I’ve started a podcast!
I have been interested in starting a podcast for a while and finally took the plunge and did the thing!
Every Tuesday, there will be a new episode diving into the things I’m doing that week and a deep dive into a travel or adventure-related topic!
You can listen on Spotify or by clicking the link below!
https://anchor.fm/mariadoesthings/episodes/Welcome-to-the-Maria-Does-Things-Podcast-e1fqegr
The group flew into Fort Meyers airport and rented a car to explore the area for a week. We were able to find an Airbnb in Cape Coral last minute with a screened-in pool and hot tub, a dock, a full kitchen, and plenty of sleeping and hang-out space.
My heart has always been drawn to the west coast of Florida. Since my first visit when I was 10, I knew there was something special about the west coast. When our plans fell through to travel to Aruba in January, I knew exactly where we needed to go! We were able to plan a stellar vacation to Southwest Florida in about 5 days!
The group flew into Fort Meyers airport and rented a car to explore the area for a week. We were able to find an Airbnb in Cape Coral last minute with a screened-in pool and hot tub, a dock, a full kitchen, and plenty of sleeping and hang-out space. Cape Coral ended up being an unexpectedly delightful location to spend the week. It was full of conveniences like grocery stores, local coffee places (my fav haha), and restaurants. What is neat about Cape Coral is all the canals! Many houses are located on the canals, so we had a stunning view from the screened-in patio/pool/ hot tub area.
The only downfall to the location was the distance from the beach. We were about a 40 – 60 minute drive to the beach due to traffic. Since the drive was not too bad to the beaches, we spent 4 days relaxing on beaches. We went to the Sanibel Lighthouse Beach, Bowman’s beach on Sanibel, and Fort Myers beach.
The Sanibel Lighthouse beach had convenient and clean bathrooms, was not too crowded, and the water was excellent for swimming. There was a fee to park, but you could pay with a credit card. This is a place where many people park their boats on the shoreline and spend time on the beach; it’s really cool to see!
Bowman’s Beach is further down on Sanibel, and it felt very uninhibited. The more rural vibe to this beach quickly made it one of my favorites. The walk to the beach is a little further than other beaches, but it is a stunning walk. You walk through nature and pass nice bathrooms and changing facilities. There was a fee to park, but you could pay with a credit card. We went to Southwest Florida in the high season, so there were a good amount of people on the beach, but it was not terribly crowded. The water was wonderful for swimming, and the beach had beautiful seashells!
Fort Myers Beach and the surrounding area felt more like a beach town. There was a good amount of traffic coming into Fort Myers, the parking was harder to find, and many places were cash only. The sand on the beach felt like powdered sugar, and the seashells were terrific! Some in our group were able to parasail right from the beach! This beach was pretty crowded; however, the two days we went, we could still find a place to set up our chairs!
We had two other days that we decided not to go to the beach!
One of the days, some of us in the group got pedicures in the morning, and then we went to Naples for the evening! We choose to go to Ocean Prime for their Early Bird dinner special. It was an incredible restaurant with incredible food! They even had excellent gluten-free food options and gluten-free bread!! We spent the evening walking around Naples and popping in and out of the cute local shops.
The other day we chose not to spend at the beach, we decided to go on a wild adventure! There is a ferry that goes from Fort Meyers to Key West, so we decided to plan a day trip down to Key West! The boat ride took about 4 hours one way, and we had about 4-5 hours in Key West to explore. The boat was nice and not too rocky. They had decent bathrooms, food, and even played a movie. We rented bikes to explore Duvall Street and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. There are even golf carts you could rent for a few hours too. If you want to see a lot in a short period of time, I highly recommend renting a bike or golf cart! We had lunch at the famous Sloppy Joe’s, saw the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, and got Key Lime Pie at The Original Key Lime Pie Bakery. The time in Key West was short but sweet. I think taking the boat was a great idea but in the future, I would love to stay for a night or two to make the long boat ride more worth it!
Overall, our trip was a relaxing yet adventurous getaway! I loved escaping the cooler weather in the Northeast for a week! If you’re looking for a beach getaway, especially in the cooler months in the north, check out Southwest Florida!
I kicked off my 2022 by spending a week in Cape Coral, Florida, and adventuring around Southwest Florida! I had some delicious coffee while I was there and wanted to share some of my favorites!
Penny’s Coffee Bar in Cape Coral
Penny’s ended up being a new favorite coffee spot! I wish it weren’t so far away from home. Not only did they have a wide variety of coffee options, but they also had neat tea and tea refresher options! I got their cold brew twice, and woah was I impressed. It quickly became one of my favorite cold brews of all time. They had baked goods there, too, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies! I highly recommend Penny’s if you’re looking for a cold brew, a refresher, an iced latte, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies!
Urban Buzz Coffee Company in Cape Coral
Urban Buzz was funky in the best way possible! The coffee shop was a walk-up window/drive-through. They had lots of coffee options and tea refresher options! I tried something brand new there, white coffee. I had never even heard of white coffee, but it’s coffee roasted at a lower temperature, and the beans turn white. The drink I got with the white coffee was soo delicious. Even if it did blow my mind that it was all white, haha!
Funky Rooster Coffee House & Wine Bar in Key West
This coffee shop had such a neat Kerry West vibe! The coffee was great, and they had delicious pastries! It looked like they also sold wine, so if you’re looking for a place to hang out I. In the evening this cafe could be an excellent choice! I wish I had more time to hang out in this coffee shop; the vibes were so cool!
The French Press in Cape Coral
This coffee shop also has gelato, and that’s what sold me! I got gelato twice at The French Press, and it was amazing! Each day they had different flavors! I tried key lime the one day, and it was stellar!! Their coffee was good, and they had a variety of pastry and food options there too. If you’re looking for coffee and gelato, this is the place to go!
I hope this helps on your next trip to southwest Florida! Let me know if you’ve been to southwest Florida and some of your favorite coffee shops there!
Happy New Year!
The past few days, I have been relaxing and reflecting on the past year. I reviewed my new year’s blog posts for 2020 and 2021. I was eager and driven, running into 2020 and then cautious moving into 2021. I am excited yet grounded, stepping into this new year. 2020 and 2021 were full of lessons and learning more about myself than I intended. I hope that 2022 provides peace, calm, and happiness. I am very excited for ’22. It is the year that I will be getting married, finally traveling more, and hopefully creating some strong healthly habits in my daily life.
I was reluctant to create goals for ’22. I think back to my eager, innocent self moving into 2020 with a long list of goals and a fire in my heart. Only to be vastly disappointed at the end of 2020 by a long list of goals that were never completed. In 2021, I focused more on a vision board, knowing that even if something didnt happen, it would be something I hope for one day. Even though I was reluctant, I ended up creating a list of 22 things I wanted to do for ’22. This idea is based on 22 for ’22 that the podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin talks about in episode 357. For my 22 for ’22, I wanted to create small yet effective goals. I chose goals that I knew I could realistically accomplish no matter what was happening in life/ the world.
I choose goals like getting married (already planned), walking 20 minutes a day, painting/ deep cleaning my house, and traveling to some places (which are already planned). These are all things I know will happen, things I already planned on doing. I hope filling a list of realistic goals and checking them off will give me a ton of motivation and excitement for this year ahead. I turned many of my goals into a vision board. Putting pictures to written plans is a neat way to visualize what you want to accomplish. It helps me to see what I want and go after it!
Also, based on the podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, I chose a word of the year for the year ahead. Last year, I chose the word balance. Choosing this word was a “be careful what you wish for because you just might get it” situation. I intended to find a calming balance between priorities in my life. 2021, my year of balance, gave me eye-opening challenges in finding balance. I was the busiest I have been in my entire life this fall. I learned to balance spending time with my fiance, spending time with my family, my new home, traveling for work, taking 2 Ph.D. classes, and a social life. It was not easy or perfect. It was challenging but taught me the balance I was seeking.
This year, I was a ton more intentional with my word. Knowing that if you focus on one thing, you will see the good, the bad, and the ugly of that thing. I wanted to focus on HOME this year. Since buying our house in May, I haven’t been able to put the TLC into our home that I would have liked. We have dreams of painting our home with more historical colors on the inside to align with its history and origins. We want to make our house cozy and feel like a home. It is incredibly exciting to think of all our projects for our neat early 1900s home!
With my word of the year, I created a goal for each month of 2022. I want to focus on a different area of our home. I want to paint, deep clean, organize each area of our home by December, so by Christmas next year, we are in a home that is fully painted like we want it, deep cleaned, decorated, and all small projects are completed!
I plan on making intentional moves in 2022. All the goals I accomplish, every project in our home, I want to be done with gratitude and thought. I have a good feeling about 2022. I am excited to get married, travel more, and accomplish some goals we have for our home! I hope that the hardships we have all faced the past 2 years will lessen and everyone can focus on happiness this year.
Cheers to a new year!
Here are 5 tips on how to make your transition to a gluten-free diet easier!
I spent most of 2019 and all of 2020 fighting the fact that I needed to eat gluten-free. Even though I do not have celiac disease, I am very gluten sensitive. When I eat gluten, I get incredibly bloated, my stomach does not work right for days, and I have slight chest pains for days after.
My diet is 98% gluten-free right now, and both my parents eat gluten-free. This means I know a lot of the best gluten-free food in grocery stores, restaurants, and even some yummy recipes. I want to share some tips and tricks of going gluten-free because it honestly isn’t that bad. There are so many products and foods nowadays that make it pretty easy to follow a gluten-free diet.
I want to offer community and guidance about beginning your process of starting your gluten-free journey. It can be an overwhelming and daunting process. Even though it has become easier to be gluten-free in recent years, it can feel kind of isolating and time-consuming. Here are 5 tips on how to make your transition to a gluten-free diet easier!
I wish you the best of luck in your gluten-free journey! I hope to write more about good gluten-free foods, restaurants, recipes, etc., so keep an eye out if you like this article!
We are Home Owners!
On May 18th, my significant other and I bought our first home. We have been working on this goal slowly since we moved back to NEPA in June 2019. Job changes, lots of saving, and the pandemic later, here we are with a home.
As I am sure you know, the housing market is on fire right now. It honestly feels like a miracle that we not only bought a house, but we found one we LOVE! Everything about this home is what we wanted. It’s a pre World War 2 built home in Scranton, PA. It’s everything we could have dreamed of getting! It took a lot of effort emotionally, mentally, and physically to get here, though. I have a ton of advice for anyone looking to buy a home. We were blessed to have family that knew the home buying process well and a stellar realtor.
Here are 10 Tips for buying a home!
Tip #1
Find an area you want to live in. Make sure you want to live here. I have heard to make sure you want to own a home in that location for at least seven years. There are penalties if you sell your home too quickly after buying it. I like to think of a home as a longer-term investment. Whether I plan on living in it forever or I plan to rent it out when it’s time to move on, I don’t recommend buying a home if you only plan to live there for a few years.
Tip #2
Prepare yourself financially. There are a ton of costs to factor in when purchasing a home. There is also a ton of conflicting advice on the right amount to save, etc.
With conventional mortgages, you only need 5% right now. If you do put less than 20% down, though, you will be paying private mortgage insurance. You have to weigh the pros and cons and figure out what works for you!
Work on your credit scores and increase them as much as you can! The better your credit scores, the better your mortgage interest rates are going to be. You by no means need a perfect credit score, just a good, healthy one.
It can be hard to find advice on what your credit score should be and how much you should have saved. I did some self-education through the podcast How To Money. I learned a lot about mortgages and credit scores. I recommend talking, reading, or listening to reputable resources to create your financial plan. Don’t just listen to your friend or family member who may have never bought a house ever or it’s been many, many years. Their advice is helpful but having current and relevant information is crucial.
Set your plan and your budget, and stick to it!
Also, on the topic of mortgages, make sure you are working with a good company. Many good Realtors have connections to lenders that, because of that connection, things move smoothly throughout the buying process. If you do go with a lender outside of the realtor’s recommendation, which might also be a good move based on your rates, make sure they are accessible. Being able to call or email them with any questions you have and get a quick response is crucial.
Tip #3
Find a great realtor in your area. This was key for us finding out home and having our offer accepted. Our realtor was phenomenal. She knew her stuff and was a wealth of knowledge through the process. I feel a good realtor is not only someone who is a great resource and good at making deals but also someone who knows the specific area you are looking in. If they know your area, they will know common issues and perks of the area and help you navigate all of that.
Just because I love our realtor so much, if you are looking for a home in the Scranton Area, please reach out to me, and I will connect you with the one I used!
Tip#4
Learn what you want and don’t want. Spend time paroozing listings and seeing a variety of different houses. See houses below, at, and slightly above the price range you have in your head. CAUTION: don’t look at a house over the amount you are preapproved for; you don’t want to fall in love with something you are not qualified to buy. It’s crucial to see a variety of houses on various streets/ areas within the area you are looking at. You may find you have deal breakers you never thought you would, or you may fall in love with a particular style of house once you see it in person.
Tip #5
Find someone you are close to who knows the process. This is crucial to have an outside perspective on the process you are going through. We were lucky enough that my significant other was very familiar with the house buying process and my parents, who are familiar with the house buying process. This allowed us to educate ourselves and get those insider tips that first-time homebuyers where someone who bought a house years ago might not know. I think having someone outside of your realtor to talk about offers and house issues is helpful. They can serve as a voice of reason if you are feeling unsure or overwhelmed.
Tip #6
Ask all the questions! Don’t be afraid to ask your realtor and your trusted outsider all the questions! If your realtor cant answer your questions or can’t figure them out, maybe it’s time to find someone else. Your realtor should work to help get your questions answered. You should not feel pressured to commit to anything without your questions and concerns being answered. Also, as someone who hasn’t recently gone through the process, I love sharing my knowledge with others. Most people who know the process want to help you!
Tip #7
Don’t get caught up in the hype/ market. Especially right now, it can be easy to get caught up in this hot market. Don’t. Please do not spend money you do not have. Figure out your budget at the beginning of your process and stick it no matter what. Do not compromise your financial health for a home out of your means. Your house is out there, and it will work out within your budget. Trust that.
You’ll learn what reasonable prices are for what you are looking for in which you can adjust your price point based on calculations. You might also need to make a competitive offer, but there are ways to do that without going beyond your means. A good realtor will help you through this.
Tip #8
Take a break when you need it. It can be discouraging to put in offer after offer and not have a house. The house that is meant for you will come to you. It can be easy to just put in an offer on just about anything that seems nice. If you need a break, take one. Houses will still be coming on the market when you’re ready to start looking again.
Tip #9
Put in an offer you are comfortable with. Nothing more. I mentioned this in the don’t get caught up in the hot market. I think this point is crucial, though. In a hot market, you will be very tempted to overpay and outbid anyone for a house. Do not let the hot market or your realtor tell you that you absolutely need to put in a particular offer. You are in the driver’s seat, and you make the decisions. Good realtors know strategic ways to make offers more appealing.
A good example would be writing a letter to the current owner, talking about how much you love their house and your hopes for the home. If your offer is similar to other offers, you might grab their attention a bit more with a letter.
There are so many ways to put in strong offers on a house without going beyond your means and drastically overpaying.
Tip #10
Be prepared for after the offer is accepted. Things right now are moving quickly. Our original closing date was 45 days after our offer was accepted. It moved to 30 days because things moved smoothly.
Understand and ask questions about closing costs. When you buy a house, you don’t just need your down payment; you also need closing costs. You can get sellers assist in helping with closing costs, but it’s better to be prepared to pay them. In a hot market like this, sellers like when you cover your closing costs. I recommend financially preparing a bit beyond your down payment and closing costs too. When the inspection report comes back, and I highly recommend getting an inspection, you want to feel comfortable that you financially can handle any issues the house may have. No house is perfect, and all houses will need some money put into them, even if it’s just painting, getting your furnace services, etc.
Hopefully, this advice helps any potential home buyers out there! Buying a home is a stressful yet very exciting process. I have complete confidence you will find a home that you love!
TL;DR When looking to buy a house, don’t get caught up in the hot market. Make sure to financially prepare for a down payment, closing costs, and other home costs post-closing. Find a knowledgeable realtor in your area; it is crucial to finding a great, sturdy home and getting a good deal, even in a hot market.
* this is a sponsored post *
Buying a house is no small feat, but in 2021, it’s nearly impossible to navigate with the housing market being so hot. I want to share my experience, tips in the buying process, and one of my deal breakers for a home.
My significant other and I planned on starting our search slightly before the spring market. We thought that February 2021 would be an excellent time to begin our process. Funny enough, this coincided with the market becoming hot in our area.
First, we found a realtor to help us on our journey. We are lucky enough to know a realtor in our region who recommended a fantastic realtor in the specific area we are looking for houses. Our realtor was able to walk us through what the market looks like, what to expect, and the next steps for getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Finding a knowledgeable realtor is an essential step in beginning your house buying journey. They will be able to help you navigate the market, understand potential issues with homes you are seeing, and making your offer on the house very attractive.
Because of covid, getting pre-approved for a mortgage is encouraged and, in some cases, required before going to look at houses. Many sellers need to see pre-approvals before allowing people into their homes. We got pre-approved through a mortgage company that our realtor suggested. In the long run, this helps the process run smoother, and we luckily got a great rate from them. I have heard lots of advice about shopping around for mortgage rates at different banks, credit unions, and other mortgage lenders. We choose to stay with the lender our realtor suggested because we got a great rate, and the process of closing on a house we choose to get will run smoother since our realtor has worked with our lender many times, and they are super reliable.
Once we were approved, we searched for houses for our realtor to show us! We were originally using realtor.com and Zillow to search for homes. We use realtor.com because we have heard they have very accurate listings. I like Zillow because you can see house cost history, and for duplexes, you can see what rent could be for a unit.
Unfortunately, the market has been hot, and we have put in offers on houses that weren’t accepted. When it’s time to put an offer in, I recommend thoroughly looking over the disclosure agreement. The disclosure agreement is something that the seller fills out about the house. Your realtor should provide you with the disclosure agreement. Anything that has happened to the house, like a water leak or electrical issues, would be noted on this disclosure agreement. This will help you navigate potential costs you may face in the near or far future. For example, if the roof is 20 years old and isn’t a long-lasting type of roof like a metal roof, you might need to factor in replacing a roof in the first 5-10 years of owning the home. Factoring these costs in when making an offer is essential, and you will need to make sure you can handle these additional costs down the road.
With a good realtor, putting in an offer should be relatively easy. They will talk you through the process and prep the paperwork for you to sign. My biggest advice is knowing your budget, not getting into a bidding war you can’t afford, and not paying for a house that costs anywhere outside of your means. Don’t let anyone talk you into bidding more money than you have or an amount that’s out of your means. I know it can be tempting, and you will want the house so bad but, if you don’t get the house, it’s not meant to be. You will get a home when it is meant to be, and it fits into your budget.
When looking for houses and figuring out what you like and don’t like, it’s important to know or learn your deal breakers. What are the things you cannot live with or without?
For me, a healthy home that is free of water leaks and mold is crucial. I am incredibly sensitive to mold and do not want to buy a house that could already have a water leak and mold issues. We have seen some beautiful homes that we know we cannot buy once we get to the basement. Basements can hold moisture and water, which could lead to mold. I am a stickler for checking for how well the basement is cared for in a home. Once we find a house we love, I will be a stickler for getting the house tested for mold and then potentially treated for mold.
Companies like Nash Everett are experts when it comes to identifying and removing mold in your home. What I like about Nash Everett is that their approach to eliminating molds. They have a remediation approach and clarify that not all mold remediation/ removal are created equal. They go the extra mile and take removing mold very seriously. They also note that any company you use for mold remediation should have certifications, licensing, and insurance. It’s crucial to find a company and a contractor that you trust! It has to do with the health of your home, after all! Not only does Nash Everett has services in New Jersey, but they also have mold removal in Durham PA.
Buying a home can be a daunting task, and it will be the biggest purchase of your life! Don’t rush it! Take your time to plan your budget, put in the work to get pre-approved, find a good realtor you trust, and make that list of deal-breakers.
Happy House Hunting!
Yesterday was busy. I woke up early, went to work, checked out the Scranton Ice festival, and unplugged for a few hours in the evening.
On Saturdays I work, I treat myself to Henry’s on Clay. They recently rolled out some new specials, and I have been eyeing them up all week.
I went with the Chocolate covered Strawberry iced latte. It was amazing!
Hope you had a great Saturday! ✨
Another day, another whipped coffee.
I am working from home today and needed something sweet. It’s been a week! I don’t know about you, but for me, this week has moved so slowly.
To treat myself, I made whipped coffee this morning! It’s crazy how this is the 3rd time this week having whipped coffee.
All I gotta say is TGIF! ✨
Today is the first day I’ve been back physically in the office since last week. Between a day off, snow days, and work from home days, I was at home all week. It feels good to be in the office! I feel productive in the office after multiple days working from home in a row.
On my way to work, I wanted to get coffee that sparks joy. I work Saturday, so today is like my Wednesday. I worked late last night and needed something that’ll get my brain moving too.
I choose to go with one of my favorite drinks ever: a Large Nitro Cold Brew at Kay’s Daily Grind.
This drink is not only incredible, but it also fuels me and kicks my brain into gear. I am feeling great and ready for my day ahead!
