Another kitchen run!

The first group of workers are done at my step-mums place (only the bathroom left to do), and there is a massive change from how it was before they started. Even though most of the major work is done, there are still a few tasks left, so I guess it’s my time to get to work 😉

We are trying to get the kitchen done, and Fridays work was the kitchen ventilator. As always, it took much longer than I thought. A quick couple of hours job turned into a few hours more! Hmmm, isn’t that always the way…?

Anyhow, it’s done (phew)! Now…did I manage to remember to take a before photo? Off course not… 😦 Could I at least take a photo of the discarded parts? Yes, off course! And the after photo? Absolutely 🙂

Today was the day to put the the kitchen cabinet doors and drawers back together. Remember I told you about taking them down to have them professionally painted? We picked them up before Christmas, but decided to wait until after the holidays to put them back up. Well, there is no more excuse, it is well after the holidays, and time 🙂

So here we are, one kitchen almost done…

Not very exciting… I know… but it is what I’ve been up to the last few days… 😉

December tally!

I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the month already. As we all know, December is the month of Christmas. With all the preparation and celebration, that entails, it doesn’t really leave much time for any other activities.

Even so, I did manage to squeeze in some moments to spend on other tasks and to celebrate my blogs 1 year aniversary! Woohoo!

Since tomorrow is new years eve, I kinda figured I won’t be decluttering any significant stuff these last to days. So I decided to post Decembers tally early 😉

And here it is. DECEMBERS TALLY of things “out-the-door” = 108 items!

6 items – during My Christmas shed

2 shirts
1 cardigan
1 sweater
1 vest
1 painting

90 items – that I had been holding on for my neighbour to check first – In finally out of here

2 magazine holders
3 microwave items
1 ice cube tray
3 plastic boxes to store food in + a box of ziploc bags
1 serving tray
3 candle holders
1 pack of plastic spoons
1 pack of plastic straws (should be a hit with her kids)
2 wine openers
3 wine stoppers
1 huge sport drink reusable bottle
1 reusable lunch bag
1 small porcelain bowl
4 long stemmed wine glasses
1 tea box full of different teas
1 plastic box (the one with an X I’m keeping for now.. I have an idea and if it works I’ll post about it 🙂 )
1 cut board
1 decorative glass bowl
1 tiny shots glass
Bunch of rubber band (bracelets) – count as 1
7 watches (she took a couple for her kids)
18 Christmas decoration items
1 box of decorative tiny apples (Christmas stuff)
3 bean babies
1 head light
1 big storage box (all the stuff she took with her fit in the box – it’s that big 🙂 )
1 pair of running shoes (another friend took earlier)
2 medium size storage boxes (perfect for her kids toys)
1 pair of jeans
6 bras
7 pantyhose
3 pairs of socks
2 short sleeved bicycle tops
1 pair of shorts
1 pair of dress pants
1 t-shirt
1 sleep shorts

12 books – another books instalment in my reading a book program

So there you have it – 108 items out-the-door for the month of December!

So does this bring me to the goal I set at the start of this year? Stay tuned and find out 😉

Preparing for the Holiday season!

It’s that time a year, where everyone is scrambling around like “Looney Tunes” trying to get everything done before the holiday starts.

And I can’t say I’m any different. Just a week ago, I thought I had all the time in the world, all I had to do was clean the house, wrap some presents, buy some food and a Christmas tree, and decorate a little and I would be done. But somehow, somewhere along the way, I’ve ended up with, not enough time, before Christmas.

It might have something to do with doing errands for everyone else BUT me! Let me explain;

It’s coming down to the wire at my step-mums new place, the people that are doing the renovation should be more or less done. So much so, that we have had to go down several times this last week, just to keep an eye out and point out the things that are missing or that we are not happy with. For some reason, ever time we are there, 2-3 hours goes real quickly.

While hanging around the new place, I was told that I had promised that I would fix up the new front door with some teak oil! I can’t quite remember that, but I’m sure it must be right, guess it slipped my mind 🙂 Giving a couple of things that the workers have not done up to specifications, I can see a few other tasks that will be coming my way also, right after the holidays… among them, putting the kitchen fronts (we picked them up this week) back on the cabinets.

Yesterday, the family all had lunch together, and somewhere during the conversations it seems like I got another handyman job or two for my step-sister as well…. there was some lamps that needs to be hung, some TV cables that needs to be extended and hidden?

Even a bed frame I needed to pick up at a store because her car is not big enough!!! And for your information, I drive a convertible, a huge car, not… and hers is bigger than mine… I think they found out that if I took the top of it would work out perfectly for the transportation. I’m telling you, there is nothing that will be transported in my car as long as it’s raining outside 😉

So you can see how I went from thinking I had all the time in the world, to suddenly not… I did however find the time to get a Christmas tree, one for me, and one for my step-mum 🙂

Today though, I’m putting my foot down!

I need a day to sort out a few things, to; clean my house, change my bed, wash some clothing, iron, in general tidy, wrap some Christmas gifts and maybe even consider starting to put out some of my few Christmas decorations.

So that’s what I’m doing today! And now my washing machine is yelling at me that it’s done, so I gotta run…

See ya!!

A busy bee…

I take my hat off to my step-mum these days.

We are moving into that time of year where it seems like there is not enough time to get everything done. Now add a renovation project to that…

Things are moving along at my step-mums new place, and I’m sure they will be done shortly. To get there we’ve had a few days filled with looking at some of the materials that are going in, and now the tiles, paint and wooden floor should be in place. We’ve done some measurements, and I think we are ready to order the kitchen counter, whenever my step-mum finds one she likes 🙂 A new closet for the guest bedroom has been ordered, and sometime this week, I believe we will be picking up the newly painted kitchen fronts. I have to say, she is a trooper. I’m totally impressed with how much she have managed to get done, is such a short time.

Part of buying a new place, is the selling of the old. The first showing is on Sunday, and I’m hoping it will sell quickly and at a price she will be happy with. There are always some stuff that needs to be done, to make sure a place make a good impression, and my step-mums been a busy bee. Even so, there are still some stuff she needs help with, and yesterday a friend of mine and me, went over there and did some work on her closets (drawers removed, hanging rods added), so that it presents correctly during the showings.

It’s incredible how much work there is every time one decides to buy and sell property. There a a zillion thing to think about, and the moving itself is just part of it all, which I’m sure most you know everything about. I’m just glad it’s not me! This time around, I only have to help out a little 😉

You can see how December this year will be a little busier than normal! So stay tuned and I’ll keep you posted 😉

A new property…

My step mum have bought herself a new place to live. It’s on the 3rd floor of a 7 floor building, and it’s a bit of a rehab project!

There is a lot of things that needs to be done to it and fortunately she have found some workers that starts on Monday. They will take care of painting the ceilings and walls, opening up some walls, changing the wooden floors, tear down some old cloths cabinets and a few other bits and pieces.

Even so, I’m sure there will be more than enough small projects for the rest of us to do 😉 Like yesterday!

The kitchen needs a tiny overhaul (cherry colour, with worn out kitchen counter). My step mum wants it white and bright. So we have decided that the easiest way to refurbish it, is to keep the original kitchen (as the units are pretty OK), and paint it.

So yesterday a friend of mine and I went over there to take down all the kitchen cabinets doors and drawer fronts, as they are to be delivered to a place that specialize in spray-painting old kitchen units. All the fittings had to be removed and the fronts had to be cleaned thoroughly to make them ready for the paint place.

Even though it’s not a hard job or a difficult job, I have found that regardless of what it is that has to be done in a house, it always seem to take much longer than you originally think 😉

Tomorrow we are delivering the fronts to the paint place, and I believe we will get them back in about a week or so… so I guess I know what the next weekend project might be 😉 After the other workers are done with the painting, mind you…

Hmmmm, seems like I can’t seem to escape from kitchen projects 😉