Well, it's been a little motherhood-heavy here lately. Let's talk about something else.
Let's talk about how some people are deliberately living smaller these days, and I love it. Utah isn't exactly the place to find and live the trend, however, unless you can find a circa-1940s home. Oh wait. I already did. And standard mattresses, clothes hangers, vacuums, toys, and bathroom products don't fit into it.
I've had to pick up some tricks (all hail Pinterest!) and manage our consumption carefully along the way to make our home more livable. These are some of the best tips I've found:
Vertical space - this is a no-brainer. Curtains that draw the eye up, storage space over the doorways and bookshelves, organizers in every closet and entryway. Bed risers under the beds, tall skinny dressers and nighstands (or no nightstands), coat and towel hangers on the walls and doors, you get it.
Tension rods and magnetic strips - I have one or both of these in all two of my storage cabinets. Tension rods are my new best friends.
Clear shower curtain - I've used a couple different curtains in my bathroom and finally decided to leave a clear liner (thanks Jo!). Et voila! Doubled the size of the room.
Mirrors - everyone knows. I have a mirror in almost every room including the hall, and the difference a mirror makes in a small space cannot be overstated.
Window shades - curtains take up wall space, yo. But I need thermal window coverings because of my old windows and terrible insulation (and living in the oft-coldest spot in the 48 contiguous states). After three tries I found some Roman window shades for my bedroom which fit inside the window well, and make me feel a little less claustrophobic than the previous curtains. I think they're staying.
Smaller beds - you know I'll keep talking about that mini crib. Babies do NOT need all that space in a normal size crib. MG is nearing 18 months and I think she'll be fine in her mini crib for another 6. She sleeps perfectly in a pack and play (Liam never did) because it's the same size. Also, toddler beds. If we stay in this house Liam will be in a toddler bed until the last possible minute.
I wish I could say we moved back to a full-size bed, but no. My sleep is more precious to me than that.
I rotate the toys in my kids' room regularly, and the clothes by season, of course. Fortunately my kitchen is well-planned and spacious enough for us, and I've never been a beauty product hoarder. If you have any more revolutionary ideas for maximizing space, please, let me know.
Finally, some questions for you. If your bedroom is small enough, do you put your shared bed in a corner? If so, who sleeps on the edge? Does the wall-sleeper climb over or just shimmy to the end of the bed to get out? And can you ever switch sides of the bed?
Such dilemmas.
Showing posts with label This Old House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label This Old House. Show all posts
5.13.2013
11.18.2011
Realistically Speaking
Since joining the wonderful world of Pinterest, I have been pondering on some vital life questions.
Like How can I possibly live in a house that has so many, non-coordinating colors??
and
Does anyone actually spend that much time & energy wrapping a present?
and
What is the deal with all the labels/hot chocolate mix-ins/decorative pillows/maps/wreaths/monograms?
and, incidentally,
Are people really gullible, or are they just lazy?
(I've checked out several pins before pinning them to find that they are nonexistent. No longer manufactured, never actually been built (i.e. underwater hotel in Dubai - you CANNOT 'go there someday' unless someone builds it first), not a DIY tutorial but a link to a retail site.)
But you know me - practical to a fault. Which is why I'm having such a hard time deciding on a crib for this baby to sleep in.
(Ha! Of course this post is about nesting!)
We have a crib that was given to us, and it works, but it IS quite rickety and has drop-sides, and I would really rather not use it anymore.
I've basically decided on a mini-crib, for a variety of reasons. It's the only thing that will fit in our bedroom for the first weeks/months, I've read a million reviews and MOST say their child slept in it fine for eighteen months to two years, they are less expensive than full-size cribs, the "nursery" is already cramped, I like the idea of a snug sleeping space for my baby ....
But what COLOR?!
Is it worth spending an extra $40 to buy a particular color of the exact same crib? When I don't have a definite color scheme anyway? I'd love it if all the furniture in the room was white, and I was planning to make it that way (hence the white spray-painting of the glider), but now with the toddler bed and dark dresser it would take a lot of work to get there.
Also, I am running out of nesting steam.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
In other "realistically speaking" news, I am not spending the 1-2 hours a day on Hypnobabies that I should be. I should be doing more exercises and visualizing and affirming and directing anesthesia than I am. I'm doing almost as much as I can, though, and am still optimistic about it. So, yeah.
Like How can I possibly live in a house that has so many, non-coordinating colors??
and
Does anyone actually spend that much time & energy wrapping a present?
and
What is the deal with all the labels/hot chocolate mix-ins/decorative pillows/maps/wreaths/monograms?
and, incidentally,
Are people really gullible, or are they just lazy?
(I've checked out several pins before pinning them to find that they are nonexistent. No longer manufactured, never actually been built (i.e. underwater hotel in Dubai - you CANNOT 'go there someday' unless someone builds it first), not a DIY tutorial but a link to a retail site.)
But you know me - practical to a fault. Which is why I'm having such a hard time deciding on a crib for this baby to sleep in.
(Ha! Of course this post is about nesting!)
We have a crib that was given to us, and it works, but it IS quite rickety and has drop-sides, and I would really rather not use it anymore.
I've basically decided on a mini-crib, for a variety of reasons. It's the only thing that will fit in our bedroom for the first weeks/months, I've read a million reviews and MOST say their child slept in it fine for eighteen months to two years, they are less expensive than full-size cribs, the "nursery" is already cramped, I like the idea of a snug sleeping space for my baby ....
But what COLOR?!
Is it worth spending an extra $40 to buy a particular color of the exact same crib? When I don't have a definite color scheme anyway? I'd love it if all the furniture in the room was white, and I was planning to make it that way (hence the white spray-painting of the glider), but now with the toddler bed and dark dresser it would take a lot of work to get there.
Also, I am running out of nesting steam.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
In other "realistically speaking" news, I am not spending the 1-2 hours a day on Hypnobabies that I should be. I should be doing more exercises and visualizing and affirming and directing anesthesia than I am. I'm doing almost as much as I can, though, and am still optimistic about it. So, yeah.
11.06.2011
Nursery (unfinished)
This is the (unfinished) nursery.
This is the toddler bed that I found on KSL classifieds for $30 in Vernal
in the (unfinished) nursery.
 |
| Yes, pink pillowcase. Because it's flannel and he loves it. Also he's keeping in touch with his feminine side. |
This is the 17-month-old boy who slept PERFECTLY
in the toddler bed I found on KSL classifieds for $30 in Vernal
in the (unfinished) nursery.
 |
| He put them on by himself, and he is the gosh darn cutest thing you've ever seen. |
This is the night that the 17-month-old boy decided, after a week, that he didn't want
to sleep PERFECTLY
in the toddler bed I found on KSL classifieds for $30 in Vernal
in the (unfinished) nursery.
In fact, he decided to cry on the one night that his dad never came back from work,
so his mom wasn't sleeping well either,
and got much less sleep than she really needed,
especially since he woke up long before his usual (punctual!) 8:30 a.m.
And they were STILL late for church.
5.16.2011
C'est la vie
Last week during the rainstorm our basement leaked a little. There's a closet under the front porch that sucks all the water from the surrounding dirt, and since we also have no rain gutters, water streams off the roof into that corner unless Slice puts up a tarp to stop it. Leak leak leak.
($$$)
Our bathroom has been looking like this for a couple weeks now:
because when we bought a (standard) toilet from Lowe's and tried to install it, we realized that our 70-year-old bathroom will NOT be fitting a standard toilet. We need a 10" rough in. According to our local Lowe's expert, it will cost us 3x what a 12 " would, and also take a month to get here.
($$$)
Wednesday Slice took his girls golf team to their State tournament at Mountain View golf course in Salt Lake. He left his Ipod touch there, so I've been having Words With Friends withdrawals.
($$$ - but we'll get it back)
Saturday we ran a few errands around town, and when we got out of the car, my wallet was on top of it. The wallet that I had put there with my BRAND NEW phone before we left. Only, the phone wasn't there anymore. Classic!
We've retraced our route three times now, with no luck.
($$$)
Also on Saturday I did some laundry while Slice was gone. He came home and started hollering at me from the basement, where there was a bona fide flood from the drain in the floor. Luckily we had a shop vac handy from our bathroom job, as well as a carpet cleaner, and two dads with pipe snakes. Slice worked on the drain all Saturday night and a good part of yesterday afternoon, but we still don't know what is wrong and we can't run the kitchen sink without it backing up. So, a plumber is coming this afternoon to check it out.
($$$)
Basically, I can't do dishes or laundry right now.... all I can do is post pictures of the puppy sleeping.
($$$)
Our bathroom has been looking like this for a couple weeks now:
 |
| you may now admire Slice's tiling job |
($$$)
Wednesday Slice took his girls golf team to their State tournament at Mountain View golf course in Salt Lake. He left his Ipod touch there, so I've been having Words With Friends withdrawals.
($$$ - but we'll get it back)
Saturday we ran a few errands around town, and when we got out of the car, my wallet was on top of it. The wallet that I had put there with my BRAND NEW phone before we left. Only, the phone wasn't there anymore. Classic!
We've retraced our route three times now, with no luck.
($$$)
Also on Saturday I did some laundry while Slice was gone. He came home and started hollering at me from the basement, where there was a bona fide flood from the drain in the floor. Luckily we had a shop vac handy from our bathroom job, as well as a carpet cleaner, and two dads with pipe snakes. Slice worked on the drain all Saturday night and a good part of yesterday afternoon, but we still don't know what is wrong and we can't run the kitchen sink without it backing up. So, a plumber is coming this afternoon to check it out.
($$$)
Basically, I can't do dishes or laundry right now.... all I can do is post pictures of the puppy sleeping.
3.15.2011
And the Tax Return goes to....
the downstairs bathroom!
I know you've all been DYING to hear the updates about this. Well, we have a plumber here for the fourth time in as many days. While digging into and below the foundation of our house, we ran into some mishaps, like Slice putting a hole through a pipe that we weren't planning on replacing, and other stuff like that. That's home improvement for ya.
FYI: 70-year-old cast iron pipes are very brittle!
I know you've all been DYING to hear the updates about this. Well, we have a plumber here for the fourth time in as many days. While digging into and below the foundation of our house, we ran into some mishaps, like Slice putting a hole through a pipe that we weren't planning on replacing, and other stuff like that. That's home improvement for ya.
FYI: 70-year-old cast iron pipes are very brittle!
Slice got to use a jackhammer for the first time and he felt very manly about it.
Speaking of manly......
I baked a German chocolate cake from scratch yesterday, at Slice's birthday cake request. I also made the frosting (of course). Not a big deal to most of you, likely, but it was a pretty big deal to me! And it turned out deliciously.
My husband really loves it when I wear an apron.
(Too bad it doesn't happen very often.)
2.16.2011
After
Last week we finally got our light fixture and piano mirror installed.
I would still like a shelf for my music, a new couch cover, and some things on the wall above the piano....
but we'll call it done for now, shall we?
1.24.2011
Emergency Bath Remodel
Our downstairs bathroom used to look like this:
Four feet by five feet; a toilet, a showerhead and a drain.
(The sink is in the downstairs bedroom.)
What luxury! You say. You wish you had a bathroom like this, I know.
Anyway.
Since Alex moved in and started using it, there was a leak or two, some small fixings that didn't work, and
then the bathroom looked like this:
We ripped up the floor, took out the toilet and the drain.
And Slice tore down two of the walls.
And now, dear readers, the bathroom looks like this:
What to do, what to do??
I totally love glass tile and would love to tile all 20 square feet of it (all the way up the walls!). But since bath remodel wasn't really in the budget in the first place, that may not be an option. The cheapest fix may be the best right now.
In any case, my last fortune cookie from China Star reads
"You shouldn't overspend at the moment. Frugality is important."
which is obviously prophetic. Right?
12.28.2010
Room #1 - comprising Projects 0, 1-4, 6, 8-11, etc. etc. etc....
One of the things we loved about this house when we first walked through was that it was pretty much move-in ready. No major projects needing to be done before it was livable.
Cue: ominous music
When the previous owners moved out and we came to (surprise!) deep clean, Slice and his father checked the ceiling in the living room. It was sparkly asbestos -commonly referred to as "popcorn ceiling" and/or "linked to cancer" - applied to plaster, and we thought it would be easier to take care of without any of our stuff in it. So while I finished up packing for the move, the men scraped and wiped the ceiling, then cleaned up and vacuumed/cleaned carpets before moving the furniture in.
Then we waited a month.
Slice primed the accent wall and formerly dark green hall. Then as soon as the texture gun was available, we covered all the furniture and widened the cracks in the old ceiling. Once again Slice and his dad worked to patch, sand, patch, sand, texture, scrape, prime, and paint.
(Okay, I did a little of the sanding, priming and painting too.)
They did a fabulous job.
Last week, Slice and several of my brothers/in-laws moved our piano to the house. My brother Jordan even tuned it for me! I was so happy to have a piano in my house again, I broke my wrist to celebrate.
Now all we need is a light fixture, some "window treatments"* (I hate that phrase), a new piano mirror & bench, new coverings on my chair/cedar chest/couch, pictures on my walls, and the room will be DONE!
Good thing I have all this extra time and money on my hands; Liam and I can knock it out in no time.
Yes, that was sarcastic.
*more thermal ones, of course, because those windows are huge and we just got our first heating bill and YOWZERS!
12.06.2010
Possibly my favorite thing about this house
Father-In-Law: "Isn't it illegal to bury....?"
Father: "Yes, yes it is."
11.29.2010
A Love Story
(Oh hey, I have a blog??)
Once upon a time in a distant land lived a little family, in a little place.
They were (mostly) content in that little place. But they also had plans.
The plan was to wait until the end of golf season 2010, and then to move - either to a house in the vicinity, or to somewhere else - depending on what happened with the golf course. This plan was held on to for months and months, even over a year, and even when unforeseen events rocked the foundations of this plan.
(See: here, here, and here, and here, and read between the lines.)
In the meantime, the Good Wife was checking Realtor.com several times a week for houses in Roosevelt, Texarkana, St. George ... even Arizona. She wanted to be ready for whatever was coming.
One fine day, the very week the little family decided to stay in the Basin (for now) - and also not even a week after writing this post - the Good Wife found a house listed in Roosevelt. One that met and exceeded all of the pre-determined qualifications AND was in our price range. I sent the link to Slice immediately.
It had been listed just that day.
The next day Slice had off work, and we were trying to decide what to do. I told him how much I loved the house, and how it was going to get snatched up quickly, there are never decent houses in that price range on our market, and why don't we at least go look at it? He reluctantly agreed. An hour later we were waiting at the house.
It was a quick walk-through. Liam was fussy, we were just taking a look, we hadn't even pre-qualified for a loan. But it was love at first sight.
(I believe in love at first sight!)
So, we pre-qualified. We put in an offer that same day. We had a yard sale while waiting for the answer. We upped the offer. We waited some more. We prayed. We felt good about it all.
And they accepted.
And we waited some more.
Turns out, quitting a job isn't the best thing to do right before trying to qualify for a mortgage loan. Neither is having an 8-month seasonal job.
But we packed and planned anyway. I stopped watching TV. I also stopped blogging, and reading books, and cleaning .... and doing anything but dreaming about colors, furniture, bookshelves, dishwashers, kitchen counters, bedrooms, unpacking all those boxes that have been packed SINCE MY WEDDING.
Okay, so I went a little crazy for a while. Like six weeks. I was nesting all over again.
Lo, it was not in vain! With a little extra finagling, our loan came through; we signed our lives away. It was so exciting.
The evening after the previous owners moved out, we came to examine the place. Of course, they left it a mess. Dog hair everywhere. Gross bathrooms and fridge and pantry. Unfinished coving in the basement (that was in the contract!-- ). A wall of MOLD behind the Grand Bookshelf.
We had to clean for two days before we could even move in.
Four years ago, the program director for Vienna Study Abroad told us that when you move somewhere new, you go through four stages: Honeymoon, Hate, Habituate, Home.
Guys, we are totally honeymooning it.
(Pics coming soon.)
Once upon a time in a distant land lived a little family, in a little place.
They were (mostly) content in that little place. But they also had plans.
The plan was to wait until the end of golf season 2010, and then to move - either to a house in the vicinity, or to somewhere else - depending on what happened with the golf course. This plan was held on to for months and months, even over a year, and even when unforeseen events rocked the foundations of this plan.
(See: here, here, and here, and here, and read between the lines.)
In the meantime, the Good Wife was checking Realtor.com several times a week for houses in Roosevelt, Texarkana, St. George ... even Arizona. She wanted to be ready for whatever was coming.
One fine day, the very week the little family decided to stay in the Basin (for now) - and also not even a week after writing this post - the Good Wife found a house listed in Roosevelt. One that met and exceeded all of the pre-determined qualifications AND was in our price range. I sent the link to Slice immediately.
It had been listed just that day.
The next day Slice had off work, and we were trying to decide what to do. I told him how much I loved the house, and how it was going to get snatched up quickly, there are never decent houses in that price range on our market, and why don't we at least go look at it? He reluctantly agreed. An hour later we were waiting at the house.
It was a quick walk-through. Liam was fussy, we were just taking a look, we hadn't even pre-qualified for a loan. But it was love at first sight.
(I believe in love at first sight!)
So, we pre-qualified. We put in an offer that same day. We had a yard sale while waiting for the answer. We upped the offer. We waited some more. We prayed. We felt good about it all.
And they accepted.
And we waited some more.
Turns out, quitting a job isn't the best thing to do right before trying to qualify for a mortgage loan. Neither is having an 8-month seasonal job.
But we packed and planned anyway. I stopped watching TV. I also stopped blogging, and reading books, and cleaning .... and doing anything but dreaming about colors, furniture, bookshelves, dishwashers, kitchen counters, bedrooms, unpacking all those boxes that have been packed SINCE MY WEDDING.
Okay, so I went a little crazy for a while. Like six weeks. I was nesting all over again.
Lo, it was not in vain! With a little extra finagling, our loan came through; we signed our lives away. It was so exciting.
The evening after the previous owners moved out, we came to examine the place. Of course, they left it a mess. Dog hair everywhere. Gross bathrooms and fridge and pantry. Unfinished coving in the basement (that was in the contract!-- ). A wall of MOLD behind the Grand Bookshelf.
We had to clean for two days before we could even move in.
Four years ago, the program director for Vienna Study Abroad told us that when you move somewhere new, you go through four stages: Honeymoon, Hate, Habituate, Home.
Guys, we are totally honeymooning it.
9.28.2010
If it gets any better I might just wake up
Saturday I watched the annual General Relief Society Meeting with my Mutti in the comfort of her living room. I always love this meeting, always leave knowing exactly what I need to do better and feeling so humbled that I have to try. This year was no exception.
Sunday I was standing in the hall after church, holding Liam and talking to people as they passed by. I looked down to see a darling girl (7 yrs old?) from the ward watching me, not the baby as I'd thought. She said "You're beautiful," quiet and earnest-like, then walked away as soon as I thanked her. And I melted.
Yesterday Slice got a call from a Realtor informing that the seller had accepted our offer - meaning WE ARE GOING TO BE HOMEOWNERS - and so, if all goes well, we will be posting pictures and updates as frequently as possible. I'm ridiculously happy about the prospects of having so much space to ourselves, not to mention a garage and dishwasher, but when I think about it too much I can't sleep at night.
(Also, it's not a done deal yet, so you never know what could happen.)
But hey .... YAY!
Sunday I was standing in the hall after church, holding Liam and talking to people as they passed by. I looked down to see a darling girl (7 yrs old?) from the ward watching me, not the baby as I'd thought. She said "You're beautiful," quiet and earnest-like, then walked away as soon as I thanked her. And I melted.
Yesterday Slice got a call from a Realtor informing that the seller had accepted our offer - meaning WE ARE GOING TO BE HOMEOWNERS - and so, if all goes well, we will be posting pictures and updates as frequently as possible. I'm ridiculously happy about the prospects of having so much space to ourselves, not to mention a garage and dishwasher, but when I think about it too much I can't sleep at night.
(Also, it's not a done deal yet, so you never know what could happen.)
But hey .... YAY!
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