• The Recovering Pessimist | My Favorite Plant Tips #HomeWithJoy | www.therecoveringpessimist.me | #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimist #HomeWithJoy #HomeDepot #Lowes #Target #Homeowner #Homeownership #AtJoysHouse #HomeWithJoyFaves #WelcomeHome #homedecor #HomeMaintenance #Pinterest #plants #greenery
    Home With Joy

    My Favorite Plant Tips #HomeWithJoy

    I love being a plant parent. My plant babies not only contribute to the decor, but they make me happy. You can never have enough happiness right? I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to my *mostly* green thumb. 

    Anyway, since sharing IS caring, I’m here to share my favorite plant tips with you. Ready? Here we go!

    Start slow

    I can’t stress this enough. Start slow. Get a plant that’s impossible to kill, like a Dracaena trifasciata or a pothos.

    Propagate

    Seriously the easiest (and cheapest) way to add more plants to your collection is to propagate them. I do this with my pothos and plants. I take a cutting, place it in a shot glass, and wait for the roots to develop. Once the roots develop, I transfer the cutting to another vessel so it can spread out.

    Grow in water solely

    Here’s a funny story. Last year, I purchased a Tradescantia zebrina that I planted in a pot. I couldn’t keep that plant alive despite moving it around my house to capture the best light. Before the whole plant died, I took a cutting to propagate hoping I could hold onto the plant. Well, that cutting developed roots quickly. That’s when the light bulb went off.

    Leave it in water.

    That plant has grown so much by leaving it in water. I now have another Tradescantia zebrina that I placed in water after I purchased it and several pothos plants. To find out which plants thrive in water, check Pinterest and Google.

    Reuse glass bottles

    I love using clear glass bottles for the plants I keep in water. I love seeing their roots forming at the bottom.  Make sure you switch out the water as needed. 

    Be mindful of the light

    Sunlight changes based on the season. It’s normal to have to move your plants during the cooler months to capture light. 

    Dust Them Off

    Dust those leaves off so the light can get to them. 

    Water Accordingly

    Google is your friend + watering schedules change as the seasons change. Li

    Get Chatty Cathy

    Plants are living things. Talk to them. 

    And finally, a tip I will forever swear by:

    If it’s thriving, LEAVE IT ALONE! 

    I hope you find these tips useful. Are there any plant tips you want to share? I’d love to hear about them.

    Until next time,

    Joy

     

     

     

  • Home With Joy

    Things I considered while looking at homes #HomeWithJoy

    The Recovering Pessimist | I did these 2 things before buying my home | www.therecoveringpessimist.me | #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimist #HomeWithJoy #HomeDepot #Lowes #Target #Homeowner #Homeownership #AtJoysHouse #HomeWithJoyFaves #WelcomeHome #homedecor #HomeMaintenance #Pinterest

    After I spoke with the mortgage officer, I started looking at houses. Bad idea. Why? Because I had no parameters in place. I saw houses I couldn’t afford, houses that were too big, etc. To prevent further overwhelm, I got realistic and wrote down a list of all the things I needed to consider when looking at homes.

    Monthly mortgage payment

    One of my non-negotiables was that I wanted to pay less than $1,000/month for my mortgage. The whole point of buying a home was to not continue dealing with the yearly rise in rent.

    Square footage

    I knew that I wanted to live in a smaller size house, no more than 1,000 square feet. Heating/Cooling a larger home would be expensive and I didn’t want to spend the money on that. Plus I was used to living comfortably in smaller apartments.

    Neighborhood

    There were some places in #RVA that I wasn’t going to be able to live in because the housing prices were beyond my budget.

    I also wanted to live close enough to my favorite shopping locations, restaurants, and bars.

    Exterior design

    I was interested in brick homes. I love the classic look, plus there’s practically no upkeep. I also knew that I didn’t want vinyl siding or stucco because of the maintenance.

    Heating/Cooking Source

    I wanted my home to only use electricity for heating and cooking. Gas (cooking/heating) and oil (heating) are both expensive and I didn’t want to make room in my budget for either of them.

    Condition of the windows

    When I was looking at houses in person, I paid close attention to the windows. If the seller was unwilling to pay for new windows or lower the sales price, I might have to pay for them myself (or wall away).

    Will my current furniture fit?

    When I was looking at houses, I considered the size of my current furniture. As a result, several houses didn’t make the cut.

  • Home With Joy

    Welcome#HomeWithJoy

    The Recovering Pessimist | Welcome #HomeWithJoy | www.therecoveringpessimist.me | #amwriting #recoveringpessimist #optimisticpessimist #HomeWithJoy

    After 3 years of living in my home, I’ve finally created a space on the blog where I share my life as a homeowner.

    I want to share my experience purchasing my home. 

    I want to share how I maintain my home (there’s always something to do). 

    I want to share what makes me happy as a homeowner (winks at Home Depot and Lowe’s). 

    Welcome #HomeWithJoy. Shoes are optional…I have hardwood floors ?.