Like a first kiss, first car or first day of school, entrepreneurs and home renovation experts Ashley and Andy Williams will never forget completing their first home renovation project.

“That day began as all our days do — with organized chaos,” Ashley said. “We got our two kids ready for school amid a mad dash of ensuring book bags were packed, homework was done and items for after-school activities were all in their proper places. We also made sure that our own go-bag for the day was filled with almonds, water and fruit in case a hot property hit the market. As busy parents and entrepreneurs, we need the energy that almonds provide so we can stay on our A-game from school drop-offs, house hunting and everything in between.”

They took the scenic route around town looking for a project to take on. That’s when they saw it: a home that had been sitting on the market for 236 days, looked like a time capsule from 1976 (complete with wallpaper and original kitchen appliances) — but had incredible potential to be transformed into a place that any family would want to call home. Just like the feeling of falling in love, they said they knew it was the right project for them. They immediately called the listing agent to arrange a meeting with the sellers and sketched out their proposed vision. The sellers felt their passion for the property, and the deal was sealed.

Then, the work began. It turned out that the 1970s charm they loved about the house was the same thing that threw them curveballs at every turn. From the outdated plumbing and HVAC systems to the decades-old wiring to the foundation and flooring — the house needed a huge overhaul to conform with modern building codes. Those first few weeks of the renovation were long and tiring, but productive.

Once the bones of the house were up to code, they turned to the interior. From choosing family-friendly, durable kitchen appliances to finding the perfect color laminate that would run from room to room, they poured their hearts into this renovation — just as they had with their own home years prior.

Then finally, after five months of hard work, it was time to put what had become their second home on the market.

“We brought our kiddos over to put the finishing touches on the staging and by the end of the week, we sold the home to a young family who appreciated the charm and design of the home as much as we did,” Ashley said.

Passion. Hard work. Positivity. Family. That’s what “owning their everyday” means to the Williams family. How will you turn your everydays into memorable moments?

See below for a recipe created by Ashley and Andy to help you fuel your everyday. For additional tips and recipes visit the Almond Board of California website.

Power Packed Almond Maple Granola

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

2 cups oats

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup roasted and salted sunflower kernels

1/4 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine butter, maple syrup and honey in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until butter is melted, but not boiling. Remove from heat. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour in the butter mixture, and stir to combine. Spread onto the prepared cookie sheet, bake for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Enjoy as a snack or with yogurt and fresh fruit. Store in an airtight container.

We hear so many complaints about the unrealistic expectations created by the media about our physical appearance and or social status but the much needed conversation about the pursuit of perfectionism in the realm of self-love is often a conversation held among like minded community members and not publicized nearly as much the image of perfection is. So as 2019 approaches let this be your sign or written decree that you do not need to be perfect to pursue your goals. 

Self-love and improvement is not always flawlessly executed. This is your confirmation that in the midst of stressful days and slow mornings you owe it to yourself to stay the course of your goals regardless of how your execution may look.

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1. Don’t compare your starting point to someone else’s middle point. Basically don’t be afraid to start slow and honor where you are in your journey. Baby steps are still steps and sometimes it makes the journey more satisfying when you end up improving a lot. 

 

2.  Don’t talk yourself into stopping before you start because your “mind isn’t right.” There will be times that you feel distracted. Consider it an honor to work for yourself even in those moments the same way you would for your job or a fortune 500 company that you would consider it an honor to work for. You are worthy of your own honor.

3. Don’t be afraid to start over. There is nothing wrong with hitting reset. Don’t take it as a mark of defeat. Take it as a victory because you are still willing to stay committed to your goals. As cliche of a saying as it may be, it is very true that the only real failure exists in giving up completely. Don’t give up. Start over as many times as necessary.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     via GIPHY

4. Remember! You are your biggest hater. This is possibly the most avoided truth on any self-discovery journey. It falls into line with the idea that the same people who doubt you are inclined to doubt you just as much as you doubt yourself. The reason you might be so deeply offended by their doubt is because it all might be a reflection of how you see yourself. This isn’t saying that you “want” to doubt yourself. A lot of times it takes so long to notice and accept because it is a subconscious choice taught to us over the course of our life. Think of it in terms of the lessons you learned as a child. You are born believing you are limitless and magical even and overtime the adults in our life and even our peers are the ones who speak to us of limitations. We are all guilty of accepting those limitations and we begin to try to identify all the ways that we are limited. The super scary truth is that you are limitless. And the opinions of the rare “hater” species won’t offend you once you learn to stop hating on yourself. Via M. Will The Artist

5. Accept that you are unique. While this is similar to number one it doesn’t hurt to say it again but differently. It is ok to be inspired by others but understand that details of your journey will not look the same for you as it does for someone else. 

 

6. The hardest piece of advice, accept that you already are everything you want to be. The only job you really have is nurturing what is already there to reflect whatever quality you to embody.

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If you take nothing else from this short list, take this detail  you have permission to allow your journey to be uniquely yours. It won’t look like the Instagram posts that you like. Or the carefully edited YouTube videos you watch. Your journey will be real and yours. It will be imperfect and that is ok. Give your desires and yourself the respect they deserve by not abandoning them.