Brick is done!!

The brick is now finished on the new house and it looks beautiful!! Had to share some updated pictures!!

Beautiful weather!

The last few days have been beautiful outside..... mid 60's and sunny! Saturday was spent inside with sick kids and hubby, but thankfully I haven't caught what they have yet!! Praying I don't because if I do, things till need to be done and I can't just sleep and sit on the couch like hubby!! So, I've been waiting for warm weather so I can get the flower beds in good shape. With the house on the market, this is a very important task this year!! Sunday I spent 2+ hours weeding just one portion of the flower bed, the worst part and then today I finished up the rest before putting down new mulch. It is a little after 6:00 and my oldest, 3 in just a few weeks, is standing at the side lights at the front door. He then opens up the door and asks me what I am doing. I explain I am cleaning up and ask how he likes the flower beds. He doesn't respond to the question, but asks if we were going to be sleeping in them now. I had to laugh. It is funny how little ones don't always understand things when it is a word they are use to using in a different sense. I told my mom tonight when we were talking and she couldn't stop laughing!!

Hoping for another beautiful day tomorrow so I can buy some flowers and get some flower pots planted!! Maybe another nice day I will get the outsides of the windows washed!

New products!

My friend told me about this company that has environmentally friendly products for the home, as well as personal hygiene products (i.e. deoderant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc.), plus they have some healthy snacks. I got my first shipment at the end of March and LOVE my products. I've been approached a couple times about this company, but at the time didn't want to change things over in my house, but now that we are moving it seemed like the perfect time. I haven't changed everything over, but we are working toward that and I plan on having just about all my household cleaners and laundry changed over to the new products by the end of May, before we move. So far, I have tried the deoderant, shampoo and conditioner, soap, tub & tile bathroom cleaner and some of the snacks and I LOVE them all. I've been using The Works to get tough buildup and soap scum off my bathroom counters and tub and the Tub & Tile cleaner works just as well and isn't toxic like The Works. I have never found a clear deoderant that doesn't feel all sticky when you put it on and the deoderant from this company doesn't make me feel that way at all! If you want to learn more, check out www.workathomeunited.com/wilkinson or www.livetotalwellness.com/wilkinson.

The joys of building a new home!

A few years ago my husband and I bought two acres of land to build a new house on, then in 2006 we decided it was time to start building. So, in October 2006 we signed with a builder to start out new home. We were suppose to break ground in the second week of November, but that didn't happen until about a month later. This should have been a sign that things weren't going to go as planned, but we had hope. We went with a builder that had been working in the industry for over 16 years, but was working on getting his own custom home business started. He build his own home, which was a nice home. Going with him meant we got good pricing because he was trying to make a good name for himself. Things moved along with the house for maybe a couple months, then the work stopped and every once in a while we would see something new get started. Every time we enquired what was going on he said he was trying to get his finances back in order and a couple good size jobs he worked on he never got paid for and didn't have the money to pay the contractors that did work on our house. This went on for months and as we got closer to the time the house was suppose to be finished he continued to have one excuse after another about why things were moving along as they should. He had hopes it would get done by the time our construction loan was to be done. That time passed and we had to ask for an extension from our mortgage company. They gave us three months. Things still weren't getting done and it was now August/September and we decided to fire the guy and find a new builder. Our contract with him ended as of July 1, which is the date the house was suppose to be completed.

So, onto finding a new builder. We looked at several builders and then signed with one that built our friends house, which is beautiful. This builder is doing great and has a made a good name for himself over many years of building custom homes. The only downside to going with him is things are costing a lot more money!! Things were slow moving with him at the beginning, but the city is to blame for that! He was trying to determine is we could get hooked up to the sewer system, which it didn't look like we could, or could we get a permit to have a septic system. Well, we are stuck with septic and although we don't want septic, we don't have a choice!! It took the city almost two months to get out to the land and make their determination. Things definitely have not gone in our favor, but things are looking up!!

Now is the fun, but stressful, time! We are getting to pick things for the house out, which is exciting!! We picked the cabinets and those have been ordered. Picked the countertops, not just need to pick the faucet for the kitchen and the sink. I think I am going with a solid surface sink, which my hubby has tried to talk me out of, but he doesn't do much in the kitchen, so it is my pick!! Found faucets for the bathrooms, a Moen Caldwell Brushed Nickel faucet, on clearance for half the price they normally cost. Going to pick those up today as long as the plumber says they are good! We have most of our flooring, but need to pick out carpet. We are going with a backsplash in the kitchen, so now I am in the process of picking out tile for that. Oh, and the brick on the house will be finished today!!