Renovations–A Lesson in Patience

Patience is a word we’ve consistently been trying to teach Anna; when she wants something she wants it right that instant and she absolutely cannot wait. She will often start crying and whining until she gets whatever it is she wanted; be it a task she’s struggling with or breakfast that I am trying to cook for her. We always try to calmly tell her things like whining won’t speed up the process, patience is a virtue, or that we’re doing the best we can as fast as we can and she just has to wait quietly.

Sometimes I think I need to re-learn the same value. When it comes to our home renovations I want them done now. We have a deadline and we never seem to get enough done; there isn’t enough money, time, or all other sorts of things happen that add up and add to the stress. But the question is, why stress about it? Eventually funds will add back up, eventually the project will get done….we still have a roof over our heads, an accessible bathroom, a bed to sleep in, and a very adequate kitchen; a lot of people have gotten by with a whole lot less. However that aspect of patience sure is more easily said than done!

The reason I’ve been thinking about this is because our summer schedule is quickly adding up with a camping trip, relatives getting married, my brother having a baby, as well as just needing time to unwind and spend quality time together. The clock doesn’t stop ticking though and every time someone asks me “How far along are you?…Oooh there isn’t much time left! Are you ready?” I get a feeling of panic and urgency that we won’t reach our deadline, however as stated above, we still have a very adequate house to live in; sleeping arrangements will just have to be shifted around as we do finish the renovations.

After all, I’d rather relax and let the renovations run their course and enjoy them while being able to savour moments like these as well…..like escaping on a daytrip to Crawford Bay and climbing a lighthouse.

Or even simply watching the joy Anna experiences being able to play with her papa in the backyard despite all the work that needed to be done…

And you can’t forget those occasional evenings of just curling up on the couch with your loved one eating popcorn and ice cream while watching a movie after a long day’s work vs. wearing yourself thin constantly working on projects around the house!

After all, Anna is only young once and I’m only pregnant with Zenith for a short little while. Why not savour those moments, along with the renovations, then stress about them? It’s a simple fact I need to start remembering more often, and maybe I need to not only teach Anna patience but myself as well.

Ordinary Object Re-Creations Part 1

I love seeing different ways people manage to turn an ordinary household object into something new, fun, and unique! I’ve decided to start a series where I’ll post one certain ordinary object and various ways people have re-created projects with this item! I don’t have an actual schedule for this series so it will just be appearing randomly.

Feel free to submit ordinary objects you would like to see featured or even ways that you have re-created an ordinary object!

This week I have chosen the lowly clothespin. While this item can be used in a various number of ways to simply hang objects it can also be used to create chandeliers, wreaths, pots and so much more! Check it out!

Perhaps one of the most famous uses of this object would be by Young House Love as a chandelier!

Then there is also this unique twist on a clothespin chandelier found at Jamin Puech’s Paris store.

Or by using only some electrical wire Karen from The Art of Doing Stuff made a fascinating fruit bowl! Tutorial listed here.

The Gardening Saga Continues!

This weekend I got around to finish planting the rest of my garden! I had already planted some strawberries as per this post but was waiting for the weather to warm up a touch more before putting out my vegetable transplants.

As for what vegetables I chose I went with 2 zucchini plants, 2 cucumber plants, 3 ultra girl tomato plants (a basic red tomato), one sweet million tomato plant (cherry tomato), 2 green-red pepper plants, a purple pepper plant, and several lettuce plants of 2 different varieties. I forget what varieties they were however, I think one was butter lettuce.

I laid out all my plants like I did with my strawberries so I could get a general layout of where I wanted them before digging. I forgot to take a picture once I revised the layout because I ended up moving the 3 tomato plants to the middle with a cucumber on each side vs having the 2 cucumbers side by side. I figure this revised layout would give the tomatoes more room to grow.

To get to my general layout I took into consideration how much space each plant it said it needed on it’s little card and then winged it from there. This is only my second year gardening so I’m just doing a lot of guessing and I’ll potentially revise my lay out next year once I see how things grow! I will also be getting some of those cages for the tomatoes, and possibly peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini as well once they get a bit bigger.

Once I was happy with the layout I just took my little trowel and dug a hole, filled it with water, gently placed my plant in and then covered it back up. I also gently separated the root ball a bit because I heard that will help the roots spread out and grow better vs. staying as a tight root ball.

Awesomely for about 2 days after I planted my garden we got a bunch of rain so hopefully these guys will have a great start! In fact my strawberries are already doing awesomely; one of my littlest plants even got a few buds.

And my larger plants already have a ton of green strawberries on them! I’m soooo excited for garden fresh strawberries!!!

A few of our lettuce plants were also already big enough that we were able to use some of the leaves on sandwiches, can you say yum??

And our chive plant is starting to bloom! I’m really excited to make chive vinegar as per this recipe with the flowers!

It’s so rewarding that we’re already seeing our plants growing this early in the season! I cannot wait to see how it all turns out as the year progresses and I’ll be sure to keep you all updated! I also love my garden because it’s my one space of completed tranquility amidst our crazy yard and house renos! Who would have thought?

Did any of you plant your gardens yet??

Documenting My Pregnancy

When I was pregnant with Anna I took a photo almost every week using my cell phone in the mirror of both facing forward and sideways. I love having those photos to look back on and watch my stomach grow as the time passes however they were rather rough looking and poor quality.

This pregnancy I wanted to do something a bit more special but still rather simple; I scoured pinterest trying to come up with ideas. At first I found this image and absolutely loved it however I didn’t have a basic white dress to wear plus I wanted to show my bare stomach so I kept searching.

Finally I landed upon this beautiful image and it was love at first sight! I even had a scarf that would do the trick!

Perogies with Alfredo Sauce

One of my favourite foods of all time is perogies; albeit that homemade perogies are the best store bought ones will occasionally suffice to satisfy my cravings. When I was living on my own in the city I ate a tonnn of perogies because they were cheap and well, delicious hahaha. I ended up coming up with several ways to serve perogies but one of my favourites was with an alfredo garlic sauce, can you say yum??

I never typically use measurements when it comes to my own creations but I put together a basic recipe for you guys!

Perogies in Alfredo Sauce

Half an onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups milk
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tbsp dill
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put your perogies on to boil in a pot while sauteeing your onions and garlic in a frying pan.
2. Pour the milk into the frying pan and bring to a simmer, add your spices and the cream cheese.
3. Allow the cream cheese to melt fully stirring occasionally, this should cause your sauce to thicken up.
4. Once your perogies are fully cooked drain the water then place the perogies in a baking pan. Cover the perogies with your sauce then top with grated cheddar cheese.
5. Place your perogies in the oven on a low broil until the cheese is fully melted then dish up!

I served my perogies with a side salad for some nutrition, it was absolutely delicious! This would also be amazing if you sauteed some sausage or bacon and added it to your casserole.

Do you have any unique ways of enjoying perogies?

Spring Flowers!

I thought I would share a little bonus post with you guys about the wonderful spring flowers we have brought into our house! The weather has finally turned warm here in BC, the sun is out full force and along with it comes beautiful blooms!

Our house has a large lilac bush in our backyard, along with a lilac hedge and tree in our front yard gracing us with an amazing fragrance and tons of beautiful blooms! I decided to trim some of these blooms and place them around the house to cheer things up and keep the house smelling divine despite all the renovations going on!

I have 2 little bouquets in small mason jars on the window ledge when your first walk through the front door.

A beautiful white lace vase full by the couch on the living room. I got this vase from IKEA, I just love the details of it!

A big bouquet on our dining room table in a spray painted mason jar.

Another little one in the bathroom to keep our skull friend company.

And little his and hers vases from glass baby bottles flanking either side of our bed!

I just love the scent of lilacs everywhere we go in the house and having a pleasant smell greet you when you walk through the door! And the best part is that their free! However I have noticed that they have been wilting really fast and I was wondering if anyone has tips for helping them last longer?

Anyway I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Anna is going to the grandparents for the weekend and we have quite the to-do list to tackle along with some secret projects for the kids rooms so stay tuned!!!

Fabric Choice Help!!!

I have an emergency that I am calling out to all you fellow bloggers for help on. It’s a dire predicament which I have been wasting much of my life on without any progress and I am now hoping one of you will be able to help me find my solution for….picking out fabrics for Zenith’s nursery!

I swear this decision has been haunting me in my sleep haha. I’ve been pouring over fabric choices for a while now but just can’t find anything that both Charles and I love and that works with the room!

Here is the basic mood board for Zenith’s nursery;the room is forest themed! The walls will be a medium earthy brown, possibly Weathered Oak by Benjamin Moore. There will be a large birch tree wall decal on one wall. You can see a source list and a bit more detail on the room here.

We are definitely going with Ty Pennington Impressions Plaid Green for Zenith’s crib skirt; that’s the brown and green fabric swatch.

I however cannot determine the fabric for Zenith’s curtains! It’s a rather large window and one of the first things you see when you walk into the room so the right fabric is crucial. The sad thing is I don’t live near a good fabric store so I must buy the fabric online making the decision that much harder.

Initially we really liked Duralee Dalesford Green; the other fabric swatch on the mood board. However, Katie from Bower Power used this fabric in her office on a chair here and it really isn’t as bright as I would like!

Mother’s Day Weekend!

This past Mother’s Day sure was a special one! I got so spoiled; not even necessarily with material goods (although I certainly did get spoiled in that department!) but mainly with good company, good food, and amazing memories!

The weekend started off on Saturday by going to my friend Crystal’s sons 2nd birthday party! Anna had a blast playing and eating cupcakes and I had a good time catching up with my old friends. I’ve noticed Anna is quite the independent player and prefers to play by herself vs. with other children. She won’t get upset if other kids are around but she certainly keeps to herself; on a side note she does share very well!

Anna absolutely loved this car! She didn’t want to go anywhere in it but she had a blast opening and closing the doors along with turning the wheel and honking the horn!

After the party we went and hung out with my mom and dad. We had a good time visiting and savoured a delicious dinner of meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and peas! We also swung by the local nursery in town to pick up some vegetable transplants for my garden! I’ll have a post about those once I plant them!

Turkey–A Budget Buy!

Back on Easter weekend turkey’s were on sale at Safeway for only $20 a turkey. Despite the fact that we were going to Charles’ parents for turkey dinner we picked one up to put in our freezer to make for a later date. Well last week we decided to make some turkey dinner and now we’re kicking ourselves we didn’t buy a few turkeys at that price!

Let’s have a review as to what we made from this turkey last week. On the first day we made a full turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, and stuffing.

Middle of the week we made turkey enchiladas using this recipe and substituting turkey for chicken.

At the end of the week we had turkey gyros wraps from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

And then on the weekend we threw our turkey carcass in a huge pot and made a delicious batch of Turkey Soup! I followed my mom’s old recipe which you can find here. We had enough turkey and soup broth to fill four 1.5L containers and one whole 1.5L container of turkey meat for shepherd’s pie! We threw all of these containers in the freezer to use at a later date.

So basically one $20 turkey made us 3 dinners with enough leftovers for lunch and then 5 freezer meals on top of that. That works out to $2.50 a meal for the meat portion! I certainly can’t complain about that, and it was all delicious too!

Demolition Part 2!

We’ve had quite a few busy weekends in this house and they are only getting crazier as our deadline looms ahead!

Anna and I have been leaving the house on outings for one day each weekend so that Charles can get in a good days work. We started out by being optimistic and hoping we could work around her schedule, or at least work around her, but we have quite the helper on our hands and Charles was barely able to get anything done. As such we got kicked out of the house and he’s now able to get so much more work done without Anna and myself in his way.

I would like to state that I do not recommend anyone but a professional for this work. Luckily Charles just finished all of his hours to achieve Journeyman Carpenter status (congrats hun!) and we’re just waiting for the paperwork to follow through. If Charles was not a carpenter we probably would have had to look for a bigger house instead haha.

Due to the technical nature of this work I will just be briefly explaining what is going on in the photos and what has been accomplished vs. giving an actual tutorial. If I was to give a tutorial I’d have to hand this computer over to Charles hahaha.

You can see where we started on our demolition in this post. Now let’s continue this renovation!

We had a few items on our demolition checklist before we could start fixing our mess. One was removing the jutting wall which first involved our electrician buddy, Skylar, doing something with that wire running through the studs. Second was removing our little pony wall.

Gardening–A few hits and misses

This is my first year gardening at this house and only my second year gardening ever. My first year of gardening consisted of 2 planter boxes with a single cherry tomato plant, some strawberries and carrots, a few potatoes and a squash plant. While the tomatoes and strawberries turned out awesome everything else kinda failed so I will state that I am extremely new at this and learning as I go!

This year I have a much bigger space to garden in and am best learning spacing. I am also just now trying to fully comprehend square foot gardening and getting the hang of fertilizers. Any tips or tricks on these topics, or anything else garden related are much appreciated!

I started my year of gardening with the plan of using seeds vs transplants and decided to try my hand at planting some pepper seeds! I started out with some potting soil, a clean strawberry container, and some pepper seeds. I wrapped the inside of the container with seran wrap to prevent leakage of soil and then placed some rocks at the bottom for drainage before filling my container with soil.

I made a trench and planted a total of 4 seeds; my container accommodated 2 trenches. I then watered my seeds, covered them up, placed them in a sunny indoor location and waited hopefully.

Playdough!

Anna is finally into playing with playdough! I had tried her with some about 2 months ago but she still wasn’t exactly sure what to think of it. Now that she is just a bit older she really enjoys it!

I decided to try my hand at The Imagination Tree’s “Best Ever No-Cook Play Dough Recipe” recipe. I really don’t like the idea of having to mix up playdough over a hot stove so I much preferred only having to add boiling water to the dry ingredients! I found this playdough did turn out quite well and was super easy to make but that it definitely was quite sticky at first. I cut the recipe in half but still had to add almost an extra 1/4 cup of flour to make it pliable as well as knead it a whole bunch. Besides that though it seems to be great!

Anna was quite intrigued by stretching the dough.

Squishing it….

And she even tried her hand at rolling it!

She did try eating it once but it resulted in this face….and she didn’t try it again! hahaha

And let me tell you! Playdough is not just for kids! Charles had a blast entertaining Anna with playdough while making his own bizarre creations…

I must admit, there is something strangely calming and fun about squishing some playdough; kids or no kids! When was the last time you played with playdough?

Treasure In Our Attic!

As Charles has been doing some demolition on our walls and ceiling to prep our attic space for stairs we have found a few interesting items; mainly some interesting bank notes from CIBC! Apparently it was then better known as its full name, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce!

In case you didn’t catch the dates on these cheques here’s a closer view! That’s right, July 9, 1979! How cool is that???

This is the stamp on the back of one of the cheques.

We also found part of a pay stub I think? The top reads “Please detach before presenting for payment”. The date on this is Sep 26, 1979.

I’m not too sure how they got up there, or I guess left there? The space was so bare and you need to bring in your own ladder to get up there! However perhaps this owner once upon a time used it for storage?

Amusingly those aren’t the weirdest things we found…Charles even found a broken condom! Not the wrapper, an actual condom!! Can you say ew?? Now tell me why that is up there!!! Then again maybe I’d rather not know…hahaha.

Have you ever found stuff in your walls? I love stuff like that! One house we lived in 10 years ago we put a time capsule of a newspaper, a photo of us, and some other stuff into a spot we were closing off! I wonder if anyone has ever found it yet, or what the person that does find it will think!

Surprise!!!

I’m now 20 weeks pregnant! The halfway mark! I have no clue where time has gone but it sure is rushing by fast and the last 20 weeks will go by even faster I’m sure! Luckily we’ve gotten a nice start on our renovations but we are definitely feeling the time crunch; we have our fingers crossed we get everything done in time!

Being that I’m 20 weeks pregnant we had our latest ultrasound last week on Thursday, April 26th. It was amazzinngg being able to see our beautiful baby and the best part? We were able to find out the babies gender!!!

So what are we having you ask? Well earlier I had blogged about the mood boards I had created for both a boy or a girls room and folks, we have a winner!