It is hard to believe that in a week from Monday the boys will be back to school and we will be getting back to a routine. I am not sure where the summer went. I had grand plans to get some organizing accomplished. Boy....did I fail miserably.
We have had a lot going on this summer. It has been a really nice summer and we have all kept busy.
Our garden this year gave us a nice supply of cucumbers and zucchini. The green beans did ok in the beginning but then failed me. I think they were not getting enough water and the zucchini plant was so large that it blocked the sun. I will remember this for next year. I also grew a strawberry bush in an Earth box. It did well and even produced a few strawberries. The Earth box had to be moved off the deck and I think some bunnies have feasted on them. I would like to plant in my garden but I need to figure out how to protect them first. We have planted pumpkin seeds and hope to have a few good pumpkins for the fall.
We have had some work done in our house this summer. Every year we try to take on a project or two. Our plan is to keep our house updated and also design it our way. Of course, there are things we can't change but we are doing what we can. We had granite counter tops installed. We also took out a desk in the kitchen and added a cabinet for additional pantry space. The contractor is now working on installing our trex deck. Our deck was really showing it age. Our choice was to smooth and re-stain or put in something that requires little to no maintenance. We chose the latter.
Well, I guess we are not practical after all. We decided to get another Sequoia. The husband went to the dealership this past Saturday to negotiate. He feels like he got a good deal on the car (it is a 2010 which they are trying to clear off the lot). The car feels so much bigger to me but I have noticed that it is a little easier to manage because it turns so easily. I still miss my old car just a little.
So much to do so little time.......off to do something productive while I have a few minutes.
Showing posts with label House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House. Show all posts
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Year - clean closets
I am not making any new years resolutions this year really. I feel like when you make them you rarely stick to them so why bother.
Every year I do kick into high gear and get organized and this year has been no different. I still have some work to do but I feel so good that my closets, every. single. one. of. them. has been cleaned out.
It started Christmas day, when I went up to my room and went through every article of clothing I own. I decided if I had not worn it within the last 2 years then I didn't need it. I had about 4 bags of clothes and another large bag of trash when I was done. It took a few days but my husband finally got the bug and he did the same clean out. I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to be rid of all the stuff we have held onto for so long.
The boys' closet needed a good clean out as well. I have been telling my husband for some time that the boys' closets are not functional. I knew what I wanted but didn't see anything that was reasonably priced. My husband saw an ad in the large home improvement store ad and it was exactly what I wanted for fairly inexpensive.
Their closets are fairly long. There was one shelf on the top and one bar. I tend to hang all of their shirts to make it easier for them to see while they choose. Otherwise, they would have them all messed up in their drawer every morning.
So my husband started one Saturday morning. It took him a lot longer that he expected. There was a lot of cutting (the shelf), repairing and painting. He is incredibly handy to have around the house. The next day he tackled the other closet and it didn't take him as long since he had a few short cuts.
I absolutely love them. I can now hang up all their shirts and their long sleeve shirts are within reach. I also have 6 shelves to place some of their "stuff" in. See for yourself.
And as you can see by the full laundry bag I guess I better get started.
Every year I do kick into high gear and get organized and this year has been no different. I still have some work to do but I feel so good that my closets, every. single. one. of. them. has been cleaned out.
It started Christmas day, when I went up to my room and went through every article of clothing I own. I decided if I had not worn it within the last 2 years then I didn't need it. I had about 4 bags of clothes and another large bag of trash when I was done. It took a few days but my husband finally got the bug and he did the same clean out. I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to be rid of all the stuff we have held onto for so long.
The boys' closet needed a good clean out as well. I have been telling my husband for some time that the boys' closets are not functional. I knew what I wanted but didn't see anything that was reasonably priced. My husband saw an ad in the large home improvement store ad and it was exactly what I wanted for fairly inexpensive.
Their closets are fairly long. There was one shelf on the top and one bar. I tend to hang all of their shirts to make it easier for them to see while they choose. Otherwise, they would have them all messed up in their drawer every morning.
So my husband started one Saturday morning. It took him a lot longer that he expected. There was a lot of cutting (the shelf), repairing and painting. He is incredibly handy to have around the house. The next day he tackled the other closet and it didn't take him as long since he had a few short cuts.
I absolutely love them. I can now hang up all their shirts and their long sleeve shirts are within reach. I also have 6 shelves to place some of their "stuff" in. See for yourself.
And as you can see by the full laundry bag I guess I better get started.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Not the best way to start the new year
It figures that on one of the coldest days up here that our heat would go out on the second level. Our bedrooms are on the second level. I figured it out about 1 pm this afternoon and by the time I called a company they were booked for the day. They will come out tomorrow from 8-5. That is not a typo. I have an entire day window. They will call me prior to coming out and give me time to get home to meet them.
We are very fortunate that we have a gas fireplace in our bedroom. We will keep that on to ensure we all stay warm.
I hope this problem is a small one that can be fixed quickly.
We are very fortunate that we have a gas fireplace in our bedroom. We will keep that on to ensure we all stay warm.
I hope this problem is a small one that can be fixed quickly.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Houses
We are currently living in our 3rd house. We like most started with a smaller house and then had to step up as our family grew. Then a job change brought us to Maryland.
I find it a little odd that I have trouble remembering the details of our first house. We built the house before we got married (we were engaged). I remember the hassle of building the house and how there were so many choice to make. In the end, we loved the house and had many good memories there. We also knew that we would probably not want to ever build a house again.
While we were living in the house, we got our dog. She was our look into what parenthood would be like. And then a while after that the boys were born. We stayed in that house until the husband nudged me to think about moving. The boys were not yet 2 years old. I resisted for a LONG time. We ended up selling the house in 3 weeks I think.
We did a lot of looking around but nothing ever stood out. Then one day we were walking in the neighborhood, which we did often. A house was for sale and there was an open house the next day, which happened to be the day we were going out with an agent to look at more houses. There was a contract pending on it but I guess it was about to expire.
The minute I walked into that house I KNEW it was the house for us. I remember telling my husband that he needed to get me that house that evening. It was perfect plus we loved our neighborhood. It had 4 bedrooms 3 ½ baths plus a large bonus room. The main floor was nice and spacious. We lived in that house for 4 years. We did a lot of work within those 4 years.
I found out the other day from an old neighbor that the people who bought our house are selling it and moving back to their old hometown. I have heard she is not happy and wants to move back to be closer to family and friends. We were of course were curious and had to go look up the listing to see how much they were selling it for and check out the pictures. They have listed it for the same price we listed it for. You know the one that they thought was outrageous at the time. The pictures showed many aspects of the house. There are some things that look similar and other things they have changed completely.
That house brings back so many awesome memories. It reminds me of the good friends and good times we had there.
I like the house we are in now but I would have done some things differently. It definitely was all about the neighborhood and school district for us this time. But we are making some really good memories and friends here as well.
We have been in Maryland for 2 years now. I meant for us to “celebrate” our 2nd anniversary but I got my weeks messed up. Maybe I will do something special this weekend. I love having a reason to celebrate.
I find it a little odd that I have trouble remembering the details of our first house. We built the house before we got married (we were engaged). I remember the hassle of building the house and how there were so many choice to make. In the end, we loved the house and had many good memories there. We also knew that we would probably not want to ever build a house again.
While we were living in the house, we got our dog. She was our look into what parenthood would be like. And then a while after that the boys were born. We stayed in that house until the husband nudged me to think about moving. The boys were not yet 2 years old. I resisted for a LONG time. We ended up selling the house in 3 weeks I think.
We did a lot of looking around but nothing ever stood out. Then one day we were walking in the neighborhood, which we did often. A house was for sale and there was an open house the next day, which happened to be the day we were going out with an agent to look at more houses. There was a contract pending on it but I guess it was about to expire.
The minute I walked into that house I KNEW it was the house for us. I remember telling my husband that he needed to get me that house that evening. It was perfect plus we loved our neighborhood. It had 4 bedrooms 3 ½ baths plus a large bonus room. The main floor was nice and spacious. We lived in that house for 4 years. We did a lot of work within those 4 years.
I found out the other day from an old neighbor that the people who bought our house are selling it and moving back to their old hometown. I have heard she is not happy and wants to move back to be closer to family and friends. We were of course were curious and had to go look up the listing to see how much they were selling it for and check out the pictures. They have listed it for the same price we listed it for. You know the one that they thought was outrageous at the time. The pictures showed many aspects of the house. There are some things that look similar and other things they have changed completely.
That house brings back so many awesome memories. It reminds me of the good friends and good times we had there.
I like the house we are in now but I would have done some things differently. It definitely was all about the neighborhood and school district for us this time. But we are making some really good memories and friends here as well.
We have been in Maryland for 2 years now. I meant for us to “celebrate” our 2nd anniversary but I got my weeks messed up. Maybe I will do something special this weekend. I love having a reason to celebrate.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
My time
It seems like laundry has been never ending in this household for the last few weeks. Every time I turn around I have another load staring me in the face. The bad part is that I still have stuff sitting on the bench in my bedroom that I have yet to put away.
My parents left today. It was a very nice visit. I am not sure the next time we will see them. My husband's father is coming in town this Friday. They are playing in a golf tournament on Saturday. That would be 36 holes of golf. Boring if you ask me.
Yes, that means I will be doing more laundry and getting beds ready. Maybe this time I will actually get to put some laundry away.
We still haven't finalized our petition for the school redistricting. I am hoping we will have it done tonight. We need to make sure it says what we want it to say. But we also need to get it out there to get signatures. We are thinking about ordering t-shirts but I think we are running out of time.
I am still in the middle of the school PTA membership campaign. We are in the process of recruiting members. Then I will have to get the cards ready to be issued. I am trying to figure out how I can print them on the computer vs. hand writing almost 400 cards.
The husband is out of town until Friday. I like how he goes out of town before his father comes in town. I have procrastinated on cleaning the house so tomorrow I will be working hard to get it all done.
Tomorrow evening will be fun as I am hosting the girls for the season premiere of Grey's anatomy.
My parents left today. It was a very nice visit. I am not sure the next time we will see them. My husband's father is coming in town this Friday. They are playing in a golf tournament on Saturday. That would be 36 holes of golf. Boring if you ask me.
Yes, that means I will be doing more laundry and getting beds ready. Maybe this time I will actually get to put some laundry away.
We still haven't finalized our petition for the school redistricting. I am hoping we will have it done tonight. We need to make sure it says what we want it to say. But we also need to get it out there to get signatures. We are thinking about ordering t-shirts but I think we are running out of time.
I am still in the middle of the school PTA membership campaign. We are in the process of recruiting members. Then I will have to get the cards ready to be issued. I am trying to figure out how I can print them on the computer vs. hand writing almost 400 cards.
The husband is out of town until Friday. I like how he goes out of town before his father comes in town. I have procrastinated on cleaning the house so tomorrow I will be working hard to get it all done.
Tomorrow evening will be fun as I am hosting the girls for the season premiere of Grey's anatomy.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Too ambitious, maybe, but rain does not make for a great outdoor party
I don't know why but my husband and I tend to think we can accomplish a million things in the matter of a few days. My husband had a week off and we had a long list of projects. We didn't account for the 2 days we would be away. We probably had 15 items on our ever growing list and we maybe completed 2.
It wasn't for a lack of trying that is for sure. We decided to change out our outdoor lights. My husband went to the home improvement store and picked some out. He pulled the first one out of the box and it was broken. He was ready to give up but I thought he should at least open one more. The second one was broken as well. They were returned.
Our outdoor furniture is in need of some major tlc. It is very faded. On Thursday my husband painted one of the chairs. He tried it with a brush first and then decided to get the sprayer out. The sprayer was much faster but we knew there was no way he would be able to get them all done by Saturday for our party.
The rest of our time was spent cleaning and getting ready for our party. The weather forecast was not promising. I always feel like the weather is not what they say it is going to be so I was a little hopeful.
Saturday morning brought us some rain but then we ended up with cloudy skies. As the party time approached I hoped people would arrive on time because it was clear that our outdoor time was going to end fairly soon. The kids were able to swim and jump in the bounce house for about 1 1/2 hours. The party then moved indoors, in the basement.
My most embarrassing moment was when Tee got out of the pool walked over to the grass and pulled his bathing suit down to go potty. I know we are a little redneck but I can't take that child inside every time he has to go while we are swimming. I am thinking it is good he doesn't do it in the pool. Luckily, only a few guests had arrived at that point.
The party ended up being fine just not the way we had planned it. And we still have a long list of to dos.
It wasn't for a lack of trying that is for sure. We decided to change out our outdoor lights. My husband went to the home improvement store and picked some out. He pulled the first one out of the box and it was broken. He was ready to give up but I thought he should at least open one more. The second one was broken as well. They were returned.
Our outdoor furniture is in need of some major tlc. It is very faded. On Thursday my husband painted one of the chairs. He tried it with a brush first and then decided to get the sprayer out. The sprayer was much faster but we knew there was no way he would be able to get them all done by Saturday for our party.
The rest of our time was spent cleaning and getting ready for our party. The weather forecast was not promising. I always feel like the weather is not what they say it is going to be so I was a little hopeful.
Saturday morning brought us some rain but then we ended up with cloudy skies. As the party time approached I hoped people would arrive on time because it was clear that our outdoor time was going to end fairly soon. The kids were able to swim and jump in the bounce house for about 1 1/2 hours. The party then moved indoors, in the basement.
My most embarrassing moment was when Tee got out of the pool walked over to the grass and pulled his bathing suit down to go potty. I know we are a little redneck but I can't take that child inside every time he has to go while we are swimming. I am thinking it is good he doesn't do it in the pool. Luckily, only a few guests had arrived at that point.
The party ended up being fine just not the way we had planned it. And we still have a long list of to dos.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Oh geez.....
Tee's door and lock opening skills have really improved over the last month. He now can open the few doors we have with round knobs. The other night when the doorbell rang he went up to the front door unlocked it and opened the door. EE and Jay are trained to NOT open the door unless I approve and am around the area.
This morning I decided to run on the treadmill down in the basement. As a precaution, I set the alarm. I didn't remember I set the alarm until I opened the door in the basement to go out to the pool later on in the morning. The alarm was so loud. I made a mad dash for upstairs darting around children who were scared to turn it off. As soon as I turned it off I went and got the phone. I received my call and spoke to the representative. He asked me my code which I honestly could not remember. I gave him what I thought it was. We said our goodbyes and that was that.
Or at least I thought that was that. The husband called me on my cell phone which I thought was weird. He questioned where I was and was surprised when I told him I was home. I explained that the situation and that I had already talked with the company. He had gotten a call stating the police where going to be dispatched to our house.
Sure enough 15 minutes after the alarm went off I had an office standing at my front door. Then I started thinking isn't 15 minutes a bit of a delay if someone was really breaking into my house? Did he know that it was a false alarm and decided he didn't really need to hurry? I guess the alarm had been shut off which would not have been the case if someone was breaking in. Certainly makes me think about our safety a little.
This morning I decided to run on the treadmill down in the basement. As a precaution, I set the alarm. I didn't remember I set the alarm until I opened the door in the basement to go out to the pool later on in the morning. The alarm was so loud. I made a mad dash for upstairs darting around children who were scared to turn it off. As soon as I turned it off I went and got the phone. I received my call and spoke to the representative. He asked me my code which I honestly could not remember. I gave him what I thought it was. We said our goodbyes and that was that.
Or at least I thought that was that. The husband called me on my cell phone which I thought was weird. He questioned where I was and was surprised when I told him I was home. I explained that the situation and that I had already talked with the company. He had gotten a call stating the police where going to be dispatched to our house.
Sure enough 15 minutes after the alarm went off I had an office standing at my front door. Then I started thinking isn't 15 minutes a bit of a delay if someone was really breaking into my house? Did he know that it was a false alarm and decided he didn't really need to hurry? I guess the alarm had been shut off which would not have been the case if someone was breaking in. Certainly makes me think about our safety a little.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thanks to the Good Humor Man
Just about every night during the summer, the ice cream man rides along our neighborhood. We can hear the music in our house. My kids know better than to ask me if I will buy them an ice cream. My practical side says that I could buy an entire box of ice cream goodies for what is charged for one treat. I don't feel like my kids are missing out on anything and I hope I am teaching them how to watch their dollars.
I mentioned that my husband installed our new dishwasher a few weeks ago. I listed the old dishwasher on Craigs List. I listed for $35 but when my husband thought we should ask for more. I changed the price on it to $50. We did not get one inquiry on the dishwasher so I started looking at other ways to rid ourselves of it. The Habit*at restore will not accept them as is the case with many of the other places I researched.
I really wanted this heap of junk out of my garage. My neighbor mentioned putting it out on the driveway with a sign that says "free". We tried that on Saturday. It was after dinner and we thought we should go ahead and bring it in for the evening since no one took us up on our offer. As we were headed down the driveway who do you suppose drives by? That is right the ice cream man. He slowed down and looked at it. My husband offered it to him and assured him that is was free and in good working condition. He parked his truck and took it away. The funniest part was that he didn't even offer my husband a sweet treat from his truck.
I mentioned that my husband installed our new dishwasher a few weeks ago. I listed the old dishwasher on Craigs List. I listed for $35 but when my husband thought we should ask for more. I changed the price on it to $50. We did not get one inquiry on the dishwasher so I started looking at other ways to rid ourselves of it. The Habit*at restore will not accept them as is the case with many of the other places I researched.
I really wanted this heap of junk out of my garage. My neighbor mentioned putting it out on the driveway with a sign that says "free". We tried that on Saturday. It was after dinner and we thought we should go ahead and bring it in for the evening since no one took us up on our offer. As we were headed down the driveway who do you suppose drives by? That is right the ice cream man. He slowed down and looked at it. My husband offered it to him and assured him that is was free and in good working condition. He parked his truck and took it away. The funniest part was that he didn't even offer my husband a sweet treat from his truck.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The bizarre, the frustrating and other stuff.....I will let you decide
My friend and neighbor (NA) ran into another neighbor, the husband, (NB) at the grocery store yesterday. They were in line and NA was trying to make small talk. It is not easy to strike up a conversation with NB. He had a bag of ice and a cooler in his hands. She asks him if he is getting ready for a cookout, logical question based on what he had in his hands. His response was that their 21 year old cat passed away that day. His wife was out of town and coming home the next evening. He needed to preserve the cat until she got home so they could bury in their yard, probably next to the big lump in their yard where their dog was laid to rest.
I don't think I have mentioned that my niece has been with us for a while now. She followed us home from the beach vacation. She is still on her quest for a job. It is very hard for someone who has no real experience to even get an interview. She finally got a call today and has set up an interview for Monday but it is a telemarketing position. We (her Mom and I) keep telling her to keep her options open at this point. She also needs to get experience interviewing. We are hoping she finds something. The boys love having her around.
The husband has not been home before 8pm any work night for what seems like the last 2 weeks. It really is probably closer to 9pm before he gets home. It is their busy time.....I am not sure when it will end. I supposed I should keep this blog more up to date so that he can know what is going on around here. I am sure he won't think that is funny. As he walked in from work the other night, I told him that I was beginning to think there was another women.....he got a laugh out of that one.
Tee had a great day today potty wise. I took the boys to the child watch at my gym. I was a little nervous that Tee would have an accident. He would not be able to get to a potty himself and it tends to get busy in there that I don't know if he would be able to get the attention of a worker. I ended up putting a pull-up on him when we got there. I had to hurry home (more on that later) and wasn't' able to take the time to get him back in his underwear. I was so pleased when I got home and noticed he was dry.
I believe I mentioned that when we purchased our new appliances we also purchased a drop in gas stove top. Last Friday, I had a plumber come to give me a quote for removing the old and installing the new. The quote was unbelievably high at least double what the appliance cost. When I called my husband he told me to pay my $19 fee and escort him out the door. Next we called a home company to do the installation. I was very clear in what I wanted in my phone call. The plumber was set to come out this afternoon. He called at 10:15 and wanted to see if he could come at 11. My niece was here to get his call and told him I would be home around 11:15. This is why I had to leave my workout class early and rush home. The plumber gets here only to tell me that he doesn't do the installation of the new appliance, only the gas hookup. He was very nice and told me to contact an appliance store and ask them who they use. I finally got through to a company and they will come out on Wednesday to give me a quote. The person I spoke with said they may or may not be able to do the job that day. I have to pay $35 for the quote and I am not even sure they will deduct that from the total if I hire them to do the job. Who thought this would be so difficult?
Speaking of the gym. I attend a barbell strength class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are given by 2 different instructors and are structured differently. Both instructors tend not to do much, if any, ab work. One totally focuses on planks, which I understand are good but really would like some old fashioned sit ups. The other instructor may do a few minutes of ab work in addition to planks. I look forward to the regular instructor coming back from maternity leave because I know she will work those abs for us.
Tee decided not to nap today. He came down around 45 minutes after I put him down and said he was ready to swim....so we did. Bad that I didn't get any down time and good because it meant that all the kids get to go to bed early. The last few nights have been later that I would like. Tee and EE got in the tub and I sent Jay to my room to get in the shower. I went to check on him shortly after he "supposedly" got in the shower only to find him done. I made a comment about being done so quickly and told him I was going to smell his head. His head was not even wet yet he tried to get me to believe he had bathed. He was made to get back in the shower to try again.
I don't think I have mentioned that my niece has been with us for a while now. She followed us home from the beach vacation. She is still on her quest for a job. It is very hard for someone who has no real experience to even get an interview. She finally got a call today and has set up an interview for Monday but it is a telemarketing position. We (her Mom and I) keep telling her to keep her options open at this point. She also needs to get experience interviewing. We are hoping she finds something. The boys love having her around.
The husband has not been home before 8pm any work night for what seems like the last 2 weeks. It really is probably closer to 9pm before he gets home. It is their busy time.....I am not sure when it will end. I supposed I should keep this blog more up to date so that he can know what is going on around here. I am sure he won't think that is funny. As he walked in from work the other night, I told him that I was beginning to think there was another women.....he got a laugh out of that one.
Tee had a great day today potty wise. I took the boys to the child watch at my gym. I was a little nervous that Tee would have an accident. He would not be able to get to a potty himself and it tends to get busy in there that I don't know if he would be able to get the attention of a worker. I ended up putting a pull-up on him when we got there. I had to hurry home (more on that later) and wasn't' able to take the time to get him back in his underwear. I was so pleased when I got home and noticed he was dry.
I believe I mentioned that when we purchased our new appliances we also purchased a drop in gas stove top. Last Friday, I had a plumber come to give me a quote for removing the old and installing the new. The quote was unbelievably high at least double what the appliance cost. When I called my husband he told me to pay my $19 fee and escort him out the door. Next we called a home company to do the installation. I was very clear in what I wanted in my phone call. The plumber was set to come out this afternoon. He called at 10:15 and wanted to see if he could come at 11. My niece was here to get his call and told him I would be home around 11:15. This is why I had to leave my workout class early and rush home. The plumber gets here only to tell me that he doesn't do the installation of the new appliance, only the gas hookup. He was very nice and told me to contact an appliance store and ask them who they use. I finally got through to a company and they will come out on Wednesday to give me a quote. The person I spoke with said they may or may not be able to do the job that day. I have to pay $35 for the quote and I am not even sure they will deduct that from the total if I hire them to do the job. Who thought this would be so difficult?
Speaking of the gym. I attend a barbell strength class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are given by 2 different instructors and are structured differently. Both instructors tend not to do much, if any, ab work. One totally focuses on planks, which I understand are good but really would like some old fashioned sit ups. The other instructor may do a few minutes of ab work in addition to planks. I look forward to the regular instructor coming back from maternity leave because I know she will work those abs for us.
Tee decided not to nap today. He came down around 45 minutes after I put him down and said he was ready to swim....so we did. Bad that I didn't get any down time and good because it meant that all the kids get to go to bed early. The last few nights have been later that I would like. Tee and EE got in the tub and I sent Jay to my room to get in the shower. I went to check on him shortly after he "supposedly" got in the shower only to find him done. I made a comment about being done so quickly and told him I was going to smell his head. His head was not even wet yet he tried to get me to believe he had bathed. He was made to get back in the shower to try again.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Home improvements for sure
It was definitely worth the wait. The bathroom is finally done and we absolutely love the way it turned out. It was nice to have remodeled a bathroom prior to this one. It is very similar to the one we did in NC. Here are a few pictures of the old:
As you can see in the picture on the right, the mold was behind that entire area.
We added a lined closet and many more drawers. I don't like wasted space.
We increased the size of the shower and we put in 2 shower heads. It makes it very nice for 2 people to be able to shower at the same time. No changes were made to the tub. It is a huge tub and if anything I would have downsized it. But it works just fine (I have never used it) so it stayed put.
We made a few changes in our kitchen as well. I guess my husband was tired of my complaining about the refrigerator and dishwasher.
The water dispenser area on the fridge was really rusted. There was a shelf in the freezer that when pulled out would come all the way out. I never liked the dishwasher. Every time I closed the bottom shelf the dishes would move all around. The water pressure would send my small kids cups flying all over leaving them full of water on their side.
So we got these to replace:
I love them both. It makes the kitchen look so much different. I am still getting used to the bottom drawer freezer but so far it has been good. I also got a new drop in gas stove top that will be installed tomorrow. My husband wanted to try to install but I nixed that after talking to the plumber working in my bathroom. Whenever gas is involved you need to be really careful.
As you can see in the picture on the right, the mold was behind that entire area.
We has a really long counter, 120 inches to be exact. The vanity section was never used.
Here are some pictures of the new:
We added a lined closet and many more drawers. I don't like wasted space.
We increased the size of the shower and we put in 2 shower heads. It makes it very nice for 2 people to be able to shower at the same time. No changes were made to the tub. It is a huge tub and if anything I would have downsized it. But it works just fine (I have never used it) so it stayed put.
We made a few changes in our kitchen as well. I guess my husband was tired of my complaining about the refrigerator and dishwasher.
The water dispenser area on the fridge was really rusted. There was a shelf in the freezer that when pulled out would come all the way out. I never liked the dishwasher. Every time I closed the bottom shelf the dishes would move all around. The water pressure would send my small kids cups flying all over leaving them full of water on their side.
So we got these to replace:
I love them both. It makes the kitchen look so much different. I am still getting used to the bottom drawer freezer but so far it has been good. I also got a new drop in gas stove top that will be installed tomorrow. My husband wanted to try to install but I nixed that after talking to the plumber working in my bathroom. Whenever gas is involved you need to be really careful.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The barber, the master gardner and now the plumber
I have been very focused on what we spend our money on lately. The downturn of the economy made us think about how we need to save money and know how our money is being spent. I have been very disciplined on using coupons and shopping at the wholesale stores for better deals. I did my homework and found that I can definitely save money on certain staples for our family. We have also cut out items/services that we feel we could live without.
I have learned that my husband is a master of many trades. He is very detailed (sometimes a little much), can follow directions easily and is patient. I know you are envious now.
We cut out our lawn maintenance company this year. My husband did research on how to care for our lawn. Based on what he found, he created a calendar and at the right time he spreads fertilizer, lime or whatever the lawn may need. We were spending over $1,000 on this a year. Our cost will be less than half of what we were paying. He also is in charge of cutting the grass each week.
We had been spending about $45 to get haircuts for all 3 of the boys. Jay gets his head shaved, EE's and Tee's requires a bit more work. We ended up purchasing a clipper kit and now my husband gives haircuts when needed. The best part is that they look like they have been professionally cut. We will go maybe once or twice a year to the barber for a clean up.
So what else can my husband do? The toilet in the basement had been broken for the last few weeks. Every time we went to use it we had to turn the water on and off. It was continually running. I really did not want to get a plumber out here because they are so expensive. My husband purchased new guts for the tank ($8) and replaced it on Sunday. Now we have a working toilet and probably an additional $90 in our pocket.
As I mentioned he does have an eye for detail. He has pointed out a few errors that our contractor has made in our bathroom. You know the never ending bathroom remodel. The cabinets were installed on Monday. My husband noticed that they did not install the 1 inch filler to the left of the cabinet. This is so that the doors can open and not hit the blinds on the window. And prior to that he noticed that they did not put the plumbing in the correct place on the wall. Both of these things are having to be fixed. Supposedly by Friday we will have a semi functioning bathroom. I will believe it when I see it.
I have learned that my husband is a master of many trades. He is very detailed (sometimes a little much), can follow directions easily and is patient. I know you are envious now.
We cut out our lawn maintenance company this year. My husband did research on how to care for our lawn. Based on what he found, he created a calendar and at the right time he spreads fertilizer, lime or whatever the lawn may need. We were spending over $1,000 on this a year. Our cost will be less than half of what we were paying. He also is in charge of cutting the grass each week.
We had been spending about $45 to get haircuts for all 3 of the boys. Jay gets his head shaved, EE's and Tee's requires a bit more work. We ended up purchasing a clipper kit and now my husband gives haircuts when needed. The best part is that they look like they have been professionally cut. We will go maybe once or twice a year to the barber for a clean up.
So what else can my husband do? The toilet in the basement had been broken for the last few weeks. Every time we went to use it we had to turn the water on and off. It was continually running. I really did not want to get a plumber out here because they are so expensive. My husband purchased new guts for the tank ($8) and replaced it on Sunday. Now we have a working toilet and probably an additional $90 in our pocket.
As I mentioned he does have an eye for detail. He has pointed out a few errors that our contractor has made in our bathroom. You know the never ending bathroom remodel. The cabinets were installed on Monday. My husband noticed that they did not install the 1 inch filler to the left of the cabinet. This is so that the doors can open and not hit the blinds on the window. And prior to that he noticed that they did not put the plumbing in the correct place on the wall. Both of these things are having to be fixed. Supposedly by Friday we will have a semi functioning bathroom. I will believe it when I see it.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Dreary Friday
It has been raining nonstop since yesterday. I am beginning to wonder if it will ever stop raining.
This morning was very hectic. Our event started at 8am and sure enough by 7:45 we had people coming into the cafeteria to pick up their donut and drink. We had about 540 people rsvp to the event. We ordered 600 donuts, had 360 juice boxes, one very large container of coffee with two smaller decaf boxes. Every single donut was gone by 8:27 and almost everything else was gone as well! We actually had a few late stragglers come in, some of the kids were very upset.
I made sure my husband fed the kids a bowl of cereal before they came. One donut is not enough for my boys in the morning. This is usually their biggest meal. The donut was like dessert for breakfast. Well, unfortunately others did not feel that was the case. Some people came back for 2 or 3 donuts(we had no way of telling unless the evidence was on their face). Next year when someone else takes over this committee they may want to spell it out a little more for the parents. I am glad it is over and my last event of the year!
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Today is a very exciting day. The tile guys are finally done. Our cabinets were delivered. And the contractor will be here tomorrow with the plumber and electrician. Our counter tops and shower enclosure should be installed next week. We actually need to find some time this weekend to go pick out our granite stone.
This morning was very hectic. Our event started at 8am and sure enough by 7:45 we had people coming into the cafeteria to pick up their donut and drink. We had about 540 people rsvp to the event. We ordered 600 donuts, had 360 juice boxes, one very large container of coffee with two smaller decaf boxes. Every single donut was gone by 8:27 and almost everything else was gone as well! We actually had a few late stragglers come in, some of the kids were very upset.
I made sure my husband fed the kids a bowl of cereal before they came. One donut is not enough for my boys in the morning. This is usually their biggest meal. The donut was like dessert for breakfast. Well, unfortunately others did not feel that was the case. Some people came back for 2 or 3 donuts(we had no way of telling unless the evidence was on their face). Next year when someone else takes over this committee they may want to spell it out a little more for the parents. I am glad it is over and my last event of the year!
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Today is a very exciting day. The tile guys are finally done. Our cabinets were delivered. And the contractor will be here tomorrow with the plumber and electrician. Our counter tops and shower enclosure should be installed next week. We actually need to find some time this weekend to go pick out our granite stone.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
House stuff
The pounding above my head and the sound of drilling outside my door is like music to my ears. There was no work done on our bathroom at the end of last week. But the tile guys have been here for the last 2 days and I think they will be done tomorrow. This means our cabinets will be installed by the end of the week and then we can get our counter tops. We are getting very closer to having a beautiful new bathroom.
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Do you remember our constant struggle with Moths? It took me over 6 months to stop looking at the ceiling when I opened the pantry after we saw our last Moth. Last week as I walked into my closet something caught my eye and sure enough there was a Moth sitting on my ceiling. I quickly got a stool and killed it. So I thought well just maybe he was a left over. I know that is not possible. The Momma moth will hatch her egg and 12 or more moths will be born. Last night as I was watching TV I saw another Moth flying around. I was able to kill that one as well. Then as I went to use the bathroom last night I saw a Moth floating around in the toilet. I think they are all out to get me. I really am not up for the fight against the moths. I hear they don't like the cold weather which is probably why we haven't seen any in 8 plus months. My call has already been made to my pest control guy. I just don't get why they are still around.
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Do you remember our constant struggle with Moths? It took me over 6 months to stop looking at the ceiling when I opened the pantry after we saw our last Moth. Last week as I walked into my closet something caught my eye and sure enough there was a Moth sitting on my ceiling. I quickly got a stool and killed it. So I thought well just maybe he was a left over. I know that is not possible. The Momma moth will hatch her egg and 12 or more moths will be born. Last night as I was watching TV I saw another Moth flying around. I was able to kill that one as well. Then as I went to use the bathroom last night I saw a Moth floating around in the toilet. I think they are all out to get me. I really am not up for the fight against the moths. I hear they don't like the cold weather which is probably why we haven't seen any in 8 plus months. My call has already been made to my pest control guy. I just don't get why they are still around.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Slowly, Slowly
When your contractor tells you that a certain job will begin on a certain day make sure you add 2 to 3 days on to the job start date. Maybe I should create a translation guide for contractor talk.
I am really trying to be cool in this process. Being that we did a bathroom remodel in our old house a few years ago I know the process. It makes sense. The tile guy has to finish his current job before he moves onto a new job. Sometimes things don't go as smoothly which causes an extra day added on which means you are one day behind. And everything has to be done in order. You can't start tile until the plumbing is all complete in the shower. If you are going to have the plumber in make sure he can take care of all your plumbing needs at one time. Can't help it if the plumber needs longer than 1 day to take care of everything. There was a lot to be done in the bathroom.
We are looking forward to having our very own bathroom. One in which we just have to walk a few feet from our bed to be in. We are excited about how nice the bathroom will look once everything is complete. And the room we will have. We are adding on a cabinet so that we can store towels, toilet paper and such.
When I look at my house I see project after project that I would like to have completed. I like my house but there are so many things I would have done differently if I built this home. I look forward to the time where I can sit and enjoy my surroundings.
I am really trying to be cool in this process. Being that we did a bathroom remodel in our old house a few years ago I know the process. It makes sense. The tile guy has to finish his current job before he moves onto a new job. Sometimes things don't go as smoothly which causes an extra day added on which means you are one day behind. And everything has to be done in order. You can't start tile until the plumbing is all complete in the shower. If you are going to have the plumber in make sure he can take care of all your plumbing needs at one time. Can't help it if the plumber needs longer than 1 day to take care of everything. There was a lot to be done in the bathroom.
We are looking forward to having our very own bathroom. One in which we just have to walk a few feet from our bed to be in. We are excited about how nice the bathroom will look once everything is complete. And the room we will have. We are adding on a cabinet so that we can store towels, toilet paper and such.
When I look at my house I see project after project that I would like to have completed. I like my house but there are so many things I would have done differently if I built this home. I look forward to the time where I can sit and enjoy my surroundings.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Progress......at last
It seems hard to believe that after about 2 months of not being able to use the master bath that it is now being reconstructed. Our contractor has been out the last 2 days working. They have enlarged the shower area, worked on all of the plumbing and have done clean up of the bathroom area. Next week our tile should be installed along with our cabinets. The only items that will cause delays are the counter tops (because the cabinets must be in so a template can be made) and the glass frame for the shower (because that will have to be measured once the shower in in tact). It will be so nice to be back in our bathroom once again.
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Tee and I stopped by the boys' school for field day. It was really hot and Tee was very tired so we did not stay the entire time. We watched a few events and then left. I had to stop by the store (Kohls) quickly to buy a gift. I had Tee in one of the strollers. As I was strolling down the isle, Tee spots the bras and immediately starts saying "mommy boobies" over and over and over again. I got a few looks at which point I just had to laugh.
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I don't use my GPS system often (when we moved here I used it a lot), but still need it on occasion. Last week I was driving on a back road and missed a turn. Yes, even with my system telling me where to go, I missed the turn. I then turned into the parking lot beyond my turn so that I could get back on the road. As I am driving in the parking lot, the lady on the system says, "there is a better route". So I turned her off.
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Tee and I stopped by the boys' school for field day. It was really hot and Tee was very tired so we did not stay the entire time. We watched a few events and then left. I had to stop by the store (Kohls) quickly to buy a gift. I had Tee in one of the strollers. As I was strolling down the isle, Tee spots the bras and immediately starts saying "mommy boobies" over and over and over again. I got a few looks at which point I just had to laugh.
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I don't use my GPS system often (when we moved here I used it a lot), but still need it on occasion. Last week I was driving on a back road and missed a turn. Yes, even with my system telling me where to go, I missed the turn. I then turned into the parking lot beyond my turn so that I could get back on the road. As I am driving in the parking lot, the lady on the system says, "there is a better route". So I turned her off.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
What a week
Whew....this past week was really busy and I am so glad that it is over and we all survived. We have been doing so much around the house and still trying to keep up with our other activities.
The Garden
We decided to have a garden this year. The boys are excited about us growing some vegetables and I allowed them each to pick out one package of seeds. We have a nice spot for our garden but we had a few obstacles in the way.
These plants had to be dug up. That was a fairly hard task. I did a few of them on my own, however, I needed the man strength to get a few of these out. My neighbor took a few and we (meaning the husband) replanted some elsewhere in the yard so we only ended up getting rid of 2. You know how I like to be as green as I can be.
Since our garden was not ready for any planting, we planted the seeds in a starter kit. Within a week we had growth out of all of the seeds. We have corn, carrots, cucumber, green beans and squash planted in the garden.
My husband worked very hard and very fast on getting the box built around the garden. I was able to dump my soil and transfer the plants on Friday evening. I think we waited too long to do the transfer as it was very difficult to remove from the starter kit. I hope in a few weeks I will have some more growth in the box and after all this hard work (and money) I hope we yield something!
We had 7 yards of mulch delivered on Friday to freshen up our beds. We feel that this must be done once a year. I don't have a picture of what 7 yards of mulch looks like but believe me when I tell you it is a bunch. We spent a good part of the day yesterday moving mulch and we still have about 3 yards to go. Ah, you ask me why am I not out there spreading instead of typing. We all would be but it has been raining here all day. There has not been one let up and I draw the line at working outside in the rain. Instead I have finally been able to work on cleaning the inside of the house....which really needed to be done.
The Bathroom
The remediation company was in this past week and gutted our entire bathroom. The only items that remain are the tub and the toilet. I am not sure I mentioned this but there was bad mold found in our bathroom (I can barely say the kind much less spell it). And there was also some mold in places that the Environmental company could not see. I think we made the right decision in going ahead and gutting now.
We are in the process of finalizing our cabinets and counter tops for the bathroom. We should have the estimate tomorrow and the order will be place on Wednesday and it will be a 3 to 5 week turn around. The husband worked with another cabinet place but they had a 6 to 8 week turnaround. We do not want to wait that long. The person helping us was not that nice when I spoke with her on the phone. I actually thought she was a little rude in her tone. We went to a different place and are happy with what they have to offer.
I picked out the floor and shower tiles on my own. I was able to bring one tile home as a sample. I am not sure my husband loves it, but I think it is going to look very nice in the bathroom.
The only things left to get are the plumbing items, lights and mirrors. At this point we don't know when the contractor will start but hopefully in the next week or so.
In addition to dealing with all of the above we have had 2 first grade teas to attend along with baseball games and Lacrosse. Not much time to sit and relax lately and we still have other projects waiting for us. I will write about the teas in a different post.
The Garden
We decided to have a garden this year. The boys are excited about us growing some vegetables and I allowed them each to pick out one package of seeds. We have a nice spot for our garden but we had a few obstacles in the way.
These plants had to be dug up. That was a fairly hard task. I did a few of them on my own, however, I needed the man strength to get a few of these out. My neighbor took a few and we (meaning the husband) replanted some elsewhere in the yard so we only ended up getting rid of 2. You know how I like to be as green as I can be.
Since our garden was not ready for any planting, we planted the seeds in a starter kit. Within a week we had growth out of all of the seeds. We have corn, carrots, cucumber, green beans and squash planted in the garden.
My husband worked very hard and very fast on getting the box built around the garden. I was able to dump my soil and transfer the plants on Friday evening. I think we waited too long to do the transfer as it was very difficult to remove from the starter kit. I hope in a few weeks I will have some more growth in the box and after all this hard work (and money) I hope we yield something!
We had 7 yards of mulch delivered on Friday to freshen up our beds. We feel that this must be done once a year. I don't have a picture of what 7 yards of mulch looks like but believe me when I tell you it is a bunch. We spent a good part of the day yesterday moving mulch and we still have about 3 yards to go. Ah, you ask me why am I not out there spreading instead of typing. We all would be but it has been raining here all day. There has not been one let up and I draw the line at working outside in the rain. Instead I have finally been able to work on cleaning the inside of the house....which really needed to be done.
The Bathroom
The remediation company was in this past week and gutted our entire bathroom. The only items that remain are the tub and the toilet. I am not sure I mentioned this but there was bad mold found in our bathroom (I can barely say the kind much less spell it). And there was also some mold in places that the Environmental company could not see. I think we made the right decision in going ahead and gutting now.
We are in the process of finalizing our cabinets and counter tops for the bathroom. We should have the estimate tomorrow and the order will be place on Wednesday and it will be a 3 to 5 week turn around. The husband worked with another cabinet place but they had a 6 to 8 week turnaround. We do not want to wait that long. The person helping us was not that nice when I spoke with her on the phone. I actually thought she was a little rude in her tone. We went to a different place and are happy with what they have to offer.
I picked out the floor and shower tiles on my own. I was able to bring one tile home as a sample. I am not sure my husband loves it, but I think it is going to look very nice in the bathroom.
The only things left to get are the plumbing items, lights and mirrors. At this point we don't know when the contractor will start but hopefully in the next week or so.
In addition to dealing with all of the above we have had 2 first grade teas to attend along with baseball games and Lacrosse. Not much time to sit and relax lately and we still have other projects waiting for us. I will write about the teas in a different post.
Friday, April 24, 2009
A decision has been made
We are finally moving forward on having our bathroom remodeled. We have really struggled with decision on what to do but I think that we have decided on the best route. I don't feel like mold is something that should be dealt with lightly. There is the really bad mold in our bathroom and we want to make sure it is gone for good. We still have decisions to be made the changes to our bathroom. Needless to say we will be out trying to make our choices this weekend.
We were able to get 2 estimates for the remediation of the mold. There are very specific steps (cleaning, hepa vacuuming among others) that must be taken in order to ensure that the mold is completely eradicated from the bathroom and that there is NO cross contamination into a different room.
I made it clear to both companies that the bathroom was going to be gutted and remodeled. It didn't seem to make sense to go through the process of cleaning everything and then hepa vacuuming the entire room. The second company realized this and ended up quoting us for a complete demo (saving the tub and toilet) of our bathroom.
Of the 3 contractors we had come to our house, we only received 2 quotes. The first guy called after a week or so and left a message stating he had to go out of town was very far behind in his work and if we still wanted a quote to call him back. We opted not to. The other 2 quotes were a little different. The 2nd contractor gave us a total remodel amount that included allowances for the cabinetry, tiles and plumbing fixtures. The 3rd contractor gave us a quote but left out the charge for all of those items. In the end the 2nd contractor was probably a little less expensive and a little more put together. We are going with him.
Monday morning the remediation company will be knocking on my door at 9am to start the demo and cleanup in the bathroom. YIKE! I am a little nervous because that mean I will have to move out of there completely and we are still unsure when the contractor will be able to start work. We have so many things to pick out this weekend and hopefully there will not be a large delay on the order.
We were able to get 2 estimates for the remediation of the mold. There are very specific steps (cleaning, hepa vacuuming among others) that must be taken in order to ensure that the mold is completely eradicated from the bathroom and that there is NO cross contamination into a different room.
I made it clear to both companies that the bathroom was going to be gutted and remodeled. It didn't seem to make sense to go through the process of cleaning everything and then hepa vacuuming the entire room. The second company realized this and ended up quoting us for a complete demo (saving the tub and toilet) of our bathroom.
Of the 3 contractors we had come to our house, we only received 2 quotes. The first guy called after a week or so and left a message stating he had to go out of town was very far behind in his work and if we still wanted a quote to call him back. We opted not to. The other 2 quotes were a little different. The 2nd contractor gave us a total remodel amount that included allowances for the cabinetry, tiles and plumbing fixtures. The 3rd contractor gave us a quote but left out the charge for all of those items. In the end the 2nd contractor was probably a little less expensive and a little more put together. We are going with him.
Monday morning the remediation company will be knocking on my door at 9am to start the demo and cleanup in the bathroom. YIKE! I am a little nervous because that mean I will have to move out of there completely and we are still unsure when the contractor will be able to start work. We have so many things to pick out this weekend and hopefully there will not be a large delay on the order.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Shower update
The thought of not having a functioning shower in my room for the next 3 plus months is unsettling. I decided this past weekend that I would move my toiletries back because I just couldn't stand to have my stuff spread out. I shower in the boys' bathroom down the hall and my husband has most of his stuff in the basement shower (as to not wake the boys getting ready in the morning). It is working out fine and we are glad we have the additional bathrooms to use.
Friday I started to question whether we really needed to have a mold person test our mold. My neighbor who is in the construction business saw no need to have a mold person test or a remediation company. My husband and I talked about it on several occasions this past weekend (I couldn't let it go) and decided better to know what we are dealing with and have it disposed of properly. If we were to sell the house we would be able to prove the steps (proper) that were taken to remediate the mold.
We had 2 contractors over this past weekend to provide us quotes. We want a quote for enlarging the shower and retiling and another quote to basically remodel the entire space. The first contractor will enlarge the shower and then will charge us to install whatever we purchase for the bathroom. The second contractor would take charge of the entire project and be responsible for purchasing and scheduling all of our items. We have calls out to 2 other contractors. I am beginning to wonder if we will ever hear back from them. I would think they would be jumping at the work.
We have one quote and we will wait for the second. We are also waiting to get our results back from the mold company with a protocol for mold remediation. Then we will need to get quotes from several remediation companies to remove the tiles and ensure the mold issues have been resolved.
Friday I started to question whether we really needed to have a mold person test our mold. My neighbor who is in the construction business saw no need to have a mold person test or a remediation company. My husband and I talked about it on several occasions this past weekend (I couldn't let it go) and decided better to know what we are dealing with and have it disposed of properly. If we were to sell the house we would be able to prove the steps (proper) that were taken to remediate the mold.
We had 2 contractors over this past weekend to provide us quotes. We want a quote for enlarging the shower and retiling and another quote to basically remodel the entire space. The first contractor will enlarge the shower and then will charge us to install whatever we purchase for the bathroom. The second contractor would take charge of the entire project and be responsible for purchasing and scheduling all of our items. We have calls out to 2 other contractors. I am beginning to wonder if we will ever hear back from them. I would think they would be jumping at the work.
We have one quote and we will wait for the second. We are also waiting to get our results back from the mold company with a protocol for mold remediation. Then we will need to get quotes from several remediation companies to remove the tiles and ensure the mold issues have been resolved.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
It's not that bad......
"It's not that bad....it could be worse" is the saying I keep playing over in my head. Of course, last night I was saying how much our situation sucked....all night. The shower situation is going to be much more costly and timely than we anticipated. And yes that really sucks but we will make it through.
I spoke with a neighbor yesterday who had a similar situation (most of our neighbors who have the same house builder have had the same situation probably to varying degrees). We will have someone come do a full analysis on our mold including a protocol on how to get rid of the mold. Once all that is done we will then have to have a remediation company come in to properly gut the shower and get rid of all the mold. The Environmental people will come back in at this point and ensure that it all has been removed. Then we will have to have the shower reinstalled, correctly this time around. Not sure what we will do as the same tile is in our shower, floors and on the decking to the tub. We will have to wait until we get estimates on what the shower will cost and then determine what to do about the rest of the bathroom.
I spoke with the Mold guy yesterday and he got me frightened. He said if it was still wet in the shower then the mold spores are being released out into the air in our house. This could cause us some health issues. He advised that we close the vents in the bathroom and cover them with painter's tape and to close the door and put the tape around the door seam. We moved all of our essentials out. Luckily, we have the boys' bathroom and a full bathroom in the basement. It is just not convenient. The mold guy will be here tomorrow morning.
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I really had to convince myself to go to the gym this morning. I was not motivated but decided since I had eaten so much Banana Chocolate Chip bread I should do something. The bread was delivered sometime yesterday by the church we visited(I never heard them knocking, I must have been in the basement). The bread is absolutely delicious! I get to the child drop area only to be told they can't take any additional children because they have had 2 people call in sick. They were at their max ratio of children to staff. I guess that was my excuse to not work out
today.
Someone told me about a W*lmart super center around this area. So Tee and I went up there and I decided I will need to start shopping there from time to time. Their prices on some of my weekly staples beat my grocery store out of the water.
I spoke with a neighbor yesterday who had a similar situation (most of our neighbors who have the same house builder have had the same situation probably to varying degrees). We will have someone come do a full analysis on our mold including a protocol on how to get rid of the mold. Once all that is done we will then have to have a remediation company come in to properly gut the shower and get rid of all the mold. The Environmental people will come back in at this point and ensure that it all has been removed. Then we will have to have the shower reinstalled, correctly this time around. Not sure what we will do as the same tile is in our shower, floors and on the decking to the tub. We will have to wait until we get estimates on what the shower will cost and then determine what to do about the rest of the bathroom.
I spoke with the Mold guy yesterday and he got me frightened. He said if it was still wet in the shower then the mold spores are being released out into the air in our house. This could cause us some health issues. He advised that we close the vents in the bathroom and cover them with painter's tape and to close the door and put the tape around the door seam. We moved all of our essentials out. Luckily, we have the boys' bathroom and a full bathroom in the basement. It is just not convenient. The mold guy will be here tomorrow morning.
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I really had to convince myself to go to the gym this morning. I was not motivated but decided since I had eaten so much Banana Chocolate Chip bread I should do something. The bread was delivered sometime yesterday by the church we visited(I never heard them knocking, I must have been in the basement). The bread is absolutely delicious! I get to the child drop area only to be told they can't take any additional children because they have had 2 people call in sick. They were at their max ratio of children to staff. I guess that was my excuse to not work out
today.
Someone told me about a W*lmart super center around this area. So Tee and I went up there and I decided I will need to start shopping there from time to time. Their prices on some of my weekly staples beat my grocery store out of the water.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Out of Order
Until the recent turn of the economy our plans included a little remodeling indoors this Spring. We would like some improvements in our kitchen, along with new appliances and a make over in the master bathroom. When we moved in we heard from many people that the builder of our house did not properly install the showers. I believe they did not line the walls to the shower correctly which has lead to water leaking behind the tiles. Of course you know what happens when water gets behind tiles and sits......you guessed it.......mold.
We had just completed a bathroom renovation in NC prior to us having to move. We really loved the way the bathroom turned out. We were able to make efficient use of our space and also increase the size of the shower, with 2 shower heads. We have a good idea of how we would like our bathroom to look but decided we would have to wait at least another year until yesterday happened.
As I was showering my foot hit one of the tiles at the bottom and it pushed through. All I could see what black stuff. My husband came home and took a few more tiles off and found that there is no lining on the back of the tiles, it is all black and there is standing water.
We went through several scenarios of what to do. We could try to fix it but it seems pointless if at some point we are going to rip out the entire shower. Our plan now includes to increase the shower size both in width and depth and install an additional shower head. We will have to have the shower re-tiled but are unsure how that will look because the same tile is on the tub deck and the floor. We may do a few minor things on our own and then hold off on the rest.
We are now in the process of trying to get someone out to give us a quote. We only have the name of one person and are trying to get a few more contractors out here. We need to move some what quick as we can't use the shower.
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