Rolling with the Punches

Sometimes, when I am coming off a week straight of cleaning up after one kid with the GI bug, I get behind on things. Like dishes, and shaving my legs. 

I will spare you the photo of my legs. You are welcome.

Weight Watchers Weeks 5 & 6

I didn't get around to posting last week because I had no change in weight, but for week 6, I say hello to...

That's nine pounds gone to date. Going to celebrate when I see the 140's.  Still exercising.  

Carol's Office - Before and After

 

I don't really have an office, but  I now have an awesome desk/organization system in our guest room.  

We hadn't done much to the room since we moved in, but I needed a space to organize my coupons,  school papers,  receipts, and torn out magazine pages full of inspiration.  Our guest room had a whole wall with not a single thing on it.  Literally, nothing.

BEFORE

 I bought a desk from Target for $129 that matched Pottery Barn's antique white color (the wall system color). Thanks to an online reviewer for mentioning that fact.

I had it put together in 30 minutes and pulled a chair I already had from our basement.  I plan on finding a cute vintage chair to re-upholster this summer (I am hitting my first big outdoor flea market this Sunday in the frigid weather.  I plan on taking my camera so I blog about the trip). 

Here is the wall system from our old house:

Luckily, PB still carries the same line and I ordered more pieces (which were on sale) to create my office area:



My husband precisely installed the whole thing for me.

 

AFTER

 

 

 

To be honest, I still have coupons and receipts all over the place, but at least I do have a spot for them when I get around to cleaning up. 

Patrick is battling a stomach bug, made more fun by the fact that our bathroom renovation is still going on.  Lots of noise, and the kids can't nap upstairs in their rooms.







 

 

 

Screw the Leprechauns

Anyone else confused about leprechauns? "Are leprechauns real or pretend, mom?" Patrick asked me today.  Patrick started coming home from preschool last week talking about setting leprechaun traps and finding gold coins the leprechauns had left behind.  "Pretend", I replied.  He insisted they must be real or they would not have left gold coins. 

Shit.

The problem is, leprechauns were not on my list.  You know, the list of fictional characters, like Santa, and the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, who have well developed cover stories.  I don't have time to do traps or leave cute leprechaun notes for my kids.  I salute rageagainsttheminivan.com mom who celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a box of Lucky Charm cereal (why didn't I think of that?!).  I was one of the obnoxious moms who over-did the school valentine, but I draw the line here.  My kids got a $1 blinking shamrock light at breakfast, and one of them was named after St. Patrick. 

That being said, check back next year for photos of my leprechaun traps.

As a reward for listening to my rant, how about a cute picture of our resident little leprechaun?

Against all Reason

I have a ton to do, and I am dieting, but I decided I had to make pineapple upside-down cake. My mom used to make it for me as a kid, and I haven't had it in years. My mom always made it in a bundt pan, so I did as well. When I flipped it over and I saw this on the plate, I could only smile. Perfect.

Bathroom 1/2 Renovation - BEFORE

We have horrible luck with bathrooms. It seems that they are constantly leaking on us. We had a major repair on our master bath in our house that was $$$$, and three months after use by our boys, this is what happened to the kids' hall bath upstairs:

Fun, huh? Keep in mind these tiles lasted over fifty years, but were clearly no match for my boys. So we are doing a bath remodel (well, half of the bathroom, anyways). The blue tile in the shower will come down and the gray cast iron tub broken up and hauled out. The whole thing will be replaced with a nearly indestructible shower tub unit.  And because the boys love their bath time, we went with the extra deep tub.  

A lot is staying. The gray toilet and 50's gray sink will remain, the blue tiles on the walls, and the original blue floor.  

I actually don't mind the gray toilet, and like the floor and sink. They scream 50's and that is part of the charm of our house.

A new vanity mirror will go in and new lighting. Anyone in the market for two 80's brass sconces? You can't tell from the pictures, but the medicine cabinet that is on the wall has the wrong dimensions and is sitting ON the recessed hole it is meant to pop into. As a result, there are huge gaps on either side where you can see through into the wall.  This was not part of the charm.  

The work begins Friday! We are using the same guys who did our kitchen remodel and the boys can't wait to see their "friends" back around the house.

Weight Watchers, Week 4

I reached my first goal this past Friday morning!

That's two pounds this week, for a total of 8 in my first month. What's better than a pat on the back? Why, this of course. A little "hello, spring - goodbye, baby fat" accessory. 

Art Room Renovation - Before

This un-inspiring room has been home to all of our art supplies, Playdoh, and all things messy. I decided to transform it into a creative space where the kids could glitter to their hearts content.  This is a work-in-progress, so I don't know when the "after" picture will be posted.

My first project was to add a few chalkboard areas on the walls just to the right of the above doorway. I used this:

Originally I had purchased the magnetic primer, but I found out the online reviews were horrible and decided to not use the product. I also decided to complete one chalkboard first and be sure it worked well before I applied the second.  This would not be such a big deal except each coat needs 24 hours to dry before recounting, so I used more paint supplies than if I had done each coat on both walls at the same time. I also have no patience.  I used a six inch foam roller designed for painting cabinet doors based on some online suggestions. I also lightly sanded the wall first based on the reviews I read. I did three coats, and plan on repainting a new top coat every 6 months.

 

 After the third coat had cured for 24 hours, we had to prime the board by covering the entire thing with a coat of chalk.  Patrick was my helper.  I let the chalk sit on the board for three hours then wiped it down and, voila - it was ready for use.

 Of course the first drawing was a fire truck.

This pouf I found at Target on clearance for $15.

Weight Watchers Week 3

My first 5lbs came off! I am officially at 6 lbs down, and only two pounds away from the first goal Weight Watchers assigned me.

This Endless Winter

We are trudging through this cold, long winter and doing the best we can to keep the stir-crazies at bay.  A few weekends ago we headed to the zoo when the temps reached 40 degrees.  It felt like spring had arrived! We arrived with no plan in mind, but within minutes the penguin parade was announced over the loud speaker. The boys were able to get a great spot along the parade route. 

Crawling underneath the stingray tank

One of my favorite things about our zoo, other than its close proximity, is that we always see something different each time we go.  This time it was  the scuba divers cleaning one of the lower tanks.  The gave P high-fives. 



Kaya was properly prepared for the aquarium portion.

Last weekend, Tom took the boys out back for some more sledding.  We are hoping and praying these will be some of the last winter fun pictures to make it on the blog.

When You Aren't Looking

Isn't it true that you always find the best things when you aren't looking? I came across this metal hamper at Marshall's a few weeks ago and thought it was perfect for Kaya's room.

Despite all the cold weather, I love this time of year for another important reason: winter clearance. I picked up this adorable outfit at Janie and Jack for next winter. Total original cost: $110. I paid $36. Hooray for discounted cuteness.

Prepare yourselves, some DIY project posts coming soon. The art room makeover is about to begin.

Weight Watchers Week Two Weigh-In

I was a bit surprised to step on the scale and see 156  (again) at the end of week two. That is a zero loss, but also a zero gain if trying to look on the positive side.n I followed the plan, although no exercise as a side due to zero energy thanks to this endless winter.  I slept 11 1/2 last night, and feel a ton better, so exercise resumes during nap time today.