Better After https://www.betterafter.net/ the best of your before and afters Mon, 05 Apr 2021 23:08:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 146622407 Knock knock! https://www.betterafter.net/2019/08/knock-knock.html https://www.betterafter.net/2019/08/knock-knock.html#comments Fri, 23 Aug 2019 21:35:15 +0000 https://www.betterafter.net/?p=14466 Who’s there? It’s me. Hi! I just wanted to check in. It’s been … a while. You may be surprised to learn that it’s somewhat difficult to maintain a regular blogging schedule while managing eight kids, a new marriage, and a full-time job, weird huh? But I was a little shocked when I realized I hadn’t posted since April, even though, to refresh your memory, that post SET THE WORLD ON FIRE. (It didn’t, but it did change several people’s minds about how they should be drying their sheets, so … basically same thing). Have you tried it yet? My secret method for drying sheets that will change your life forever? Not an exaggeration. People have included me in their wills for sharing this secret. (Slight exaggeration.) So let’s catch up. What’s new with you? How are the kids? How’s your mom? How’s that thing on your foot? Things are CRaZy here, my friends. We survived summer somehow, I’m not sure exactly how because it went by in a blur and now everyone is trying to tell me it’s August? LOL. Oh no wait, it is halfway through August. Oh no wait, I wrote that a week ago and then […]

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]]> https://www.betterafter.net/2019/08/knock-knock.html/feed 25 14466 The Best Bedsheets Plus My SHOCKING Tip for Making Them Last Forever! https://www.betterafter.net/2019/04/the-best-bedsheets-plus-my-shocking-tip-for-making-them-last-forever.html https://www.betterafter.net/2019/04/the-best-bedsheets-plus-my-shocking-tip-for-making-them-last-forever.html#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2019 23:25:09 +0000 https://www.betterafter.net/?p=14431 Let’s talk about sheets babes. What’s your preference? Satin? Egyptian cotton? Whatever is clean and fits the bed? Are you hip to this so-called ‘millennial’ trend of not using a flat sheet? I must be like, so trendy, because I’ve been doing that with my kids for years. (It’s just easier and they don’t miss it. Or care, or think about sheets, ever). While I consider myself a pretty easy-going person, I’m a drama-queen of the highest degree when it comes to the types of sheets I use. I absolutely can’t stand microfiber, polyester should be internationally outlawed, and jersey is basically the same thing as sleeping in a giant sweaty t-shirt. I said it. Flannel? I’d rather sleep on a bed of snakes. Speaking of, we stayed at the cutest little AirBnb in California a while back, and everything was adorable and perfect until we got into bed and rubbed up against the roughest set of flannel sheets to ever exist on this earth. Like, they probably exfoliated my legs. To make things worse, the mattress also had this super-crinkly cover underneath, so it was literally like sleeping on a hot flannel diaper. I had nightmares all night, zero […]

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]]> https://www.betterafter.net/2019/04/the-best-bedsheets-plus-my-shocking-tip-for-making-them-last-forever.html/feed 31 14431 Come to My House, I Will Show You Around https://www.betterafter.net/2019/03/come-to-my-house-i-will-show-you-around.html https://www.betterafter.net/2019/03/come-to-my-house-i-will-show-you-around.html#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2019 23:29:03 +0000 https://www.betterafter.net/?p=14421 Hi friend! Would you like to hear a little bit about the house we just bought to fit our brand new family of ten? And maybe take a tour? You would? Fantastic. (Fair warning: we have barely touched the house since we moved in. Give us a break man, we did a lot of big stuff like getting engaged and married and blending families and buying a house and moving all in a very short period of time. We are tired. So I’m just sharing some ‘before’ or ‘pre-move-in’ photos today, cool? Cool). After we got married in September last year, Cannon moved into my rental house with me and my kids, though we knew we’d have to start looking for a bigger place right away. But we were stumped … should we rent? Buy? Build? Stay in my town? Move to the other side of the Phoenix valley and start fresh? We avoided making a decision for about a month, mostly because I am a world champion at Decision Avoidance. It should an Olympic event, because I would DOMINATE. I think. Most likely. Not sure. Maybe. No yeah, I probably could. So we (I) waffled for a while, but […]

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]]> https://www.betterafter.net/2019/03/come-to-my-house-i-will-show-you-around.html/feed 35 14421 Story Time: Part Four – The END??! https://www.betterafter.net/2019/01/story-time-part-four-the-end.html https://www.betterafter.net/2019/01/story-time-part-four-the-end.html#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2019 23:35:28 +0000 https://www.betterafter.net/?p=14380 Hello again. So sorry to leave you hanging for way longer than I intended. I wanted to finish up this whole story before 2019 hit, but what the heck happened, we’re already more than halfway through January? Stop it! Anyway, how was your 2018? Mine was one for the books, as I’ve been sharing over the last few posts. Today I’m finally wrapping up the final (for reals this time) chapter of those recent real-life events, a story thus far filled with INTRIGUE and SCANDAL but mostly just CRYING! Catch up on part one, two, or three if you care to follow along. Or, here’s a quick recap: I got divorced in 2017 after my 15-year marriage ended and it was a walk in the park, if the park was on fire and I was on fire and everything was on fire. So basically, the worst. I coped by floundering around like a fish out of water for a long time. Just flip flopping all over the place, gasping for air, confused, lost, all bug-eyed and scary looking. (If you too are finding yourself in a floundering fish phase of your life, don’t worry. I have learned that it’s actually […]

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]]> https://www.betterafter.net/2019/01/story-time-part-four-the-end.html/feed 76 14380 Story Time – Part Three https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/story-time-part-three.html https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/story-time-part-three.html#comments Thu, 29 Nov 2018 23:39:27 +0000 https://www.betterafter.net/?p=14368 Welcome back to the third (possibly final?) chapter of my story. Start at the beginning here, and don’t miss part two, filled with drama, bitterness, one swear word, and more! Where were we … Despite life sucking the life out of me and leaving me a half-functioning shell of my former self, I decided hey, why not venture into the world of online dating? It didn’t seem like a great idea, but I was fresh out of great ideas. Truthfully though, like I said yesterday, I felt really compelled to download a particular app and give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen? I wake up in a bathtub filled with ice missing my kidneys? Fine. I could use an ice bath anyway, it’s hot here. I matched with this cute Cannon guy who was brand new to Phoenix. We casually texted for a little while, and he seemed like a normal human person who probably wouldn’t kidnap me and sell my organs on the dark web, so we arranged a real-life date. I asked him at this point for all of his info so I could make sure he wasn’t wanted for murder in 17 states. He […]

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]]> https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/story-time-part-three.html/feed 32 14368 Story Time – Part Two https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/story-time-part-two.html https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/story-time-part-two.html#comments Wed, 28 Nov 2018 23:32:45 +0000 https://www.betterafter.net/?p=14363 Hi! Thanks for coming back for part two of my DRAMA FILLED LIFE SAGA! Not really, but kinda. Catch up on part one if you missed it here. So to recap … my 15-year marriage had ended and I was emotionally/mentally/physically/spiritually frozen, for a good year and a half. Even my hair stopped growing during this time. (I also had a real fun case of adult acne, see how I finally got that under control here). (Still looking for tips on the hair thing). I learned a lot of things during this period, I wish I could remember what they were, haha. I was very numb. One cliche I learned, and I’d bet anyone who has gone through a divorce will say the same, is that you really do find out who your true friends are. So many people that I considered to be my close friends just went completely silent. The majority of them, in fact. It hurt bitterly, and still hurts, and those friendships will never be the same, not to me. There were a steady few who checked in, or did little thoughtful things, got me out of the house once in a while, and those kind […]

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]]> https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/story-time-part-two.html/feed 21 14363 Story Time https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/storytime.html https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/storytime.html#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2018 23:13:20 +0000 http://www.betterafter.net/?p=14276 Hey gang! Sorry to leave you hanging with my mysterious last post about that bold thing I was doing. No, I didn’t get a tattoo and I was not asked to give a TED talk. I didn’t go skydiving or get a haircut or pierce my nose. As some of you correctly guessed … (or saw on my Instagram posts where I already spilled the beans like two months ago) …     I eloped!     Not by myself. WE eloped. Myself and a man. A man who is now my husband. FYI that’s how eloping works. So yes, I ran away and married a man. His name is Cannon. And he’s really just the very, very best thing. You guys. He is the best thing. (umm so cute) Let’s back up.  Please bear with me while I attempt to capture my mushy feelings with words. As you may already know, mushy feelings of any sort are not my specialty. You need me to talk about a Craigslist toilet? I’m your girl. But ew, feelings? Hi there you lil’ foreign-language you. The fact is, I spent many years learning how to not have feelings. Because when your feelings and […]

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]]> https://www.betterafter.net/2018/11/storytime.html/feed 24 14276 Don’t withhold the bold https://www.betterafter.net/2018/09/playroom-pink-credenza.html https://www.betterafter.net/2018/09/playroom-pink-credenza.html#comments Fri, 28 Sep 2018 22:22:06 +0000 http://www.betterafter.net/?p=14150 Have you done anything bold lately? Stepped out of your comfort zone? Done something totally uNexPEcteD? I have, oh gosh, I have!! Well, I’m about to. Tomorrow. *insert yikes emoji face x 12* I will personally send a yet-to-be-decided prize to the first person who can correctly guess what it is. (This doesn’t include the several people who already know). I’m being cryptic, yuck so sorry. But I will tell you soon enough, don’t you worry. Anyway, this post isn’t about me, it’s about Erin and her bold choice of passionate pink paint for her console makeover. Have you painted something bold lately? Or ever? If not, why not? Are you scared? That’s unacceptable. It’s just paint my friend. Are you averse to bold colors? Are you? Are you reeaallly? Maybe you’re just scared. I really think that’s what it comes down to 99% of the time. Don’t be. Try something bold and fun, try a color that calls out to you and whispers to your heart “Look at me! Love me!”     Erin had never used this color before, but she did have a blazer that she loved to wear in an identical shade, so with that boost […]

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