Reno is Underway! Step #3 Paint the Trim

While searching for homes in this area, we've noticed that all of the newer homes had white trim. The trim in this home is currently highly lacquered dark wood and since our intention is to update the home we intend on painting it all white. With the three upstairs bedrooms primed we're ready to start the trim!!

In our last home we painted the walls with a satin paint but I still found it a bit tough to clean dirty finger marks off of the walls. This time around we are going for semi gloss to make cleaning up after three small kids easier! Since we chose a semi gloss paint for the walls, we went with a white enamel paint for the trim. We also researched painting trim and spoke to the paint specialist at the home improvement store which recommended Zinsser primer over other brands for better coverage.

Reno tip of the day: If you're painting your trim, sand and fill any nicks with wood putty and then paint one to two coats of primer and two to three coats of paint.

Reno is Underway! Step #2 Paint...EVERYTHING!

Due to time constraints, we decided to leave the wallpaper in the guest bath and master bath for now. Each of these rooms will have a major overhaul in the future so we plan to do all the demo at one time. With 90% of the wallpaper removed, we're ready to start priming and painting! We ventured to both of the major home improvement stores tonight and selected several samples of paint for the upstairs bedrooms along with a five gallon bucket of primer!

The kids and I have come to an agreement on room themes so now I need to set out to find a matching paint color.

C would like a science room so I'm looking for a clay or moon dust like color.

J, my surfer dude wants a surfer room so I'm looking for a light blue, ocean type color.

K loves her pink but I just can't get myself to put pink on the walls so I'm looking for a pretty pale green to go with her fusia, green and white quilt.

Our first home was painted two main colors. The living areas were one color and the bedrooms were another. This time we're venturing out just a bit and adding color to the rooms but still trying to keep them neutral enough to attract a buyer in the future.

Reno tip of the day: Instead of buying a gallon of a color you may not like, buy an 8oz. sample to try out before you make your final decision. Painting yourself is cheaper than hiring a pro but you certainly don't want to waste money on a color you don't like!

Reno is Underway! Step #1 Wallpaper Removal

With the kids in AZ at nana and papa's house our renovations are underway! First order of business is to eradicate the wallpaper and wallpaper border throughout the house before we start to paint. B started in the upstairs bedrooms (kids rooms) with the border and used an AWESOME product that his mom gave us before we left her house. If you're trying to remove wallpaper or border I highly recommend you try DIF Wallpaper Stripper Liquid Concentrate. We sprayed this product on the walls and the wallpaper practically fell off the wall! When I started on the kitchen I stopped scoring the walls before spaying because it just wasn't a necessary step with this product! It's fabulous! Since we were trying to divide and conquer we were using another product at the same time and it just wasn't as good.

Reno tip of the day: Definitely go for the DIF to remove wallpaper and border!

Housewarming Gift

As if we don't have enough going on with moving and updating our new home, we decided to throw a NEW PUPPY into the mix! The carpet in our new house leaves a lot to be desired so we decided to house train a puppy now before we replace it. Sounds logical right?! She is a very precious blue eyed, brown nosed, yellow lab that will be ready to come home in just a couple of weeks. The kids have decided to name her Ellie and they are over the moon excited about getting a new dog!! I'm sure we'll be bringing you LOTS of puppy updates in the coming weeks!

Our New Home

Well, we've done it again...yes that's right, we've moved! We have continued our journey to the "Show Me" state, Missouri!!! We are enjoying our time here so far and we're keeping busy with our new home. It was built in 1999 and has great bones. We intend on updating the home inside and out over the next three years which includes finishing the roughed in basement. We certainly have our work cut out for us but we are very excited! The boys are thrilled to have their own rooms again and each of the three kids will be picking out new bedroom themes! More to come on that and other surprises next time...

Easter 2010 - He is Risen!

We had a beautiful day to celebrate Easter this year! We started our day pretty early with the alarms in the house beeping at 6:30 am. Thankfully, the kids shut theirs off and crawled back into bed which gave B and I a chance to get up, grab the camera to capture the hunt for eggs and baskets and storm their rooms with "HAPPY EASTER!". Let me tell you...trying to catch three kids on camera finding their Easter baskets is not an easy task! Somehow B seemed to lead the other two astray long enough for me to record K and then C and finally J, who B had looking in the oven and dishwasher for his basket! LOL! It was tons of fun...especially for K who sat eating all her candy while B and I were recording C and J finding their baskets!

After getting dressed up in our "Sunday Best" we headed to church for the Youth Group Easter Pancake Breakfast. The kids scarfed down pancakes, bacon, fruit salad and juice while B and I tried to keep up with them and keep their outfits nice for pictures later after church. Everyone finished just in time to head in for our very nice church service. The kids behaved very well during church, even K who normally plays in the nursery during our Sunday service. After church we snapped a few pictures and then headed outside for their Easter egg hunt where the kids really cleaned up with a basket AND bag full of eggs for each of them. K was really funny only picking up pink eggs during her hunt. One member of our church pointed out a few eggs and she replied "No thank you, they aren't pink." HA! She's not a girly girl or anything!

We rounded out the day by playing outside, having a nice meal and playing wii fit as a family. A very nice day all in all. Check out all our festivities in the photo album listed as "Easter 2010" in the left hand column. Happy Easter!

J's 6th Birthday!

J turned 6 today! Wow! It really does seem like just yesterday that we were sitting in IHop eating pancakes with mom and dad on the way to Ft. Belvoir to have J! He really was the easiest to bring into this world and his easy going personality really reflects that.

He started off his birthday celebration the Saturday before his birthday with a lunch with good friend Jack at Chuck E Cheese. He continued his festivities with cupcakes at school on the first for snack time and then finished off the day with a fun filled evening with his family! Mom made his favorite meal of mac 'n cheese and hot dogs (with a few carrots thrown in to make her feel better) and a Chocolate Xtreme ice cream cake from DQ. We finished the night with presents and a viewing of Clutch Powers the Lego movie and it was "the funnest birthday EVER"! You can see all the fun by clicking on the link for J's 6th Birthday under "Photo Albums" in the left hand column.

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY MY BABY BOY!