Luxurious Vintage Prom Dresses You Need To Try Right Now

By Glenda Rondo - 3:40:00 AM

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Avoid Being “House Poor” by Taking These 4 Steps

By Glenda Rondo - 1:47:00 AM

We’ve all heard cautionary tales of new homeowners who have ended up “house poor.” Yes, their homes may be gorgeous and enviable, but that asset is all they have. But in reality, they’re struggling to afford their homes and live their lives comfortably. And, if there’s one thing you don’t want to do as a buyer, it’s to find yourself in a similar position.

Here are the steps you can take during your home search to ensure you find a home that works with your wallet and keeps you comfortably in your budget:

1. Shop below your maximum pre-approval amount

Once you go through the process of getting pre-approved, you’ll receive a letter that states how much money the lender is willing to loan you. Many buyers, especially those who haven’t bought before, make the mistake of shopping for homes up to that amount.

In reality, this figure is not a suggested price range. It’s the absolute maximum you’re allowed to borrow.

You don’t have to spend that much, and in fact, we suggest that you don’t. A smarter plan, especially if you’re concerned about taking on a mortgage, is to work backward.

First, find a monthly payment that makes sense in your budget. Then, see how big of a loan that payment will allow and use that as your maximum. To do this, you can use a mortgage calculator to play around with different loan amounts, down payments, and loan terms until you find a scenario that works best for you.

After you’ve found your sweet spot, don’t forget to see how a payment of that size affects your monthly budget as a whole. Ideally, you’ll land on an amount that allows you to become a homeowner while still being able to fund the other aspects of your life.

2. Don’t forget closing costs

Remember, your monthly mortgage payment and initial down payments aren’t the only costs that you have to shoulder as a buyer. There are also closing costs to consider. These fees account for all of the charges incurred during the course of the transaction and cover anything from the cost of inspections, to title insurance or the cost of retaining an attorney.

Traditionally, these fees will amount to around 1%-2% of the home’s purchase price and will be split evenly between the buyer and the seller. However, in some cases, the seller will agree to take care of the upfront costs and allow the buyer to tack his or her portion onto the mortgage, which means repayment can occur over time.

In either case, it’s still an additional cost to consider as you budget for your new home. 1%-2% of the home’s purchase price may not sound like a lot at first, but it typically ends up amounting to a few thousand dollars. It all adds up.

3. Be realistic about renovations

When you’re shopping for a home, buying a home that needs a lot of work can seem like a great idea.

For one thing, properties in need to TLC often come with a much lower - and more attractive - sale price. For another, undertaking these projects offers you the chance to put your own personal stamp on the home. However, be aware that renovations often come with a much bigger price tag than you might think.

If you’re not particularly handy, you’ll likely need to hire professionals to handle both of the work. That alone will inflate the cost. Not to mention that any estimates you get are just that: estimates. Often, extensive renovations will come across an unexpected detail that ends up costing more. When all is said and done, renovations can sometimes end up costing more than just buying a turn-key home in the first place.

To keep yourself from getting in over your head, it’s important to be realistic about the size and scope of renovations that you’re prepared to handle.

Ask yourself: Do you have the funds to start these projects immediately or does it make more sense to find a home that’s livable and renovate over time. Then, search accordingly.

4. Factor in upkeep & maintenance costs

Realistically, settling into your new home is just the start of the costs. As you live in it, you’ll undoubtedly encounter recurring costs for its upkeep that you’ll have to pay.

If your goal is to avoid becoming “house poor”, your best bet is to think long-term and account for these costs from the start.

In this case, you should focus on both annual fees like property records and monthly ones like utilities. Here, the seller is your best resource. He or she should be able to provide you with estimates of these costs to factor into your budget.

This article originally appeared on OpenListings.

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This Is An Awesome Black Friday Sale You Don't Want To Miss

By Glenda Rondo - 6:13:00 AM

It's the best time to shop for Christmas gifts and stock on wardrobe essentials.

So Single's Day sales have come to an end and now we're just a week away from the original crazy-sale day which is Black Friday. And if you've still got some dollar to spend on, it's time to ready those cash and credit card again as most online shops will be putting almost all major deals and millions of products will be heavily discounted.

If you prefer online shopping as much as we do and place importance on family outfit and gifts that will benefit you too, you'll appreciate this awesome #blackfriday deals with Popreal.com. This Hongkong-based online fashion website offers a cool, chic and fashionable Newborn Baby, Toddlers and Kid's clothing and accessories. And some moms and mom-to-be essentials like intimates and sleepwear, jackets, dresses, tops, and bottoms. And while we love a classic trip to the mall and be reminded how festive this time of the year is, nothing beats having to score your whole family outfits without even having to leave the confines of your home (or bed). Sure win-win especially to mommies like me.

This particular season, Popreal is showcasing their Black Friday Matching Family Outfits and it's happening right now at their website. And we spotted this cute cartoon pattern family Christmas pajamas currently on sale and perfect for a family of four plus a furry friend at home. Thinking of photo calendar for Christmas Holidays? These matching family outfit will be great for that afternoon of dress-up fun with your family and create a gift that you and your kids will enjoy through the year ahead. Or some twinning mommy and I outfit with shining heart pattern for you and your baby girl. I love the shining heart design and the dacron material perfect for autumn and winter season. I scope the set online and found myself lost in an endless scroll through all their collection on the site. And some of the families out there are also on board the cute family outfit line, consistently posting pics on the Pop real show.

Start making your wishlist!

On top of that Popreal is also putting on up to 80% mark-down on their newborn clothes and other Kid's accessories. Which means you should have your wishlist ready by now to make sure your mind is set up on the outfit and not on the last-minute holiday shopping mishap. I'm sure that when the holiday season commences your calendar will be filled with holiday event after holiday event. Don't be stuck searching far and wide, go to Popreal.com - awesome deals, great family outfits, and enhanced buyer protection.

FYI, if you're hesitant on buying online, fret not as Popreal offers truly safe and smart choice payment method. You can send payment quickly and securely online using your Paypal account. Through Paypal, your credit card number or any personal information is safely encrypted - which limits the risk of unauthorized use.

There is so much good stuff on the sale that I don't want to wait to share it. Check out my list below and shop for your favorite:

Thanks a lot for reading,

***This post was sponsored by popreal.com. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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Spotlight-worthy Homecoming Dresses Brand You Need To Know - Shop My Wishlist!

By Glenda Rondo - 8:33:00 AM

As with most of my style and outfit inspirations, I've always turned to local celebrities and fashion bloggers on Instagram to take note of all the creative ways they are taking to make every outfit clearly their own. And I'm pretty certain that if you're a fan of fashion, you have certain style muses who inspire your wardrobes and whose fashion style you'd like to imitate in the sartorial sense.

Speaking of which, the enviable It moments IG snaps of Heart Evangelista at the fashion week from New York to Milan and her recent fashion website launched, strangely got me writing this post and affected most of my dress choices at that point in time.

Inspired by her fashion-forward, yet classic and timeless style I'm so happy to team up with Millybridal again to give you a refreshing amount of accessible homecoming dresses - both in terms of cost and wearability.

MillyBridal is ready to win at offering the best and most cutting-edge fashion primarily catered for prom and beyond every occasion - homecoming, wedding, graduation, sweet 16 and evening parties. So when I tell you they have the largest selection of formal dresses than any other online stores, I promise I'm not bragging so much as saying, they are here to help you find the dress of your dreams.

This brand's latest collection of Homecoming Dresses 2018 features spotlight-worthy pieces with some of the lowest prices in the industry. So in celebration of girls transitioning into beautiful and confident women, Millybridal homecoming dresses collection is ready with its game face on to empower and compliments every bit of your personality. And it's not only that, Millybridal is committed to the satisfaction of their customers, which means they are not just offering effortless and affordable fashion but safe and fun shopping online too.

I couldn't help but double tap every new item after seeing their Red Homecoming Dresses complete with stunning and super luxe fabrics. Their full line is available to shop now, but I'm here to help you out with my top picks. See the looks for yourself and shop each one below:

1. A-line Sweetheart Tulle Short/Mini Beading Prom Dresses

2. Sheath/Column Off-the-shoulder Satin Knee-length Split Front Prom Dresses

3. Princess V-neck Lace Satin Short/Mini Tiered Prom Dresses

4. A-line Halter Tulle Short/Mini Beading Prom Dresses

5. A-line V-neck Lace Short/Mini Sequins Prom Dresses

Taylor made for making memories, enjoy shopping!

***This post was sponsored by MillyBridal.org. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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How to Survive a Home Renovation on a Small Budget

By Glenda Rondo - 6:16:00 AM

Source: https://pixabay.com/en/building-destroyed-destruction-1030838/

Home renovation is something that all of us need to go through at some point in our lives. Keeping in mind that it’s not something that most of us have experience doing, it’s very easy for us to get distracted, frustrated and for the outcome to be worse than we originally planned for.

Since nobody wants to end up going that path, the operation of home renovation is indeed something that needs to be very well planned ahead. Overcoming financial problems along the way is never a good idea and you should be aware of the expenses associated.

Remotely knowing what you want your house to look like after renovation in most cases won’t be enough. You will need to be as detailed as possible (especially with so many handymen and workers around the house that don’t share the same vision or level of creativity as you do).

But, before everything, you will need to take care of…

Where Will You Stay During the Renovation?

Yes, one thing that most of us doesn’t take into account until the actual renovation starts is where your family will be during the process.

Depending on whether you’re going to take an active role in the renovation or you just intend to leave the keys to the person responsible to finish the job while you’re traveling with your kids, we can talk about a diametrically different approach to this matter.

No matter what solution you choose, bear in mind that you need to give your best to keep the stress levels of you and your family as low as possible, as renovating the house can be really stressful and it often lasts more than you originally planned.

Save Where You Can

Rearranging things around the house can be devastating to your budget. Even if you think you got it all under control, you can still easily get carried away with so many people involved and so many situations popping up along.

However, if there is a right time to do something then renovating your home is definitely the right time to get rid of all the unnecessary stuff you kept in your house until now.

Organizing a garage sale or simply putting your products online can both free up some living space and earn you a dollar that you can reinvest in your new/old home.

Source: https://pixabay.com/en/deck-wood-paint-wooden-house-1744953/

Do It Yourself, But Don’t Overdo It

Now is not the time to act like a know-it-all. If you have a God-given gift that you can use to handle some activities around renovation (refurbishing the old furniture or gluing tiles in the bathroom) then you should definitely do it yourself if you’re confident of your skills.

However, lots of people tend to overdo things and they think that they can do something when they actually can’t. Keep in mind that overdoing things will not only eat up your time and nerves, but it will also cost you extra as you’d definitely need to hire a gun to fix what you did afterward.

Be considerate and realistic about what your capabilities truly are. Pay money to the people who know their job to do the rest.

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How To Get Your Child In The Mood for Reading?

By Glenda Rondo - 11:28:00 PM

A quick break from all these over-the-top weddings and jammed-pack social calendar I had for August. Ha!

Last June, Chloe started preschool and our day-to-day activities consist of tidying up writings on the wall, washing only one pair of uniform, constant nagging while organizing books or coloring pens scattered on the floor, looking for the other pair of socks and our most favorite part - practicing our writing and reading skills.

Gone are the days of sleeping in past 10pm and just lying on the bed watching toy reviews on YouTube while mommy updates her social media posts and stories. Gone are the weekends spend in the park or just playing in the mall while mommy does her shopping. Too much happening for the past 3 months (mostly school related) and the rainy weather, to say it bluntly, is not encouraging. Thankfully, we made plans for the beach on the 21st to relax and make up for the lost family time. This lightens the vibes a little bit.

However, going to school will also mean new stories and adventures to talk about non-stop on the dinner table. Chloe is so happy with new friendship and learning she discovers within the four walls of her classroom making her more expressive and communicative. And to support her current love for school moment we've organized our room to fit her mood: we made her own study table, put on more bookshelves and reading materials to her heart content, and decorated her wall with her favorite verse:

Matthew 7:7

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

So how to get your kids in the mood for reading?

I've teamed up with readwithfonics.com to share some simple tips to put your kids in the right spirit of reading.

Readwithfonics.com is a website and an app teaching kids all the phonics sound in fun and interactive way through a series of 7 to 8 games that get progressively harder each time. The best phonics instructions for preschoolers who are still learning to decode letters with simple words. They need to differentiate various sounds all the letters make to start with. Preschoolers are drawn to repetitive sounds and materials read to them over and over again. And what I love about Read with Fonics, it lessens boredom with learning as games are split into four worlds for kids to explore plus an active and cheerful, Albee the Alien, makes learning so much fun - always encouraging and cheering them up every step of the way.

Choose reading materials with many pictures.

These common picture books will never go out of style. Most of the time, children of the same age as Chloe are not really into this reading stage where they identify words but only look at the pictures and pretend to say the words. Which I believe is also helpful for expanding their vocabularies and would be easier for them to identify words. Although they know that letters under the picture often stand for words or names of the given picture.

Let them pick what books or app to read.

Do you have any childhood favorite book? Chloe is now on the stage where every time I told her it’s reading time, she keeps picking up this pop-up book she can manipulate by herself. And it’s an instant favorite of her as she can remember the words by heart. I don’t know but there’s something about books with special sounds, pop-up or squeaky books that most preschoolers are drawn into. Never mind if we’ve read the books for the nth times, what matters is that she develops this love for reading.

Have fun while reading.

But most importantly, have fun and keep a sane head when dealing with stubborn little readers. Stop once in a while and take this opportunity to tell stories to your child – how your day was or how your parents used to read books or tell bedtime stories with you. Kids will eager to lend their ears when it comes to short classic stories.

Goodnight moon, goodnight pillows.

Overall, our reading progress is slow and steady. But, the month ends on a far better note.

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Here Are Absolutely Stunning Under $500 Gowns For Your "I do" Moments

By Glenda Rondo - 5:08:00 PM

Hola September! Speaking of wedding, I was completely blown away but what has been the ultimate influencer move I've seen on the first day of September. This month started on a swoon-worthy and an extravagant wedding of one of my favorite Italian blogger - Chiara Ferragni and just looking at those pictures induced an Instagram envy among us. The Blonde Salad star wore not one but three stunning and luxurious wedding dresses for the weekend festivities.

But don't fret, you don't have to be a billionaire to do the same.

I've rounded up a few under $500 wedding dresses for your magical moment and look spectacular without burning holes in your pocket. Because well, we don't have all Chiara Ferragni's bank account balance. And you can find all these elegant yet affordable wedding dresses at Suzhoudress.com.

I'm sure you've heard of this online website before as I've been working with Suzhoudress.com in few series of blog posts and have been documenting some of their gorgeous prom dresses on my Instagram stories.

Suzhoudress online shopping experience is one that makes you especially excited as they offer a wide selection of wedding dresses for your choosing. Their exquisite workmanship with high-quality fabric ensures your every purchase meets global quality standards. The primary aim is for women to think about this magnificent day as a dream come true. That when they think of their wedding day, they will focus on how beautiful their wedding dress is and not on stressing on how to get value on this very expensive item we've got to wear once. They offer global consumers at factory prices. Picking "the one" is never easy but here's the icing on the cake, why pick one when you can pick two or more for your dream wedding party in a The Blonde Salad way sans the money.

These elegant wedding dresses are speaking luxury for itself. This custom stunning creation will give you a Cinderella feel with all the rich and extravagant detailing. You can put your hair up, natural makeup look and simple accessories and voila, you'll instantly look like a million dollar bride. I don't know about you but looking elegant doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. That's why I'm in constantly finding ways on how to achieve luxury fashion without going bankrupt.

And to give you a huge favor, these cheap wedding dresses are the absolute showstopper. Don't we all love affordable fashion? Those that will turn heads but which price tags will make you smile. Combat buyer's remorse with this wide selection of affordable wedding dresses from Sozhoudress.com.

Here's to "someone I know is engaged" sentiments to "yes I do" moment of your life.

Enjoy shopping! Xoxo

**This post as sponsored by suzhoudress.com. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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Why Online Invitations Are Surprisingly Perfect Right Now + Special Gift

By Glenda Rondo - 8:05:00 PM

Today I'll be sharing one of my favorite sites Paperless Post' expressive online invitations and how you can automate and build a system that efficiently works for your party guest list. Plus a special 25$ gift card from Amazon just by following my giveaway below.

So why not automate and send invitations online when everyone we know is on the internet nowadays? Except maybe for my parents and few of my relatives - the very reason our wedding was old-fashioned by the way. Ha, kidding!

The first time I've worked with Paperless Post and saw myself the flexibility of their creative designs, I knew for sure that there's more to this online invitation than most people didn't want to admit.

No need to search around an overwhelming list of options but consider the convenience of electronic invitations. I recommend Paperless Post as you can easily design and send invitations online with their massive and wide collection of designer invites and cards. Even with little to no idea of how tech works, you will tick things off your to-do list with ease and peace of mind. Best of all with their efficient electronic features like smart tracking and email reminders you will no longer dread about sending and receiving RSVPs as your guest will have the ability to RSVP online. And while it's true that Paperless Post's most elegant designs aren't free, if you're just as overwhelmed as I was with party preparation and telling people about the date, it's all worth it.

Looking back on my wedding way back in 2013, we had a hard time accepting the reality of what it cost to organize a wedding overseas. And since we struggled with the budget, the invitations were the hardest thing for me to finalized. You better believe me when I say I'm just as extra with my choice of dresses and earrings for church gatherings as I am with my wedding invitations. Growing up, I have a pretty good idea of how much we should set aside for invitations as my aunt who does wedding entourage and package back home sometimes offers it as a giveaway. So imagine the extravagant expectations I had with my invitations only to get frustrated when we started meeting with Thai vendors and getting real pricing information. I still did avail one of the supplier's services but didn't use it in the end. That is probably one of the costliest decision I've ever made. To save our sanity, my husband and I decided to design our own. So if I had to do it all over again, I definitely would have Paperless Post take good care of this process.

But if you still waffling back and forth between online invitations and the traditional paper, don't fret as Paperless Post also offers paper print designs exclusively at Paper Source. You'll wake up knowing your fantastic invitations have reached out friends and families around the globe through the wonders of technology - to free up your mind, time and money so you can focus on the most important thing: the main event!

Overall, we had a wonderful wedding but if I had to do things differently, I'll save my sanity by sending online invitations and make sure someone remembered my former boss' "toast for the couple" speech after the ceremony.

Cheers!

P.S please join my giveaway below as my thank you gift for your support to my blog and campaign for Paperless Post. From the bottom of our hearts, thanks a lot for reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post was sponsored by Paperlesspost.com. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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How to Buy a Prom Dress on the Internet | Extra Safe

By Glenda Rondo - 4:08:00 AM

For a working mom like me, whose job and passion are highly-dependent on the digital universe, it's hard to imagine the world without the internet. I used it on a daily basis to communicate to people: check on my kid at school, pay my bills, book a ticket, skim the news, grab a ride, watch movies, read a book and shop for literally everything.

Believe it or not, online shopping is part of my family's goal of automating everything. With Chloe heading to kindergarten and a huge shift to our normal routine, having everything delivered to us (yep including groceries) can carve out significant hours towards quality family time.

But the digital world can be a dangerous place for scam and identity theft. And online shopping can be a risky habit. One minute you're checking email and the next moment you're in an online shop with two or more products in your shopping cart. What's worse is when you have no idea about the stores' online buying process.

I've teamed up with PromShopAU to share some tips and easy guidelines when shopping online.

Having been in the online business of formal dresses for 8 years, PromShopAU knows exactly how to satisfy consumers with their clothing desires. Their high quality and fashionable prom dresses had won the wide reputation of their customers all over the world. PromShopAU is one of the fastest growing companies for fashionable formal dresses including wedding gowns, prom dresses, cocktail dresses, homecoming and so on.

As a customer oriented, PromShopAU is working it's best to meet all your needs and for you to have an enjoyable shopping experience.

Set aside some time when shopping online

Shopping for prom dresses or formal dresses can be so tricky. The reason I've spent 20 to 30 minutes online to check on meticulously before I purchase. My husband used to complain about the drudgery of having to walk to every floor of a shopping mall and having to check every single item on the rack when I do actual shopping which all men can nod in agreement. I still do that except only at the convenience of my phone and computer screen. I take my time checking on every detail of the product I'm buying. One of the ugly truths of online shopping is that photos can be confusing: lighting and some photo editing can play a big role on the aesthetic - be extra careful in choosing the design and fabric.

Check the safest payment options available

While PromShopAU warrants a safe payment online or off-line as their page is secure, encrypted and protected with the best encryption software in the industry (SSL), some online shops can steal and store including your most sensitive information. I personally prefer opting for Paypal when buying online. The seller never sees your credit card information as you can link those details directly to your account. An extra protection against fraud and identity theft.

Verify their delivery and return policy

While there may be times and event that you are not absolutely in love with your purchases, I suggest that you try on the product as soon as you receive it without altering or removing the tags. Most online shops like PromShopAU offers a few days return policy after shipment given the product is in its original condition. You should be aware of the company's policy on when to return the item and get a full refund including the postage.

How many times you have come across a beautiful dress or chic accessory online and thought of buying it? Keep these tips as a refresher to all the bad things that have probably crossed our minds when online shopping.

Check out PromShopAU website for more stunning prom dresses - an excitement to every package delivered to your doorstep.

Happy online shopping,

***This post was sponsored by promshopau.com. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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The Best Shop For All Your Homecoming Party Needs

By Glenda Rondo - 8:07:00 PM

I believe I still channel this party girl energy (yep still moving freely in spirit even now that I’m a mom, ahem) that I have the gift to utilize for both creative and insightful ideas, helping me to influence or open up new ways for my readers to get something valuable out of what I love working on. Like weed breaking through a concrete, I’m in a constant process of learning and finding new ways to bring you only the best here at expatpetitemom. I’m so happy to announce and warn you (!) that in my next few series of blog post I’m working on - which the only main goal is to find the solutions to difficulties I’ve been personally seeking and dealing with will eventually come up as an asset for you to use so you don’t have to go through the same ordeal.

I love shopping on a budget but I'm also obsessed at emulating my favorite royals' magnificent style a.k.a Kate Middleton and Megan Markle, which can lead to a spiral of confusion as my bank balance won't let me. Like a tug of war, each pulling at the end of my instinct. Ha!

My recent collaboration with Suzhoudress opens up a wellspring of princess-worthy homecoming dresses you can easily re-create for less but stuns in true princess moments. Suzhoudress is one of the best shops that get to the heart of easy and safe online shopping. They supply a wide variety of stunning formal dresses including the ones from the world’s famous wedding brands. This gives me all the reason to excavate through their website and set my eyes glued to the computer screen for hours. Ha!

These short homecoming dresses are perfect for those moments it gets hard to decide whether to go over or under dress for that particular invites with incomplete details. This kind of sentiments might obstruct you with your quest for the best dress when triggered with very limited time. Brave the road less traveled with this plethora of unusual homecoming dresses and save you from this tricky situation in the end. Your safest bet? These short homecoming dresses: simple yet charming and heavy on the icing.

While I’ll be honest that some of my formal dresses collaborations may be going through lavish and expensive heights, at Suzhoudress you can pick your price, style-wise. Tough job! Save your paycheck and shop for these cheap homecoming dresses. They may be light on the pocket but rock it with confidence and “affordable” will never look this good.

And just to make sure my arrow is pointed to the direction of my target, I’m adding this stunning piece to my cart asap.