The List

One night after work last week Jerad noticed I was in an exceptionally good mood and asked "you made a list today didn't you?" Ha! After living together over 7 years he sure does know me...

Anyways, I made a "let's get this crap done before baby #3 gets here" list. Along with a cost rating system varying from $-$$$$ that is based on absolutely nothing except my own gut feelings which haven't been known to be very accurate.

My goal is to not start new projects (for the most part), until other projects actually, you know, GET FINISHED. I love my husband to death, but his #1 fault is he's a 95%-er. He loves the beginning and middle stages of a project, but craps out at the end. He started building us a new bed not long after we bought the house and it was supposed to be done by the time Miller was born. The headboard finally got finished a week or so after the birth, but the platform is still unfinished 2x4's. The paneling and built in in our family room was supposed to take 2-3 weekends and was started last April. The built-in still needs the top and lighting installed, shelves in the cupboards, and door handles. For my birthday IN AUGUST he was going to re-do our laundry room which has looked like a hot mess ever since.

I'm a big part of the problem because I look around and decide we should start on something else that's driving me crazy which gives him an out.

This is the year people, I can feel it.

We've been in our house almost 2 years now and there are so many little improvements that would be fast and cheap and make our lives easier. The kid's bathroom has one of those hot-water regulator things in the tub faucet but its set so that the water barely gets above luke warm and is too cold for them to bathe in there. He took it out of all our other faucets in... maybe 10 minutes? Their bathroom also has linoleum which is peeling up around the tub and should be replaced with tile so that they can splash without me having to worry about the floor rotting out. Lately we've been using their bathroom as a litterbox room for the cat. Classy.

We FINALLY installed a doorknob on Miller's room and the downstairs closet a few months ago after being doorknob-less (its a word if I say it is) all this time.

I really really want to give our bedroom a cheap facelift. We haven't done anything since we moved in there. I don't like the color, the furniture is all stuff I bought on cragslist and really needs to be painted... and we really need stuff hanging on the walls. Its just not a relaxing place, but could be lovely with a weekend's worth of painting.

The biggest priority is the backyard. I want it to be a place that the kids can safely play and have FUN in while I'm on maternity leave this summer. It's currently a big mess of rocks, bark chips, weeds, and dog poop. We do clean up the dog poop, but we have three big dogs and its hard with all the rocks and bark and the fact that we don't use the yard doesn't help. Sitting on the porch nursing the baby watching Marsh and Mills play, or swimming outside with them while the baby naps within ear shot seems soooo preferable to loading all three up and dragging them to the park daily which is what I did last time. I have lots of [not-so-fond] memories of nursing Miller at the park while literally running after Marshall to keep him out of the street at the same time.Or getting us there and unpacked and him deciding he was done after 10 minutes. Right now it's difficult to take him and Miller into public restrooms when he needs to go because I need to hold Miller so he doesn't climb under the stall and run away or try to lick the gross floors. I'm guessing this won't get much easier once I'm trying to juggle another baby but if we're at home he can just go in the house.

Like I said, we've been in our house almost 2 years now and for the most part haven't painted or put anything up on the walls. I think I only have one picture of Jerad and Marshall up, and it's just because I happened to have one in a frame and there was an existing nail sticking out of the wall. There's no photo evidence to suggest that Miller or I even exist. Its sort of daunting because the house is so big. Everything takes forever. The living room right when you walk into the house is two stories tall and I'm pretty sure we'll need to set up scaffolding to paint it... a little different than our last house where you could bust a room out during a nap time.

So, I'm hoping having an official list helps things get done since I get such a sick joy out of crossing things off. And helps me stay focused on what we should be doing, so at 1am when I'm scrubbing cat puke out of the carpet upstairs I don't demand that Jerad rip it all out and go buy hardwood the second Lowes opens in the morning. Seriously, that almost happened last week. And the week before when Marshall managed to sneak and spill yogurt. I seriously hate carpet. Anyways, besides possibly buying a new couch I think the backyard is the only thing that will really cost any money. But it will really improve our quality of life and SAVE money because I'll stay home instead of going out. AND improve our social life because I'll want to invite people over for bbq's.

At least that's what I keep telling Jerad.

Without further ado, the list:

Home Improvements:

Family Room: $-$$
-Finish built-in
-get new comfy sofa?

-artwork on walls

Laundry Room: $
-Finish walls/ceiling/counter
-Add shelves
-Paint

-artwork on walls

Backyard: $$$$
-re-grade so it slopes away from house and has spot for pool/playground

-build new retaining wall against back fence
-install concrete patio
-above ground pool (we bought on super sale last year and haven't used yet)
-deck around pool?
-sprinklers and grass area
-covered seating area
-spruce up dog area
-sand area for the kids with a covered area

-bbq area

-firepit area

-cut down huge silver dollar eucalyptus trees that are going to fall on our neighbor's house next time the wind blows.

-plant flowers in barrels or some dog/gopher safe containers.

Nursery: $
-move clothes out of master closet to make room for "nursery"
-panel and paint walls
-new light fixture
-crib (have)
-dresser (have)
-shelves
-glider? (have)
-wall art

Kids bathroom: $$
-tile floor
-refinish bathtub
-add paneling
-retexture walls
-paint vanity

-new light fixture

-artwork

Master Bedroom: $
-reframe windows

-reframe door
-paint
-finish bedframe
-paint dressers/shelves

-artwork on walls

Master bathroom: $-$$
-tile floors?
-new light fixtures?
-add toilet sprayer
-re-texture toilet closet
-paint

If time (please please please):
-re-frame windows/door in front living room
-paint living room
-paint staircase
-paint upstairs hallway

-artwork/pictures in hallway/stairway

 

Then I started a list of things to buy for the new baby. We really don't *need* anything, especially if it's a boy but there are a few things that would make our lives easier. Oh, and a thermometer... we currently don't have one because Marshall played "phone" with the nice forhead one we had (it talked when you pushed the buttons) until it finally broke.

To buy for H3:
-newborn and size 1 disposable diapers
-rock and play sleeper? (we don't really need this but I've heard good things and it'd be nice to have a portable place to put the baby down)
-toilet sprayer
-pack and play? (we have 2 but Miller will use one when we travel and the other one is a cheap POS that I want to throw away each time I try to open/close it so I'd love to replace it)
-humidifier
-white noise machine
-thermometer

-new Sophie

-pack of aiden and anais blankets
-if girl, clothes and headbands and a few pink dipes:)