Kirk V. Hamlet

It's Christmas as the studio! Since we can't put life on hold, let's ignore the unfinished projects and enjoy a festive look at the holiday cheer in a mostly finished space. A place where we share DIY home ideas and creating a beautiful home begins with a healthy environment.   Remember that Succulents & Spruce Christmas tree ? It's a beautiful focal point to the studio living room area. I love the colors and rustic nature vibe in this space.    A grapevine star against a window in the daytime is hard to photograph but trust me, it makes for a perfect topper! And I love the pop of color from these coppery-orange ornaments.    Gold glitter feathers! My favorite sparkle accent for this nature themed tree.  There's lots of extra leafy garlands to give it a fuller look too. Did you notice?    And there's Northern Lights Black Spruce essential oil in the diffuser ornament giving it a beautiful pine scent! When you can't have fresh pine, this is a great opti

Your clothes dryer is one of the biggest energy hogs in your house. Turn these 10 tips into habits, and you'll see the difference in your bill. We all know that line-drying our laundry under the sun is the green thing to do. Some of us actually enjoy it. But what if you live in a city apartment? What if it's been pouring rain for two days straight? What if you just can't cope with wrangling 75 clothespins today? Thank God for modern appliances. Just keep in mind that your clothes dryer is one of the biggest energy hogs in your house, often using more electricity than a newer refrigerator and dishwasher combined. Nationwide, according to Green Building Advisor, clothes dryers account for a whopping 6 percent of all household electric use! Here's how to dry with less energy - and less money. You can turn these 10 tips into habits in no time. 1. Get as much water out of the clothes as possible If your washing machine has the option, go with the fastest spin cycle. (Front-l

Are you a last minute shopper? I try to shop early, but with the busy-ness of December, I'm always scrambling for last minute gift ideas. Especially for teachers, kids' friends, and the family member that drops in unexpectedly. Instead of scouring the drug store shelves on Christmas Eve, here are some thoughtful gifts that will impress anyone on your Christmas list. Last Minute Gift Ideas Amazon Prime (Same Day Delivery) Y'all know how much I love Amazon Prime. Depending on where you live, you can get same day delivery of thousands of items. Last year my husband had gifts delivered on Christmas Eve that he ordered that morning. If you have Prime , same day delivery can be delivered for free. Photo Gifts Photo gifts are probably my favorite gift to give and to get. Thanks to same day printing at Walgreens and CVS, gifts like photo books and posters can be ordered and picked up the same day! Last year I gave posters to some of my children with their "year highlights.&qu

There's plenty of folklore out there about the most efficient way to convert real estate leads. But the awful truth is that 79% of marketing leads  never  convert - usually due to a lack of lead nurturing. At Follow Up Boss, we like real-world examples of what does and doesn't work. And Ryan Melville, leader of  The Melville Team , has generously shared his  proven process  for hyper-focused follow up that successfully brings in more deals. Read on for our practical step-by-step guide for how to develop the same habits Ryan and his rockstar team use to connect with hundreds of leads every day. A killer combo of time blocking and focused follow up The days of notecards and Rolodexes are well behind us. But unfortunately, too many agents still rely on their memories to guide their daily prospecting activities. Not Ryan and his team. The leading Arizona real estate team has a clear process to determine the exact frequency of their follow up. "For us, it's important to hav

The warm summer months are some of the most popular times to move. But just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should, too. Moving into a new house can be stressful and pricey considering you just purchased a new property. The last thing you want to do is add to the associated moving costs. The good news is, moving in the winter can save you big bucks. Professional moving companies, moving vans, and other house moving services are often in less demand during the winter. Less demand for moving services in the wintertime = less money you'll have to spend getting you and your treasured belongings to your new house.    But there is a reason why fewer people make the bold decision to move when the winter blues hit. Mainly, the weather. The winter season is full of weather patterns that can make travel difficult and throw your carefully considered plans for a loop. If you're thinking about moving in the cold there are several, critical things you'll want to c

Although 2018 ended on a down note with the stock market selling off, I feel good about how things unfolded. I'll take the ratio of three good quarters to one bad quarter any year. Believe it or not, my theme for 2018 was: back to early retirement life . I pushed myself to the point of burnout in 2017. But the funny thing about hard work is that it's over. I only remember bits and pieces of how difficult 2017 was. At year-end, it's easy to forget our accomplishments and our failures. With this post, I'm excited to relive the good and the bad in the following categories: Finances, Family, Health, Business, and Odds & Ends. This post is like a 4-for-1 special. It needs to be thorough so I can prove to my son his old man wasn't a deadbeat when he inevitably starts rebelling or when I'm no longer here to defend myself.  2018 Year In Review Finances – 2.5 Out Of 5 Stars At the beginning of the year, I predicted we'd see a slowdown in coastal city real estate,