Home Renovations........

I don't think it matters whether you own an old or a new house there is always something that needs doing to it.  Whether it be a simple painting a room or renovating the whole house, there is always work to be done.

I happen to be married to a man who loves doing DIY.  The only book he will read is a DIY book.  His main hobby in life is DIY.  He's one of these guys who likes to be on the go all the time.  Whereas I am quite happy to sit all day with a good book and read.

The one good thing about my dh is that he is good at DIY and is very picky, and believes if you're going to do something, it needs to be done right.  Mind you as he is now in his mid-50's he is slowing down, so jobs are not getting done as fast as he used to be able to do them.  But when he has done a job (the attic) it is really well done.  We are still fiddling on with the basement, as he is now putting a tiled back splash on the counter top down there.  I picked out white "Subway" tile, as they are plain and simple, and cheap!!!  Plus they are neutral and at the end of the day its a laundry room in the basement.

When that job is done we are moving onto something else. HOWEVER, and there is always a however, with multiple jobs wanting done and very limited funds it's a case of trying to figure out what to do next. 

The jobs we have done so far have been huge jobs that have taken a lot of money, but have had a huge impact on the house.  Renovating the attic and making it into a livable space is a bonus.  Insulating it all so that that heat from downstairs doesn't rise and go directly out of the roof is another good thing.......LOL Photos of the attic are here and here and here.

The same with the new basement, there was a distinct lack of insulation down there and it made it a totally unusable space.  It's now a great space with a lot of uses.  As with any old home there were no closets, we have remedied that situation and both the bedrooms and the bathroom on the 1st floor have good sized closets fitted out with closet organizers. Our master bedroom closet photos here 

We have put money aside to get new shingles installed on the garage roof, as it is raining in; that job should be done by the end of this month, weather permitting.  We cannot afford a new kitchen, so we have decided to maybe replace the counter tops with a good quality laminate, as any stone is so way above our budget it's crazy.  Plus change the sink and taps, as the taps are leaking, and the sink is a white porcelain and is nasty!!

I talked about painting the cupboards, and did speak to someone at a home show this weekend about it and that is maybe a job I will do.  She did warn me, to tackle a few cupboards at a time, otherwise you will be pig sick of it before it's all over with.  I think that will be a cheap solution with huge impact, or at least I am hoping it will be.

The garage needs other work on it doing, which we can do ourselves.  The family room needs a makeover, as does the living room.  The mud room needs ripping apart and starting again, as it is an addition and has practically ZERO insulation in it.  Both bathrooms need total revamps, and the shed is hanging by a thread...LOL

I guess I just need to take a deep breath and say we need to take our sweet time and do what we can do and the rest will have to wait!!!

Are you renovating?

If you are new to my blog it is worthwhile clicking on the links to see the before and afters.

More of what I have been up too, with photos.

On Tuesday I decided to strip down the book shelves in the family room and clean behind them.  The story of how I came to own these shelves is on this post.  It took me a while to get everything off, cleaned and put back on, however it was a good job, jobbed as I say.

By the way the kids photos are their Grade 12 Graduation photos, which was 9 years ago now; gosh time has flown by since then and they have changed a lot since then.

On Wednesday afternoon, I headed into the attic to tidy some of my sewing stuff up and discovered a few things I had forgotten about. I also sat down and did a bit of machine quilting on this quilt:

I must have been on with this quilt now for nearly three years? I found the original post of when I started to make it back in January of 2009.  To the right of the sewing machine you can see a purple fabric box, I wrote about how too make it on this post.

We bought a new chest of drawers for the attic last month and it is in complete contrast to the one in the spare bedroom:

This one is from Ikea, although I did buy nicer handles for it from Lowes, as I didn't like the ones it came with.   The toiletries are for my brother when he comes over at the end of  the month.

I must say I am enjoying pottering around the house getting odds and sods of jobs done.  That's one good thing about the weather being colder and wet, you get more done inside of the house.

Some more photos of the attic.

Finally got my window seat cushion and other things I had ordered.  Not the best photos but it will give the idea:

These are the new lights we installed in the attic:

The chandelier hangs over the stairs, so it looks better than the photo.  I still have the touch ups to do, that should be this next weeks job, as I want the boys to cart some furniture up there on Father's Day when they come up.

I need to have drapes made for the skylight but as I am having a bit of work done on my car this next week, it will have to wait.

Before and After photos of the attic......

As promised photos of the new stairs and attic.  To see the before photos you will have to click on this link  For those of you who are new to the blog the attic was not insulated when we moved in.  To get to the attic you had to go up narrow tiny stairs through the bathroom.  It had one small original window in it.  All the walls were plaster and lathe, which had to be carted down the narrow stairs and then down the main stairs, in the stinking heat in June and July.....oh those were the days!!!

Since then we have relocated the stairs so you access them from the landing and not the bathroom.  They are an exact replica of the original ones.  We replaced the dormer window and installed a large 4 foot square skylight window.  It's all been insulated, new drywall, painted, new flooring and carpeting.  A window seat put in the dormer window area with storage underneath.  We decided to use regular trim as despite the new drywall being put in the rafters and joists were not perfectly level and so the walls still bow.

We have evicted the mouse population and any other wildlife that was up there.  Dh has trimmed out the corners are the drywallers left them a mess......and no we couldn't be bothered to argue with them to come and fix it.  It was easier dh doing it himself.  There has been a lot of blood, sweat and even a few tears with that room and despite it still not being quite finished I wanted to show you what it looks like now.

This photo is looking up the attic stairs the skylight is directly at the top of the stairs.  The wood was all white pine when it was installed.  I have stained and varnished it all.  The carpet fitters thought it was original wood, so that made me very happy.

This is the stairs with the carpet runner on it.

This is looking at the side of the stairs, isn't it gorgeous?  The detail he did was just lovely.  All the nail holes are to fill and they still need a top coat of varnish on them.  When you are staining and varnishing wood you shouldn't fill the nail holes until you are finished as it prevents "ghosting" as per the carpenter.  Dh is on mudding the drywall underneath the stairs at the moment.  I will be decorating the landing and stairs next when he has finished all the jobs on there.

This is looking down the stairs.  We put the half wall in to give the room privacy as there is no door on it.

This is looking towards the sky light window.  The object on top of the half wall is our "temporary" electric supply until dh gets all the plugs connected.  We will also have new lights, dh just hasn't had time to install them.

This is looking towards the dormer window and the window seat.

Another view of the dormer window and the seat with the lid up.  I am getting a seat cushion, two throw cushions and a valance custom made for there.  They're not ready yet.

This shows a close up of the trim work that had to be done in each of the corners.

Again showing the trim work and the half wall.

I painted the walls a beige colour with a hint of pink undertones in it.  The trim work is white, except for the corner trim.  The colour of the carpet is a darker beige colour called Taffy.  The stain is English Chestnut.

I will post more photos when dh has got all the electrical work done and we have it all furnished.  Mind you it's going to be furnished with what we have around the house........

{{SIGH}}

I could think of other words, but I think sighing will do for now.  I have decided I must have been a bad devil in another life as I swear it's one step forward and two steps back at the moment.

Got the carpet installed finally on Monday.  Was supposed to come after lunch; didn't turn up until 4pm.  Nice guys though, but they managed to scratch my paintwork and wood work.  I know it couldn't be helped but even so {{SIGH}}  The carpet though does look good and I will get photos taken.

Went to the dentist again yesterday and came out of there with another prescription for antibiotics and an appointment for May 26th to have my root canal redone {{{SIGH}}}  The only good thing about it all the dentist is doing it for free.  However I could really have done without going through that again.  Mind you I can't go on with rotten toothache all the time either.

This weather bloody well sucks at the moment.  We have had to put the heating back on as it is so cold wet and miserable.  One thing with the winter weather it is generally bitter cold but it is a dry cold.  When it's wet and miserable like it is now it tends to get into your bones and makes everything ache.  Mind you that could have something to do with getting old as well!!!

I have a hundred men in my head pounding on drums at the moment.  Not sure if its the weather or what it is, I just wish they would take a break and move on to someone elses head {{{SIGH}}}

I am going to make a point of taking some photos and posting them on my blog for tomorrow as I need a more perkier post as this one is just plain miserable!!!

Have a good Wednesday.........

Felt as though I was back in Britain on Saturday......

It was foggy until supper time and rained ALL day. Weather for the ducks as we would say. Luckily it wasn't too cold though and at least it was rain and not snow!! I swear I can see the grass growing as we speak. It wants cutting again all around the house, and I only just cut it. Have to say though everything looks so fresh and green with this rain, but it has spoiled our weekend as I can't get outside to garden.

I did get my little jobs done in the attic and did the final coat of varnish on the stairs. I am hoping that it will be dry enough for me to walk on tomorrow, so I can continue my varnishing in the attic itself.

Took dh grocery shopping on Saturday afternoon, and I had a coupon for free ice cream up to a value of $5. Do you know that the premium brands of ice cream are all over $5 a carton? We did manage to get a 2 litre tub of Chapmans frozen yogurt that was $4.99. I just can't get over how much grocery prices have increased recently. Before coupons it would have cost us over $110 and there is only two of us. After coupons it cost $95, which is still a lot. I did get a bit of meat and a package of Advil which was $12 just for that.

I see gas prices have dropped again, down to $1.28 per litre, I paid $1.30 on Friday. It cost me $84 to fill up the gas tanks for the tractor and my car. I did get $1.50 back in Canadian Tire money which I guess is better than nothing.

Got another $25 from Swagbucks this month, so my Amazon account is up to nearly $220. I am hoping to add another $100 to it before I have to get dd her Kitchen Aid mixer for her Bridal Shower gift. For any of you who have not joined Swagbucks, it's free money for doing not a lot. If you do decide to join I'd appreciate if if you'd join using my referral link.  If you do join and have any questions ask away and I'll answer them for you.

Have a super Sunday............

Now this is what I call a tractor......

If my dad looks at my blog he'll let me know what they are doing.  This is at the field on top of the hill.  I know they used a combine harvester to harvest the crop in that field last year, but no idea what they were planting the other day.

Wouldn't mind having a go in that tractor; it's a "bit" bigger than my little tractor.  My little tractor though is working hard and I managed to get all of Kamikaze Hill cut on Friday, which was a bonus as I hadn't planned on doing it as we were forecast for rain.  It held off until I had nearly finished cutting it, but then it poured down.

I have finished painting the attic.  I just have some touch ups to do where my "low tack" painters tape pulled off my paint on the walls?  No idea why I paid extra money for the fancier tape when all it did was pull off the paint?  I am going to do that and clean up the attic and put a final coat of varnish on the stairs.  I still have to varnish the wood on the half wall in the attic but I can do that with the carpet down.

I will be glad when Monday night arrives as the carpet will be down and attic will be more or less done, there will be just be finishing touches, including dh finishing off the electrical and hanging the lights.  We will both be glad when it's finished and I can't wait to share photos with you all.  I will also be able to catch up with you all on your blogs, as time has been in short supply recently.

Enjoy your Saturday.

I knew I shouldn't have, but I did......

I went and cut the grass.  Well not all the grass, as I was busy with other things during the day, but I did nearly three hours worth, and have all around the house done.  Just have the field, Kamikaze Hill and the front ditch.  I could have done part of the ditch but I wasn't happy about flying up and down the hill.  Must be getting soft in my old age!!  Also I need to clean out the ditch of garbage, which I haven't got done yet.  So I am thinking a good three hours probably more for the field and probably under two hours for Kamikaze Hill, then I should be done.

Not sure when I will get around to doing it though, as I have work today and then it is going to rain until next Tuesday.  Have to fill up my gas tanks also this week, so I am guessing with filling my car as well, I think there won't be any change out of $100.

I spent Wednesday morning in the attic tidying up and then painting all the trim.  That took over 2 1/2 hours to paint everything and I class myself as a fast painter.  I am hoping on Friday it won't take as long.  I have to say the days are just flying by as there is so much to do.  The flower beds are full of weeds, I could spend a week on edging the gardens and whipper snipping all the edges around the property.  Oh well it will get done when it gets done...

Enjoy your Thursday, and think of me slaving away at a computer!!!

Book Review and other things

"An Unlikely Suitor" by Nancy Moser

"New York dressmaker Lucy Scarpelli befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's designing her 1895 summer wardrobe. Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating fashions that hide her physical injury, Rowena invites Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, encouraging the unusual friendship.

One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what Newport man would want to marry an Italian dressmaker working to support her family?

Rowena faces an arranged marriage to a wealthy heir she doesn't love, but dare a crippled girl hope for anything better?

And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, falls for a man well above her social class--but is he willing to give up everything to marry a woman below his station?

As the lives of three young woman--and their unlikely suitors--become entangled in a web of secrets and sacrifice, will the season end with any of them finding true happiness?"

This was a really good book to read.  I got "into" the story right away, the main characters were so believablee and each one was interesting in their own right.  It was not obvious right away who the men that Lucy and Rowena loved were.  It gave an insight into how the "rich" lived during the summer at Newport in the 1900's and how little the poor had in the tenements of New York.  It also highlighted the class distinction and how one was not allowed to marry or mix with people above or below their station.  Something I think people connect with British Society, but maybe not with other parts of the world.

What was as interesting was at the end of the book there is a list of facts or fiction pertaining to what was written in each chapter.  They were as interesting to read as the book.  Some of it I knew as I had read a book on the Vanderbilt's a while ago and they were mentioned in the book.

Also at the end of the book is a section showing pictures and details of the fashion that is mentioned in the book, which I also found very interesting.

Stars out of 5: 5 I really enjoyed this book.  It was an easy read for me and I wanted to know what happened next.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Back at work today, Monday was a super busy day but I actually got all my to-do list done.  The attic walls have now been painted twice, as has the ceiling.  That was a harder job than normal because of the sloped ceiling and walls.  I need to get on with painting all the trim and finishing off the staining and varnishing.  I am on schedule, so not as stressed about it all.  I can see light at the end of the tunnel!!

Enjoy your Tuesday.......

Suffering from "blog burn out"

Not sure if that's the right expression or not, but don't seem to have the same enthusiasm as I normally do for my blog at the moment.  I think it's because I am juggling more "balls" at the moment trying to get a lot of things done in a short time.

I am finding the older I get the faster time flies by.  Also I don't feel as organized as I used to be.  We're on a deadline to have the attic finished by the 16th of May, so we are busy doing things in there every day now, including me.  I am getting to the stage where I will start painting the walls and ceiling.  The goal this week is to get the ceiling painted twice.  I know it doesn't sound a lot but I have work and visitors and other things planned also this week, so fitting in painting is hard. 

I cancelled guests coming for dinner this past weekend as we were so busy, so am not doing that this week.  I don't remember when we last had anyone over to the house, other than the kids.  Then there is the garden, the grass is growing like crazy and I know I could start cutting it if I wanted, but with the price of gas up to $1.369 a litre I am putting it off as long as I can.  I need to spend a week just going through the raspberry patch weeding it.  Never mind weeding all the flower beds and the veggie patch!!

Oh and did I mention the state of the house.  I am sure you can write your name in the dust!!!

My goals for today though are to clean the bathrooms. 

Do a load of laundry.

Go and vote.

Do more work in the attic, still got some primer to put on a couple of places and sand down the baseboards where I filled in the nail holes.  Hopefully get the first coat of paint on the ceiling.

Made a gourmet supper........I am being sarcastic here!!! Got four chicken breasts out of the freezer yesterday, so will cook them and have two for tonight's supper and two for tomorrow nights supper.

Got a couple of phone calls to make.

Try and clean some of the house.

Plant the cotoneasters.........though I already know that won't happen!!

Plus a hundred and one other things that need doing.

So all in all I am feeling a tad overwhelmed at the moment and the blog is being neglected because of it.  Do you get days/weeks like that?

Another book review and a busy day

"Stars Collide" by Janice Thompson

"Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don't just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom--they are actually head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps. But when Kat's grandmother, an eccentric star from Hollywood's golden age, mistakes their on-screen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of control. Will their secret be front-page news in the tabloids? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed family members?


From the soundstage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes you on a roller-coaster tour of Hollywood, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion."


This is a really good book, as it points out all to clearly that even Hollywood stars are human.  Also it touches on the issue of Dementia in older people; and that aspect of the story is dealt with really well in my opinion.


There were a couple of twists in this book that even I didn't guess and I loved them.  It also gave you an insight into Hollywood back in the golden years and now.  I loved the way the Grandmother was able to remember all the old movies and how the granddaughter made a game out of remembering them also.  This was a book that was a light and easy read and it made you smile. 


Stars out of 5: I would say at least a 4.5 and would recommend it.  It is one of those books to sit and read while you are on vacation or have a couple of days of doing nothing.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

On Monday I started to stain the banisters.  It is a pig of a job as it is so fiddly.  I only got half of it done, and that took me three hours.  I plan on getting the rest of it stained today and then I'll make a start on the varnishing.  The only problem is that it is so cold, that we can't really have the windows open and the smell is quite strong.

I can't wait to show you all when it's all finished as it's really nice.  I had a guy come over on Monday to give me a price on carpeting the attic, and he was admiring the new banisters as well.  I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel regarding this attic.  We hope to have it completely finished by the end of April.  Wish both me and dh luck with that goal.......

Touch of Spring in the air........

Wednesday was actually a lovely day, cold but very sunny.......it was even warm enough for me to clean windows inside and out.  Not all of them, but just a couple, however that is a sign for me that things are getting warmer.  Now knowing my luck we will be dumped on with snow by this time next week!!

The squirrels were busy raiding the bird seed and enjoying themselves in the sun.  It kept Molly out of mischief for ages, watching "Squirrel TV."

Just before Christmas I bought this Cyclamen on the "rejects" rack in a big box store.  It was half dead but I have managed to bring it back to life and now look at the wonderful flowers it has.

Also, my "Christmas Cactus" is flowering again, one day it will get it's timing right!!!

Busy on Wednesday painting the ceiling in the bathroom.   Did two coats, but will have to do a third coat as it's looking streaky/patchy which sucks.  Luckily though it doesn't take very long to paint it.  I hope to have the third coat painted, some patching completed and the first coat on the walls on today.

Dh is busy putting down the plywood floor in the attic.  The original floor is in rough shape, so we decided to lay the plywood on top of the original floor and then we will put carpet in there.  The goal is to have all the attic finished by the end of April.  I will take photos when it is all completed, when you see the before and after photos, you won't believe the changes we have made.

Oh Molly - Part II

Molly normally sleeps in our bedroom on a large comforter/duvet I have on the floor for her.  However these past two weeks or so, she has stayed downstairs all night and slept on the sofa, which is obviously more comfortable for her!!


Personally I have no problem with this, as it's one less person in our bedroom that snores!!  On Sunday night/Monday morning, at 1:30am we were awoken from our sleep by Molly barking like a crazy dog.  So I trot downstairs and what ever had wandered through the property had obviously gone, as I couldn't see it, but Molly was bouncing around the family room, like a dog on drugs!!


So I yelled at her, and "ushered" upstairs into our bedroom for the rest of the night.  There just isn't words to describe being woken up from a deep sleep by a barking dog, well no words that I can write here anyway!


So what is interesting Molly do you think?

Yep, it's a squirrel sunning itself on the log pile.  They have got a nest in there somewhere, and I am sure they take great delight in tormenting Molly by just sitting there, knowing full well she can't get off the deck!

Then to confuse the situation, another squirrel appeared in the tree.

Both squirrels were chatting back and forward, probably making fun of Molly!!

Ended up with a blister on Monday!! We have a huge willow tree at the edge of the driveway that "sheds" twigs all through the winter.  So I spent an hour raking them up and carting them to the firepit and that's how I ended up with a blister on my hands!!  I got around 3/4 done, so I'll finish it off today.

Dh made a start on another project on Monday.  Where the old stairs were in the attic, we are going to make a linen closet, and we are also going to re-do the closet in the spare bedroom.  So this means removing plaster and lathe in the linen closet and pulling down drywall in the spare bedroom closet.  So another messy job, but it will be well worth it when we get it done.

The attic is on hold until the guys come back to finish off the corners in May.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot?

Today's money saving tip:

If you do need to purchase some plants, be sure to buy the kinds that will pay dividends. Buy perennial plants which need dividing every 3 - 5 years.

You can also start your own cuttings from woody stemmed type shrubs. Flowers like dahlias & calla lilies come from tubers that need to be divided regularly, too. Over just a few years, an initial investment in these types of plants will yield a very full garden.

Lots of before and after photos of the attic.......

My column for the Orangeville Banner is up and running for the week.  Hopefuly you'll have time to have a read?

As I am sitting here on Thursday evening writing this post, not sure which part of my body aches the most.  I spent the day cleaning up the attic, of all the drywall dust, and what garbage they left.  Then I primed all the ceiling and the walls. 

There is still an awful long way to go before it is finished, but we are getting there slowly but surely.

The first four photos, are of the attic when we were stripping it off the plaster and lathe.

This shows the attic stripped, and the two black pipes where we put in vents to the outside for the two bathroom fans.  It also shows the skylight we put in, to the left of the photo.

Here we have put the hole in the floor ready for the new stairs.

Showing where the skylight was put in.

Here we are with the whole place drywalled and it primed.

As I said before we have a ways to go but what a difference.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Store your rollers and brushes in a plastic grocery sack between paintings. You don’t have to clean them after each use if you keep them from drying out. Refrigerate overnight or freeze them if you are going to not be painting for several days or weeks. I wrap mine in plastic wrap and it works better in my opinion

Should I feel guilty?

As you know we got the attic drywalled, taped and sanded; plus we got our bedroom ceiling repaired.  Anyhow they worked 9am until 4pm, Tuesday through Thursday, three guys.  On the Friday it was 9am until 2pm, 2 guys and then on the following Tuesday it was 9am until 11:30am, two guys.

One of the jobs was to drywall the corner of the hip walls, which they haven't done yet.  After chasing them about this, I finally got an answer from them saying they will do that job when they come to do the basement.  Then when we had a look at the attic, they have missed sanding some of it, and there is a ridge, which is noticeable even in the daylight.  So no doubt when I paint it, it will stand out like a sore thumb.

So I called the boss and he finally came around on Monday and had a look at the attic.  As he was looking at it, he said words to the effect that he hasn't made a cent on this job, infact he's lost money.  Again he will get them to fix the problem when they come back for the basement.

I haven't paid for this job yet, and don't think I should until it's completed..........although I did suggest to dh that maybe I should pay 75% and keep the 25% back until the job is completed.  Also it's not my fault they took as long as they did to complete it; thank goodness they quoted us on this job and the basement.

Should I be feeling guilty about them not making any money, and should I pay for the drywalling?  I haven't received a bill yet.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

It’s only a drip, right? Wrong. One drip per second can add up to 200 gallons per month. So fixing that leaky faucet is definitely worth it, especially if it’s hot water.

My column, and other "stuff"

I talk about BBQ season or in my case cremating season in my column this week on The Eden Valley Messenger.  No idea what I am going to write about next week......no doubt something will pop up before the weekend.

The workmen arrived on Tuesday and  got all the drywall/plasterboard hung in the attic.  So now the guy who puts on the mud and tape will come in and sort it all out.  He has got the stomach flu at the moment, so not 100% sure when he is going to arrive?

It poured down all day on Tuesday and with the guys walking in and out, there is mud from one end of the house to the other.   However there is little point of doing too much cleaning as when the sanding begins its going to be nasty.  I am so not looking forward to that.

10 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE "ESTROGEN ISSUES"

1. Everyone around you has an attitude problem.

2.You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet.

3.The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.

4.Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.

5.You're using your cellular phone to dial up every bumper sticker that says "How's my driving-call 1-800-***-."

6.Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice.

7. You're convinced there's a God and he's male.

8.You can't believe they don't make a tampon bigger than Super Plus.

9.You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.

10.The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.

Off to get more chocolate and ibuprofen!!!

Did you remember to put your money in your daily savings pot?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Keep it indoors. Whether you’re heating or cooling, you don’t want your energy going out the door. Caulk and weather-strip around doors and window frames. Closely check any area where pipes go from the outside of your home to the inside, especially plumbing pipes. And if you have operable storm windows, make sure those are shut, too.

And what do you have drying on your clothes horse/dryer?

Well newly stained baseboard/skirting board, don't you???

When we stripped out the attic last summer we saved any woodwork that may be of use in the rest of the house.  There was a lot of baseboard in the attic, but not all the way around the attic, so we knew we couldn't use the original baseboard up there are again.  Meanwhile we needed some more baseboard for the closet we are building and so we pulled some from our stockpile.  A lot of the baseboard was damaged, so we can only use bits of it.  As you can see on the bottom of the photo, that piece has quite a bit of damage on it, so I only stripped what we can use.  You can see some of the original stain/varnish on the right hand side.  I have stained it English Chestnut to match the rest of the wood.

It is too cold in the new basement for it to dry in a few hours, so I popped it on my clothes horse, close-ish to the fire where I knew it would dry a bit faster.  I am going to pick up the door trim this week from this store  This is the only place I have been able to find trim to sort of match our house.

It's family day here in Ontario.  Bit of a strange holiday if you ask me, because half the people don't get the day off.  Dh is working, as the factory where he is contracted out too don't get it as they already get "X" amount of paid days off that's allowed???  Future son-in-law works for the Federal Government and as this is a Provincial Government holiday they don't get it.  Ds, he's working, no idea why as he's a chartered accountant for a private firm.  I'm guessing that they're super busy and that's why.  I actually know they're super busy, but don't know the reason for them not getting the day off.  Dd is off and is going shopping.....she is her mother's daughter.  And me........well as one day seems to be like another I guess I won't be celebrating family day either.  Although dd did ask me to go shopping with her, but as I have no money I hate going shopping when I have no money, plus I have a lot to do this week!!

My contribution for Valentine's Day.....I made a sherry trifle and put heart shaped sprinkles on the top of it!

It was my classic sherry trifle recipe.  Cake, broken up in the bottom of the dish.  Drizzle sherry over the cake and let it soak in.  Make a jello/jelly and pour over the top of the cake.  Make a custard, let it cool and put that on top of the jello layer when it has set.  Whip up some cream and put that on top of the custard, put sprinkles on the top, and then dig in!!!!!

Did you remember to put your money in your daily savings pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

One of the easiest ways to save for a particular goal is to include visual reminders of that goal around your house.

Want to retire to a remote island at the age of 55? Place some pictures of exotic beaches on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. The picture will stick out like a sore thumb and constantly remind you of what you are saving for. This tactic can work for almost any of your financial goals including cars, homes, college education, bags full of cash, etc.

Busy day at the Acerage on Saturday......

Dd and future son-in-law came up for the day on Saturday.  Dh and future son-in-law spent part of the morning and the afternoon in the attic hanging drywall.  By the time they came down for supper at 5pm, I don't know which one of them looked the most in pain.  They were both hobbling around with bad backs.  Its hard work hanging drywall.  They managed to get half a dozen pieces put up, so that's a great start.

Meanwhile me and dd were busy.......I know you thought we were drinking coffee and eating chocolate bon-bons!!  We popped out to Fabricland and picked up some material and set about recovering the ottoman that Molly sits on.  We have had that for probably around 14 years now and the material had a hole in it and was looking tired and worn.

I picked up a very fine cord in a light brown colour and we covered it with that.  Dd did the majority of the work with me helping her.  She has recovered a couple of pieces of furniture so is more of the expert than I am.  It took us all afternoon to do that, but it looks good and cost me the grand total of $45.

In between hands I made a ham for supper (it was good) along with scalloped potatoes, brussells sprouts and heinz baked beans.  I can't stand brussels sprouts, so the beans were mainly for me, with dd having some.

I forgot to take photos of everything, I'll post some on Monday's post.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Make your own gifts instead of buying stuff from the store. You can make food mixes, candles, bread, cookies, soap, and all kinds of other things at home quite easily and inexpensively. These make spectacular gifts for others because they involve your homemade touch, plus quite often they’re consumable, meaning they don’t wind up filling someone’s closet with junk. Even better – include a personal handwritten note with the gift. This will make it even more special than anything you could possibly buy down at the mall, plus it saves you money.

Nothing much to report, though a couple of photos to show you....

Dh spent the morning in the attic on Saturday doing some bits and bobs, while I went grocery shopping, did some tidying up, and hung out a load of laundry. I was lucky enough to ge it dry outside again.

After lunch we popped into Orangeville as we had some things to return to Home Depot. We popped into the dreaded Wal-Mart, as I needed some things, and knew I could get them cheaper there. Had a raincheck for a switch for the bathroom, that we finally remembered to pick up. We got the raincheck in August, luckily Canadian Tire's raincheck's have no time limit on them.

We then decided to have a walk down the main street of Orangeville. One store we went in was called Pear Home. I have been wanting some glass mugs for a while now and I saw these glass mugs which have bees on them, aren't they cute? They have other matching items, like plates, bowls, glasses etc, that I may start and collect over time.

I had a pack of jumbo hot dogs in the freezer left over from summer, so I barbecued those as it was warm enough to do that today. Hot dogs are not something we eat very often so it's a treat when we do have them. Not sure if we'll get a chance to barbecue again this year, we'll see. I do know I have some burgers left in the freezer, so I guess I'll have to hunt the George Foreman grill out to cook those if it gets to cold to barbecue outside.

I am engrossed in my other Beverly Lewis book, "The Secret," so haven't been visiting other people's blogs like I should have, sorry.

Well I guess that's it for this year......

I don't anticipate seeing double digits (centigrade) again this year. The weather seems to be getting cooler, and we could even have snow by the end of next week. I have to say November has been lovely, and mild. Which has been a blessing, with us renovating the attic. We should have the plastic on the insulation this weekend, then we just have the dormer window to sort out with trim and insulation. Then that's it for the insulation up there and then I think we're taking a break from the attic for a while.

Now that doesn't mean we'll be just sitting back, we have a ton of other jobs to do, well dh does, I just "supervise," and I'm a damn good supervisor it turns out.......LOL

Friday was a "perfect" day for me. I pottered around the house cleaning up, got the laundry hung out and dried. Sat down later in the afternoon and read a book; "The Parting," by Beverly Lewis, thanks Carol for recommending it!! Made supper, finished my book, watched a bit of tv and posted on my blog. I didn't leave the house all day and it was a no spend day..YEAH!!!

I am one of those people; when I start a book I can't put it down, so things never get done. In my case, I didn't get time to pop by everyone's blogs on Friday. So my apologies to you if you asked me any questions and I haven't responded. I will warn you I am now starting on another book by Beverly Lewis, called "The Secret," so will be busy this weekend with that no doubt!!!