Renovations - The Basics

The long list of things I want to change and update is pretty exhaustive. With limited resources and realizing my handiness and restrictive budget, unlike Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper, I had to break down my list and prioritize.

First things first. Toilet paper holders. Why the previous owners took them, I will never know. Perhaps they were hand laid with swarovski crystals? She owned the house for 18 years so maybe sentimental memories? But alas, the first update had to be done. Thanks to Amazon Prime and my obsession with online shopping and savings, these beauties arrived at my door ready to be installed.

Now this may look like any old toilet paper holder but no! This is a pivoting holder. The arm swivels up to release the old roll and to add a new roll. Why is this so exciting you ask? This no hassle system will now prevent my children from pulling too hard on the old spring system, sending the roll flying and unravelling. It will also encourage the other adult in the house from actually replacing the roll when needed. And they are pretty. So it's a win in my house! You can get your own beauty here! 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZVEFZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Step two was to make progress on the girls' room.

Before

Olivia still had a toddler bed and she needed to graduate to a twin size so that I could use her mattress for Landon's crib. I also got them new matching bedding that I wanted to break out. So we headed to Sam's Club to get Olivia her new mattress. When we got home we just set the mattress on the floor and celebrated their new room with their new big girl bedding. Today we headed the 40 miles (!!!) to Ikea to get Olivia her matching bed frame like Aubrey. 

Maga and Pa wanted to get her a big girl bed as an early birthday present and she was so excited to go shopping! So we weaved ourselves, the stroller, and our two toddlers through the obnoxious maze of Ikea trying to hold on with a tight grip to our sanity until we reached the end. We finally arrived to the beds department where Olivia jumped on every bed exclaiming "is this my new bed?" And as promised, aka bribed, treats were waiting at the end for their "good" behavior - or at least what can be expected from an overstimulated, adventure seeking, wide eyed and adorable 2 and 4 year old. 

We headed home so Troy could assemble the new bed. And in true Ikea fashion, put together that simple bedframe with all 1,879 pieces, with the girls' help of course.

After
Need new rug and new curtains! 

Thank you Maga and Pa for the new bed frame! She loves it! She was quick to tell Aubrey the new rules. "This is my bed. That is your bed. Don't come on my bed. You have your own over there."

Next we had to tackle the yard. We have never had our own yard before and I had every intention of hiring a lawn service. My husband on the other hand had different ideas on the matter. The backyard has a good sized yard that needed a mow when we arrived. The previous owner had 6 dogs... so it needed some water and some clean up to "de-dog" it as well. Our trip to Home Depot to buy an electric dryer allowed us to window shop for lawn mowers on our way to the appliance department. Just so you know, they are pricey. 

Troy jokingly posted on Facebook about the need for a Go Fund Me account to purchase a mower and to our surprise a lawn mower was ordered and delivered to our door 3 days later. We are beyond thankful for Troy's Dad's generosity. Completely unexpected and whole heartedly appreciated. You should have seen Troy's eyes when it arrived. 

My electric dryer was delivered and installed that same day as well. After 12 days without being able to wash and dry laundry I was delighted to see it arrive. It was like Christmas in July! Troy had to go to work after it arrived so sadly he waited until Friday to get gas for his new lawn mower and take it for its inaugural spin around the backyard. 

The kids were so interested in what was happening in the backyard that they have yet been able to play in. For one, the backyard needed some clean up and a facelift before heading back to play. And for two, it was 105 degrees today. Yes, this man was so excited to play with his new toy that he mowed his entire backyard in 105 degree heat. 

After watching him do his man things outside, the kids and I were dripping with sweat, our cheeks rosy from the heat, and with the allure of the lawn mower subsided, we headed inside. Five and a half trash bags later and some fresh watering and the backyard is on its way to being our new space for play and adventure. Next on the Amazon wishlist... an edger/weed wacker thing. 

And so our #FaithJourneyCAtoTX continues.