Refresh My Nest: Post-Thanksgiving Update

Whew. What a week! I posted a pretty ambitious list of things I needed to do during this break and I’m back to report on what I got accomplished and what I let slide.

I hired a handyman to accomplish the things that are starred(*). The good news is he got a lot done. The bad news is that he did such a terrible job painting that I now need to hire a professional painter to fix his mistakes. I ended up leaving a lot off his to-do list because I just wanted him gone so I could hire someone who was less sloppy. Thankfully a few important things were done correctly, so at least I’m happy those are finished!

Here’s the original list, with notes:

* paint bathroom walls(*)

* hang closet doors in bathroom (*)

* make and hang curtains
Haven’t found fabric yet that I like.  I’m going to look online to see if I can find what I’m visualizing.

* put up baseboards in bathroom (*)

* paint heat register (*)

* nifty mirror idea I have that I probably won’t actually do (*)

* get some recipes together for next weekend’s guests

* set Thanksgiving table and make sure I have all the correct serving pieces
Not sure if you read this update, but we had Thanksgiving at my mother-in-laws so I didn’t need to do anything besides make a sweet potato casserole…

* purchase all food and have recipes ready

* finalize Thanksgiving decor

* replace kitchen window sill (*)

* fix loud pipe in guest room (*)

* clean guest room, including washing duvet cover, making bed, and putting out towels
I also organized the guest room closet.  It needed it!

* find a good consignment store and consign my stacks of clothing

* freshen my washing machine

* hang hooks in Noodle’s room for her towels and the camera for her video monitor

* clean rugs in nursery and living room (*)

As you can see, I got a lot accomplished (with help) but still have a few things to do. The exciting part {it was exciting for me, I’m a nerd} was that I got many extra tasks finished that I wasn’t planning on.   Here they are!

• Replaced board outside house that had a woodpecker hole and additional damage from rotting wood (*)
• Replaced a window sill in the kitchen that has been off for years. I’m finally able to put my potted rosemary in the window over the winter.
• Cleaned out several random piles of junk that had collected in the dining room. Almost ready for guests in there…
• Cleaned out a few kitchen cabinets. No matter how many time I go through them, there’s always a few things that can be tossed.
• Put up Christmas decorations! YIPPEE!!!  I’ll post soon with photos.
• That includes getting the tree- I feel so on top of stuff this year!
• Organized my laundry area (and added a basket for sample detergents)
• Reorganized my “stockpile” in the basement after my big shopping trip. Didn’t realize I had so much still there! I LOVE the pharmacy sales.
• Cleaned out and organized my wrapping supplies in anticipation for the season
• Cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned!
• Laundry: I must have done 20 loads over the past two weeks of clothes to be consigned, all the linens in my linen closet, clothes from vacation, Noodle’s clothes because she’s been throwing up so much– needless to say, a LOT of laundry.

With the holidays coming up, I think most of my Nest Refreshing will be limited to cleaning and not much on the home decorating front (aside from the holiday decorations, of course).  Basically, my big projects will have to wait until January.  But WATCH OUT in January!  We are planning on so much over the next few months and I can’t wait to share.  If I complete any projects this month I’ll post them individually so you can take a peek.  I have lots of DIY holiday projects to show you, so stay tuned!