Chill out:

Just a quick note to say: WE HAVE A FRIDGE! It got installed on Saturday afternoon and we have been celebrating ever since by stocking up on groceries, organizing the kitchen, and cooking. It currently resides in a temporary spot in our kitchen (as does everything -- the washer and dryer are occupying the fridge's final resting place right now) but it's here, it works, and we are enjoying it.

We keep walking into the kitchen and opening the doors just to look at it. We are a little giddy with our new appliance. Look at us, getting this excited over something as commonplace as a fridge. We're such grown ups.

The List:

Now that we've been in the new house for a while, we decided it was time to compile a list of all the to-dos that we'd like to see happen in the space. We've broken it up by room to make it easier to follow. So, without further ado, here's what's up next for us on the home improvement front:

Outside:

1. Till yard, add top soil, and lay grass seed
2. Paint front door
3. Replace door hardware
4. Rip out old landscaping (especially those horrid holly bushes) and replace with new landscaping (bushes, flowers, etc).
5. Repave driveway
6. Replace storm doors
7. Upgrade outdoor light fixtures
8. Replace mailbox
9. Buy rolling garbage can
10. Trim low hanging tree branches
11. Add raised garden beds
12. Reinforce weak spots in fence/replace
13. Replace old gas grill
14. Remove metal awning on back of house
15. Remove ivy from brick in back
16. Power wash siding and brick
17. Replace chimney flashing

Living room:

1. Build wall with wide doorway to create separate entry area
2. Remove double doors to hallway
3. Add light fixture to entry
4. Build built-ins along back wall for books/storage
5. Add recessed can lighting
6. Window treatments
7. Find area rug and artwork
8. Upgrade furniture (couch + two armchairs?)

Kitchen:

1. Demo existing cabinets 
2. Remove old appliances
3. Replace flooring with hardwood
4. Remove phone/phone line
5. Demo pantry closet
6. Remove paneling
7. Install new cabinets and countertops
8. Install new appliances
9. Add subway tile backsplash
10. Paint trim
11. Add pendant lighting above bar
12. Upgrade existing lighting to recessed cans
13. Chalkboard wall?
14. Artwork, accessories, etc.

Laundry:

1. Frame out walls with water line/electrical
2. Add pocket door
3. Drywall, paint, and trim
4. Tile floor
5. Install washer/dryer
6. Add floor-to-ceiling storage cabinet beside stacked washer/dryer
7. Run dryer vent to carport
8. Hang coat hooks

Dining Room:

1. Clean brick on fireplace
2. Paint mantel
3. Remove ceiling fan and replace with large pendant light
4. Remove other light fixtures
5. Paint paneling
6. Paint trim
7. Add chair railing
8. Replace flooring with hardwood
9. Build built-ins on both sides of fireplace
10. Add sconces above built-ins
11. Find art for above fireplace
12. Build wall with wide doorway to space?
13. Window treatments
14. Find rug
15. Upgrade furniture (farmhouse table + buffet + chairs)

Hall:

1. Remove laminate over original hardwood and refinish
2. Replace/upgrade light fixtures
3. Remove telephone shelf
4. Upgrade thermostat
5. Change linen closet hardware
6. Add shelving/storage to bottom of coat closet
7. Paint
8. Paint insides of closets
9. Runners?

Hall Bath:

1. Clean grout
2. Repair/replace missing tiles
3. Reglaze bathtub
4. Upgrade toilet to low-flow
5. Remove towel rack/tissue holder
6. Remove soap and toothbrush holders
7. Add towel hooks
8. Change cabinet/drawer hardware
9. Upgrade mirror?
10. Window treatment
11. Change sink/tub faucet and showerhead
12. Extend tile in shower to ceiling
13. Hang floor-to-ceiling shower curtain
14. Paint
15. Add artwork

Office/Guest Room:

1. Paint trim/quarter round
2. Install built-in desk
3. Paint
4. Change light fixture
5. Add more shelving/storage in closet
6. Window treatments
7. Find rug, artwork, office organization
8. Furniture (sleeper sofa + desk chairs)

Nursery:

1. Paint trim/quarter round
2. Paint
3. Add wainscoting?
4. Put crib together
5. Bring in dresser
6. Build side table
7. Change light fixture
8. Add more shelving/storage to closet
9. Window treatment
10. Build book ledges and hang
11. Get rug, artwork, accessories

Master Bedroom:

1. Replace ceiling fan (for one without a light fixture)
2. Add more recessed can lighting
3. Replace closet doors with french doors
4. Add closet organizers
5. Add canned lights to closets
6. Remove built-in behind door?
7. Remove cable wiring
8. Paint trim/quarter round
9. Paint walls
10. Window treatments
11. Find rug
12. Furniture (side tables + wall lamp over bed + arm chair)

Master Bath:

1. Change toilet to low-flow
2. Replace mirror
3. Upgrade light fixture
4. Add lighting to shower stall
5. Replace sink and faucet
6. Add electrical outlet(s)
7. Retile floor and walls (subway tile?)
8. Remove shower door and replace with curtain
9. Remove towel racks/tissue holder
10. Remove soap and toothbrush holders
11. Add towel hooks
12. Remove upper cabinet (find other storage?)
13. Remove handrails from shower
14. Upgrade showerhead
15. Replace shower faucets
16. Paint
17. Enlarge shower by taking space from built-in on other side of wall?
18. Window treatment

We've got a few things that need to be done throughout the house too, including replacing the windows, changing out the floor vents, replacing doorknobs, and upgrading electrical outlets and wiring.

It's a big list, isn't it? We're making plans to slowly hack away at it though. We've made progress already.

Nesting:

Last week, we headed down to Lowe's and picked up a new Nest Learning Thermostat. Our old thermostat was on its last leg (I was convinced that it wasn't gauging the temperature properly) so we decided it was time to upgrade. We had heard great things about the Nest and really liked its features, so even though it is pretty pricey, as far as thermostats go, we decided to bite the bullet and get one.

Apparently, the entire city of North Little Rock heard we had decided to make the move and there was a rush on Nest thermostats. Both Lowe's and Home Depot were completely sold out. We had to truck it over to the next town just to find one. And because our search took so long, we didn't get back until after dark. And because we were too anxious and excited to wait until the morning to install it, we did the entire installation in the dark. So, while you're looking at these photos, picture Andrew and I standing in a dark hallway -- him with a bunch of tools in his hands and me with my phone in mine and a flashlight between my teeth -- and Tillie looking at us like we are mad.

The Nest has a really great compatibility checker on their website, so we knew ahead of time that the thermostat was compatible with our system. And they give you everything you need to do the install -- including a screwdriver, level, and screws -- which made installation by flashlight that much easier.

The Nest is actually super simple to install. We took the cover off our old thermostat (after being sure we turned the entire system off first).

Then we took a picture of the placement of the wires and cut the power to the house. Once the power was off, all we had to do was use the stickers they provided to label each wire, disconnect them, and remove the old thermostat. From there you mount the new thermostat, using the level to make sure everything's straight, reconnect the wires, snap the cover on, and give it some power. 

The system connects to your wi-fi and walks you through the setup. It's very simple. I would say the whole process took us less than 30 minutes.

We've been using it for about a week now and so far, we really love it. It lets us see our energy usage over time, so we can see how much energy (and money) we're saving. I love the little green leaf that pops up every time we're being energy efficient. The thermostat has an app that you can download that allows you to remotely control your thermostat. So, if you're in bed and don't feel like getting up to change it, no problem. And if you're out of town or at work, you can let it know that you're away and it will adjust so you don't heat (or cool) a house that's empty. After a while, it learns your habits (hence the name "learning thermostat") and makes adjustments automatically. So the days of forgetting to adjust the settings on your way out the door are over. 

It does about a million other cool things as well. Check it all out on their website. I am looking forward to seeing how much it can cut our electricity bill this summer once the temperatures skyrocket. 

Happy weekend:

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Happy Friday, everyone! I am so ready for the weekend. We have been so busy for the past two weeks, I could really use the rest and relaxation but who am I kidding, with plenty of boxes still left to unpack and many projects in the queue, it seems extremely unlikely to happen. I may be able to squeeze in an extra hour or two of sleep though. And these days, I take what I can get.

Here's a peek into our very busy lives lately:

1. We painted the nursery and finally put the crib together. It's starting to look like an actual room.
2. We got our new washer and dryer delivered although that adventure didn't turn out at all like we anticipated (see here).
3. My phone decided to quit working our very first night in the new house (I have the worst luck with phones -- see here) so I lost a lot of my photos before they were uploaded to the cloud and was without a phone for half the week before my replacement came.
4. A lunch date with a good friend (who now works with me!) totally made my Friday.
5. I'm going to a baby shower for a very good friend tomorrow. And hopefully, our new fridge will be arriving!

Have a great weekend, friends! I hope that you have many fabulous adventures. Do something relaxing for me. XOXO.

Nursery updates:

We finally got around the starting on the nursery. It's slow going but at lease we're finally moving.

Our first weekend in the new house, we took the crib and mattress out of their boxes and got to work putting it all together.

We started the morning off right: with a dozen donuts -- because, you know, priorities.

Then we got to work on assembling the crib. Andrew did most of the work and I assisted. Tillie helped too. When it was all together, I added one of the sheets I made earlier and stood back to admire our handiwork.

Then we broke out some paint (no-VOC paint from Sherwin Williams color matched to Valspar's Polished Silver) and a few hours later, it looked like this:

We've got a few more updates to make in this room, including moving the dresser in, making a crib skirt, and hanging some artwork. I'm still on the lookout for the perfect rug and a few other items. We'll keep you posted on how the room progresses though. 

Adventures in appliance shopping:

Two weeks ago, right before we moved into the new house, we posted about this new washer and dryer set that we researched and decided on:

We were ready. We were all set to pull the trigger but we decided to get into the space first and map out the new mudroom with tape on the floor before we ran out and bought them. And I'm sure glad we did because, well, we completely changed our minds.

After looking at how the machines would actually fit into the new space, we decided that having side-by-side units would just take up too much valuable square footage. So, after debating, we decided to go the stacked, front-loading route. I'm not too keen on front-loading machines because I've read a lot about problems with mold and mildew around the rubber seals on the doors. And I've used my mother's and didn't really like feeling like I was standing on my head to get my laundry but when faced with space issues, they really made the most sense. 

Since our mudroom is going to be on the small side and won't be able to accommodate side-by-side units, we thought leaving these machines with the house when we're ready to move on down the road would be the best option for resale. And since these machines will not be our forever washer and dryer, it made the most sense to look for the best deal in order to save money. I didn't really want to shell out a lot for machines we wouldn't be taking with us. 

So, we did some browsing online and then two weekends ago, headed into Lowe's to see what kind of deals they had going on. We saw a pair of white front-loading Samsung machines on clearance for $649 each (down from $999). Lowe's also happened to be running a 10% off appliances promotion. And we had a 10% off coupon that they would honor on top of that. 20% off of an already low clearance price? Sold. So we snatched them up and made them ours.

With our coupon stacking and discounts, we were able to save $123.31 on each machine for a total of 246.62 off the clearance price. Here's the price breakdown:

We ended up paying $1051.38 for the set. They were originally almost $1000 a piece. That's like buying one and getting one free. Pretty nice deal, wouldn't you say?

We had them delivered last week. They are temporarily living in what used to be the pantry in our kitchen until we can do the kitchen remodel and build the new mudroom. It's a weird setup but we're big fans of working with what we've got so for now, it does the job.

We made a table:

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One of the projects on our list for the nursery was to DIY a side table. I really liked the look of this one but didn't love the neon color and really didn't want to pay $180 for something that we could easily make.

So, we brainstormed and came up with a plan to make our own. I liked the idea of customizing it for our needs and taste. We ordered three 24" unfinished hairpin legs from here and a 22" round wood table top.

We treated the table top with a pre-stain conditioner that came pretty highly recommended. We debated skipping this step but I'm glad we didn't because after conditioning, we only ended up having to use one coat of stain. We went with a dark walnut stain and were really pleased with the results -- rich and even. When the stain was dry, we applied Safecoat Acrylacq to seal everything. It's an amazing eco-friendly, non-toxic, water-based sealer that protects the table and stops any off-gassing from the stain. We had to order it online since they don't sell it locally here, but it was well worth it. We highly recommend it and will be using it for all our future projects since it's dog and baby friendly.

Next we sanded down the legs, primed them, and spray painted them a fun yellow (I didn't do the spray painting, so you can relax). After about two coats, we let everything air out and dry for a few days before assembly. 

After sitting for a few days, it was time to put the thing together! Andrew did some quick math to make sure the legs were spaced evenly and we got to work. Since we went with pine for the top, the wood was soft enough that we didn't have to drill any holes -- a screwdriver, screws, and some washers got the job done.

And in just a few short minutes, we were done. Once all the painting was done, it came together really quickly. We are pretty pleased with the results. It's exactly what we wanted and coming in at $140.40 for the entire thing (stain and sealer, and hardware included), it's more cost effective than the one we drew our inspiration from. We had hoped to save a few more bucks when it was all said and done but we did have to shell out a few extra dollars for the Acrylacq (something we plan to get a lot of use from) so, we look at it as an investment. Plus, we made a taller, larger table than the one from Land of Nod. So, saving $40 is actually pretty impressive. More table for less money. And check out how it looks in Baby M's room: