Bathroom: As good as finished (about time!)

I'm going to re-post the old pictures of the bathroom before each new one to refresh you memories (it's been awhile!)...                        
Remember the shower? How cluttered it was with bottles of shampoo and body wash?

Introducing....the shower caddy! I bought this at Walmart for $12.00. The suction cups came with it, they keep the caddy from sliding back and forth when removing bottles of shampoo. Plenty of room for our shower items, and we each have a hook for our "poofs". No more clutter and mess, or knocking bottles off the shelves and tripping on them! You might notice, I placed the caddy on the opposite side of the shower from the shower head. Alejandra does this also, to avoid excess splashing. I did it more out of necessity because we also have a removable shower head which would create too much clutter for easy use.

I bought this hook for less than $1.00 and Darling screwed it in for me. It is rugged enough to hold the caddy with no wobbling.

This is the uncluttered shower...(and soap scum lol I need to scrub my shower!)

The sink, and shelf cluttered and in disarray. Mess like this clutters my mind and stresses me out.

*Sigh*, that's better.

Underneath the sink was a disaster! It was hard to find anything, and there was stuff in there I didn't even need, or knew I had.

I bought four containers with nice, clicking lids at Walmart for .97 cents each! I broke the items up in 5 categories:

      1 Nail Care

2 Travel 

3 Refills 

   4 Medical

          5 Feminine care    

 The pink bag is all my make up, about 2/3rds full.

 I took a screw and screwed it in far enough for it to hold my flat iron, but not poke through the cabinet door. Now it is coiled up and out of the way. I don't have to shuffle it around in the cabinet to find what I want. Everything is neat, and in view, nothing is buried.

I couldn't find an old picture of in behind the mirror, but this is what it looks like now that I've organized it.

 I kept the Ibuprofen out because that is most likely to be used than the other medical supplies and is in easy access on the top shelf. The other items are my make up remover, facial soap and lotion, and deodorant.

 The bottom shelf is Darling's things, shaving cream, after shave, etc.

 This is a little container is magnetic, I got it in the school supplies section for lockers. I keep the q-tips in it, again, out of the way, yet easy to get at.

The towel cabinet was quite cluttered as well, I wish I had a picture of it, but now everything is neat...

 A close up. I went through all the items in the bathroom and found several that went in the trash, and some in the "give away" pile.

 A look at all my hair products, perfumes and I have two hair brushes.

A look at it before painting...

And after...

Ta-Da! That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed this, and maybe got some ideas or inspiration! 

Farm Fish

Darling and I got a permit to have Brook Trout in our pond. We are pretty excited.

 June, going for a swim.

 This is the large pond where the trout will be.

 Wild flower on the pond path. Anyone know what it is??

 This is the little spring Darling dug out with the tractor, the pvc pipe drains water out.

 And because it is a spring, it never gets empty.

 The set up is going to work as an aerator for the trout, Darling will use a longer pipe, this was just a test run.

The fish should be here some time this weekend, I can't wait! I'm hoping the dog doesn't kill them all (he,he).

A Day to Restore Order

Today, I am going to restore order to our home. It is my second day off in a row, and the better part of yesterday was spent getting groceries and running errands.
  A quiet start today. Got up at 4:15 to make Darling's lunch for work. Then I made some coffee and sat out on the porch.

The sunlight starting  on one side 

The moon still in view on the other side

                       Sunny the steer going over to check out the selenium salt lick, June right beside him.

                               My heifer Gertty

                           June, chilling out

                         Mountains in the early morning

Hearing...

• An assortment of birds greeting the day with their beautiful songs so sweet
• Turkeys drumming and gobbling in the distance
• Hunters, imitating owl calls 
• Slurping pigs, enjoying their breakfast in the barn
• The roosters crowing, trying to "out-crow" each other

The air smells so fresh and good.
   
Today's to-do list:

• Fold and put away laundry
• Wash and hang out another load
• Pick up clutter
• Sweep the floors
• Dust
• Vacuum the carpet
• Give June a much needed bath
• Work on home office/guest room
• Start supper
• Reorganize the pantry
• Wipe down fridge shelves
• Write a letter
• Pay some bills

Tonight's supper:

• Beef rump roast
• mashed potatoes 
• gravy
• steamed broccoli
• iced tea
• cherry cheese cake for desert *yum* lol

Waiting for my purple lilac trees to blossom! I love lilacs, they smell soooo good!

Attention all Ladies!

Okay, this might seem a little weird, but I'd like to talk a little about women's lingerie, bras in particular. Only because I think it is very important and I'm speaking from a first hand experience. Yesterday I went to a lingerie store and got sized in order to find a perfectly fitting bra. Guess what? I thought I knew my size. I always thought that bras were just hard to shop for, as I rarely ever found one that I was perfectly happy with, or fit really well. So, I found out that I had been shopping for the wrong size for years! I never would have thought that I am the size that I discovered I really am, after all, bras do tend to look bigger on the rack than they actually are. So ladies, I beg you, get sized-it could change a part of you life! Don't worry about being immodest in front of a sales woman, you can be measured over a thin shirt, such as a t-shirt or tank top. So far, I have only found my size at Victoria's Secret, but will do some more searching. But, I will tell you, I'm all done shopping for bras at Walmart. Because, first of all, they don't carry my size (at least not at the nearest store) and, they don't last but for a couple of months. Like shoes, I'm not wasting my money on "Walmart fall aparts". I understand that most of us are strapped financially in this hard economical time, but as one of my girl friends put it "I consider bras to be a good investment. Why buy something that you are going to have to replace in three months? The money you spend on cheap ones in a year, could buy four good ones that will last for a few years."  Victoria's Secret is expensive, but it is so worth it. The bra I got yesterday was $52. But my friend Tara gave me a rewards card that she wasn't going to use and it took $10 off my purchase.  

                                          

Take away points:

• Get measured!
• Buy only good quality bras
• Use a lingerie bag when laundering your bars for long lasting wear
• Air dry to retain elasticity
• Remember, it's an investment
• Get measured
• Feel good that you've found your perfect size! 

Clean up Day

Today Darling and I cleaned up the yard and burned some brush. There is still some work to be done, but we defiantly got a good start. We picked up trash that the coons strewed all over the yard and down the driveway in the ditches. Darling is clearing some more potential pasture land so we had/ still have lots of brush to burn. It's a good thing our permit will last a week lol. Other happenings today:

• folding laundry
• cleaning the rabbit hutch
• collecting eggs
• making chicken gravy for supper tomorrow
• picking a little grass for rabbits' first taste of Spring
• spending some time with my heifer
• e-mailing 
• cleaning the kitchen 
• making grocery list/menu plan
• munching on egg salad sandwiches

Also, lately I've been literally dreaming of cheese cake!!! I love cheese cake, and I guess I really want some, I can't wait to go grocery shopping!

OOOHHHHH! Doesn't that look just awesome?!

Subconscious Collector

I am not one to collect stamps, or magazines, or bottle caps. In fact, I never really thought I collected anything. But, as I was washing the dishes the other day (as there was a *small* pile up of them), it hit me. I  do collect something. Coffee Cups. I have special memories attached to some little mugs that hold my favorite hot beverage. Here is (I think,) all of the special ones. 7 cups.

 The strawberry one is the first one I think I collected. My Aunt gave me a set of dishes, and the cool part? They were just like the first set of dishes my Mom had when she and Dad got married! I kept them in my hope chest and now that I'm married, I use them. One coffee cup that would probably be next is my goat breed coffee cup. I got it when I ordered meds and things for my beloved pet goats one time. It broke a couple years ago.(I used it ALL the time lol). Next is the Saddle Back mug Darling got me (then new boyfriend) when he went skiing with his cousins, the Keagans. Then the red one. My godmother Aunt Jane bought us four of these pretty mugs in my favorite color as a wedding/first home gift.

 Then the IHOP mug. Darling and I got it at IHOP(International House of Pancakes) in Portland one month after we got married. We went to a Family Life Weekend Getaway for couples. It was the first place we had breakfast. The conference was great! We learned tools for marriage, such as communication and how to resolve the conflicts that come with sharing your lives together in marriage. And the white mug. I found it at a thrift store and fell in love with it. It has pretty flowers on it and it was only .05cents!!!!

The brown mug is from the Senator's Inn in Augusta. Darling took me there for our first year anniversary last month and we had a lovely dinner in the Inn's restaurant. I liked the mug so much I asked the waiter if they sold them. He said he would have to check. Apparently, no one had asked to buy one before lol. He came back and said "how about four dollars?"  I said sure and here it is. The tin enamel one is my latest addition. I got it this past Wednesday when Darling took me to the Amish store in Smyrna, I had never been there before. It was so nice! They had skylights and propane lights (no electricity) and neat things like big mixing bowls, utensils, cheese, old fashioned candy, flour, seasonings and so on.
 So, that is my collection that I didn't realize I had going. I hope you have a good day!

Cawfee Tawk

Listened to a "Cawfee Tawk" Webinar by Kathy the tidy tutor http://thetidytutor.com/cawfee-tawk/ Interesting information to think about and apply to daily life in order to make the household run smoother.

This is an introduction video about her organizing class. I have not signed up for her classes, but I have been browsing her free videos and collecting tips.

Hope you have a good day!

A Busy Day

Darling pulled back the plastic on our garden spot today and found that it was fairly dry. So he plowed it and  also expanded the area.

I collected 6 eggs today.

                                          Charlie the rooster.

                                          A new hen someone gave us. She looks like an orpington.

Baked off two loaves of home made bread this afternoon.

Also, I tried my hand at fried chicken for the first time ever...

                                            Darling said it was good.

                                         The potatoes and green beans are from our garden.

It is hard to believe it is almost nine o'clock already! We're tuckered and ready for bed! Night all, hope your day was lovely!

New piglets

Darling got new piglets at the auction yesterday. June loves playing with pigs more than anything!

Also, Darling surprised me and brought home some Pearl White Leghorn chicks just for me!!!!!!!! Just what I wanted! Awwwah....

Hot suppah

Beef stew and coffee, with a glass of juice. Right now, I'm still burning warm apple pie scented candles. Some time soon though, I would like to get a few "fresh cotton", or something like that for this spring. I cannot wait for it to be warm enough to open the windows and let crisp, fresh air inside! And I love the smell of clothes dried on the line, especially fresh sheets in the Summer, *mmm*. But, alas, it is a while away yet.

I hope your day was lovely. I actually had a little nap today, shhhh lol . I have recently been waking up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep, which is no fun when you have to work, *sigh*. Oh well, such is life sometimes. Soon I will post about a book I'm reading that I got off www.amazon.com. Well have a good night Dears, "see" you soon :-)

It was supposed to rain today...

APRIL FOOLS! God really must have a sense of humor. I remember one year, we literally got a blizzard on April 1st.
 There was a change of plans. Something came up and I have not yet gotten the supplies for my bathroom :-( I've been busy working this week, and had to work Easter!!! But next week things will calm down and hopefully I can finish my bathroom. Also, we are dog sitting for some friends while they are away. This dog is an American Bull dog, and her name is Izzy (but everyone calls her Fat Turd). Turd and June play constantly, to the point where sometimes I have to separate them for sanity's sake lol. Today is going to be a day of catching up on laundry and dishes. I work twelve hour shifts and really don't want to do house work when I come home at night lol.  This is the Turd. Cute, isn't she?

 Well, I think I will make a cup of tea and get my work around the house done. I can't wait for the snow to go away!!! I'm so sick of the snow and the cold. It was over 50 degrees yesterday and today it is snowing! Winter does not want to let go!

Have a good day all!