five things that have gone or are going wrong...

I hate to sound like I'm complaining or being a baby but there have been a few kinks in the road on this new home ownership journey. The house itself is still my favorite thing ever and we're slowly meeting our neighbors and making new friends in the 'hood but I kinda figured once we moved in life would be less stressful than it was before. So silly of me!

We've owned a home before so I should have known that little things pop up and there is ALWAYS a project that could be completed but on a brand-spankin' new house!? Really, these things are minor in the grand scheme of life but still not stuff we wanted to be dealing with 2.5 weeks after moving in...


{ONE | new microwave quit working...}

Say what now?! A brand new microwave just died on us? Not technically died, I guess, but it wouldn't start. We popped popcorn last weekend and woke up the next day to a microwave that was giving us error codes and wouldn't turn on. Four days later, the GE technician came to the rescue, replaced a part and fixed it. He also gave me unsolicited advice on running the dishwasher but whatev. The microwave is working again!

{TWO | new grass not growing...}

Our back yard is looking a little sad. We've been watering the heck out of the new sod and I'm straight-up terrified to see our water bill for the month but everyone else's yard is nice and green and ours is so not.

{THREE | new yard not draining...}

With all the watering taking place to help the grass not grow we've discovered a slight drainage problem in the back and side yards. Standing water, soppy swampy grass, a weird smell. It's super fun!

{FOUR | new tree dying...}

I'm sensing a pattern here. A green thumb I have not. BUT. We've been totally watering the spruce tree the landscapers planted right before we moved in but it's out of control, losing needles faster than I'm spending money. Which is, like, really fast!

Anyway, we called the landscaping company back out (they installed our sprinkler system, too) to get an idea of what was going on. They confirmed the spruce is for sure on its way out but they'll come back in early fall to replace it under warranty. We're now able to cut back on watering the grass so we'll just wait and see what happens there. Hoping it dries out a little bit and will come back to life. And, start saving our pennies for some type of drain system. Adulting is no fun, I tell you.

{FIVE | new walls no longer new....}

Public Service Announcement: don't use the local Sears home delivery people. After we found the rotten meat in our old fridge, we decided the smell was here to stay so my parents very graciously offered to replace it. The guys that delivered the new fridge did quite a number bringing it into the house. There was so much damage, in fact, that we filed a claim with Sears to have repairs made.

I realize it may not be that big of a deal to some people, and honestly, we could probably make the repairs ourselves on Sears' dime but it's a BRAND NEW house! If we wanted to put scrapes and holes in our walls, we would have attempted to haul the fridge to the basement ourselves. But when you pay to have "professionals" deliver and hook up an appliance, I'd expect them to be careful doing so. Not shove it through the opening and then curse under their breath when they realized they completely damaged the door frame in the process.

The third-party handyman service finally contacted me yesterday and they should be out next week to assess the damage and figure out a time to fix it.

Oh, and if you happen to scratch someone's brand new hardwood floors and dent the entire wood ledge on the landing, maybe offer an apology instead of just walking out of the house and cheerfully telling me to "have a great day!" #thatreallyhappened


Ok, enough of the bad!

There is SO MUCH GOOD here, too! I mean, these crazies live with us and they keep things interesting on their own accord, we don't need any added drama! Also, if these pictures don't sum up their different personalities...



Oh, Leighton. Lord help us.

Happy weekend!



Photo Every Hour :: Wednesday

7 AM | coffee in silence...
8 AM | early morning death glares...
9 AM | breakfast of champions.
10 AM | second breakfast of champions {more cereal}
11 AM | 23 months apart, same size. #yikes
12 PM | WAHM perk - a quick jaunt to the pool...
1 PM | and then I ate chocolate...
2 PM | early afternoon death glares...
3 PM | practicing letters...
4 PM | baby found chalk... #notgood
5 PM | dinner prep
6 PM | trying to salvage the yard... #holdme
7 PM | storybook central
10 PM | hours eight and nine involved trying to get kids to bed. so, yeah. i'm eating ice cream...

Weekend Rewind

We had a great weekend with family and now the kids are going through withdrawals and the only thing they've been doing this fine Monday is fighting with each other. And I mean, F I G H T I N G. Pushing, screaming, pinching, hitting. All of it. Gracyn will usually come get me if Leighton is bothering her but today it's on another level. She's putting up her own fight and I'm ready for a drink.

Some of my favorites came to visit and these little girlies here had the best time hanging out. Five girls ages 6 and under. It was a good time for sure. We hung out at the house on Friday night and hit up Crown Center for a little exploring and lunch on Saturday. I had a list of things to do but everything was outdoors so we did the Mr. Potato Head exhibit, Hallmark Visitor Center and let the kids run around inside for a bit instead. Naps were very needed come Saturday afternoon so we hightailed it back home for some rest. 

Everyone left Sunday afternoon and we miss them already. I love when we can get together with our dear family - it doesn't happen nearly often enough.





My cousin snapped this gem during lunch. Leighton had just chewed up my pickle {and proceeded to spit it out...} and flipped my tray over and was mad I gave her a french fry. Gracyn was basically being force-fed a corndog because she refused to eat while sitting in her own chair. And I look pleased as punch to be doing it all. I mom so hard... ;)


Pizza for supper proved to be a winner, though! We also bribed the children with M&Ms if they'd sit nice and take pictures together before everyone hit the road on Sunday. No shame here and it worked!


Friday Things

How is it Friday already!? I love when the week seems to fly by. We've been busy bees over here and we're SO EXCITED for the weekend...

{ONE}

As a perk for participating in Megan's 30 Days of Summer Photo Challenge last month, she gifted everyone 25 free prints from Artifact Uprising.  I finally put my offer to use and had a set of prints made. I hung up a few in the girls' playroom and I love having them on display in there! Now, to find a spot for the other 16 photos...


{TWO}

Ok, you know that rug I rambled on about and ordered and was SO excited to get?!?! See Exhibit A...


NOT GRAY. AT ALL.

More like neon pink, green and orange. WTF?!

It arrived and I could tell as I was signing for the delivery that this was NOT what I had in mind. I thought for sure they had sent me the wrong order but when I checked everything, it all matched up. Turns out the little picture on the Rugs USA website isn't a very clear depiction of the coloring of this bad boy. It's a nice rug but NEON wasn't a part of my vision for the family room. 

I unrolled it and put furniture in place just in case I changed my mind but nope. Even Justin thought it looked crazy. I immediately rolled it up, re-packaged it and hauled it to the UPS store to be returned. Also, rolling and packaging and hauling a 9x12 rug is as ridiculous as it seems. It weighed like 50 pounds and was twice as all as me so I was all hunched over trying to drag this thing through the doors at 6:59 PM when the store closed at 7 PM. I was probably their favorite customer that day...

Anyway. Back to the drawing board - I have a few other options pinned but I don't want to make the same mistake. Rugs USA offers free shipping on purchases but NOT on returns so I'm for sure out at least $50 if I can't find something else. It was a bit of a bummer, for sure.

{THREE}

I am happy to report that I'm satisfied with the throw pillows and pillow covers we ordered. They're fun and definitely different from what we've had in the past. And for $3-$5 per cover, I won't feel bad changing them out when I get the itch to mix things up a bit.


{FOUR}

It has been hot as balls here this week and we have some company coming to visit this weekend so I picked up ingredients for the most delicious cocktail in all the land. Try it, you won't even know what's happening. You'll be sipping along, enjoying the refreshing beverage and the next thing you know, you'll be knocking over glasses and swearing in front of your grandma.

Not that I'm speaking from personal experience... ;)

via
Nantucket Lemonade // Ingredients

2 1/2 C Lemonade
1 C Cranberry Juice
1 1/2 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 1/2 C Vodka
1 C Chilled Ginger Ale
2 C Ice
Frozen Raspberries
Lemon Slices

Combine lemonade, cranberry juice, lime juice and vodka in a large pitcher or fancy shmancy beverage dispenser and mix well.

Add ginger ale before serving. Add ice. Garnish with raspberries and lemons.

Get hammered.

{FIVE}

A couple of my cousins from up north are coming to visit this weekend and I can't wait for some much-needed family time. We four adult girl-cousins will get to visit and catch up on life while our combined 5 little girls run around and play together. It'll be great. And probably loud. 

Happy Friday!







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Spending Spree

I have a problem. It's called shopping and I can't stop, won't stop. But I really, really need to stop. It's just too much fun trying to fill up the new house. Granted, almost everything we've gotten so far have been necessities (storage shelves, hooks, etc.) and/or a great deal that we just couldn't pass up. So I don't feel too bad. My pocketbook may feel otherwise.... 

Unpacking kinda feels like shopping, seeing things that have been in storage for 2+ months. My favorite gallery wall is now up and greets me every morning as I come down the stairs. I've order an updated print to fill up the wonky "don't worry be happy" frame but still. It's my favorite.


We bought a couch (similar here) last month and had it delivered on moving day. I was a little worried about the color but I actually really like it. It's super comfy, too. Throw pillows and pillow covers have been ordered and should arrive on my doorstep tomorrow thanks to Amazon Prime!


We got a set of the Strandmon chairs from Ikea that probably weren't technically a necessity but they're so comfy and look good. Trying to fit two chairs and two ottomans into the van with both kids was comical, however. It's always fun to drive down the highway with your van's truck half open.


Other things arriving soon?! These bar stools from Kohl's. I had a hard time spending money on bar stools for some reason - I was looking for the best deal and didn't want to spend $100 on each (when we wanted 4 for the kitchen island). I ended up getting these ones in gray because they were already on sale, I had an additional 25% off coupon, earned $22 back through Ebates AND earned $70 in Kohl's Cash! Total WIN, right?! Now, I'm just hoping they look OK in the kitchen and are semi-comfortable! Also, if you don't use Ebates, sign up right now! If you shop online at all, it'll be worth it.

I also had 10% off to Rugs USA so I ordered a big new area rug for the family room. Our old rug was a little to greenish tan for my liking in the new space. I'm having a strong aversion to tans and am trying to stick to grays and whites, if you can't tell! :) We went with this one and I think it'll be perfect with a few specs of color thrown in for good measure.


When we're not unpacking and organizing, we're hanging out at the pool. The neighborhood pool has a little kids area that's 1-2 feet deep, which makes it perfect for these little fishes to splash around. There is also a small splash pad area which is a big hit, as well!



Happy Tuesday!

Gracyn Says...







In reference to the goofy pictures above...
Gracyn: this is just what a sea lion looks and sounds like when they go 'bark bark bark'...

While looking for Rufus...
Gracyn: ugh gross, mom! rufus is licking him booty!

Getting ready for dinner:
Mackenzie: g, do you want soup?
Gracyn: yes, but nothing on it. no grass.
Mackenzie: it's cilantro.
Gracyn: NO GRASS!

While waiting for me to use the restroom...
Gracyn: mom, you done?
Mackenzie: yes...
Gracyn: THEN WIPE YOURSELF!

During snack time..
Gracyn: mom, can we have goldfish?
Mackenzie: we don't have any goldfish.
Gracyn: oh, craters!

After swimming...
Mackenzie: take your swimsuit off, please.
Gracyn: but i'll be nude!

During dinner...
Mackenzie: gracyn, it's time to stop singing and eat supper.
Gracyn: but i'm singing my "i don't wanna eat my supper" song!

While I changed Leighton's dirty diaper...
Gracyn: ugh, i just can't even breathe when you do that.

While Leighton cried for more M&Ms...
Gracyn: leighton, it's ok honey. when they're gone, they're gone!

Randomly during lunch the other day...
Gracyn: oh, i am just so proud of the workers who made this house!

Me too, babe. Me too.

Home.


We're home.

I can't even begin to express how happy we are to be in this house. And pinching ourselves that it's actually ours. We had a long weekend with movers, boxes, service providers, more boxes and one extra-rotten piece of meat that baked unnoticed in the storage unit for a full two months but we're here. HOME!

And yes, rotten meat that baked unnoticed in a storage unit for two months smells as bad as it sounds. We saw it after the movers got our old fridge off the moving truck; it had fallen under one of the drawers on the freezer side (I'm certain it had been there for a very long time, well before we moved out of our old house...) and after trying several cleaning agents to get rid of the horrid smell, we are bidding the old fridge farewell. Luckily, our newer stainless steel refrigerator was spared. It was so gross, to say the least!

I snapped a few pictures today while we S L O W L Y make our way through the piles of stuff. The blinds for the windows were installed today, we have a replacement couch coming (the first one that was delivered is ripped up at the bottom...) and the new IKEA chairs are heavenly. Kitchen stuff is put away and we still have empty cabinets (praise hands emoji!!!!!) and I'm scared to nail holes in the wall because everything is just so pretty and new.

Rufus has already calmed down a bit and I can't decide if it's the drugs or the extra space. Maybe a combination of both? ;) The girls are loving their own rooms and I'm loving the fact that Leighton has gone back to her old ways of sleeping in

I can't wait to get through the rest of our boxes and get everything organized. It's still a complete mess but it already feels like this is where we're meant to be.