Iām assuming that by the title of this post you can guess how our house hunting adventure went today.
After looking at a handful of houses and driving around with a realtor from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., we came up empty handed.
The theme of the day? The beautiful homes are in the middle of nowhere and the heinous-anus homes are in the middle of everything.
The first house we saw was our favorite of the day.
Isnāt it sch-weet!?
It was light and bright (this is a HUGE deal to me!), had a lovely open floor plan, a pool and was located on three acres of land.
Unfortunately it is located about 20 minutes from everything. From the gym. From the grocery store. Everything.
Even though our current place is less than stellar, weāre so spoiled with its convenient location. We walk to our gym. The grocery store is half a mile away. Target, the closest mall and delicious restaurants are within five minutes.
Ryan and I struggle with the thought of driving 20 minutes to and from the gym. That adds 40 minutes onto any workout time which is simply too much for both of us to wrap our heads around.
So, temporary housing it is!
Weāre going to move all of our stuff into a storage unit while we rent a fully-furnished apartment until we can find a house we both love in an ideal area. Iām hoping to follow up with the dream house we saw last Monday to see if maybe that one can work now that we donāt need a place by August 1. That would be amazing.
Lunch + Dinner
Our day included a pit stop for lunch with our realtor at Scrambles, a local Ocala restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch.
I ordered a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with a side of fresh fruit and was really impressed!
The turkey slices were thick and flavorful and the bread was full of seeds and grains.
After lunch, we spent a few more hours exploring the area and viewing houses before heading home to Orlando.
We drove home feeling a little bummed, but also happy that we at least have a plan to look into temporary housingā¦ Even if the plan is less than ideal. Itās better than being in limbo!
Our drive took about an hour and we arrived home ready for dinner.
On the menu for tonight was one of my all-time favorite crock pot meals: BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.
Served with roasted Brussels sprouts, this meal was the kind of comforting meal both Ryan and I needed this evening.
As I was typing up this post, Ryan said he had an awesome idea for a dinnertime blog post for me. His dad just sent us a care package of goodies that included a can of pepper spray for me. Ryanās blog post idea: Shoot him in the face with the pepper spray. What???
Yeah, thatās about how we feel right about now. 
Clearly our minds are a bit numb after all of this house hunting today. I think Ryan is delirious. And this means heāll probably make it through an entire episode of The Bachelorette with me tonight… Which probably also means that Iāll get to hear about how Ashley is āthe worst bachelorette of all time.ā
Letās just say Ryan isnāt a fan of her overwhelming insecurities. Of course Ryan hears me complain about my insecurities from time to time, but Iāll never forget one time when I was complaining about my knees to him. (Theyāre really weird.) He just looked at me with a dumbfounded look in his eyes and said, āYour knees? Are you serious? Please donāt be one of those girls.ā
And he was so right.
Sure I think my knees are funky and weird, but 99 percent of people wouldnāt even give my knees or legs a second thought. I canāt change them, so why moan and complain? Now I just say to myself, āTheyāre just knees. Who cares?ā I mean really. Knees!?
Okay, time to watch Ashley complain about how sheās not Emily! And time for me to possibly fall more in love with Ben F. My affinity for JP is wavering and Ben F. is making a run for my heart.
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I only made it through one episode of this season’s Bachelorette…I just couldn’t take her!
Hey, at least you had one good thing come out of your house hunting…you’ve got a good little breakfast & lunch spot! š
ryan sounds awesome!! ‘one of those girls’.. he knows RIGHT!.. i LOVEE that pool!! too bad its far from everyything!!
We had to make that same decisions when we were moving. We actually chose to live in the place that was a bit further away from everything.
It’s not ideal but I’m happier living in a nice place and walking to the everything else than vice versa. It’s definitely a give and take – good luck with your search!
Aw, I’m sorry the house hunt didn’t work out š
That house looks so awesome though! Any possibility of transporting it to a more convenient location? I totally understand though. I love living within 5 minutes of everything I need. I don’t know how the people living in the middle of nowhere do it!
Good luck with the temporary housing & hopefully it will be a short temporary š
If anyone asked me to pepper spray them, I’m not sure I’d hesitate….
Totally kidding š
& that house actually looks IDENTICAL to a time share that I stayed at on vacation one summer
That really sucks that the first place was so far away! It’s gorgeous!
Enjoy The Bachelorette tonight – I know I sure will š always look forward to the FB chat the next morning!
Too bad that house is in the middle of nowhere, because that pool is awesome!
i knooooow! š
Having done the.temporary housing thing a few times now, let me.tell you it’s not as awful as it seems. It’s much better to wait it out and have a house you love waiting for you, than to simply settle for something that’s less than ideal.
thank you for saying this! we’re a little nervous b/c it seems like some places are funny about dogs and we have sadie. :/ hopefully it will all work out!
I hate my knees too. I’ve never heard of anyone else who has shared this. Too funny!
me neither!!! i’m glad we’re knee-hating freaks together. š
ah me neither! My friend actually told me back in middle school that I had ugly knees so I was so self-conscious about them for years. Luckily, I’m over it now but they’re still not the prettiest!
I’m with ya ladies!!! I’ve always hated my legs, especially my knees!!! I typically steer clear of shorts and shorter skirts or dresses!! I’m glad I’m not alone with knee-hating!
I have osgoodslaughter (butchered that! haha) – which means my muscles grew faster than my bones when I was growing up. I was a dancer, runner, and a competitive cheerleader which caused my knees to have a big bone sticking out of them!!! The doctor told me it would go away…which was over ten years ago. haha but luckly the pain has stopped. I’m over them now- they are just knees and I think I have good legs so who cares!! You are beautiful Julie!
I just took a careful look at your knees on the fashion page and I think they’re stellar btw š
It’s a bummer the house hunt didn’t turn out the way you hoped, but at least you guys have a plan for your move up there now and hopefully a sweet, perfect house will follow!
Ohhh i’m so glad y’all are taking your time with finding good housing. Such a smart move! And btw, what is your stance on buying? I am assuming ya’ll will be staying in Ocala for a while since Ryan is just starting out with the new job… so maybe buying would be an option and worth your money and time?
we talked about looking into buying, but until we’re sure we love the area and ryan loves his new job, we’re not ready to explore that option just yet.
ah yes, makes perfect sense! yet another smart move )
I’ve seen people pepper sprayed in the face in person tell Ryan he does NOT actually want to do that!
Glad you guys have a plan for temporary housing, it may be inconvenient but hopefully you’ll get something better suited down the road.
Oh my gosh! I love ben f.! I really hope she chooses him. My husband just seems to get irritated when I complain about silly things so its kind of a wake up call when I go to complain.
back to the bachelorette. . Jp just seems to be only happy when he gets what he wants. He doesn’t seem like a guy you would want around. I liked him at first but I feel like its fake when he is happy- – if that make sense ?
Ahh, sorry to hear the housing hunt didn’t go so well. But at least now you have a plan and can move forward. I’m sure the right thing will pop up eventually.
All your food today looks amazing, as usual! But one question — WHERE IS SADIE TONIGHT??
:p
I agree Hayley, where is Sadie tonight Julie? We have missed her! š
That house looks amazing!!! But yeah, my boyfriend and I lived with his parents for a year while we were waiting for our house to be built and they live at least 20 minutes from everything (and at least an hour from my work, ick). The commutes definitely took their toll.
I’m sure you guys will find the perfect place! š
Going around all day with a realtor is SO frustrating!!! Heads up though – you will find what your looking for — it’s better to be patient and have faith than rush into a decision. š Good Luck… xoxox
That pool looks awesome! Although, if you did move there, I would hope you’d paint that green wall and not put up more big stars š Yikes!
Ooh, pepper spray is no joke!!!
LOL as a person whose updating everything in my home and scouring home decor blogs, that wall made me cringe too. And I want to tear the pool cover down and paint the kitchen walls and cabinets. Maybe the owners should hire me? š
Sorry today was such a rough day on the house hunting side of things! I totally feel yours and Ryan’s thoughts of not wanting be so SO far away from everything. Justin and I are super close right now. and I don’t think I could ever travel such a distance!
Glad you have a back up plan.
Everything will work out .. perhaps you will even get the home of your dreams š
What a bummer that you couldn’t find anything, but I’m sure you’ll be much happier that you aren’t settling for a house you only kind of like. I live about 10-20 minutes away from most things too which was VERY hard to get used to.
That’s so frustrating. Maybe you can figure out a happy medium.. what about if you two got bicycles? Ugh.. I know you’ll eventually (soon!) find the right place.
Just to play devil’s advocate, but is there any way for you live on the outskirts of Ocala? I’m not from FL and only know the panhandle (where my boyfriend is stationed), but perhaps that could work??
we’re looking into some nearby towns, but aren’t sure about them just yet!
Well, it sounds like you’re making progress – even it everything is quite worked out yet. it will though – sending good vibes your way!
I def think you should wait for a house you love! Don’t settle! A home you love and feel comfortable in is essential for being happy! You spend so much of your time there!
I only watch the bachelorette for Ben F!! The second he stepped out of that limo with a bottle of wine he had my heart! However Ashley has been grinding on my nerves every episode so I almost want her to not be with Ben F…I think he’s way outta her league! Hopefully the dream home from last week will work out after all!
My Mom made a comment about my knees being knobby when I was in middle-school, and I haven’t looked at them the same ever since!!! Uh, thanks Mom š
Thank you for reminding me that the Bachelorette is on. Can’t believe I almost forgot! And, I actually really like Ashley. She is certainly insecure, but she’s real.
Ooo yes, maybe that dream house will be available! I’d get on their “waiting list”!
And yes, JP is waning, Ben F is in the lead.
BTW, I hate my knees as well. I have decent legs but my knees seem out of place..ha!
I would live 40 minutes from everything for that pool.
Have you and Ryan thought about putting in an offer for your dream home? The mortgage could be the same as the rent, you could change whatever you want. Might not be a bad idea if you two can swing it. You can always move again.
sweet pool! to bad its so far away… Ryan blog post idea haha š
Sorry the house hunting is so frustrating! I live in Southern Iowa, in a tiny tiny town. I don’t have a gym within 30 miles (my husband drives there for workouts). Our nearest mall is 1.5 hours away. I grew up with everything at arms link before moving here (husband’s job), so living here was a shock! But I have adapted, I workout at home and run outside, try to plan ahead and make a big trip for shopping when we need a lot of stuff. I really do understand your situation, but if you really love that house out of town you guys can make it work!
That pool is beautiful. I wouldn’t mind temporarily having swimming days there!
I laughed at the knees comment because once my friends were all weirded out when I told them I loved my knees a while ago. They thought it was odd that I was paying so much attention to them haha.
I feel your pain. We just had all of our crap in a POD for 3 weeks while we looked for a house. It’s a total nightmare. Best of luck with the house hunting. The house is beautiful but 3 acres?! Who needs 3 acres?! Maybe once you have 10 kids and a few cows or something. I vote for gym convenience. š
http://www.healthgirltv.com/2011/06/hi-ho-its-off-to-gypsy-life-i-go.html
sadie needs 3 acres. maybe 4. š
Thank you for sharing your reality TV fixes as well as awesome recipes! š I’m watching right now and I TOTALLY agree about Ben, even though his part hasn’t even come on yet! Best wishes with the housing issues!
there is no way i’d be able to live 20 mins away from the gym…sorta funny how right there would be my bottom line! but that house is gorgeous. don’t worry, temp housing may not have been ur first choice but u’ll be at least vermin free and making one more step in the right direction…flashforward in a few weeks/months and u’ll be SOOO happy! hand in there girl.
and poor ashley, girl need a shot of self-esteem straight up IV’ed into her!
Sorry to hear that you couldn’t find a house that was right for you today but it’s great that you have time to find the perfect one š
Ugh, I hear ya on the hating the knees thing. I mean, they aren’t the greatest looking body part to begin with, then top that off with a bunch of scars from childhood mishaps. Oh my.
Sorry the house hunt didn’t work out the way you would have liked. It is better that you are just doing temp housing for the meantime than settling for a place you aren’t in love with. You’ll find something eventually š
You do know . . 2 things.
1) You do know that I had to go over to your fashion page and check out your weird knees, right? Their fine. Quite like mine, actually. Hooray for not skinny minny anorexic bony knees!
2) You do know that I’ve been waiting hear about this house hunting all day, right? Maybe it’s my obsession with looking at real estate. Or maybe it’s because we’ll be moving next year and I’m already looking at apartments/houses for the heck of it.
At least you have a plan! I hope you get your dream place š
Im so over Ashley. She really is the worst bachelorette. Do you think Emily will get her own show?
bahaha, my knees are weird too.I like them when my leg is bent, but when they’re flexed straight, they’re weird loos-skin’ish. Not something I worry about, but it’s funny that you think the same thing!
You use a Realtor to rent?
I live in Ottawa, Canada. My Husband is a realtor. They stricktly deal with only buyers or sellers.
How do they make money off of renters?
I was curious about this too!
Bummer you couldn’t find a house! I’m sure you’ll end up getting the perfect one in the end. There’s always a reason the first round doesn’t work out. At least you got to make up for it with good food though!
you know what might make you and ryan feel a little better???
REFRIGERATOR COOKIES!(the ones your mom makes with the chocolate wafers and whip cream) haha my mom just made them and they definitely put me in a better mood
Lmao, I agree with everything you said about Bachelorette! She is quite insecure- and JP has got to go. Acting like a little girl is not attractive (last episode)
that place is really sweet!! But yeah, being close to nothing would be horrible. SO not worth it. Heh.
But at least a decision has been made, and THAT feels good!
I have to say that after your post I had to go through your fashion page to see the whole knee thing. I’d never thought to worry about my knees! A totally new one for me. Ryan sounds like a great guy. Oh, and though you don’t care anymore, your knees don’t look weird.
Sorry the housing isn’t working out! I’m indecisive about who I want to win The Bachelorette! Is it just me or is this season sort of blah?
I’m visiting with my grandma in FL right now, and we’re watching The Bachelorette, too. She keeps referring to Ashley as “That dumb broad.” Kind of hilarious.
Just read this comment aloud to Ryan and we both love your grandma.
She’ll be happy to hear that. She then spent the rest of the two hour episode trying to figure out how Ashley could “hug and kiss all of these guys. What kind of a girl is she?!”
Explanations suggesting that this is the entire point of the show did no good. Sigh.
; )
So this may sound creepy…but I think we’re living the same life. My fiance’s name is also Ryan, and we watch The Bachelorette as well. He is ALWAYS complaining about her throughout the entire episode! Which I mean, I am too but mostly in my head. She is just so needy!
I’m going to be double creepy, bc I was just going to write the same exact thing as the poster above me. My husband’s name is Ryan…we are watching The Bachelorette right now, and Ryan says she is the worst bachelorette in history (and he should know bc I make him watch every episode). ha š
Um that house is gorgeous. Please get it I will visit every day. Especially with that POOL! I will personally hire you a cabana boy.