Small Bathroom

Small - That is the description of our hallway bathroom.

It would be fine for just one person or a couple, but with the four of us using it, it calls for some careful storage and diligent daily up keeping.

When I first saw the house, the bathrooms really turned me off. They are just... old...and small.

I was spoiled by our condo's 90's bathroom features - airy, good storage cabinets, adjustable shelving medicine cabinet, window, etc.

I believe I spent lots of time trying to update this small space the minute we moved in, to my dismay, there's still some more to do, but it is functional right now.

Using this small room by all of us made me think of de-cluttering every time I am in there. Thus it makes me think of routine and good habits as well. Something I would write a post about soon.

However, I am very content, because despised of all that "I wish I haves", I have running hot water at the turn of the faucet, something that is considering a luxury in some countries. I will put up with the "unfinished small functional bathroom" any time.

Do we have a Master bathroom? Yes, but that will be another post.

This was what it looked like when we first moved in. I was having a very hard time to work with the brown/beige color theme instead of the black/gray/white color theme I had in the condo which I so loved.

I found this cool looking shower curtain at Bed Bath & Beyond. It helped set the tone of the room. The cotton white mat was from World Market.  

After the incident of the fallen wall mounted bathroom cabinet (from Target - extremely heavy), I got this two-drawer floor cabinet. It works very well. The top part became a place to hold dirty clothes before we jump into the tub. No more clothes on the floor. I keep this top space clear at all time. The bottom drawer holds the TPs perfectly. I am still working on the stuff in that wrought iron basket. At least it is corralling all the regularly used items at this point.

The top drawer houses the daily bathroom items. I have an idea of a better spot for the tooth brushes. I will update it when I get it done. I keep my make-up bag in the other bathroom.

I (I meant Robert) added a simple wooden peg on the back of the door and it instantly gave the bathroom a little more breathing room on the towel control. I changed all the bathroom fixtures to match the light fixture as close as I could make it

Love this mirror. It was a house warming gift from a dear friend. It looks light and airy in here which is what I really want to create. For the warmer season, I will change out the shower curtain to a white one and will put this one back on in cooler weather. The wall and the grouting behind the sink need a desperate make over. Another project down the road.

If it looks crowded here, it is! I try to keep this area as clutter free as possible. The one pretty thing I replaced was the toilet lid. It has some embroidered print on the edge of the lid. A bit pricey but worth the extra as it is very sturdy for the rough handling of many hands many times a day. See the wall damage above the toilet tank? That was where the heavy cabinet once were. I may put a frame there some day - definitely not a priority. What I did not have a picture of is the old ventilation fan. A new one is needed badly. I make sure no one closes that bathroom door after each use so it could get aired out. Without a window, this place needs lots of airing out to avoid mold build-up. :)

Here is the aftermath of the heavy cabinet fell off the wall one early morning in December. We heard this loud tumbling down roar mixed with glass shattering. Yeah... a morning no one wants to repeat. How it landed facing the sink is still a mystery to us.

~This post is linked up at Raising Homemakers' Homemaking Link-Up!

Yard Work Love

I found out I thoroughly enjoy doing yard work.

Perhaps it is due to living in a condo for so long and the association was taking care of every blade outside our living space. This is the first time in our married life that I actually get to go outside of the house and WORK on the yards!

I am loving and thanking God for every minute of it. Granted I do live in a more pleasant climate so the sunshine in winter is actually a welcoming guest to me.

Peter is almost always outside playing nowadays. I am taking a gazillion of pictures of him playing out there. I think subconsciously I want to keep these moments fresh in my mind with just a click of the button later on.

I just came back into the kitchen and was trying to do some dishes only to find that the water pressure is so low that it made it very difficult to wash anything in the kitchen sink.

Well...

Keep calm and call hubby and the serviceman.

Or maybe I should just go back out and do some more yard work. :)

 Peter playing in the yard next to his "tiny house". Love those big boxes the appliances came with.

Joshua nailed some steps on this huge pine tree in our back yard. I am seeing a swing coming on one of those branches soon.

Welcome to The Home Ownership and All That Comes With It!

So I woke up yesterday and with renewed energy and all, aiming to tackle a bunch of the back log stuff, only to find a small puddle of water between the water heater and the washing machine! Upon further investigation, I found out that...

It was not from the washing machine. Whew!
It was from the water heater - Boo.

So the search of that piece of Home Warranty document began. We signed so many papers and I just could not remember where did I put it or if we even have purchased it?

Right then and there, I knew what my new add-on HTC list will be - Taming the Paper Tiger once more.

Since we moved I have not a chance to work on organizing the library/office. My binders are everywhere. It has been bothering me greatly but I kept telling myself as soon as I get a chance - I want to enjoy the time with Robert and Christine while they are home on Christmas break - I will reorganize it. Well, whether I like it or not, I have to tackle it NOW before I go in sane.

Mind you, I do love to organize paperwork and such. So I will focus on this task this week and will share it here later.

On the bright side of things, we finally got our Heat/Air System replaced/installed. For the first time in two months we had a warm night last night! It is the biggest expense by far for the Home Improvement projects but we are biting the bullet, knowing it is a great asset for the house and also a tax write off item.

I think I will create an Home Improvement spread sheet to track the projects of this house. It will be fun to look back later.

They did such a fine job!

Brian (our friend and contractor) and his assistant Dale.

House with A Yard

We are owner of a house and a yard! What a miracle!

Seems like forever ago that what I had been wished for was to own a tiny house with a small yard where Peter could run around. Peter was born in the time when my mind and heart have been contented with the idea of small living. Every time when friends asked: "Are you still in that little house?" I would say: "yes... and I will probably die there as well." Thinking there would not be a chance to move into a house in the same town we are in, I started letting go stuff and started repainting the condo so we would be more comfortable in a less cluttered small home. That was our (rather, my) plan. In June last year, however, after our oldest son and his family came to visit and left, Robert announced that we would be selling and moving. What a surprise it was to me! After consulted with a friend whose ministry and heart is to help people with their finance, we found out we would be able to do it with very careful budgeting.

So I started dreaming. I began my "wish list" to God that a two-room house with an area to continue my home biz and functional kitchen and bathrooms would be "very fine" with me as long as there is a yard for Peter to run around. Out of all my children, Peter is the one who seems to need the outdoor space the most.

Like many people in the selling and buying process, we too, went through lots of ups and downs in looking for that "perfect" house, but when this one fell on our laps on the night we were so discouraged and were actually considering moving to another city, I knew it was from the Lord. This house was not love at first sight for me but for Robert, his heart was (and still is) totally in it. I have never seen him being so excited (well, besides our wedding day). I just could not say no.

This house has three bed rooms, one den, a living room, dining room, kitchen and two baths with an attached garage. The kitchen and the bathrooms ARE functional and the yard, the yard - it was way more than what we have asked for. Lots of work need to be done but we will have time to do them as this will be our last home. God fulfilled my heart's desire with the "wish list" I gave Him - plus more.

Peter has been having so much fun out there digging and shoving. It makes my heart sing every time I see him out there playing. God's plan is always better than mine. Time and time again He has proven that to me.

The house is growing on me. Now with the heat/air system replaced, it feels more like home with each passing day.

My heart is so grateful for all the turn of events in our lives these last two years. Miracles indeed do happen.

The "Hope To Complete" List

It is quite interesting to think that the New Year's Day will bring in the motivation to attempt new en-devours or press on old ones with renewed energy.  But it is true, a new day of the year does offer this kind of inspiration. I am glad for it because I have a few things I would like to complete in this coming year.

The first thing I would like to attempt is....

A LIST!

Hmmm.... How original, right?

Well, this list is not complicated. In fact, I would like it to be as simple as possible. I work well with simple lists and obtainable small victories.

I also thought to myself, instead of calling them goals or dreams, I would like to call it the "Hope To Complete" List - a better fitting name for this season of my life. I will start with some HTC projects/tasks and add to them as they come (and they will come).

Without further adieu and not in any particular order...

1) Work on the new (to us) house, making it our home - one room at a time.

2) Invite friends over once a month, preferably one family at a time. It is only in this kind of small, intimate setting that friendship is fostered on a more personal level.

3) Think up more fun field trip ideas for our family

4) Morning devotional/memorize verses

5) Read at least one book (this may sound silly but I have not been able to enjoy reading a book all the way through for a while, for various personal reasons)

It feels great writing down these things that have been circling in my head for a while. New year brings new energy and by God's grace, I think I am ready to press on!