Project Overload - First Up... Mud Room Closet Makeover

I am finding myself completely overwhelmed with the amount of projects that are floating around my head. The clutter, both in my brain and in my house, is driving me crazy (as I already mentioned in my last post). At the same time, I have three kids, and the Hubs and I both work full time, and it's ski season, so the time we have to complete the projects is minimal, at best.

I realize that I need to slow it down and accept that it won't happen all at once. So, I made a list (actually, I referred to my dream big list) then picked one project to tackle.

My first project is turning the back hall closet into more of a mud room area. First, I looked for some inspiration (gotta love Pinterest!). And found all of these. Then I sat down with the Hubs to chat about what is the most annoying parts of that area of the house (the clutter) and what we could do to fix it (more storage). Then I whipped up some plans that I thought would accommodate all of our needs. Here are the first draft of my closet plans:

And here is the craziness that was my mud room closet and the teeny tiny hall in front of it.

(Not sure why I have the sunscreen out in the middle of the winter.)

Then I created my "to do" list (which  I am sure will change as I go).

To Do:
1. Create bench
2. Create shelves for storage
3. Get baskets and bins to hang on side wall and to put on shelves
4. Get hooks for back wall and side wall for backpacks, jackets, and hats.
5. Figure out a fun color for the wall of finish (wallpaper? decals? wood planking?)
6. Install everything
7. Make cushion for bench
8. Decorate the wall across from the closet with mirror or chalkboard/photos/hooks

Looks like the bench is first. Be prepared, this one is going to take a few weeks day, and therefore a few posts. You know, because I decided not to rush things.

Oh, and remember those plans at the beginning of the post? Well, guess what? I have already doubted myself and my abilities and revised the plans...maybe more than once. So instead of going totally rogue, I decided to trust someone with much more experience than me. Ana White. I am obsessed with her site and the possibility of it all. Until this weekend I have simply perused her plans and dreamed.

This weekend I looked my fear of failure, and power tools, in the face and decided that her Simple Outdoor Bench would fit in my closet perfectly. Plus, it says it is simple right there in the title.

So I used her list and sent the Hubs to the Depot for the materials and a few other things. He spent less than $50 on the materials including things like screws, which we had none of. He also grabbed a few tools that we needed since I am a beginner at this. I did not even have a square. I admit it fully, and am now the proud owner of a shiny new one.

Before cutting anything, I measured all of the boards at least three times before, and after, each cut. I was very afraid to mess something up. I checked and double check the cut list because I tend to mix up numbers, especially when I am rushing. I took lots of deep breaths, made sure I was safe with the miter saw and that my fingers were no where near the danger zone, and made ALL the cuts by myself! Yes, I am proud. Jumping up and down, I rocked it, proud. Is that a little sad? Want proof?

Then I enlisted the Hubs and the oldest son to help me prime and sand boards. Lots of boards.

And this is where I am taking a break for today. It really hasn't been too bad yet. Maybe a few hours total. Did anyone else tackle a building project for the first time this weekend? More tomorrow. Thanks for your patience on this one! 

Running after Baby - Week 4: Complications

Today we are going to talk about that big C word. Complications. Everyone has different complications in their lives. This week a few extra complications made me feel like a failure.

When you have a baby you are suddenly faced with even more things requiring your time than before which complicates your ability to get a run in. You are faced with the struggle to get your body back in shape after growing a baby, and to keep pushing yourself even though you may not really want to. You also have to work around the baby's schedule and daily attitude. This one gets more and more difficult as the baby gets older.

This week I had an extra complication when it came to finding time to run - my two year old. Daycare was on vacation, which meant that I had to figure out how to go running with my two year old and my nine week old without owning a double stroller. My husband leaves in the morning before it gets light and comes home in the dark so leaving the kids with him while I went out on a quick run wasn't going to happen. We do not have a gym membership or, as I said, a double running stroller. Look at all those complications!

On Monday I actually had all three boys with me because of Veteran's day so I tried to recreate the walks that we used to take while I was pregnant. The 6 year old rode his bike, the two year old "rode" his bike while I pushed him with one hand, and I pushed the baby in the stroller with the other. Oh, and I also had the dog's leash on my wrist because I can't bear to crush her excitement about going on a walk. I am sure that you are not surprised to hear that this little set up did not work. We made it exactly two houses away where my neighbor saw us, took pity on me, and got her kids dressed to join us on the walk. With her pushing the two year old on his bike I actually got my walk in. (Can I just say that I love my neighbors!)

On Wednesday I decided to make the trek to my mother's house. She has a treadmill. So, after bundling up the kids, driving 20 minutes, and listening to the baby scream for 3/4 of the time I was running, I got a run in. At one point the two year old was banging a plunger on the t.v., but I got my run in. (Winning!)

The rest of the week was a blur with doctor's appointments and repair men so I did nothing as far as running went. Thankfully the Hubs is really good about letting me run on the weekends - He agrees that it makes me a nicer person to be around - so I was able to run then too.

The good news is that I was able to run over three miles without stopping on each of my runs this week. No, it was not easy, but I did it! I definitely feel good about the fact that I was able to find some solutions to my complications (although they were not ideal) and get some running in, no matter how little.

I guess the thing about complications is that are just complications. They are not an end. They do not make whatever you want to accomplish impossible, they just make it more difficult. Although I was not able to get as much running as I would like in, I did get some in, which in the end is better than nothing. I know that there will be difficult, more complicated weeks from time to time. The key is to figure out what you can make work, and then make the effort to get out there when you have the chance. And, of course, "just keep running." (Thanks, again, Dory!)

Miles run this week:6.7
Days run: 2
Days walk: 2

Goals for next week:
Continue running for at least thirty minutes a day and see how far I get.
Run more than two days

For getting started and other weeks check out:
Running after Baby - Week 3
Running after Baby - Week 2
Running after Baby - Week 1
Running after Baby - Let's Get it Started

Welcome Movember

Ah, it is time for Movember again! That annual event that turns my husband from this...

To a 70's used car salesman. Don't believe me? Here you go

The worst part is that I can't even complain. Movember may ruin all of our Thanksgiving pictures, but it is a small price to pay for raising awareness for prostate and testicular cancers. This year I plan on welcoming Movember instead of lamenting it as I did last year. So, welcome Movember!

A little Movember gift that I made last year for my husband and his co-workers

Want to know more about his mustache growing event? Go here for rules and other information. 

Landscaping Rookie, Closing the Gap

I never thought that I would be interested in landscaping other than scanning pictures and saying "ooh that looks pretty," or having favorite flowers (hydrangea, lilac, lupine, and daisies, in case you were wondering). This all changed when they started clearing the lot next to us to make room for a new house. Remember, in my post here, one of my positives to moving to this neighborhood was the tranquil setting and the privacy. Well, with the house going in next door, and the subsequent construction over the last few months, there is neither tranquility, nor privacy. 

Just as a reminder, here are some photos of our previously mostly-private back yard:

 

 Nice, right?

To be fair, we always knew that there would be a house built in the lot next to us. However, we thought that we would have a four or so feet of wooded buffer before the cleared lot. Unfortunately, due to an oversight, our lot was not surveyed. (Advice #1 when building a new house: MAKE SURE THE LOT IS SURVEYED BEFORE BUILDING) When the lot next to us was surveyed it was discovered that our lot line was incorrect. This had a few negative effects. We had to move our septic and leech field (not "we," our builder) and get our backyard relandscaped, AND we were left with a gaping hole of nothingness between our home and the neighbors. So much for privacy! (Advice #2 when building a new house: MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT THE SUBDIVISION PLAN TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THE HOUSES AROUND YOU WILL BE PLACED. Ask yourself; Do I have enough of a buffer between me and my neighbors? If not, pick another lot, unless you are looking for close neighbors, of course.)

Don't believe me? Here you go:

Nice, right?

So, the Hubster and I decided that something needed to be done. If we were different sorts of people we may have made a big deal of our new lack of privacy, but instead we went into problem solving mode. At first we discussed fences, but realized that although they would be a good, quick solution, they would not provide privacy for the boys' upstairs bedroom windows. So, we quickly switched directions and started researching trees. We needed fast-growing trees, that would grow 12+ feet and that would be easy to maintain as neither of us are what you would call gardeners.

My researching spanned at least six weeks (not kidding) and I have to say that I know more about privacy screening trees for Zone 5 (that is our plant hardiness zone) than I ever wanted to know. I can now actually decipher the differences between quite a few arborvitaes and spruces. I know all about hemlocks which, by the way, was our first choice. Unfortunately the local nurseries were all out until spring and there was NO WAY I could deal with no privacy until then. 

After all of this, I actually find myself driving down the street trying to figure out what other people have in their lawns and then come home and research to see if those trees would be a better option. I even took a picture of a tree while driving (I know, not safe!) and brought it to one of my local nurseries to find out what it was. (A viburnum seiboldii if you are wondering.)

We ended up with eight trees. Yes, it was WAYYYY more money than we wanted to spend. Luckily the nursery was having a sale and gave us some awesome deals. Before this adventure I never knew that nurseries had sales of up to 70% off in the fall. Makes sense I guess, I just never really thought about it because I didn't need to know. (AHHH the good old days). In the end, we actually saved almost one and a half times what we spent. Crazy, huh?

We paid the $55 extra to get them delivered and this is how the two Techny Arborvitaes, four Dark Green American Arborvitaes, and two Norwegian Spruces were left...along with dirt and mulch.

Oh, we also had DigSafe come out and mark out our underground wires just to be safe. We didn't want to dig a huge hole by hand only to hit electrical wires. Dangerous and a waste of time. This is a free service in Maine and the surrounding states. I am not sure if they have it in other states, but it is always good to be safe and take the extra precautions.

Now, it is important to know that I had a baby about four weeks before the trees were delivered, so I was supposed to be doing things like digging giant holes. This meant that Hubs got stuck doing all the manual labor. (Poor Guy) We were supposed to get some help from our "Dirt Guy," but he must have been too busy to fit us in, sooo we were on our own.

Here are some of the lovely holes:

 And then we hit the rock pile that was left over from when they blasted for our foundation. This slowed the digging considerably, but my wonderful husband took lemons and made lemonade (as they say) and constructed a lovely rock wall as he went.

When all the holes were dug, he started putting up the trees. Here he is, hard at work. To the left is one of the Dark Green American Arborvitaes that he put in.

 Here is another view of some of the progress...

 And, of course the boys were HUGE helpers. At least, the two older ones were.

What, are you not supposed to dig holes for trees with snow shovels and lacrosse sticks?



All I can say is, I love this man. He worked for over twelve hours straight putting these stupid lovely trees in. By the end he was covered scratches from the needles on the spruces. I tried to help repeatedly, but was not allowed.







Now we have some more privacy. It isn't ideal, yet, but we hope that when the trees grow a little we will have just as much privacy as we did before they sold the lot next door. If not, well we put some equity in the house for when we sell, right?