The first full weekend of fall will be busy in my castle. I don’t need an excuse to make changes to my lovely abode, but a new season always seems like a great time to do so.

What’s on the weekend warrior agenda? Something old. Something new. Nothing borrowed, and certainly something blue.

Painting, painting, and more painting. Touchup painting to a few areas in the kitchen, first floor bathroom, and the staircase leading from the foyer to the second floor is a high priority, since the current weather permits leaving windows open for prolonged periods of time. If the mood strikes me, one of my lucky children will get their room painted!

After I finish wielding an array of paint brushes and rollers and splashing colors here and there, I’ll finally get around to finishing the kick-plates that were never stained and sealed from our kitchen makeover nearly 18 months ago. I stained them last week, but just couldn’t seem to find the time to seal them. I’m sure I HAD the time, but who knows what I actually did with it.

Grout will finally make it to a few places in the backsplash that never received it. We were so ready to be able to use our kitchen after it was out of commission for 5 weeks, little things like this fell by the wayside. Now is the time to get started on finishing.

My husband will take care of replacing the baseboards in the first floor bathroom. I’ll try to talk him into getting crown molding for the family room. We’ve taken on many projects with no prior experience, but mistakes in crown molding installation could be costly, so we will proceed with caution if this is a project that we decide to undertake.

The laundry/storage room is in dire need of a deep cleaning and purging. Our typical schedule is twice a year or so and we may be overdue. All hands are always on deck for this particular task! Luckily, for my 13-year-old son, he’ll be away at a teen retreat with fellow churchgoers. Maybe we’ll save some of the load for him. Surprise!

I started placing fall decorations in various rooms last weekend and imagine that I’ll continue working on that project until everything is in place. I think I’ll peruse a few decorating web sites and stop by a few home decor stores to get some ideas – and a few treats that are on sale.

Grocery shopping is another item on my to-do list. Completing the shopping list, checking out the sales papers, and trying to find a few coupons will take a bit of time. Friday-night activity if I want to hit the stores by 8 AM on Saturday. Never mind that I my youngest one has a Funky Friday event (it’s a church thing) at the bowling alley tonight. Somehow, I’ll make everything happen. I love a challenge!

Sunday’s agenda always includes going to church, and sometimes it involves experimenting in the kitchen. Let us not forget about one of my favorite Sunday activities in fall – football!

Yep! It seems like I’ll have a busy weekend, but I love taking care of my family and our house, so I wouldn’t change a thing about my weekend plans!

What’s on your agenda this weekend?

CC

I’ve taken the opportunity presented by this three-day weekend to begin spring cleaning, or as my husband calls it “pre-spring cleaning”. Once spring rolls around, we’ll do this again, but there won’t be as much work. I turned off the heat, raised the kitchen and dining room blinds to let the sunshine in, opened the family room drapes, and opened the windows for a bit of fresh air. The house has been closed off for months, so I was happy to be able to get a sneak-peek at spring.

This weekend, my plan is to tackle at least one room each day. So far, so good. Last night’s chore was the master bedroom and while it’s not completely done, it’s looking better than it has been for a few months. There’s a ton of dusting that needs to be tackled. New bedding purchased and put on the bed last week gives the room a fresh, new look just in time for warmer weather!

Today’s chosen room was the family room and that was hard work! A little background: The room hadn’t been the same since before Thanksgiving when we started the whimsical project of constructing white, built-in bookcases on both sides of the fireplace. That project brightened up the room quite a bit, but I wanted to brighten it even more, so I painted the brick fireplace to match the bookcases. Well, Christmas decorating started while we were in the midst of building the bookcases and painting the fireplace, so I reconfigured the furniture to accommodate the Christmas tree. Fast-forward to the present: Today’s chore included moving around furniture in a manner that would maximize the amount of open space for playing the Wii or working out to exercise videos. I finally removed all the Christmas decorations from the bookshelves and dusted every surface. Lot’s of hard work, but well worth it!

The cleaner, reconfigured room only needs a fresh coat of paint (well, and new flooring) to be complete. I think I’ve settled on a color that’s three shades darker than the renovated kitchen. Since the rooms are adjacent, it’s a good idea to do so. The new color also compliments the existing family room furniture and from my husband’s standpoint, that’s a bonus, because it means spending less money.

Another minor project began while I was working on the family room. My husband removed some dated decorative posts that were located on the wall between the kitchen and family room. I mentioned wanting to do so recently and today, that task was accomplished. Now, I have an unobstructed view from the kitchen to the family room and the space is much more open. No more bars in the line of vision between the kitchen and family room. Yeah!

Tomorrow’s after-church chore will likely be the kitchen. It’s newly renovated with lots of added storage, but I have a habit of shopping for an army-sized family and not the family of six that we have. Finding room for the extras should be an easy task, since we have overflow food shelving in the basement. I might spend part of the afternoon going through my closet and putting aside things that need to go to Goodwill. Or, I may just spend it bumming around with the family. We’re down to two children this weekend. One is staying with a relative and another is in West Virginia on a church retreat with the teen group. Board games or a bike ride might be fun for the four of us who are home this weekend.

Monday’s task could (should) be the office, but that will take a lot of physical and mental energy. Maybe I’ll wait ’til the next three-day weekend, Memorial Day, to climb this mountain. I could just sit back and enjoy the decluttered rooms and relax before the start of a new work week!

Have you started spring cleaning? Are you planning any home improvement projects in the near future?

Let’s chat!

Love to all!

CC

Our homes are the most valuable assets that most of us have, so protecting the value of our abodes is of great importance.

Here are a 5 quick and inexpensive tips to increase the value of your home.

• Go neutral in your decor – homes that are too owner-specific can turn off potential buyers, friends, and family alike. Not to mention, you may get bored with a less-than-classic look quicker than you’d like.
• Landscape – you don’t have to hire an expensive landscaping company. Simply browse the internet for easy DIY ideas and head to your nearest nursery. Don’t forget the landscape lighting while you’re there. Oh, you may want to enlist the help of a friend or two for this job.
• Paint – if bright or dark colors aren’t your thing, go with something subtle such as various shades of tan. It will add color as well as hide blemishes that are easier to spot on stark, white walls.
• Refresh window treatments – get rid of the old, dark, dusty blinds and drapes and opt for a fresher look instead. Look for a contrast to your current color scheme. If you’re crafty, even better, so you can make your own window treatments and save some $$$.
• Replace flooring of poor quality. DIY’ers can save a bundle by installing their own replacement flooring. Big box home improvement stores have great selections at great prices. They also offer DIY classes, so stop by to see what’s in store for you!

Whether you’re planning to sell or stay put, these quick tips will make buyers (and you) do a double-take at how new and refreshing your home is.

Have any home improvement plans in the near future?

Let’s chat here and share ideas about how you plan to improve your home’s value (other than picking it up and moving it to The Hamptons).

Love to all!

CC