What Ana Does

Ok, we're on DAY 6 of fostering SEVEN puppies and I'm really feeling it. The garbage can is packed with gross puppy training pads and I've been cleaning up poop and pee for the last week and ... sheesh ... it's been a whole lotta work. Alice and I have dry, cracking hands from the amount of times we wash them. And there's a smell I can't describe coming from the playpen area. And it's not just me, the girls are a lot less jazzed about the pups than the were over the weekend. And the pups have pretty much had it with their small, enclosed space. They want OUT. We've picked our preferred pup (more soon) and we're just waiting out the clock until the rest of them have their adoption interviews on Saturday. They are ready to be out in the world. And I'm reading " Puppies for Dummies " and trying to start out on the right foot with our newest family member. Still don't think it's the craziest thing I've ever volunt

All Seven Chowing Down "Did I just volunteer to babysit seven puppies?!?!?!" This is what I asked as we got back into our car after visiting puppies. See, we're in the market to adopt. And since I'm home full time for now, we're considering adopting a puppy. We've never had a baby puppy before and I thought it might be an enjoyable life experience to try ... just once. So we got word there was a new litter of small breed puppies and we all jumped in the car to meet them. As we're rolling around playing with these teeny six-week old puppies, the foster mama was saying she's on vacation next week and would be leaving all seven of them with a neighbor who, unfortunately, works full time. So the pups wouldn't be getting a lot of attention until they got back. The Set-Up, In the Family Room Maybe I had a little puppy fever, but I offered our house.  It's Spring Break and we have zero plans -- we just arrived from Paris and we h

It took two days and about $80 in supplies, and now our kitchen pantry is REBORN! Here's a quick review of the project in pictures, starting with the BEFORE pictures: My main issue with the wire shelves were bottles or anything "thin" would tip over. And with my commitment to bulk, I wanted to store glass containers in here but knew they wouldn't be "safe." I foresaw broken glass at some point. Plus, it's a great space, so I knew I could add more storage space if I was strategic. Last, wire shelves are ugly. So then I demo'd the pantry and painted the walls (which was just primer) with leftover paint from the rest of the house. It's called Polar Bear. I paid an electrician to install an outlet at "counter height" in the pantry, so I could move the dumb microwave off the counter. (The electrician did a slew of other small jobs around the house, not just this outlet, including a motion-activated light in this pantry. Tres Fancy

I'm just to the point of puttering in the laundry room, so we're considering the improvement project "done." Yes, I have a little checklist I'm still ticking through, but the big stuff is complete. So, here's the dramatic Before and After pictures of our  Laundry Room . To recap the issues: The floor was hideous and cracking in some places, The utility sink was a mess and the faucet was puny and wobbly, There was no closed storage, so all the things we stored in here were totally visible, The wire shelving made it look like a closet, not an actual room, We needed wayyyy more storage (cabinets, preferably) for this room to reach its potential, The walls had never been painted, they were still primer. This was the plan that I sketched out in Paris ...  Washer/Dryer Wall Plan Closet Wall Plan And, finally, here's the finished result ... We love, love, love it! It's such a prettier room and bright. More updat

When returning from Paris, I wanted to think strategically about using less waste. I knew I was going to be focused on our house projects and I couldn't spend lots of time zeroing in on bulk stores or composting projects. So I picked a few everyday items to start. First, I found a coffee company that's zero-waste k-cups. (I love my French press but my mornings are busy with two trips out to the bus stop, so I'd rather use my Kerig machine, ya know?!) Faro is sold on Amazon and is completely compostable. Part of the cup is even made from coffee bean skins, a by-product of coffee production! Each morning, I toss the used pod into my little compost pot where it will eventually get added to my big bin the yard. The coffee packaging is all is reusable, too. Then, I considered toilet paper; I've been reading a lot about Who Gives a Crap , a tp company that uses 100% recycled paper or sustainable bamboo and wraps them in colorful paper instead of plastic. They also

In the laundry room, I leveled-up on the utility sink and bought this $250 one. The faucet with the extending hose is what really sold me. Anyway, instead of going full tile, with the grout, thin set, etc. I decided to find some fun peel and stick tile. I've seen them around and they're very affordable. I found this on Wayfair and thought it was going to be perfect. A little burst of color! And super-cheap! It installed pretty easily. It's basically vinyl puffy stickers. And I loved it when it was finished. Voila! Lovely! Then I woke up to see this ...   After: Sometimes You Get What You Pay For So, gotta come up with a plan B. Related links More Laundry Room posts 

I think we'd all love to renovate our kitchens. It's a universal ambition. And I have huge plans for our kitchen, but it's not currently a high priority or in the budget, so I'm just making a few improvements post Paris.  One, I am removing the light fixtures. It comes down to this: I didn't pick them out, and they're not pretty. And life is too short for ugly kitchen fixtures. So I found these matte black fixtures on Wayfair and got them both for under $175. Dave installed them and BAM and instantly more in love with my kitchen.  New Light in Front, Old Light Behind Then there's our pantry, which is kind of a hot mess. First, it's got wire shelves and bagged items get caught between the wires. The cans section is dropping, glass jars get knocked over and it's got this bifold door that should be used for closets, not kitchen pantries (in my opinion).  Our Pantry: The Current Situation I've made attempts to organize and sort, bu

While in Paris, I spent an insane amount of time thinking about updating my laundry room. I spent hours looking at Pinterest and imaging the different ways to use]the space. As our move grew closer, I started settling on ideas and drawing out plans and a budget. In my Post Paris Plan, that laundry room was a priority for a renovation. Wonder why? Here's a quick look ... Laundry Room Before: Glorious, NO!? This room (and it's a room and not a glorified closet, as it looks like now) is near the garage door and I know it could be 100000% more useful and productive with a little time, money and energy. Just adding a few built-in cabinets will improve the room. Or take a look at this space near the garage door. I consider it a "mud room" since it's where shoes get kicked off and where I leave my grocery bags, etc.  The Laundry Room "Mud Room" Area. It's Empty Because I Took This Picture Over the Summer. Now can you just imagine it with som

Can you believe I made it more than 14 months without painting a single room?! But the girls wanted to update their room colors and I couldn't help but oblige. I mean, any excuse to paint is a good one. And my constant quest to re-move in is in full swing, so a painting project or two was a quick and easy update. Leah's room color hadn't been changed since we moved in seven years ago, so she was certainly due for an upgrade. (Here's the 2012 post for proof.) My almost-13-year-old picked a very cool blue to go with the "beach theme" in her room. The new color is on the left, and the old color is on the right. Leah At Work! New Color on the Left, Old Color on the Right (Notice the Nasty Baseboard Color) Alice started by looking at mustard yellows and oranges -- and I did my best to steer her toward a more palpable color. She ended up with a spring green called "Green Fees." It's definitely more mature than the little-girl lavender I pain