Busy little bee

I have been in overdrive lately. It is not nesting per se, but just a lot of crap I have been putting off for months. Everything is catching up with me, and I really need to start making some progress before the new baby arrives. I have complied a list of chores for myself and for John. The amount of stuff we need to do is overwhelming.

Tuesday I got a wild hair up my ass and decided that I was going to get shit done. And in true Christy fashion, I completely overdid it. I ran myself to the point of exhaustion. I was on my feet all day. By 4:00pm, while making dinner, I got dizzy. So dizzy that I thought I was going to pass out. My body was screaming for rest. After laying down for about 30 minutes, I felt much better. Then John came home from work and took the kids to the library while I lounged on the couch eating chocolate covered raisins. WHAT? Developing babies needs chocolate. It is a scientific fact!

Yesterday was another busy day, but I made sure to sit down occasionally. It is amazing how a little thing like taking 30 minutes to sit on the couch, can completely change how I feel. Today I have been working on "organizing" Porgie and Izzy's closet. I use the term "organize" loosely, because really I have just been stacking crap on the top shelf. But that is better than having all of the crap (blankets, Halloween costumes, stuffed animals, etc.) stacked on top of the dressers. I am truly amazed by how much stuff we have crammed into this tiny house. I give bags of stuff to the Goodwill monthly, but I still can't seem to stay on top of it.

Tomorrow I have to go pick out a Father's Day present for John, so it should be an easy morning. But this weekend? So much crap to do!

The transition

We have a small house. A very small house. I would love to move, but unfortunately we would never be able to make a profit off of this house in the current market. More specifically, we would have to take a loss. Needless to say, we aren't moving any time soon. With baby number three on the way, we decided to buy bunk beds for Porgie and Izzy. The big kids will share a room (for now) and the new baby will get his/her own room. This plan seems fine and dandy, except for the fact that my children have never shared a room in their lives.

Our brand spanking new bunk beds were delivered on Saturday. You have no idea how much my children LOVE their new beds. Porgie is on the top bunk and Izzy is on the bottom. They spent most of the weekend climbing all over their awesome new beds. In fact, they love their new beds and sleeping arrangement so much, that it is virtually impossible for them to fall asleep at night. There is lots of screaming, laughing, and talking going on. But unfortunately, there is very little sleeping.

To my horror, my children are going to sleep extremely late (like around 10pm). And then they are waking up at the butt crack of dawn (around 6:30 am). I am a creature who likes routine, and this deviation in our routine is KILLING me. It is extra bad, because these last few months before the new baby arrives are my final chance for any decent amount of sleep. And my 3 year old and 5 year old are ruining it! It is not fair!

Here is a stock photo of our fabulous new furniture. It cost a pretty penny, but we all love it...

In my closet

Do you ever look around your house, and wonder how in the hell you have accumulated so many material possessions? My house is so small and so cluttered. I opened up my linen closet today and took a step back. The top shelf held toilet paper. The next 3 shelves housed towels and rags. The last shelf was a hodgepodge of cleaners, soaps, shampoos, etc. But the floor? HOLY CRAP. I have no idea what happened. The floor was covered in junk. I spotted a toaster oven, a fancy pasta container, 2 watering cans, a shit load of batteries, numerous light-bulbs, and 500 plastic grocery store bags. WHAT THE FUCK?

I tried to sort through the junk, but it was so hard. All of that crap ended up on the floor of the linen closet for a reason - there is just no place to put it! So, I gave the toaster oven away and donated the pasta container to the Goodwill. Then I went to target and bought some cute little green baskets. It is my hope that I can organize all of my stuff into these cute little green baskets, thus eliminating this mess in my life. Now I just need to sit down and actually DO IT.

Next up is my bedroom. Whenever I can't find a spot for something useless (probably an indication that I should just throw it away), I toss it into my bedroom. It is clutter central in my house. Ugh.

Breaking out of my trance

I go through periods where I sit around the house, doing nothing productive for months on end. Then one morning I wake up and want to get something done. I have entered a "let's get some shit done around here" phase.

My birthday is this weekend, and I have decreed that I would like John to paint Porgie's room as my present. I painted all the interior doors, the livingroom, the dinning room, the hallway, and the bathroom within the last two year. It is John's turn. Actually, he was the one who originally painted Porgie's room (and he didn't do a very good job). There are thin spots EVERYWHERE, because apparently my husband does not believe in second coats. I am actually making this really easy on him, because I want her room to be painted the same exact color. However, I want an eggshell finish (it is currently a flat paint - which has greasy finger prints everywhere) and I don't want any thin spots. Since this is my gift, I intend to inspect his work and give feedback where needed. It should be fun (NOT).

I am also sick and tired of our coat closet. Shoes are everywhere. We have a shoe hanger thingie, but it filled up so fast, that the rest of the shoes just got thrown on the closet floor. I am investing in shoe hangers for Porgie and Izzy's closets. I am going to get this shoe situation under control if it is the last thing I do!

And the final item on my list is light fixtures. I want ceiling fans installed in both kids rooms. Then, I want the light fixture from Porgie's room to replace our current bathroom light fixture. And finally, I want vanity lights install over our bathroom mirror.

Every single item on my list is going to cost money, which really sucks for a family trying to pay down debt and live frugally. But I am forging ahead with my plans anyways. I want to see some changes around this place!

Home stuff

I like schedules and routines. Although I do tend to slack off sometimes, if I have a routine established, I am much more likely to get stuff done. Because I am always interested in hearing about other people's schedules, I though I would share some of our daily/weekly routines.

I vacuum every morning. Our animals seems to be really prone to fleas this year, so vacuuming the carpet everyday is very important if I want to have a pest free home. I usually vacuum while the kids are eating breakfast. And oddly enough, it no longer feels like a chore. It is now just part of a normal day.

Dishes are also a daily chore. We don't have a dishwasher, so I have to hand wash everything at least twice per day, or the mess is overwhelming. I usually do dishes at lunch time and then again at dinner time. During the week my husband will sometimes do the dishes after dinner, which is really nice and helpful.

Laundry has also become a daily task. Before we had children, I would do all the laundry on Sunday. But now we seem too have too many clothes for just one day of washing. So, I have started throwing in a load or two everyday. The thing that gets me is folding the laundry. I just can't bring myself to fold laundry EVERY SINGLE DAY. I usually let the laundry pile up until the weekend, then I fold everything in one morning. I need to get better about folding clothes.

Until recently, I would clean up the kids' toys everyday. It was just easier for me to do it, so I didn't really ask the kids to help much. John decided that this needed to change (and I agreed). So, the kid are now responsible for cleaning up all the toys before they go to bed at night. Holy crap! Why didn't I implement this sooner? It is so nice to have a little help around here!

As I mentioned before, Monday has been designated as my baking day. I usually bake two loaves of bread (we only eat homemade bread now! Are you proud of me?) and a batch of muffins. Depending on what we have in the freezer, I will often make pizza dough and freeze it. Many of my desserts are usually made on Mondays too.

And finally, Friday is my errand day. More specifically, this is my Target day. We usually spend at least 2 hours in Target getting all of our essentials for the upcoming week. This is also the day I usually make a trip to the craft store for yarn and whatnot. When we get home, I try to clean the house good, because I usually take the weekends off. Mama needs a break too!

Harvest

After the horribly hot and dry summer we have had, our garden is finally starting to produce actual food! I am a little disappointed that many of our crops didn't make it (onions, green peppers, most of the herbs, and pumpkins). But I am thankful for what we have successfully grown...

Watermelon

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Banana Peppers

Bad things come in threes

Today started out great. I took the kids blueberry picking. Then we ate some custard. Next we went swimming at the lake (and I even remembered sunscreen!). We got home late in the afternoon, exhausted and happy. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a thunderstorm tore across our town. There was lots of thunder, strong winds, and heavy rain. I was in the kitchen trying to make dinner when my husband (who was looking out the front door) yelled, "OH MY GOD! OUR TREE JUST FELL DOWN!"

I ran to the front door and seen a huge tree laying on our front lawn. I freaked out and demanded that everyone go down into the basement. On our way downstairs, we noticed that the fence in our backyard (which we just had installed last summer) was demolished. FUCK! I dragged the kids down to the basement, while my husband started making calls to the insurance company. After about 15 minutes, the storm seemed to let up, so we ventured back upstairs. I shit you not, there was a news van and a reporter in front of my house. About 20 people were gathered around our uprooted tree.

The neighbor to our left used a chainsaw to cut the branches that were blocking our other neighbor's driveway, which was very nice. I thanked him a million times. While the rain was still pouring outside, the man who lives behind us helped my husband repair our fence. Our neighbors all came together to lend a helping hand. It warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes.

Here are some pictures of the tree in our front yard...


We actually got very lucky. The tree narrowly missed my husband's work van and our neighbor's car. The tip of the tree landed about 5 feet from our house. Close call!

Here is a picture of our broken fence...
After all this hectic activity, we finally came inside to rest. I looked up and noticed this...That is a water stain on my living room ceiling. So, that would be three bad things - a tree fell over in my front yard, my fence was knocked down, and water leaked into my living room. I have met my quota, and I expect smooth sailing from here on out.

Staying busy

I recently came to the realization that I am an introvert. It is not that I am shy or self absorbed, I just like time to be alone with my thoughts. After a period of being outgoing and social, I often need time to decompress. I go off the radar for a few weeks. I won't call my family or friends (although I will talk to them if they call me). I find that I am happier if I have time to myself. Unstructured time to play with the kids or read a book or write a blog post or bake a batch of brownies. If I can't find time to do these simple things, I get cranky and mean.

When I feel the need to be alone, I often embark on crazy home improvement projects. Fixing up the house = peace and quiet. So, I have decided to paint our guest bedroom in anticipation of my mother's upcoming visit in April. I have been fretting endless about colors. To save money, I am also going to attempt to hand sew new curtains for the room. I would make them with my sewing machine, but I don't know how to use it. I am pathetic.

So, be expecting before and after pictures in the next few weeks!

Living in the 1950's

Living in an older home is tough. My house was built around the 1950's. It is a small ranch house, typical of that era. It is kind of cute and quaint looking from the outside, but the inside is just entirely too small. We have three bedrooms, and one bathroom. ONE BATHROOM. It is ridiculous. We lived in a one bedroom, two bathroom house in KY. In some ways, I feel like we have moved backward instead of forward.

Although I am grateful that I have a roof over my head, I really don't like my house. The rooms are tiny. The kitchen is outdated. We lack modern amenities - like a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. In turn, it is really hard for me to appreciate what we have. Instead, I find myself continuously pining for a bigger and better house. But in reality, we can't really afford a bigger and better house.

My husband, on the other hand, is very optimistic about our situation. He thinks that we can transform our crappy little house into our dream home. He talks about adding an addition to the back of the house. He dreams of converting our partially finished basement into a huge family room. He wants to remove walls and open up our living room/dining room/kitchen. I have a hard time getting excited about these over-the-top plans. They sound like a lot of work. And a lot of money.

What this all boils down to, is that I need to work on appreciating what I have. My life could be a lot worse. We have food in our bellies, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads. These are all good things.

In summary, I suffer from a horrible case of The Wants. I don't NEED anything, but I WANT everything.

“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” ~ Socrates

FINALLY!

The living room is finally finished. I am still working on the hallway, which will probably take at least 12 years to complete. It is the vortex of doorways. From end to end, there are 8 doorways (which translates into 8 door frames to paint around).

But since I am done with the living room, I thought I would show you all of my hard work. My living room is long and narrow, so it is kind of hard to get a good shot. I broke the room up into sections for your viewing pleasure. Also, in the before pictures I had already taken down all the artwork, so it looks extra horrible. And please excuse all the clutter. I was not in the mood to clean before I snapped these photos.

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I think it looks a lot better in the new color. I was a little worried that it would "make the room feel small." At least that is what other people kept telling me. However, I think the dark color makes the room feel warm and cozy. Perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire this winter!

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Surprise, surprise

Painting is a bitch. I always dive into painting projects, thinking that it will be fun! And I will feel productive! And it will only take a day or two! Easy Peasy! Obviously I am a complete moron, because painting is never fun, I certainly don't feel productive, and it takes FOREVER.

My living room still isn't completed yet. I live in a teeny tiny little house. I should be able to paint the entire house in about 3 hours. But dammit, I am on day 4 and there is no end in sight. I no longer use painter's tape, and I think that is what is slowing me down. The first few times I painted a room, I applied that ghetto-ass tape to every edge in the room. And the paint always bled underneath, defeating the entire purpose of using the tape. So, I do everything by hand now. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so it take me about 200 hours to cut around one door frame. Gah. I'll be done someday, and then I'll post the lovely pictures for little old you.

My husband had a work conference to attend in Indianapolis this week. He moaned and groaned about the conference for weeks. And like every other conference he attends, he called me everyday to tell me how much fun he was having. Why is my husband so annoying? Seriously, he couldn't be anymore annoying.

In summary, I haven't accomplished anything this week, and my husband is annoying. What's new - right?

She works hard for the money, so hard for it honey...

This is going to be a light week for me in the blog world. I am repainting my living room. And my husband is out of town. Apparently, I like punishing myself. Be on the look out for AMAZING before and after photos.

This is the last one! I promise!

I want to show you the finished play area in our backyard. Why am I still talking about this boring topic? Because this is by far my favorite home improvement project. This part of our yard was drab and unused. But now? It is a summer paradise. I LOVE our new swing set. Love isn't the right word. Actually, there isn't a word strongest enough to accurately describe my feelings for our yard.

The view when you walk into the yard...

The lovely mulched play area...

And mommy's swing. A little piece of heaven right here on Earth...

See the swing? I spend countless hours swinging and reading and listening to the birds. It is awesome. I highly recommend getting one for your backyard. We bought it at an Amish store. Do they have those in other parts of the country? I love Amish people! They build nice, quality stuff. And for a reasonable price too.

In summary, I love my being outside now. And I am not really an outdoorsy kind of girl. My backyard is amazing. You should totally come over to play!

Awesomeness

We went from this...
To this...And finally to this...We still have more work to do. We need to enclose the space and lay down wood chips. BUT, I am still super excited! Hours of entertainment, right in my own backyard!

The BIG fence redo of 2009

After months of waiting, it is finally done. Our pretty new fence has been installed. Here are the lovely before and after photos...

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It cost a pretty penny, but I think it looks great.

My hardwork pays off

I forgot to take pictures before I started. Sorry! After an hour of painting, I finally remembered to snap a few pictures. So without further ado, here is my fabulous new dining room (aka the playroom)...

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I still have to do the molding, but the walls are done. I think it looks great!

Doing shit

I have been feeling an overwhelming urge to get things done lately - like painting interior doors, organizing baby clothes, and cleaning bathtubs. I have no idea where this sudden bust of energy is coming from, but I'll take it! Actually, I think the need to accomplish something stems from my current job. I don't exactly get a sense of accomplishment from changing shitty diapers or cleaning vomit off of the floor. In order to make myself feel productive and useful and capable, I embark on crazy home improvement projects.

I have several ideas spinning in my head right now, but I think I am going to repaint the living room and dining room. I currently have a color called camel on the walls. I liked the color for a while, but now it just seems blah. Additionally, the kids have wrecked havoc on the flat paint. There are greasy hand prints everywhere. So, I stopped by the hardware store and picked up some color samples this weekend.

I am trying to be bold. I am trying to get away from the beige family, which I automatic tend to gravitate toward. After staring at paint samples for an eternity, I finally decided to paint the dining room a color called tundra. It is an medium shade of gray. And the living room will be driftwood, which is a brown. I am a little nervous about my color selections, because they are A LOT darker than our current colors. But I think they are beautiful. In the end, I hope I am happy with my choices.

I forgot to mention that we actually use our dining room as the playroom. We have an eat-in kitchen, so this works out great. Because the dining room is the playroom, I have a million posters and flashcards and sentence stripes taped to the walls. Tonight I have to take down all of the crap. Yipee! And then I have to convince my husband to remove all of the roman shades, so I can patch some holes in the molding. And then I have to tape up the edges.

Wait! This is starting to sound like a lot of hard work. Maybe I should rest on it for a few days.

Making room

This was the shed that the former homeowners left for us. Nice - right? They were classy people. My husband dismantled this old thing last month. YAY! But then we didn't know what to do with all of the debris. BOO! We called a company to come haul it away, but they wanted $500 to do it. Holy Guacamole! Do I look like I am made of money?

Instead, we decided to bribe the garbage men to take it. Every week John would haul a shit load of wood to the curb, along with a case of beer. And every week, the garbage men would happily take the beer and the debris. We threw away the shed over the course of 4 weeks, and it cost us a total of $78. AWESOME! We are sooooooo smart.

And now we have this...
More specially, we have this...A nice open space for our new swing set. I am so darn excited! We are going to enclose the play area with garden timbers and put down wood chips. We are also buying one of these...You know, so mommy will have a place to sit and rest. Am I lucky or what?

Did I really write that?

I am ashamed of my last post. I am a horrible person.

Let's pretend that I am not the world's biggest asshole, and talk about my recent home improvement project. I finally finished painting all of the interior doors in my house. Below are a few before and after pictures.

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Looks good - right?