Month: January 2019

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Why I Decided to Have My Kitchen Remodeled

My House

A couple of years ago, I was able to finally purchase a house of my very own. It was an amazing feeling! I loved my little two-story in the outskirts of the city. It’s located in a safe and quiet subdivision. Most of my neighbors are retirees or families with older children. I got a good deal when the previous owners decided to sell as soon as possible and took the first offer that came their way. Lucky me.

The Kitchen

I fell in love with my house at first sight. I left it almost as it is, except for the kitchen. That, I chose to remodel. I’m quite the foodie. I don’t really like cooking but I strive to be good at it. How else will I be able to make delicious food, eh?

The previous owners probably aren’t fans, though. The original kitchen was tidy but bare and almost falling apart—cracked tiles, leaking faucets, broken cabinets. What little appliances there were, were outdated. I was also dissatisfied with the use of space. I wanted energy-efficient appliances, wider windows, bigger cabinets, more work space and so on. I have no idea why the kitchen is so shabby when the rest of the house, while admittedly old, was very well-maintained.

The Planning

And so I decided to remodel. I took my time in choosing my people. I interviewed several general contractors, checked references and even viewed some past projects. I also made a point of checking the subcontractors they hire. In the end, I chose a remodeling contractor firm with a solid, established reputation.

After numerous consultations with the designer, we settled on a plan. The final designs were of an energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly kitchen. The company I hired has built a good reputation for creating these green kitchens. I don’t consider myself an eco-warrior but I’ve always been environmentally conscious. I make sure to do my part for the environment every way I can. Since I had the budget, I decided to go for it.

The Green Kitchen

There were some delays and the timeline was longer than I originally planned but here I am standing in my newly built kitchen, feeling really satisfied with myself. Now, I really do have the perfect house.

I now have my wide windows and a skylight. Both provide plenty of natural light. There’s the big, sustainable kitchen cabinets, stylish, recycled countertop and eco-friendly, linoleum floor. We’ve installed a solar-powered water heater, high-efficiency refrigerator, low-energy induction cooktop and so on.

I couldn’t be happier with the results! I can now make my famous Shrimp Avocado Salad in my sunny, nature-friendly kitchen. See yah!

Crafts

Some Cool Kids Crafts Ideas for All You Busy Moms :)

Summertime is just around the corner. I can almost smell the sun in my skin. And hear the noise of stir-crazy children. Last year, the kids where at summer camp but we’ve decided to go to the beach this year. Time to list the entertainment. Here are some cool kids crafts ideas.

Make Butterfly Plate Feeders for a touch of fairytale fantasy and some educational fun.

                Use a small, colorful, attractive plate and a plate holder made of wire. Thread colorful glass beads to the four strings that will hold the plate holder up. Make some DIY butterfly food and watch the butterflies come. You can also have fun taking pictures of the butterflies that visit the feeder and try identifying them with a butterfly book.

Wee Tin Lanterns that can be held on to while strolling on the beach at night with the family. They make great table lanterns too.

                Have the younger children make tiny dots around the tin bucket with a marker. Carefully supervise the older children in nailing holes on the bucket using the dots as a guide. You can opt to fill the small buckets with water and freeze them prior to this step for easy nailing. Defreeze and dump the water. Glue a candle inside and lights up!

Create Glowing Jellyfishes swaying in the sea breeze at night.

                Have the youngsters paint paper bowls and strips of paper with child-friendly glow-in-the-dark paint. Let them dip pieces of yarn on the paint the too. Allow them to go crazy with whatever colors they like. Turn the bowl upside down and this shall be the head. For tentacles, make holes at the center of the bowl and thread the paper strips and yarn on them.

Dreamcatchers are a hit with the little ladies. The gents will like them too.

                Find an easy, generic dream catcher weaving guide on the internet. The older kids can help with weaving. Gather color sprays, feathers, glitters, rhinestones, beads, colored sand, yearns, etc. Then have a free for all! Let everyone design their own dream catcher according to their personality and style.