Updating the bathroom floor

When we moved into this house, I was really grossed out by the grout lines in the bathroom, particularly the kids bathroom.  I mean, really.  It was gross.  I tried all kinds of stuff to get it clean, but it was just not *looking* clean, and it was driving me crazy.

 Before - yuck!

Just when I thought I was going to have to deal it with it for the foreseeable future, I came across this post from Young House Love, and I thought - BINGO!  This might be just what we need.

So, mere hours after reading the above, I headed to Lowe's with my 4 year old daughter in tow.  We were going on a date, she said!  We meandered our way all through the store, choosing exterior light fixtures (look for more on those in a future post!), cabinet knobs for the mini kitchen reno we're planning, and more, before finally heading down the grout aisle on the hunt for the product Sherry at Young House Love used.

Well, we didn't find it.  BUT!  We did find a product called Grout Refresh that looked to do the same thing - and was cheap - less than $15!  So, after much deliberation on color choices, I chose "Chamois" and headed home.

This morning, I turned on Frozen and got out the Spirograph to entertain my 3 and 4 year olds while I was busy, tracked down a small artists paintbrush (it recommends a toothbrush, but a paintbrush seemed easier!), and got to work.

You can see the few lines I've already done.  What a difference!

Before Frozen was even over, I was done!  There was a little twisting and contorting necessary to get behind the toilet and other small spaces, but it was so easy!  I got more than a little on the tiles as I was painting the grout lines, but it was so easy and quick to wipe off with baby wipes.  It dries quickly, so I did one square at a time before going back to clean up after myself.

After!

Doesn't it look like new?!?!  I'm going to seal it tomorrow to keep it looking clean and tidy - and I can't wait to start on the rest of the grout throughout the house.  :)

Update: I couldn't resist starting on the downstairs half bath!  Can you believe the difference between the bathroom and the hallway?  I feel motivated to paint that cabinet and give the whole room a refreshed look now!

Pictures of the new house!

I've neglected my blog terribly, but it's time to resurrect it!  We purchased our new home late last year and moved in during December.  It's been a hectic few months, with Christmas, our vow renewal/church wedding, and the addition of 3 new foster children, but I'd finally like to share some "before" pictures!

The front of the house, as seen from the street.

The front door.  

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

The kitchen.

My office.

The playroom.

 

More playroom.  It's simply huge!

The stream in the backyard.

We've already started doing some remodeling and renovating- including the addition of a bedroom into the playroom above - but there is still lots to do!  I will be back to share pictures of some of our projects soon... in the meantime, what's on your to do list for your home?

Let there be light!

Winter in Alaska is a drab, dreary time.  The sun did not rise today until after 9:00 am and will set around 6:00 pm, and it only gets worse as winter progresses.  Our current house, a rental, has only 11 windows, and teeny tiny light fixtures that just don't provide enough light even in the middle of the day... but our new house boasts 32 windows.  Yes, THIRTY TWO.  I counted.  Wow, we're going to need a lot of window treatments!  We also have recessed lighting in several of the rooms, which is going to be absolutely amazing.  I can't wait!

I envision these beautiful plantation shutters - and a fireplace like this in the main living room.  A girl can dream, right?

Source

Do you have enough windows?  Not enough?  What do you do to keep your house light and bright?

Exciting news for the Busy B family!

After 2 years - yes, two!!! - we have finally found a house that suits the needs of our large family!  After much back and forth, we have finally come to an agreement with the sellers of a 5 bedroom house on just over a 1/4 of an acre!  We just have to make it through the next month, and all the paperwork and appraisals and so on, and get through closing!  

I am looking forward to writing about the trials and tribulations of owning a house - and all the repairs, updates, and decorating that go with that - on this blog.  I have lots of projects planned!

Speaking of projects - our first major project, after the snow melts and the ground thaws, will be tearing out the roof and enclosure on the back deck so we can better enjoy the back yard and the creek that runs through it.  There is so much potential here!

I envision something like this for the summer.  Open, airy, a place that we can spend lots of time as a family together.  All we need is a some tools, maybe a sledge hammer, sheer window panels and a lot of paint!  Good thing we have lots of little helpers.  :)

(Picture found on pinterest with no source - if you know the source, please let me know!)

Honoring Dad

With Father's Day fast approaching, my children and I have been taking this opportunity to honor their Daddy, to show him we appreciate him and love him, by doing something special for him each day this week.

With five children, this means each child is getting a day to work with me on a special project for Dad, and then they each get the special privilege of delivering it to their Daddy at work (a coveted treat, as he has a stash of treats that he shares with visitors!)

Day one was our only daughters day. She delivered a painted tree to her daddy, made using her hand print and those of her four brothers. They got to play with messy green paint for this day, and it was both a treat for them and Daddy, who promptly hung his new wall art on the side of his filing cabinet.

On day two, our five year old son got to deliver his Father's Day presents.  He had TWO, and he was super excited to bring them to his Daddy's office.  One was a jar of pistachios with a printable tag (get it here!) that read "We're nuts about you, Daddy!" and the other was a rock that he had painted to say "Dad, you rock!"

I can't wait to see my husband's response to the rest of his treats.  What are you doing for Father's Day this year?