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One of the reasons I fell in love with our townhouse when we first looked at it was the outdoor space! Boy have I been thankful we’ve had it during the pandemic too… Being able to eat dinner outside, read a book or get some fresh air while working… it’s been a blessing that’s for sure! Since we’ve been spending A LOT more time at home this summer than we had planned too I’ve been really focused… ahem, obsessed… with making the most of the space. All without spending an arm or a leg because ish is a little nuts right now and holy cow can outdoor furniture be expensive! 😳

So now that we’ve officially finished the space, you know I had to share how it turned out! Before we do that though, here’s a few before shots so you can see what we were working with. It’s definitely not a huge space so it was all about designing the space with function, making it fun and keeping that budget in check.

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There’s 3 main parts of our outdoor space, the patio, side yard and balcony — all of which needed some help! Throughout the winter and spring we started picking up a few things here or there, including our patio set that we got for a steal right after Christmas. I’m talking half the price! For the most part though, we needed to furnish all 3 areas.

The Patio

The one thing we had to start was our 4-piece conversation patio set! So we weren’t totally starting from scratch on this space. Evan also really had his heart set on getting a fire pit for the backyard. Our backyard is super tight so we definitely couldn’t have wood-burning ones but found a great propane option that was pretty affordable off of Amazon. Since we got that, we decided to use the table that came with the patio set more as a side table or bench if we need extra seating. If you get a fire pit, I highlight recommend one that has the metal cover too so it’s easy to cover for our many rainy Washington days.

Patio Set: Similar | Outdoor Pillows: Walmart | Outdoor Rug: Similar | Fire Pit: Amazon

Then for a few Costco buys! I had been looking for weeks for outdoor rugs that, again, weren’t ridiculously expensive and Evan found this one at Costco in the exact size we needed for $40 off! I wish I could link that for you guys but they’re out for the season. If you’re in the market for a new one next year though, definitely check them out because the quality is awesome! We had also got one of their outdoor light sets for Christmas that we hung from the fence. We just used little screw hooks on each fence post to keep things simple. The Costco light set is a great deal too because it’s 48-feet and they were less that $50. We ended up needing to get a smaller set to finish off the side yard and even on sale those were $30 and they were only 24-feet. So another thing to add to your Costco list!

BBQ: Lowe’s | Patio Lighting: Similar

Evan’s family also gifted us this amazing BBQ as a housewarming gift! Which has made the backyard 10 times better than any decor we could have done! This is on the other side of the main patio kind of in the corner between the side yard. Then we finished off the space with a few plants, of course! I had got a flat of marigolds for the garden and my flower boxes in the front of the hose so we filled up a few more pots with those and then Evan really wanted to get a Japanese Maple tree in honor of Scoots so he picked up that little guy! In a few years it will probably be the perfect height to fill up that space too.

The Balcony

For the balcony, we decided to keep things really simple and keep that budget in check. I went back and forth on some different options but decided to save on this portion and we went with a few stackable chairs from Home Depot. Then I added a little signature Anna color to the space with an outdoor mat and some throw pillows I found at Michaels on clearance. Evan also found the side table on clearance which finished up the space perfectly! Now we can enjoy weekend mornings out there watching the hummingbirds.

3 Piece Patio Conversation Set: Rattan Set Amazon | Rocking Chair Set: Amazon

The Side Yard

This one was the toughest part! I was so torn on what to do with this space. The side yard is pretty narrow — I’m talking 5 feet across so we definitely didn’t have too much space. I also didn’t want the space to just go to waste though! I must have went back and forth on 10 different ideas before finding reasons why they wouldn't work. After running through so many ideas, I had just decided to leave it as is for a dog run for Benji and figure something out next year 🙈. Evan knew I really wanted to do something with it though so for our anniversary he decided he was going to makeover the space for me!

The one thing I was really hoping for that space was having a place to lay down especially because it’s shaded over there for a lot of the day. Originally I was thinking a hammock, but we ran into the prob of the stands being too big and there’s concrete poured below so we wouldn’t be able to dig up for posts — like I said, so many ideas squashed! All that being said, he decided to build me an oversized bench! Then we had also gotten some pavers from my sister that they weren’t using so he put those in place, leveled out the space with more gravel and even got a little patch of grass for the corner for Benji!

Pavers: Home Depot | Pea Gravel: Home Depot | Large Pillows: Lowe's | Standard Pillows: Similar & Similar | Chaise Cushions: Lowe's | Cinder Blocks: Home Depot | Landscape Divider: Lowe's

The bench is 8 ft long and a little more than 2 feet across so plenty of space to lay down! We found a few different simple designs on Pinterest that we liked that were simple and didn’t involve too much construction. He built it out of interlocking cinder blocks and then some wood for the top part that he stained and sealed. Then to finish it off, I bought some cushions to make it extra cozy!

Since he made the bench, the size was a little bigger than most of the standard cushions so I ended up getting two chaise lounge cushions and then a few big outdoor pillows to mix in with some others I had already bought. All of the cushions and pillows were on clearance too so it was a major score! Can you believe those big pillows were only $13?! On top of the other smaller ones I got at Michaels for $7 a pop! If you’ve ever shopped for outdoor pillows you know that’s a steal!

Here’s a look from above too so you can really see we weren’t working with a lot of space there! overall I am SO dang happy with how the space turned out. I knew Evan would do a great job but it really exceeded my expectations and I’m so excited to spend more time in the backyard now that summer weather has finally arrived in Washington!

Shop the backyard

Sometimes it only takes a moment to actually have clarity on the next path you need to take. For me, one of those moments happened 3 years ago when I decided I needed more.

I'd be lying if I told you I hadn't thought about moving back to Washington a million other times when I lived in NYC, but I had too many reasons to stay and the truth was I felt guilty for wanting more. Life was good... life was comfortable... I was legit living out the life I had dreamed of a few years earlier... so who was I to still want more?

Sometimes life just hits you though, and on that day I got the (very unexpected) clarity I needed confirming I needed to make a change. For me, the catalyst was a breakup and a cross country move, but maybe for you, it's the decision to make a big career move, deciding to move to that city you’ve always loved, or maybe it's taking that first step to chase that dream you've been putting on the backburner.

Whatever it may be I want you to hear me loud and clear. Don't ever settle or feel bad for wanting more in your life. EVER! We each have so many chapters in our lives and it's important to remember that things don't have to be dire to make a change. Sometimes you just realize the path you're on isn't the path you need to be on to get to where you're going. And honestly, sometimes making those decisions can be harder -- because things DON'T totally suck. So if this post is resonating with you and maybe you’re in a situation where you’re not sure what you should do next I want you to think about your answers to these questions:

1. Where does your mind wander when you let it wander?
   Do you have reoccurring daydreams? Are there any patterns? Are your daydreams actually something you’d want to pursue if other life constraints weren’t involved?

2. Would your life be better or worse if you made this change?
   Here’s where the pros and cons come into place. Try and focus on realistic outcomes if you were to make a change and think about the big picture.

3. What is holding you back from making this change? Is it circumstantial, someone in your life, location, etc.?
   Is there a chance your circumstances could change making this change an option or is that a no-go? Are there any changes you could make to your circumstances to make it an option?

4. If you don’t follow this dream or make this change, will you regret it?
   Regret can be a loaded emotion but I want you to really think about how you’ll feel if you don’t pursue what you’re considering. Is it something you will be sad about at first but be ok with not pursuing or will it be something you’ll always look back on and wish you did?

5. What would make you happier in the long run, your current situation or making this change?
   This question is a big one. Really dive in and think about how you would feel if you were to make this change even with all circumstances considered. Would you be happier in the long run?

Blowing up your comfortable life can be scary and lead to periods of uncomfortable growth — you can bet there will be a bunch of ugly cry sessions. But trust me when I say, the regret of not making changes that you feel in your gut you should, will hurt a lot more in the long run. No matter what you decide just remember that you CAN make big changes and go after the life you’re dreaming of. You just have to have the courage to make the jump.

You're getting a 2 for 1 in this month's goal check-in! I skipped publicly sharing last month's to not take away from the important conversations taking place. So today I'm sharing progress for May and June. 

I don't have to tell you 2020 has been TOUGH for so many of us. Even with the hardships of the world and personally though, I've still been able to move forward in a lot of ways (many unexpected). So here are some of the highlights:

Revised the heck out of my Yearly Goals

First things first, I spent some time really evaluating the goals I had and made quite a few changes on the personal and biz front. Some just didn't serve me anymore and then other new ones became more important. Goals aren't set in stone, remember that!

Continued to Dive into Online Workshops at Bold & Pop

We launched and hosted our first social media business bootcamp at Bold & Pop and I also taught my first solo Instagram workshop for our biz too.

Signed 10 new projects

I'll be honest, our biz (like many) was hit pretty substantially from COVID. In the last 2 months though, we've been busting our booties to make some shifts and we signed 10 new projects! It's definitely been exciting to start building things up again.

Was Featured on Thrive Global

I've upped my game on pitching the media for my different expertises and projects and I was featured on Thrive Global!

Launched Adulting Archives Blog and Instagram

We officially launched the Adulting Archives Blog and Instagram account! I've also been working on some new content that will be coming out soon after we decided to pause our launch.

Joined new Affiliate networks for my blog

Upping my monetization strategy on my blog has been a goal of mine for a while so I joined a few new affiliate networks to align with those goals.

Became an Aunty and Puppy Mom

And then on the personal end, I also become an Aunty to the cutest little Squish and a puppy mom! So I've been spending a lot of time learning how I can be the best at both of those titles too!

So with that, I'll close by giving you a reminder to NOT GIVE UP! We still have half a year to go so don't completely write 2020 off. Yes, there have been SO many challenges but growth is growth, so don't forget to acknowledge it!

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Why do I do goal check-ins?

I started doing goal check-ins publically as a personal accountability challenge. Working on my goals and strategies to accomplish them have always been really important and by sharing them I felt an extra weight of commitment. Plus, I wanted a way to try and encourage others to have their own check-ins and keep working on their own goals. Helping others reach their dreams has always felt like my purpose and by being vulnerable and sharing the journey of my own I hope to inspire others as well.