levels. Other players give you respect as you puff out your chest and start thinking you're the shiznits. But after you start repeatedly getting beaten by players younger than you, it starts to get demoralizing! Therefore, I always try to make fun of myself to others by saying the computers must have malfunctioned to keep me at 5.0. Business – 4.8 StarsI could not have tried harder to build Financial Samurai either. Here are some of the accomplishments:
The 50% YoY traffic surge since August 11 seems like an anomaly. It's like suddenly turning into a speedboat after being a cruise ship. But traffic has been elevated for almost four months so far, with December being the highest traffic all year. For years, December has always been a quiet month due to the holidays. Perhaps the traffic increase is due to a combination of more production, search algorithm changes by Google, and content syndication. Overall, I'm just really happy there's been a correlation with effort and reward. That's all I've ever wanted, hence part of the reason why I left work in 2012. Every year since the birth of Financial Samurai in 2009, Financial Samurai has drastically outperformed the S&P 500 and the San Francisco real estate market. As a result, blogging has surpassed real estate as my favorite asset class to build wealth. For poops and giggles, here's another net worth chart if I manually input a business value based on recent comparable sales. The 30% spike is nice, but is also dangerous because it brings a false sense of complacency. It's best to stay motivated as the economy softens. Just know that creating next level wealth is all about owning growth equity over the long term. Life's Odds & Ends – 4 StarsIn May, I helped coach my high school boys varsity tennis team to the Northern California Sectional championship. This was the first championship in the school's entire 40+ year history. This victory was particularly sweet because we had come so close my first year in 2017 only to lose in the finals to a school 3X our size. This was another incredible life moment that had nothing to do with money. I only got paid $3,500 for 3.5 months of work. The relationships I developed with some of the parents were a nice bonus. My dad came to visit three times and my mom twice. My mother-in-law also visited twice and my father-in-law once. It is always great to see them, and I hope they continue to visit us more often. My dream has always been to have three generations spend as much time together as possible. Unfortunately or fortunately, all our grandparents want to remain independent and live in their respective cities. It's hard to change the older you get, which is why I've been trying so hard to move to Hawaii. I further strengthened a couple friendships. This is huge because as a stay-at-home dad, it's often hard to make new friends or deepen friendships. There are simply less social events to attend e.g. happy hour. I love having a good buddy to shoot the shit with. I also developed a new in-person relationship with an FS reader, who also so happens to also be a professional athlete on my favorite team. Pretty neat! I did some decent home maintenance projects this year: caulked the top of our living room window sill to prevent leaks, varnished all our wood planter boxes, rooted the upstairs sink that was clogging, re-roofed the leaking light well (hired someone), maintained the yard, and fixed a leaky faucet at my rental. Man, I forgot about all this stuff until my wife reminded me. Thank goodness I sold the other rental. Finally, we finalized our will and revocable living trust. My wife also led the charge getting us through this cumbersome and complicated process. There were so many documents to gather and questions to ask the estate planning lawyer that she estimates the whole process took her about 40 hours. But after we finally signed all the documents on December 20, I felt a huge sense of relief that I could die knowing that my wife and son wouldn't have to go through probate court. 2018: 3.8 Out Of 5 StarsAlthough I didn't decide to take it easy per my 2018 goal, I have no regrets staying consistent with Financial Samurai. I don't think I'll ever change my work ethic until my body starts breaking down. The joy of writing is so tangible because it is an identifiable product that can be eternally consumed. It's been hard to accept no longer making a positive return on my public investments after nine years of up, up, up. I've got to do a much better job at not letting financial loss negatively affect my mood and my relationship with my wife. Not taking unnecessary risk will help. During downturns, I envy those in professions that have nothing to do with the stock market. For example, when I asked my estate planning lawyer about what she thought about the stock market collapse in December, she said she had no idea because she outsources all her financial planning to someone else. What a blessing. I also have zero regrets being a stay at home dad all year. Yes, the days were long and there were many moments of frustration, but just hearing his squeals of joy made full-time fatherhood worthwhile. All I want to do is squeeze and kiss him 100X a day! I'm so thankful my wife has been an amazing mother and partner all year. Family and Financial Samurai are my two great loves. Everything else comes in a distant second. There was a point where we thought we'd never have a child. So we say a prayer of thanks every evening. Financial Samurai has been a part of me since the bottom of the last financial crisis in 2009. It's like an old friend that has stuck with me in the worst of times. The key is to not let my two loves collide, but to let them be synergistic. My family gives me motivation to write, while Financial Samurai is a creative outlet that helps ensure we remain stay-at-home-parents until we decide otherwise. There's always a silver lining to a downturn too. For Financial Samurai, it's increased traffic as more people are paying attention to their finances. Book sales on how to negotiate a severance are also increasing as savvy employees are trying to get ahead of the layoff curve. Finally, our passive income has also increased due to higher interests rates and my shift towards higher yielding assets like cash, bonds, and CDs. For family life, it's being less tempted to go back to work because the return on effort has declined. When all is in shambles, why bother dealing with a commute, company politics, difficult clients, and a declining company stock price. My old employer's stock price is down 55% since I left in 2012! I hope if my boy one day reads this article that'll he'll be proud of his dad. Although 2018 wasn't a fantastic year, it was filled with many positive milestones. I'll be sharing my 2019 outlook and goals next. In the meantime, I'd love to hear some of your hits and misses for 2018! Related: The Best Financial Samurai Posts For 2018 The post Financial Samurai 2018 Year In Review: Almost A Fantastic Year appeared first on Financial Samurai. Already feeling like you need more organization in your life? Here are some simple things you can do to help get ahead. The past few weeks have been a welcome break. Later bedtimes, later wake times, and less deadlines. But now it's the new year and now it's time to get going. Everywhere I turn people are posting about their goals, resolutions, and specific dreams for this year. While I love seeing others' enthusiasm… it's also made me stressed. It's made me feel anxious I'm already behind on this year and it's barely begun. So in an effort to feel like this upcoming year is under my control, I made a list of simple things to do and have been knocking them off one-by-one. And you know what? It feels amazing. 7 Simple Things You Can Do To Prepare Your Family For The Whole YearIf you want to feel more settled, ordered, and organized for the new year then take a few hours over the next week or two and knock these out one by one. You'll already feel less anxious and stressed about what the year holds. Get A Planner & Add Important DatesI love getting my new planner organized for the New Year. If you've recently purchased a planner then now's the time to add in all the dates you can. Just having a paper planner is a lifesaver. If you are a digital planner than get out your calendar online and fill in those important dates as well. When I add in an important date, I may also go back a few weeks and put a reminder to buy a present or book a reservation, etc. I buy my planner from the Brilliant Life Shop, but there are some Amazon ones listed below as well. Dates to Add In:
Make Yearly Appointments For All Family MembersIt's much easier to remember to go to an appointment than it is to make it. Choose a month of the year to do certain appointments (i.e. dentist appointments every January and June) and book those out in advance. You can add them into the planner you purchased above or into your digital calendar and set reminders. I'm not great at remembering to make appointments off the cuff, but doing it in advance ensures it gets done. Appointments To Make
Add School Calendar And Standing Events In PlannerIf your children at in school, you can easily access the school's yearly calendar by going to the county website. They'll have a PDF version available for you with most events for the remainder of the year. Add in things to your planner so you'll be prepared. Again, you can put in reminders a week or two in advance if you need to do anything beforehand. Events to Add
Get Thank You Notes & Stamp ThemOne of the best things I've done recently is to pre-stamp my thank you card envelopes. (Note: I used pre-stamped thank you notes all last year and loved it!) I've just purchased some regular cards and will pre-stamp those as well. This means when it crosses your mind to write a note, jot down a thanks, or say a simple “I'm thinking of you” then you can do it in a few minutes and get it done. Busy moms have the best of intentions, but a shortcut like this will mean you get the thoughts out of your head and into the mailbox without the mental barriers. Reference Info For Notes And Stamps
Add Vacations In Calendar And Book What You CanTwo years ago, I booked the entire year's worth of vacations in one sitting. It was exhilarating to know it was all done and as each trip came nearer, all we had to do was pay the balance minus deposits and make some to do lists. If you know you want to go somewhere for spring break, Memorial Day weekend, or Thanksgiving, look ahead and if you're able, go ahead and book. The vacation rental by owner sites usually require 50% at the time of booking, but hotels will often reserve your spot with a credit card but no money down. Vacation Sites
Update (Or Create) Your Household BinderIf you like the idea of a central command zone where most of the pertinent household information is located, get a homemaking binder. You can get a 3 ring binder from your local store and then fill it with the essentials. Photocopies of driver's licenses, passport information. Copies of bills so each adult in the house can locate the necessary phone and account numbers if they need to take care of business. From budgeting info to favorite recipes, a household binder will help you feel immediately more organized and in control of the household administrative duties. Grab It: Print Your Household Binder Here (currently at 30% off) Revisit Budget & Tweak What Didn't WorkLook at your budget again. If you are like me then the monthly budget is much the same from month to month. Before you roll it all over without another thought, check it out again. Look at your line items. Are there any things you can take off you don't use anymore? Any you'd like to add so the budget is slightly more conservative, ensuring you don't go over? Check Out These Line Items
Want Some Accountability To Get Your Year Started Right?The week of January 4th we're going to do a New Year Fresh Start Bootcamp. Together we'll spend 4 days getting ourselves ready for the New Year and offer you practical strategies, accountability, and more! Stay tuned! :: The post 7 Simple Things You Can Do To Prepare Your Family For The Whole Year appeared first on A Mother Far from Home. There is no shortage of sweet treats at our house during the holiday season! There's the treats we make for ourselves, the treats we eat at parties we attend, the stuff we make for neighbors, the stuff the neighbors make for us… the list goes on and on! And while I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, I'll inevitably reach the “sweetness overload” stage at some point. After that, I usually start craving something salty! So a few Christmases ago, when my daughter-in-law Kaitlyn mentioned that she used to make an easy Chili Cheese Dip all the time when she was in college, I was highly intrigued! I immediately went to my kitchen to see if I happened to have the necessary ingredients. And to my surprise, I did! (Though maybe it shouldn't have been all that surprising, considering I only needed three ingredients!) I ended up making Kaitlyn's dip that very night, and a new family favorite was born! I've made it many times since then, and it's become a Christmastime tradition! It's the perfect savory dip to help offset all those sweet treats. Pair it with some salty tortilla chips, and you'll have yourself a quick and easy snack that is almost impossible to put down! Here's how to make it at home. 3-Ingredient Chili Cheese DipAdd the cream cheese, salsa, and chili to a pot on your stovetop. (You can also use a slow cooker instead if you prefer!) Cook over medium-low heat until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is nice and warm. Serve it alongside your favorite tortilla chips! Not only do we love this dip during Christmastime, but it's perfect for just about any other occasion too! Have a New Year's Eve party coming up? Just triple the amounts listed in the recipe card and dump it all in your slow cooker! And check out even more delicious dip recipes at the link below. Related: 10 Tried And True Dip Recipes You'll Want To Save Do you have any go-to savory or salty snacks during the holidays? 3-Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip
This chili cheese dip is the perfect snack for a holiday party, movie night, or any get-together with friends or family! It's so delicious and easy, you'll want to make it again and again!
12/28/2018 0 Comments Film Photo ChallengeOne of my big goals for 2018 was to take film photos. It may seem like a smallish/novelty goal to some, but it's one that has been incredibly rewarding to me this past year! With the year wrapping up, I thought I would share some of the high points from our year of film photos and hopefully it will inspire some of you to begin your own challenge in the new year! 1. Film cameras 2. Instant film In Nova's instant collection so far, it's pretty random (LOTS of photos of Jeremy and I and piggy-haha), but the thing I love about it is that it's so clear how her creative mind is growing. It's a treasure! The Instax Square is our newest addition. SO excited about this. 3. Photo booths As you can see from the photos above, these are a pretty special collection already. My heart could not be more proud of our little photo booth queen! We use the booth at Arcade Nashville (one of our favorite children's boutiques!) about once every other month and it's the most magical thing. We'll definitely keep going with it in 2019! What are your creative goals for the coming year? xx. Elsie Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Amber Ulmer. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.11/18/2018 0 Comments How to Learn Life-Saving SkillsAfter you call 911, it takes an average of 8 to 12 minutes for first responders to arrive, according to the American Red Cross. But with proper training, did you know there's a lot you can do to help on the spot if there's an emergency? There are many classes and resources available to help you prepare. Here are some ways you can start to learn life-saving skills today: Take a CPR ClassTaking a CPR class is a great way to start learning life-saving skills. And, depending on the class, it may even cover automated external defibrillator (AED) administration or choking, according to AED.com. The American Red Cross states that when learning CPR, it's also important to know the difference between administering it on kids and adults. While many classes include CPR training for both age groups, be sure to check with your class organizer to confirm what's covered Learn First AidAED.com states that first aid courses will teach you how to recognize and assess an emergency situation. Most classes will cover a range of topics from treating burns to controlling bleeding. Depending on the first aid course, it might also include CPR training, so this is a great option if you want to learn both sets of skills. Learn Water Safety TipsIf you have a swimming pool at your home or live near a body of water, you might want to consider learning water safety tips. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's PoolSafely.gov website is a great place to get started. It offers tips such as installing pool covers and learning how to perform CPR, among others. In addition, if you have children, teaching them how to swim (and stay away from pool drains) can be a crucial life saving skill, says PoolSafely.gov. Consider enrolling your children in a swimming class to help them get started. Take an AED ClassWhile some CPR or first aid classes cover AED training, there are also courses designed specifically for AED administration. The American Red Cross, for example, will help you identify situations where an AED device may need to be used and how to use it. In addition to AED training, you will also learn traditional CPR methods as these two life-saving skills typically go hand-in-hand. Learn Pet-Focused First AidIf you have pets, you can participate in a pet safety training course in case your four-legged friend is ever involved in an emergency situation. The American Red Cross offers online training classes for pet safety specific to cats and dogs, which covers topics from checking your pets vitals to cardiac emergencies. Learning life-saving skills can teach you how to help others when emergencies arise. By signing up for a training class and learning proper life-saving skills, you can prepare yourself to help in an emergency situation. Originally published on April 28, 2014. The post How to Learn Life-Saving Skills appeared first on The Allstate Blog. 11/9/2018 0 Comments 10 Tips for Modern Lavender DecorThe interior decor gods have spoken. Lately, everyone seems to be eschewing their millennial pink decor for lavender. Obviously we aren't tired of pastels yet but things might be looking a little too rosy for some people. Lavender is a very unexpected color for decor, making any additions in your home a surprise and ultimately, a delight. And just like any other shade, you don't have to have the shabby chic style to make it work for you. In fact, lavender can be a lovely shade paired with your modern neutral decor! Being a cool color, it's very soft and relaxing, no matter what space it occupies. So when you put lavender in a sea of sleek and contemporary, it provides that simple touch of elegance and uniqueness. Here are 10 tips for modern lavender decor to help you embrace the beautiful unexpected color. In a home that is mostly black and white in decor, what is the easiest, fastest way to bring color and personality to your space? Artwork. Adding some lavender artwork to your home is a wonderful opportunity to dip your toes into the trend in a way that is impermanent. If you decide that you and lavender don't get along, just hang something different on the wall. Another great option for color pop without the commitment comes with your textiles. Pillows and blankets are simple to change out depending on the seasons, style changes or even just your moods. Also, pillows can grace your living room sofa and when you need a quick refresh, throw them on your bed instead. Since your modern home is probably drawing on black, white and brown, lavender will work in there too. Looking for lavender that will make a bit bigger impact in your space on a budget? Take your lavender textiles to the next level with lavender curtains. These soft additions will set the tone for your room, no matter what other colors you might show off.{found on ad}. Accent furniture is such a fun way to add some color into a modern home and there are so many options for colorful modern furniture. A set of lavender chairs in your dining room will create a fun and welcoming scene for any dinner party or family meal you put on the table. Never underestimate the power of a good accent chair. When you find the perfect lavender chair for your living room, you'll instantly create a favorite spot for book reading, movie watching and pet cuddling. Because who could resist the beckoning of a soft lavender accent chair at the end of the day? For those of you who are go big or go home decorators, why not swing for the lavender sofa? Since colorful sofas have been a trend of late, it will seem less odd that you have such a bold choice in your living room. It takes commitment and bravery, but a lavender sofa with clean lines could be that one final touch that brings everything together. Colorful cabinetry is not so uncommon in kitchens these days. Even the most modern cooking spaces can boast bright blue or red for permanent storage. But who goes for lavender cabinets? With smooth fronts and sleek linear styles, you'll create a kitchen that will be remembered all across the Instagram-sphere. Yes, technically wallpaper is a decorating medium, even if it is a permanent wall fixture. Just think how relaxing and elegant you would feel, soaking in a bubbly tub in a bathroom swathed with lavender wallpaper. Modern style suggests patternless but you can definitely find some lovely texture instead. When people think of modern, those neutral shades usually win out in styling. However if a whole room is the same shade of color, doesn't that end up looking modern as well? You don't often find a bedroom that has lavender walls and lavender bedding and lavender furniture. Just to prove how modern lavender can be. Maybe lavender is too much for your neutral loving eyes. In that case, try it out in your child's bedroom. Even if the space is mostly neutral tones, a little bit of soft lavender in the textiles can create a beautiful restful space for your little one to hang out. The post 10 Tips for Modern Lavender Decor appeared first on Home Decorating Trends - Homedit. 10/25/2018 0 Comments Houses For Sale in Ansonia, OH332 E Cross St, Ansonia, OH, Ansonia, OHTwo bedroom home with one car garage. New floor coverings in kitchen and hall. Bath remodeled in 2017. New roof in 2017. 8'7"x21'3" enclosed front... 4806 Beamsville Union City Rd, Ansonia, OH, Ansonia, OHThis property offers a country setting on 1.586 ac that includes a home with a new septic system and two barns. The 60' x 24' barn includes overhead... 405 W Weller St, Ansonia, OH, Ansonia, OHBrick ranch double offers two bedrooms and one bath in each unit. Units rent for $450 per month. One unit is currently owner-occupied. Units have... 611 S Main St, Ansonia, OH, Ansonia, OHMove in ready 2 bedroom, 1100 sq. ft. home. With the additional use and storage of the full basement, you almost double your square footage. Home... 3457 Duvall Rd, Ansonia, OH, Ansonia, OHFor further information about the upcoming auction, please visit Hudson & Marshall's website at www.hudsonandmarshall.com.The property... |