To celebrate 5 years of blogging I wanted to highlight some ways that this blog has actually transformed over the years.  

|1| Started as a Simple Advice Blog
I literally used to only post when a reader asked me a question.  I would respond in the advice column format.   It was okay at first but it kind of got boring, which when I realized I needed to just post advice filled posts rather than just Q&A's.  

|2| It used to be Reviews & Giveaways Galore
Yep,  I used to have at least 5-6 giveaways a week.  I realized after a while that while it helped me build my traffic up, I needed more organic posts that didn't have sponsored content or free goodies.  Even when I reviewed a product I had to do it in more of an editorial way. 

|3| My Outfit Photos used to be on a Point and Shoot
It wasn't really all that bad but it is nowhere the quality I can get today. 

|4| I Don't Post Every Day
I used to post every single day.  I realize that is a lot for someone to keep up with if they have a life.  So I don't post on weekends, and sometimes I take 1 day off a week to not post.   Usually only one post goes up each day rather than 2-3. 

|5| I Utilize Social Media Better
Before, I only used social media to help share my posts. Now I post things on specific channels only, and I actually engage more with my readers. 

I hope you've noticed some of these things over the years.  What's the most memorable change you've seen on Ask Away? 

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5 Things That Happened This Year [Ask Away Turns 5]

This was quite a year for me and I made sure to document everything on my blog.  Here's a look at 5 big things that happened to me this year. 

|1| I Paid Off All My Debt

From over 18k in debt several years ago, the whole way to zero!  It took several years and a lot of discipline but I made sure to document my Debt Snowball progress every month with how much I had left. The feeling it left me with is absolutely amazing.  I feel so free.  

|2| Bought A House

Within a month of paying my debt off, we actually found our dream home. It literally popped up out of nowhere as we were just beginning to take a self-prescribed break from house hunting.   Within 24 hours we made an offer and had it accepted.   One month later, on June 17th we moved in! If you missed the first ever home tour check it out here.

|3| Rocky's Heart

In February, I was shocked to learn that Rocky had an enlarged heart. I was literally devastated and my world had stopped turning.   I kept everyone updated with the doctor's appointments and the results and I'm happy to say that Rocky is doing great now and his medicine is working for him.  It's a relief but it's also bittersweet because I know his heart condition will never just disappear. 

|4| Partnering with Rockvale Outlets Lancaster

In my first really big local partnership, I actually worked with Rockvale Outlets Lancaster to show my readers all the different things you can buy there. It was a blast, to say the least. 

|5| Minimized My Closet

I went through a few months of major KonMari (google it!) and ended up with a much smaller and more practical joyfilled wardrobe!! Read all about it here! 

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How I'm Staying Organized Lately

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Buying and moving into a new house has been quite the experience.   Although I'm settled in right now, there are plenty of times you can catch me in a tizzy especially after a project or a busy weekend of entertaining.  So here are some of the ways I'm staying organized lately.

1//TLC
I've been enjoying yard work and laying out to get some Vitamin D but it definitely can dry out my skin and lips. So I've been staying moisturized with Savannah Bee Company products like Tupelo Honey Body Lotion and the Southern Combo of Lip Balm including Sweet Tea, Key Lime, and Peach! The flavors are fantastic and aren't greasy or chalky. They soak right in and leave me moisturized for quite some time.  They have softening honey in them and pure propolis.  I also love that they don't test on animals and don't contain any harsh ingredients. The body lotion has really saved my skin especially after a weekend in the sun!  

2//Keeping Track of Money
Part of getting a new house is getting plenty of gift cards.   It's been quite chaotic keeping track of gift cards and coupons but I love this brilliant product - SleevePal! SleevePal allows me to keep track of the balances on my gift cards. I no longer have to find a sharpie to write on the actual cards. Now I just grab a pen at the register and write down whatever balance the receipt says is left.  This is also a brilliant idea as a gift whenever you give somebody a gift card.  I love the awesome selection of designs.   The Zebra print is my favorite but for a classier look the Linen with colored foil sleeves are quite pretty!
 

3// Less Baggage
While I love my handbags, sometimes it's a pain to have to tote one around everywhere.  So for quick trips or when I want to keep all my important items together I use CardNinja!   CardNinja is convenient and has a slim design that can hold cash and up  to 8 cards in one compact. And the best part is - you can put it right on the back of your smartphone. It even comes in different colors like Black, Steel, Eggplant, Gold, Blue, or Pink.  It has a spandex sleeve with a 3M adhesive so everything stays in place even if you flip it over. I love using this in the grocery store especially.  And it makes a great gift. And not to worry - if you ever want to remove CardNinja it will remove cleanly from any phone or case!


Could any of the above help you stay more organized?

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Castro Convertibles Ottoman | A 3-in-1 Addition For the Home

I've always been a HUGE fan of anything that serves more than one purpose, especially when it comes to items in the home.  So I am so thrilled to tell you all about a piece of furniture that serves 3 purposes: décor, a bed, and a storage solution.   


It's from Castro Convertibles, a family furniture company from New York that has re-launched with a new, innovative convertible ottoman which is ideal for contemporary living.     So let's look at the 3 ways this beautiful ottoman can be used.

|1| A Decorative Ottoman
Whether you want to use the Castro Convertible Ottoman as a coffee table in your living room, or even a chaise lounge for when you want to relax a little more, or an extra seat if you have a full house, it looks great!  This is ideal for small spaces like dorm rooms, apartments, bedrooms, and living rooms.  It even comes with a removable slipcover which helps dress it up for your own home.

|2| A Bed
The age old problem of having guests and not enough beds is now SOLVED! The Castro Convertible Ottoman folds out and offers a luxurious five-inch thick Castropedic mattress.  This ottoman is also constructed with a wooden slat design so it's sturdy and offers locking castors for a smooth and safe experience.  The Castro Convertible Ottoman comes in 2 sizes - 33" wide for a single bed or 39" wide for a twin bed.    The best part is, you can use it in whatever room you want! It's also ideal for someone that has trouble (possibly after a surgical procedure) with stairs and needs to sleep on the first floor of their home.  Even if your guests decide last minute that they want to stay over, you can easily and quickly convert the ottoman into a bed.





|3| A Storage Piece
When not in use, you can basically forget you even have an extra bed for guests because the bed folds right back up into an ottoman.  That means it's easy clean up and you can put your home back to normal.  No more worrying about inflating or deflating air mattresses, or setting up bulky cots that you have to store away downstairs.  No more worrying about having to find space to store an extra mattress - it's right there!


The 33" Ottoman is priced at $699 and the 39" at $799 and both ship free in the continental United States.


What way would you use this in the most? 

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5 of My Most Popular Posts [Ask Away Turns 5]

To celebrate my blog turning 5 this week I'll be featuring things in 5's.   Today we will look at 5 of my most popular posts this year. 

|1| My Guide to Being on A Budget

I think this post will always be a big hit. It basically covers how to get on a budget and stay with it.  If you ever wondered how I did it, here you go!

|2|My Filofax Budget Envelope System

In addition to the budget post, this post shows how I use the cash envelope system. 

|3| Our House Tour

Buying a house this year was an amazing accomplishment and the much anticipated initial home tour was a huge hit!

|4|How I Became Debt Free

Obviously this was another big accomplishment but was also a great way to answer everyone's questions on how I did it!

|5| The Many Benefits of The KonMari Method

Earlier this year I actually embraced the very famous Konmari Method to purge and reorganize my posessions and my life.  This was a great summary of the method and a look back at how it changed me. 

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A Few Tips for Organizing A Garage

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While our garage in our new home is nowhere near being finished we are excited that we have some storage solutions so I figured I'd share them with you today in the form of tips for organizing a garage.

1. Use Shelves
We got lucky when the last owner left this storage cabinet behind.  Inside there are plenty of shelves to store all our painting, auto detailing, and bug spray product needs.

2.  Group Like Items Together
As with any room in your house, you should always keep similar items together.  The spray paints are in one area, rags in another, but everything stays together because it's easier to put things back in their place right after you use them. 

3. Use Portable Storage
I love gardening but I don't like making trips back and forth to get the little hand tools I need.   So I got a little lightweight gardening box that I use to carry around the yard with me when I work.  Inside it has a kneeling pad, gloves, hand shovel and a hand rake.  It makes it so much easier to keep everything with me as I make my way down the flowerbeds. 

4.  Hang Items Off The Floor

The worst part about yard tools is that they take up a lot of floor space if you just lean them up against the wall.  That's why we use the Large Garden Tool Rack from Susquehanna Garage Solutions. Not only does it have a lifetime warranty but it only took 15 minutes to install. It can hold over 20 tools.   It also makes it so much easier to find the tool I need. I used to have to check the bottom of each tool and hope I grabbed the right handle at the top.  Now everything is displayed easily and ready to grab.   It's cleared up so much floor space and it's also made it a safer environment for us and our cars. Who wants their car scratched if a rake falls on it?

Speaking of garages - let me show you what we did to the windows. This was before...

The sunlight could get right in and it made it sooooo hot inside the garage.   I felt like I couldn't breathe. Also, I didn't like that people could see right in.

And this was after...

These Mosaic Privacy Film Decals from WallPops were perfect to give us privacy and it cuts out UV rays so it doesn't get super hot.  I love them so much! It looks like it's actually part of the window but it's just a decal! And they were super easy to cut and apply!   



How do you organize your garage?

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