Office and back to school

So I tried it out and I LOVE IT!!!

It took quite a bit of work and help from the wonderful hubby but I LOVE how it turned out.  

Back to school and Office Organization.

As I've stated before I LOVE back to school!! I love school supplies and all that!  I don't know why but $.50 box of crayons make me GITTY!!!!
My oldest is heading back to school (3rd GRADE) in just over a week and I'm ready to help make this the best year yet!!
In the past few years, we have made homework more of a kitchen counter/table process.  HOWEVER I don't think that's gonna work for us this year.  So I'm working on ideas to make this happen!

Right now we have a BEAUTIFUL OFFICE!!! honestly dreams can come true in here!! :) jk

However as you can see its pretty tight and doesn't give us a good space to do some tutoring and team work on homework.  So I'm thinking of new ideas and ways to switch things up.  

Here is the plan.  Not sure what we will officially do but this is whats going on in my brain! 

Go from this beautiful desk, 

and take off the extra side and make it this!

Am I CRAZY? I'm not totally sure I'm doing that,... but I think i am!!! I'm gonna try that and see how that works first.  I'm not even sure the desk will allow me to do that! but I think that will give me a big open space to try! 

Im excited to see how that works out!!

and as we get closer to school starting we will be building a wall for studying and help with getting everything done!! 

yard woes step 2

This winter had been a really tough one for us with owing a home. We have had one flood after another in our basement. So far we haven't really had any really bad damage, however it still totally sucks!!!!!!!

Issues 1:

Our drain pipe wasn't working correctly in turn putting all the draining water right up next to the house and filling up our window wells with water, which in turn leaked through causing our basement to start accumulating water.

We have done a few things to fix it so right now we aren't having issues. We also have clean up down to a science!!!

Pump the outside and shop vac up the inside! 

Issue 2: our new found one :(

Our master tub leaks. Come to find out, with the help of a local plumber, it's the faucet that is leaking. So we are getting that fixed. However with that we noticed there is a lot more water then would just be cause by that leak.

We pulled out the bottom half of the insulation and it seems we have ground water coming in. Makes me super sad and frustrated,.... But that's the name of the game. 

That's the next project for us!!!

Here are some of the pics I've been too depressed to post 

Yard woes!

So I started this blog as a place to cronical us finding, building, creating and making our dream house.  Sadly things don't always go as planned.  We do have a beautiful home and a project list a mile long.  The thing about new construction however is there is this thing called a yard.   In our first home we loved our little backyard we redid right before moving and it was perfect and wonderful and that was in the plans for our new house.  The part that wasn't planed for were the imperfections.  I've almost written about this quite a few times, but the short of it is... after getting our yard in (about 80%, we still have our patio to do which was to be done this year) we loved it and it was everything we could hope for.  Until one day we started to notice water pooling in our window wells. Through a tough long winter of constantly pumping water out of window wells and cleaning up the floor in our basement, we knew that 2016 summer would NOT be patio..... it would be repair!  :'(
Sadly it was a blame game between the builder and the landscaper so it came out of our pocket,

Podcasts!

Hey! I've decided to try to resurface to the bogging world again!

I wish I could say the last few months were full of All these amazing projects that I'll now share with you....but that would be a lie! I just let life be my priority!!
Any of you read young house love? I miss that blog seriously every single day! I looked forward every morning to their new posts..... That is sadly a thing of the past.

However they now have a podcast!!!

You should listen it it! I'm in love!!!!!!

This week has got me motivated to blog and share about myself again. 

On episode 3 they talk about the scrubber vs the the tidier. I am totally the latter. 

I love it when everything has its own place. Greatful my handsome hubby is the cleaner!! He will dust and vacuum and get every thing looking amazing! Honestly I swear we would never have a clean mirror if it wasn't for him!! This however can cause for some less then perfect conflicts.   I would love it if he would "clean the house" and when I get home, he has dusted and cleaned the mirrors, however the kids toys are still all over the place! :D One of thous amazing things about marriage.  Learning about each others differences. 

So you can join in on their poll here on their webpage!

Show them your love and if you haven't read their blog OR books check them out!!!

And now up and on to my finance portion of the blog! :D Check out the HerMoney podcast.  Not my 100% fav one on choosing how to spend money and getting funds taken care of however a great addition to my Dave Ramsey ones.  (conversation for another day)

I went to a woman's meeting at my work and was able to hear from 4 amazing successful women.  I work for a pretty amazing company where the CEO, President, Site manager, and director are all female.  Even though I work in the business of "men" we are a little unique on that front.  That being said many women in today's world are either in charge of the "budget" or make sure that things are there for the family but forget about themselves.  Welcome to being a MOM!!!
This podcast is more about investing and less about the idea of money and spending and saving. I love that it discusses what it is like to be a working woman and how to save for retirement .  Currently I work in retirements and woman are often pushed to the side and defer to their husbands.  I am TOTALLY one of these people and I see that there is not a problem for this to be an open conversation.  However that is not the case.  Women live much longer then men, 7 yr average, and when the husband dies, often the wife will defer to their children, who are from a different generation.  I much prefer planning together.

Well here are my recommendations on what I've been listening too!

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Fire and Life

Sitting by a fire is one of my favorite places to be.  In the winter it is snuggled up inside with a big blanket and a cup of hot tea.  
In the summer it is under a sky full of stars with a cracking fire and a drink in my hand.  Nothing else is needed.

As I write this I am sitting by the latter with boys in a tent about 10 feet away in my back yard, with a fire blazing!
It's been so long since I last posted it feels as thought its almost as if starting a new chapter.  Our house is home.  And with all of its MANY FLAWS!!! Yes there are many and I will get back to sharing them, and how we deal with that soon but for now I think its time to change gears a bit.
I love finance.  It is a sicking disgusting part of our world, but it is also such a 100% necessary evil!  I life in it, thrive in it and love it.  With a PASSION!! that being said I have made all of the financial mistakes we have all be warned of, but It is time to share what I love and also never forget to live the Dream in my DREAM HOUSE!!! Even if i'm house poor!!
One element I did want more than anything in this home was a fire! I wanted one indoors that I could sit by on cold days, and since we have enjoyed this home for just about two years have used it well all winter long.
We had a fire pit from our old house that we didn't use once last year, however this year due to new jobs and busy schedules it is July and we won't have our first, and might possibly ONLY, camping trip until a few weeks from now.  We gotta live it up and have with a fire pit outdoors under the beautiful night sky!

Adding color

I'm a regular old girl who likes to watch me some good ol'HGTV however with our fancy rabbit ears (aka antenna in our atic) we don't have that option. Thankfully Netflix has be covered!!! I've been watching it from time to time and we were hosting Easter dinner I wanted something different.

After the Easter bunny had picked out stuff for the boys mommy went shopping at home goods. I have always planned to have our very neutral pallet with adding in some green, however the pillows I found just weren't right. I found these adorable ones with buttons. They had them in red and blue, but as luck would have it the red ones were missing a button and they won't sell "damaged" items so blue it was. I was thinking 2 would be enough but then I found this one. This pattern is SUPER bold for me, but I liked it!!! So I thought I'd take them home put them on the couch see what the hubby said, and prob bring them all back a few days later.

I took them home, cleaned up the room, decorated for Easter and put the pillows on the couch. 

Very nervous, I asked the hubby. "I don't like sitting on buttons" I took that as "not bad I just will turn them around when I sit on it!!" For me that was a WIN!!!

He likes ones that serve more of a purpose then just color. Ie the current brown ones are used as a placemat, TV tray and hot pad for him eating in the family room. So my blue ones don't fit that bill, however in the last 24 hr he hasn't complained once!!!! I'm keeping them!!!

I am not good at decor and I don't use much that I have bough, normally my mother in law helps me out in that department, but I love it!!!! 

What do you think??

Don't mind the Easter eggs. The Easter bunny had come and the boys weren't hunting for eggs yet.

Old brown with the new blue!!! The blue gets turned around when hubby sits down but I'm still lovin the buttons!!!!

This chair is my baby. Chris fought me like crazy when my mother in law wanted to give it to me. I wanted it and he did not. He has come around so I added my blanket to add some more festive coloring.

Growing up bedroom

I've Kind of been out of the blogging way  lately not really on purpose just happened that way thanks to tax season being done I feel like I'm starting to get my life back with that I also have a new promotion at work which means I am super super super busy and happy as can be.

As always I have a lots of little projects in my brain trying to figure out what I want to do and how I want to get there.  I haven't yet posted much about our flooded basements still a very sore subject and my heart will get there but it's gonna cost us more to be able to make sure that our space that safe from water are we live in a desert we shouldn't have this kind of problem!!! Aside from that my mom and dad of been living out of state for a while and their house is in need of some little TLC gratefully my mother has decided to allow me to help with this project for me it's totally exciting for her it's a little bit scary!!!!

About two years ago at Christmas my dad mentioned that he wanted new flooring in the bathrooms from there I snowballed out-of-control I have a board on Pinterest of renovating their bathrooms kitchen and the rest of the house while we're at it!!  This week I get to go imbarkon adventure of figuring out some additions to their beautiful back bedroom, this was the room I lived in when I was growing up.  Mom hasn't given me a lot of direction as to what she wants in the room however right now there's a rocking chair and she'd like it to be more the reading room I have 1 million ideas going around in my mind and I can't wait to get started I will post pictures soon of their project starts and I hope fits with what they allowed me to do growing up in that room can be remedied by what we do now so the room will be all for my mommy

Spring

I thought I had already posted this once, however because I'm accident waiting (already) happened. So I'll try again!!!!

It's finally warm enough to start my spring garden!!!

We had to pull up our other boxes since we got a fence installed. We really wanted to get our pavers in this year. However we decided to take the boys to Disneyland and the yard might have to wait another year!!!! 

100% right choice!!!!

So I still have the two boxes I built theat are up next to the house so I was excited when I was driving home from the grocery store to see my favorite local nursery was open!! 

Utah is really good at pretending it is spring then snowing a few more times.  Anything that will die with a freeze shouldn't be planted until at least Mother's Day or as late as Memorial Day!  I started our garden alittle too late last year for spring plants to make a showing so this year I got them!!!!! 

Box one! 

green lettuce, 2 varieties of red lettuce, spinach, arugula and the "empty" spot is filled with carrot seeds.  I planted them last year and I didn't do so hot, however a great learning experance! 

Box 2

Here I have sweet peas, two varieties of onions and garlic. There is still a good part of this box that is empty, which is where I will plant Chris' hot peppers once it warms up alittle more.

We always had strawberry plants growing up, they spread like wildfire however I got one little plant and am hopeful it will be the perfect little addition to my back yard flower beds!! 

Also the best gift I could have hoped for coming home from sunny California was this!!

See all those beautiful daffodils!!! I planted the bulbs last fall and was quite worried they wouldn't come up, however I'm in heaven!!!! The tulips are starting as well so this backyard bed should be blooming even more in the coming weeks. Then hopefully my front yard will be about ready to bloom too. (It's very shaded by the house) 

I love this time of year!!!!!!

Going Green

I love this so much!! Everyone should enjoy!  Let me know what you think! 

https://gaasedal.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/anyone-over-the-age-of-35-should-read-this-as-i-copied-this-from-a-friends-status/

Anyone over the age of 35 should read this, as I copied this from a friends status ..

9 January, 2012GaasedalLeave a commentGo to comments

Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days“.

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations“.

She was right about one thing–our generation didn’t have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on “Our” day, here’s what I remembered we did have….

Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 240 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Wales. In the kitchen, we blended & stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.

We drank from a water fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

Please post this on your Facebook profile so another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smarty-pants young person can add to this

Self help

I love self help books!! Like big time I've always felt that by reading these books I get to learn new things, grow as a person etc. Back when that one series with vampires and werewolves.... Yep read all 4 in a matter of weeks amidst a full time job, a kid, and going to school full time. Fast forward about 5 yr, no school still reading a bit here and there. Always my self help books, that normally I carry around for a month or so, kinda read but sometimes just get bored. 

For Christmas I asked for the hunger games books, got the first one and read it in about a day, then barrowed the other two from my sister and read them just about as fast. It was a fun escape, but nothing fancy. 

So I've been going to the library with Liam to get some books. I picked up some self help books for me, and grabbed a fiction book from the big girl section. I started reading it, but was very bored by the main character, so I read the self help. A few weeks later we needed to return the books, and I challenged Liam to get some new ones. I tried to do the same. I walked around and around, and found the young adult section!!!! I found the divergent book  checked it out and started reading it they night. Needless to say. I am a fan of young adult fiction:... I read the book in about a day, finished it sunday morning, and was heart broken! Library is closed on Sunday's and was closed in Monday for Presidents' Day! 

I got to the library today and got the next book, along with a stack of others. I have a feeling I'm going to need to start limiting myself on how much I can read!!!

I'm loving it!!!

Found my section!!!

Clothes

Step One of tidying up is cleaning out the clothes she starts by taking all of the clothes in the home and placing them in one spot for me this just was not going to happen (with the boys, I felt it was necessary to do one person at a time) so I started with my room however if anyone knows me I am not a close person like at all!! I really don't care about clothes I wear them out of necessity and I have some great family members that make sure I stay clothed. (Thanks mother in law!)

She says to take your clothes and choose to put them back rather then choose to take some out it's the great starting point and because I have so few it was relatively easy to get my clothes finished then onto my boys really Chris is on his own for this project idea we go through clothes quite often however that really has to be his thing not mine so getting onto The little boys Liam's clothes are pretty much easy to go through they all pretty much fit and it was just a matter of doublechecking and folding at first I was not sure about her folding method it's some of them seemed a little crazy, but I decided to give it a try and see what Happens. on the other hand ewan has a huge amount of clothes and a very small dresser I kept all the clothes that I had with Liam and let them pile up now for ewan  which is really great for the most part.  I try to go through his clothes regularly and have a great neighbor across the street that I can drop boxes and bags off to that will get used as well so his clot his dresser was a little bit more in depth at first like I said I was really unsure about fulling I am now change my ways and even more of the stock method I thought as reading it going you are in saying she wants beautiful every socks and not just roll them so it's super simple I've changed I know crazy right so honestly take some time look over the book try things see what you think here's some pictures of my most recent projects and so far I am totally a fan

Ewans Dresser

Before

 After

 Liam's Dresser

Kitchen

Step two is the books I think that for me books are going to be a lot more difficult than she says they are. I went through my books not too long ago, athough for the boys that I'm going to need to go through so I decided to skip that step and move on to something else for now I started with the kitchen drawers of been driving me crazy for a very long time I went through them get rid of what needed to and more than anything just got it all done in one fell swoop so here's some pictures I hope you enjoy

The biggest problem I have is that we get lazy and rather then put stuff where it belongs i put it in these drawers. 

That's changing now!!

Left side 

Right side 

Before and after 

Main silverware drawer before

After 

Knife drawer

Before 

After   

I added a few house items which will prob make there way back to the kitchen, this is a good place to keep them!

Tax time of year!

WARNING!! :) I'm STRANGE! 

I loved doing my taxes this year! :D

By this time most of us should have all our W-2 and maybe still awaiting the other forms such as 1099 and other deduction paperwork.   

In 2014 I started working in the financial industry, before that I was working for the government and going to school.  I was gonna be an accountant but after my first class in learning about auditing I knew that wasn't for me.  I NEVER did my own taxes, taxes are BIG SCARY THINGS!! They didn't make sense and I remember as a kid that when dad was doing taxes the girls when shopping. My dad talks about when he finally hired an accountant how good that was for him.  

When Chris and I got hitched, we went to his parents accountant.  That continued for awhile, then after some time we started going to a CPA at H&R block. (NOT just one of the employees.  TRUST ME THERE IS A DIFFERENCE) 

However tax season of 2014 (Jan 2015-April 2015) I got a SUPER crash course on tax forms.  Because of my role at my job I went over taxes, options, etc.  I talked to at least 1-5 tax "professionals" per day that honestly I knew tax stuff better then them.  HOW ON EARTH.  You are a CPA and you aren't sure where to put stuff on a 1040! :) 

By mid Jan, I had learned so much about taxes, I decided to try my hand at doing my own taxes.  I did decide to use Turbo Tax.  Makes filing super quick and easy, and even better they can deposit our refund.  YES I am one of those people I would much rather lend money to the IRS and get it back then having to come up with a balance of how much I will need to pay, so we try to hover around getting back a small return, so we don't have to worry. 

This year, I entered in all of our info into Turbo Tax and it all looked good, however my itemized deductions and the ones turbo tax had did not equal.  So when money stuff doesn't look right to me, I do ANYTHING POSSIBLE to figure out why! 

I spent the next week or so playing (yes it was playing for me) on the IRS website and got my taxes all figured out with pencil and paper! I really enjoyed it and had many of my finance co workers teasing me! 

I still ended up using Turbo Tax to file, once again, it is quick easy and direct deposit the return. 

If you are looking to do your own taxes here are some AWESOME IRS web links.

Also if you have simple taxes and don't want to pay someone use Turbo Tax.  

CAUTION!! We have used H&R Block in the past, however they charge a TON!!! like first born child's college education! Save your money and go to a CPA (most charge at least in Utah between $90-$150) or do them on your own! 

IRS 1040 Form

IRS 1040 Instructions 

Itemized Deductions Schedule A Form 

Itemized Deductions Schedule A Instructions 

The IRS website is a great tool!! 

GOOD LUCK WITH TAXES THIS YEAR!! 

The life-changing magic of tidying up

Sadly this book did NOT help with the Magic of how to clear my driveway!  Needless to say there are some other fantastic Ideas in here.

This is going to be a slow going process of me cleaning out my house one step at a time.  "Rome wasn't built in a day" Therefore Barber Dream House, will not be organized in one either!
This book has been all over the internet for the last year or two.
I love to blog stock, and play on pintrest so I saw different things.
-You should thank your clothes and send them on their way.  Is it a bad sign that I didn't see that as odd ?

Maybe I should be tested

My sweet Chris gave it to me for christmas,  no he is not giving me a hit, I asked for the book, and no hit was necessary I know I have a hard time getting rid of things.

When Chris and I first got together he used to tease me all the time.  THROW IT AWAY. Was a normal phrase he told me when I wasn't sure what to do with something. We have come along way.  But if you look back to these images.

IMAGE OF MOVING VANS


We have a PROBLEM.  2 moving trucks. Granted we did have a pool table taking up the majority of one, but still NO GOOD.

Knowing we plan to make this our FOREVER HOME also makes me realize I better start purging now or our stuff will over run us, and quick.

I honestly LOVE the book.  I know there are things that I am going to struggle with as I go through step by step, but I know it is for the best and I will end with a beautiful home that I can keep clean and tidy by just doing a few things everyday!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

As a kid I remember shoveling snow with my dad.  It was amazing.  When I got cold or tired, I would go inside get warmed up, some times drink hot coca, and SUDDENLY the whole drive way was clear IT WAS MAGIC!!

Now as an adult once again in a North Facing House (No clue how chris talked me into that one) When I go in after getting tired and cold, I come inside and the driveway is NOT CLEAR!!! I want the Magic back!!  (daddy can't you just come every time it snows and shovel with me)!

I do however love to shovel the snow.  Chris grew up in a south facing house with a snow blower, I don't feel like he got the WHOLE FEELING of growing up with a dangerous driveway!
We were super blessed our first year in our house. We only really had 2 snow storms and they cleaned up nice and easy.  This year however is the TOTAL opposite, It is totally making up for the easy year last year.  It is great for our mountains and rivers and lakes that need the water and so we can have a beautiful Green lawn this summer, HOWEVER right now I think I should win a prize!
Shoveling is HARD WORK!! and anyone out there that thinks a 3rd car garage and RV pad sounds like a good idea. Walk away SLOWLY! it is NOT! ;)
Chris is pushing me to fork out the money for a snow blower, however I think I'll keep building up my arm muscles and Work my best to keep my back safe.  Maybe another year! 

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

So my blog and I have been not as awesome as we once were.  I have become LAZY!!! And no good reason for it.  However I had to share this totally awesome thing about work today!!

I have some awesome co workers.  I used to work in a place where people were out to get others! 

That is NOT the case here. 

I am DEFINATLLY not in "Kansas" anymore! 

Follow up to resolutions

My first week was amazing. Second week was equality ok, HOWEVER I did not add in the exercise I had wanted. And It was only one persons fault (THIS GIRL)  I lost stamina, and gave up.  I had accepted that its alot of work to eat right and get exercise in and I was just EXHAUSTED!!

January in UTAH kicks your BUTT! 

This is a pic of the Salt Lake Valley covered in Inversion.  It is nasy yucky air trapped for us to breath every day.  When you take that and add SAD.  It is just NO GOOD!

 "

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD

What is seasonal affective disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is type of depression. It occurs during certain seasons of the year — most often fall or winter. It is thought that shorter days and less daylight may trigger a chemical change in the brain leading to symptoms of depression. Light therapy and antidepressants can help treat SAD."  

With all that doom and GLOOM :) aside. I am going to keep pushing and keep myself accountable.

I will be drinking my water and eating better.  No excuse.

However those of you dealing with SAD I am so sorry, and know im Praying for you!!