Home Improvements for 2017

Painting started Jan 2016 

Organizing the home seems to be the common New Year's Resolution for your home and like most personal resolutions, like losing weight, eating healthy, and exercising - it usually gets placed on the back shelf by March.

hardwood floor is done - still needs the trim

Last year, we decided to make all the necessary Home Improvements, we had been putting off. We had a new roof installed, all new energy-efficient windows installed, a new soaker tub in the bathroom, we painted all rooms, EXCEPT the bathrooms, and 1 bedroom that still needs to be done. We bought steel shelving for the garage -We installed new flooring in the laundry room and 1 bath and we bought a new stove and microwave as well as a new washer and dryer and put hardwood flooring in our hall.

Expect the Unexpected - we had to rip up the carpet in the office due to cat urine. 

On our list was possibly going Solar. We checked into it - the contractor came out but we have too many trees and I am not willing to cut them down. I am a TREE LOVER. Anyway, with our new energy-efficient roof and windows, I have noticed a huge difference.

2017, has us moving just a few things to this year's LIST. But the main focus will be the exterior of our home.

2017

New Carpet for Living room and master bedroom. (That comes on Wednesday)

ORGANIZE the house. (storage etc)

Paint house trim and front door

Landscape front and back yards

redo our covered back patio.

extend front patio

Plant a small vegetable garden in containers

Hanging plants

More bird feeders

and we may have to get a new hot water heater - it is already 9 years old. We are thinking about replacing it with a tankless water heater with instant hot water. 

How nice.

From 2016

paint master bathroom

install floor

paint hall bath

paint cabinets in both bathrooms

change fixtures

new ceiling fan in the master bedroom

my husband needs to finish the hallway

I am sure I have forgotten a few little things - I call that"Fluff". It's all the fun stuff.

WHY did we do all of this? My husband retires in 6 years and we wanted to get our home, fixed up and IMPROVED so we don't have to do this when we are on a limited budget. 

It has been a sacrifice of time and money - we haven't taken a big vacation. (Although I don't like to leave more than 4-5 days - I miss my animals and my house)

So here's to 365 days of Home Improvements!  

Lord willing, I hope 2018, I can say, we're DONE!

Natural Ways to get rid of ANTS

We've been dealing with an INVASION of ants. To be honest with you, I don't know what kind of ants we have, so we need to put on our detective gear and start detecting. 

Basically, there are 3 types that could be responsible for invading my space. Each species have different behaviors, preferences in food, and remedies that will be effective in keeping them out.

Some ants are specific to certain areas.  This post will cover remedies for odorous house ants and carpenter ants.

Odorous House Ants 

This type of ant is attracted to sweets and is commonly found in the kitchen. Odorous house ants will leave a chemical pheromone trail wherever they travel. I did not know this. I thought Odorous House Ants, were like Stink Ants. You know, that they smelled and left an odor. They do, just only for other ants. If you kill them, other ants will follow the odorous trail and show up in the same places. This means the entire colony must be killed. When you see the first few ants, you can sponge them (and the surrounding area) with soapy water to eliminate the pheromone trail. Immediately work to figure out where they’re getting into your house, and begin placing homemade ant bait at the entry points.

 Homemade bait for house ants

 Borax will kill odorous house ants, and powdered sugar will attract them. Make a homemade bait by thoroughly mixing one part borax with 3 parts powdered sugar. Fill tiny containers (such as bottle caps) with this homemade bait and place them as close to the place where you suspect ants are entering your house. If you see trails of ants, place small containers of the mixture directly in their path. This prevents most of them from traveling all-around your house if they have easy access to this sugary treat.

 Have pets or kids who might get into this powdery mixture? Try this instead: mix one cup warm water with ½ cup sugar and 3 tablespoons of borax. Soak it up with cotton balls and place them in shallow dishes near ant trails.) Resist the urge to kill all the ants you see. They will carry the bait back to the nest, unable to differentiate between the borax and sugar, and the borax particles will eventually kill the entire colony. The more ants that are allowed to find the bait and carry it back, the faster the colony will die off.

 More tips for house ants

• Spray vinegar near baseboards, in any cracks, and on countertops where they may be traveling. You can allow the vinegar to dry on surfaces or wipe with a clean cloth – this eliminates their chemical trail and will deter some of the stragglers. Repeat several times a day.  
• Practicing good sanitation practices is one of the best ways to make your home less attractive to ants. Keep spills, crumbs, and garbage cleaned up in the kitchen. 
• Make sure all food – especially anything sweet – is stored in tightly-sealed containers or zip-top bags. They will get into things like jars of honey that have drips on the side or around the lid, so sealing the jar in a zip-top bag will protect it. 
•  Even if you’re using a natural ant bait, if there is a more desirable snack, like spilled soda or cookie crumbs, they will choose that over bait.

 Carpenter Ants Carpenter ants are commonly found around homes in wooded areas. They don’t carry the bait back to their nests, so you have to kill them at the source. This means you have to do a little detective work to find the nest(s). Don’t bother using the borax/sugar bait – they’ll just feed on it like little piggies at a trough.

 They will typically live outdoors very close to the house, and eventually, enter your house in search of food and water. How to find the nest Carpenter ants live in wood and tunnel through it. The best clue to look for is small piles of very fine sawdust – the remains of the wood they have chewed through. You will typically find carpenter ant nests in moist wood in foundations, decks, woodpiles near your house, trees, gaps between boards, etc. If you take some time to figure out where ants are entering the house, you can usually track them back to a nest. It’s easiest if you kill all the ants in sight, then watch for new ants to appear to determine their general entry point. This may give clues to holes that need to be sealed up, rotting foundations where they’re living, or cracks under doors they’re traveling under.

 Natural carpenter ant remedy The best natural remedy we have found for eradicating carpenter ants is Diatomaceous Earth (DE). DE is completely natural and organic. It is made from tiny skeletal remains of algae-like plants. DE is lethal dust for insects. Its microscopic razor-sharp edges will cut through the body of insects, drying them out and killing them. If ingested by carpenter ants, it will shred their insides. There are different types of DE, so keep in mind you must get food-grade DE for pest control. (You do not want the DE that is sold for swimming pools – it has a different make-up.)

 Food grade DE is completely safe to be used around kids and pets and can be sprinkled around the home and yard without posing a threat. Find food-grade Diatomaceous Earth here. In order to get rid of a colony of carpenter ants, DE must be injected directly into the nest. We used a medicine dropper to squirt dry DE into cracks where we found them nesting. You can also use a gadget like this to spray it into cracks or holes. DE must be reapplied after it rains. The best advice I can give to get the most out of your DE treatments is to stay on top of it! This pesky ant species may relocate their nests and find new ways into your house. If you see a resurgence, put your detective hat back on and find that nest.

 Other Tips for Getting Rid of Ants

• Some ants like protein and grease. Mix a spoonful of peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of borax. Using a plastic straw, tap the end into the mixture repeatedly until the straw is full of the mixture. Cut the straw into ½ inch pieces and place them next to ant trails. 
• Put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball and place in areas ants are crawling around. (find 100% pure essential oils here) 
• Sprinkle cinnamon (being careful not to get it on things that will stain) near entry points. 
• Some ants dislike baby powder. Sprinkle around the perimeter of the house or indoors where ants are entering your house. 
• Rub a little Vaseline near the areas they are entering the house.

More ideas for our office flooring

Source: trendir

We are down to the bare, cold, cement floor in our office. It will have to wait till after Christmas, more like after the new year. I saw this and loved it. It would take too much work for us, and we won't pay to get someone else to do it -

 but I love the look. 

Source: improvisedlife

Source: houzz

Simple Christmas

Source: dreamywhites.stfi.re

It's hard to keep things simple, at Christmas. 

We get so "caught up" in all the beauty of the season. But simple is just as beautiful - to me, it sets the tone of the winter season. 

No glitz, no glam, no tinsel; just the bare natural beauty of winter.

Here are some favorites I drool over and always say, "Next Year." 

Source: digsdigs

Source: myscandanavianhomeblog

Source: decoratingyoursmallspace

Source: Musingsonmomentum

Source: birchandbird

I'm dreaming of a minimally decorated christmas

Source: DigsDigs

Every year - I try to keep the decorations simple. As I pull them out,  I see items, I want to display. This year, I still have a box of stuff, I won't putting up this year. Maybe their turn comes next year.

I never used to be that way - when I had my home daycare and my sons were young, my home was decorated as if I was Mrs. Claus. It was warm and cozy. 

I wish I had taken pictures back then.

My biggest desire is to one day, decorate minimally. I love the look. That would sure be a change for me.

Here are some of my favorites:

Source: ChicDeco

Source: DreamBookDesign

Source: DreamBookDesign

Source: Lufolkan.blogspot

Strawberry Santas

Are these not the cutest little morsels of sweetness? 

Pretty simple too. I may do this, for Christmas Eve. 

Use buttercream frosting, as whipped cream would be too soft. 

Use mini-chocolate chips for the eyes. ADORABLE!!!

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE:

Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl. Add softened sticks of butter. Add vanilla. Add 1 tbsp of milk. Beat on low until powdered sugar is incorporated. Then move mixer up to medium-high speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. ... Add more milk, a little bit at a time until frosting is the proper consistency.

Flooring - Plywood and Cement

LiveModern

Yesterday I finished painting the laundry room. 

I still have the trim and baseboards to do - I'll do that after the washer/dryer comes.

 I don't want them bumping my newly paint job. 

This weekend, my husband will lay down the flooring.

The OFFICE

The last couple of days, my husband has been patching the cement - and we had ants! We keep running into obstacles. Tomorrow he will put the sealer on the cement and then we'll be done, until January. 

Gives us time, to decide how to proceed with the flooring.

We are seriously considering, using plywood as flooring for the office and eventually, the backroom (guest, sewing/craft/hobby room)

Blog - This Must Be the Place

So, that's the Plan!

Christmas Decorating 

I have yet, to put up my Christmas decorations.  This weekend, we're planning to deck the halls - Then take 3 weeks off to just enjoy the season.

Under Pressure

Not a pretty picture

This weekend, my husband ripped out the carpet in the office, where our elderly cat peed. 

We had to. The smell was horrible.

 So we are down to the cement foundation. We'll just have to live with it for a while until we get the other projects we have on our list DONE.

Am I overwhelmed yet?

Not really. Tomorrow, we have to patch some of the cracks and we'll put a cement sealer on it and once it dries, I have some throw rugs to lay about.

Home Depot called and left a message. It was about the delivery of the washer and dryer. OH NO! Now I am feeling overwhelmed! I have to get the walls painted in the laundry room (I procrastinated this weekend) so my husband can lay the floor. I'll call them tomorrow and delay the delivery for a week. I believe I can knock out the painting tomorrow if I work till the evening. I have nothing on my schedule.

Sometimes, I think I work better, under pressure.

Maybe that's why I have an ulcer - you think?

My game plan for the laundry room- today?

My Laundry room without the washer

This week, maybe even this afternoon, I may start cutting in. My husband will start on the floor after I am done painting. 

I'm thinking, I can probably knock this out in one day. 

I am 62 1/2 but I also am a "painter's daughter."

My Dad was a successful Commercial Painting Contractor in San Francisco in the '60s and 70's - so successful he was able to retire in 1980 at the age of 46. 

He did residential sometimes, but usually big mansions for those he did their buildings. I grew up watching Dad mix paints- and back then, it was all oil-based paint. Dad used to come home, put his overalls in lye soap, and after he washed his hands, he would use butter or mayo to put on his hands and sometimes his face - getting all that oil-based paint off. And to soften his skin. Maybe he could have used a hand lotion, but that is the way he did it.

Oh, and a fun tidbit - My dad and his crew were in the background of many films in San Francisco. Remember Bullet with Steve McQueen? The TV show, Streets of San Francisco - and Dirty Harry movies. Some others I can't remember right now. We would always look for my dad's trucks, or signs, or actual job sites. We sure got a kick out of that.



So the plan is to have the washer and dryer on one side (stacked) and then on the other side, I can put this dresser/bookcase I have had (forever) on the other side. Right now this is stored in my garage - with just junk on it.

 I've always loved this piece - it was given to me for free from the family I used to nanny for. The Mom bought it off craigslist and wanted to restore it. But it sat in her garage. So she gave it to me - (to sit in my garage for 10 years!)

my bookcase/dresser will fit nicely

The shelf will be taken down - and cut to fit above the door for a little more storage. It has to be high enough so that it doesn't "hamper"  (pun) the opening of the door and no one bumps their noggin on it.

Hey, it's a laundry room. I've seen some with chandeliers in them. I just want mine, organized, clean, and kept nice.

I'm excited.

Thanksgiving photos before the decorations come down

Living room

Not many times am I able to take pictures of my house when it's clean. I thought I would share some pictures, just before the family came over. It's not PERFECT - but now I can point out what I am wanting to do - 

One day I would like to take photos of my house when I am done with all the decorating. Like glamour shots for my house. 

Fairly picked up, except for the dog toy! The Burl-clock was given to me by my parents. The glider chair was my parent's and needs a pillow. 

The organ bench belonged to my mom. 

The sofa and loveseat I bought off Craigslist last year. 

The end tables and coffee table used to belong to my parents. 

The little bookcase in the corner belonged to mom. A neighbor teen made it for my mom and we always had it in our house - 

the clock on the bookcase belonged to my Grandma and Grandpa. 

shows the other side - entryway

I am bothered by the TV set and the wires.

 I can't "hang" with that!

 I'm thinking of putting some wood, nail it to the back of the tv stand, you know, make it look all nice, like it belongs there - just to hide those annoying cords. It's a work in process - or soon will be. 

I could put some plants there - ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Dining room/kitchen combo

My dining rooms, no matter where I have lived, have always been my favorite room in the house.

 I like it to be homey.  STORY behind the extra-large tablecloth = I bought it at Walmart - it is part of the Pioneer Woman's line of merchandise. I picked up the wrong size and threw away the receipt. So I just had to use cloth napkins to tie them to the leg of the dining table. It worked.

Next to my china cabinet

I love that side table! I got it for FREE. The family, I used to Nanny for, gave it to me. I love the rustic wood. Would love to get more pieces one day. They had it shipped from Mexico. 

The painting is from a friend's daughter who painted my hometown beach in Pacifica. 

and the little flower bowl was purchased at an art show for developmentally disabled adults - 

Fred made this and was so pleased that someone bought it. I love it!

dining room from living room

You can't really tell from the photos, but the walls are yellow.

 That china cabinet I've had since the late '70s and the table, my boys use to sit and do their homework on it. (It still has indentations from their writing that I refuse to sand away) Except for the chairs. I keep everything and if I can't use it, I store it in my garage - until I can find a good use for it. I hardly ever sell. Usually, when I am fed up and have held on to it for years, I end up giving it away to a good home.

Kitchen - still a work in progress

Last year, I painted my kitchen and the walls. 

We plan to put in wood countertops and a farm sink. We added the greenhouse window this past year. 

I also bought a new stove and over-the-range microwave. I wanted to keep that retro/farm look. I don't know what my style is - I like cheap and shabby!

entryway

This is my problem area. 

We want to make a useful entryway, with an umbrella holder and coat racks. When we have people over, we don't have a good place to store these items. I don't want furniture there - I'm thinking, using beadboard - and then make a simple rack on it - maybe an upper shelf and then get a nice umbrella stand. That's it. 

So many fun home projects are in my future. 

Now on to Christmas...

Taking a break...dreaming

Source

Taking a break, from cleaning the house before Thanksgiving. Instead of thinking of my Turkey, pumpkin pie, and stuffing - I'm thinking about decorating and more home projects. (Will we ever be done?)

There's just something about cleaning - maybe it's the little scratches on the wood floor, that I saw, while cleaning and polishing them or the hall bathroom, that still needs painting. Or that messy garage, that has boxes full of Knik knacks, that I stored while we painted. I miss them!

So, anyway, I was looking at my sliding closet doors in the hall, which are the basic sliding doors. I don't care for them and it's not like I am prepared to do this soon but was just wondering how it would look if I went for a faux barn-door look for the sliding doors.

I like the first photo - easy! 

I don't have the clearance to actually have a barn-door, anywhere in my house. Bummer!

Source

This actually looks similar to my hall. My dining room would be to the right. I'd love to have a door like this, but would have to make clearance and that would mean, getting rid of a favorite piece of furniture for the barn door.

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I like this for exterior windows - barn door-type shutters. 

Reminds me of the Western TV show in the late '60s, The High Chaparral.

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This is gorgeous. I like everything about this room. The dark hardwood floor, the chandelier, and the doors that enter into a living room or study. 

I've spent too much time, dreaming - NEED to get back to cleaning and getting everything ready for tomorrow. 

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.

Laundry room, carpet, painting, hall way, OH MY

Source: twdaz

Sometime today or tomorrow I have to go to Lowes and order my washer and dryer and order the carpet in our master bedroom/living room. 

Husband is working furiously, trying to finish up the hall flooring.

 I have been working in the kitchen, organizing my kitchen cabinets, pantry, etc.

Source: Homedit

I'm feeling OVERWHELMED.

The washer and dryer have to be ordered by a certain date this month. 

Fortunately, I don't believe they will be delivered until AFTER Jan 1, 2017. That is a relief. We can then work on the laundry room.

The carpet has to be scheduled for the measurements. That would mean, I will not be able to put the tree up until after the carpet is installed, sometime in December. Is that really such a big deal? Maybe we could move the tree...

Maybe I should just do what really needs to be done, instead. 

I have to get that master bedroom painted. I'm trying to get some help from my adult sons - I'll see them Saturday night. Both of them could probably knock it out in a day if I do the cutting in. 

I can't wait till this major stuff is done. The original goal was to have all of this done and over with, so I could rest up through the holidays. Guess, that is not going to happen. 

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