Life Update: I Lost the House

Well, I didn't lose it, I still know where it is but it's just not going to be my house anymore. After my REALLY excited post where I was looking for office inspiration, things started to go south. In my naiveness, I thought house shopping was easy... clearly, I am mistaken. After a week of negotiations we finally found a spot that both the sellers and I could agree upon. Great (or so I thought). Once you agree upon a price and both parties sign the contract, the buyer (me) has 10 days to get an inspection done on the house. House inspections are not cheap by the way... we're talking $300-500 PER inspection. 

The sellers said that if there were any major issues with the house they would fix them... like big things. They told us this and I believed them. *mistake* 

The house inspection took two hours, which was good because it was very thurough, but I also had to take an afternoon off work which I really hadn't thought about when planning it. My inspector was great, he looked at everything, tooks photos of the house, and wrote a very detailed report on what needed to be fixed. It even came in a PDF report that speaks to me because I love a detailed report. 

His list was something like this: 

• **The roof is old and at the end of its life and should be replaced soon. 

                                  $$ CHA-CHING $$

• **The electrical breaker box in the house is out of code and you can't get the house insured with its current state. 

                                  $$ CHA-CHING $$

• **The HVAC unit needs to be cleaned out. 

                                  $$ CHA-CHING $$

• **The chimney needs to be cleaned to make sure no fires are possible. 

                  $$ CHA-CHING $$ $$ CHA-CHING $$ $$ CHA-CHING $$ 

And a few other smaller things that were very minor but still made your head hear 'cha-ching'. 

We (and by we I mean my realtor) sent the insepction to the other realtor and sellers. We didn't even ask for anything in the beginning - we asked that they let us know what they are willing to fix. *mistake* 

Their reply? We aren't going to fix any of those things. 

*mouth drop* 

You're telling me, that YOUR house that you have LIVED in for six years needs major repairs and improvements and you aren't willing to do ANYTHING? You haven't taken care of it for SIX years and now it's a prized pocession? We sent back a counter that said if you pay for half of the roof and more of the closing costs we can keep going, otherwise we need to terminte the contract. 

The house was already on the higher end of the market for the neighborhood so you can't put too much money into it you will lose it. This isn't going to be our forever home, but this isn't going to be a money pit either. It's good to have equity, but not at the cost of going upside down on a house.

After a generous offer for their house and a generous repair offer, they just proved too difficult and stubborn about their house, which is fine and their perogative. However, it's not my place to pay for their house problems that they haven't taken care of in SIX YEARS. I am bummed and clearly resentful. One blog reader told me not to get too emotionally invested and she was right because I really got invested in that house. After terminating the contract we went and found another house that was BETTER... put in an offer and it was rejected an hour later because there had been three offers in one day and someone offered full price. We looked up the previous owners of the house and it had been a nasty divorce (you can find these things out when your boyfriend is in law school and he's learned all the websites for research). Do I want to live in a house with a bad juju? Nope. 

So the search continues... I know, I know... 'The right house will come along at the right time.' Sure. It probably will, but today it sucks because I lost two houses in one weekend and now it's like starting all over. (I'm also out a few hundred bucks which could have been a really great new coat or pair of boots.) 

I've been SnapChatting all of this throughout the journey. If you want to follow along, add me: maeganclark. 


Positive vibes are needed - Please, everyone, tell me that I will find a BETTER house and it will be PERFECT and then I can paint an office my beauitful dark turquise.  

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August Shopping Deals

I love a good deal, in fact, my boyfriend always makes fun of me because I can get anyone to lower a price and only shop using E-bates, Honey and any discount code I can find online. It's not that I can't afford nice things, but if you can get a nice thing at a deal then you can afford to get another nice thing! Does that make sense? 

Since I've been super stressed out about buying a house the past few days, I've been making GREAT life decisions of online shopping. Nothing like knowing you have to scrape around money for a downpayment to make you want to spend money on things online. Somehow I don't feel bad about my online shopping problem because I feel like I am 'saving' so much money... Let that twisted philosophy sink in.

But, since I am going to do it anyway, I might as well share some good deals I have found over my sleepless nights... 

PAIGE 'Transcend - Bell Canyon' High Rise Flare Jeans 

I LOVE Paige Jeans,but to be honest, I can only afford them when they are on sale. Nordstrom is currently offering these jeans for $89.90 and they retail for about $180. HELLO. BUY!

NuMe Curling Wands

NuMe is offering 70% off any curling wand until the end of August! Just use this link and the code ITSONLY70 for a 70% discount AND free shipping. DOUBLE WIN.

J.Crew Factory

J.Crew Factory has been having a lot of sales online the past few days. I used the code GOODJEANS last night and got 20% off my total of $100. Saved some cash!

Tobi

Tobi has been offering 50% off their entire site, though I think it has already ended. However, if you've never shopped there than you can signup with your email and your first purchase if 50% off! Worth it because they have some good trendy pieces that are made of good quality. One of my favorite jackets is from Tobi.

Beauty Box 5 

I blogged about this last week, but you can still get a free eyeshadow with your September Beauty Box subscription. It's $13 and the products are actually good. No bullshit. Click here for my review, or use this link for the free eyeshadow with a subscription. 

ALSO - You have to signup for Ebates if you haven't. It's FREE money back. So many of my friends use it and if you don't then you should too. Signup with my link here. 

SO - what are your good deals and coupons for the month? I am working towards buying a house so I need some good deals to keep my online shopping habit alive and well, yet budget friendly! 

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When You Become a Grownup ... You Buy a House

So here's the thing - no one tells you when you become a grownup. There's no magical age associated with it, there's no certificate and no ceremony. Somewhere along the way it just kind of happens... Let me be really honest, becoming a grownup was a very, very slow process for me. I haven't really been in a hurry for a grown-up life when it comes to marriage, kids, buying a house or anything else really. 

But there will be a moment that you think to yourself, "Oh sh*t, I am an ADULT." and then you are one and all of these adult decisions start to happen. Like... one of my recent decisions is ... well... I am going to buy a house. 

... Taking a deep breath because now it's REAL. 

After six years of living in the same apartment, I came to the realization that I'm ready for more. Living in this apartment complex has been great, and easy, and convenient, and safe. I'm really going to miss it actually, but I'm ready for more. I'm ready to be able to paint, and decorate, and have more space, and have a yard, and all of those things that people get to do in a house. I'm ready to pay money to own something. 

It's terrifying, it's exhilarating, I have no idea what I am dong, but this process has taught me SO much! I had no idea how all of the steps it takes to buy a house. 

AND, the most exciting part is that I get to decorate it just like I want it! For instance, the current owners 'baby room' is going to be my office. So if you have your own 'office makeover' post, or you have seen cute ideas, send them my way! 

I'm thinking about painting this baby room ... 

A deep turquoise color! Thoughts? Any budget friendly tips you can share?

Also, have you bought a house? What was your experience and what should I keep in mind as we go through inspection, etc? 

Let me know in the comments!

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Beauty Box 5 Subscription Review

I love a subscription box... clearly, if you read this then you know I love StitchFix, Trunk Club, last year I blogged about trying the beauty box Ipsy and now... I'm going to share the Beauty Box 5. This beauty box was new to me, but since I love to try new things I thought why not.

**If you want to try the Beauty Box 5 use this link and get a free eyeshadow! It's only $12 a month (includes shipping)!

Here's the box! I LOVE presents so I think that's why I love subscription boxes because I'm getting a lot of surprise presents at once. 

Rose gold tweezers? Yes, please. These tweezers are so pretty and they are actually really nice and sturdy. 

Retail: $12. 

The only tanning I believe in is self-tanning. For so long I've meant to pick up one of these little mini mitts for my face but now I don't have to! I was really excited to receive this to try it with my self-tanner. 

Retail: $4.95 

This is a new brand for me that I have never heard of, Hikari. This champagne colored eye shadow is really, really pretty. It's buildable, so it's great for a highlight below your eyebrow, or you can build it on your lid for a great glow.

Retail: $13

My makeup brush collection is the saddest thing in the world. This round blending brush is great for eyeshadow or a highlight. It's so soft and it feels like it's really well made. 

Retails: $10 

Another brand that I hadn't heard of, Chella. This is a taupe eyebrow color pencil, and is fantastic! My eyebrows are pretty neglected at times so I'm so excited to try something to define the brows for once! 

Retails: $18 

Everything included in my Beauty Box 5 was a full-size product. The total of the products equals $60! This beauty box only cost $12 a month. The tweezers alone were $12. I really liked this box and all of its products because I will actually use them and not toss them aside in a sample pile. 

If you want to try this, use this link and you will get a free eyeshadow added to your box!

OK - what subscription boxes do you love that I need to try? And what coupon codes do you have for me to try them?? 

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How to Feel Smarter Every Day

Every weekend I tell myself I'm going to get my life together, and every Monday morning I wake up asking myself why didn't I do more to prepare for the week. I'm never going to be the person who puts together their outfits before the week, spending all Sunday working on meal prep is not my thing, and, let's be real, I'm not going to get up early on Monday to go for a run. 

What works for me? Well, having clean clothes, making sure I have my Special K Red Berry cereal for breakfast and knowing that everything I need to know will come to me in my email. 

My mornings start out something like this... 

The alarm goes off, I press snooze once or twice, then I find the remote and turn on Good Morning America (GMA). I stagger out of bed, turn GMA on louder so I can shower and get ready. While I am blow drying my hair, or putting on makeup, I do a few things that help me feel smarter before the work day. Grab a bowl of cereal, grab my iPhone and start reading ...

The Skimm

I read the Skimm every. single. day.  The Skimm is a daily email newsletter that makes it SO easy to feel smarter when it comes to global & U.S. topics. Don't get me wrong, I love a good NY Times article, but this sums up that article so if you're short on time you're not short on knowledge. 


Here's a sample of part of the daily email newsletter. It's free to signup - and you can be part of a great community. Signup to the Skimm for free here. 

Morning Brew 

My second email that I read every morning is the Morning Brew. This daily e-newsletter is really focused on business and is focused for millennials (which is just a buzz word because it's great for everyone).  The Morning Brew breaks down the market, what's happening with the U.S. economy, and gives good overviews of things that are good to know. 

Here's a little screenshot about what's including in the Morning Brew e-newsletter. You really can't go wrong for signing up for the Skimm and the Morning Brew. Signup for free here.

Digit

So Digit is a little different than the other two because Digit saves money without you having to think about it. How does it make you feel smarter? Digit sends you a daily text message with how much money is in your checking account and saves you money without you realizing it. AND THIS IS FREE.

Here's out it works. You signup for a Digit account here. Then you enter in your banking information. This is safe, I promise, I did a lot of researching about it before I trusted anyone with that kind of information. Next, they send you a daily text every morning with your updated checking balance. 

Now, here's where the savings part comes in... Let's say you spend $40 on eating out on Friday night... Digit might take out $12 the next day and save it in an account. If you get paid on the first of every month, Digit will start to take out a little money before you get paid and save it. It learns your spending habits and starts to save from there. If it's not saving enough for you then you can choose to be a little more aggressive. If it's saving too much, then you can tell it to slow down a little. It's up to you and your spending habits. One friend of mine has saved up enough for a fancy new pair of shoes. I use my Digit savings for travel. Seriously. Try it. 

Signup for Digit today. 

Also, this weekend I saw Dolly Parton in concer with my mom. It was AMAZING, and I LOVE Dolly. I even bought a $40 t-shirt because I couldn't imagine leaving there without that piece of memorabilla. So, if I don't have time to meal prep for the week, that's OK, because I have a memory that's so much more than a fridge full of cut up veggies. 

Dolly Parton. My forever hair, heel and rhinestone goals. #iWillAlwaysLoveYou

A photo posted by Maegan Clark (@maeganclark) on Aug 13, 2016 at 9:35pm PDT

The Skimm, Morning Brew and Digit are three things I do every morning to feel prepared for the day. What do you do to feel smarter and feel ready for the day/week? 

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How To Be Happy

There's a quote in the world that says something along the lines of, "If you want to be happy, then be happy." As easy as that sounds, some days feeling 'happy' is a little harder than others. In 2010 I started this blog to find myself after a horrendous breakup, sudden move to Arkansas, and total loss of knowing who I was anymore. It's as dramatic as it sounds. 

One afternoon I sat outside on my parent's patio and talked with my mom about what I would name a blog. The only two words to describe my life at the time were Southern and Blonde, hence the name. Writing has always been an outlet for me so I thought why not find myself again in a way that was creative, and self-motivating. Never in a million years did I think I would still be blogging six years later (even if I did take a year break). 

Long story to say that this blog has made me happy throughout the years. However, lately, I haven't been 'feeling' happy.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing in life to be sad about. I also know that this is not a depression situation (though if it was I would also be sharing that journey). The only word I can find to describe my mood lately is with the word, sluggish.  The things that once brought happiness and joy are starting to feel like burdens. 

Cooking use to be one of my favorite hobbies and in the past few months, I've cooked maybe a handful of times. For a while playing tennis was a challenge and fun, but after I couldn't find anyone to practice with I just let it go. Education has always been an important part of my life because I love hands-on learning but once I finished my master's degree I didn't think about what would be next. Same with working out. Those people that love to workout and feel better after, yeah I was one of those annoying people for a few years. 

My point to all of this is that somewhere along the way I've stopped enjoying things that use to make me happy, and instead, I've let them feel like burdens. So what is one to do? I picked up the book, "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. This book isn't new, it came out back in 2013 and it's a little self-indulgent. Neither I, nor the author, have anything in our lives to complain about, but we have both lost the ability to have fun, enjoy what we have, and focus on the good. 

So far from the book I'm working on a Happy Action Plan - a personal timeline to keep me accountable in working towards feeling happy again, and letting go of the sluggish feelings. 

1. Find one new thing to try to cook for the month of August (I actually think I want to learn how to make homemade bread.) 
2. I started weekly Spanish lessons in May but it's time I take more time to practice throughout the week. 
3. Blogging is fun for me - and even if it's on my mom and my cousin who read it, it is still something that I enjoy. 
4. Find a new workout that makes me want to go to the gym/find a tennis partner to play with. 

I'm going to start in August on focusing on those four things - they aren't difficult goals, they are activities that I know I enjoy I just need to re-focus on why these things provide happiness. 

Does anyone else feel sluggish, or bored from time to time? I'm halfway through the book and I think it's starting to give me ideas on how to find my personal happiness again. Only you can make yourself happy, and I have let myself become a little lazy. 

So as I work on my own happiness project on how to make myself happy again - I want to know, does anyone else ever feel, 'unhappy' at times for no apparent reason? What makes you happy? 

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GlobeIn Artisan Gift Box Review

In my old age of 30, I have become a lot more aware of how my shopping habits affect the world. I may not be able to buy everything organic and fair trade, but I'm starting small and starting with a GlobeIn Artisan Box.  Each month, GlobeIn sends you 4-5 handcrafted items, and shares with you who makes it. 



For August, I picked the Pamper GlobeIn Artisan Box.  It seems like the one that fit me best. 



In the Pamper box, I got a cute, handwoven Palm Leaf Basket. This basket was made in by Marina in Mexico. She's part of the Oaxacan basket weavers groups that she oversees. Marina describes herself as an entrepreneur who desires to improve her family's financial stability.  



In the basket, was Cosmetic Argan Oil from Morocco. I've never used argan oil so I am excited to try it. You can use it as a daily facial moisturiser, used on irritated skin, scars and chapped lips. You can even use it as a deep hair conditioner. The oil is from The Argan Project which helps women work in the home at their own pace. Helping women succeed and feeling pretty. Double-win. 



Now... I was SO surprised to see this jewelry roll in the Pamper Box. I LOVE it. It's the perfect size for your purse or travel. The fabric was hand-dyed through an ancient process of batik with toxic-free dye. The jewelry roll is from the Batik Boutique in Malaysia and provides women life skills and sewing training that help support their families. 

Zana (in the red scarf) is a single mother of seven children! She's able to use her sewing skills with Batik to help provide for her children. There's something really special knowing that the jewelry roll that I will carry around with be so connected in helping a woman prosper. 

It's a hot summer in Arkansas, but it's cold inside so many buildings so it's nice to have a light scarf on hand in my bag. This Shibori Scarf was made in India  through a Japanese technique of dyeing cloth in  a way with the binding and folding that gives it its pattern. 

So, if you are interested in pampering yourself AND helping provide women all around the world with jobs to better themselves and their families, check out the Pamper Box from GlobeIn. 

Also, if you click here and use the code, 'Welcome', you can save $10 off a three-month subscription! 

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Back to School for Millennials

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CreateWithHP #CollectiveBias

It's time to go back to school! Except, well... I'm not in any kind of 'formal' education. As in I don't go to a class for a grade to pursue a degree. That doesn't stop me from continuing to learn, though. As a 'millennial' I've noticed that all of my friends who are finished with formal education still have a desire to keep learning something to better themselves. 

I actually really liked going to school. College and grad school were both fun to me. Since I'm not going back to school for another formal degree (two master's degrees is enough for me) I had to find another way to keep learning to keep growing.

So... I started taking Spanish lessons via Skype! Because I was bi-lingual as a child and have studied on and off through the years, I found a great Spanish professor who lives in Nicaragua. Once a week we have a lesson and after she sends me homework. It's a been so much fun re-learning a language and keeping my brain active.

This is my office area where I take skype lessons and practice my Spanish homework. It's a nice desk but it's missing one thing when it comes to a study area...

It's missing a printer.

Because I needed to print off Spanish study guides and homework from my professor, it was time to go shopping for a printer. So, naturally, I headed to Walmart because they have the best options at the best prices. 

When it came to shopping for a printer I had a few 'must-haves':

1. I wanted one that was wireless so I could print from any device in any room. 

2. I wanted one that was pretty.

3. I wanted one that wouldn't waste a lot of ink and had reasonable ink refill prices. 

After checking out all of the different ones Walmart had to offer, the best option for me was the HP All-in-One Printer 3636. It was less than $50, included a black and color cartridge and was wireless. It also came in three different colors of red, purple and blue. Since it's back to school season (which in the South means college football season) I picked the red. 

Now, this looks like a complete study area! 

Setting up electronics isn't really my favorite thing to do. Usually, there are a lot of programs or papers to go through to make sure you're setting it up correctly and somehow I always miss an important step. However, HP made this SUPER simple for the setup.

I also really appreciated there was no wasted packaging in the box. Just pull our the printer, remove the clear wrapping and you're halfway there. Next, you will see some blue tape that you just pull down and a box comes out with two cartridges, power cable, and optional computer cable. You also receive a setup manual and CD if needed.  

The print cartridges easily snap in. Here's a little fact about this printer that I like, the color cartridge is all one cartridge. Have you seen those other printers that you have to buy a red, blue and yellow for all separately? It's expensive and it's a hassle. This is just one cartridge and you're done. It saves time and money which is important to me.

If you're like me, you like doing everything online even downloading the software for the printer. Just visit the website listed in the setup manual and a few clicks of a button and you're ready to get started. 

It's as simple as downloading the software, connecting your new printer to your wifi and you're all set.

That's it. That's really it.

When you're printer is connected it even congratulations you! 

Next came downloading the HP All-in-One-Printer Remove app on my phone. You can download this for all of your devices so it doesn't matter which device you are on or which room, just download, print and you're good to go.

Within the app, you can print, scan and capture documents. Do you know how handy this is??

Now, I may not be going back to school for a formal education, but my boyfriend (we've been together for over three years & now live together) is currently starting his third year of law school this fall. He took classes all summer which means a lot of study time around the house. 

Because he likes to study on the couch, the printer lets him study where he wants and still have an easy way to print his outlines and guides. Most of the time he gets an email with an outline from a fellow law student (they all share outlines) and he can just print right from his phone.

If you have a roommate, partner, friend, family member, etc., this printer is perfect for everyone to use. It can be located anywhere in your house and everyone is able to use it from their computer, phone, or tablet when they need to print something. It also doesn't take up a lot of room which is nice when you're in a small space like us right now.

Believe me, studying for law school means you are printing out A LOT of paper. The HP All-in-One Printer 3636 is great because it is so resourceful on the ink. We haven't even had to go buy more ink once since getting this printer! 

For me, it's been super handy to work on my Spanish homework and take a screen shot to upload my work to send it to my professor.

Also, I LOVE to lay in bed and study, shop online, look up recipes, etc. Instead of having to go to another room to hook my computer up to a printer, I just press print and I know it's there when I go to get it later.

Sometimes you'll wonder if it actually printed because it's so quiet - but don't worry, it did.

Once I have my homework from my professor I print it out. 

Want to work on your Spanish verb conjugation? Print out this guide my professor sent me. 

Badda-bing-budda-boom.

 After I write out sentences in Spanish, verb conjugations, or work on my spelling, I scan the document to send back to my professor so she can see my work. 

, 

Click here if you're interested in learning more about the HP All-in-One Printer 3636. Click here to shop for it at Walmart.

Are you going back to school this year or is someone that you know? If you're not but you are still learning in one way or another, what do you study? 

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