For a Good Cause

For those that read my blog, you know the charity of choice for me is Holt. But I do have other charities I support. One is Locks of Love. I donated my hair many years ago, 10 inches is quite a lot of hair if you measure it. Then a few years later, I donated my hair again.

I've been thinking of doing this again over the years and the one time I was going to chop it off, the hair dresser talked me out of it. I've regretted that ever since. So now it's come up again, should I or shouldn't I? This time around though, I don't want to cut my hair. I know I will have cutter's remorse. I know this is only because I am so used to having long hair.

I don't have a hair style either. I've just let it be long and straight for a long time so I'm in a rut or my comfort zone. I don't get it cut on a regular basis, it's rare I will get it cut professionally. I just have never gotten into doing that.

Now I've made it a challenge to raise more money for Holt thru the Omaha marathon in September. Locks of Love is another charity for the marathon so now I have two charities in one place, so why not cut my hair at the marathon? Because I don't 'want' to cut my hair!

But it's for a good cause, for both charities. I set out the challenge, if Team Holt gets 20 registered walkers or runners for the marathon, I will cut my hair.

I can't back out now! Will I be saying good-bye to my long hair in September? To be continued...

No More Walking on the Plastic

Trail that has been on the stairs, the hallway leading to the guest bedroom, the hallway leading...okay, pretty much everywhere upstairs. We are 'done' with the remodel, at least the big messy parts! All that is left is the hardware on the cabinets and towel rack and so on.

And this will no longer be known as the guest bedroom. My oldest daughter will now claim it as her bedroom. So that must say something about how nice this new addition is! The guest bedroom will now be in the basement.

The finished hallway, looks like it was this way the whole time:


The walk in closet, will soon have shelving and rods:


The new vanity area, this is six feet long so a very nice surface compared to what is in the basement:


The new shower/toilet area. The shower doors turned out nice. I didn't want the clear glass, which is the 'in' thing nowadays, but clear glass on a shower? I would not like that. I need some sort of privacy during a shower so I felt my guests would want some privacy also:


This whole remodel project has been long, but I endured it because I chose to have it done. I've been stuck at home for almost the entire month of July, but it's all been worth it. My kids have endured it with me and they've been great. Especially my two youngest ones, they had to put up with no bathrooms for a few days too.

I hope I don't have another vision for a remodeling project. I don't think so, so I think I'm ok, I hope. This is not to say we haven't had other projects going on around the house. We have had so much traffic of people coming and going for this and that. Some of this is due in part to the storm from June 1st, STILL! And we aren't even done with those repairs.

Gosh, now what am I going to do with my days? I can't speak too soon, there's a lot more going on here...

Handy People...

We are not, but we try our best and work as a team. The remodel, we of course hired the pros. Installing new ceiling fans, we can handle that ourselves..I think. And we did! My hubby and I are not handy around the house. Most projects that are to be 20 minutes are really more than an hour or two for us.

And what a marriage test too, working together on a house project. We are getting better though. I am the one that reads the directions, my hubby is the doer. Most of the time, I am the supervisor, which my dear hubby loves!

Our rule though for doing house projects, if we have the right tools, we can do it. It's when we think we have the right tools and don't, that is when it gets interesting and tensions and patience begin to show their ugly colors.

We have had many 'fun' projects in our marriage. The first major one was hanging a wallpaper boarder for our first born. Yeah, we have been married 20 years so we did make it after that, but we both vowed never again...

We installed a water slide off our dock here...that was an entire family project. You know the saying, 'A family that puts a slide together, stays together'. It did take us 2 1/2 hours to install, but it works AND it was still standing after another storm, though this storm wasn't as bad as the June 1st storm, but still, we were all worried.

I have collected quite a few numbers for people that are considered professionals in their area of expertise, so I can definitely call someone when it comes to the next project around the house.

Holt Picnic

Saturday was the annual Holt picnic in Omaha. I don't do much to help organize it, but I do try to lend a hand where needed. Each year, I think we get better and better and our numbers are growing. I think a big draw is having the Korean meal available. I worked on getting that set up with the Korean Presbyterian Church last year and they graciously agreed to do it again for us this year.

I have to admit, I love our growing numbers, but they worried me this year for the Korean meal. We had 332 Korean meal requests this year with 387 attendees total. This was with people coming without having RSVP'd ahead of time. I have faith in the Korean church and their ability to provide enough food, but still, that is a staggering number when you think of it.

The meal was wonderful, everyone loved it and there was plenty of food to feed everyone. What a lot of work though! The Korean church even had people serving the food so I am even more grateful for this partnership. I am happy to say, they have agreed to provide the meal again for next year!

With so many people in attendance, it is hard for me to talk to everyone, though this year, I worked the registration table so I did meet most of them as they came in. I figured that was the easiest way for me to see everyone. Then as the day goes on, families approach me and tell me I was their greeter for when their child came into Omaha. I'm always baffled as to how they remember me, but I guess it's easier for them to remember me as opposed to me remembering all the families I have greeted for since 1998.

I had one family come up to me I had greeted for seven years ago when their son came home...wow! Seven years?! I see them as babies and to see them grown, amazing. I feel so lucky to have such a volunteer job as the greeter for families. The flights have been more scarce lately, but the feeling of witnessing such an event is always exciting.

I am also lucky enough to stay up to date on babies I have escorted home to their families. Facebook is great to keep up with them, but I get to see some families in person at the picnics. I know the babies don't remember me, but I will always remember them and our journey home on the long flight. I get to see how happy they are now and how happy their parents are. So heart-warming, so amazing.

I feel so blessed for all of my opportunities, amazing grace.

Cleaning Granite

Most people know that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Everyone hangs in the kitchen, even when company is over. Nevermind the great furniture in the living room, the kitchen is the place to be.

Everyday, I clean my granite counter tops. Trust me, I have tried a lot of products. Windex, I am not too crazy about the smell, kind of leaves dull streaks also. Clorox wipes, I used them a lot in our old house. Now they tend to leave the dull streaks on the granite too. I'm picky, I know but I like to look at my clean counter tops and enjoy how great they look.

This is part of the Method cleaning products:



I spray this all over the counters and wipe clean with paper towels. This one smells like cucumber. I didn't think I would like it, but it is actually a nice smell. Previously, I had the grapefruit cleaner, love the smell of grapefruit, it smells so clean!

This cleaner is an all surface cleaner, but I use it only on my counter tops. Method also makes a specific granite cleaner, along with a specific microfiber cloth just for granite. I love this granite cleaner's smell, but I figured for everyday use, I would use the all surface cleaner. Once I am done with the specific granite cleaner, I will stick with the all surface one to save money.

This bottle of cleaner is pretty big so it lasts me quite a long time. Great for saving money. As for the microfiber cloths, I think I got sucked into buying each specific microfiber cloth. I know I could use one microfiber cloth to clean every surface. They get ya with making each cloth a different color and they match the specific cleaner color.

Cleaning Products

I have mentioned before that I used to clean houses as a teenager and was also housekeeping at a Holiday Inn. Wow, such glamorous jobs huh? I have also mentioned that I like to keep my house tidy and clean and presentable. Not that I am obsessive or anything...really...uh huh...

Over the years, I have tried a gazillion cleaning products for the house. So I thought I would start sharing some of my top picks.

With my new house came stainless steel appliances, which I was not thrilled with at all. I know, I know, that is what EVERYONE wants and that is what everyone is saying is the 'in' thing to have in a kitchen nowadays. But the upkeep of stainless steal is a pain. Unless you don't mind having finger prints or smudges all over them. Yes, I sound obsessive now.

I am also one to not want to spend a lot of money. Once again, that doesn't look like it from someone looking in from the outside, but I am a true penny pincher. That is how I got to where I am today!!

I have digressed, here is the product for cleaning my stainless steal appliances:



The key is to also have the microfiber cloth. As a money saving feature, I spray a tiny bit of this cleaner onto the microfiber cloth, wipe the front of the appliance, then buff with a dry area of the microfiber cloth. And bingo, you have a very shiny and clean stainless steal surface!

I was told to use just plain vinegar and water for stainless steal, that works also, but the smell, phew! I can't stand that smell, BUT vinegar and water is THE BEST for cleaning windows and trust me, I would know, we have A LOT of windows here. When you clean your windows, wipe clean with crumpled newspaper.

Do I like cleaning? Not really, it just seems like I have been cleaning all my life..

Whistle While You Work...

I have posted about my vacuum on Facebook quite a lot, but never got around to posting a picture of it. Well, here it is, my backpack vacuum. Isn't it cute?!:



It really is a handy little thing and fits me just perfectly. My family just laughs at me when they see me using it, but that's ok. I don't want to ruin my wood floors with a regular vacuum. My floors are walnut and they drive me crazy! Can you picture my hubby using this? Ya, he's used it...he looks like a giant wearing it on his back. My youngest daughter thinks I look like I'm going to camp. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to vacuum I go...

I make myself sound like I am a clean freak, really I'm not. I just like to keep my house tidy as can be because I love it so much! I take pride in what I own. My house, my car, my clothes, my shoes...you get the picture. Everything pretty much is in an orderly condition. Orderly does not make one obsessive compulsive or a clean freak. Just makes life easier.

Remember, I also cleaned houses when I was a teenager and I was also housekeeping at a hotel during that time too. I KNOW how to clean!

Memories...Like the Corners...

Of high school! The past few days, I have been working on my high school class list for our 25 year reunion. Trust me, I never want to see another spread sheet again! And it only took me the very last day of updating to figure out how to sort and delete on excel. I know, I know, pretty pathetic, but that is how I learn things.

I don't know how many times I had to update, update again, and update again. Thank goodness the school foundation keeps a class list and it is to be the most up to date. Well, trust me, it isn't the most up to date. Thank goodness for facebook. Wish I had that medium for the first two reunions I planned. Reaching out to the masses with facebook is THE way to go.

After updating addresses, I had to put address labels on the invitations. Once again, thank goodness for the school foundation, they provide the labels! With one more update of addresses, I sent off to the foundation and they printed off the labels right then and there.

As I was taping the invitations, I received an email from the foundation stating I needed their return address on the outside in order to use their bulk mail code...um really? I already had the printing done and now I had to do the return address on 417 invitations?? Ugh! But have no fear, my hubby was at the foundation picking up the address labels so I had him ask them to print off labels of their return address...phew! Quick thinking! They were able to print off 360 for me, yes! And thank goodness for the foundation for the use of their bulk mail code so I didn't have to spend money on postage.

So all in all, it got done. 417 invitations later. As I was putting the address labels onto the invitations and reading each of the names, I was pretty impressed that I knew most of the 417 names.

I know there will be complaints, as I have heard them from past reunions, but this time, I don't have to shoulder the blame alone. I wasn't in charge of planning this reunion..eh hem..I just shouldered the huge task of the addresses and invitations only because the two planning the reunion didn't think about it until I mentioned it, at the 12th hour. There are only 142 out of 417 classmates on facebook, we had to include the rest, right?

All in all, it should be a fun reunion. This one is casual, come as you are, eat, drink and mingle and be the adults that we are...right? No more high school cliques, gossip, sneers, glares...we actually had some of this attitude at the 20 year reunion, go figure. I'm too old for that stuff and I don't put up with that either.

With all this done, now I can relax...well, a little. I'm still in the midst of the remodel...

Two Birds With a Pair of These..

As I walk around the main floor with these on my feet, I convince myself I am cleaning the floor AND exercising at the same time...I can dream can't I?!

I am very particular about my wood floor and keeping the main floor clean and tidy at all times. Just ask my family. No, I do not have OCD...okay, maybe to a degree, but this floor, really, it's a pain in my...

I swiffer daily, or I strap on my backpack vacuum and vacuum daily. Once I am done, I really do feel better and cleaner. I still need to take a picture of my backpack vacuum. My youngest daughter thinks I look like I am going off to camp or something.

I got these cleaning slippers prior to moving into this house. The floors were redone so I didn't want to harm them in anyway. I bought a green pair for my youngest daughter too and we go around dusting and 'exercising'.

During this renovation project, I've been wearing them a lot. Dust is everywhere, foot prints are everywhere, crumbs are everywhere...okay, I said I wasn't OC!!

Day...Forget it, it's Week Three

This renovation, as in all renovations, has taken longer than the set schedule. I have been fine with all the construction, except for last Saturday. We were set to have company and the drywall people were still working that morning sanding the walls. This created major dust everywhere! Especially from our master closet, which is on the main floor and close to the front door.


This doesn't look like much, but it's only part of the ceiling in the master closet. They cleaned up the plastic, vacuumed and brushed off everything the best they could, but holy DUST! Can we say EVERYWHERE??:


All of the dust lead out to the entryway, to the living room, to the...it was just everywhere:


Yesterday, this is how Kora's bathroom and Taylor's bathroom started out to prepare for the tile floors(this was a last minute decision to change their vinyl floors to tile):


Kora's bathroom with tile:


New vanity area:


Shower/toilet area:


The new shower!:


The decorative tile close up(that's right, each diamond in the middle had to be placed individually, but at least the white tile already had the diamond cut out in it):


Today is grout day...now let's see if this whole thing gets done this Friday?!! Crossing fingers...but not holding my breath, I want to live!

Day...what?

The days are now blending together and I can't even keep track. According to my blog, I should be posting about day 7 & 8. Everything is a blur now since I sit and sit at home, homebound during this whole thing. Ahhh! What? Am I complaining? Um, yeah, but quietly...I swore I wouldn't complain, but really, it's getting old. The really old part is the master closet. All of our clothes are still sealed off with plastic and the floor is covered in plastic AND drywall mud dust! Holy Cow!

I vacuum daily after the workers are done, but the closet floor was too much for me. Imagine me, trying to vacuum the dust that is on plastic...yeah, the plastic keeps getting sucked into the vacuum and repeat and repeat and repeat...I gave up. Most of my clothes are outside of the closet, but still. You know when you can't use something, like electricity or water? That is when you need it or want it the most.

My floors leading to the bedroom and closet, the stairs leading upstairs and my youngest daughter's room is covered in plastic. Been quite the chore trying not to slip on it while walking on it. And this is the look we will have this weekend as we host company to celebrate my hubby's parents' 50th anniversary. Oh well, that is life and the celebration will go on!

Day 5 & 6

Day 5 was a blur to me and was only half the day of construction. That was a good thing because I was going a little stir crazy! Needed to go to the store for the Holiday weekend and I hadn't even started with anything.

Day 6 came with drywall, now this is what I'm talking about! Finally, our master closet was getting 'closed' in. I still can't get to my other clothes due to the plastic, but I will survive:


Kora now has privacy with a wall into her own shower and toilet, the former shared shower and toilet:


The future shower is coming together:
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The inside and outside of the the future walk in closet now looks like a closet:

Day 3 & 4

Day three of the remodel didn't seem like much, but it was. More plumbing and the glue smell, wow! Don't know how they can stand that smell! Not many changes so no pictures for day three.

Day four seemed like the longest day for me. Came with the most changes and the most noise. The electrical was done so not too many pictures for that either.

Framed in the wall that was the alcove but will now be the future walk-in closet:


The doorway to the new walk-in closet:


Today shouldn't consist of much. Drywall guy is here to determine the amount of drywall needed. Plumbing inspector should be here later this morning. Then we wait until Monday. Should be even more drastic changes with the drywall up, I'm looking forward to that.

We built our last house so we know what all that entails. Remodeling is just as bad even though we aren't doing it ourselves. It disrupts our daily lives, I'm stuck inside all day, but I can't complain. I wanted this done and it looks like one more week...well, I'm hoping anyway. That is the goal.

I've had to let go of control and not let all the dust and traffic of people walking on my wood floors bother me. I think I've done well so far. I just strap on my vacuum and then mop up at the end of the day. This whole project still looks great in my head. Let's just hope it turns out just as great!