Our new home...

I haven’t been regularly updating this, like I planned.  We’ve been a bit busy.  To say that, is an understatement!!!  We were ready to remodel our 100 year old farmhouse, but decided it wasn’t going to cost much more to build new, so here we are.

The bonus room was slated to be storage, but we decided to make it a game room for the kids.  We got the insulation & drywall almost finished in it today!  When I say ‘we’, I use that term loosely.  Lol!  I’m really there mainly for moral support.  Haha! While I do measure & cut drywall, I try not to make intricate cuts.  My allergies prevent me from doing too much with drywall & insulation, but I try!


 

DIY Foot Exfoliating

Summer is winding down.  Our students head back to school this week.  Summer is just too short!  While getting in ‘Back to School’ mode, I decided a pedicure was on my to-do list.  As a teacher though, it’s not in my budget.  Thankfully, my bestie, Pinterest, had me covered! 😍I viewed tons of DIY pedicures, foot scrubs, etc.  Guys, I found a relaxing DIY foot bath & exfoliating treatment.  It’s not a ‘One & Done’ treatment.  It needs to be one part of your routine, but it was pretty great!

I had purchased a dish tub at the Dollar General sometime back.  I’m sure I had a great idea for it, but I have no clue what that idea was & the tub was sitting on a shelf.  So, it’s now used for pedis!  Yay!

I used one cup of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar, (ACV) & dumped it in my tub.  Next, I poured one cup of Listerine  mouth wash into the tub. Finally, I added two cups of HOT water to the tub.  Then, I added my feet & perused Pinterest for other great ideas.  I set a timer for ten minutes.

 

After I was finished with that, I scrubbed with this amazing sugar scrub that I found at Wal-Mart.  Then, I rinsed my feet & patted them dry with a clean towel.

My final step was suggested by a massage therapist.  She recommends using grapefruit seed extract on your feet.  I ordered some on Amazon & LOVE 😍😍😍 it!

Timing

Last year, my husband and I decided that we were tired of pouring money into our old, almost 100 year old, farmhouse.  We remodeled it when we moved here eight years ago.  All was remodeled, except the kitchen.  Over those eight years, we've had electrical issues, sagging floor trusses and have simply outgrown the square footage.  After a surprise water leak last Spring, we decided it was time to build.  Cut our losses and start fresh.  While this is a HUGE undertaking and will change our finances drastically, we felt it was the best decision.

Fast forward exactly one year later and they are breaking ground on our new home.  We spent almost one full year scouring floor plans, architects, building codes, etc. to ensure a perfect home for our family.  With one teenager, one preteen, and one elementary student, we have a huge array of "needs" for our new home.  Another factor to take into account is our business.  We need space for an office, rather than sitting with a laptop on the couch, at the table, outside, etc.  A final piece of our puzzle was aging.  We sure aren't getting any younger, so having a master on the ground floor was important to me.  We may need space for our parents in the future as well.  Many factors went into this home building process.  If you are building, don't take these steps lightly.  :-)

After nine months of searching, we found an architect, contacted him, and purchased sets of his floor plans.  We submitted floor plans to multiple lumber yards to get estimates on the cost of building material.  A family member who does concrete work for a living was called as well.  We decided to not have a basement, which was a drastic compromise for me.  :-) 

Below, you'll find a picture of the spot where the house will go.  This is after the topsoil was removed, then we received a torrential downpour all afternoon.  Ughhhh....