Lauren's Room Part Deux!

Finally, Lauren's room is DONE!  Well, done for now.  The only way I plan on changing her room, is if we move.  (I was considering painting...but very little consideration...)

Okay the first 5 pictures are before.  This one is her closet before I cleaned it out.  It felt really good to organize it all.  She wasn't happy with me, apparently it's too organized and  she can't find anything. 

She's lucky to have this closet, Connor's is the size of a coat closet.  I added this little cube shelving with bin before Christmas to help with the clutter.  The help didn't last long.  I donated 1/3 of her toys at Christmas, some how she got it all back.

I just tossed it all out on the floor, I went through every draw, shelf and bin she has.  I brought this cute basket in from my closet.  It used to hold her pull ups, but now  that we are pull up free it holds all her baby blankets. 

See the mess is even in the hall.  It produced  one kitchen size bag of garbage and one for donation.  I'm real big on donating.  I only throw trash away, nothing some one else can use. 

This is how OCD I am, I bought her a bin for her bins!  She has one for misc. dolls, princesses, clothes, and furniture.  They all have lids too, they just didn't make it into the picture.

I'm not a huge fan of putting stuff under the bed, but really I had no choice, her room is 10x10.  It's okay though, that's really why I bought the big bin, to contain it all under there neatly.

Now on to the afters, here's her closet after.  Nice and neat, everything has a place and is in it.  It's like music to my soul!

Even her shoes and clothes were rearranged. 

Oh, and I found the perfect curtains at Target!  Happy dances all over today.

The little bird pillow is new too, it was too cute to pass up.  I just put all her big pillows and plushy toys in the corner.  I figure if she's looking at books or playing her leaspster this is a good place to relax.

The other side with her book slings and new blanket basket.

It feels so good to have her room decorated, organized and cleaned.  I'm thinking my closet is next, is it sick that it makes me happy to clean closets?  I think I need a life.  lol

xx

Okay Friends, I need you to Vote on Fabric!

I love them both.  I want them both.  I'm having the hardest time picking one.  I want throw pillows for the patio chairs, and here are the samples. 

They both have blue and green in them, and some RED.  Which I love. 

Sample A

 

Sample B

If you would be so kind to leave a comment with either the letters A or B, I would appreciate it.
If you don't help me I will be lost, and have to buy both, help a girl out!

Thanks friends! xx

Talk about Changes!

This even surprises me, and I'm the one responsible or it!  This is how the kitchen looked when we moved in May of 2004, and much hadn't changed until recently.  I still can't believe we've been in this house for almost seven years.  Time flies!

What a sad looking kitchen. =(

Excuse the mess on the counter, this was before I started staging my photos, and became so OCD.  OCD is a silent illness, and it totally snuck up on me after I had my first child, now there's no going back.  I was such a minimalist in the early days too.  I guess I knew deep down the more stuff I had the more to clean!

I just took these pictures this morning!  I'm so over being a minimalist, I almost qualify as a hoarder!  (That's very clean and organized!)

Doesn't even look like the same kitchen.  What do you think about an island in the center?  I've been thinking I really want one, not sure if that would be too much?  Handy man is gonna give me a quote on a custom job, that is mobile.  I'm designing, he's building, then I'll be painting.  We work really well together.  One of these days I will build stuff myself,  but I don't have any tools.  Beefcake is a mechanic not a woodworker. 

I'm working on some signs to replace the ones under the cabinet.  I want some thing with a country feel.  I never would have thought in zillion years that I would have a country kitchen.  I wish I could  gut this one and do a total remodel, but this is not the forever home.  We hope to rent this place out and move, so the next house I will get my farm house sink, butcher block counters with subway tile back splash and bead board cabinets!  I know that's a hefty list.  Girls gotta dream!  Really that's just part of the dream for the next kitchen, but that's a post all it's own!

I am considering changing the can light over the sink to a mason jar chandelier.  That is affordable, and I can take it with me when/if we rent/move.  Yes English is my first language!  lol

I just love my kitchen now, it has such a homey feel.  Thanks for checking it out!  Would love to have any feed back you guys have!  xx

Fitness Friday #3

This Fitness Friday is also a GIVE AWAY!  Who would like to win an Exercise Ball and set of resistance bands?  The ball comes with a pump.  The only thing, it's for folks that are on the taller side, I would say any one over 5'6" would be able to use it easily. 

I'm not discriminating against the vertically challenged, this is the only size I have.  I'm 5'11", and was given this ball as a free gift with purchase from a company that can't be named.  I don't need this one so I want to share it with you.  I already have a ball like this, and this is one product I don't need two of!  lol

This is just a random picture I got of the Internet, the ball with be similar, but not exact.  I just didn't think there was a point in blowing up the ball for a picture, just to let the air out to mail it.  Imagine the size of the box if I sent it inflated!  lol

I will add this, I use my ball every day.  I love it.  You can purchase these for between $6-$30.  When shopping for one look for the words 'burst resistant', and make sure they hold a lot of weight.  Trust me when you are bouncing up and down on  the ball the pressure is much more than you weigh.  This ball pictured here has a weight copacity of 2000lbs!  (that's a ton!)


The bands come in light, medium and heavy resistance.  They have one pair of handles that you can use on all three bands, and is really easy to change from band to band.

More related fitness news.  I did another of my new videos.  This one is by Gin Miller, of Reebok fitness fame.  She's been an instructor for many moons.  She does all kinds of videos too, step aerobics, strength training, interval training.  You name it. 

 I  purchased her video 'Seriously Strong', 72 minutes in length.  Collage Video had this to say about it, it's an Advanced Total Body Workout that is a Staff favorite and has received 5 stars from customers.

This is what I have to say about it.  Yowza!  My booty is sore today, but not in a bad way.  In a way that tells me if I do this work out enough the elevation of said booty will raise!  Again, it says it's for advanced, but you can make this work out your own.  She has two back up girls with her, and each one did a different level, with her doing the advanced.  She is a great instructor, has always been a favorite of mine.  I've been doing her work outs for since I was in my early 20's.



Okay so to enter the Exercise Ball Give Away, here are the rules.

Please leave me a comment stating that you are a follower, or just became one.  Yep, that's it.  Pretty easy.  I will announce the winner at Fitness Friday #4, please make sure I have away to contact  you.  If I can't get a hold of you I will have to draw another winner, as always I will  use Random.org to pick the winner.  Good Luck!

On to other Give Away news the Paint Deck winner is Lesley at Five Seconds From Crazy!!!
Just email me your address and I will send this out to you asap!!  Thnaks to everyone that entered!

Thanks for the support! xx

What Makes You Smile?

These two do it for me. 

Connor and Lauren

Spring is calling to me, and so is my Patio Furniture!!!

Ya'll, I miss warm weather!  I want to put my patio furniture back out on my front patio...but what if it snows?  Then I have to drag it back in!  Oh well, I think I'm bringing it back out.  It wouldn't kill me if I had to put it back.  Plus have you seen my garage?  Yep, me either.  I walk as fast as I can from the back door to my Jeep with tunnel vision.  It seriously needs to be cleaned.  Beefcake would not be happy!  Yikes.

I'm very proud of the furniture.  I hunted Craigslist for it all last Summer, until I found the perfect priced pair of wicker chairs.  Then I dragged the kids to the Moon to pick them up and brought them home and painted them.  Naturally I painted them.  I bought a cute trellis at Home Depot and painted it too.  I just rested the trellis against the wall between the chairs.  That's all I've done so far, but I promise to add to it once I can go treasure hunting.  I think it needs a little table for drinks.  I did replace the front door mat, does that count?

I'm thinking of hanging some art on the walls, and hanging a chandelier for candles or maybe some iron birdcages with candles?  Pillows for the backs of the chairs are must, they've got to me comfy.  I might even try to paint a cute rug to go under the chairs, but we'll see. 

Well, here are the pictures of it last year, and till I do some work on it, it'll look the same  for a while.

These are the chairs before, they were in great shape, but I really wanted a pop of color, so painted had to be applied, lots of paint!

And here are the chairs and trellis in place!  LOVE.  Really happy with the way they turned out.  I love how the seat cushions pop off the chair.  I'm going to search for back pillows that incorporate the blue and green.

Last, but not least, the rug.  It was as close a match to the trellis paint as I could find.  I love green, but I'm sure you've all figured that out by now!  lol

Thanks for stopping by, and you are more than 'Welcome' to come on in!!!

Where I Party!!!

Check out my Fitness Friday post for a Give Away!

                                                There are always Home Depot coupons available.

Anything Goes Party #6

Last weeks party was a mile stone for me, it had 53 enteries!  That's the first time I hit 50.  Thank you all for linking up and making it possible!

This is alway my favorite post of the week, I love to see what every one is doing.  Plus I get the best ideas to borrow? 

Board & Batten is a dream of mine, and A Little of This, A Little of That, shares some great tips and tricks.

When I grow up, I want to be able to sew like this!  I'm so jealous of Karla at Home skills! 

Extreme Personal Measures had me drooling over this Gooey Butter Cake!  Okay, some days the diet is harder than others.  I'm not gonna lie.

On to the party.  No rules, just a couple suggestions.

1.  Please follow my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party every week. 

2. Please put a link back to this party in your post so others can join in the fun.  I even have a button if you want to use it.  If you have a party page you can put the link there, I do that.

3.  Please link as much of anything you want, no limit.

I can't wait to see what you guys blow me away with this week.