Master Bedroom + Bathroom: Design Changes

Time has been moving so s-l-o-w-l-y, so I have been keeping myself busy with our house. I am not a big shopper when it comes to clothes, shoes, makeup, etc., but anything to do with home goods or renovations and I am down!

We recently finished the exterior of our home and completed an indoor remodel back in 2006, which included: new drywall, new paint, new windows, new doors, new hot water heater, new electrical, new lighting, new ceiling fans, new appliances, new cabinetry, full bathroom remodels, new tile flooring, and scraping the popcorn ceilings. We basically gutted and remodeled the entire house by ourselves. So now it's time I start going through each room to see what I can improve or add design & decor-wise. The fun part :)

I am currently working on our master bedroom and bathroom. They both need serious help, so don't laugh!

Master Bedroom - current photos

My plans for this room:

1. Upgrade the dresser and bedside tables - We got the Malm dresser and the matching Malm nightstands in white stained oak from Ikea. I should have waited for the new bed to match it. I wonder if I can stain these?! If so, I will sand & refinish to match the bed.
2. Add lamps on the bedside tables - Basisk table lamps from Ikea.
3. Purchase a new bed. We have a great Tempur-Pedic mattress, but it's on a crappy old metal frame, with no foot or head board. It's unstable and loud. We really needed a new bed ;) We just bought this California King Panel Bed at Ashley Furniture. It will be delivered and set up on Friday. Yippee!
4. Add pillows, shams, a throw, or something-for-the-bed in orange colors to bring a bright color into our tan / brown / gray room. Maybe these polka dot pillow covers or some orange & cream damask covers? I still cannot decide on the perfect orange accents.
5. Finish the drywall mud around the small window.
6. Hang chocolate brown curtains on the small window - to match large window.
7. Replace older closet curtains.We purchased these Merete curtains from Ikea to match the curtains in our extra room, office and living room. They are a grayish brown and have metal eyelets to allow for easier movement. The original closet doors in this house were huge & heavy, so we replaced them all with curtains when we moved in. Best.decision.ever!
8. Hang photographs or art on each side of the small window. My Mom takes close-ups of flowers, so I have a great selection of orange florals to choose from.
9. (Maybe) paint a feature wall, most likely the wall with the small window. However, I don't want to make the room feel or look any smaller than it already is. Do I leave it Swiss Coffee? Paint one wall? Ideas on a color?
10. Replace the burnt out light bulbs.

Master Bathroom - current photos

My plans for this room:

1. Paint the walls a light baby blue. Inspiration. I purchased a semi-gloss Serene Sky from Behr.
2. Paint the trim and door in a pure white.
3. Install the new Grundtal towel hanger/shelf we purchased at Ikea. 
4. Replace the rusty shower curtain rod.
5. Replace the rusty vent cover. 
6. Remove the faux wood blinds and apply a frosted film.
7. Update the wall art. Likely another flower (white & yellow) from my Mom.
8. Repair broken shower seat tiles.
9. Replace the burnt out light bulbs.
10. Install the exhaust fan. 

I will post pictures and updates when I finish. I hope you enjoy seeing the transformations!

xoxo,
Mrs. B

Music Friday - Frightened Rabbit

The Loneliness and The Scream by Frightened Rabbit

Nutrisystem - 4 week update

We are nearing the end of our 4th week on the Nutrisystem diet. I am both shocked and proud that the Mr. and I have committed to it for this long. It has to be a record for us! We were always a lot of "talk", but we never did anything about it. Now this is our lifestyle, and I truly believe we will keep this up for the rest of our lives.

It feels so good to step on the scale and see a lower number, and to know that we are making healthy choices. We even decided to continue with the program for as long as we need it. Once we feel confident enough, we will transition into our own healthy diet, following the same guidelines we have with Nutrisystem. I highly recommend this diet for anyone who wants to lose weight. It takes a lot of dedication and feeling starving all the time, but it's totally worth it :-)

Now for the weigh-in, Biggest Loser style:

• My starting weight was 185 lbs. Today I weighed in at 173.4 lbs. = total weight loss of 11.6 lbs.
• Mr.'s starting weight was 204 lbs. Today he weighed in at 190 = total weight loss of 14 lbs.

I started running again, too. I am enjoying it more & more, and it gets easier as I get lighter. I am really excited to keep it up and eventually enter a race.
  
"Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going!" Jillian Michaels - We love her and we love The Biggest Loser.

xoxo,
Mrs. B

My Workout Routine

I am trying to maximize my weight loss on Nutrisystem, so I set a goal to workout at least 5 days a week. I love to be outside for my workouts and I love to mix things up.

Here is what I have been up to or am planning to try...

• Cycling. The Mr. and I try to road bike every weekend. There is a nice paved 20 mile trail close by.
• Treadmill. I set the incline as high as it goes (10%) and walk at the 3 speed setting. Sometimes I do walk/run intervals.
• P90X. Whenever we have to stay inside for our workout, we turn to Tony Horton. He kicks our ass into shape.
• Hiking. There are several places to hike around here. We just did a hike in Laguna Canyon's wilderness park. There were huge hills, so we got a really good workout. We also took a wrong turn and our 4 mile hike turned into almost 8 miles!
• Jump Roping. It's tougher than you think. I try to jump rope a few times a week.
• Kickboxing. The real deal kind, too. Mr. B's co-worker teaches a class once a week. Loved it.
  
• Mountain Biking. We just tried this for the first time with Mr. B's cousin. Wow, what a great workout! I think we are going to add mountain bikes to our bike collection.
• Walks with Apollo. We take the pup out for walks a few times a week.
• Weight Training/Exercise Ball. I also incorporate my free weights and exercise ball into my workouts throughout the week.
• Snowshoeing. I haven't done this yet, but I am watching the local snow report so we can hopefully try it this season. It sounds like a lot of fun. 
• Tennis. I really enjoy playing tennis, but the husband does not. I need to start playing with my Mom more, so I can get better.
• Horseback Riding. Last but certainly not least, my favorite thing to do :) I need to start making time to ride regularly.

What does everyone do for fitness? Please share :)

"Commit to be fit." Author Unknown

xoxo,
Mrs. B

Music Friday - Robert Francis

All of My Trains by Robert Francis

Day 30 - Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days.

It's the last day of my blog challenge! Yay!


Let's see. My hopes, dreams and plans for the next year...

• Get pregnant and have a healthy baby
• Have a successful promotion in March for my 5 year review
• Throw Mr. B a great 30th birthday in October
• Go rafting this summer
• Finish our kitchen counter tops and remodel garage (After those our house will be 100% done!)
• Spend as much time as I can with my family
• Relax and let my stress & anxiety go

A TTC Update

I don't really have anything exciting to report. I am on cycle day 11 on our 10th cycle. I usually stop spotting from Aunt Flow on CD8, but I haven't stopped quite yet this cycle. Strange.

I am not temping this cycle. I am only tracking my CM and using my OPK's. My fertile signs are pretty easy to read, so I decided to take a break. I am always an anxious worrying type, so I am trying to de-stress and relax as much as I possibly can this time. I know my pessimistic attitude sucks, but being this many cycles in makes me worry. Mr. B and I did agree that we will talk to a doctor if cycle 10 is a fail. March will be nearly one year of trying. ::sigh::

However, I am happy to be losing weight for the time being. The Mr. is down 9 lbs and I am down 8!!!!!!! Woot!

"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." Author Unknown

xoxo,

Mrs. B

Day 29 - A person I love

A person I love.

I love my husband very much. Mr. B is wonderful. He knows me better than anyone. He makes me laugh every.single.day. He is super smart. He loves me even though I am a back seat driver. He is my best friend. He will be an amazing Father.

Day 28 - A place I love

A place I love.

I grew up visiting my Grandparent's ranch in Ojai, California. My Grandmother's family had owned land in Ojai for many years. Much of it was sold, but approximately 20 acres remained hers. Her and my Grandfather built a home on the land, and later added a house at the front of the property, a guest cottage and just recently three more guest cottages.

As kids, my sister and I explored the ranch, climbed the trees, picked fruit and caught lizards on grass leashes. We loved it and it has remained my favorite place since. When Mr. B proposed, our first decision was where to get married. We decided Ojai would be it, as it means so much to me. We held the ceremony on the lawn outside the main house and then the reception at a local Inn, so we could accommodate all of the wedding party. It was perfect and it made our wedding even more special. I love Ojai <3

Music Friday

Now that we are on Nutrisystem, it's no fun to share delicious recipes for Foodie Friday. I decided to switch it up and make Fridays "Music Fridays." Enjoy :)

This week's feature: Sing Me to Sleep by Fran Healy

The Tales of my BIL

I could start an entire blog about Mr. B's brother! We will call him C. First, I need to give you a brief introduction, then we will move on to the hilarious stories. To be quite frank, C doesn't care about much. He has an amazing ability to not care. I should really take some tips from him, since I am the exact opposite. C is 31 years old. He lived with his girlfriend for about 6 months, but lives with his parents again now.  This story is mostly about three of his cars. None of them survived long.

C had a Toyota Corolla that he parked on the street in front of my in-laws house. They live on a hill. Naturally, C did not use his e-brake and in the middle of the night, the Corolla rolled backwards down the hill. It stopped on top of the gas main in front of a neighbor's house, spewing gas fumes into the air. Every fire truck and police car in town showed up. And of course the gas company. A neighbor woke up my in-laws and they walked down to see what had happened. C glanced at the damage, shrugged and went back to sleep. Nothing to worry about there LOL.

C's next car was a nearly brand new Honda Civic, a hand-me-down from his parents. Nice... a free car. He drives it everywhere and drives for work, so the miles add up fast. He drives it all the way from Orange County, California to Cabo San Lucas. Along the way to Cabo, the "wheel fell off", he grinded the driver's side of the car into a guard rail and the bumper was smashed. No worries. It still runs, right? Sure does, until the oil goes dry and no one adds more. Honda's are amazing. This car ran for a long time before the engine finally blew up. We took the car, cleaned it up and put a new engine in it, and now we are selling it.

C's parents bought him a brand spankin' new Scion XB. Nice... another free car, this time brand new and shiny! C is reminded to take care of his car and keep oil in it. C moves back home a few months ago. The XB has dents and scrapes all over it. We ask what happened. C says he was driving down an alley and a car was coming toward him. He decided that instead of backing up to make room for the driver to pass, he would squeeze against the alley wall and pass the car. No big deal, it's just paint being scraped off. A month ago, the XB's engine just stopped. My father-in-law checked the oil. None. The plug in the oil pan is also missing. Yikes. They put a new plug and some oil in the car and the car runs again! Woot! Seriously, Honda's and Toyota's are amazing. But they can only take so much. Today the XB died for good. Now, for the best part....... C took a loan out on the XB, with a 99% interest rate. Yes, I know. How is that even possible?!?! And they took his pink slip. Shady biz right there. He cannot afford to pay back the loan, so they are giving the dead car to the loan shark.

Any time Mr. B calls me and says "Soooo, my Dad just called me", I know it's another C story. Normally, I would feel bad sharing someone's misfortunes as my entertainment. But this is C we are talking about here. He honestly doesn't care!

Day 27 - A child I love

A child I love.

My cousin Bria is the first that comes to mind. She is my Mom's sisters' youngest. She was a Junior Bridesmaid in our wedding. She is smart, sweet and beautiful.

Day 26 - A funny (true) story

A funny (true) story.

A few nights ago, while we were falling asleep, Mr. B asked me "Are we doing anything for Valentine's Day?" I thought for a second and replied "I don't know, are we?" He said "I asked first!" I told him I didn't have any ideas at the moment. We have done things in past years to celebrate, but not every year. Birthdays and Christmas are the only must-buy-something-for-each-other holidays for us. We were both dozing off and then Mr. B says "How about a $4 budget?" LOL. Always being funny :)

Day 25 - A favorite photo. Wait, this is a duplicate! Lamesauce.

I just noticed that Day 25 is a favorite photo. I already did that one. I should have reviewed the list better before starting this challenge LOL.

Oh well. Here's another favorite photo of mine. It's me, resting on the edge of the pool, at the Chateau de la Caze in La Malene, France. The Tarn River is flowing behind me and the sheer cliffs surround me. There are many days that I look back at this photo and wish I could blink my eyes & be here again :)