I have been self employed for eight years now. I work from home and have enjoyed every minute of it up until the time I started to want to buy our home. We had been renting the house we lived in for five years and after a years of asking, our landlord was willing to sell to us! It was like a dream come true that we could possibly own our home. But we still had to figure out how to get approved for a home loan.

Getting a home loan when you're self employed isn't impossible but it's harder than if you had a 9-5 job. When you're self employed, they don't look at your gross income like if you had a normal job. They go by your net income which is your income after every single deduction. So if you take a lot of deductions every year, chances are you might not qualify.

That's what happened to us for the first two years of trying to get a home loan. We had taken too many self employment deductions in our taxes so it brought our net income down too low. Of course we could still afford the house payment but when it came to the bottom line, it looked like we couldn't. So we had to wait two more years.

When you're self employed, a mortgage company will look at the past two years of tax returns. Sometimes even three. That way they can see if your income is steady or if it's declining.

It wasn't until early in 2018 did I try to apply again after waiting and I was approved for our home loan! My income had gotten higher and it showed I had a steady income throughout the year. It was finally official in late June 2018 when we signed our mortgage papers. We were officially homeowners!

If you're wanting to buy a home and you're self employed too, don't give up! Here are some tips that we used that might be able to work for you as well:

1. Plan ahead. It's harder to get a loan when you're self employed so you will need to have a good track of your taxes for the past two years. If you had low income in the past year, you will need to wait until the next year so you can show it's increasing.
2. Take less deductions. Yes, I know this one can be so hard but it works. If you take less deductions, you will have a higher net income and the higher it is, the more banks will be willing to give you a home loan. 
3. Shop Around. There are a lot of places that will work with people who are self employed for home loans. Shopping around will help you be able to find some promising companies to see what they can offer your situation. Call them on the phone and explain your situation first though before doing an entire application. That way it doesn't hurt your credit score. 

Choosing the perfect rug for your living room can make all the difference in the overall vibe of your home. Your living room rug can say a lot about you and your personal style, so it’s important to consider all of your options and go with one that feels right. Here are a few tips for picking the perfect rug for your living room.

Size 

Figuring out the size of the rug you want is the first and most important step of choosing the perfect rug. To do this, first take measurements of your living room and figure out how much space you want your rug to take up. If you have hardwood floors, leaving a few inches of clearance between the rug and the wall is a great way to show off the beautiful wood underneath and can help prevent the rug from completely overwhelming the room. After you’ve taken measurements of the room, you can start looking for a rug that fits that space! You can either shop in-store or browse rugs online to find one that has the measurements you’re looking for.

Material 

Choosing the material of the rug you want to get depends on a few factors. First, if you have small children or pets, going with a stain-resistant material like nylon or other synthetic materials will most likely be your best bet. If you want a cozy, warm rug, then something like wool or shag could be a good option for you. Other kinds of rugs, like viscose, jute, and flatweave are also popular choices for living rooms, so assess your individual needs and choose a material that will work best in your home.

Color & Pattern 

This is fun part of choosing a living room rug. Based on the color scheme of the room and your existing decor, you should choose a rug that compliments your living room well. If your walls and furniture are mostly neutral, muted tones, don’t be afraid to go with a rug that adds a pop of color to the room. Patterned rugs are also great for playing up an otherwise neutral color scheme, and oriental rugs are among some of the most common patterned living room rugs. If you do want to keep a more natural color palette, beige is one of the most popular rug colors at the moment, so explore your options and choose a shade that you love!

Have Fun With It 

While rectangular rugs are typically the most common in living rooms, don’t be afraid to play around with different shapes! Purchasing a circular or oval rug can be a fun way to add an interesting element to your living room, and you’re sure to get a lot of compliments on having such a unique space. Other shapes, like animal rugs, are also becoming more common, and can really add something to a room. When it comes to choosing the perfect rug for your living room, the most important thing is to go with one that feels right and fits your space!

With the end of autumn in sight, winter is now in our thoughts when it comes to decor. An exciting time for interior design, there are so many inspiring ideas that will transform your home for the cold season ahead. With cosy in mind, the following trends are making their mark. Therefore, here are some of the top interior design trends for winter that you should be following in your own home.

Navy Blue 

 One surprising trend which is making waves this winter season is the injection of navy blue in interior design. The beautiful colour is a popular choice as it has a warming effect in a room and can help to make the room cosy and calming; both of these attributes are highly important at this time of the year. Navy blue has been around for ages but the tone is now bang on trend as it gives off a modern feel to any room. And rather than a lighter blue which can give a cold feel to the room, the navy colour is a luxurious option for your room. You could paint your lounge in the dark blue or opt for the warm colour in your bedroom to add the trend to your house. Or you could even go for a bold wallpaper in the colour which will transform the room. Navy blue accents are also an ideal choice for your house such as floral portraits in the sophisticated colour or even flowers which will add a touch of the bang-on trend colour to your home. And you can get some furniture in the shade such as beautiful angel chairs from Sloane and Sons Tub Chairs or you could even opt for a navy sofa for your lounge.

Luxe

Interior design in winter 2018 is all about luxury materials which create a warm and cosy effect. Luxe is a popular trend which has been building momentum over the last few seasons and it will be in its prime during the winter. It’s so easy to add a touch of the glam style in your home. For starters, you need to focus on materials like velvet and marble which create that decadence look in your household. You might want to go for a beautiful piece of velvet furniture which will create a statement in your home. Or even going for a marble table will add a touch of luxe to your decor. You can also add brass details such as accents in your lounge to ensure you stay on trend. Brass ornaments and frames are the perfect way to add luxe to your room. As Ideal Home explains, try to go for key colours like dusty rose and burnished gold. These both ooze luxe and are the perfect way to add an expensive feel to the rooms in your home.

80’s

With retro being a continual trend in the interior world, you will find that the 80’s in particular will be a top trend as we enter the winter months. You will see that bold colours will be making the rounds and it’s an easy way to keep your home on-trend. Go for golds, reds and yellows to add some of that retro style into your property. Combine different bold colours to get a really good effect and an old-school feel. You can also opt for retro lighting which will also add some 80’s feel into your house. Think neon lighting and oversized lamp shades which will help your home to be bang-on trend this season. Retro accents are also an ideal way to add a touch of the trend in your home. As described on Good Homes Magazine, dress coffee tables with gold lamps and retro clocks which will help to create that theme.

Nordic

Another theme which keeps making an appearance is nordic and it’s still as strong as we enter the winter months. To give your home a nordic feel so its bang on trend, you should opt for natural furniture pieces such as wooden chairs and tables which will give the room a fresh and nature-like feel. You can add rugs in a faux fur which will also add a cosy feel which is perfect for the winter season. Go for browns and greys which are typical in the nordic style. You can also add throws and cushions in these dark, cosy colours to your bedroom and on your sofa. And don’t be afraid of patterned pieces which will add some life to your rooms.

I remember every year as a child our family would watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade while the turkey was in the oven. It was always a special tradition to wake up to the living room television being on and the parade was already going. The house was warm from the oven and the smells of dinner were already in the air, even at 11am!

Have you ever wondered how the parade started? Read on to find out!

The Thanksgiving Day Parade started in 1924, but before 1927, live animals were the big attraction instead of balloons! The balloons didn't become an attraction until 1928. In 1942, the parade was cancelled for the very first time because it was during World War II and rubber was in high demand. Instead of having the parade, the balloons were donated to the military.

To learn more about the history of the Thanksgiving Day Parade, make sure to check out the full history here.