What are you doing?

What all are you doing? This seems to be a common question when people hear we are going to do some major renovations to the new house before we move in. Part of that is because, well there are some major renovations that need to occur, but a big part of it is because we don't want to live through those renovations with two toddlers. It's already confusing enough for them to get the concept of a move but then to try and keep them out of all the dust, dirt, tools, etc. - well that would just be a nightmare.

So to answer that question, here's a little breakdown of what we plan to do in the coming months before we move in (once we close of course). And by "we" I mean mostly our contractor and his fleet of henchmen. This isn't a complete list of what we plan to do overall but it's what we'd like to do before we step foot in with any boxes.

OUTSIDE

• remove the very large cedar tree blocking most of the house (and maybe a few of the smaller, scraggly trees to open up the yard
• new roof
• new heating/air gas pac that also includes repairing the duct work that is in bad disrepair
• replace all exterior doors (3) with six light steel doors to add extra light (may change my mind on the front door but we'll see) and then add storm doors to the front of the house and a retractable screen door to the back. (and at some point we'll paint them)

DEN

 



• remove smelly, old carpet and put down cork floor (better sound proofing for Daniel's movie watching pleasure)
• smooth and paint ceiling (it's the only room in the house that is popcorn)

DINING ROOM and LIVING ROOM

 



• remove wallpaper and prepare walls for painting
• repair and paint ceilings (I hate painting a ceiling so this was an easy choice!)
• refinish floors and add quarter round (this will be done all throughout the house)
• likely remove the decaying drapes and blinds although that's not built in to the contractor's list...but I'm pretty sure I don't want the kids playing in them upon arrival
• widen the door in the top picture so it feels more open
• widen the door from the living room to the foyer (not seen)

HALLWAY and GUEST BEDROOM

 



Here's where it gets fun so try to follow me...

• convert the coat closet (in the top picture) to a closet for the bedroom (in the bottom picture). In other words, when it's done the top picture will just be a wall with an entry to the hallway versus two doors.
• convert the current closet in the guest bedroom in to a laundry closest in the hallway. They will bump out the wall by 12 inches to give us enough depth and then wall it up. From the hallway they will create a brand new laundry closet so we don't have to keep them in the kitchen. YAY!
• new washer and dryer (hip hip hooray!)

BATHROOMS

 



• remove wallpaper and prepare walls for paint
• replace vanity in master (the pink one)
• change out faucets and light fixtures (thinking bronzed fixtures would look good in both and then light neutral wall colors to balance it out)
• add mirrors and shower curtains...oh and perhaps some blinds would be nice! (again not on the contractor's list but something we will do before we move in or ASAP)
• in the pink bathroom there is just a stand up shower and the shower pan has to be replaced which means the floor will be removed and retiled as well (probably a good thing because it's sort've gross)
• most likely we will caulk (and by we I mean me, not our contractor)

 

KITCHEN

 

This is where I get really excited...

• replace vinyl floor with hardwoods
• move the stove to the other wall (near the back door where the washer/dryer used to be) which also means the gas line has to be moved and the washer/dryer connections have to be removed
• cut out cabinet to add microwave above the stove
• build cabinets where the old stove and vent are currently located
• build cabinets beside stove in it's new location (there would still be a gap from where the washer/dryer were)
• install new stainless appliances
• add granite countertops
• add a disposal
• change out sink (under mount stainless) and faucet
• replace hardware on cabinets (eventually we will replace the cabinet doors but that was out of our budget for now)
• add a table to use as an island (unless I can't find one and then we'll just buy a movable island but those can get pricy)
• installing pendant light over the sink and a light fixture in the middle (over the "island")
• and don't forget we'll change out the door so it gets much more light in there

What's not listed is that we also have lots of plumbing and electrical that has to occur here because of the moving around of appliances and the addition of a disposal.

Other things on the list in the house include:

• refinishing all the hardwoods and adding quarter round
• repairing and painting all the ceilings
• removing wallpaper and preparing the walls for paint (which we'll do as we go along)

We have high hopes of being in there by the middle of September but we'll see if we get any unexpected surprises. I can't wait to start jotting down all our ideas for each room once we move in. I need to live in the house for a little bit so I can get a better feel for what it can shape into. A few of my ideas to leave you with...light grey walls, pops of fun color (think citrus), bright white trim, fabric...lots and lots of colorful fabric.

Stay tuned as we chronicle being nomads over the coming months...Charlie (2.5 yrs) is already walking around our house asking "momma what you doin?! why you do dat?!" as we pack everything up.

BAM! And just like that...

After revealing the big news last week that we bought a house, I felt I should go back and explain the crazy. And by crazy I mean the process which then turned us crazy. Seriously, stress eating is not good for my figure.

Let's start with a simple Tuesday morning...I'm working (in theory), Daniel is torturing people at work, and the boys are at the sitter's house. I get a text from our realtor that he was still keeping an eye out for little gems in the areas we were targeting and a house came on the market that day. He was actually at the house checking it out before he even told us. Because it had what he considered "good bones", he thought we should come take a look. So off we go that afternoon...

I walk in and see instant potential. Daniel walks in and sees lots of work. Yep, we're always that opposite. Probably why God put us together, to balance each other. So while Mike Adkins (our realtor with Home Advantage...and yes that's a shameless plug for him) and I were prattling on about what could be changed in the house, updates, etc. Daniel just listened. Thankfully he trusts my vision after years of watching me transform spaces and furniture.

We left pleasantly surprised and also wondering how a big renovation project might work via a loan. Wednesday I spent part of the day investigating loans...to which there was only one I could find that would meet our needs. But that gave us hope. In this market, these type houses go very quickly since they are in a prime school zone. We had already missed out on a few houses we liked because they were scooped up in a week.

Thursday we decided to go back to the house and look at it with fresh eyes. You know, eyes that say "will this really work for our needs? what other repairs did I miss? how much is this going to cost?" Thankfully Mike's wife joined us and talked through it with me. I'm pretty sure at one point Daniel just sat on the floor with his head in his lap. I'm not quite sure if he was hyperventilating or if the room was spinning from hearing all our ideas, but he did make a point to say "I'm out. You talk amongst yourselves."

Thursday night...Daniel and I hit our knees. Nope, not on the kitchen table as we're getting up from dinner. Hit our knees to pray. We didn't want to walk through a door if that's not what God had planned for us. I speak from experience when I say God's plan is waaaay better than mine!

Friday morning we made the offer. This is where the crazy begins.

On Friday I also decided to go ahead and list our current house on craigslist for rent (apparently that's the place to find rentals these days). After all, it wasn't selling, even at a drastically reduced price, so might as well see if we could rent it. Carrying two mortgages wasn't really something we wanted to do long term. I also called a local rental company to see what the market was, how they worked, etc. in case we decided to go that route. But I'm all about saving a few bucks so if I could rent it myself, I was all for it. By dinner time we had 10 people already asking about it. Crazy.

The next day was Saturday and I strategically scheduled two potential renters to come see the house. Not only were they quick to respond to the ad but they also were quick to respond back, a sign they were serious. By 6pm that night, it was rented. Yep, both were interested and one of them came back that night to fill out all the paperwork and pay for the deposit. Crazy.

While I was still reeling from the fact we just rented our house in 24 hours, I started to realize we had to be out of our house by July 15...just ONE MONTH AWAY! Oh and did I mention that we also had to find a place to stay? Our closing won't likely be until the end of July but the renters were relocating here and needed the house early. Not to mention we have renovations that have to occur before we move to the new house. So I look over at Daniel and say "know anyone who will let us plus our two rambunctious toddlers, two dogs and a cat stay with them for two months?" Then he just laughed. To which I responded "yeah me neither."

Sunday was spent going back and forth but eventually we found fabulous friends who would let us stay at their house (and then later we found a friend with a vacant house we can use), places for the dogs and cat and storage for all our stuff. In the end, thanks to those same great friends, we are saving a ton of money and have a great environment for all our precious dependent life forms.  

And BAM, just like that...it was Monday. Pretty busy week wouldn't you say? Amazing how God worked it all out. Now I just need to step. away. from. the. junk food.

Big news!

No we're not pregnant. If we were, I'd be checking Daniel in to the hospital after he hit his head and not writing this blog post. But it is a big gas deal (get the Kmart reference?). We bought a house!

We've been trying to sell our house on and off for two years. Not long ago we decided to look around to see if there was anything on the market and if so, we'd lower our price significantly. We found a few things but nothing we just had to have right now. So we kept mulling over the idea of renting our current house, as suggested by many people, and buying a new one while the interest rates were still low-ish. That's where Mike comes in...

Meet Mike Adkins, realtor extraordinaire. He's with Home Advantage Realty and really knows his stuff.

After looking at several many houses with us, Mike learned what we really wanted. There were quite a few things important to us:

1. Had to be in one of two school zones (because they were rated high). Schools were one of the top concerns for us since we have only 4 years before Charlie starts, which I know will fly by.
2. Needed to be at least 1500 sq. feet but preferably over 1800
3. Had to have a 2nd bathroom, even if it is the size of a closet
4. Met our budget (duh!)
5. Needed to be in an area where people cared about their homes. Meaning, we didn't want to move to a neighborhood or street where we'd fix up our house but everyone else was neglecting theirs
6. Preferably in an area where we could safely walk (we miss that about the house we rented when we first got married)

The rest we were open to since we were OK (and I preferred) a fixer-upper. However I did want it to have good bones. I'm not interested in gutting a house...nor can we afford it. Daniel would have preferred a "move-in ready" house but realized a fixer-upper was more in our budget and realistic for the areas of town we were considering.

Back to the point, last Tuesday Mike called us to let us know of a house that went on the market that morning. He previewed it and recommended we look at ASAP. We actually went back and looked at it twice last week before making an offer. It met all our criteria and came in under budget!

So over the weekend an offer was accepted, we rented our house (more on that later) and found a place to stay for 6-8 weeks while the new house is renovated. I feel comfortable posting these pictures since I'm not publicizing the address or any details that can give away the house since technically it isn't ours yet. So without further ado, below are a few "before" pics for you to peruse (can't see the front, yeah, stay tuned on that):

Den - isn't the paneling gorgeous? ha! This will be the "man room" and office.

 

Dining Room - so excited to have a dining room finally!

Kitchen - lots of work to be done here but I'll be back with a list of items we want to do once the work gets started.

 

Living Room - excited we still have a big window here

 

Bedroom 1 & 2 (it's the same in both rooms...for now)

 

Master Bedroom - this actually also has his/her closets but I didn't take pictures of that part of the room. Might go back and do that later for posterity sake.

Master bathroom - this is in the master bathroom and is literally the size of a small closet. In the bigger scheme we have plans to turn this in to a nice walk in closet and add a bathroom off the back of the house (from the left window in the picture above). But for now...we'll just do some basic cosmetic changes that won't break the bank and a few repairs.

 

Guest/Kids Bathroom - I was convinced I couldn't take the mint green but too many people have told me I could make it work until we're ready to remodel it.

 

Backyard - perfect for a new shed and a fun swing set for the kids!

This is by no means all our before pictures but it at least gives you an idea of the type of house and a general layout. I love it because it needs some love but still has a lot of character. I've already decorated it 10x in my head at night.

We've also been busy working with the loan group at Wells Fargo (they have a great home renovation loan!) to get that squared away. Plus our contractor/realtor (Mike) has been busy getting the quotes for all the work we want to do before we move in. I'm still saving a lot to do ourselves but there are some major things like the roof, shower pan, kitchen, floors, etc. that we need to do before moving our busy family in. Less stress and hassle that way. And let's face it, it made Daniel feel less overwhelmed to have some big things tackled before we get there.

So now that the inspections are done, I feel that much more excited! OK not so excited about being without a home for close to two months but excited about moving in and having all kinds of work to do to make it truly ours!

Special thanks to our friends and family for volunteering to help us when we become homeless and who have already helped us along the way!

I did it!

I dedicate this blog post to Melissa Moreno...who pushed me for at least a few months via phone (she's in CT) to do this before it got hot and work got busy.

Ever have those projects that you don't want to tackle? I'm not talking about a little "I don't feel like it" I'm talking about the full on dread you feel whenever it crosses your mind. That's how I felt about tackling our attic.

In the fall we had a yard sale and we pulled all the old stuff out of the attic but tossed the "keep" stuff all around up there. I mean it was so bad you could barely pull the stairs down without something falling on your head. Deep down I knew there was plenty of storage space but it was just covered up by unorganized stuff. For a small house like ours, we need all the storage space we can get.

So for days...weeks...months I thought about cleaning it out. I'm pretty sure this started around January 1. Every week I found another excuse not to go up there. Finally, even Melissa gave up trying to get me to do it. (we're secret, long lost sisters who love to organize and label things, not to mention we're both recruiters)

But last week I tackled my fear.

This is what I started with. As you can see it's all a jumbled mess.

 

 

And this is me half way through...It's hard to appreciate it based on this picture but I am literally dripping sweat. My face is not normally that rosy and my hair is not normally that plastered to my head. 

 

 

But in the end it was very worth it. Now we have a section for housewares/clothing/misc...

 

A spot for holiday decorations that are non-Christmas (which is stored under the house)...

 

There is also a section for all the baby stuff (clothes, bassinet, etc.) but apparently I forgot to capture it in a photo.  We're still not convinced we're done adding to our family so we don't want to let it go too quickly.

 

I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In grand total it took me an hour. And all the stuff I thought I would sell on ebay or craigslist...donated. Who was I kidding? I didn't have time to put that much effort in to getting a few bucks for it so I took it to Goodwill instead.

 

Anyone else have those projects they just work up in their mind are going to be dreadful but end up not being that bad? What's on your dreaded to-do list? 

 

Mommy Style (part 1: Body Image)

I've had this idea about a blog post for months now and have even been keeping notes from magazines or ideas I get when talking to girlfriends. I'm finally making time to sit down and write it. Why did it take me so long? Not because it's profound but because I... 1) have two busy toddlers, 2) work a full time job, 3) help plan a charity half marathon race in April, 4) have a house to maintain (with laundry, cleaning, groceries, cooking, etc.) and 5) let's not forget I have a cute hubby and we need a date from time to time! In essence, I'm just like every other busy mom.

But that's what led me to think about this series. We are all busy but that doesn't mean as moms we should give up our style. And might I preface this by saying that t-shirts and sweat pants ARE NOT A STYLE. At least not a good one. So the next few posts are going to focus on the realizations I've had as a work-from-home mom and style. Think body image struggles, the "why bother" attitude, dressing for your body type, and some basic style tips.

Let's begin with what threw me for a total loop. Having kids. More specifically by how much my body changed. Yes, you get told it will change. Yes, you logically know that it will change. But you secretly keep hoping you'll be like Beyoncé or Gwyneth Paltrow and bounce right back by the time maternity leave is up (or within a few months). News flash: that didn't happen. The first time around (with Charlie)...I know why. I was already pregnant again. Ok. Giving myself some grace there. Second time around - what happened!?

pregnant with Charlie

 

Pregnant with Cole

For me, I had our boys back to back - as in 10.5 months apart - surprise! I will spare you the gory details so as not to cause you nightmares but that second pregnancy was a doozy. Suddenly I had the legs (hello spider veins!) and metabolism of a 90 year old, stretched skin and let's not forget I hadn't seen the inside of a gym in 2 years. I wouldn't change having my two boys for anything in the world and I love them dearly but it more than took it's physical toll on my body.

So let's talk about post-baby bodies, shall we? For the first six months after Cole, I was just trying to survive. I was "trying" to lose the baby weight but not 100% because I just couldn't manage it mentally. After all, it does take mental stamina to stick to a new routine and I went back to work at 8 weeks post-partum. I was exercising but not strictly watching my diet, and it was all I could do to make it all work. Finally, in March of last year (Cole was 6 months and Charlie was 17 months), I hit a low point. I didn't fit in to any of the clothes I tried on in my closet and no longer fit in to clothes off the rack at all my favorite stores. (I was shopping for something to wear for a wedding).  I was still close to a size 16. For me, who loves clothes and shopping and fashion, that was devastating. I remember crying walking around trying to find something that fit my now changed body.

The next Monday I went on a low/no carb diet for 4 weeks and it was enough to kick start my metabolism and I shed 10 lbs and a dress size...but my body was still askew. My once problem area (stomach) was now even more of a problem area. The cute shirts I used to wear were too tight in the stomach now. The cute pants, skirts and dresses no longer looked as cute. It's almost as if all of the extra weight went straight to my stomach and stayed there. The hardest part of this journey has been not just how my body has changed physically but how I saw myself.

Mentally I felt horrible about myself and I got to where I OBSESSED about my weight. When I say I obsessed. I mean I obsessed. I weighed every morning and the happiness of my day depended on what the scale said. If I lost, it was a good day. If I gained, it was a bad day (mentally). I never felt pretty anymore. I always felt overweight and unattractive. I kept going to the gym but 3 days a week was all I could manage. I was too tired to stick to any serious "diet" but I didn't over do it either. It got to the point where Daniel would say "honey, I'm really worried about you. You've got to stop obsessing over your weight." It was all I could talk about. I brushed compliments off because I thought they were just being nice but weren't true. I no longer wanted to be very social or go out or shop. (cue the record scratch) What? Me not want to go shopping? Yep.

It has taken me almost a year to work through the obsession and unhealthy outlook. Deep down I knew it wasn't healthy but I didn't know how to stop it. It wasn't  until I had dinner with a friend and she said out loud: "This is spiritual warfare". I knew it but I needed someone to say it out loud. Sounds crazy but it was and still is spiritual warfare.

If Satan could define my day by what the scale said, then I stayed in a constant state of negativity. I lost confidence in myself. I no longer approached life in the same way. It was even affecting my relationships, especially with my husband. It had to stop.

I made a promise that I would have a life verse to remember and refer back to whenever I struggled: 1 Peter 3: 3-4

         ^"3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."
I now have a much better outlook on my body. It is likely never going to go back to pre-baby status. After all, my belly was stretched out for almost 2 years! But through lots of hard work at the gym and a lot of prayer, I no longer see a lumpy, ugly body. I see a realistic woman's body who birthed two beautiful, rambunctious little boys.

So if you too are struggling with your body image, regardless of what caused it, remember that we aren't supposed to look like the models or celebrities who eat, sleep and live to be a certain figure and get airbrushed. Our beauty truly comes from our heart and who we are in Christ. It took me a long time to figure that out again.

Now I'm back to loving shopping (sorry, honey!) and having a chance to dress up or go out. I don't even weigh very often anymore, but measure my weight by the clothes I wear (a comfortable size 12 by the way). My sassafras is even back. More importantly, I like the strong, more-fit me, post-baby belly and all. 

Hippty Hop!

Hippty Hop Easter's on it's way! I love a reason for decorating and Easter is no exception. I don't have much since a lot of the decorations are too cute-sy for me but I do try to put a little something out.

Since our plans were delayed this weekend (see this post), I decided that I would go ahead and decorate for Easter. It is super early this year so it will be here before you know it.

It all started with a need to remove a bloom-less set of bulbs on our sofa table that our sweet friends, The Adkins, brought us a while back. I'll plant them in the backyard soon but I needed something to go in the empty pot. My mom suggested I find a fake plant that looks real (they do make them) but I didn't find one on my shopping trip to Hobby Lobby.

As I'm walking around the store, I realize that they had some cute branches on sale. I have some at home but just a few. I snatched up 2 sets - one set of straight and one set of curly - to give visual interest. I already had some floral foam at home from this project and I already had Easter eggs. And viola!

Oh, I already had the little nest of eggs too. I bought it a long time ago with plans of doing something cute for spring but never got around to it. Subconsciously I must have had this in mind. And I've always wanted an Easter tree.

Literally, so easy to do...

1. put floral foam in the bottom of any container so it's snug (and not all the way to the top, I just used 2 bricks for this large container)
2. shove the sticks in so they are clustered towards the back but spread out enough to span the container
3. stick a simple plant in the front and put a little moss around it to cover the pot if necessary
4. nestle the nest of eggs in the branches
5. hang Easter eggs

Most of the items I already had on hand but if you were to buy the materials, it may run you $30-40 depending on how expensive your pot is. And all can be found at Hobby Lobby if you do want to replicate. At Christmas, I've painted these red, gold or silver and added them to a plant to decorate a pot without "over decorating".

My favorite part is I can take the eggs down and it can stay up for spring. There were some cute little birds at Hobby Lobby and I could nestle one in the branches for spring. While it's tall, it also doesn't visually take up space so it seems light and airy on the table, not the first thing you notice.

Once my masterpiece was created, I was off to the rest of the house...

(that's a picture of my parents, Nana and Pop-E. We have to keep them close because the kids like to carry their picture around since we can't see them often.)

And perhaps my next favorite Easter decorations oddly enough are in the bathroom...

I think maybe because I like the little wreath I have hanging above the sink. And I added a new plant from our shopping trip so it seems cozy by the one and only bathroom sink.

And finally the kitchen table...

We actually have the candles and greenery out most of the time during the winter months because they are practical. (we have no light on that side of the room so the candles help us see our food!) I just added the bunnies and some eggs to make it more festive.

So what about you? Do you decorate for Easter? Any cute ideas? I found a few on Pinterest but decided I didn't want to buy candy to decorate with and used more of what I already had instead.

P.S. sorry for the bad pictures. We've apparently lost our camera somewhere in the house...maybe it's a sign we need to save for a really nice camera instead of a point-and-click version.

Cabin Fever

This weekend was a little unplanned...well it was planned but yet again sickness changed those plans. So when sickness has the kids down and you have crazy sick children a little cabin fever, what else better to do than decorate! What? That's not what you do?

 

Since our Saturday night plans with friends coming for dinner had to be delayed (boo hiss) due to massive head colds (double boo hiss) the kids came down with Friday night (and our friends have a 3.5 mo old that does not need it) we decided to take our time over the weekend doing our chores and errands. After cleaning the house on Saturday I decided this was a perfect opportunity to decorate for Easter. Plus, I really felt the urge to change up some of our table tops that were starting to bug me.

 

I took Cole (who seemingly has it the least) to my favorite little craft store, Hobby Lobby. Boy did we I have fun! Cole had fun too once he got to hold a little bunny he found on a shelf. After scouting the Easter section and getting a few things for the boy's Easter basket, I found this cute little basket in their spring section. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I loved the shape. Look how cute it turned out holding magazines behind the couch...

 

Originally all my "need to read" magazines were just stacked on the faux table but it didn't look as polished. I love the worn finish on it and it was only $14 since all the spring items were 30% off. I can also see this basket holding toilet paper in a bathroom, used as a trash can in an office or storing toys in a kids room (painted if you didn't like the finish). Sort've wish I had bought the larger one too...hmmm.

Then I found a cute picture frame that works well by itself. Sometimes frames need some substance behind them to be able to stand alone. Disregard the random child in the picture...I'm working on replacing him with my own children. And once again, thanks Hobby Lobby for great sales (this was 50% off).

I love how it works in the center of the table now. And don't mind the Easter decorations at the other end of the table...more on that soon.

 

On Sunday we took a little trip to Lowes because we needed touch-up paint but also because I needed some new house plants. Some of mine have gotten too big or died. And while I had high hopes of putting a cute Easter decoration on the coffee table, the kids throwing my Easter eggs around like they were bouncy balls quickly changed my mind. I decided the fight wasn't worth it. So instead I opted for some greenery found at Lowes. Simple yet effective. Plus I already had the container.

 

 

 

Of course then I start walking around the house wondering what else I didn't like and could shift around fairly easily. I realized that our poor dresser top in our bed room needed much help. I usually walk by it intentionally looking the other way so I don't notice it. I ideally would like to paint this...even bought paint in an orangy-red color but I'm not 100% sure it would stay in our bedroom if when we move so I don't want to commit to the color choice yet.

This is just a small spot but basically the whole top of it has peeled away thanks to cheap furniture and water. So instead I took a basic table runner I had stored away that coordinated with our bedroom colors and viola! No more ghetto furniture.

 

 

I'll have to share more about the Easter decorations in a separate post. I had hopes of putting it all in one but alas, I'm too long winded and I really want to describe the one item I made since it's super easy and inexpensive.

 

Hope we are all well for a while...I'll run out of money if we aren't!  #cabinfevershopping