Tag Archives: chez moi

Creating The Perfect Bedroom

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Creating The Perfect Bedroom

Every now and then, we get a little bored of our bedrooms and decide it needs a makeover. We have got some small and large tips to get your bedroom looking brand new. Check out our suggestions below:

Declutter:

Marie Kondo your room by getting rid of unwanted items that no longer bring you joy. You will notice how much stuff you have accumulated over the years. Decluttering and making room will help clear your mind too.

Choose a color to stick to:

There is a whole rainbow of colors to choose from, so decide on primary colors that go together and start from there. Don’t forget to choose what color wood compliments your chosen colors the best. And always have a theme in mind, there are many websites you can draw inspiration from.

Rugs:

Whether you have carpet or hard floors, a rug can really pull a room together. Get one that’s large enough to place under your bed but protrudes evenly out on either side. Think plush and cushy fabrics for underneath your feet when you first wake up!

Think about built in wardrobes:

Opting for built-in wardrobes can make your room appear bigger and less cluttered. Find a good place to tuck them away and, to make your bedroom look even more spacious, go for mirrored doors to bounce the light.

Redecorate the walls:

Over time our walls gather marks and fingerprints and are in need of a fresh coat of paint. If you don’t want to change the color, you can repaint your walls the same shade, this will make your room look clean and fresh. For a more bold change, either paint or wallpaper one wall to create a feature wall.

Incorporate mirrors:

As said above, adding mirrors into your room creates light and the illusion of more space. If you haven’t opted for mirrors on your wardrobe doors, find a place for a statement mirror.

Hang art:

Hanging a large piece of art above your bed can be eye catching for anyone who enters. If paintings aren’t your thing, then select a photo and get it enlarged and framed or you can create a collage full of your favorite images.

Choosing your bed:

If you found that decluttering didn’t clear as much as you hoped for, then changing your bed to an ottoman or dividend bed can help. It has handy storage underneath to keep all of your rarely used bits hidden away. If you have managed to declutter, then any bed is your choice. If you are feeling grande, then why not opt for a four-poster bed? So luxurious!

Decorate the bed:

You can’t go wrong with decorating your bed with the most comfy cushions and throws. Don’t go mad taking up half the bed with cushions, you don’t want it to look overcrowded. Instead, have a maximum of six or fewer.

We hope we have got you excited about creating your perfect bedroom by just incorporating a few of these ideas! For more home tips, check out Getting Your Home In Shape For Cold Weather.

Featured Image By: SHOP SLOยฎ on Unsplash

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Quarantine Routines

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Quarantine Routines

Hello! I’ll tell you what, ever since March 19th (The day bars and restaurants in Ohio temporarily shut down) my life has changed drastically. For my big girl job, I provide care in home for people with special needs and, now, more than ever it is my responsibility to continue staying healthy for those who need me.

Due to the nature of my job, going out for frivolity is the last thing on my mind. Back track to 2019 and it was the only thing on my mind, lol! Going to shows with Johnny, restaurants, movies, TJMAXX!!! Ugh, I miss all of that so much.

My “normal” routines of going here, there, and everywhere definitely seem to be a thing of the past. So, obviously, I had to fill up all of this newfound free time with other things. They are still fun for me, of course, but I don’t think any of these options trump my bimonthly TJMaxx shopping trips with my mom. Haha, check it out:

Reading:

I have read so many freaking books in the past six months, it is insane. My goal has been to try and finish at least two to three per month and I have achieved it every time. It has been fun to experiment with different authors like Lucy Foley and Ilaria Tuti. Both Johnny and I have also been enjoying our Audible subscription for books on tape, as well. We are always open to author and book suggestions so keep them coming!

Language Learning:

Yes, I currently am still learning French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, and German on Duolingo. I make an effort to try and practice each language four times per week, bare minimum, and so far so good. What I would really like to do in the next month or so is purchase the Duolingo Plus subscription so I never run out of hearts while practicing. This seems very necessary when learning five languages and, once I get Duo Plus, I’d like to start learning a sixth. Any ideas as to which one?

Online Shopping:

Maybe once or so per week, I will take ten to fifteen minutes to browse through some of my favorite online stores to window shop. Mainly TJMaxx, Unique Vintage, ModCloth, and Nasty Gal. It is definitely not the same as regular shopping but it somewhat satisfies that itch to go browse the aisles in person!

When I’m not aimlessly scrolling through websites and saying “oh that’s cute” about basically everything, I am trying to do some early Christmas shopping. With a long list of people to shop for, it is never too early to start the Xmas process and I am pleased with the slow and steady progress I’ve been making.

Movie Nights:

Johnny and I have decided to put a halt to finding something we can both agree on when it comes to movies. Now, we alternate whose pick it is for our movie nights and it has been great! Normally, Johnny will pick a war documentary or movie and I will choose a horror, psychological thriller, or foreign film. I love being able to see all of his favorites and it is exciting to rack my brain and browse through our streaming services to select my next pick!

Are these new routines the most exciting? Well… No. But they are as exciting as I choose to make them and I still always end up having an awesome and totally safe time at home. ๐Ÿ™‚

What should Johnny and I watch next? How about a great new suggestion on Audible? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Quarantine Weekends

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Quarantine Weekends

Hello! Going from being out and about every weekend with Johnny at the beginning of this year is a far cry from what we do now. With COVID and the fact that my county is now in a threat level red, our weekends have went from full and busy to full of binge watching in the blink of an eye. The worst part? The weekend still ends quickly even though we’re not doing much of anything, lol!

Johnny and I have a pretty standard weekend format that goes a little something like this: Video games, movies, and TV. I am currently obsessed with the video games he gifted me for our anniversary so I have been playing a lot of Paper Mario and Diablo III. We also take turns picking movies to watch in between our viewings of The Last Kingdom and SuperStore – both of which I highly recommend.

Does it sound boring yet? I know it does but it actually isn’t all that bad. For the first time literally since I started working at sixteen, I have weekends that are completely agenda free. All I have to do is sit on the couch and stay safe and I’m confident that Johnny and I can keep doing that.

One of the best parts of our weekends is actually thanks to the change in weather. Because fall temperatures are upon us, it has cooled down our apartment significantly. Believe it or not, I find myself telling Johnny “I’m cold” more often than not now. This makes being stuck in the apartment much more tolerable and there is nothing better than bundling up in hoodies and blankets while it’s nice and crisp in and outdoors!

Speaking of cooling down outdoors, I can’t wait to start taking hikes and doing all of the Halloween themed activities soon. Have fun and keep on staying safe. โค

How do you spend weekends in quarantine? What is the weather like in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mostly Ghostly Halloween Decor

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Mostly Ghostly Halloween Decor

Hi! Around this time of the year I love taking stock of all of the amazing Halloween decor in stores (AKA all year round decor!). TJMaxx, Target, Walmart, and everything in between I just want to see and buy it all, lol. Every spooky guy and gal needs creepy cute decor!

Unfortunately, in COVID times it is hard for me to go out and about on a Halloween decor crawl because of how limited I keep my time in public. So, a few weeks ago, I resorted to browsing online for Halloween decorations and kept coming up short. Everything I liked was either sold out or not worth the price being asked.

Believe you me, I was disappointed because I really enjoy buying new decorations for my apartment. But, then, Johnny reminded me he brought some of his Halloween decor to our place and that put the pep right back in my step. How can these goofy adorable ghosts not make you smile? Check it out:

Johnny is an avid lover of Halloween, himself, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when he had plenty of spoils of his own to show me. He has tons of outdoor decor for when we finally have a place with a lawn and lots of knick knacks to display around the apartment. Now, not being able to shop in store for Halloween decor doesn’t seem all that bad. ๐Ÿ™‚

What is your favorite holiday to decorate for? What is your favorite holiday to celebrate? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feeling Snacky

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Feeling Snacky

Hi! It has always been important to me to have healthy food and snacks in my apartment. I rarely eat sweet treats as I prefer the savory but Johnny, on the other hand, requests something in the dessert department whenever I go grocery shopping. And, when that time of the month rolls around, I am oh so happy when there is chocolate or cookies handy compliments of Johnny’s sweet tooth! โค

When Aunt Flo comes for a visit, my primary craving is ice cream. However, I can’t justify buying a tub of ice cream that I’m barely going to eat. My solution? Frozen Greek yogurt!

Living that #YOGURTLIFE in the words of Terry Crews from Brooklyn 99!

My newest snack craze has been sticking a yogurt in the freezer and crumbling a chocolate chip cookie for the topping. I love the ice cream like texture of the yogurt once it freezes and with that extra bit of cookie it feels like I am eating a low calorie sundae.

Your topping preference is up to you but for the yogurt I definitely prefer the Light & Fit by Dannon. The vanilla Greek yogurt is so rich, creamy, and flavorful and it’s seriously hard to believe that it’s only eighty calories! I like how filling it is and sometimes, if I’m not snacking sundae style, I will have a yogurt with my medication before bed.

The Dannon Light & Fit yogurts were actually not my first choice but Johnny brought them home from the grocery store as my primary option wasn’t available. He is always getting me to try new things and this one just happened to become a staple at chez moi!

What is your favorite snack? Do you crave sweet or salty? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Quarantine Life: It Can Still Be Fun

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Quarantine Life: It Can Still Be Fun

Hi! When I first moved into my apartment, I LOVED that shit. Seriously, it was awesome. A young business owner going here, there, and everywhere and then returning to my cool little place once the day was over. The annoyances of every apartment like loud neighbors and crappy air conditioning didn’t seem so bad because, in all reality, I wasn’t there that much.

Fast forward a year and some change later and, now, my boyfriend and I are confined to our apartment on the daily. Our on the go life style of a blogger (me) and working musician (he) got severely cramped by the coronavirus and the minor annoyances at chez nous have turned into major headaches.

Despite our quarantine living quarters not being ideal (It’s like living in your own personal sweat lodge.), Johnny and I still manage to have fun in our tiny little sauna. So, I am here to remind you that it is still possible to enjoy yourself from the safety of your home. In fact, the fact that I know I am safe at home makes my time that much more enjoyable.

It has been a big change to go from constantly being out to sometimes being fearful to leave the house. Unfortunately, that is the current state of things right now and once I accepted that boredom came with being safe, I felt a lot better about being home. It took Johnny and I while to come up with the perfect combination of at home entertainment but now that we have hit our sweet spot, this whole quarantine thing ain’t so bad. (Our most effective combo is playing The Office after Law & Order SVU.)

Yes, we have consumed more media content than is probably recommended for a lifetime but we still experienced new things. For example, Johnny bought me my first LEGO set and since then we have been hooked on building together. Or who can forget Hanks For The Memories when he introduced me to Forrest Gump and I taught him a thing or two about Cast Away.

Lame? Yes. Super fun? Obviously, or I wouldn’t be blogging about it! Now is the time to watch all the TV you can, so get hooked on a series with some friends and gab to your heart’s content. Watch something totally random. Order a book you would never read on your Kindle. Try cooking a difficult but delicious looking recipe. Your activities are, admittedly, limited at home so you might as well try to keep them interesting!

The most important thing I try to remember as Johnny and I continue to hunker down is a positive attitude. Of course, I’m not thrilled by any of this. But, it’s the best thing we can do to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. I also keep in mind that I will never get the chance to sit through an entire season of America’s Next Top Model in one day totally guilt free again. That is a positive and it makes sinking into the couch and hearing Johnny’s disgruntled comments about my favorite show all the more sweeter. ๐Ÿ™‚

How do you keep a positive attitude during the coronavirus pandemic? What has been your favorite hobby to pass the time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Kind Of Adulting?

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Kind Of Adulting?

Hello! My boyfriend and I recently celebrated his thirty-first birthday and my twenty-sixth. Johnny and I have birthdays exactly one week apart from each other and I kind of have to laugh at our haul. We received and purchased quite a few appliances for the kitchen and bathroom so adulting, right? Sort of!

Johnny and I are also big kids at heart so our birthdays wouldn’t be complete without something a little more fun. Hence, the LEGO sets we gifted to each other. We got the perfect combination of “work” and “play” things for our birthdays and despite feeling like a grown up with our new appliances, we couldn’t be happier! We have been enjoying the following:

Electric Toothbrush:

I have had a lot of dental woes compliments of my oral surgery gone wrong two years ago. Because of the extensive problems I still suffer from, I have to see a periodontist pretty frequently. My periodontist has recommended an electric toothbrush till he’s blue in the face and I guess I didn’t realize just how bad I needed it until I found my gum problems were getting worse.

That past visit to the periodontist happened a week or so before my birthday and I planned on purchasing an electric toothbrush for myself. But, then I remembered birthday and my mom agreed to let me order one off of Amazon. The first time I used it, I couldn’t believe I had been brushing my teeth any other way before. And, now I can’t picture my dental care without it.

The best part? Johnny loves it too and let me pick out a pink electric toothbrush that we share, with different brush heads obvi! I just adore the color and I am so pleased with the results I’ve had so far. ๐Ÿ™‚

Air Fryer:

Johnny’s parents so kindly gifted us with their barely used air fryer, which was amazing because we were going to buy one right after we left their home. So, instead, we went to the grocery store and purchased ALL of the air fried delicacies you can think of. French fries, mozzarella sticks, hash browns, you name it. Then, we went back to our apartment and had a big air fried feast!

We are so obsessed with the ease of using our air fryer and how FREAKING AMAZING it makes everything taste. We are both looking forward to trying new recipes and if you have any favorites, please pass them along. Especially anything vegetarian. ๐Ÿ˜€

Brita Water Pitcher:

The last new thing we got for our apartment was a Brita water pitcher and filters. Mainly because Johnny was sick of lugging all of my water bottles and gallons after going grocery shopping! Haha, but seriously, the Brita pitcher is awesome. We have both been drinking so much more water, which comes right from our own tap and filters to delicious, safe to drink H20 instantly.

I honestly have never seen Johnny drink as much water since purchasing the Brita pitcher and it is such a positive change. I, myself, have been drinking way more too even though I’m usually pretty good about it. The filters last for one month and they are inexpensive to purchase – I got six on Amazon for twenty-five bucks.

Another great bonus? The pitcher and filters are easily going to pay for themselves since we won’t be purchasing water at the store anymore. You just can’t beat that.

Johnny and I are adulting in our own way and I love it. We also love all of these handy little tools that make life so much easier! ๐Ÿ˜€

What is your favorite appliance? How do you stay young at heart? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Paranormal Activity Pt. 4

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Paranormal Activity Pt. 4

Hello! For those of you who don’t know, I have experienced paranormal activity in my apartment ever since moving in last April. The last occurrence happened in January and, since then, it has been quiet. That is, until my ghostie friend popped by to make his presence known a few days ago.

For Easter, my boyfriend, Johnny, and I received a gift card to Wicked Good Cupcakes from his mom and dad. We ordered our treats online and they arrived packaged in mason jars with plastic silver spoons for each of us. I set the mason jars side by side on my kitchen counter and placed the spoons on top and there they remained until Johnny and I enjoyed them together.

Now, before I tell you what happened, just know that the two plastic spoons had ample space on top of the mason jars, making it impossible for them to fall off. And, the mason jars were placed over half a foot away from the edge of the counter. This sets the stage for a weekend afternoon when:

Johnny and I were watching Community and he got up to get something to drink from the fridge. I was sitting on the couch and facing where he was standing to continue our conversation. Once Johnny got his can of pop, he walked into the entry way where the kitchen meets the living room and stood there to open it.

The entry way Johnny paused in is parallel to my kitchen counter and as he was about to start walking back to the couch, the spoons on top of the cupcake jars fell all the way to the floor. Johnny saw it happen from his peripheral and I saw it happen full on. It literally looked like someone just swept their hand over top of the jars to knock the spoons over… Except there was no one there.

Johnny has heard my “ghost stories” before but never witnessed anything happen himself and I think he was just as shocked, if not more, than I was. I mean, there really is no way that those spoons could have magically been swept off themselves. I don’t know what was more startling – seeing them fall or hearing them clatter loudly once they hit the floor.

For some reason when I was at work, my client and I were talking about ghosts and spirits and I told him about my “haunted” apartment. Then, four to five days later, my ghostie stopped by to remind myself and now my boyfriend that he is always still there. He’s probably so annoyed that Johnny and I are at home constantly because of the stay at home order, lol!!

Have you ever experienced paranormal activity? What are some of your phobias? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dollar Tree Haul

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Dollar Tree Haul

Hello! If you’re anything like me, then I know you love some discount shopping! The Dollar Tree is my happy place and I always seem to be able to find a little treat or some food for chez moi at a fraction of the price of a normal grocery store. Speaking of going grocery shopping, I only go once every two to three months. Since I live alone, I stock up on everything I need to avoid weekly or even biweekly trips to the grocery.

However, I am in the phase of my extended time not grocery shopping where my cupboards are running a little bare. And by a little, I mean I’ve literally ate spaghetti every day for the past week, lol. Luckily, the Dollar Tree has my back and I was able to pick up all of these goodies for a whole thirteen bucks. Check it out:

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Lol, so I know that looks like an excessive amount of the Arizona nachos n’ cheese dip, reminiscent of an adult Lunchable, but it’s actually not enough. These nacho trays are my absolute favorite snack on the planet. The small, circular chips are crisp, the cheese is spicy, and it really is a perfect and highly convenient snack for when I’m at work. And, of course, you need some Sour Skittles to wash it all down. ๐Ÿ˜‰

I am also very partial to the Shells & Cheese kit because you don’t need milk to make it, which is great, because I haven’t had milk in my apartment for months! One of these tiny boxes makes a staggering amount of mac n’ cheese and it ends up feeding me for at least three days. And for a whole dollar, you just can’t beat that.

Finally, I was so pleased with the last sets of fake eyelashes that I purchased from the Dollar Tree that I decided to restock my supply. The last fake lashes I got were long and in funky colors because it was around Halloween when I bought them. They applied like a dream and lasted all night so I’m looking forward to testing out my simple pairs of black lashes on a day where I don’t feel like doing my makeup. Keep tuning in to see how it works out! ๐Ÿ˜€

What is your favorite discount store to shop at? How often do you go grocery shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Paranormal Activity Pt. 3

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Paranormal Activity Pt. 3

Hi! So as all of you know, I have experienced some paranormal activity in my apartment. The major occurrences happened when I first moved in and the last activity before the most recent one took place about a month ago. This spooky situation came about on Friday the tenth around two in the afternoon and it had me SHOOK. So, let’s discuss:

I always have the afternoons off on Friday and some of the days are spent running around doing errands while others involve curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee. This Friday afternoon happened to be one of those days, so I lit my candles, got myself comfortable, and cracked open one of my comic books.

All was going well and I was enjoying my time relaxing when a piece of paper I had on my coffee table FLOATED ON TOP OF ONE OF THE CANDLES. This paper was sitting on top of a board game that was about a foot and a half away from my candles and when I adjusted my head I saw the paper in the air.

Luckily for me, the piece of paper landed on a candle that was burnt down enough that the flame wasn’t going to touch it. But, the candle that it did fall on was about six inches away from a brand new Yankee Candle that I got for Christmas whose two wicks were burning close to the top. Yikes!

Needless to say, I freaked out and phoned my parents who know about the haunting situation in my apartment and they freaked out too. Lol, it was such a crazy thing to have witnessed and I still get goosebumps when I think about it. There was just no way that that paper floating could have happened on its own. It had also been sitting there for months and a situation even remotely similar has never happened.

I have come to associate my “friend” in my apartment with being a man. When I first moved in, I always seemed to hear heavy footsteps at night coming from the office in my top floor apartment. In fact, I used to have to go downstairs to make sure there was no one there.

There is also a mirror in my loft bedroom with a skylight shining directly on it. And, at night when the light from the outdoors is coming in, the shadowy shape that forms behind the mirror looks like a poor silhouette of a man to me. Believe you me, nothing makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up like when I see that at bedtime.

The paranormal activity I had in my apartment in December seemed to be a friendly one but this last occurrence was anything but. I think it will be a good long while before I light my candles again!

What did you do to deal with paranormal activity if you’ve ever experienced any? Does anyone have any advice for me? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah