Mary Ila

The Kitchen Remodel Journey: The Before Photos

The Kitchen Remodeling Journey: The Before Photos When another burner went out on the stove and the fridge went on the blink again, we decided to bite the bullet and fully renovate our kitchen. After spending a couple of years trying to continue to repair or replace appliances that just weren’t working and were in locations that just weren’t practical, we embarked on our kitchen remodel journey.  We’ll spend several posts walking you through the steps we took and what we learned in the process and also recommend people, companies, and resources we found helpful.  But first, the before photos:

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Highlands

Restaurants, Spas, Waterfalls, and Shopping – Things to do in Highlands, NC

Restaurants, Spas, Waterfalls, and Shopping – Things to do in Highlands, NC Whether you are there to eat, take in nature, discover great local shopping, or just relax,  Highlands, NC is a great place for all to explore. Restaurants in Highlands, NC Highlands has a vibrant food scene with multiple restaurants to choose from.  Mountain Fresh Grocery is a must! Part grocery store, bakery, and restaurant, Mountain Fresh is a great place to dine in or carry out selections to cook or eat where you are staying.  You can grab a pizza to go or select meats, sides (the massive

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Exuma, Bahamas

4 Musts for Exploring Exuma

4 Musts for Exploring Exuma A few years ago, I read @bobgoff’s book Love Does. In it, he talks about how he took his kids wherever they wanted to go as they were transitioning out of childhood and into adolescence. The trips they chose spoke to who God designed them to be.  So, without much thought (which is not usually how we operate) we told our kids we’d do the same for them. A trip wherever they wanted to go with just mom and dad for their birthday present before transitioning to middle school.  In 2022, our oldest was making

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How to Put the “Home” in Office

Whether you work entirely in an office, exclusively remote, or a combination of the two, where you work can impact your productivity.  And those around you.  And given that we usually spend more waking hours working than anything else, it’s important to consider how to design an office space that feels like home, meaning that it provides a level of comfort and wellbeing that allows productive work to happen.  I found over the past year or so that I had zero desire to work in my home office.  It was cluttered, cramped and lacked functionality that made it a place

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