New Renovations Have Begun

When we bought this house we new it needed some things to be done to make it fit us better. That was part of the thing that drew us to it- the fact we could do some adjustments to better meet our needs.

One such area was the downstairs.  It has two bedrooms, one of which is currently occupied by our college son, Clarke's office, which is getting more use that we ever thought possible due to Covid, and then a living room.

For some strange reason the previous owners put two utility sinks in one corner and called it good.  Funny thing- they set them in a shower base with a drain, but the drain hole was open to nothing but the carpet underneath it.  Yep, genius.

So that went out pretty early on.

Clarke and I did some prep work, but with all the months of work we had done previously, we knew we needed help on this one.

The plan is-

New flooring put in one section of the living room and counters, sink, and fridge added to make a mini kitchenette.  A table will be added to the area for eating, or puzzles, and will make for a fun space for entertaining.  The space may eventually be used as rental, or for my mom, should she decide to join us.

 

The second part of the project involves this bathroom.  It is directly beside the larger guest room.  It housed one of the largest Jacuzzi tubs I have ever seen and one of the weirdest "steam" showers I have ever taken a shower in.  The first holds way too much water, and the second makes you feel like you are showering in a cave.

 

 

Both are on their way out.  A full shower with a bench will replace the existing tub, and the shower will be replaced by a short hallway that will go into the guest room, allowing direct access to the bathroom, making it feel more like a suite.  

Things have been taped off and demo work started last week!  Hopefully in about a month the work will be done!

 

 

 

I will keep you posted on the progress as I try not to pressure the poor guys to work faster!

Blessings,

34 Weeks of Clean Rinse and Repeat: Week 17- The Master Bath

 

Pretty soon your Master Retreat (it sounds better when you call it a retreat) will be the most amazing place in your house.  Pretty soon!  But first, we must tackle those Master Baths.  I know, I know, stick with me here.  I promise I will try to make it as painless as possible.

No sense in delaying, let's just roll up our sleeves and get started!

• Pull everything out!  You knew I was going to say that, right?  Note to self, it is probably better to put it somewhere other than in the middle of the bathroom floor.  That does make your job a little more challenging.  Just saying.  Note- these pictures were from our first 34 Week challenge.  I failed to take good pictures this year!  Sometimes life just gets the best of you.  The good news is that this year this project was not nearly as overwhelming. 

• Once everything is out, wipe out all of the drawers and shelves.

• Now we are going to sort AS we return things to their space.  First of all, notice I said "sort!"  If it is old and tired, throw it out.  If it is not being used, get rid of it.  If you do not love it, out it goes.  See a pattern here?  We do not NEED or USE most of what we have, so why do we insist on keeping it all?  

          Case in point- this is my makeup drawer.  Really it is.  And before you think, "well, she just doesn't do makeup," trust me, I do!  Wouldn't be seen without it.  But I can only use one thing at a time.  So I have one. thing. at. a. time.  Occasionally I do get free samples and such that I plan on using, so they are housed in a tiny makeup bag in the cabinet.  Other than that though, the rule is to use something up before buying more.

  

Second of all, notice I said, return to their space.  Think this out and have a plan!  Everything should be assigned a dedicated space.   It it like a puzzle sometimes, I understand, but make it work for you. I had no system at first and things tended to just get thrown in.  Hence the mess!

• Have a place for anything you stock up on!  For me it is just a small plastic bin.  Extra shampoo, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and such go there.  If that bin is full, we do not need more.  No matter how great a sale is.  Let's be smart shoppers, not hoarders!  There is a difference, folks!

• If you keep medicine in your bathroom, now is the time to go through it.  For safety's sake, dispose of (properly) anything old and expired.  Keep only what you really think you need and use.

• Now you are ready to deep clean your bathroom and move on!

           Don't forget-

           Toilets, tubs, and shower

           Throw rugs

           Trashcans!

           Wash your shower curtain and replace the liner if needed

           Light switches and light fixtures

           Walls! (hairspray, anyone?)

           Pictures and do-dads! (Can I just say, the bathroom is probably not the cleanest place for do-dads!  If they are really things that you love and bring you joy, put them in a place where you can better enjoy them.)

           Baseboards and doors

           Even the tops of any cabinets! 

     

And that trash pile?  Out it goes!

You did it!  Yay for you!

My current bathroom

As a reward I am going to give you a sneak peek at one of my favorite things in my prize basket. Last year I found this book called Clutter Free by Kathi Lipp.  Don't worry, your copy will be new and minus all of my notes, high lighting, and dog eared pages! ;)

This book is so good you may just want to go ahead and buy a copy now and if you win, you can make a new best friend by gifting a copy to someone else.  This book is full of the why's and how to's of getting rid of clutter, teamed with A LOT of humor.  Guys, we might as well laugh. Or else we may cry, right?!  I think this Kathi gal and I could be best buddies and I have already put all of her other books on my wish list- after I find a few more to get rid of in my current stack, don't worry.

Remember how we talked about this 34 Weeks of Clean Series was not just about cleaning, but taking back our homes?  Hopefully Kathi won't mind me quoting her as I sign off today-

"While the rest of the world is telling you all of their organizing tricks, here is the best one of all: own less stuff....And when your home is more open, you are more willing to open your homes to others!" Page 33

Yes and Amen!

Last week you had a perfect opportunity to clear out some extras in your Master Closets!  How did you do? Please share with us over on our Family, Faith and Fridays blog page!  We love seeing your progress!
 

Blessings,

34 Weeks of Clean! Week 11- Bathrooms

Get ready ladies, this week is not the most fun, but we can do it!  I am assuming you clean your bathrooms on a regular basis but today we are going to really deep clean and tackle any drawers and cabinets there as well.  This is for ALL the bathrooms in your house, except the Master Bedroom bath.  We will get there, I promise!

Let's get started-

• Start by emptying all of your drawers and cabinets.  Yes, all.  This will help you get an idea of what you have, what you need and don't need, and maybe a better way to put it all back.  Hold on to your hats - it is ugly!

• Now, throw it all away.  Just kidding, though it is tempting, right?  DO take this time to DECLUTTER.  Remember, that is one of our goals in the 34 Weeks of Clean.  Expired medicine - throw it out.  Old makeup - throw it out.  Extra lotions that are not being used - throw it out.  Seeing a trend?  If it is not being used or will not be used in a timely manner - THROW IT OUT!  It is taking up valuable space.

This is the look you will get when you tell your kids to throw it all out!  Just saying!

   -A word about kid's tub toys.  Inspect and throw out the old ones.  I am sure you know what a mold holder those plastic ones can be.  GROSS!  If they have holes in them, chances are they are harboring mold.    Feel free to try to bleach them, but in my humble opinion, unless you are committed to keeping that up weekly, it is better to just toss them.  And if you are brave and looking for a science experiment, cut one open and see what you find.  Yuck!

• Because we live in a smaller house, all of our towels and sheets are stored here as well, so that is another area we are tackling. You have to decide for yourself how much is enough, but several years ago I determined we did not need 5 sets of sheets and towels per person.  One can only use one set at a time, after all.  Choose your favorites, get rid of old stained and torn ones, and replace any you need to.

• Wipe out all of your drawers and cabinets before replacing your things!

• Stick rugs in the laundry!

• Take down your shower curtain and wash it as well.  If you need to replace the liner, now is the time.  Yes, they can be washed up, but for about $4, you can replace them just as easily.  Hey, sometimes we just need to make it easier on ourselves. 

 I think one child of mine might be using the shower curtain as a towel.  Hmmmm...

• Curtains or mini-blinds?  Do those as well!

• Light fixtures need to be cleaned off.

• Tub, countertops, and toilet are next.  Are you having fun yet? ;)

• Walls are up next.  Why?  Because if you use hairspray I am willing to bet that the wall behind where you stand to do your hair has a layer of hairspray on it. ;)  Don't forget the light switches while you are there, as well as any pictures or such you have hanging.

• Door frames are next.  Again, why does every door have all those cute, but hard to clean decorative grooves? Design fail, I am sure!

• Off to the baseboards we go and then lastly the floors!

• More than one "extra" bathroom?  Repeat! ;)

• You can now replace your rugs and shower curtain and then stand back and admire your hard work!  Like this new addition for my girls.  They decided to get rid of the four drawer plastic piece and upgrade to this piece.  It just made things look nicer!

Are you tired yet?  Just so you know, we did not do these two bathrooms in one day.  We are not gluttons for punishment, 'ya know!

Speaking of tired - we are almost three months in to cleaning and organizing our homes and I know the tendency is to slack off and let things slide a bit. (Exercise New Years' Resolutions, anyone?) Can I just encourage you to get your second wind and keep plugging away?  We CAN do this!  And trust me, together is much more fun.

And since Kemi and I want to encourage you to have fun and keep going, here is surprise number 1. At the end of our 34 Weeks of Clean! we are giving away a 34 Weeks of Clean! Prize Basket to one blessed person.  You can earn 1 entry for each time you have linked up in our series.  For those who are not bloggers, you can earn an entry for each time you have shared a picture with us on our FB page.  No worries, I am keeping track! ;)  

Our second surprise is thanks to one of our participants a few weeks ago!  Leah, at As We Walk Along This Road, mentioned a whole "rinse and repeat" idea that Kemi and I liked.  In response to that post, Kemi is working on creating an ebook for our 34 Weeks of Clean! series.  She will be getting details to us in the next few months, but until then, keep on cleaning!

And speaking of Kemi from Homemaking Organized, wait 'til you see the beautiful wall art printable she made for us for our bathrooms!  France, anyone?

So how'd you do last week?  Remember, each time you share you earn another entry in our 34 Weeks of Clean! Prize Basket.

Week 10- The Entryway

Week 12- The Family Room + DVDs

An InLinkz Link-up

Hugs to you all and many blessings,

Thursday Quick Tip #2

Pressed for time but still need a clean bathroom?

 

 

I clean my boys bathroom while my youngest takes a bath, saving the bathtub for last when he gets out and is drying off.  Because he is younger and still needs supervision, I have to be in there anyway- so multitasking is it!  Because I use natural cleaning ingredients, I do not have to worry about gasing him while I clean. 

 

He gets a few minutes of extra water play time, I get a clean bathroom!

 

Hop on over to see Marcy and others' quick tips at Ben and Me!