I can't believe I've been a homeowner for 3 whole years! And it's been 3 adventure filled years. I can remember as a teenager and young adult being obsessed with HGTV (actually, I still am) and LONGING to have my own home that I can decorate and design. You see, no one in my (immediate) family owned a home - we always rented. I didn't come from money nor did I have the knowledge of what it would take for me to fulfill my dream of becoming a homeowner. So as a young adult, buying a home always felt like a lofty goal. But I was determined to do whatever it took to get myself ready to be a homeowner, even if it meant that I would be the first in my family to purchase a home.

So how DO you prepare for your first home, especially when you're just coming up and not necessarily ballin'? Well, here are some practical tips that I can share from my experience that might help. 

1. Put a financial strategy in place 
I think a lot of people assume they'll never be able to afford a house because of finances, but you have to get ready. I approach everything in life, including home buying, with a strategy. Do you know how much you want to spend on a house? How much of a down payment should you save to be able to afford a house with that price tag? Do you make enough money to afford a mortgage and monthly expenses? For example, if you want to buy a house for $200K, then set a savings goal for what you would need to pay in closing costs, including your down payment, and work backwards. Lay out all the costs and decide on how much you should and can put aside monthly to help you pay for closing costs.

Sometimes you have to have tough conversations with yourself - I wasn't making a ton of money when I first got serious about buying a house and I knew I had to get a game plan in place. Maybe you could wait until you get promoted and make more money to be able to afford the monthly mortgage. Or consider a side hustle to help you earn more if you think it's not enough. You can also think of ways you can cut your monthly expenses (e.g. do your hair and nails at home for a while or skip the vacation). I made a LOT of sacrifices in order to save for my house, and I know you can too! Sometimes it might take a while before you feel financially ready, and that's ok too. Your savings goal and timeline is completely up to you, just be realistic about what you can afford because buying a house is a huge financial responsibility. But don't assume you can't afford it - lay out all the numbers and facts. Consult a financial advisor if you need help figuring out your financial plan.

2. Get rid of credit card debt
In addition to saving a nest egg for your first home, It's also a good idea to pay down any credit card debt first. The amount of revolving debt you have will impact your ability to get a good interest rate on your mortgage and impacts your credit score as well as your debt-to-income ratio. Plus, you don't want to stretch yourself thin on a monthly basis. It's always a good idea to buy a house with a mortgage that you can comfortably pay without having to worry about pesky credit card payments. You'll be surprised how much you spend on the monthly maintenance of a home that you may not have considered while renting (e.g. fixing something that breaks, cleaning your gutters, lawn maintenance to name a few). Free up your finances for all the homeowner things that will come up. Just make sure you don't re-accumulate any credit card debt after paying it off.

3.  Buy what you can afford.
This is a big one. Can I be honest? Your first house will likely not be your forever home. Meaning, you don't have to buy a huge mansion with all the finishes like you see on HGTV right now if you can't afford it. There's a level of humility here. It's tempting to see all the new shiny homes and want it all - and if you can afford that, by all means go for it. But it's ok if all the fixings are not in your price range right now. Have a look at what kind of homes are out there in your price range and stick to your budget. For example, my kitchen was not updated when I bought my home. But over time I was able to install new granite countertops and buy new appliances. Your first home can become whatever you'd like it to be...with time. And maybe with your second home you can afford more features and fixings, which will be a huge accomplishment! 

Buying what you can afford is also something to think about when considering what neighborhood you'd like to live in. A spacious home in the city might cost you more than in the suburbs. If your desire is to live in the city, consider a smaller home or maybe something not as updated. Alternatively, you can buy that spacious home in the suburbs, and then move back to the city when you can afford what you want in that location. It's all up to you, really. For me, it was important to live in a neighborhood that had potential for equity growth. If you're considering a house you can afford in a neighborhood you're not as familiar with, do your research to see if it's someplace you'd be happy living long term. You can also contact the city to see if they have any long term plans for development, which can equate to growth in your home's value, which is always a plus. 

4. Prepare for life after closing.
We hear so much about down payment and closing costs, and I don't think we talk enough about being financially fit after closing. Make sure you have a contingency fund for your home for repairs or if you were to lose your job. What would you do if a tree falls on your roof or if your HVAC breaks down? Hopefully none of that happens, but make sure you're not broke after that closing cost payment gets deducted from your account. You'll be so much more at peace and prepared should the unexpected occur.

5. Don't compare your journey to others'
My home buying journey was unique from anyone else's and I make it a point to never compare myself to anyone else. If I see someone my age with a beautiful home, I cheer them on because what they choose to spend on a home vs what I choose is an individual choice. I bought my home in my 30's and that's ok. I chose to buy a smaller home, and that's ok. I bought my home as a single woman, and that's ok. There's no formula for what age or marital status you should have to buy a home. Also, don't feel pressured - what are you in a rush for? Buy when you're ready. Your journey is yours and yours alone - focus on that. 

In closing, I am proud to be the first homeowner in my family. If you're embarking on a first time homeowner journey, I salute you! Focus on your plan and don't compare your journey to any one else's. Don't let the financial responsibility discourage you, but also don't let anyone rush you. Owing a home is a huge financial responsibility, but it can be done if approached with strategy, knowledge and financial readiness. 

Until the next adventure,
​~T

​*Disclaimer: the content of this blog post are from my own personal experiences as a homeowner. Please consult a financial advisor, loan officer and/or realtor to determine if you're financially ready or eligible to purchase a home.

HAPPY 2 YEAR BLOG-IVERSARY TO MEEEE!! Wow, just wow. I simply can't believe it's been 2 years since I started my blog. As I celebrate this milestone, I really want to take some time to reflect on my journey and  how I've been able to fuse together my various interests into a cohesive yet multi-dimensional lifestyle blog.  

I started blogging to give myself an outlet to share my multiple interests, hobbies, and adventures with others in hopes that I would inspire them. I've always been a person who enjoys trying new things and I have always been good at many different things. For example, I enjoy making things with my hands, I love home decor and I'm very creative. I also love to travel, cook, and I have raw talent for photography. On the surface, one might wonder what any of these things have in common.

It took me about 5 years to start my blog because I really didn't know how I could blog about this seemingly random set of interests to an audience - that definitely drove me to "blogger paralysis" and kept me from starting my blog. However, I soon realized that my interests aren't as disconnected as I'd thought. At the core I realized that I was an adventurer, and my interests were part of my life's adventures. For example, I just remodeled my entire kitchen, which is something I've never done before because I'm a first time homeowner - can you say ADVENTURE!? Babbyyy painting cabinets for the first time was definitely an adventure, hoping that I wouldn't mess them up! So is me traveling solo, as is trying out ax throwing for the first time and hoping to come home with all my limbs. Life is an adventure and I fully embrace it. Am I fearless when I try something new? By no means, but that's part of the adventure - trying it anyway, and hoping that facing your fears would inspire someone to do so as well. 

If you are a blogger who likes multiple things, let me encourage you to not be afraid to find a way to connect them with a common theme. In the blogosphere, you hear a lot that you should only blog about one thing (e.g. makeup, fashion, travel or family) in order to be successful. I don't necessarily agree. I think the things you discuss depend on the goal and intent of your blog in the first place. If you love fashion and your goal is to inspire creativity with clothing, then by all means, be a fashion blogger. My blog is a reflection of me and my life. My brand is essentially who I am - someone who loves adventure. So that's what I blog about, and I'm ok with the fact that that might manifest in various forms. ​

However, in being a multipontentialite (i.e. someone with more than one interest - a fancy word I learned from a TED Talk) doesn't mean your blog content has to be haphazard or confusing to your audience.

So how do you pull together various seemingly different interests? Based on my learnings over these 2 years, I'll share with you a few tips that have helped me channel my multiple interests into a cohesive storyline.

1. Decide on a small set of interests (up to 3) that you are passionate about, and commit to making those the  topics you discuss regularly.
You can't talk about 5 million topics and you likely don't have the time to. So start with the top 3 things you are most interested in. These should be topics for which you can generate great and engaging content. It's important that these are topics that you are passionate about because readers/followers can tell. It's also easier to blog when it's fueled by genuine interest. Part of what makes my blog successful is that my content is a reflection of my authentic self and I write about topics that excite me. You want that excitement to show through your content.

2. Find the theme or common thread that connects these interests. 
Find a theme or "thread" that connects your multiple interests and ladders them up to one main thing that will underlie the content that you provide. This is what we call in business your "value proposition." Meaning, this is what you will be known for among your readers/followers. Living Life to the T's value proposition is all about finding joy and adventure in everyday life, and inspiring others to do the same. So my audience can expect to get a front seat to all the adventures I go on, big or small. To figure out your theme, ask yourself, what do my interest have in common and how could I organize them? Maybe you are a nurse who is passionate about eating right, exercise and faith - then a  possible value proposition could be that you promote whole person health - mind, body and spirit. Remember, your content is bigger than the smaller topics you discuss, but rather the overall message or theme that you consistently discuss and is at the core of your content. ​

3. Develop a calendar to help organize the various topics you discuss.
You have to get organized (I'm telling this to myself too!). A great way to help your followers process your  various topics is to devise a calendar of when you will discuss which interest. For example, Mondays and Wednesdays you can discuss eating right and exercise, and on Fridays you can discuss faith. But it doesn't have to be that stringent. Maybe you commit to taking about one of those each week, or you dedicate one month to exercise and the next to eating right etc. However you choose to organize your topics, just find a way to balance your topics because it can be easy to talk about one way too much and another way too little. But if you remember to focus on your common thread or theme, you should be fine.

4. Stay true to your brand and value proposition
Once you've decided on the topics you'll regularly discuss, stick to them and be consistent with it. Don't veer off to a topic that is not connected to main blog theme. You can't discuss every topic under the sun (which can be challenging for lifestyle bloggers), but you can discuss topics that connect with and reinforce your brand proposition. At the end of the day, your blog represents a brand and you have to build that brand. You do so by consistently staying true to who you say you are to your audience. And if people follow you because they love your perspective on whole person health (to use the example above), then that's how they expect to connect with you. It's easier for followers to engage with you when they consider you an "expert" on a particular set of topics - it's because they are used to being on that journey with you. Don't try to be everything to everyone - just be you. I encourage you to go deeper into your theme and get creative with it. It's not hard to be creative with something that you're passionate about! ​

These 2 years have been a learning experience for sure. I might not have all the answers, but these small tidbits are things that I've learned along the way. Blogging is so much more fun when you talk about the things you love. And honestly, that's what keeps me going. I've learned that once I focus on connecting my experiences with a common theme, getting organized and staying true to my brand, it's easy to connect with and inspire people.

Here's to more years of adventure!
~T

So you've graduated and you're feeling ready to conquer the world!  You worked hard in college or graduate school and your GPA was on point! You did that! Everything seems to be working out according to plan - except you don't have a job lined up yet. You might be thinking..."why me? I have a lot to offer, especially since I've gained a degree." What's worse is when you see many of your classmates with amazing job offers at top tier companies making bank. It can drive one to an emotional breakdown.

That was me 3 years ago after graduating with my MBA from Georgetown University. I graduated from one of the top 20 MBA programs in the country, one that has a wide alumni network and the reputation to go with it. I assumed it would be a piece of cake to get a job and have one lined up before they handed me my diploma. But it just didn't work out that way. In all honesty it was months before I found a paying job. It was hard to accept that reality, and it led to a lot of frustration, anger, questioning, being broke, and naturally, depression. Def not the type of life adventure I wanted to be on.

My word that I felt reflected my MBA experience was "resilient." I chose it because I had overcome so much before and during business school. I made it through even though there were plenty of moments I thought I wouldn't. For that reason I decorated my graduation hat with the word. What I didn't realize is that my resilience would be necessary in the season I was in right after graduation.  

I haven't shared this experience in detail with many people, but I think it's appropriate to do so now, during graduation season. I hope that my getting through the struggle of finding a job post-graduation can help someone who is currently in that position. In sum, the best piece of advice I can give you is: Don't give up; it WILL happen. Let me preface my story by saying that I have since jumpstarted my post-MBA career and I am in a role, in my field, earning more than I ever have. I am blessed! But I didn't think that 3 years ago. 

Here is some practical advice that I hope will allow you to find hope and cope in what might seem a dark, disappointing time in your life: 

1. Realize that there is nothing "wrong" with you. 
I'm referring to those little lies that pop into your head. And believing lies about oneself has never helped anyone. The truth is that there is a job out there for any level of skill or experience. Avoid internalizing you not getting a certain position or interview as there being something personally wrong with you. I fell into this trap, and fell straight into depression. By all means, do the practical things to help you: do interview prep, change up your resume, network...but trust me, I did ALL of that (I probably changed my resume 20 times and spent countless hours doing interview prep)...and none of that worked. There just has to be a match between you and the job. I'm a firm believer that if a door didn't open, it wasn't your door, at least not at that point in time. So don't make it about a personal shortcoming.

2. Do consulting/work pro bono (i.e. free).
This is something I def took advantage of. If you have a skill and want a job using that skill, one way to really prove it is by doing the work for free. There are several advantages to this: a) you prevent yourself from allowing gaps in your resume, b) you continue to build skill & experience in your work field, c) you keep yourself busy/occupied, and d) you are able to build relationship with someone who can vouch for you. It's a win-win. Experience is experience, getting paid or not.

3. Start a business.
I never fully launched a business, but I absolutely worked on a business idea while I had that time - I'm an entrepreneur at heart!! I'm not saying this business will immediately create a way to provide for yourself, but it's a way to take advantage of the time you have to invest in yourself. And if you do start a venture, what great material to put on your resume and discuss in an interview!

4. Stay encouraged, even if others around you don't understand.
If I could write a letter to my MBA student self - it would center around this topic. Listen - do not assume that friends and family will understand your struggle and will encourage you. And you don't have to be bitter about it - if they don't understand, they just don't. If you have supporting friends/family, that's great. But sometimes when your unemployment drags on like mine did, people might start to say things like: you're being too picky or you're not trying hard enough. LIES. I applied to HUNDREDS of jobs. (Yea, you read that right, I said hundreds). I was anything but lazy. I would wake up in a panic and jump on the computer for the next 8 hours or so applying and networking. If struggling to find a job wasn't hard enough, try dealing with unsupportive friends/family or the thoughts of inadequacy in your own head. 

Let me tell you something - the only way I survived that battle was encouraging myself with the word of God. There is nothing like the truth of the Bible that will snatch you out of a pit of destruction. And that's a fact. I remember having to force myself to believe God's promises, when I couldn't see anything happening. Some of my fav scriptures that got me through are: Habakkuk 3: 17-18, Psalm 34:18, and Palm 111:7. These aren't shouting scriptures; these are scriptures that I used to cry out to God in my brokenness and asked him to hold me up when I couldn't stand. I made it through, thank you Jesus!

I would also recommend the book: The Power of Not Yet by Donna Pisani. This book gave me fresh perspective on waiting on God for what is mine. "Not yet" is not a "no". It means wait. And you'll be surprised what you learn about yourself while you wait. Trust me, you'll come out of this experience better than when you went in.

5. Travel
If you have the money to travel, this is the perfect opportunity. This wasn't an option for me, but if you've been following me for any amount of time, traveling is like breathing for me: very necessary. Take that cruise you've always wanted to take, go to that Caribbean island...whatever you can afford.

6. Spend some time with family
I moved home after not finding a job right away post-graduation, and while it was challenging because they didn't fully understand my struggle, I got to spend some quality time with my niece. I fully consider my niece as my child and I LOVED spending quality time with her. As a result, we developed an even closer bond. Being at home allowed me to do things like accompany her to her first day of kindergarten, help out with her birthday party at school and at home, help her with her homework or just snuggle after a long day. To this day, those are the priceless moments in my princess' life that I truly treasure.

These 6 things are the best pieces of advice I can give. I know that everyone's experience is unique, but just know that if you don't have a job lined up that you are not alone. Keep striving, stay positive and don't give up. God will open up the right opportunity for you that will be a match and that will make you thankful for all the other closed doors. I truly believe that in the end, you will have grown and learned some valuable things from that season.

Till next time,

​~T

To commemorate my 1 year blog-iversary, I wanted to take the time to share more about why I started blogging, discuss my challenges and inspiration as well as talk about what you can expect to see coming up next on the blog!

Check out this video interview where I candidly discuss it all and speak from my heart! Hope you enjoy!

And don't forget to subscribe to my youtube channel *wink wink

Guess whaaatt!! It's my 1 year blog-iversary!! I can't believe I've been doing this for a year now. I am incredibly proud of myself for how far I've come in this blogging world! Cue the music {"Do you know what today is? It's my anniversary"} ?? Fun fact about my blog - it took me 5 years to start it! Crazy, right? Why on earth would it take me that long to bring you all this juicy content!? A major stumbling block for me was fear and perfectionism. That is, I knew that I wanted to blog about life and adventure and inspire others while doing it, but I didn't know how. So the thought of wading into that unknown left me in paralysis. I am so thankful I finally decided to take the plunge... I don't regret a thing. If I could say anything to those wanting to blog or start anything new for that matter, just do it! Take that leap of faith. If you wait until everything is perfect or until you have everything figured out, then you'll never start. Of course, I def do not have everything figured out, but in my imperfection, I am thankful that I can share my life experiences with anyone willing to read about it.

​In this first anniversary post, I want to reflect on what I've learned in the past year of blogging - the good, the bad and the ugly. Here are my 7 key learnings from year 1 of blogging.

Authenticity is key
I can't emphasize this enough. It's typically hard for me to not be myself, mainly because I ooze personality where ever I go, lol I can't help it! To sum up my personality in a few words I would say that I am funny, witty, adventurous, creative, thrifty, a woman of faith, and I'm super friendly (no like REALLY friendly. I think it creeps people out sometimes, lol it's an island thing - we friendly). I love showing the world who I am because that's how people can genuinely relate to you. Who you are should come through in a blog post or in a social media post. There are a lot of people outchea on social media fronting or pretending to be someone else... don't be like those people. For me, I've found great freedom in allowing people to see my different sides or angles. So for me that means sharing my excitement about next home project or encouraging someone through a struggle I've faced or expressing my disgust with winter and my readiness for my next vacation. Don't try to beat the next Instagram algorithm - just be yourself, speak to your audience, and produce authentic content. That's all that matters to me.

Be consistent
When I first started this year, my blog posts were pretty spotty. I also didnt post on social media regularly. I might go a week or so without posting any content. If I'm honest with myself, part of that was being busy and lacking good planning for producing content on a regular cadence. Taking long hiatus' might come across as you not being serious about blogging. I'm not saying you have to bombard your followers with useless content, but rather that it's better to commit to regularly posting content that will be helpful to your readers/followers. I've also found that being consistent has improved my engagement. I believe that is because you are giving them regular opportunities to get to know you via your content. They will get used to seeing your posts and will look forward to seeing more. 

Get organized
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous section. Being organized will not only help you be consistent with your content, it's actually motivating! I love when I have a plan that I can run behind. Here are some tips for getting organized:

1. Create a content plan, i.e. decide what content you want to bring to your readers/followers over the next few months.
2. Create a blogging calendar, i.e. decide on when you are going to discuss all this content. What channels will you use? How will you space out the timeline for the content?
3. Set aside specific days and times to blog, i.e. decide when is your sacred time to blog and stick to it (also a way to keep you from making excuses for not doing it, LOL). 

Once you do these, you will def be wanting to do more blogging! It will also help you balance blogging and real life because, trust me, I've been at the place where I felt like my blog was taking over my life. Don't do this!  It will only lead to burnout and tempt you to throw in the towel. Organize your blogging activity and it will feel like fun like it was intended to!

Content is everywhere
As a lifestyle blogger, I don't have to go far or do much to come up with content that is within the realm of my blogging space. Anything in everyday life can become blog content. For example, one of my lifestyle topics is decor and DIY. If I buy a new chair for my office (which I did!), then that's content! I can share about the style and details of the chair, why I bought it, and how it fits into my space. Don't miss out on opportunities to take "regular" activities and turn them into content that others might find useful.

Don't be surprised if people don't support you
Remember that ugly part I was talking about? Well this is it. The reality of starting a blog (or a business or whatnot) is that people who know you might not support what you are doing (even while simultaneously congratulating celebrities, whom they do not know, on their success ?). It's baffling. Part of it is the familiarity issue. That is, if people are used to seeing you a certain way, sometimes it's hard for them to see you doing big things (or even doing things they wish they could but aren't!) [insert Olivia Pope pointing meme here] lol.  The SHADE, I know! I mean, look at Jesus! The Bible talks about how the people who knew him growing up didn't respect his ministry because they thought "who does he think he is? Isn't that Joseph's son?"  Don't let these non-supporters stress you! You are not doing it for them anyway! You are doing it because it is your passion and you have purpose in it. 

The flip side to that is that there are those who go out of their way to support you! Be thankful for those people (I know I am!). Also, be open to the fact that people can support you in their own way. So don't only see support as an Instagram like. Support can mean them being dedicated to reading all your blog posts, them telling friends about your blog, or them praying for you. Be grateful for the "silent" support from those who keep you close to their heart.

Keep learning and improving
Earlier I talked about getting started even if you don't have it together. However, I do believe that you can iterate and grow along the way. For example, if you don't have good photography skills, then take a class or buy a better camera. If you don't know what voice you want to bring out in your blog posts, keep working on it until it's just right. Bottom line is, don't stop improving. The best way to learn is to make a list of things you want to improve and actively work on them. Some of the best ways to learn is to look at what other, accomplished bloggers are doing. How do they caption their Insta-posts? How do they drive traffic to their site? What content do they talk about? The blogger world is so big that there are tons of good examples out there that you can mimic, likely in your blogger space. Trust me, when I look back and reflect on this first year of blogging, I can see where I've grown and all the iterations (big and small) that I've made to improve how I communicate with and reach my followers.  

Make sure you are building your brand
Your brand is who your readers/followers perceive you to be. The content that you put out, the things you say and the style in which you say them all contribute to your blogger brand. Are you just blogging or are you building your brand? If your goal is the latter, then don't just say anything! Decide beforehand what your brand is, and then make sure all your content is aligned to that. New, incremental content should reinforce your brand and help it to grow. Do you have a vision for your brand? If not, then get one. 

Another way to build your brand is to actually brand your blog. Get a logo and blog colors (my blog color is pink!) and use them consistently across your website and social media channels. Be consistent with your brand voice across all channels as well. If you produce video content, be sure they look consistent across all videos. If you blog about beauty, then don't blog about the environment (unless you are talking about the impact of the environment on beauty or vice versa). Your goal in branding should be to make your content recognizable as being authentically yours. And it will help your readers/followers better relate to it. 

​There you have it guys! My top 7 key learnings from this past year. Drop me a comment or a congratulations in the comments and let me know you are here! Thank you to all my readers/followers for your support over this past year. Your support has been incredible and is not unnoticed!

Until the next year,
~T
​