How easily 6 months can change your life.

This picture caught my eye the other day & made me smile.  It brought back so many memories of 2013.  Thirteen has always been 'my' number.  I was born on the 13th, met my husband, got engaged & got married all on the 13th.  I was just sure Hazelnut would be born on the 13th- a week early (but she wasn't).

So my entire life I'd been looking forward to the year 2013.  I mean-- a whole year of the number 13?  What could be better?

I'm not sure what I expected to happen, but I am thankful for the year that we had.  Each negative thing had a positive right behind it to overshadow it.  I crave stability in life & this year has been full of stability.

Back to the picture.  It was taken in April at our old apartment.  If you had told me in April (the month taxes were due. mind you) that we'd be in our own house right now I would have laughed.  Even Josh, the big dreamer, probably would have laughed.  Some unexpected taxes had battered our savings & although we knew we could save it again, a down payment & mortgage was just out of the question.

But six months later, we were signing a large stack of paperwork & painting our new house.  Two and a half months later I'm still in shock.  God's blessings have been so great this year, I can't even understand it.  I'm so thankful for it.


The apartment seems like it was years ago.  Our house has only ever know one other owner.  We hear stories about the family that lived there-- all wonderful, heartwarming stories.  They raised their children there, grew old together, and you can feel it as soon as you walk in.

I can't wait to continue that tradition & I'm honored to be a part of it.  Here's to many more fantastic years.

Six months can easily change you life-- for the better or for the worse.  Life is fragile, and I'm thankful mine was for the better & pray that continues.

It's Amazing What a Little Paint Will Do!

We loved the nursery we had set up in the apartment... until we finished the nursery in our house!  It is absolutely amazing what a paint of coat can change.

Basically all the same items, but wood floors & lovely walls.  Robins Nest by Benjamin Moore.  We used the Natura no-VOC paint & loved it!  No smell, no headache, and it went on super smooth.

The problem with apartment complexes.

I am by no means an expert, but I have been living in an apartment since 2008.  Five years, 4 apartments, 3 states.  I've seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.  I've cried more times in an apartment office than I'd care to admit.  There are many things I would change about apartment living, but it can all be summed up into one statement.

Apartment companies care more about getting the next tenant than keeping the current one.

Over & over again it rings true.  If you've ever lived in an apartment, I'm sure you'll relate.  If not, then just count your blessings.  Apartments in general aren't bad-- they're actually great!  But being treated poorly is not something I want to experience at my home.

Opposing incentives:  $300 off first months rent!  $50 extra per month for renewing your lease for another year.  Want to go month to month?  That'll be $300 extra per month.  Sure, prices increase over time, but wouldn't it be nice if just for once they would give $300 off your rent for renewing for another year?  It wouldn't hurt as bad when they increase your rent if they gave you the same incentives they gave new tenants.  Or... if they just kept your rent the same price for another year.  After living somewhere for two years you tend to be a lot more committed.

Putting their focus on the wrong people:  Whether it's not returning calls, not being timely with maintenance, or being downright rude, it is clear that future tenants come first.  This goes right along with #1-  new tenants get a lower price than current tenants.  Treating tenants poorly makes for a high turnover... and therefore needing more tenants.  But imagine if an apartment complex continued to care for their tenants?  They might actually keep their tenants & not have to work so hard to get new ones!  Future tenants are important, but they can't always come first at the expense of others.

Lack of customer service:  I've always been a people pleaser.  I want everyone to be happy, which involves finding lots of creative solutions.  At any job, you sometimes drop the ball.  Or someone else drops the ball.  It's unfortunate, but it happens, and the best way to handle it is to start by admitting it.  'I'm sorry' goes a long way!  Explaining the situation doesn't hurt, if it's appropriate, but don't use it as an excuse.  "This didn't happen because ________" is not a great way to talk to customers.  "I'm very sorry this didn't happen.  We have been very busy lately & are working on hiring an extra person to help out with this" is much better.  I've never been argued with as much as with an apartment office.  I don't want to argue-- I just want someone to care about the situation.  They don't even have to fix it (as often it's 'not in their control'), they just have to care.

4) Outright lying:  Of course we have the bait & switch.  "We have a newborn & a dog- will you let us know before construction workers come & redo the cabinets?"  "Of course!  We can just call ahead."  In reality, I had people coming in & out constantly.  They were from a 3rd party construction company that didn't have company ID badges.  So anyone dressed like a construction worker was supposed to just come right in & make themselves at home with me & my newborn baby.
When we were doing newborn pictures in our living room with my 8 day old baby?  People were barging in left & right.  I'd gotten used to it, but seeing the horror in the others faces made me realize-- this is not okay.  They will say just about anything to get you to sign that lease.  "Tell me more about this non-refundable 'secure deposit.'" "Oh, when you move out, it covers any damages, up to $500!" In reality, it's an insurance policy that covers the apartment complex up to $500 if they have to file a claim.  And if they have to file a claim, the insurance company comes after us to pay for the claim.
Then there was the time I returned to my apartment with my 2 week old baby to find that the entire place smelled like paint thinner, which they'd used on the cabinets.  They were fully aware that I had a baby, as they'd been there nearly every day since we got home from the hospital.  I needed to pump, my baby needed a nap, and I couldn't even go inside my own place because I didn't want it to harm her.  I was on the phone, in tears.  Of course, no one at the office answered, so I had to go there in person.
They typically have high turnover in employees, so they often don't suffer the consequences of lying. By the time that tenant goes to move out, that employee is long gone.  The apartment offers up that that's the reason why they're gone.  *insert eye roll here*

I could go on & on with stories like those.  You feel ridiculous to get every little thing written & signed, but it's what you have to do.  They make promises and will do whatever it takes to get a tenant in the door.

Don't get me wrong... I know there are places here & there that are totally great to their current tenants.  You don't hear of those places very much because, well, they're not advertising for new tenants!  They already have great tenants & are pretty good at keeping them.

Bottom line: Care about people.  Future tenants are important, but if an apartment complex does their job well, then they won't have to worry about getting as many future tenants.

If you're interested, I have plenty of additional stories about apartment living.  My stories are pretty mild compared to others!

Oh Pinterest!

We have a good sized apartment, but the kitchen is tiny.  Teeny tiny.  Like, we're in a 3 bedroom & it's about half the size of the kitchen we had in a one bedroom.  And what our friends think is a pantry next to our kitchen is actually a laundry area.  Most of our kitchen appliances are in our hall closet, and some of the food items are stored above our washing machine!

I. hate. that.  How gross?  I keep it to items that are well packaged, but still.

So last night I saw a pin on Pinterest & it got me to thinking.  It suggested using an old armoire as a pantry.  And that's when it hit me... we have a china cabinet that we don't even use!  It's just sitting in the dining room, abandoned from when we decided to start painting it 3 years ago (I didn't get very far at all).

And after moving this last time, I refused to unpack the China again until we buy a house.  That leaves a bunch of awkward pictures in our cabinet & my Willow Tree items that have to be kept away from Hazelnut.

Here's the before & after:

Much better, right?  Obviously, with the glass doors, using it as a pantry is out of the question, but our plates, cups & bowls fit perfectly in there!  And now we have an entire 2nd cabinet in our kitchen dedicated to... food!  No more storing food above the washing machine.

And I now have extra storage room in the laundry area!

I think I'm going to clean out the bottom shelves (not pictured above) & make it a kid-friendly area.  Currently I'm storing baby bottles & candles in there.  The bottles have to go, & I'll find another place for the candles.  The knobs on the doors are very widely spaced, so there are a few extra steps to baby-proofing it.  I'd rather just skip that & let her enjoy the area!