Mostly a few Michael Pollan books. If you aren't familiar he's written a few little books like "The Omnivore's Dilemma", "In Defense of Food", and "Food Rules".
Let's go back a bit, though, to about 11/2-2 years ago when I decided that I was going to "clean up" how I was eating. I'd tried diets, etc before, but nothing really stuck or worked as well as I thought that it would. When I started out I just wanted to lose weight and feel more healthy. I started going to the gym and originally lost 20-25 lbs by using portion control and BF's knowledge of nutrition and fitness to tailor my eating/fitness routine. Typically it was more heavy in lean proteins and veggies with smaller portions of whole grains instead of white/refined ones. It worked well, but I've found it to be a boring routine with little room for introducing new things.
This past year I also worked on phasing out of home and personal cleansing products that are harmful to the environment and to me. We've replaced the majority of our household cleaning supplies with natural or homemade solutions or have found some great eco-friendly sustainable replacements (LOVING the BioKleen line of products) and have simplified my beauty routine to include only items that I know aren't harmful to my health and are sustainable and ecologically sound. We touched on doing the Nothing New challenge last year and are renewing it in full force for 2012. It only makes sense that I would find more to improve upon in my journey to better myself and that's where Michael Pollan's work comes into play.
Many of my friends and acquaintances have read at the very least "The Omnivore's Dilemma"and it wasn't anything that seemed to pique my interest terribly. I did some research regarding CSA's and I've always felt that eating organic and eating local are the best way to go when you can, but it wasn't a huge focus for a few reasons- partially financially, partially ease, and partially because I hadn't thought enough about the whole issue of food. Well, I had thought about it, just not as in depth as I recently have.
This past summer I started becoming more focused on buying organic and/or locally grown foods stemming from my motivation to eat healthful foods that aren't grown in a way that harms the earth and provides more nutrition for my body and also from sources that support the local economy. BF and I did a pretty good job picking organic and local when possible with our produce. It was this line of thinking that lead me to rethink reading some of Michael Pollan's books, so when I was out and about this past Fall I picked up a copy of his "Food Rules" and began thumbing through. I was enthralled.
What was shocking to me was that he wasn't trying to tell me EXACTLY what to eat and HOW to eat it for each meal to be healthy (most diets seem to be more of prescription saying "eat precisely this in this amount at this time"), he was using tried and true guidelines- the type my grandmother used to keep in mind when preparing meals and purchasing food- to help shape one's thinking about food and how/what to eat. Basically what it all boiled down to for me was that we aren't really eating food, we are eating products that imitate food and cause a myriad of issues when we could avoid almost all of them by just switching back to the actual foods. This lead me to read Michael's other two books which really solidified to me how much we have let companies, industries and the government dictate what we eat, how we eat, with whom we eat, and how much of eat we will eat.
BF and I decided that one of our commitments this year (and going forward) would be to eat as locally and organically as we can and to focus on purchasing ACTUAL FOOD- no processed foods, nothing containing high fructose corn syrup or preservatives or dyes, no foods with a list of ingredients we cannot pronounce and don't know the origin of, etc. We have switched to butter or olive oil instead of cooking sprays and "heart healthy" spreads (which probably aren't really that healthy), whole organic milk instead of skim organic milk, foods with ingredient labels that are few in ingredients in general (think no more than 6 for the most part), and more seasonal fare instead of whatever we are in the mood for.
The books detail the "whys" of this food attitude/culture adoption much better than I can, but briefly the things I learned and then examined and found myself agreeing with are:
1. We should eat more like other cultures (think Asian diet, French cuisine, Mediterranean)- other cultures have vastly different ideas regarding what REAL food is than Americans do. We tend to treat food as a necessary obligation that shouldn't involve pleasure, real fats and dairy products or social time. Not only do other cultures have a completely different attitude (which I will touch on in a minute) but they eat REAL FOOD- real butter and dairy and none of that non-fat/low-fat stuff, real meats with real animal fat instead of de-skinned white meat, hearty fresh baked breads and finally a nice glass of wine (or the like). Why is it that we seem to have such a huge issue with obesity when other places in the world eat butter and whole mike and pork belly and don't? And guess what! They enjoy doing it.
2. You should know your food chain- I feel like we are getting pretty far removed from our food sources. We go to the store and pick up what we need and we never meet the farmers who grew the produce or ranchers who raised the cattle for our steaks. Not only do I want to know where my food comes from, but I want to make sure that I am putting money into the local economy so that the little guys who are running their farms/ranches/fishing ventures responsibly and sustainably are able to continue to do so. I want to know that my beef was from cows that ate field grasses that their bodies were made to digest and are healthy. I want to eat an apple that was grown in the town next to mine and that wasn't sprayed with harsh chemicals and picked too early. The more you know about your food the more informed decisions you can make regarding them.
3. Our attitude about food- for whatever reason, we Americans have some odd attitudes about foods. Some of those include ideas like we need to eat "Good" foods and not eat "Bad" foods, but what really makes something good or bad? We also tend to be obsessed with nutrition and health, but at the same time we eat much larger portions than most other cultures. And we seem to be the only ones who has to have guidance from the government as to what and how much of a food we should be eating daily. I feel like I need to look at food as what it is- something that tastes excellent and should be fully enjoyed and just happens to nourish my body (a plus, really!) but also sets aside time in my day to be social with my friends and family. I don't need to rush to eat or cram as much food in my mouth as possible; I can just relax and take in the blessings that I have.
4. Industrial Agriculture, Ranching and Unsustainable Practices- I don't even want to open this can of worms, but I will touch on it briefly. We aren't being smart in these areas. We are putting chemicals and toxins into the earth and thus into our food chain. We are depleting resources while we build stock piles of commodities that aren't going to help us. We are processing things that do not need to be processed. It's all just so complicated. And cruel in the case of industrial live stock. Again, I want to know that what I'm eating was grown in an earth-friendly way and is full of actual nutrients and not just corn products and that it was well taken care of.
"Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants," is the way Mr. Pollan summarizes (and simplifies) his thoughts and "rules". I fully agree.
If you haven't read any of his works, I highly recommend them!
Thanks for letting me get it out there!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
2012: Big Plans
As I've discussed a little on this blog, BF and I have a lot of plans in the works: Wedding, buying a house, etc. We thought it was important to sit down and draft a plan of what we wanted to achieve and how we were going to get there.
First we started with wedding stuff since we started that before any of the rest of the items, but that proved to be pretty easy. Here's what we have done for the wedding:
1. Dress- picked out, tried on, ordered and now stored safely in a secret location! Along with the veil, accessories, etc.
2. Location- Wedding rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception locations are all picked and a down payment made.
3. Menu- picked, even though our picks aren't due until July. Hey, we know what we like!
4. Music- picked and put on a playlist! Ceremony, reception, etc.
5. Bridal party and Groomsmen- done and notified!
6. Guest List- mostly done, just verifying some family members.
Really the only few things left are:
1. Picking and officiant.
2. Picking a bakery for the SMALL cake- we don't want to feed everyone cake, but still need a little one for the cake cutting and pictures.
3. Bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen colors. Not that worried about it since they don't need them until September.
4. Invitations. Still, not worried since we won't be sending them out until late spring/early summer.
5. Flowers- but we really only want flowers for my bouquet, the bridesmaids bouquets and the grooms'/groomsmen's boutonnieres.
6. Photographer.
I'm hoping to get a bunch of this stuff figured out during the Bridal Show next weekend where I can meet vendors, etc.
The next thing we are working on is buying a house. Since the market is so low right now and paying a mortgage is about what we already pay for rent we figured it just made sense to do it now. We've currently viewed about 20 homes and made a few offers. I'm hoping we hear back from our favorite house soon and get things going!
We don't have a "to do" list for our home yet since we aren't sure which home we will end up with, however I've already gone paint shopping and picked out a palette that both BF and I like a lot for the main living spaces. We already know that no matter what house we get we will probably repaint the inside to our tastes.
Because we don't have the house yet, we have decided that this is the perfect time to start "Nothing New 2012" because it will deter us from buying things that we will just have to move to the new home anyway (we both HATE moving) and also help us save money for possible home projects (like paint or a backyard make over!). Here are our rules for Nothing New 2012:
If we think we need something, these are the questions we must first ask:
1. Can we borrow it from a friend/family member?
2. Can we get it used?
3. Is there a sustainable alternative?
4. Do we really NEED it? Or do we WANT it?
5. Does it have a home? Meaning does it have a place to be stored or be kept permanently if we do get it.
The items that we know we will be buying that are MOSTLY exempt:
1. Groceries
2. Toiletries/ household cleaning items
3. Dog food/treats/medications
4. Prescriptions/Vitamins/Supplements
5. Undergarments- you never realize how quickly men's undershirts wear completely out until he cannot find a suitable one to wear one day!
6. Experiences- travel or entertainment. You should spend money on fun memories that build your relationship rather than consumables and knick knacks.
The reason I qualified this list as MOSTLY exempt from the rules is that there are items that we buy regularly that I've been trying to phase out and replace with more sustainable ones and also items that I'm starting to question that we even need (ie. vitamins and supplements- they cannot hurt, but research shows that they don't really make you healthier, your food and lifestyle do that... which is a whole other post).
Once we have the house stuff settled and the remainder of the wedding expenses paid for we will continue the Nothing New because we feel that it's just a good practice. We don't need to fill our home with unnecessary stuff and we don't need to fill landfills with trash. As we go we will just start setting goals on what to save for next- a trip to Europe, a weekend kayaking excursion, cooking classes, etc.
Here's hoping we hear about the house soon and that 2012 will be an amazing year!
First we started with wedding stuff since we started that before any of the rest of the items, but that proved to be pretty easy. Here's what we have done for the wedding:
1. Dress- picked out, tried on, ordered and now stored safely in a secret location! Along with the veil, accessories, etc.
2. Location- Wedding rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception locations are all picked and a down payment made.
3. Menu- picked, even though our picks aren't due until July. Hey, we know what we like!
4. Music- picked and put on a playlist! Ceremony, reception, etc.
5. Bridal party and Groomsmen- done and notified!
6. Guest List- mostly done, just verifying some family members.
Really the only few things left are:
1. Picking and officiant.
2. Picking a bakery for the SMALL cake- we don't want to feed everyone cake, but still need a little one for the cake cutting and pictures.
3. Bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen colors. Not that worried about it since they don't need them until September.
4. Invitations. Still, not worried since we won't be sending them out until late spring/early summer.
5. Flowers- but we really only want flowers for my bouquet, the bridesmaids bouquets and the grooms'/groomsmen's boutonnieres.
6. Photographer.
I'm hoping to get a bunch of this stuff figured out during the Bridal Show next weekend where I can meet vendors, etc.
The next thing we are working on is buying a house. Since the market is so low right now and paying a mortgage is about what we already pay for rent we figured it just made sense to do it now. We've currently viewed about 20 homes and made a few offers. I'm hoping we hear back from our favorite house soon and get things going!
We don't have a "to do" list for our home yet since we aren't sure which home we will end up with, however I've already gone paint shopping and picked out a palette that both BF and I like a lot for the main living spaces. We already know that no matter what house we get we will probably repaint the inside to our tastes.
Because we don't have the house yet, we have decided that this is the perfect time to start "Nothing New 2012" because it will deter us from buying things that we will just have to move to the new home anyway (we both HATE moving) and also help us save money for possible home projects (like paint or a backyard make over!). Here are our rules for Nothing New 2012:
If we think we need something, these are the questions we must first ask:
1. Can we borrow it from a friend/family member?
2. Can we get it used?
3. Is there a sustainable alternative?
4. Do we really NEED it? Or do we WANT it?
5. Does it have a home? Meaning does it have a place to be stored or be kept permanently if we do get it.
The items that we know we will be buying that are MOSTLY exempt:
1. Groceries
2. Toiletries/ household cleaning items
3. Dog food/treats/medications
4. Prescriptions/Vitamins/Supplements
5. Undergarments- you never realize how quickly men's undershirts wear completely out until he cannot find a suitable one to wear one day!
6. Experiences- travel or entertainment. You should spend money on fun memories that build your relationship rather than consumables and knick knacks.
The reason I qualified this list as MOSTLY exempt from the rules is that there are items that we buy regularly that I've been trying to phase out and replace with more sustainable ones and also items that I'm starting to question that we even need (ie. vitamins and supplements- they cannot hurt, but research shows that they don't really make you healthier, your food and lifestyle do that... which is a whole other post).
Once we have the house stuff settled and the remainder of the wedding expenses paid for we will continue the Nothing New because we feel that it's just a good practice. We don't need to fill our home with unnecessary stuff and we don't need to fill landfills with trash. As we go we will just start setting goals on what to save for next- a trip to Europe, a weekend kayaking excursion, cooking classes, etc.
Here's hoping we hear about the house soon and that 2012 will be an amazing year!
Friday, December 16, 2011
We're Getting Married, It's Almost Christmas, We Are House Hunting but None of that Stresses Me Out Like Finding a Gift for BF's Mom
I'm totally serious, you guys.
I am in the midst of wedding planning, holiday decorating and baking, house hunting and figuring out home loan options, renewing our storage space lease since we know we won't be moving before January, coordinating facy dinners and meetings for work, getting my new boss organized, getting the dogs groomed and the little one trained, looking at interior design ideas for our new house when we get it, shopping for appliances that we will need for any new house we get since we don't own any appliances, wrapping presents (because I'm SO not the last minute person) and the only thing keeping me up at night is the fact that I have NO IDEA what to get BF's mom for Christmas. NO CLUE. Not even a tiny glimmer of an idea.
Why? Because she's the hardest person IN THE WORLD to shop for. I'm not even making this up. You should ask BF. This is the only thing I've been focusing on all week. I'm done with all of my other christmas shopping. Every time I have to run an errand or go to the store for anything I think to myself, "Maybe I will find the perfect gift for BF's Mom here!" and then end up leaving the shop disappointed and frustrated. I asked BF for ideas and he couldn't come up with anything either (for some of the reasons I'll list in a minute).
I sat down and wrote a list of things that she likes to help me think of something. Here's what that list looked like:
BF's Mom- Ideas on things she likes:
1. Reading- but mostly she gets books at the library and doesn't really buy them unless she finds a super good deal at Barnes and Noble, like when they do their summer clearance sale and you can get books for $1 or $2. But didn't we get her a giftcard for books last year? Did she spend it? I can't get her the same gift card again.
2. Gardening- maybe books on gardening? She's got a shelf full, and she has been doing it forever so doesn't need another book on it. Maybe gloves? Got them. Knee pads? She's got fancy rolling knee pad thing for working in the yard already. Beer for her slug traps? Ugh.
3. Crafty things, like scrapbooking- but those are sort of personal and she has a whole room with her scrapbooking and craft stuff so what else could I get her?
4. Walking- she likes to take walks, but she just got new walking shoes this past fall. What else do you need for walking?
5. Tea- she likes tea. I'm not even sure what kind. But I've seen her make it and drink it! Out of a tea kettle she already owns... and tea cups she already has... dang...
... and on and on.
So what are some of the hit gifts you've given your other's mother?
I am in the midst of wedding planning, holiday decorating and baking, house hunting and figuring out home loan options, renewing our storage space lease since we know we won't be moving before January, coordinating facy dinners and meetings for work, getting my new boss organized, getting the dogs groomed and the little one trained, looking at interior design ideas for our new house when we get it, shopping for appliances that we will need for any new house we get since we don't own any appliances, wrapping presents (because I'm SO not the last minute person) and the only thing keeping me up at night is the fact that I have NO IDEA what to get BF's mom for Christmas. NO CLUE. Not even a tiny glimmer of an idea.
Why? Because she's the hardest person IN THE WORLD to shop for. I'm not even making this up. You should ask BF. This is the only thing I've been focusing on all week. I'm done with all of my other christmas shopping. Every time I have to run an errand or go to the store for anything I think to myself, "Maybe I will find the perfect gift for BF's Mom here!" and then end up leaving the shop disappointed and frustrated. I asked BF for ideas and he couldn't come up with anything either (for some of the reasons I'll list in a minute).
I sat down and wrote a list of things that she likes to help me think of something. Here's what that list looked like:
BF's Mom- Ideas on things she likes:
1. Reading- but mostly she gets books at the library and doesn't really buy them unless she finds a super good deal at Barnes and Noble, like when they do their summer clearance sale and you can get books for $1 or $2. But didn't we get her a giftcard for books last year? Did she spend it? I can't get her the same gift card again.
2. Gardening- maybe books on gardening? She's got a shelf full, and she has been doing it forever so doesn't need another book on it. Maybe gloves? Got them. Knee pads? She's got fancy rolling knee pad thing for working in the yard already. Beer for her slug traps? Ugh.
3. Crafty things, like scrapbooking- but those are sort of personal and she has a whole room with her scrapbooking and craft stuff so what else could I get her?
4. Walking- she likes to take walks, but she just got new walking shoes this past fall. What else do you need for walking?
5. Tea- she likes tea. I'm not even sure what kind. But I've seen her make it and drink it! Out of a tea kettle she already owns... and tea cups she already has... dang...
... and on and on.
So what are some of the hit gifts you've given your other's mother?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
It Begins...
Ok, so BF and I have launched our Wedding Website to keep everyone updated on plans. Please feel free to visit and check back often as we update it!
Our Wedding Site!
Our Wedding Site!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Eventful
Boy has it ever been.
So you know that last week BF and I put a bid on a home in the Good Neighbor Next Door program that the government runs. We were waiting to hear back as the bidding period closed over the weekend and kept checking the website to see if anything new was happening.
Saturday went by with not much news. We went about our day as normal- went to the gym, cleaned up the house and started on the pile of laundry, etc. I poured over paint colors and budgeting out what it would cost to replace home items if we needed to... if we get the house.
Sunday BF went to help his parents find and cut down a Christmas tree. I did some more home chores and then decided to get out and get some more of my Christmas shopping done. The plan was for me to meet BF at his parents' house after the tree adventure for dinner. BF called me and told me that there was new about the house and it looked like it had been reopened for bidding for an additional week. I was super bummed because I was hoping we would just get it and be able to start planning! That was frustrating to hear, but not the end of the world. I was trying to get the gifts unloaded at my parents's house during this conversation and then get back home to let the dogs out before it got too cold.
Then in the middle of our phone conversation, BF sort of trailed off and stopped talking. I was trying to ask him what was going on and he just said, "Something's wrong with my dad". Apparently he very quickly started feeling awful and then got terrible stomach pains and started vomiting. They made a quick decision to take him to the ER so BF told me to meet them there, so ran to let the dogs out and then jumped in the car to get to St. Vincent's.
I arrived and totally had to lie to get back to BF's dad's room where they all were... they said only immediate family so I fudged a little bit and told them that BF and I were already married so I was the daughter in law... not such a huge lie really. I still felt a little guilty and told BF right away what I did. Anyway, so I went back and BFD was in bad shape (BF's Dad) and I just felt awful knowing that he was in such pain. The doctors thought it may be kidney stones so they were waiting for the pain and anti-nausea meds to kick in before they could get a scan (since he was moving around so much from the pain it would have been impossible). We waited around a while and ended up running to get dinner for ourselves, his sister and his mother.
A couple hours later they were able to do the scan and confirmed it was kidney stones, but because of the locations there wasn't much they could do so they sent BFD home with some anti-nausea meds and a couple pain pills to help until they pass. Terrible! Everyone that I know that has had kidney stones says it is the worst pain they've ever experience so I cannot imagine what that would even feel like!
We went to BF's parents house to wait for his dad to be released and to feed his parents' dogs. We watched a little football and let the dogs run around and play in the yard. As we were sitting on the couch the dogs came pealing into the house from the backyard. This is pretty normal because they chase each other around constantly so we thought nothing of it. And then I smelled it. It smelled like cow poop and it was STRONG. I jumped up and grabbed Rudy and realized that he was COVERED in leaves and poop. GROSS! So we tried to grab him to throw him into the bathtub, but just then the door opened and his parents were walking in. I yelled for Rudy to come so that he wouldn't jump his poop-covered self up onto BF's parents and ran to grab him. Nora peed on the floor at the same time from all of the excitement and BF managed to wrap Rudy in a towel and throw him into the bathroom before he did any damage. I quickly shut the bathroom door and started scrubbing Rudy and covering him with soap. I did get him clean, but I was so mad that he rolled around in poop!
BF and I ended up getting home around 10:30 or 11pm and sort of slumped into bed. Long Day.
Today BF and I found out that we weren't the only bidders on the house, so we were put into a lottery for it. We weren't selected in the lottery and I was so bummed when I found out, but then our broker told us that it didn't mean we won't get it. The other bidder's bid was selected in the lottery, but the bid has not yet been approved which means we may have a chance at this house anyway, but only if the current winning bidder doesn't get their stuff in correctly or if their bid isn't approved. It's such a weird process with these homes and super stressful! In the mean time we are looking at other homes, even though they will cost way more.
Now I'm off to get a filling. YAY!
So you know that last week BF and I put a bid on a home in the Good Neighbor Next Door program that the government runs. We were waiting to hear back as the bidding period closed over the weekend and kept checking the website to see if anything new was happening.
Saturday went by with not much news. We went about our day as normal- went to the gym, cleaned up the house and started on the pile of laundry, etc. I poured over paint colors and budgeting out what it would cost to replace home items if we needed to... if we get the house.
Sunday BF went to help his parents find and cut down a Christmas tree. I did some more home chores and then decided to get out and get some more of my Christmas shopping done. The plan was for me to meet BF at his parents' house after the tree adventure for dinner. BF called me and told me that there was new about the house and it looked like it had been reopened for bidding for an additional week. I was super bummed because I was hoping we would just get it and be able to start planning! That was frustrating to hear, but not the end of the world. I was trying to get the gifts unloaded at my parents's house during this conversation and then get back home to let the dogs out before it got too cold.
Then in the middle of our phone conversation, BF sort of trailed off and stopped talking. I was trying to ask him what was going on and he just said, "Something's wrong with my dad". Apparently he very quickly started feeling awful and then got terrible stomach pains and started vomiting. They made a quick decision to take him to the ER so BF told me to meet them there, so ran to let the dogs out and then jumped in the car to get to St. Vincent's.
I arrived and totally had to lie to get back to BF's dad's room where they all were... they said only immediate family so I fudged a little bit and told them that BF and I were already married so I was the daughter in law... not such a huge lie really. I still felt a little guilty and told BF right away what I did. Anyway, so I went back and BFD was in bad shape (BF's Dad) and I just felt awful knowing that he was in such pain. The doctors thought it may be kidney stones so they were waiting for the pain and anti-nausea meds to kick in before they could get a scan (since he was moving around so much from the pain it would have been impossible). We waited around a while and ended up running to get dinner for ourselves, his sister and his mother.
A couple hours later they were able to do the scan and confirmed it was kidney stones, but because of the locations there wasn't much they could do so they sent BFD home with some anti-nausea meds and a couple pain pills to help until they pass. Terrible! Everyone that I know that has had kidney stones says it is the worst pain they've ever experience so I cannot imagine what that would even feel like!
We went to BF's parents house to wait for his dad to be released and to feed his parents' dogs. We watched a little football and let the dogs run around and play in the yard. As we were sitting on the couch the dogs came pealing into the house from the backyard. This is pretty normal because they chase each other around constantly so we thought nothing of it. And then I smelled it. It smelled like cow poop and it was STRONG. I jumped up and grabbed Rudy and realized that he was COVERED in leaves and poop. GROSS! So we tried to grab him to throw him into the bathtub, but just then the door opened and his parents were walking in. I yelled for Rudy to come so that he wouldn't jump his poop-covered self up onto BF's parents and ran to grab him. Nora peed on the floor at the same time from all of the excitement and BF managed to wrap Rudy in a towel and throw him into the bathroom before he did any damage. I quickly shut the bathroom door and started scrubbing Rudy and covering him with soap. I did get him clean, but I was so mad that he rolled around in poop!
BF and I ended up getting home around 10:30 or 11pm and sort of slumped into bed. Long Day.
Today BF and I found out that we weren't the only bidders on the house, so we were put into a lottery for it. We weren't selected in the lottery and I was so bummed when I found out, but then our broker told us that it didn't mean we won't get it. The other bidder's bid was selected in the lottery, but the bid has not yet been approved which means we may have a chance at this house anyway, but only if the current winning bidder doesn't get their stuff in correctly or if their bid isn't approved. It's such a weird process with these homes and super stressful! In the mean time we are looking at other homes, even though they will cost way more.
Now I'm off to get a filling. YAY!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Waiting Game... and Looking at Interior Decorating Sites Because I'm Old Now
So BF and I are waiting to hear back regarding the house. We probably won't hear a thing until Monday or Tuesday which is KILLING ME.
If we do get the house, we have to get an inspection, finalize the loan stuff and then figure out how we are going to replace the carpets and repaint some of the awful/half done paint that is currently in some of the rooms.
In order to occupy myself while we wait I've been busy looking at interior design sites and magazines to see what it is I like and how I want to redo our possible new home. I know what I like, but I also want our home to feel cohesive and not broken up into themed rooms, if that makes sense? Anyway, I'm just busily collecting pictures and paint samples and deciding what appliances would be necessary to replace.
Here's what I'm thinking:
1. Floors- the carpets NEED to be replaced. The house was a rental before it was put on the market and I'm pretty sure that they didn't clean/replace them because they knew they didn't need to impress anyone. I am debating on replacing the carpet or all out getting totally new floors... maybe wood or laminate wood or something.
2. Appliances- so the appliances in the home aren't terrible, but if it's going to be my home I want to update them with newer and more energy efficient ones. I'd like a french door refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom, an awesome dishwasher because I HATE doing the dishes, a more efficient water heater, and a better looking microwave. BF wants a new range as well, so there's one more. Again, I want them all to match so for the first time EVER I've been looking at Lowe's and Home Depot and Sears and Best Buy trying to find a good collection that I like. We also need to purchase a washer and dryer, but clearly they don't need to match the kitchen appliances so whatever we pick should be good.
3. Paint colors- I am SO TORN with paint. Some of the paint in the house I do like, but it needs to be touched up so I will have to find the matching paint to do so. Some of the rooms are just... gross. Who knows why people pick the colors they do. And some of the home just needs paint in general because it's worn completely off (like on the banister going upstairs). I'm wondering if I just wait to touch up the paint that I like and just go all out on the rooms and areas that really need it. Also, BF and I need to decide on colors and themes for the main rooms. The outside paint is ok, the house just needs a good spray down like any house does occasionally.
There's more on my list, but I'm trying not to invest TOO much time on the house until we know we've got it... but plan just enough so I'm not scrambling to figure out what we want if (when) we do get it.
Waiting takes forever.
If we do get the house, we have to get an inspection, finalize the loan stuff and then figure out how we are going to replace the carpets and repaint some of the awful/half done paint that is currently in some of the rooms.
In order to occupy myself while we wait I've been busy looking at interior design sites and magazines to see what it is I like and how I want to redo our possible new home. I know what I like, but I also want our home to feel cohesive and not broken up into themed rooms, if that makes sense? Anyway, I'm just busily collecting pictures and paint samples and deciding what appliances would be necessary to replace.
Here's what I'm thinking:
1. Floors- the carpets NEED to be replaced. The house was a rental before it was put on the market and I'm pretty sure that they didn't clean/replace them because they knew they didn't need to impress anyone. I am debating on replacing the carpet or all out getting totally new floors... maybe wood or laminate wood or something.
2. Appliances- so the appliances in the home aren't terrible, but if it's going to be my home I want to update them with newer and more energy efficient ones. I'd like a french door refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom, an awesome dishwasher because I HATE doing the dishes, a more efficient water heater, and a better looking microwave. BF wants a new range as well, so there's one more. Again, I want them all to match so for the first time EVER I've been looking at Lowe's and Home Depot and Sears and Best Buy trying to find a good collection that I like. We also need to purchase a washer and dryer, but clearly they don't need to match the kitchen appliances so whatever we pick should be good.
3. Paint colors- I am SO TORN with paint. Some of the paint in the house I do like, but it needs to be touched up so I will have to find the matching paint to do so. Some of the rooms are just... gross. Who knows why people pick the colors they do. And some of the home just needs paint in general because it's worn completely off (like on the banister going upstairs). I'm wondering if I just wait to touch up the paint that I like and just go all out on the rooms and areas that really need it. Also, BF and I need to decide on colors and themes for the main rooms. The outside paint is ok, the house just needs a good spray down like any house does occasionally.
There's more on my list, but I'm trying not to invest TOO much time on the house until we know we've got it... but plan just enough so I'm not scrambling to figure out what we want if (when) we do get it.
Waiting takes forever.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Feeling Very Grown Up
As I write this I'm looking at my "To Do" list from the weekend to see what I missed and besides NOT MISSING ANYTHING that I needed to get done, I also realized that I'm a Grown Up now.
What? When did this happen?
It happened when BF and I applied for a pre-approved home loan over the weekend because we are looking to get into a house.
HOLY CRAP.
I'm super nervous about the whole thing (because, you know... 30 year mortgage, purchasing appliances, property taxes, etc) but I'm also insanely excited! The thought of having a place of our own where we can let the puppies run around free in the yard and we can have a huge compost bin instead of having to throw our scraps away, and being able to PAINT and change anything I want is AWESOME. Also, a 2 car garage so we can both park inside on the cold, wet Oregon days is appealing.
We've found a house we LOVE and that is close to BF's school, so we are hoping to go see it, win the bid and get a loan ASAP so we can get this going.
The excitement is overwhelming, but I'm still stressing out until it's all worked out.
What? When did this happen?
It happened when BF and I applied for a pre-approved home loan over the weekend because we are looking to get into a house.
HOLY CRAP.
I'm super nervous about the whole thing (because, you know... 30 year mortgage, purchasing appliances, property taxes, etc) but I'm also insanely excited! The thought of having a place of our own where we can let the puppies run around free in the yard and we can have a huge compost bin instead of having to throw our scraps away, and being able to PAINT and change anything I want is AWESOME. Also, a 2 car garage so we can both park inside on the cold, wet Oregon days is appealing.
We've found a house we LOVE and that is close to BF's school, so we are hoping to go see it, win the bid and get a loan ASAP so we can get this going.
The excitement is overwhelming, but I'm still stressing out until it's all worked out.
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