Monday, February 6, 2017

making a rented house a home

(jeans are 7fam!...and apparently we really like fleece)
First of all, how cute are my boys?!

This is us in front of our current house that we are renting. We got super lucky when we found this house to rent at the beginning of third year of school, and have been quite happy with it - it's small (around 900 square feet) but currently the perfect size for us, has a small back yard, has a washer & dryer, and a garage. We couldn't have found a better house for us!

I've been renting homes for the past ten years, since my sophomore year of college. Over the past decade, I've learned a lot about how to make a rented space your own. It's difficult sometimes to make a house that's not yours into something that feels like home - sometimes you can't paint or hang things on the walls, or have the type of flooring you want. There are things you can't change - for example, our house has very little natural lighting, and no ceiling lighting either! I wish we had hardwood floors, but we have carpet and linoleum. Those are structural things I can't do anything about, but how everything else looks in my house - that I have control over!

Here are some of the things I've noticed make the biggest differences in the places I've rented, from choosing similar furniture to fresh flowers to personalized art.

make it cozy with blankets and throw pillows
This probably sounds silly, but I never realized how much of a difference a soft throw and some pillows make it your living room. We have this amazing fuzzy throw I found at Target a few years ago (this current version seems very similar), and it's one of my favorite household items! It just makes the space so much more inviting, plus if you live in drafty house like we do...you'll be happy you have it! Another cute option is this faux shearling throw with tassels. Target is obviously a goldmine when it comes to cozy throws and fun throw pillows - check out these cute faux fur pillows! Definitely going to sneak those into our cart the next time we are at Target! Anyway - if you have a living room you want to make a bit cozier, a simple throw and pillows make a big difference. Our pillows are all white/grey/black, which makes it easy to mix and match with other pillows in the house. 

buying cheap furniture or painting old furniture? go cohesive

When I moved to Pennsylvania from Wisconsin for medical school, I moved in just my car. All I brought with me were my dogs, my clothes, and a few personal things. When I got there, I rented a U-Haul truck and drove to Ikea to buy furniture - I didn't own real furniture before (I always had roommates who owned a few key pieces of furniture, plus my childhood bed), so this was my chance to start fresh. I bought a desk, bookshelf, bed, bedside table, and a dresser...all in white. Now that I live in a house with CR, the furniture is a bit more spread out, but because it all "goes" together, it makes our space look a bit more grown up. CR has an old dresser from his childhood that is painted white and navy, which was perfect for our bedroom. I would of course love to have really nice furniture that isn't all one color, but has more dimension and special features, but for now, our white furniture gives our house some cohesion and a grown up feel that mismatched furniture wouldn't have.

add unique home decor

Like I said, Target is a great place to find really cute picture frames, stand alone decorations, and candles. I have a few nice vases from Jonathan Adler and coasters from Kate Spade via Shopbop that are small touches that make a big difference in smaller darker rented spaces. We also love having a few trays throughout the house to corral remotes and jewelry and so on!

a gallery wall shows off your life and creativity 
I wrote a post last year about how to create a gallery wall, and it's still one of my favorite things in our house! This is great especially if you aren't allowed to paint the walls - you can even use those command strips if you aren't allowed to put nails into the walls. I love that it combines all different parts of my life and gifts from loved ones - the antlers are from a deer shot by my grandpa (who died when I was a freshman in college), the Rifle Paper company poster in the top left was signed by the artist and gifted to me by a dear friend, a few Etsy prints used as motivation, a print from Minted, a poster from my university, and a calendar that changes every month. We also have a smaller collection of pictures and prints above our bed.

flowers (fresh or fake) brighten up the room
Fresh flowers are one of my biweekly splurges - I just love how they bring a bit of cheeriness into our kitchen! For those of you near a Trader Joe's - they have the best and cheapest flowers! We unfortunately don't have one where I live, so I always make sure to stop at a TJ when I'm in a larger city. I also have several sets of fake flowers - one on our bookshelf and one at my desk. They are from Michaels, and unless you look really closely, you can't tell they are fake! 

celebrate where you're from
cheese board | butter dish | recipe box | beer cap map
Coming from a place with a lot of state pride, I love having just a few Wisconsin related things around the house! Our cheese board was a house warming present from my parents (it doesn't get any more Wisconsin than cheese!). I love it next to the cow butter dish - it's just a little bit of home here in Ohio. My parents got CR this beer cap map for Christmas a few years ago. He obviously needs to drink a few more local NY beers, but I think it's such a fun way to combine where you're from with where you currently live! Uncommon Goods has a ton of state related items if you are looking for inspiration (my favorites include the magnetic key holder and embroidered pillows). Minted also has gold foiled prints of all the states, which I think would be really cute hung up with each of your states next to each other.

and celebrate where you've been together
When I ran across these gold foiled prints from Minted a few months ago, I knew I had to get them. I love the idea of getting ones for every place you live together and lining them up! You can adjust the map to where ever you want (and how zoomed in or out it is), and it prints out to this cute map with the address on the bottom right. I'm already excited to get our one for our home next year too! If you live in bigger cities, they also have pre-made ones. We also started to keep track of all the states we have visited together. I found this globe at Target, and we just drew on the US, and have filled in states as we go! We have a few more states to go ;)

diy things you can move to other houses
The summer between first and second year of school, I really wanted to make a pinboard for our kitchen. I found a tutorial, and made it in an afternoon. It was the perfect item for our kitchen at the time - we used it to hang up pictures of us, bills, and little notes. It was also perfect for when CR and I moved in together because it's a bigger item that can go on the wall, but because it's in a neutral color, it goes with everything! It now hangs next to my desk and holds all sorts of things - sentimental family pictures, post cards from places we've visited, cards from friends, our Christmas card, and my band letter. I love that I made it, so it's a bit more personal, but that it will fit into any house we rent or buy.

plants bring a bit of life to the room

Same as flowers, I love a few plants throughout the house to liven up the rooms a bit. We don't have a ton because our cat likes to punch her teeth through them, but a few have made it out alive! I use one of those slow watering pots too so I can be forgetful about watering them.

find personalized art for your walls
Since you may not be able to paint your walls, you may as well cover them with things you can control! We have several pieces of art hanging around our house that are special to us. I worked with Minted last year, and got two prints of our star signs that hang in the bathroom - I love that it's not super overbearing in your face, but is a personal to us. CR and I go to a lot of Dave Matthews concerts (it's one of our favorite things to do together), and so I found him a "vintage" (ie from 2010) poster on eBay and had it framed for our hallway.

embrace being a renter

Maybe this is temporary, or you plan on being a renter forever, but there are definite perks about not owning a house (my favorite: if something goes wrong, someone else has to fix it!). We love our little home, and will look back fondly at our time in our rented house. I'm glad we got to have it be our first home together, and that we've found a way to make it feel like our home.



Sunday, February 5, 2017

top three [02.05.2017]

montreal post coming soon!

on the internet
  • Are you an adult that doesn't know how to find new friends? Same. Jamie has a bunch of tips on how to make friends as an adult. 
  • Joyce shares her top K-beauty picks (and as a dermatology resident, I always trust what she has to say!)
  • Are you a blogger? Then you need to go read this post. 

spotted
  • After another pair of booties didn't look right on me (this time it was this pair from Sam Edelman), I've decided maybe booties just aren't going to work for me...but maybe a Chelsea boot will? I'm going to order Louise et Cie's version - I just really want a pair of shoes I can wear in the winter with socks but aren't full riding boots! Why is this so hard? 
  • YOU GUYS. Canvas transport totes are here!!! And they are amazing. I want the olive color and I want it monogrammed. OMG. 
  • Y'all know I'm a huge Express cami fan...but I recently tried out these seamless tanks, and may be converted! It just has a way of sucking everything in for you, but not making you feel super constricted like other shape wear. If you try them for yourself, I suggest sizing up. An x-large fits me very well.

  • I'm about to start my 3rd year of medical school (well, really just about to start Step studying, but dreaming about starting 3rd year!). Do you have any good suggestions for healthy snacks to keep in white coat pockets? I'm allergic to nuts and it has been hard to find granola/power bars that I can eat so far.
    • That is a tough situation, since you're right, so many granola bars have nuts in them! One of the snacks I have a lot is turkey sticks - you can fit 4 of them in a snack zip lock bag, which takes up as much room as a granola bar. For bars themselves, I really like Quest bars, and most flavors don't have nuts in them (I like the cookies and cream and cookie dough! Dried fruit and fruit leather are also two options you can keep in your white coat pocket. Plus there's everyone's go-to snack at the hospital - those mini packages of graham crackers ;)
  • If you had to pick you favorite pullover/sweater/fleece would you choose the Patagonia Better Sweater or LL Bean Pullover? Both look so cozy!
    • That is so mean to make me choose!! I guess it really depends on what I'm doing - I prefer my LL Bean Pullover for when I'm at home or out for the day, but I like my Patagonia sweater more for work because it's a full zip. I can't even choose - they are both amazing! 
  • I'm looking to try a new face cleanser - which one do you currently use and would you recommend it? 
    • I've been using the Paula's Choice cleanser for a few years now, and am still a big fan. It's gentle, it cleans your skin, and my skin improved greatly since using it. I don't think a cleanser makes as much of a difference as other skin care products, but I'm very happy with this one...plus it's cheap and one bottle lasts forever. 

on franish

notable sales
  • Express: 30% off all dresses (just in time for Valentine's Day!)
    • I was actually surprised how pretty this ruffled dress is - I would never have guessed it was from Express based on how ladylike it is!
    • An off the shoulder jumpsuit is the perfect outfit for a Galentine's Day dinner!
    • A shirt dress keeps it casual while the color still celebrates "the holiday". 
  • J.Crew Factory: 40% off everything
    • I have the inverse of this dress (see it here) and also kind of need this version too. So freaking cute (my warning: it fits on the shorter side, so this may be just a weekend dress for some of you!).
    • The pattern on this sweater is adorable - it would go with everything!
    • Did you know that JCF now has athletic wear? I didn't! Their reversible hoodie is too cute. 

at home
  • Like I mentioned previously, my sister is here for the weekend! She had an interview last week, and is staying with us until Tuesday. My sister has actually never seen where I have lived for the past three years, and Thursday was the first time she and CR met! Kind of crazy, but also what happens when your family lives all over the place!
  • We went to Cleveland yesterday for the day - we visited the West Side Market, went to a few parks (mostly for the photo ops), saw Hidden Figures (so so good), and met up with CR's buddy for dinner. It was such a fun afternoon!
  • Vacation is officially over! Tomorrow I start my next rotation - I'll be with a private ObGyn attending for the next month, and I am so excited! It'll be fun to see this side of ObGyn, as I've never worked with just one attending for a whole month. I'm very excited :)
ps. happy birthday caitlin!!! xoxo

Saturday, February 4, 2017

healthyish, vol. 6


CR and I went on vacation to Montreal for most of this week! We rarely get to travel together, and so we definitely made the most of it. The diet was pretty much put on hold - Montreal is a huge foodie city, and we definitely took advantage! Croissants, pizza, risotto, bagels, crepes, poutine - we had it all! It was awesome. Like I said last week, the important thing now is to get right back to how we were doing before we left rather than lament how much awesome (but not as healthy) food we ate. I think it's so easy to do really well on a diet and exercise plan for a few weeks, and then a few days away can kind of make it easy to slide back into old habits. I start back with normal life on Monday with a new rotation, so I'm excited to start meal prepping and booking more exercise classes. Thank you for being my motivation - nothing like writing about what you ate on the internet to get your butt in gear!

exercise:
We were in Montreal Monday through Thursday, and while there, I didn't do any formal work out routine...but on Tuesday, we walked over 9 miles, so I'm counting it! I also made it to the gym a few times for some cardio sessions, and a spin class with my sister today. 

Sunday: 45 minutes on the elliptical 
Tuesday: 9+ miles of walking
Wednesday: 6 miles of walking
Friday: 45 minutes/150 flights on the stairmaster
Saturday: 1 hour spin class (a new 'calories burned' PR - thanks, hills!)

diet:
Like I said...not much "healthy" food this week. One of my favorite meals from the trip was a Montreal bag with lox - so so good! At home, CR made a vegetarian chili (my sister is a vegetarian) so we've been eating that for quite a few meals. This morning I made us my favorite breakfast bowls: sweet potato, chicken breakfast sausage, black beans, and poached eggs. 

goals:

Last week's goals: walk 10,000 steps every day we are in Montreal, make two healthy meals in our Air BnB we are renting, enjoy all the delicious food Montreal has to offer 
    - 10,000 steps: definitely got those in! 
    - 2 healthy meals: .....yeah, this did not happen. Can you blame me? I can't.
    - Enjoy the delicious food: YEP. done and done!

Next week's goals: 
    - Drink only water this week
    - Pack a lunch + snacks for every work day
    - Work out four times 

treat for the upcoming week: We are going to our friends' house for the Superbowl. I'm going to eat some chili before we go so I'm not super hungry and gorge myself on cheese dip, and we are bringing somewhat healthier food for our part of the potluck (carrots + dip, deviled eggs, and cowboy caviar). I'm still going to allow myself a few bites of the other food, but I'm going to try to not to go overboard. Since we had quite a bit more alcohol on our trip than we normally do, I'd like to only drink water this upcoming week, so I'll bring some sparkling water along. 

weigh in: I'm not weighing myself after vacation for the same reason I didn't before - a bit of post-vacation bloat plus the food we ate will definitely show up on the scale, so I don't want to be discouraged. I'll wait until next Friday to do a weigh in! 


Monday, January 30, 2017

january budget

Madewell top: originally $110, on sale for $100
Caslon sweater: originally $70, on sale for $50
Limited pants: $40 + $25 for tailoring 

January budget: $245


Quarterly budget: $500 - $100 in November - $155 in December + $245 in January

Another quarter of budgeting down! I knew I had a bit of room left in my budget when I went down to Miami, so when I tried on this flowy top at Madewell, I went with it. I love it, and wore it the whole weekend. It probably wasn't the most thought through purchase I've ever made for the amount spent, but it's my little souvenir from the weekend. In a more practical purchase, my pants I ordered from The Limited finally showed up (a month later), and I went to take the first pair to get tailored last week. I'm excited to finally have a new pair of my favorite work pants (especially since The Limited is officially closed, both in stores and online). This month I also purchased two sweaters, kind of by accident that they are both grey. I love them for different reasons - the BP sweater is perfect for layering and throwing on for travel (which I did last week), while the cowl neck sweater is definitely a bit more fun but so comfy and warm. 

Waiting for me at home is this ruffled bib blouse as well as that pretty lace top, both from Loft. I'll be sure to do a review, and if I keep either, I'll include them in next month's budget!

Keeping it short today, so if you are sharing your budget post this month with us, I'm so excited you are here, and I can't wait to hear all about it!

Sunday, January 29, 2017

top three [01.29.2017]

closet inventories throughout the years


on the internet

spotted
  • In the newly obsessed department, this cowl neck sweater is aaaaaamazing. Full review coming soon, but it's longer, has pockets (!), and is super comfy. I find it fits true to size. 
  • This is kind of random, but how freaking CUTE is this fluffy pillow?! If I had it my way, that would be out in our house some day all year long. I <3 it ;)
  • Old Navy is killing it with their open cardigan - I can't decide if I love the grey or blue more!

ask me anything
  • My BFF just broke up with her boyfriend of 4+ years. She's in her first year of med school, and I'm halfway across the country from her. I know you experienced something similar. What are the best ways for me to help her through this, especially while I'm so far away?
    • Man, that sucks. Break ups during the first part of medical school are super common, unfortunately, and like you said, I also went through that when I started. I think there are certain things you can do just like you would if you were there for her! You can set up google hang outs with your friends and all drink wine in your separate parts of the country to give her some time to vent while still having girl time. I also think sending a cute box with presents is a great idea - it doesn't have to be anything huge and expensive, but just something to show you care. You can send things like chocolate or her favorite candy, a fuzzy blanket (something to cuddle up with), maybe a new DVD that's out (she's busy but she'll have certain nights off in the week), fun new pens (everyone loves cute office supplies), a new lipstick (I suggest a fun pink one!), and a funny card to tell her you love her. I think you're a great friend for looking for ways to cheer her up, and just being there for her as someone to talk to is the best thing you can do for her. 
  • A while back I saw your post about only washing your hair twice per week. I've been doing the same thing for the past few years (so much better for my curls!). But I still struggle with my post-work out hair. What do you do to keep your hair fresh when you get all sweaty and gross or when your hair gets wet in the shower?
    • Great question! So before I work out, I put some dry shampoo in my hair - this helps soak up some of the sweat and also makes your hair less likely to get super gross afterwards. When I work out, I put my hair in a high ponytail and then loosely braid my hair. Then I use a soft hairband - these don't leave dents in your hair, which is key! As soon as I am done working out and get in the car, I take my hair down from the braid and then throw it up into a loose bun so that it doesn't crease from the braid. In the shower, I always use a shower cap! You will definitely look a little bit silly, but it keeps the moisture and water away from your hair to preserve your curls, or in my case, to prevent it from getting super frizzy. I also tend to wash my hair the day before I don't work out, so I have at least one day where I can keep my hair down, and then I typically will pin my hair back the rest of the days after I've worked out. 
  • I'm moving from Arizona to Wisconsin next month, and have no idea what I'm supposed to wear when I get there. What would you suggest are winter staples?
    • Ooooh, I'm so excited for you! I love Wisconsin! But I can also see as someone who is from a much warmer weather that it can be intimidating to move to somewhere where it is typically below zero. The first thing you absolutely need is a winter jacket. What kind you get is very dependent on your own style, how much you'll be outside, and what line of work you do (it's different if you work in a lab versus being a lawyer). Some good options include Cole Haan's down coat (it's sleek, black, and looks incredibly warm), Columbia's hooded parka, and if you prefer a wool coat, I've heard great things about J.Crew's parka! Next is boots! Again, this depends on what you do and how much you'll be outside, but I suggest a pair of real winter boots and a pair of leather boots. I love my Sorel's, so those would be a great option. Since it's the end of the season for stores, there are a ton of boots on sale right now! Sam Edelman has a pretty classic pair on sale, as well as Vince Camuto. I wear a lot of SmartWool socks because they keep your feet warm and dry - they are a bit pricy, but last forever (the pairs I have are over five years old!). You'll want some warm gloves (this tech version is actually pretty darn cute!), a hat or earmuffs, and a few comfy sweaters too. Lastly, while not at all clothing related, I highly suggest getting a headed mattress pad - we are completely obsessed with it, and it's what makes winters around here tolerable. 

on franish

notable sales

at home
  • I have been in love with Mumford and Sons for about five years now, and have always wanted to see them live, but it never worked out. They just announced that they are playing three extra shows this spring, and one of them is only an hour away from our house! So four days before graduation, we are going to see them  AND I AM SO EXCITED. 
  • Other things I'm currently excited for - Montreal!! We don't have a ton planned as we just decided to go last week, but you guys have left so many great suggestions that I'm excited to explore!
  • Happy birthday to my sister, Viktoria! Those of you who follow along on snapchat (@fhasselhof) know her as the girl who loves to put on a good show. She's actually coming to visit us in Ohio next week, so we'll see if we can't find a good song for her to dance to this time!

Saturday, January 28, 2017

healthyish, vol. 5

This week was definitely a week of making "better choices" than the "best choice". I was traveling for all about two of the days, between flying home from Miami, driving up to Michigan with CR for his last interview, and now in Rochester on our way to Montreal. For me for the next week, it's really the most important to continue to make better choices than the best possible. I feel it's easy to be really "good" for about four weeks, and then something like a vacation can totally throw off the momentum - you get back from your trip and just don't get back into healthy habits. After we get back from vacation next week, it'll be back to cooking healthy meals at home and fitting in as many work outs as possible. I think writing this series has definitely helped me stay focused so far, and will definitely help next week when I go back to normal life again. I'm looking forward to our time in Montreal and trying the great food there (hello, poutine!!), and then when we get back and start our next rotation, it'll be back to meal prepping and spin class.

exercise:

I have never been one to exercise on trips, but I'm proud that I made a point to do it this week! On Monday while still in Miami, my cousin and I went to a Flywheel class - we walked the 1.5 miles there and back from our apartment, so we even got our steps in too! While up in Michigan while CR was at his interview, I went to my first Pure Barre platform class. I used to go to Pure Barre quite a bit, but haven't gone in over a year. I really like the platform version because it has more cardio, and the jumps were so fun! Today I'm feeling the good amount of sore, which I like since I can still walk and move my arms, but I know that my muscles got a good work out! I'm definitely going to try to do a few more of those classes once in a while. 

Monday: 45 minutes Flywheel
Wednesday: 1 hour spin class
Friday: 1 hour Pure Barre platform class

diet:

Since I was only home for two days this week, there was minimal cooking, and since we are going to be gone for the next week, we didn't have much left around the house to cook with anyway. I made some spaghetti squash with pesto and turkey meatballs - so good (and easy!). We had a dinner of chicken sausage and broccoli tots. My cousin and I tried an acai bowl after Flywheel - I'm glad I finally got to try one, but I'll be honest, not really something I see myself really eating in the future. While traveling, it was all about "better choices, not best choices". At the airport I got nuts instead of chips. I ate my sandwich opened faced instead of the full bun. While driving up to Michigan, I got some Chick Fil A nuggets without fries, instead of a full sandwich and meal. Are chicken nuggets the healthiest choice ever? Nope - but they were the better choice, and that's what I feel I'm trying to do here. 

goals:

Last week's goals: pack healthy snacks for our trip to Michigan and Rochester, go to spin three times and go on a long walk with the dogs.
    - Healthy snacks: done! We packed nuts, protein bars, hippeas, and waters. 
    - 3 spin classes: didn't happen (only 2) but I did accomplish my new exercise goal from last week, so I'll call it even
    - Long walk with the dogs: going this afternoon!

Next week's goals:
    - Walk 10,000 steps every day we are in Montreal
    - Make two healthy meals in our Air BnB we are renting
    - Enjoy all the delicious food Montreal has to offer ;)

treats:  our vacation in Montreal! 

weigh in: down 1.4 lbs, total of 5.8 lbs

Friday, January 27, 2017

closet inventory, 2017

In 2014, I posted my first closet inventory post. I found it a pretty enlightening experience - I had more clothes than I really thought, and looking at those pictures now, I was barely wearing most of the items in that closet anyway. Isn't it interesting how our style changes over time? This was at the end of my first year of medical school, so I was still trying to make the clothes from my "previous life" work for my new "professional clothing requiring" life.

We moved between second and third year of school to a smaller older home than I was living in for the first two years. I have much less closet space here - here's my post from when we first moved in 2015. Our house is quite small (around 800 square feet) so I had to make my closet work for me by putting in a second half bar on the bottom, and putting up small shelves on the side for my shoes. It's definitely not gorgeous, but it works for now (but you better believe that one of the things I'll be looking for in our house next year is good closet space!). I use wood hangers because I like that it forces me stick to a certain amount of clothing, and I think it also helps prevent clothes from getting lost like I feel they might with thinner hangers.

So here are the current numbers for the items in my closet! I'm at 153 items now, down from 202 in 2014!


Tops: 72 (78)
Sleeveless: 8 (5)
Tees: 7 (13)
Long-sleeved shirts: 5 (7)
Blouses/Button-ups: 29 (28)
Cardigans: 3 (3)
Sweaters: 10 (11) 
Vests: 1 (2)
Blazers: 9 (9)

Bottoms: 32 (33)
Jeans: 6 (6)
Colored denim: 3 (3)
Dress Pants: 7 (8)
Shorts: 4 (6)
Skirts: 12 (10)

Dresses: 23 (25)

Shoes: 26 (34)
Flats: 11 (17)
Heels: 4 (8)
Sandals: 5 (5)
Boots: 6 (4)