Master Bedroom Reveal

We have one room fully finished and ready for selling! Woo hoo!!!!

Welcome to our master bedroom!

I love this room so much. The calming and relaxing blue on the walls, the new carpet, the large window that looks out to the front trees, the large closet....our next bedroom has a lot to live up to!

This room was fairly easy to get ready. The windows had already been replaced in October of 2015, so it was just to finish painting the trim around the window, touching up paint, replacing the carpet, and deep cleaning.

The bedroom is right off of the living room, and also has it's own full bathroom. The closet is about 10" wide, with two little nooks of hidden closet space tucked in the corners.

Shoe shelves in a closet nook

The bedroom is approximately 12"x13" in size, for over 150 square feet of space, not including the closet!

A lot of the other rooms are just about ready as well. They mostly just need a few things like touching up paint, fixing trim, and a little more decluttering. The biggest project left is actually the counters in the kitchen which we hope to be doing this weekend!

What is your favorite color for bedroom walls? We're planning on doing this color again in the new house as well :)

House Hunting Update

Many of you have been asking how the house hunt is going, so I figured I'd give a little update:

It's at a standstill.

There isn't much on the market right now in the area we're looking, so we're waiting and attempting patience as we hope and pray that the housing market picks up soon.

In the meantime, it gives us time to work on our ever growing to do list. I swear, every time I cross something off of our list, three more things get added.

We can see the progress, though!

Walls are getting patched and paint touch ups...

...our new front door was installed...

...new counter tops are being planned and hopefully supplies are being purchased soon...

...bathrooms are getting repainted (even though they weren't supposed to *sigh*)...

...closets are getting cleaned out...

...and the house is getting a much needed deep cleaning.

I was really bummed out yesterday. The weather was GORGEOUS and I was going to work on painting the front porch and having the kiddos paint the fence. However, my body thought it would be a GREAT day for a migraine, so I was at home on the couch for most of the day. I apparently needed the rest as I feel so much better, but I did make some super yummy soup for dinner last night!

A few of the rooms are almost finished in the house, so I hope to have some "selling ready" reveals soon :) I'll keep you updated here and on Facebook with house hunting progress, I promise :)

Have you been working on any house projects lately?

Day One of House Beautification

Today was the start of our Spring Break, and to celebrate we're having fun doing house projects! Woo hoo!

Okay, maybe the projects aren't that much fun, but they've gotta get done.

We divided and attempted to conquer some outdoor chores today as it was going to be a warm, beautiful day. My husband worked on burning some brush and leftover wood from our shed project last year, and the kids either helped me work on weeding some gardens or they worked on picking up sticks. And with all the wind storms we've had lately, there are a lot of sticks.

Teamwork!

It is soooo nice having older kids. They really can help out a lot, and we don't feel like we have to have both eyes on them at all times when we're working outside. They all worked really hard!

Ry's big enough to work the wheelbarrow!

However, they are young enough still that they get easily bored or distracted ;)

Caterpillar hunting...

...and a flower for Mommy!

The kids had their first picnic lunch of the year!

This afternoon we also went to Home Depot and got some supplies. We stocked up on paint brushes (gotta put the kids to work painting the porch, deck, and fence!), paint (six gallons, eek!), concrete for fixing the sidewalk, and a bunch of other little miscellaneous things like new outlets and tub cleaner.

We also went to look at not one but TWO houses! And we loved them both. However, trying to figure out all the details is....well, you'll just have to find out tomorrow on the blog ;)

And yes, we celebrated all of our hard work with a movie night! We enjoyed freshly grilled hot dogs while watching Sing. It was the perfect way to end such a busy day!

Momma and Ry snuggles

How did you spend your day? Have you started any outdoor projects this year?

Happy 2013!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Our year is starting out not as expected, but in the grand scheme of things, we are so blessed. We all woke up tired and fairly cranky, then went out to run errands, and either the stores we wanted to go to were closed, or we forgot the gift card we needed to purchase things at the stores. We were able to get some things, and I'll go back tomorrow to get the big item (a new living room light) with the gift card. The kids refused to nap, so the crankiness has gotten worse.

But we have a warm house, food cooking for dinner, running water, clothes on our backs, and love to spare. I was also able to work on some projects today: cleaning up the basement, putting together an organizational system for the kids' school papers, and I made two American Girl sized silky blankets for Paige's best friend's birthday gift (they match the twin sized one I made her).

A lot of people make resolutions this time of year, and in years past, I've done that. I've fallen short every time, and all I do is get depressed. Last year we did something different and made a Family Bucket List. It worked pretty well; we crossed off about 80% of the things on our list, and we were okay with the ones we were unable to do.

So here's my bucket list for 2013:

- Tackle my book list. I started The Hobbit today and have finished the first paragraph. Not bad for a busy day!

- Hug more, yell less. When my kids are cranky and disobeying, it usually means something is bothering them. I tend to yell, only to find out later that they're not feeling well, they're tired, their best friend was mean, etc. After I give them a hug, they feel better and are ready to start listening again. Wouldn't life be easier if I just hugged in the first place?

- Date my husband. With our busy lives and trying to stick to a strict budget, going out on dates weekly or even monthly is difficult. In December we started implementing Date Night, where we would take turns planning one date night a week. It's been just movie nights so far as December was busy, but even just sitting next to each other on the couch with the phones and computers off was a great way for us to connect. Best part? It's free! I would still like to have at least six nights out with just Pete this year. Birthday/anniversary dinners can count towards this number :)

- Have family night once a month. We put this on our bucket list last year, and it worked pretty well. We tried to have game night once a month, and it didn't always work out. Some months were just crazier than others, so we'd have a movie night with a picnic dinner on the living room floor. Movie nights or game nights count towards this; any ideas of other things we can do?

- Finish The Magician's Nephew with Nate. We started this last summer and made it through the first three or four chapters. He's been asking me to read it again, so I'd like to finish it with him this year.

- Overcome one fear. I don't know which one yet; it might be touch a fish after I've caught it, remove a snake from my garden, or fly on an airplane. I really want to go visit my best friend in Florida, but I'm afraid to fly....I can't let that stand in my way!

- Redecorate our basement. The plan is set, now just have to tackle it! I'm thinking it'll be a summer project. We'll be repainting, finishing the stairs, hanging new curtains, putting up new art work, and making lots of new pillows.

- Launch my Etsy site, SEA Creations! I think this will also happen later in the year; I don't have time to fully devote to it right now.

- Teach Paigey how to ride a bike without training wheels. We were going to do this last summer, but never made the time. This year will be the year!!!!

- Exercise more...but more for health instead of weight loss. I tend to get frustrated after I've been exercising for a few weeks and quit because I'm not losing weight. I forget that having a healthy body is more important, and the weight loss is just an added bonus. Maybe changing my focus will help :)

- Be silly more often! I love being silly with my kids. I don't do it often enough, and laughter is the best medicine!


What are your goals for the year? May it be a blessed year for you and your family!

Thankfulness Days 14 - 20: Hello Busy Life!

Hi everyone :)

As always, it's been busy around here! But there have been many many reasons to be thankful...

Day 14: I have always lived in a village...moving to the country has been a big adjustment for me. I have to walk down the driveway to get the mail, there are no side walks, and we can only see 3 houses from our house. In fact, the neighbor to our left is a mile away!

But Wednesday I was glad we live where neighbors can't hear screaming. Paigey was supposed to be cleaning up her room, and after procrastinating for an hour, she came out and said her finger was bleeding. I bent down to look at it, and she pulled away and began screaming like she was being tortured because she was afraid it was going to hurt. Long story short, Pete had to pin her down and I had to try to cut her hang nail off. About ten minutes later, I ended up having to pull it off so I didn't cut her, and she didn't even notice...she just kept screaming that it would hurt!

I am thankful we live in the middle of nowhere; if we had been in a village, I'm sure the police or child protective services would have been called!!!

Day 15: A year ago we adopted a dog. I didn't want a dog, but my husband and children wore me down. He's a cute little thing, but after our carbon monoxide leak, he's been going through separation anxiety/post traumatic stress disorder. Whenever he thinks we're leaving, he starts having tremors. When we leave him in his crate (which he has never had a problem with), he starts shrieking and whining. He's destroyed his blanket, his bed, his blanket covering his crate, one of Pete's shirts, the cat's blanket, the plastic tray at the bottom of his crate, part of one of our bed sheets and our comforter all while he's been locked up. How did he do all of this? He's been able to actually move his crate around until he reaches something to shred up. We've done some research into it and are working with him, and we're seeing a little improvement, but it's still stressful.

I am thankful for my dog; I hate the dark, and whenever I hear weird noises in the middle of the night, I know Mason's the first one to check it out. He's also very protective of us, and whenever we have someone come to fix something and Pete's not here, he stays between his family and the repair man. He's also entertaining with his tricks :)

Day 16: Friday was very very long. I was exhausted as Ryan was awake for part of the night, I had a heavy babysitting day, all the kids wanted to do was fight, I had a migraine, and lots of cleaning and cooking to do as we were having friends over that night for movie night.

I am thankful for coffee! It helped my migraine go away, and then kept me awake for the extended version of Lord of the Rings: Two Towers with some great friends and good food (3 kinds of pizza and 4 flavors of popcorn!).

Day 17: Our friends left just before midnight, and Pete and I went to bed. As soon as our heads hit the pillow, Ryan started crying. Pete got up with him, got him back to sleep, and came back to bed. Ryan started crying again, so Pete checked him again. We took turns doing this for a while, and then I noticed the dreaded hand holding the belly pose Ryan was striking. We ended up giving him an enema around 1, and got him back to bed a little bit later. We finally got to bed around 1:30, tired, stressed, and completely worn out.

I am thankful for kids playing quietly on Saturday mornings. They let us sleep until 8 and didn't damage anything or create a big mess! Pete let me stay in bed until 10, and I even got breakfast in bed, too.

Day 18: I have a bazillion projects on my to-do list that haven't been getting done lately. I haven't had time to work on them, and whenever I had time to get things done, laundry, cleaning, and paying bills had to be more important. With Christmas coming, my list grew exponentially as I'm making a lot of gifts again this year. Finding time to get things done has been stressing me out.

I am thankful for kids taking long naps/rests, and a husband being on kid duty. I was able to finish Ryan's apron, pot holder and oven mitt and his cape, all things he'll be getting for Christmas. Pictures will be coming soon! The apron, pot holder, and oven mitt are all made out of this fabric:

via fabric.com

Day 19: So many things to be thankful for on this day: my in-laws came over to watch the kids as I had parent teacher conferences to go to, I had great conferences with the teachers, and I finished another Christmas gift, this one is for my niece! It was a long day as Pete was gone 6:45 am - 8:30 pm, but we made it through without major difficulties :)

Day 20: Today was my only day babysitting all week, and it was for our buddy J, who is Nate's best friend. Nate was a wreck this morning; Paige even commented that it was weird that he was the cranky one and she was the happy one! Pete came home a little after 11, and it was nice having that extra set of hands and eyes with four kids in the house. It was a good day, tiring, but good :)

I am thankful for to things today: pie (the new school Pete works for gave out pies to all the teachers, and we had it after dinner), aaaaand......

...*drum roll*...

the final check for Pete's car went out in the mail today! We paid it off!!!!

WE'RE DEBT FREEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, except for the house...but we've completed Step 2 in Financial Peace University's baby steps, and after we buy a new mattress, we'll move on to Step 3 - 3-6 months living expenses saved up. We're aiming to have $10,000 saved by the end of June. I'm guessing we'll have about 3/4 of that (we have some saved already as our emergency fund), but who knows what the next few months will bring!


Thanksgiving is only a couple days away! What do you have to be thankful for?

Summer Recap: My To-Do List

A few weeks ago I posted my summer to-do list. If you remember, I was overwhelmed and burned out just by looking at it! Now that summer's over, what did we accomplish? Were we successful?

Here's our list, and what we were able to do:



Item #1: Refinish the kitchen counter tops.

So our counters were a pale green. They were in great condition, just not our color. We wanted a cheap fix as we're eventually planning on redoing our floor (white floor + kids + coal stove = big mess!), and would hate to do brand new counters and not have them match the floor. After a little bit of research we decided we were going to paint them!

Nice, just not our style.

We were successful! They are done!!!! They are NOT what we planned, but I think they're better and fit our space and style more than what we were originally going for. The plan was to use textured spray paint that had flecks of various colors in it so it would look like regular counter tops, then put 3-4 coats of poly on it to protect it and smooth out the texture. We bought 4 cans of spray paint; the cans said 3 would cover it, but hey, they were on sale and you never know, so we bought 4. Here's what 4 cans looked like:

Splotchy is not what we were going for!

 I don't know about you, but that is NOT very pretty. Or even. Or even remotely counter top like. So we went out to the store and bought regular cheap wall paint. In gray. We thought gray was going to look better than the original tan, and we think it's a much better fit!

Much better!

We've been asked how it's holding up and if we'd recommend it. It is holding up BEAUTIFULLY. The roller from putting in the paint on left a little bit of texture, which keeps things from sliding all over yet not too much texture you can't keep it clean. Would we recommend it? Possibly. If you're looking for a quick fix that's budget friendly, then yes! I think this cost less than $40, not including the original spray paint. For a long term thing, maybe. We've heard after awhile it will start to chip, and we're anticipating that. We do have to go over it with sandpaper one more time as dust and cat fur landed on it while the paint and poly were drying, but other than that, we're really pleased with how it turned out!


Item #2: Replace or fix the front side walk.

Successful again! Replacing the whole side walk was going to be very expensive, so we just patched the ginormous holes. We're planning on buying a sealer to make it all smooth, but it's not a priority at the moment.


Item #3: Replace or fix the front porch stairs.

I am SO glad I pushed to get this done this year! I could feel just by walking on them that they were ready to go. When Pete and his dad were taking them apart, they literally were falling apart. The finished product is so much sturdier, safer, and nicer to look at! Because it's pressure treated wood, we have to let it dry for a year or so until I can paint it. It's going to be a loooong year because seeing the mismatched wood is driving me nuts, but it's going to look great when we paint them. Instead of doing the red that's on the porch now, the stairs and floor will be gray and the railings and posts will be white.


Item #4: Refinish the dining room table top.

I so wish I could take credit for this. I really do. One of my readers actually took my table and refinished THE WHOLE TABLE. It is a beautiful piece of furniture now, and we are so blessed by the work they put into it. It really makes my dining room look much more finished! I'll post a picture once we get a new camera; ours is trying to die and just doesn't make the table look as gorgeous as it really is!




Item #5: Finish weeding the rocks by the driveway.

*sigh*...not done. But, it's mostly done, and what is finished looks great! We have the bigger rocks at the bottom to do, and once it gets cooler we'll finish it. It's on our fall to-do list!


Item #6: Finish putting in the flower garden by the driveway fence.

Another thing not accomplished. We need to go out and finish getting the pavers from my aunt, and once we do that I can cover up the grass so it'll die and be ready to plant in the spring.


Item #7: Finish the new garden around the pool.

Partially finished. The part I've been wanting to do since we moved into the house got planted, but the part I just thought about doing this year has not been done. Baby steps, right?


Item #8: Build the new bed and headboard for our bedroom.

Just need to buy the wood and screws, we have stain and poly out the wazoo. Maybe this fall or winter?

  
Item #9: Help the kids accomplish their summer goals.

Partially finished! Paigey got her books read, and Nate learned some sight words! Paige hasn't finished learning to ride her bike without training wheels, but that was more we were busy with other things, so it fell to a lower priority. We still have time this fall before the snow flies (or at least I can hope, right?)

 So all in all we didn't do too bad with our list. Everything was worked on at least a little bit. We got the really important things accomplished, and that's what really matters!


Have you been able to cross things off your list lately?