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Happy Halloween? Don't they look thrilled?
Luv,
Winey
Friday, November 1, 2013
Happy Halloween!
It was a soggy yet warm Halloween this year. No Trick-or-Treating for us. Jack only agreed to wear his costume for 10 minutes before he was begging me to get it off him. I could barely get him to sit for a picture (the norm these days). But, here is the best one I could get.
Happy Halloween? Don't they look thrilled?
Luv,
Winey
Happy Halloween? Don't they look thrilled?
Luv,
Winey
Thursday, October 31, 2013
My Housewife Life
Becoming a housewife and mother has been a lot harder than I thought it would be. I didn't exactly think it would be a piece of cake, but it's what I always hoped and dreamed I'd be so I thought that would make it easier. Guess what...it's not easy. It's hard. Really hard. It's the hardest job I'll ever have. The bright side? I get to be with my boys everyday.
I have a lot of respect for working mom's. I can't imagine how exhausted I would be if I had to work a 8 to 5 and then come home to loads of laundry, vacuuming, dishes, etc. While I was working at my last job I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I needed to do at home and it drove me crazy. That's why I'm thrilled to call "housewife" my job title now!
However, I haven't really taken it seriously as a "career" up to this point. I guess I was still getting used to the fact that I am unemployed. Now, I've decided to "own" my new role and treat our household as if it were a business and I'm the CEO. My goal is to run an organized, efficient, clean, welcoming and loving home for my family and anyone else who comes into our house.
The first step for me is making sure the house is clean. I don't mean spotless and sparkling because let's face it...I have 2 children under the age of 3 and my time is not spent on making sure I can see my reflection in the floors 24/7. I'm pretty sure there is still some peas on the dining room floor from lunch today, but I'm ok with that. p.s. we really need to get a dog.
I put together a chore chart before Sean was born so Mark could help me with the work load after the baby came. It lists all the chores I do for each day of the week. I like to spread out the household cleaning throughout the week because it makes it seem less daunting. I used to clean our 1 bedroom condo all in one day, and it was easy because it was super tiny, but I still hated doing it. With my new system, each day of the week has a designated set of chores and I can usually get them all done well before noon, which leaves the rest of the day for doing fun things. Less chores on my to-do list motivates me to actually do them! I need that kind of motivation sometimes.
Here is my weekly schedule:
Monday:
Friday:
As you can see 3 days out of the week are open. This works well for us if we have something going on, for example on a Wednesday, we can move Wednesday's chores to Thursday no problem. Sunday night we put out the trash and I do some meal planning and write my grocery list.
I also have chores that are done everyday and others once or twice a month as shown below:
Everyday:
There are also a few larger chores like washing windows, baseboards, washing rugs that only get done a couple times a year. So far in this new house I haven't done these things yet. But every six months or so would be good.
This system is working out pretty good for me right now. As the boys grow older I can enlist their help and eventually consolidate all the household chores to 1 or 2 days a week.
I might possibly post a more in depth look at each day and how I go about completing each chore. Right now it's Thursday so I'm going to kick back and relax!
Oh yeah...Happy Halloween!
WW
I have a lot of respect for working mom's. I can't imagine how exhausted I would be if I had to work a 8 to 5 and then come home to loads of laundry, vacuuming, dishes, etc. While I was working at my last job I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I needed to do at home and it drove me crazy. That's why I'm thrilled to call "housewife" my job title now!
However, I haven't really taken it seriously as a "career" up to this point. I guess I was still getting used to the fact that I am unemployed. Now, I've decided to "own" my new role and treat our household as if it were a business and I'm the CEO. My goal is to run an organized, efficient, clean, welcoming and loving home for my family and anyone else who comes into our house.
The first step for me is making sure the house is clean. I don't mean spotless and sparkling because let's face it...I have 2 children under the age of 3 and my time is not spent on making sure I can see my reflection in the floors 24/7. I'm pretty sure there is still some peas on the dining room floor from lunch today, but I'm ok with that. p.s. we really need to get a dog.
I put together a chore chart before Sean was born so Mark could help me with the work load after the baby came. It lists all the chores I do for each day of the week. I like to spread out the household cleaning throughout the week because it makes it seem less daunting. I used to clean our 1 bedroom condo all in one day, and it was easy because it was super tiny, but I still hated doing it. With my new system, each day of the week has a designated set of chores and I can usually get them all done well before noon, which leaves the rest of the day for doing fun things. Less chores on my to-do list motivates me to actually do them! I need that kind of motivation sometimes.
Here is my weekly schedule:
Monday:
- Bed linen laundry
- Clean kitchen sink
- Clean kitchen stove top
- Mop kitchen floors
- Vacuum kitchen and garage entry rugs
- Grocery shopping
- Dust and vacuum bedrooms
- Vacuum bathroom floors
- Vacuum hallway
- Clean bathrooms
- Bath linen laundry
Friday:
- Dust and vacuum living room and family room
- Pay bills
As you can see 3 days out of the week are open. This works well for us if we have something going on, for example on a Wednesday, we can move Wednesday's chores to Thursday no problem. Sunday night we put out the trash and I do some meal planning and write my grocery list.
I also have chores that are done everyday and others once or twice a month as shown below:
Everyday:
- Clean up toys
- Clean kitchen counters
- Sweep kitchen and dining room floors
- Mop Family/Dining Room - 1st and 3rd Fridays
- Clean Showers - 3rd Wednesday
- Clean Microwave 1st Tuesday of odd numbered month
- Clean Refrigerator on the day the season changes
There are also a few larger chores like washing windows, baseboards, washing rugs that only get done a couple times a year. So far in this new house I haven't done these things yet. But every six months or so would be good.
This system is working out pretty good for me right now. As the boys grow older I can enlist their help and eventually consolidate all the household chores to 1 or 2 days a week.
I might possibly post a more in depth look at each day and how I go about completing each chore. Right now it's Thursday so I'm going to kick back and relax!
Oh yeah...Happy Halloween!
WW
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Sweet Caramel Goodness!
Autumn officially starts tomorrow at 4:44pm. (Why 4:44? What's the significance?) I am super excited for my second favorite season (after summer) to begin!
There are so many things I love about autumn and I think I'll do a post next month about all my favorite fall things. I've already started enjoying one of my fall favorites and I just had to share it with you all because I've added a new twist to it and it's oh my god so good!
So, I love apple cider. I always drink it September through October and always piping hot in a big mug. I discovered on Pinterest a way to make my favorite fall beverage even better!
Are you ready for this??? Caramel Vodka!!!
This stuff is so yummy! First of all it smells wonderful in the bottle. I add about a shot (1.5 oz.) of it into my hot apple cider. It just gives it a slightly sweet buttery flavor. I wish I could take it out with me and drink it all the time, but it's alcohol and I have children to take care of.
But after the kids go to bed, I make myself one of these and it totally relaxes me. So glad I discovered this vodka! I could even simmer the cider on the stove top with a couple cinnamon sticks for even more flavor, but ain't no body got time for that. Especially me. Just pass the caramel vodka please!
Any body have a favorite fall drink? What are your apple cider variations?
Love,
Winey
*I have no affiliations with Smirnoff or their products
There are so many things I love about autumn and I think I'll do a post next month about all my favorite fall things. I've already started enjoying one of my fall favorites and I just had to share it with you all because I've added a new twist to it and it's oh my god so good!
So, I love apple cider. I always drink it September through October and always piping hot in a big mug. I discovered on Pinterest a way to make my favorite fall beverage even better!
Are you ready for this??? Caramel Vodka!!!
This stuff is so yummy! First of all it smells wonderful in the bottle. I add about a shot (1.5 oz.) of it into my hot apple cider. It just gives it a slightly sweet buttery flavor. I wish I could take it out with me and drink it all the time, but it's alcohol and I have children to take care of.
But after the kids go to bed, I make myself one of these and it totally relaxes me. So glad I discovered this vodka! I could even simmer the cider on the stove top with a couple cinnamon sticks for even more flavor, but ain't no body got time for that. Especially me. Just pass the caramel vodka please!
Any body have a favorite fall drink? What are your apple cider variations?
Love,
Winey
*I have no affiliations with Smirnoff or their products
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The Latest Addition!
Just wanted to update why I've not posted in FOREVER!!!!! We've been a little busy round here at the homestead due to.....Baby Sean! (aka Fuzzy Bean, B-Sean)
In the past few months he has gone from an Eat-Sleep-Cry Baby to a Happy-Smiling-Sweet Baby and we love him to pieces. Hello! Look at that smile! He looks just like his big brother it's crazy!
Two kids is a lot of work, but I'm taking it one day at a time. I'm lucky to have a 2 yo that loves his afternoon nap and a baby who basically sleeps through the night every night! I don't feel nearly as tired as I did when Jack was a newborn.
Speaking of Jack he thinks his new brother is pretty neat and calls him B-Sean (short for baby Sean). He is also getting 4 new teeth right now so he pretty much acts like he's possessed by the devil. I'll be glad when that's over!
I can't believe that summer is almost over! I feel like just yesterday it was the beginning of June and we were bringing Sean home from the hospital. And now Autumn begins in 5 days!!! We have a lot planned for the fall and upcoming holidays. I can't wait to share it all with anyone who might be reading this! Thank you whoever you are! Tell me your autumn plans in the comments below!
Love,
WW
In the past few months he has gone from an Eat-Sleep-Cry Baby to a Happy-Smiling-Sweet Baby and we love him to pieces. Hello! Look at that smile! He looks just like his big brother it's crazy!
Two kids is a lot of work, but I'm taking it one day at a time. I'm lucky to have a 2 yo that loves his afternoon nap and a baby who basically sleeps through the night every night! I don't feel nearly as tired as I did when Jack was a newborn.
Speaking of Jack he thinks his new brother is pretty neat and calls him B-Sean (short for baby Sean). He is also getting 4 new teeth right now so he pretty much acts like he's possessed by the devil. I'll be glad when that's over!
I can't believe that summer is almost over! I feel like just yesterday it was the beginning of June and we were bringing Sean home from the hospital. And now Autumn begins in 5 days!!! We have a lot planned for the fall and upcoming holidays. I can't wait to share it all with anyone who might be reading this! Thank you whoever you are! Tell me your autumn plans in the comments below!
Love,
WW
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Settling In
Well this is day 12 in our new home and things have been a little busy around here. I'm basically finished unpacking, with the exception of a few things in our living room/office area. But we have hit a few bumps along the way.
Our master bathroom shower leaks into the basement! We discovered this 5 days before we moved in. We were testing out the water flow/pressure and when Mark went downstairs there was water all over the basement floor! We told our realtor about it and since then he has been over here 4 times to try and help us! He ended up contacting the seller (who installed the shower last year) and they both came over last Sunday with plumbers. They think they can solve the problem so the plumber will be here on Friday morning. At least we have a second shower we can use. (or do we?)
On top of that when we were trying to find the source of the leak we discovered that the tub/shower in our main bathroom needs to be replaced. We found water damage and mold inside the wall. It was most likely caused by water seeping in through the poorly sealed tile grout. The ironic thing is this tub/shower has the exact same tile we had in our condo bathroom that we also had to replace for the same reason. Oh and I was 8 months pregnant then too. The condo is haunting us!
There has been a lot of adjusting for everyone. I think Jack misses the carpeting, as this house is entirely wood floor or tile. He walks around a lot instead of playing on the floor like he did at the apartment. I miss the carpet too. I had to by some new slippers because my feet get so cold on these floors and I'm not used to walking on such a hard surface all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love the floors, it just takes this girl a bit to get used to it. Our plan is to by some area rugs and I think we will carpet the kids rooms.
Anyway, enough whining from this wife huh! I'm getting back into my normal household routine and should be able to post more frequently. I am on the fence about my videos though. I just don't think I have the personality, and they come off as boring, even to me. Maybe I'll come up with a better format or scrap it altogether and just post here.
WW
Our master bathroom shower leaks into the basement! We discovered this 5 days before we moved in. We were testing out the water flow/pressure and when Mark went downstairs there was water all over the basement floor! We told our realtor about it and since then he has been over here 4 times to try and help us! He ended up contacting the seller (who installed the shower last year) and they both came over last Sunday with plumbers. They think they can solve the problem so the plumber will be here on Friday morning. At least we have a second shower we can use. (or do we?)
On top of that when we were trying to find the source of the leak we discovered that the tub/shower in our main bathroom needs to be replaced. We found water damage and mold inside the wall. It was most likely caused by water seeping in through the poorly sealed tile grout. The ironic thing is this tub/shower has the exact same tile we had in our condo bathroom that we also had to replace for the same reason. Oh and I was 8 months pregnant then too. The condo is haunting us!
There has been a lot of adjusting for everyone. I think Jack misses the carpeting, as this house is entirely wood floor or tile. He walks around a lot instead of playing on the floor like he did at the apartment. I miss the carpet too. I had to by some new slippers because my feet get so cold on these floors and I'm not used to walking on such a hard surface all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love the floors, it just takes this girl a bit to get used to it. Our plan is to by some area rugs and I think we will carpet the kids rooms.
Anyway, enough whining from this wife huh! I'm getting back into my normal household routine and should be able to post more frequently. I am on the fence about my videos though. I just don't think I have the personality, and they come off as boring, even to me. Maybe I'll come up with a better format or scrap it altogether and just post here.
WW
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Feeling Not So Spring-y
Did you spring forward today?
We completely forgot and didn't realize it until we got to church and the parking lot was full and found out we were 50 minutes late! Yay us!
But hey...we had a busy weekend and I wasn't exactly thinking about the time change. We closed on Friday and it went great. It didn't take as long as I thought it would and I was just so happy to sign all 235,456 of those papers! haha!
We got this amazing gift basket from our realtor. He is fantastic and he really worked for us the whole time. You can tell he loves his job.
Here are some pictures of the gift basket after I unwrapped it (the wrapped version is in the video):
It's bread and cookies from Great Harvest Bread Co. We got a loaf each of Cinnamon Swirl and Honey Whole Wheat, a bag of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and a Honey Bear! The bread is really dense and delicious! The cookies are huge and perfectly chewy. There is tons of chocolate chips in them, but they're not too sweet. This is the first time I've ever had Great Harvest and I WILL be purchasing more of their goodies! Yum!
On Saturday we moved a lot of stuff to the house. My parents helped us load and unload and it was all done pretty quickly (even with my preggo butt just standing around directing...and looking pretty). We did discover that there is no power to our kitchen island, which means the dishwasher wont run. It seems to need a new breaker. The GFCI one they installed recently was a dud I guess? It should be taken care of this week. Fingers crossed!
I just uploaded a new video on my YouTube channel. It's very short and I almost didn't post it because it isn't as good as I hoped it would be. There was no electricity the day I filmed it, so I may do another one with more detail after we're officially moved in.
Here's the linkNew Home Series: Closing Day & Home Tour
See You Real Soon!
WW
*All opinions are my own.
We completely forgot and didn't realize it until we got to church and the parking lot was full and found out we were 50 minutes late! Yay us!
But hey...we had a busy weekend and I wasn't exactly thinking about the time change. We closed on Friday and it went great. It didn't take as long as I thought it would and I was just so happy to sign all 235,456 of those papers! haha!
We got this amazing gift basket from our realtor. He is fantastic and he really worked for us the whole time. You can tell he loves his job.
Here are some pictures of the gift basket after I unwrapped it (the wrapped version is in the video):
It's bread and cookies from Great Harvest Bread Co. We got a loaf each of Cinnamon Swirl and Honey Whole Wheat, a bag of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and a Honey Bear! The bread is really dense and delicious! The cookies are huge and perfectly chewy. There is tons of chocolate chips in them, but they're not too sweet. This is the first time I've ever had Great Harvest and I WILL be purchasing more of their goodies! Yum!
On Saturday we moved a lot of stuff to the house. My parents helped us load and unload and it was all done pretty quickly (even with my preggo butt just standing around directing...and looking pretty). We did discover that there is no power to our kitchen island, which means the dishwasher wont run. It seems to need a new breaker. The GFCI one they installed recently was a dud I guess? It should be taken care of this week. Fingers crossed!
I just uploaded a new video on my YouTube channel. It's very short and I almost didn't post it because it isn't as good as I hoped it would be. There was no electricity the day I filmed it, so I may do another one with more detail after we're officially moved in.
Here's the linkNew Home Series: Closing Day & Home Tour
See You Real Soon!
WW
*All opinions are my own.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Busy Week
By this time on Friday we will have finished closing on our new house!
I can't believe it! I never thought we would find a house that we liked AND could afford. We are truly blessed.
Today I had an appointment with my OB. I'm 25 weeks along and the baby looks and sounds great. I feel pretty good, but I get winded easily especially when I'm cleaning the house or doing some intense packing. This nesting period is wonderful for packing!
Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment, just a cleaning. Then I'll head to the bank and get a cashiers check for closing on Friday.
Our official move day will be March 16th, but we are going to make a couple of trips before that with some boxes and odds and ends that I don't really want on the big truck (for fear they will be damaged!). The one thing that sucks is we cannot get out of our current lease here, so we will have to continue to pay rent and utilities until the end of May. Grrrrrr. That irritates me soooo badly!
I will be vlogging the day we close and I'll try to get that video up on Sunday if I can.
Yay!
WW
I can't believe it! I never thought we would find a house that we liked AND could afford. We are truly blessed.
Today I had an appointment with my OB. I'm 25 weeks along and the baby looks and sounds great. I feel pretty good, but I get winded easily especially when I'm cleaning the house or doing some intense packing. This nesting period is wonderful for packing!
Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment, just a cleaning. Then I'll head to the bank and get a cashiers check for closing on Friday.
Our official move day will be March 16th, but we are going to make a couple of trips before that with some boxes and odds and ends that I don't really want on the big truck (for fear they will be damaged!). The one thing that sucks is we cannot get out of our current lease here, so we will have to continue to pay rent and utilities until the end of May. Grrrrrr. That irritates me soooo badly!
I will be vlogging the day we close and I'll try to get that video up on Sunday if I can.
Yay!
WW
Friday, February 22, 2013
I Have A YouTube Channel!
I have subscribed to a couple YouTube channels over the past 6 months and I really like watching them and I love the idea of sharing with others and the sense of community.
Here are the links to the channels I subscribe to:
MakeupByTiffanyD
missglamorazzi
MyHousewifeLife
OrganizedLikeJen
TheBusyBeeBuzz
The last 3 on the list are by the same person she just has different channels for the different topics she talks about.
With everything that is happening to our little family this year (new house, new baby) I decided to create my own YouTube channel as an accompaniment to this blog.
I will try to post videos once a week. The content will range from redecorating the house to family things and everything in between! What ever I feel like making a video about I am going to try it!
I may even venture into vlogging!
I am a little nervous about putting myself out there on video. I don't think I'm all that great to look at and I really hate my voice on video. But, maybe this endeavor will help me get over some of those things.
Anyway, I'm doing this for me and I don't care if anyone likes or watches what I put out there. Although I wouldn't mind if they did!
Here is the link to my channel:
TheWineyWife on YouTube
Here are the links to the channels I subscribe to:
MakeupByTiffanyD
missglamorazzi
MyHousewifeLife
OrganizedLikeJen
TheBusyBeeBuzz
The last 3 on the list are by the same person she just has different channels for the different topics she talks about.
With everything that is happening to our little family this year (new house, new baby) I decided to create my own YouTube channel as an accompaniment to this blog.
I will try to post videos once a week. The content will range from redecorating the house to family things and everything in between! What ever I feel like making a video about I am going to try it!
I may even venture into vlogging!
I am a little nervous about putting myself out there on video. I don't think I'm all that great to look at and I really hate my voice on video. But, maybe this endeavor will help me get over some of those things.
Anyway, I'm doing this for me and I don't care if anyone likes or watches what I put out there. Although I wouldn't mind if they did!
Here is the link to my channel:
TheWineyWife on YouTube
Love,
WW
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Happy Valentine's Day!
I know the day is almost over but...Happy Valentine's Day! Hearts to everyone!
We are getting closer to closing on our house. The sellers have agreed to fix a few of the problems for us. They will install some GFCI outlets throughout the house and GFCI's in the breaker as well. They are also going to make sure the bathroom fans are properly vented outside the house...so yay for that!
We had our meeting with our mortgage lender on Monday. We had quite the sticker shock when we found out how much our monthly payment is going to be. It was about $170 MORE than what we had calculated using the FHA mortgage calculator online. After going home and going over the numbers for 3 hours....we decided to change our financing to a conventional loan which will reduce our payment by $50. We are going to have to put more money down (5% instead of 3.5%) but we think it's worth it and of course our loan amount will be smaller. Beans and Rice anyone?
We are really excited and I can't wait to share our whole journey on this blog. I'm planning lots of room makeovers which means lots of blog posts and pictures (maybe even some videos!).
I made butterscotch & chocolate chip cookies today! Or as I like to call them...the "I've Died And Gone To Heaven Cookies". Maybe one of these days I can blog about them too.
Love,
WW
We are getting closer to closing on our house. The sellers have agreed to fix a few of the problems for us. They will install some GFCI outlets throughout the house and GFCI's in the breaker as well. They are also going to make sure the bathroom fans are properly vented outside the house...so yay for that!
We had our meeting with our mortgage lender on Monday. We had quite the sticker shock when we found out how much our monthly payment is going to be. It was about $170 MORE than what we had calculated using the FHA mortgage calculator online. After going home and going over the numbers for 3 hours....we decided to change our financing to a conventional loan which will reduce our payment by $50. We are going to have to put more money down (5% instead of 3.5%) but we think it's worth it and of course our loan amount will be smaller. Beans and Rice anyone?
We are really excited and I can't wait to share our whole journey on this blog. I'm planning lots of room makeovers which means lots of blog posts and pictures (maybe even some videos!).
I made butterscotch & chocolate chip cookies today! Or as I like to call them...the "I've Died And Gone To Heaven Cookies". Maybe one of these days I can blog about them too.
Love,
WW
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Home Inspector: "Don't Buy This House!"
So this past Friday we had our home inspection. We were planning on leaving Jack with my sister so we wouldn't need to bring him along, but he was not feeling so good once we got to her house so I stayed with him and Mark went to the inspection on his own.
Boy am I glad I didn't go! The inspection took about 3 hours and we found out some things that we didn't really want to know.
First off, my dad recommended the home inspector to us who is a very knowledgeable guy and we got a great deal on the "no frills" home inspection. "No frills" just means that we don't get a written report about the house, which we were ok with. We probably saved $350 to $400!
When they walked into the kitchen/family room he was like, "You don't want to buy this house." That particular part of the house, which is the addition, is very open (which is why we like it so much) and it does have a significant slope in the floor. However, he wasn't concerned about that. He said "There is nothing supporting this roof." WHAT!?! There needs to be a girder truss that supports the roof of the addition. They looked in the attic and there was a wall blocking the view into the space above the addition. At that point the inspector didn't really want to continue any further, but Mark asked him to.
Here are some other things we learned:
None of the outlets in the house are grounded
The bathroom fans are not properly vented
The attic needs more insulation
There is a crack in the concrete pad in the garage that's allowing water (ie. snow and salt from the car) to leak into the basement and it's creating salt deposits on the basement wall!
There are no heating vents in the bathrooms or kitchen
The floor in the addition is sloped because the current owners laid a new bamboo floor ontop of the original hardwood that stops just after the kitchen. Why!!!!
And the main breaker for the house is located outside where anyone one can walk by and shut our power off!
Needless to say when Mark told me all this I was disappointed.
But then he told me the good news!
They ended up finding the girder truss through an opening in the garage! Thank goodness! The addition was put on sometime in the 70's so we just knew it had to be there! The next day it was confirmed by a friend (a former inspector from the 60's/70's) of the home inspector who drove by the house and remembered everything about that house! He knew who the owners were and the name of the guy who built the addition, which was very important! We now have the whole history of this house and I think that is so cool.
The house was built in 1963 and it was the first one built in that area, which was the premier neighborhood of that time. It was the spec house so that explains why the main breaker is outside. The original owners of that home lived there until 2010 when they sold it to my friend's parents who bought it for their daughter (my friends sister). She lived there for only a few months before moving in with her boyfriend, who is now her husband. So basically there has only been 1.5 owners of this house. Oh and one other tidbit. The original owner was a blueberry farmer and he had his own gasoline tank buried under the ground for fueling up his truck so he could go out to the fields! The tank is still there! Isn't that crazy!
So to make a long story even longer...we are still going to buy this house. We just have a few conditions for the sellers that we hope they can address. We have a meeting tomorrow with our mortgage lender and then we just have to pray that the FHA inspection goes well so we can be approved for our mortgage.
Talk about stress! We have not been sleeping well lately, but it will all be worth it in the end. I do sleep a little better knowing that I have 3 brothers-in-law that are home builders/contractors and they can help us with those other issues.
-WW
Boy am I glad I didn't go! The inspection took about 3 hours and we found out some things that we didn't really want to know.
First off, my dad recommended the home inspector to us who is a very knowledgeable guy and we got a great deal on the "no frills" home inspection. "No frills" just means that we don't get a written report about the house, which we were ok with. We probably saved $350 to $400!
When they walked into the kitchen/family room he was like, "You don't want to buy this house." That particular part of the house, which is the addition, is very open (which is why we like it so much) and it does have a significant slope in the floor. However, he wasn't concerned about that. He said "There is nothing supporting this roof." WHAT!?! There needs to be a girder truss that supports the roof of the addition. They looked in the attic and there was a wall blocking the view into the space above the addition. At that point the inspector didn't really want to continue any further, but Mark asked him to.
Here are some other things we learned:
None of the outlets in the house are grounded
The bathroom fans are not properly vented
The attic needs more insulation
There is a crack in the concrete pad in the garage that's allowing water (ie. snow and salt from the car) to leak into the basement and it's creating salt deposits on the basement wall!
There are no heating vents in the bathrooms or kitchen
The floor in the addition is sloped because the current owners laid a new bamboo floor ontop of the original hardwood that stops just after the kitchen. Why!!!!
And the main breaker for the house is located outside where anyone one can walk by and shut our power off!
Needless to say when Mark told me all this I was disappointed.
But then he told me the good news!
They ended up finding the girder truss through an opening in the garage! Thank goodness! The addition was put on sometime in the 70's so we just knew it had to be there! The next day it was confirmed by a friend (a former inspector from the 60's/70's) of the home inspector who drove by the house and remembered everything about that house! He knew who the owners were and the name of the guy who built the addition, which was very important! We now have the whole history of this house and I think that is so cool.
The house was built in 1963 and it was the first one built in that area, which was the premier neighborhood of that time. It was the spec house so that explains why the main breaker is outside. The original owners of that home lived there until 2010 when they sold it to my friend's parents who bought it for their daughter (my friends sister). She lived there for only a few months before moving in with her boyfriend, who is now her husband. So basically there has only been 1.5 owners of this house. Oh and one other tidbit. The original owner was a blueberry farmer and he had his own gasoline tank buried under the ground for fueling up his truck so he could go out to the fields! The tank is still there! Isn't that crazy!
So to make a long story even longer...we are still going to buy this house. We just have a few conditions for the sellers that we hope they can address. We have a meeting tomorrow with our mortgage lender and then we just have to pray that the FHA inspection goes well so we can be approved for our mortgage.
Talk about stress! We have not been sleeping well lately, but it will all be worth it in the end. I do sleep a little better knowing that I have 3 brothers-in-law that are home builders/contractors and they can help us with those other issues.
-WW
Thursday, February 7, 2013
My Brain Feels Like Scrambled Eggs
As I had talked about previously we have been house hunting near the lakeshore. It's had it's ups and downs for sure. We would find ourselves getting all excited about a house we saw online, even going as far as picking out paint colors and furniture. Then we would go to the showing and be all "WHAT?!?"
Bottom line...Online photos are deceiving. That also goes for online dating profiles, but the world has already learned that lesson.
Two weeks ago we looked at a nice ranch-style house with a big addition on the back. I didn't want to get too excited but it was 3 bed 2 bath worth of fabulous! Yes the bathrooms are on the tiny side, but this house has so much space! (Can you say 5 main living area closets!) And a full unfinished basement for all our crap and brewing stuff! I went back two days later when there was an open house. I still liked it and secretly cursed the other house hunters there to get out of my house. hee hee.
Mark and I talked about the house for the next few days. It is at the top of our budget. But we decided to put an offer on it last Saturday. We bid 20 grand less than the asking price. And did I mention the sellers are my best friend's parents? (talk about awkward) They countered at $132,500. We came back at $130,000. They came back with $132,500. We surrender! $132,500 and seller pays the closing costs. We get a great house in a great location. Only 10 minutes from the beach!
Now we have appointments up the wazoo with home inspection on Friday, mortgage lender on Monday. And Mark is currently interviewing for a new position within the hospital so we have to work around those appointments. And we need to get our taxes filed so we can GET THAT MONEY BABY!
Oh speaking of babies. I'm having one and we found out that it's another boy! I'm soooo happy, and sooo out numbered now, but hopefully they will treat me like a queen.
So it's been a busy week, and our brains are scrambled, but WE HAVE A HOUSE! YES!!!!!!
I'll keep updating as things progress!
Later,
Bri
Bottom line...Online photos are deceiving. That also goes for online dating profiles, but the world has already learned that lesson.
Two weeks ago we looked at a nice ranch-style house with a big addition on the back. I didn't want to get too excited but it was 3 bed 2 bath worth of fabulous! Yes the bathrooms are on the tiny side, but this house has so much space! (Can you say 5 main living area closets!) And a full unfinished basement for all our crap and brewing stuff! I went back two days later when there was an open house. I still liked it and secretly cursed the other house hunters there to get out of my house. hee hee.
Mark and I talked about the house for the next few days. It is at the top of our budget. But we decided to put an offer on it last Saturday. We bid 20 grand less than the asking price. And did I mention the sellers are my best friend's parents? (talk about awkward) They countered at $132,500. We came back at $130,000. They came back with $132,500. We surrender! $132,500 and seller pays the closing costs. We get a great house in a great location. Only 10 minutes from the beach!
Now we have appointments up the wazoo with home inspection on Friday, mortgage lender on Monday. And Mark is currently interviewing for a new position within the hospital so we have to work around those appointments. And we need to get our taxes filed so we can GET THAT MONEY BABY!
Oh speaking of babies. I'm having one and we found out that it's another boy! I'm soooo happy, and sooo out numbered now, but hopefully they will treat me like a queen.
So it's been a busy week, and our brains are scrambled, but WE HAVE A HOUSE! YES!!!!!!
I'll keep updating as things progress!
Later,
Bri
Friday, January 18, 2013
I Heart Disney!
Ok so I have a slight (read HUGE) obsession with Walt Disney World and everything that goes along with it. The movies, the music, the cartoons, the theme parks, the resorts, I could go on and on!
I saw this picture on facebook the other day and my first thought was "OMG I have to have that!"
It's the satchel from the Dooney & Bourke Retro Collection. I have fallen in love with anything that's considered "Disney Retro" and this bag is so that! I love the design and all the little detail in the graphics.
I went to disneystore.com and it's $245! Yikes! I've never spent that much money on a purse let alone anything for myself. http://www.disneystore.com/walt-disney-world-satchel-by-dooney-bourke-retro/mp/1319850/1000291/
Then it came to me...what holiday's are coming up? Oh yeah Valentine's Day...Mother's Day...my Birthday. Hmmm who needs to buy me a gift?
I "accidentally" left the web page open on a certain someone's computer, ya know like Ralphie Parker would have done if he was looking at Red Rider BB Guns online.
-WW
I saw this picture on facebook the other day and my first thought was "OMG I have to have that!"
It's the satchel from the Dooney & Bourke Retro Collection. I have fallen in love with anything that's considered "Disney Retro" and this bag is so that! I love the design and all the little detail in the graphics.
I went to disneystore.com and it's $245! Yikes! I've never spent that much money on a purse let alone anything for myself. http://www.disneystore.com/walt-disney-world-satchel-by-dooney-bourke-retro/mp/1319850/1000291/
Then it came to me...what holiday's are coming up? Oh yeah Valentine's Day...Mother's Day...my Birthday. Hmmm who needs to buy me a gift?
I "accidentally" left the web page open on a certain someone's computer, ya know like Ralphie Parker would have done if he was looking at Red Rider BB Guns online.
-WW
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