Eightymillion

A DIY craft and photography blog. Dogs included.

Hardy, House, and Disco

Over the past eleven months, we’ve had to say goodbye to our beloved boys, Hardy, House, and Disco. We were blessed to share eleven years with House, fourteen with Hardy, and fifteen with Disco. We miss them dearly but knowing they’re together again gives us peace. Until we meet again boys…

Until the next word…

Stay safe, be kind, and wear a mask.

Halloween Photoshoot With Special Guest Michael Myers

Scrolling through Facebook my niece’s Mom came across a photoshoot that Breanna Marie Photography did with her daughter. It was creepy yet so adorable! Those who enjoy Halloween movies will totally get it.

Then the ideas started rolling. My niece loves scary movies so one thing leads to another and pretty soon we were out doing our Halloween shoot with Michael Myers. We added a few twists of our own to the shoot to fit what activities Aubrie enjoys to this present day. Adam also gifted us with a video he produced, so yes we do own the rights to this music. You can watch it below.

I hope that you enjoy the photos as much as we did taking them.

Happy Halloween!

Be kind, be helpful, and be safe!

Until the next word…

Quarantine Life 2020

Quarantine Life 2020 Eightymillion

Life in quarantine has been challenging. Putting myself in a positive mindset has helped me greatly. I can’t change the condition the world is in right now, but I can change my attitude towards it. Would you believe that my word for 2020 was reset? How suitable right? And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

I’ve been spending my time completing all of those tasks that have been on my to-do list for years. Along with finishing these tasks, I’ve also been documenting them to share with you here. If DIY gardening is your jam then you’ll be in for a real treat!

Quarantine has proven that I’m an even bigger introvert than I thought I was and that’s okay with me. Naps are part of my routine. My love of pizza has grown to an immeasurable amount. More on that later. More importantly, it has given me the time to slow down. Are you familiar with the saying, there’s never enough time in the day? There really is, you just need to prioritize what’s most important, something I never did before. Honestly, I can say that I’m adjusting to this new way of life.

Don’t get me wrong when I point out all of the above in which this confinement has given me. The devastation it has caused many is truly repulsive. Everybody’s situation is different. It wasn’t easy by any means to find a way to transform the stress of quarantine through my creative avenues. And I’m hopeful that you can find a similar outlet to guide you through it as well. Confinement can affect our physical and mental well being. The World Health Organization gives their advice to help you and your family. This article is useful as we start to reenter society.

Be kind, be helpful, and be safe!

Until the next word…

5 Incredibly Useful How To Stay Productive Tips For Small Businesses

Do you ever feel like you will never get caught up with those day to day business tasks? Seriously, does the to-do list EVER END? Will I ever wake up and say, “I’m finally caught up with everything!” Most likely not in this day and age of entrepreneurship. Technology is forever evolving, the ideas keep coming, and the implementation period is ongoing. So if you’re not willing to take action, who will? Especially if you’re a solo entrepreneur like me.

Well, here’s the deal! I’m one of the biggest procrastinators you’ll ever met. #truestory

With so many great projects planned for this space it’s time to make a change. Basically it’s time to get my shit together.

Today I’m sharing a list of tips to help you and myself stay active with our business responsibilities.

We can do this together! Are you in?

Here’s my top 5 tips on how to stay productive. Take notes and get your phone out because there’s a couple of apps you’ll want to check out.

  1. Prioritize your tasks. Check for deadlines first and move those items up to the top. Once the closest deadline is at the top examine what you have left. Decide what’s more important and will be the most beneficial to your business? Move those items accordingly. Continue until you’re satisfied with what’s in front of you. Now what? Have you heard of Asana? It’s AWESOME and it’ll help you keep track of your work. Download the app and plug in your projects.
  2. Set a goal of completing 3 tasks per day. Obviously this number depends on your schedule and the size of the goal, but three is a good number for me. I’m a PC user so Google Calendar is helpful with remembering my 3 tasks for the day. I usually sit down once a week and look at what I want to accomplish. Fill in your calendar for what works for you.
  3. Organize your work space. And your passwords. LastPass is AWESOME and it’s a huge time saver, check it out here. Back to your work space. If the creative chaos of papers everywhere works for you then roll with it. I’m one to have everything in it’s place even if it means having several tabs opens at once and twenty sheets of paper in front of me. I know where everything is and where it all goes when I shut down for the night. Prep your area to what best suits you.
  4. Schedule in breaks. For me it’s a nap. You’d be surprised what a 20 minute catnap can do for you. Stay hydrated and have a healthy snack handy.
  5. Set a timer. This works wonders for me. Most smartphones come with this capability. Or if you like the old fashioned egg timers, go for it. There’s something about the ticking noise that keeps me on track. When I sit down to work on something I start the timer for let’s say 20 minutes. If I’m not finished at the end I add another 15. It’s not that I have to finish in that allotted time, it simply helps me stay focused.

Bonus tip: Stop using the word to-do lists and use goals instead. Overall the word goal just sounds better. Can we agree on that? Waking up knowing what goals you’re going to conquer for the day will add a little pep in your step.

Any additional tips to add? Leave a comment below.

Do you know another entrepreneur who would find this post beneficial? Feel free to share it with them. Be sure to pin it so you can reference back to it later if you feel like you’re falling off track.

Stay focused and go crush those goals!

Until the next word…

DIY Halloween Treat Bags Without Candy

What’s a Halloween trick or treat bag without candy? A LOT OF FUN! No sugar needed.

Yes I know Halloween is over but I still wanted to share this super easy DIY project with you. This way you can pin the idea to have for next year. #winning

Be sure to listen to the Facebook live I did this past week as I walked you through what I put in the bags.

My niece and nephews loved them!

Until the next project…

Interview Series: Behind the Curtain With Petrina Hamm Episode 1

Welcome to Behind the Curtain! A brand new series in which I’ll be interviewing creative entrepreneurs that I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with. This goal has been on my to do list for a very long time and today it became a reality. SO EXCITED! #pinchme 🙂

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. The content and opinions below are 100% mine. I take pride helping others promote their products/services in which I have used and can back 100%.

Grab a snack and check out our interview here.

As mentioned in the video, if you would like to join Petrina’s FREE 5 Day Video Confidence Challenge sign up here. We’re currently on Day 3 but you can catch up over the weekend. Her teaching style is clear and straight to the point. If you’re dedicated to the challenge and do the work, you will see results!

Where else can you find Petrina? Connect with her on YouTube Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thanks for watching!

Until the next interview…

How to create your own hashtag pumpkin for halloween

Here’s a simple DIY project that you can complete in less than 10 minutes. That’s right 10 minutes and under $10 bucks!

Last week I was in the grocery store staring at this huge pallet of pumpkins. Surprisingly they caught my eye since I never really got into the whole pumpkin carving tradition. Perhaps because they seem to spoil so quickly once being cut into.

I’ve seen where people decorate with puffy stickers and various other characters but that didn’t fit my style. That’s when an idea popped into my head.

A hashtag pumpkin. That’s it! I’ll create a hashtag pumpkin only I’ll substitute the knife with a paintbrush.

I ran to Michaels to pick up some paintbrushes and black acrylic paint. Grabbed a 5×7 piece of white paper from the recycle bin and I was all set.

After gathering the supplies, I’ve listed in the image above, here’s what you do next.

  1. Wipe off the pumpkin with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt.
  2. Squeeze a nice amount of paint onto the piece of paper. Depending on how many pumpkins you’re creating will determine how much you need. Using the paintbrush, practice your hashtag on the paper first. This step is not necessary but I found it helpful in deciding which paint brush to use.
  3. Then simply apply the hashtag to the pumpkin.
  4. Allow the paint to dry and you’re done! You can also turn the pumpkin around and paint another hashtag on the backside.

Simple right? And the best part is that it’ll last longer than a carved pumpkin. #winning

Total cost for this project was approximately $8.85. The pumpkin was @2.99, paint .89 cents, brushes 2., and the various gourds were .99 cents each.

Stay tuned for more creative DIY projects. I’ve got several ideas where I focus solely on my obsession with hashtags. 🙂

Until the next project…