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Now that we have hit the 90’s almost daily, it’s time to start seriously thinking about those beach days! I mean, that’s why we all live here right? You know what I am talking about…relaxing with the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand, the smell of salt and suntan lotion in the air, sand between your toes, a cold drink and a good book that you can sit back and get lost in for a good couple of hours…hang on, we’re parents…so yea beach days are just a little bit different now. 

Now, it is more like…sounds of kids screaming because they want to take every single toy they have to the beach, packing right around 100 different bags, with towels, toys, snacks (can’t leave the house without snacks), drinks, umbrellas, sunscreen (at least 3 bottles in case one runs out while you are there), more snacks (again, did we mention don’t leave the house without snacks?), chairs, blankets, and whatever else you can possibly think of for roughly 4 hours of fun before the baby has to go home and take a nap. Ahhh…paradise right? 

(Look at all that sand!!! UGH! But, there are snacks!) 

Well, we came up with a few hacks, tips and tricks that might make this beach day “process” a little more bearable and closer to the “relaxation” side of things. None of these are things we came up with because we are some kind of parenting geniuses (trust us, far from it). Just tricks and tips we have found online and heard about from other parents dealing with the same “beach day” challenges! Check them out and feel free to let us know if you have any that would make our lives easier, we’d LOVE to hear about them! 

1. Put the sunscreen on before you get to the beach 

It is one less thing to remember once you get there, the kids are already in super excitement mode, and this will help with them being less likely to take off mid-spray, AND no worry about the sunscreen and sand effect, you know where the sand is EVERYWHERE and on EVERYTHING, and it’s basically rubbing them down with a piece of sand paper…which is no fun for anyone involved! Of course, depending on how long you are at the beach, you will probably need to reapply. This is where the next tip comes into play for getting as much sand off as possible. 

2. Pack Baby Powder 

Sand (my mortal enemy) is inevitable! And kids and sand are magnets, it will be all over them and anything they touch. I mean ALL OVER EVERY INCH OF THEM!! Stuck EVERYWHERE! Therefore everywhere they go, the sand goes too… BUT, all that baby powder that everyone gave you in your baby shower gifts finally comes in handy! Just cover your kids (you too) in baby powder, and then just wipe the sand right off! Seriously, it works give it a try! 

3. Pack a “wet bag”

Now I know what you are thinking, “uh, isn’t every bag wet by the time you leave?” Yes, yes it is! But pack a bag that is designated for the wet stuff! The best thing to use that we found is a giant freezer bag. You can get a whole box of them at the dollar store, and you can have one bag for each person, that way anything that is wet, goes right in their own bag. Throw it in the big beach bag and you don’t have to worry about everything else in the bag being soaked by the time you get home. Also, a quart sized bag works great for phones and keys to be stored in a safe place in your bag. Once you get home, don’t forget to empty those “wet bags” right into the washer…moldy swimsuits and towels will for sure ruin your day when you find them before your next beach day! 

4. Baby Wipes

Even if your kids are out of diapers, bring a pack with you. You can use them for everything, from sticky fingers, runny noses, or even trying to get that bug out of the oldest’s eye…because, who knows, it will happen! 

5. Invest in a beach cart

(This is right off of Google shopping, Walmart has them pretty cheap, but I'm sure you can find them anywhere!)

They make all kinds of different ones from wagons, to “wheeler” types, doesn’t matter, but with all that gear it will just make your life that much simpler if everything can just be hauled from the parking lot to the “perfect beach spot” in one place. Plus, it is a lot easier to tote a toddler on your hip when you just have to roll all your gear with the other free hand. 

The beauty of living at the beach is that you can enjoy all it has to offer! These are just a few of our hacks to help you do that! Let us know if you have any beach hacks of your own...we need all the help we can get! 

Do you have a theme or style in your home decor? Or are you like me and have a Pinterest collection of how you would love to decorate your home, but you just don’t know how to accomplish it? Either way, we’re always looking for that one decor piece that will get us started on the path of an HGTV worthy home! Well, I think I just found mine! Last night we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of a brand new business opening to the public this weekend that will help you on your road to becoming Joanna Gaines!  

Board & Brush, in North Myrtle Beach, SC is opening this weekend and is a DIY wooden sign experience where you get to create a masterpiece of art for your home. Not only does it look amazing (and yes everyone can do it) it was soooo much fun! It started with just bare pieces of wood, some hammers, nails, and even a meat tenderizer! You distress it, stain it, and then paint it! All of this can be done with your choice of BYOB (Bring your own Beverage). 

Now, my husband (the creativity challenged) was very nervous about making something that could potentially be hung up in our home for all to see. But the best part was, you did not need ANY kind of formal “art” training to make something beautiful for your home. All of the materials and step by step instructions are provided for you in a non-judgmental, FUN atmosphere! And honestly, every piece created that night was unique, and beautiful!

This place was so much fun and offered so many designs to choose from, I actually was more stressed about picking my design than I was actually completing the project! But, here are a few tips I have for you before you go (because trust me, you are going to want to give this one a try)! 

1. Think about the size of your piece. I choose this beautiful sign to hang over my bed. It’s stunning! But BOY OH BOY did it take a lot more sanding and staining than just a small wall hanging! Don’t get me wrong, it was fun and I am so glad I picked this one, but I will say I can skip arm day at the gym today, after that work out last night! 

2. Really think about your color choices. I am a browns, blacks and blues type of person. All of my wardrobe as well as my home decor. Even though I love my piece, and think it totally fits my style, I do think I should have chosen some brighter colors, just because the room I plan to put it in doesn’t get a whole lot of natural light. 

3. Set aside a few good hours for it. This is truly an experience, so make sure you don’t put yourself on any kind of time frame. It took us about 3 and a half hours (a lot of that was socializing at the beginning, not going to lie), but just make sure you plan for the time you will be there. You don’t want to rush this, it’s all about the experience, embrace it! 

Overall, I am so excited that this is coming to our area. It would be great to do for your first home, a home welcoming gift, gifts for loved ones (cough cough…Mother’s Day is right around the corner), or just a gift for yourself! I already have so many ideas for my next project, and can’t wait to schedule my next Board & Brush!! Highly recommend checking it out! 

Got your pre-approval letter? Time to go shopping right? Hang on, slow down! 

     By: Rachel Beckerman, Owner & Marketing Director 

Don’t make the mistake of getting your loan pre-approval letter before actually knowing what you can really afford. Just because the bank says you “can afford” a $500,000 home does that really mean you should? Now, let us be completely honest here…would we like to sell you a $500,000 home? Of course, we do have kids to feed! BUT, would we rather you be happy and financially comfortable in your home? 100%! We are a family business, and family comes first no matter what! 

When my husband and I bought our first home we fell into the hands of some pretty poor financial advice. We went to a lender, gave them our financial information and let them influence our home buying decisions. Because we are both trustworthy people, we never thought for one minute that we would be led to buy a home that on paper we could afford, but in reality, we were far from it! We quickly learned why the lending industry significantly contributed to the last recession in 2008…lenders are NOT the best people to set household budgets! 

For many years we both struggled, and hit some pretty hard financial times, due to the fact that we let our lender dictate what we could afford. We bought a house that we at the time, COULD NOT AFFORD! We were house rich with a ramen noodle food budget…just what every couple should be starting out right? WRONG! It doesn’t have to be that way, and it SHOULDN’T! 

Thankfully my husband (don’t ever let him know I said this) is a very smart and financially cautious man. He thankfully got us out of that first home buying mess! We want all of our clients to really look at your finances prior to ever going to a lender. Think about financial balance, not just what a lender says you can afford. Take a look at these references below to determine what you can afford prior to visiting a lender. After you know really what you can afford, then you can really start searching for that dream home. Remember, it’s more important to find a home you can be happy in AS WELL as one that doesn’t cause you to eat potatoes and water each night for dinner…I mean really who needs all those carbs?

Take a look at some of these resources for understanding your finances before talking to a lender. Once you understand your finances, give us a call and we can put you in contact with a lender that will help you find a loan to fit your needs. 

Credit to Nerd Wallet

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