Spring Cleaning

It is that time of the year when in Wisconsin you want to clean all the winter dirt, dust, and grim off everything and open up the windows to let the spring breezes freshen up the house.  This year, the days of warm spring breezes are far and few between, but hopefully we will get there :)

Usually spring cleaning happens when I am home on Spring Break from school so I have one week to deep clean the house.  Here is the post about my spring cleaning routine and a check list that I use.  However, this year because I am on maternity leave yet, I have some more time to complete my spring cleaning so I am participating in the Spring Clean in 30 Challenge put on by A Bowl Full of Lemons and Clean Mama.

Each day they give a different thing to clean in your house.  For example, Day 1 was to dust all the edges and corners of the ceiling level.  I like that there is just one thing to clean each day and depending on how large your house is, it really doesn't take that long.  I don't feel like I am spending all day cleaning.  I get to do other things throughout the day,  like caring for a newborn :)

Each day they ask that you take a picture of you completing the task and then share the picture on Instagram using the hashtag #springcleanin30 and to tag them in the picture - @cleanmama and @abowlfulloflemons.

The challenge started on April 1 and ends on April 30.  Feel free to join in.  It's okay if you missed a few days or can't do a task each day, just double up on some days.  This challenge has made spring clean fun!

Playroom / Office Makeover

Hello again!  It has been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog, however I have a very good reason - I had another baby!  I was really sick at the beginning of my pregnancy and all I wanted to do was sleep or lay on the couch.  I didn't feel like doing anything.

Margaret was born at the beginning of February and I am now itching to get going on room makeovers, cooking new recipes, and some DIY projects.  First I thought I would get you caught up on what I did do while I was pregnant (when I had the energy).

Because we were having another child, my husband had to give up his office for the nursery.  Earlier we had converted the front room in our house to a playroom for our daughter and an office for myself.  Now we where going to have to make it an office for both of us.

Check out this blog post to see what the playroom looked like - Creating a Playroom.

Here is what it looks like now...

I painted the walls a light gray color with one accent wall painted a shade of blue and I also painted the trim white (something that I am slowly doing throughout every room in the house).  My husband was using an old teacher's desk that I had found years ago at a local thrift store and I wasn't willing to part with it.  Therefore, he got to move this extremely heavy desk down the stairs and into the "new" office.  :)

On the wall with my daughter's table, I painted a small chalkboard for her to use.

It is a small room so toy organization is key.  My husband and I use the computer on a daily basis and we didn't want to be stepping on toys every time we go into the room.

Where is Summer Going?

So I can't believe that it is the middle of July already!  Like most summers, this one is again going by too fast.  I have all these plans, these long to-do-lists and I feel like I have barely touched them this year.  There are a couple reasons for this, one of them being my three year-old daughter.  I am having too much fun playing with her!  It seems like the only time I have to work on house projects is during her two hour nap in the afternoon (and that is if I don't need a nap myself :) )

Anyways, I have gotten a few things done on the Updating The House To-Do List.

1.  I have all the window molding painted white in the upstairs of our house.  Two of the four rooms also have the baseboards and door molding painted.  I first painted the molding with two coats of primer.  Some of the molding was rather "shiny" so I wanted to make sure that paint would stick and other molding was covered in marker from a previous home owner so I needed to make sure that wouldn't bleed through.  Then it was about two more coats of white paint.  I found that a small sponge brush worked the best and my mom found me some floor guards at Menards that were a life saver with it came to painting the baseboards.

Before


After

It is amazing to me what paint does to a room.  Painting the molding has really updated the rooms.  I am very excited to get the entire house done.

2.  We have hired someone to redo our upstairs bathroom.  We have picked out all the finishes and the flooring.  Now we get to wait until they reach us in their schedule.

My daughter and I have also crossed some items off of her Summertime Bucket List.

1. Run through the sprinkler.
2. Go to the local swimming pool.
3. Roast s'mores.
4. Go to the zoo.
5. Go to the fair.
6. Go to the lake.
7. Paint a picture on the driveway with water.
8. Take a nature walk.
9. Go to the park.
10. Go on a color scavenger hunt.
11. Go to the children's museum.
12. Go on a picnic.
13. Have lunch with dad during during the work week.
14. Have an outside "toy" wash.
15. Grow sunflowers.
16. Build a fort.
17. Have a PJ and movie day with snack necklaces.
18. Have a tea party.
19. Play chalk hop.
20. Make ice cream.
21. Play in the rain.
22. Have a water balloon fight.
23. Pick strawberries.
24. Go to a concert in the park.
25. Have an alphabet treasure hunt.
26. Go to a baseball game.
27. Go to the library.
28. Go to the circus.
29. Paint with ice cubes.
30. Go star gazing. 
31. Go to the Train Museum. 

Updating the House To-Do List

When we first bought our house, I didn't think we would be in it forever. I thought it would be our starter house.  We have fallen in love with our house - the location and the layout.  We have decided that this is going to be the place we raise our kids. However, that does mean that it is time to do some real updating.  We have done little things over the years, but the entire house could use a good freshening up.

Below is everything that I would love to do to our house.  Most areas have two phases.  Phase 1 I feel that my husband and I can handle doing on our own and Phase 2 contains things that are beyond our expertise.  I am going to use this as my checklist and hopefully share the makeover results as they occur.

Outside

 

Phase 1

• Replace faded shutters
• Put shutters on garage window

Phase 2

• Replace siding
• Replace wooden porch and deck with vinyl
• New windows on the garage
• Cut down ash trees
• Replace garage doors

Kitchen

Phase 1

• Paint cabinets
• Paint woodwork white
• Install TV

Phase 2

• Replace cabinets
• Replace counter-tops
• Replace laminate floor

Dinning Room

Phase 1

• Paint wainscoting 
• Paint woodwork white

Phase 2

• Remove wainscoting
• Replace laminate floor
• Replace step into living room

Living Room

Phase 1

• Paint woodwork white
• Paint walls 
• Update furniture

Phase 2

• Replace carpet with laminate / hardwood floor

Playroom

Phase 1

• Paint - maybe do one wall in chalkboard paint?
• Replace desk
• Paint woodwork white

Phase 2

• Replace front door
• Replace carpet with laminate / hardwood floor

Laundry Room

Phase 1

• Paint woodwork white
• Paint doors white

Phase 2

• Put cabinets above the washer and dryer and above counter-top
• Replace doors with six-paneled ones
• Replace cabinet and counter top

Downstairs Bathroom

Phase 1

• Paint
• Fix crack in wainscoting
• Update art work

Phase 2

• Replace door with six-paneled one

Hallway

Phase 1

• Paint
• Update art work
• Finish crown molding
• Paint woodwork white
• Replace railing

Phase 2

• Replace carpet

Bedrooms

 

Phase 1

• Paint woodwork white
• Paint doors white
• Replace mirrored closet doors

Phase 2

• Replace doors with six-paneled ones
• Replace carpet

Upstairs Bathroom

Phase 1

• Paint
• Paint wood work white
• Update light fixture
• Update toilet paper holder
• Install shelves above the toilet
• Paint vanity
• Frame out mirror
• Replace corner shelves

Phase 2

• Refinish shower and tub
• Replace vanity counter top
• Replace faucet
• Title floor
• Replace door with a six-paneled one

Spring Cleaning!

It has been a long cold winter here in Wisconsin and unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.  Spring has been teasing us, but doesn't want to seem to stick around.  I had Spring Break from school this past week which as been such a blessing.  I have been able to get caught up on so many things both at home and for school.

One big item that I was able to check off of my to-do-list was my spring cleaning.  Boy did the house need it!  Last year I created a Spring Cleaning List as I completed my cleaning to help me remember everything that I do.  Since that time I changed my weekly/monthly cleaning routines so I was able to take some items off of my spring cleaning list because I was now doing that on a monthly basis.  You can check out my weekly cleaning schedule here.  I do my monthly cleaning on Mondays.  This schedule is as follows:
1st Monday - Appliances (Stove, Refrigerator, Microwave, Washing / Drying Machine); 2nd Monday - Window Blinds; 3rd Monday - Throw Rugs; 4th Monday - Deep Clean Showers.  If there happens to be five Mondays it the month, that means I have a free night :)

Here is my Spring Cleaning Checklist.  I have divided it up by room in my house.  I clean some of the same things in each room, however I find it easiest to completely clean one room before I move on to the next.  I start with the top of the room (the lights and ceiling fans) and work my way to the bottom (the baseboards).  It is not on my list, but I usually also vacuum each room when I am all done to collect anything that may have fallen on the floor in the cleaning process.

I also give the house a good deep clean before I start school in the fall so maybe I should change this to my Fall/Spring Cleaning Checklist.  It feels so good to have the house nice and clean!

Sometimes I Have to Slow Down...

With my Type A personality, I always have a To-Do list.  There is something that I think I should always be doing.  This means that I do not like just sitting down and relaxing.  When I do that, all I can think about is what I could be checking off of my list.

One of my friends shared the poem "Slow Down Mummy" by R. Night on Facebook this week and it brought me to tears.  I really need to just let my To-Do list grow and spend time with my daughter because I am not going to get this time back.  I printed a copy of it and taped it right in my planner so I won't forget it.

Here is this amazing poem. Rebekah Knight has many other great poems on her blog. Enjoy!

Slow Down Mummy

Slow down mummy, there is no need to rush,

slow down mummy, what is all the fuss?

Slow down mummy, make yourself a cup of tea.

Slow down mummy, come and spend some time with me.

Slow down mummy, let's put our boots on and go out for a walk,

let's kick at piles of leaves, and smile and laugh and talk.

Slow down mummy, you look ever so tired,

come sit and snuggle under the duvet and rest with me a while.

Slow down mummy, those dirty dishes can wait,

slow down mummy, lets have some fun, lets bake a cake!

Slow down mummy I know you work a lot,

but sometimes mummy, its nice when you just stop.

Sit with us a minute,

& listen to our day,

spend a cherished moment,

because our childhood is not here to stay! 

Rebekah.Knight (c)2011

Summertime Bucket List

I really miss summer.  It is too cold here in Wisconsin.  Winter seems like it is never going to end.  Everyday it is either snowing or so cold, you do everything you can to stay inside. To try and perk up my mood a little, started to create a list of activities to do with my daughter this summer; a bucket list if you well.  Most of the activities are done outdoors, however it does rain once in a while so I tried to include some that we could do inside on a rainy day.

Summertime Bucket List

1. Run through the sprinkler.
2. Go to the local swimming pool.
3. Roast s'mores.
4. Go to the zoo.
5. Go to the fair.
6. Go to the lake.
7. Paint a picture on the driveway with water.
8. Take a nature walk.
9. Go to the park.
10. Go on a color scavenger hunt.
11. Go to the children's museum.
12. Go on a picnic.
13. Have lunch with dad during during the work week.
14. Have an outside "toy" wash.
15. Grow sunflowers.
16. Build a fort.
17. Have a PJ and movie day with snack necklaces.
18. Have a tea party.
19. Play chalk hop.
20. Make ice cream.
21. Play in the rain.
22. Have a water balloon fight.
23. Pick strawberries.
24. Go to a concert in the park.
25. Have an alphabet treasure hunt.
26. Go to a baseball game.
27. Go to the library.
28. Go to the circus.
29. Paint with ice cubes.
30. Go star gazing. 
31. Go to the Train Museum.