Binkies and Briefcases

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Kitchen Reveal: Remodeling on a Budget

By: Stephanie10 Comments

We are a year and a half into our Craigslist Kitchen Remodel! I can’t believe it took that long, but in the end it will be worth it.

We are finally in the final stages! The back splash is up. All we have to do now is add crown molding and find a stainless steel fridge.

Wanna see?

This is what the kitchen & dining room looked like before…


I actually entered it in a few Ugliest Kitchen In America-type contests. Unfortunately it didn’t win any, so the reno was on us.

Happily, we have been able to completely gut and redo our kitchen AND dining room for under $6,000. Yep. Entirely new cabinets, floors, counters, everything, under 6 grand.

My secret is Craigslist.

I searched for months and finally found decent cabinets & counters for sale. More than decent, actually. The cabinets are solid cherry and have a lot of custom features like pull out spice racks, and sheet pan dividers and the counters are Silestone.

The old owners thought their kitchen was outdated, but some new hardware & getting rid of the wooden scroll window valance really updated it. Their loss, I say.

I found this inspiration photo here. We used it to help us pick our hardware & paint color.
(unfortunately, a solid stone back splash was not in our budget…)

Now our kitchen looks like this…

That’s the island that was just featured on Remodelaholic. We made it from by up-cycling an old ugly dresser.

The back splash is bead board. I would have preferred tile, but we had a huge area to cover and tile was going to be expensive. It was also hard to find a tile that coordinated with our “new” counters.

Here’s what I call the dining room, but this is really all just one big area. We plan to refinish the table when the kids get a little older. (No sense in doing all that work while we have two toddlers who are very hard on the furniture.)

We do plan to add the crown molding within the next few months and my mom has promised us her stainless steel fridge eventually, as she is in the market for a new one. (She currently has a side-by-side, but wants one with french doors & a pull-out freezer.)

Cost break down:
Cabinets, Counters, Sink & Faucet: Craigslist, came as a set for $2,000
Uhaul rental-1day: $100
Hardware: $150
Labor to hang cabinets & install counters and sink, and relocate dishwasher: $1,600
New floor: Home Depot, Allure Vinyl $800
Paint: $50 (Valspar Green Tea Leaf and Brandied Pear)
Lightfixtures: $50 (Lowes & Craigslist)
Island: $315
Beadboard, wainscoting, and floor boards: $500
New window treatments: JC Penny $150
Stove: Free, Craigslist (I bought it for $75, then sold our old one for $80)
Accessories: $0 Tempt-Tations line from QVC, all gifted. My family knows I collect them.
Table and Chairs: $0 hand-me-downs from my dad
Dining Room Shelves: Ana White’s ledges- $40
Sewing Table: $50 Goodwill re-do
Dining Room Bench (not pictured): JC Penny on sale w/promo code: $120

Total: $5,925

We will probably need to spend another $500 or so for the crown molding for the walls and the molding we plan to add to the top of the cabinets, so the total will probably be around $6,500 once all is said and done. That might be a whole other year, so I figured I’d share once we had the back splash finished.

We recently had an architect from the Parade of Homes in our house and he guessed that we had spent $30,000 on the kitchen renovation!

It’s amazing how much more at home you can feel in the same space once you have redone it and claimed it as your own. It’s also a great feeling to get that feeling for the least amount of money possible!

I have a bad habit of searching MLS listings and day dreaming, but I have to say, since we have refinished our kitchen I haven’t been able to find a home in the MLS with similar square footage to ours that has a kitchen I like any better. Even the brand new ones.

That makes me happy. 🙂

Hand-Me-Down Fun

By: Stephanie4 Comments

This is my new favorite picture of my kids. First of all, aren’t they adorable?

Second, I think it’s a great reminder about how simple and inexpensive it can be to make great memories as a family.

It is easy to get caught up in the idea that we have to give our kids the best stuff in order for them to have the best life, but I think their faces in this picture say it all.


(Actually, those labels should say “Nana & Gramps.” Sorry Gramps!)

Literally, the shoes on their feet are the only thing I spent any money on at all. Less than $10 for a whole year’s worth of fun. (Actually longer, because Nick’s boots will get handed down to Abby. Who cares if she wears blue boots? Not me.)

I guarantee my kids don’t care. They had the times on their lives wearing hand-me-down clothes on a hand-me-down sled in a public park.

So here’s my million dollar mom tip of the day: Graciously accept hand-me-downs & gifts. Then be sure to pay it forward & hand your stuff down to other families who can use it. But I’m sure you already knew that.

Here’s a HUGE shout-out to those of you who have gifted us with clothes & toys, new and used alike. Thank you, again, from the bottom of our hearts.

What about you? Do you participate in any clothing or toy exchanges with friends? Do you swap babysitting services? How else do you save money and make great memories?

Falling Off the Wagon Recipe

By: Stephanie3 Comments

Ok, I’ve been doing pretty well counting my Weight Watchers points & doing the 30 Day Shred DVD all month, but so far I’ve only lost 2 pounds. I lost 5 the first week, then gained 3 back. Annoying!

The great thing about Weight Watchers is that you can save up points & splurge, so you really can eat whatever you want as long as it’s in moderation, but despite my best efforts, no matter what I do it’s going to be difficult. My doctor thinks I’m going to have a hard time losing weight until I can get more sleep & have less stress. Looks like I’ll be in double-digit sizes until Nicholas leaves for college. If I’m going to gain weight while eating healthy anyway I might as well eat what I want. Who’s with me?

Like Double Beer Battered Fried Chicken? Hey, why not. I’m eating mostly healthy these days, but since it does no good anyway, you have to throw a girl a bone (with some fried chicken on it) every once in a while.

Beer Battered Fried Chicken Recipe

So, in honor of what I’d rather be eating, here’s the most unhealthy recipe I’ve ever concocted, and it is delicious if I do say so myself…

Flour mixture:
Fill a gallon-sized ziplock bag about 1/3 way full with All Purpose flour & add about 2 tbs garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, and 1 tbs Season All and shake until well-blended. (Or whatever spices you want.) Disclaimer: I didn’t measure mine, but this is my best guesstimate about the amounts.

1: Heat oil in a frying pan or cast-iron skillet (Seems like this is the only thing I ever use my cast iron for)

2. Wash bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. I always use drumsticks because they’re cheap. 😉

3. Dip each piece in a shallow bowl of dark beer, I use Yingling.

4. Coat each piece in the flour mixture.

5. Repeat steps 3 & 4.

6. Shake chicken to remove excess batter and add to hot oil.

7. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side or until the skin is golden brown & the juices run clear.

8. Drain on paper towels.

I probably gained 10 pounds just from typing this, but it was worth it. 😉

If you’re looking for another delicious chicken recipe, check out my Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza from Crazy Crust Batter.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Or this quick and affordable 5 Can Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Quick and easy chicken tortilla soup recipe. Get dinner on the table in 20 minutes tonight.

And you can never go wrong with my healthy orange chicken recipe. All the deliciousness of Chinese takeout without the guilt!

Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe

 

 

Come See Me at Remodelaholic

By: Stephaniecomment

Our kitchen island up-cycled from an ugly old dresser is being featured today at Remodelaholic. Come check it out. 🙂

A Christmas Comedy of Errors & a Great Necklace

By: Stephaniecomment

I am second in command when it comes to our church’s Mom N Me group (which is basically MOPS, without the association) but basically, that means that I do virtually nothing because our head coordinator, my friend Jen, is so awesome that there is very little leftover to be done.

Life has been a roller coaster for Jen for the past year or so, with ups like bringing a new baby into her family, and lows that included a lot of difficult losses. Our steering committee & mentors wanted to do something special for Jen this year. I liked the idea of getting her a necklace like the stamped silver one my husband gave me for Mother’s Day, but it was difficult to find one that was affordable.

After searching many an Etsy shop, I finally discovered this Circle of Love necklace from Bella Ray Designs.

So I ordered it and it came quickly and beautifully wrapped, in plenty of time to present to Jen at the Christmas Tea, which was our plan…except that’s not the way it happened.

I was keeping the little box in my purse so that I wouldn’t forget to take it to the tea on Tuesday, but a few days ago I was helping with our church’s clothing exchange and I had my youngest with me. Abby, who is only 19 months old & thinks every present is her present, kept getting into my purse and trying to unwrap the box & play with the necklace. I wanted to hide it from her, so I put the box in a closet in the room where we meet for Mon N Me, which was right down the hall. (The room where I was working didn’t have a closet.)

When I went to go get the box to bring home with me it was gone!

I was really hoping Jen had found it and that it wasn’t stolen by the Grinch, but I had to send her a very awkward email asking just to make sure.

Yes, she said she found it and opened it on Wednesday, but once she got home she realized it was probably meant for the tea, so she had planned on re-wrapping it, sneaking it back into the closet, and pretending to be surprised, but I had foiled her plan by discovering it was missing.

The bottom line is that she liked the necklace and Bella Ray Designs is a great way to get an affordable personalized gift. Looking back at the situation, while I’m sorry to have disappointed the steering committee because they won’t be able to see Jen’s original reaction to her gift, I’m glad that she was able to take a quiet moment to reflect on our gift to her and how much we appreciate everything she does for us instead of opening her present in front of an audience.

Interactive Santa Videos & Christmas Lists

By: Stephanie1 Comment

A few days ago my mom sent me a link to this adorable website, Portable North Pole, that lets you create a personalized video message from Santa to your children, friends, or spouse for free! They also sell copies of the video that you can download straight onto your computer, but they will email you a version hosted for a limited time on their website for free.

Interactive Santa Videos

I have not been compensated by this company, I just thought this product was adorable and it was a big hit at our house! Nicholas, age 3, watched his video several times and was talking to the screen every time Santa asked him a question. I even made one and sent it to Eddie to brighten his day at work. (My favorite part of that one was when Santa said “I know you’ve been working hard to listen to your smart wife.” hehe)

If you want to see what the finished product looks like, you can click here to see the video I made for Nicholas.

You might notice that the book in the video says “Mack from the movie Cars.” Although I planned to do a strictly homemade Christmas, Nicholas has been talking non-stop about that particular toy and how Santa is going to bring it for him. I had to cave and get it, so we will have exactly one store-bought gift under the tree this year.

This brings me to a question: Do you send your kids’ Christmas gift list to family & friends?

Personally, I do, but only because I’ve been asked to. My mother-in-law & my grandmother & my brother-in-law have all asked me for our detailed list of sizes, the kids’ interests, and toys that they would like but we don’t already have. So I send the list, but I only send it to our parents, brothers & sisters & my dear friend (of almost 20 years already, wow!) Lauren, who is also Abby’s godmother. I also specifically ask that everyone buys only one or two gifts for each child. In the past, we have had some very generous givers overwhelm our small living space with excess.

Do you think it’s obnoxious to send the gift list?

I admit it does make me feel uncomfortable to ask for specific gifts for my children, but our family genuinely seems to want the list. What about yours?

And what are you asking Santa for this year? I asked for the Sound of Music on DVD, a zebra print Snuggie (yes, I actually want a Snuggie), and a few more pieces to add to my temp-tations stoneware collection. I also think this tray from Blessing Unlimited would be pretty perfect on my new kitchen island…

Do you feel as awkward as I do when your parents & brothers & sisters call to ask what they can buy you and your kids?

Awkward or not, I am very grateful that all of my children’s grandparents are financially secure and in a position to share their resources with Nick and Abby!

Looking for more ways to capture some Christmas memories? Check out my post about how to take great pictures of your Christmas tree lights. 

How to make the lights on your tree look like stars in your Christmas photography

Immaculate Conception

By: Stephanie3 Comments

Even though we are not practicing Catholics any more (long story, if you care to you can read more about it here) I still recognize December 8th as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The recognition of this day is more important to me now in my life as a mother, especially as an adoptive mother, than it was as a student in Catholic school attending mass out of “obligation.”

In the Catholic church Mary is prayed to frequently, statues of her are everywhere. That is fine, it’s wonderful to recognize her contribution, but I think it also robs her a bit of her humanity and makes her less relatable to us.

My friend Mary Joy is doing a Wednesday bible study today she calling “The Yes That Changed the World” over on her blog Seeds of Encouragement Sewn With Grace. I strongly encourage you to check it out because she does a great job relating Mary’s calling to our every day lives. Today I wanted to share a little more specifically on my blog how December 8th is an important day for me.

While I obviously was not immaculately conceived and I in no way intend to imply that our situation is nearly as significant, I do know what it feels like to be called to raise a child who is not “yours” and to have to explain that calling to friends & family & even your own husband.

I love the concept of this day because I think that it’s important to recognize that, despite being chosen & immaculately conceived, her life & the decisions were not easy. “Mary was greatly troubled at his words.” (Luke 1:29) She was human. It was hard, it was painful, and she had doubts. Obviously mothering Jesus was the right decision despite all of those things because, as Mary Joy is saying today, that “yes” changed the entire world.

Thinking about that gives me strength in my situation. Sometimes it is very, very difficult to be Nicholas’ mother. There are physical attacks, emotional problems, educational barriers, and social issues to deal with. Yes, I chose to do it, but it is still hard. Difficult, but worth it, just as raising any child.

Mary’s “yes” changed the whole world, I don’t know what my “yes” will do, but I know who does know the answer to that question, and even though I don’t know the answer yet, I know the effort is worth it.

And that’s why I will be forever grateful to our friends Emily & Bryce, music ministers at our church, for introducing me to the concept that Mary was indeed just as human as I am by sharing Andrew Peterson’s song Labor of Love. (I know I’ve shared this video before, but I think today’s the perfect time to share it again.)

“It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David’s town

And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother’s hand to hold…

…But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move..”

I like the idea of this Mary much more than the glowing statues with outstretched hands. Unshowered, uncomfortable, in a dirty house and screaming. Yep, that’s definitely more relatable to my life as a mom. 😉

update:

** Mary Joy and my mom both pointed out after reading my post, and were right in doing so, that I should clarify that the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary being born without original sin & therefore able to conceive & deliver Jesus, not to the fact that Jesus was conceived immaculately, although He was also. The Annunciation & is when Mary actually said “yes.” Still, I think it’s important to use today to celebrate & recognize her life & decisions. Thanks for participating in the discussion ladies!

Jolly Old St Nicholas

By: Stephanie1 Comment

We already paid a visit to our local mall Santa, but we’re going back today for a very special reason.

It’s the feast day of St. Nicholas.

If you weren’t raised Catholic that probably doesn’t mean much to you, but I happened to be raised Catholic & I also happen to have a son who came to us out of foster care sharing a name with this saint, the patron saint of children (and sailors). I find it very touching that Nicholas’ birth mother chose this name. I don’t know if she meant to name him after the saint or not, but she was in a terrible position, living in a homeless shelter, suffering from a disorder, and unable to care for her baby. There is not a more appropriate name she could have chosen. It’s like her prayer for God to watch over him as he sails through life (and from one family to another) will stay with him throughout his entire life. It was the perfect name for him.

So today we’ll be taking a special lunch break to go to the mall & visit Santa (and maybe I have a secret hidden agenda for also getting a peppermint milkshake from Chick Fil A).

We read a children’s story about how St. Nicholas became Santa, like this one, and in a little while, we will go back to visit the mall Santa. We also spent a great deal of the weekend going through our old toys and taking the kids to donate them at Goodwill and talking about how it’s important to give to other people, just like Santa Claus does.

Who knows if it’s getting into their 3 and 1-year-old heads, but it can’t hurt to try.

Although Abby seems to have a different opinion about Santa these days…

Christmas Decor for Kids

By: Stephanie1 Comment

We finished decorating the house last night, just in time because today the mailman brought the very first gift for us to put under the tree & it was for me!

I signed up for this year’s gift exchange with Craftaholics Anonymous. I love the idea of exchanging homemade gifts with a complete stranger because it reinforces the reason we exchange gifts in the first place.

My partner was Jen from Just Jen.

She made me this adorable Christmas tree. Isn’t it sweet? I love that it’s not too Christmas-y. It could even make an appearance in other parts of the year. Like maybe for Valentine’s Day. My aunts both have country-themed decor and they would leave an adorable tree like this out all year, I’m quite sure.

Thanks, Jen!!

It fits right in with my theme this year, Touchable Trees. 🙂

With two toddlers in the house, we only decorated the top half of our main Christmas tree in order to prevent as many ornament casualties as possible. It looks a little weird, but at least people looking in from outside can’t tell that only the top half is done

and for the first time, we actually put up more than one tree. We dug out my tiny Dollar General tree from my college days and I made a “touch table” for the kids. They are allowed to touch anything I put on this table & I’ll switch out the stuff periodically in hopes that it will hold their interest enough to keep them away from the other one.

For the kids’ tree, we use fabric or plastic ornaments and let them decorate themselves. If your children are very small, you might want to avoid garland or ribbon because it could be a choking hazard.  No glass to break or sharp edges makes this tree safer than most other Christmas trees and curious little hands can do all the exploring their heart’s desire. 

We also watched the Polar Express on tv last night with Nicholas after Abby was asleep & we read The Elf on the Shelf book and put out the elf.

Tonight I plan to wrap presents & maybe make some cookies. You gotta love getting your Christmas on!

And because it’s important to remember the serious reason why we are doing all this decorating & gift exchanging I thought I’d share one of our new favorite Christmas traditions: Our friends Bryce & Emily performed this song at our church’s Christmas Eve service last year while the video played on a large screen & there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Merry Christmas!! 🙂

 

Dear New Neighbors,

By: Stephanie3 Comments

I like you and all. You seem pretty nice, but I sort of hate you now. I really, really wish that you could find it in your heart to refrain from revving the engine on your motorcycle repeatedly for several minutes straight for no apparent reason at 2:00 in the afternoon. This is the middle of nap time.
You have no idea how hard I fight for nap time, especially on Thursday when there are also garbage AND recycling trucks competing with. It is way cooler if you are a three year old to watch trucks and motorcycles out your bedroom window than to listen to your mom and go to sleep.
This also means that, if you are three, you need to completely unravel your window blinds in order to see said trucks & motorcycles.
This Mommy does not enjoy fixing window blinds. Or spending almost two hours every day fighting to get a three-year-old to nap. (and she especially does not enjoy the unpleasantness that ensues when naps do not occur) Or getting 17 million cups of juice. Or changing three dirty pull-ups within 15 minutes. (clever diversion tactic) So when your revving engine wakes up my son after he has only been asleep for about 20 minutes it is extremely annoying.
I would very much like to take one of the pipes off of your motorcycle and bop you on the head with it. But I won’t, because it’s Christmas time and that would be sort of Grinch-y.
You may consider your lack of a concussion an early Christmas present. In exchange please place your motorcycle on the curb for pick up next Thursday. As I have told you, my son very much enjoys trucks and motorcycles. I am sure he would be thrilled to see a motorcycle INSIDE a recycling truck. As would I.

Sincerely,

Steph.

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