Monday, April 23, 2012

Weekend Recap

Our weekend was a working weekend, but we had fun.  We got some painting done, some patching and some tile laid.

Supervisor Sammy was on the job.
Here is the kitchen tile.  I like it even more laid out on the floor than I did when I picked it in the store.


We move this coming Sunday.  Yikes, we still have lots of work to do.  The goal will be to have the kitchen tiled and the spaces for the appliances painted.  The washer/dryer comes Saturday so that will be installed and we will have the fridge back in place, I will be happy to have it off the sun porch.  We have resigned ourselves that will be moving in with an incomplete kitchen, but hopefully in the next month we will finish it out.  We will not have counter tops or a sink installed when we move in, but we will have to make due.

"This tile not straight."
I got another room painted!  This is another bedroom.


I just need to finish out the trim and ceiling.  Progress!

Happy Monday!  Do you have a super busy week planned too?

Friday, April 20, 2012

It's Friday, Let the Work Begin!

It shouldn't be shocking that we are behind on the house and boy are we behind on the house, so this weekend will be all about work!  At least it is a fun kind of work.


Before house talk here is a recovery update.  I went to my follow up visit with the surgeon on Wednesday.  In case you missed last week's post, I had my gallbladder removed after a trip to the ER a couple of weeks ago...one of the reasons we are behind on the house...we lost quite a few work days.  Anyway, the doctor said I was doing great...I can go back to exercising and I can work on the house again.  I just need to listen to my body because I won't be fully healed for 6 weeks.

She also told me that the tenderness I have been feeling in my lower abdomen is the deeper tissue incisions healing.  I was happy it wasn't a sign of a problem.  I found out that not only was my gallbladder fully distended and full of gallstones, it was also full of fluid.  She confirmed there was one large stone stuck in the duct and that was the source of most of the pain I was feeling the night I went to the ER.  As I told you last week I am viewing the surgery as a blessing.  It is scary to be in an urgent care center and have the doctors tell you you need surgery when you have no idea there is anything wrong with you; but on the other side I am feeling so much better!  It's amazing how much more conscious you are of yourself when you go through something like that.  It really impacts you thinking.

Okay, now back to fun house plans.  If you remember this post you know the inspiration for my kitchen color pallet came from this photo I found online. 


I am with going cream colored cabinets, khaki walls, gray counter tops, a white subway tile back splash, and this awesome wall mount faucet.

(source)

I am in love with this faucet.  I thought about re-routing the plumbing so that I could have a more updated faucet on the counter like newer homes have.  I am so glad I didn't because I think this is really going to look great with the subway tile and be very charming in my kitchen.


The cover of my Real Simple magazine for May reinforced my decisions.  Look...gray counter tops, subway tile back splash and a faucet that looks a lot to me like a wall mount faucet wanna be.  I am so in style.  Ha!

This weekend will consist of lots and lots of painting.  I am ready and excited to get back to work.  It's a good thing since the movers come a week from Sunday!  Yikes!  Send me extra energy.

And in case you were wondering, my love affair with chobani yogurt is continuing this week.

Ah, strawberry.  This one might be my favorite.

Have a wonderful Friday!  What are your weekend plans?

Monday, April 16, 2012

Holy Chobani

I have always heard good things about Chobani yogurt, but I hadn't tried it for myself until today.  Holy cow is it delicious!


I wish I had tried it sooner, it is SO creamy and not too sweet like some yogurts.  It is a little more expensive which is why I hadn't tried it before, but it was on sale this weekend so I picked up a couple.  I am glad I did.  If you have not tried it, find a sale, buy you some, eat it.  You will not be sorry.  I had the non fat apple cinnamon flavor which was 3 weight watchers points +.

When I logged my weight online yesterday I got this notice.


I love that notice!

Have you discovered any awesome new to you foods lately?

Kitchen Shopping

After my surgery last week, I haven't been able to do all that much work on the house; but I am excellent at shopping.  I got some kitchen necessities over the weekend.

(source)
Our largest purchase was our washer and dryer which we will be stacking in a nook in the kitchen.  I am in love...maybe they will make me enjoy doing laundry for a while (maybe a week or so...lol).  This whirlpool duet washer got the highest ratings of front loading washers from consumer reports and I found it and the matching dryer for a great price.  I feel like we will really enjoy them and they will be delivered next weekend so the husband has to light a fire on the painting and tiling in that area.  I like deadlines.

I also picked up the new lighting and fan for the kitchen.

(source)

The fan will hang in the middle of the kitchen.  The chandelier will be in the breakfast room above our table.

(source)

I got a pendant light that matches the chandelier to hang above our sink.  The picture does not do it justice.

(source)

And over the weekend our new wall mount faucet arrived.  I love it!

(source)

I also have the paint colors and flooring picked out.  The plumbers start their work in the morning, we have to reroute some gas lines and pipes to move the washer and dryer connections where we want them.  We are also having the water heater removed and adding a tankless outside to free up some space in the kitchen.  We move in two weeks!  Wish us luck getting everything together!

In weight loss news, I have lost a couple of pounds each of the past weeks.  I will be posting my total weight loss for March and April at the beginning of May.  Yay for all kinds of progress!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Continued Healing

Yesterday was my birthday!  It was also my first day back to the office since my surgery.  It was a great day that took a lot of energy and by the time it was over I was exhausted!

The husband surprised me in the morning with this awesome present.

Hello pretty ring.
I love it!


Then on the way to the office I realized that the birthday present I ordered for myself had arrived.

Fun times.
It was nice to be out of the house for the day.  The office had gotten me a card and I had a few surprise presents in my office...a great way to be welcomed back in my opinion.  I worked until 1:00 pm, I am still working limited hours the rest of this week, and then went home and rested.

The husband got home from work with these gorgeous flowers.  Sweet husband.


And cooked a nice healthy dinner...and then I went directly to sleep.  I was worn out...but it was a great birthday indeed. 

Originally I was torn about my birthday being my first day back to work and so close after surgery...I started to want to have a pity party about it...but it turned out to be great.  As I said yesterday I am now viewing the ER trip and surgery as a blessing.  I was very content to celebrate my birthday and healing milestone with my coworkers and then with a relaxing evening at home.  I feel very accomplished and I think this is the start of a great year for me.

Have a lovely Thursday everyone!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Goodnight Moon

A week ago today I had the worst stomach ache ever.  It lasted from 10:30 pm on Wednesday well into the day on Thursday.  I gave in and went to an urgent care center at 5:00 am on Thursday morning.  I was admitted to the hospital around 9:00 am and I went in for surgery at a little after 4:00 pm.  They removed my gallbladder through a laparoscopic procedure called a cholecystectomy.

Wow...I never knew I had gallstones.  The surgeon said it was pretty bad.  I have done some reading and gallstones are formed by eating fatty foods (guilty), rapid weight loss (guilty), weight gain and loss (guilty); so I suppose it should not have come as a huge surprise that I had a problem.  What a wake up call...what better time to solidify changes I have been making in my eating habits?  In retrospect I see the event as a blessing, there was a lot of pain involved but in the end I am better.  What change doesn't come with a few growing pains?

This was the view from my room the night I got out of surgery...a beautiful full moon.

Goodnight moon, goodnight bad habits.

I am still on the mend and I am very thoughtful about lots of things. It is interesting how quickly a life changing experience can impact your life.  And being reminded that you are cared for doesn't hurt either.

Thanks dear friend!
Thanks cousins.
Thanks office family.
The husband has been awesome, he was great while I was in the hospital...poor thing had to spend the night in a very uncomfortable chair.  I got to come home Friday afternoon and spent lots of time in bed or on my sofa.  My aunt sent over an Easter dinner of pasta and angel food cake.  It was delicious.  I am extremely grateful for all my family and friends...they are awesome.

Thanks nurse Sammy for keeping a watchful sleepy eye on me.
And for helping me entertain myself while I was bored.
Today I am back to work a bit...I will be working a few hours each day for the rest of the week.  I am looking forward to being fully healed so I can get back to my workout schedule.  I am ready for the awesome future that awaits me!

Hope you are enjoying your Wednesday!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Getting Close

With the bedroom anyway. I'll be putting a second coat on today. The trim will get a fresh coat of white paint but only after the appliances are back in the kitchen. They have to trek through the bedroom to get there. We are replacing the existing light fixture with a ceiling fan.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Painting

It has been super busy here! I'm at work all day and working on the house all evening.

While the husband is concentrating on sanding and prepping the kitchen floor, I started painting the bedroom last night. Yay, progress!!